| Central to all the Abrahamic religions is the doctrine of | | | | There is no single dimension of the human that lacks a |
| an afterlife. Adherents of these religions believe that | | | | controlling brain part. |
| after this earthly life, people will continue to live on in | | | | Further studies into the brain have shown that when a |
| another state - for an eternity. This doctrine has | | | | particular brain part is disabled, the corresponding |
| influenced many human activities, as well as inspired | | | | functions simply cease. For example, when the Broca's |
| many beliefs. The earthly existence is considered a | | | | area in the frontal, left lobe of the brain is destroyed, |
| transitional phase - a temporary abode in which | | | | the person stops speaking - a condition called Broca's |
| individual destiny in the afterlife is determined. Some | | | | aphasia. If, however, the right parietal lobe is stimulated, |
| people will go to heaven and others to hell. Those who | | | | the right angular gyrus may become excited, and an |
| go to heaven will never face suffering again. | | | | out-of-body experience results. A massive damage to |
| It is a comforting notion. It is also a notion that has been | | | | the left brain hemisphere will result in a person with |
| essentially refuted by recent scientific research. | | | | severe depression. Individual happiness can be |
| The notion of an afterlife necessarily postulates the | | | | enhanced by activating another part called the septum. |
| existence of an intangible, immortal part of the human. | | | | Surprisingly, religious experiences also have a |
| This part of the human is commonly called the soul. | | | | corresponding brain part: the temporal lobes. Epileptic |
| Now this soul supposedly contains all the intangible | | | | attacks on these lobes has been known to make |
| parts of a human - self awareness, feelings, | | | | people hypereligious. And so on and so forth. Suffice it |
| intelligence, emotions and personality. When the | | | | to say that all human experiences have correspondent |
| physical body dies, this intangible soul supposedly | | | | parts of the brain. |
| continues to live on - into eternity. Depending on the | | | | Now a question arises - since all human experiences |
| person's activities before death, the soul is cast into | | | | are apparently dependent on the physical brain, how |
| either eternal rewards or eternal damnation. | | | | can they survive death? After all, in death, the brain |
| In the past, it was nearly impossible to test the "soul | | | | disintegrates completely. The parts directly responsible |
| hypothesis". This is because little was known about the | | | | for emotions, personality, consciousness etc get |
| human mind. However, nowadays, through such | | | | destroyed. Claiming that these human facets survive |
| technologies as CAT (computed axial tomography) | | | | death hence is like claiming that a person can continue |
| scans, PET (positron emission topography) and the | | | | to see even after the eyes have been removed. For |
| more familiar MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), | | | | just as sight is a function of the eye, consciousness |
| scientists have managed to table out the entire brain, | | | | and personality is a function of the brain. |
| together with all the functions of its various parts. This | | | | Thus, although the notions of a soul and an afterlife |
| is because the brain is an electrochemical system, and | | | | feel comforting, objective research seems to show |
| shows higher electric activities in the areas that are | | | | that the soul is a myth. And if the soul doesn't exist, |
| active. Through the brain scans, it has been established | | | | neither does the afterlife. We have only one life, and |
| that virtually every function of the human has a | | | | thereafter, complete, utter oblivion - for an eternity. |
| corresponding part of the brain. Some functions | | | | It is a disturbing thought. It is also the closest thing to |
| correspond to specific parts of the brain, while others | | | | the truth. |
| correspond to diffused areas of the brain. | | | | |