Physicist Jerome W. Elbert takes up this intriguing issue in his informative yet accessible study. Reviewing the ancient origins of the soul concept, Elbert looks at Christian beliefs and pagan parallels, and then considers how the advance of science has changed our fundamental understanding of the brain and consciousness. He shows how these new scientific insights inevitably affect our traditional ideas about the soul. Various experts, from biblical scholars to neuroscientists, have gathered information that allows soul beliefs to be judged more skeptically. This book brings these conclusions together, offering a new perspective on whether supernatural souls really exist.
Many people devote their lives to caring for their souls, while others doubt souls exist.
Given the explosion in scientific knowledge about the brain, mind, and body chemistry, anyone who is even slightly skeptical may wonder whether the ancient concept of the soul holds any meaning in the modern world. As a physicist with a life-long interest in religious and philosophical questions, I have developed my own insights and have gathered information from various experts, ranging from biblical scholars to neuroscientists and philosophers. The results allow me to make a thorough, but readable, evaluation of soul-beliefs. I come to a strong conclusion that a wide range of readers will find convincing. That supernatural souls may not exist can have an enormous impact on our thinking about our basic nature and how we should live our lives.