Consciousness and the Brain: A Medical, Experiential, and Rajyoga-Based Inquiry into the Soul as a Non-Physical and Immortal Reality

Advanced neuroscience has not been able to answer the ontological status of consciousness. The paper examines the evidence of a non-physical, persistent phenomenon of consciousness as medical and experiential phenomenon, which are near-death experiences (NDEs), terminal lucidity, organ transplantation, and neuroplasticity in meditation. Based on the interdisciplinary research and the philosophy of Brahma Kumaris that views the human being as an immortal soul, this study creates a non-reductive model of the state of consciousness. The results imply that although empirical evidence is still evasive, there is convergent evidence to suggest that materialism is not so much supported, but rather it is time to consider the possibility of the existence of consciousness as an independent and organizing principle. It has implications on consciousness study, medical science and spiritual psychology.