There has been much debate about the true origin of awareness—the experience of “me” being the one in control. Personally, I believe that consciousness extends beyond the brain. Why? Perhaps due to intuition, analysis, personal experiences, and more.

One of the most effective methods to describe the nature of consciousness is to visualise your brain as a television set. The video below also does an excellent job of explaining it.

Both television and the brain have sophisticated networks of connections that allow them to function. In the case of a television, we believe that it operates via microscopic electronics. However, in reality, the television does not generate content. The antenna receives the material, which activates its circuitry. It is only used as a medium. Likewise, when it comes to the brain, we can identify different regions and their connections to various emotional states. However, it is possible that the brain functions primarily as a receiver, processing and interpreting information rather than generating it. In this sense, it may not be the true creator of consciousness.

But what if the creator is somewhere else? Do we have control over it? Is it due to a supernatural phenomenon, or is it just scientific? Is it necessary that all of these reincarnations, out-of-body experiences, and near-death encounters occur outside of the realm of science? Why can’t your soul or nonphysical self be the consequence of another scientific fact, rather than something you assign to God, resulting in a fear-based moral approach to life? Some hidden rules of nature, hmmm?

So, if we look at the chain of confusion that all thinkers encounter today, it runs something like this.

When you make a decision, you don’t know if it comes from your brain programming (over which you have no influence, illusionary freewill) or deeper sections of the heart, or soul resting in the heart.

If it is through the soul and a non-physical entity, do you still have control over what it thinks? Is it supposed to be within your control?

Assume that you do have control over what you think through the medium of soul, which transmits signals to the machine known as brain, but then is it God-created, in which case you are expected to act in accordance with the greater purpose, or is it simply scientific evolution?

If it is God’s creation, perhaps you are expected to be drawn to morality. But at what point and how are you supposed to actually change things? Some persons with a decent soul but a terrible brain (one with a tumour) have become psychopaths in the past, causing harm to society. Is this their fault? Did their soul still have to overcome all the inclinations induced by the injured brain and go against the tide? And if the soul is scientific, does what you think and do matter?

And finally, what implications does this have for the concept of reincarnation and karma.

You see, delving into the question of where consciousness truly resides can open up an entire Pandora’s box of profound inquiries—questions that continue to challenge and intrigue modern-day thinkers. From the nature of self-awareness to the possibility of consciousness existing beyond the brain, these discussions touch upon philosophy, neuroscience, and even metaphysics, pushing the boundaries of what we understand about human existence.