Throughout history there have been two quintessential points of view on how to view ourselves in the world. The monist view supposes that since we are all made up of essentially the same kind of thing, there can be only one fundamental material in the universe. In terms of Monism, everything can be reduced; either to God, to a near infinitely small material dot or string of substance which can also be argued to be a form of Energy. Whatever reduction is done, the assumptions are the same. The dualists think other wise, that there is a distinction between the soul stuff and the body stuff, that there must be at least 2 types of things in reality, spiritual and material. One is as mortal as our body, the other immortal consciousness. According to dualists Soul/Mind and Matter must be distinct and immeasurable by eachother.
Many Scientists and Philosophers have held both points of view but it should understood that the objective of physical sciences is to understand the material, that which is detectable by our senses and material body. To study the brain or the mind with tools from sciences we must accept if only for a purpose of inquiry that the brain, mind and soul are synonymous and exist and act under the same physical laws as everything else in the known universe. Making such an assumption opens the mind to a frontier of exploration, self awareness and technology. Descartes once said that "Introspection is the only way to access the mind", that is no longer true and and I am interested in exploring what can, person-person be done and what ethically, should be done with this newly realised access.
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