At the request of ex-l (in the 'is it true about Dadiji thread) I thought I would start this topic. To start the ball rolling here is my understanding.
For me dementia does not necessarily prove that consciousness is brain based. To explain this I will use that classic Hindi explanation, the driver and the car (sorry!). With dementia I see the body being like a malfunctioning car. The Driver (soul) may turn the wheel to the right but the car goes to the left or the driver may apply the brakes but the boot opens instead. However as the windows of the car begin to malfunction too (perception/insight) the driver may not always be aware that anything is wrong, sometimes they will be.
If you were to speak to an aphasic individual you might think their consciousness had completely melted away or if you watched an apraxic individual perform everyday tasks you might think their consciousness was equally lost - in both these instances this would be an incorrect assumption. Granted aphasia and apraxia are not quite the same as dementia but they are brain based conditions.
I would say that the brain is needed for us to express our consciousness in this physical world and when the brain is faulty this consciousness is unable to be expressed. Do we have consciousness in the Soul World (if you believe in that place)? If you believe in subtle/astral regions does that non-physical body have a consciousness?
So for me physical consciousness it a combination of both soul and brain.
What I do find interesting though are sanskars and karma for individuals who have had a personality changing brain injury. Is the new personality due to dormant sankars or is it due to the faulty car? If it is due to the faulty car and the peaceful intentions of the soul end up being aggressive does that then create aggressive sankars and negative karma for the individual’s next birth? If it does it seems a bit unfair to me!
For me dementia does not necessarily prove that consciousness is brain based. To explain this I will use that classic Hindi explanation, the driver and the car (sorry!). With dementia I see the body being like a malfunctioning car. The Driver (soul) may turn the wheel to the right but the car goes to the left or the driver may apply the brakes but the boot opens instead. However as the windows of the car begin to malfunction too (perception/insight) the driver may not always be aware that anything is wrong, sometimes they will be.
If you were to speak to an aphasic individual you might think their consciousness had completely melted away or if you watched an apraxic individual perform everyday tasks you might think their consciousness was equally lost - in both these instances this would be an incorrect assumption. Granted aphasia and apraxia are not quite the same as dementia but they are brain based conditions.
I would say that the brain is needed for us to express our consciousness in this physical world and when the brain is faulty this consciousness is unable to be expressed. Do we have consciousness in the Soul World (if you believe in that place)? If you believe in subtle/astral regions does that non-physical body have a consciousness?
So for me physical consciousness it a combination of both soul and brain.
What I do find interesting though are sanskars and karma for individuals who have had a personality changing brain injury. Is the new personality due to dormant sankars or is it due to the faulty car? If it is due to the faulty car and the peaceful intentions of the soul end up being aggressive does that then create aggressive sankars and negative karma for the individual’s next birth? If it does it seems a bit unfair to me!