Re: Soul, mind and brain

["Mahesh chandra Gupta" <>]

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Dear Valia,
Kindly note the following:
1. Hearsay is "unverified, unofficial information gained or acquired 
from another" [Random House Dictionary]. When internationally renowned 
scientists publish their reasearch and the same is quoted, it is not 
hearsay. It is authentic scientific reference.

2. The title of the news article  regarding Jane Goodall was " Do 
animals have souls?" [TOI, July 1]. It contains a quote from her," Our 
western religions affirm that we humans, alone in creation, have souls. 
But it seems that all life forms have a spark of the the great spiritual 
power , what human beings call a soul."

3. It will be an underestimation of the intellect of a renowned 
scientist to interpret their words to mean that they are using the words 
soul and feeling as synonyms.

4. How does Ayurvedic treatment  enter the discussion? Better not bring 
in confounding variables.

5. Darwin, too, is irrelevant to the present discussion. But, for your 
information, there are serious doubts being raised at present about his 
theory. One, sudden disappearance of many species, esp. dianosaures, is 
not  explained by his theory. He says they  became extinct because they 
overgrew themselves. Latest evidence is overwhelming that they became 
extinct because of holocaust caused by a large meteor colliding with 
earth, not because of natural evolutional process of the survival of the 
fittest. two, genetic studies have revealed now that his classification 
of living beings on the evolutional scale just does not match with 
genetic mapping, which is a solid criterion for studying evolution. 
Darwin had no tools for such study, except bare eyes. No doubt he did a 
great, stupendous work, of monumental significance for science. Three, 
Darwinian theory dismisses body organs, whose function we do not 
understand [rather, understood earlier], as useless or vestigial organs, 
relics of the past, which are of no use now. There was a time [just in 
the sixties, when I was in medical college], when thymus and pineal were 
supposed to be useless organs. Now thymus is known to be an important 
organ that plays a crucial role in body's immune response. Pineal gland, 
in brain, is now known to secrete a hormone melatonin which determines 
circadian rythms.

6.When you refer to Dalai Lama, you are mixing up different things. 
Facts are different from beliefs and customs, and the last two are 
different from each other. A fact does not cease to be a fact if it is 
not known or believed in. A belief does not confer any validity on 
either fact or custom. A custom ceases to exist if it is not practised 
continuously. A fact does not cease to exist for lack of belief or 
ritual or documentation.

7. I am not a religious preacher and am least bothered whether any body 
believes in god and soul or rebirth. It is unfortunate  I gave you 
occasion to comment,"Do not make life complicated and make people to 
worry about the things they should not worry. Have logical & rational 
mind. This does not stop any one to remain religious and God fearing 
person." I sent the above mail because I wanted to share scientific 
information I came across.

8. You have evinced interest in knowing whether there is a single 
documented case where a person has remembered about his past life. There 
are innumerable.
I refer you to two published sources:
A. Dr. Satwant K Pasricha, additional professor, NIMHANS, Bangalore, 
sent me last year a list of his research publications  on rebirth. It 
has 37 research papers, two books and 3 chapters in books. You can 
contact him and get the details. Some I am listing in a separate mail. 
[This one would become too large. attachments are not allowed].

B. Reader's Digest published in 1981 a book "Into the Unknown". It has a 
16 page chapter titled "Reincarnation". A summary of this chapter, 
prepared by me after reading your mail, is being sent as separate mail 
for the aforesaid reasons.

9. Your reference to charisma apeear to be not relevant to rebirth, 
except what Stevenson has to say about personality. This is mentioned in 
summary of Into the Unknown.

10. I rarely surf, for many reasons. You, and many others on the list, 
must be surfing quite a lot. I have a request to you and others. Please 
surf and locate informative material on this topic and pass on to me as 
e mail or as attachment. I shall be so grateful!

MC Gupta
July 2








  ----- Original Message -----
  From: Kishor Valia
  To: Mahesh chandra Gupta
  Cc: nukkad-list@mumbai-central.com
  Sent: Monday, July 02, 2001 2:47 AM
  Subject: Re: Soul, mind and brain


  At 17:52 01/07/01 +0530, you wrote:


  Dear MC Guptaji,

  It appears you join the ideas which you wish to link. In Aurvedic 
treatment, Sukshma sharir and sthool sharir meant that mind affects the 
body and similar way body affects mind.  What Jane Goodall said is that 
(observed) chimpanzees have capacity of having feeling like human 
beings. You took it as chimpanzees have soul. It proves my point.




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