Reviewed Date: October 12th, 2021
At least once in our lifetime, we would think about who we are. What are we doing here? What is the meaning or purpose of this life? What is a self? What is the soul? I guess no one had gotten concrete answers to these questions the first time.
The concept of self is always bewildering to us. We might think that self is just the brain. Yes, this is true to some extent. The sense of self is constructed from a variety of brain systems working together. But knowing all facts about a person’s brain, thoughts, feelings, emotions, and so on is never enough to tell everything about a person. Then, the self is the soul.
According to the Bhagavad Gita, a holy scripture of Hinduism, “soul” means “consciousness.” Many believe that the soul sits between the brows and guides the person. But scientists have proved that, upon multiple investigations, there is no such thing as a soul. If not brain or soul, then what are memories?
It is obvious that humans can retrieve memories whenever they want. Contrary to what we believe, memory is an active process, and every time an event is recalled, it is altered in some way. If all memories of a person are erased, will he/she have the same personality as yesterday? The counterargument is that a person is more than memories; he/she has feelings, will, and sensibilities. Then who are we?
I leave that question. It is something a person has to do to find out by reading the book. I can give you a hint: John Locke’s definition of a ‘man.’
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