Lesson 1
Introduction
to the Brain Soul Complex
This study is properly a part of anthropology, the study
of man.
We know from Scripture that man is more than just a body,
we are body, soul, and spirit (human) 1 Thes 5:23
- also that we are Made in the
image of God.
From these studies we should gain an appreciation for who we are as we discover how the immaterial part of us and
the material part are integrated together.
- brain; soul; human spirit; sin
nature
With the result we should see more clearly and become
keenly aware of all that we have been provided under grace for living in f2.
Our brain is the greatest
concentration of chemo-neurological order and complexity in the physical
universe.
It is a video camera and
library, a computer and communication center, all in one. And the more the
brain is used the better it becomes!
We see remarkable purpose
and interdependence within the brain—every part works for the benefit of the
whole.
Those of us who believe in the God of
the Bible—the personal, omnipotent, omniscient God of creation and
redemption—find nothing mysterious at all about the origin of the complex
structure of the human brain or any of the great multitude
of complex organisms and other complex systems of the world.
"Lift up your eyes on high, and
behold who hath created these things" (Isaiah 40:26).
. . the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the
air" (Genesis
The naturalistic creed of
most evolutionists, however, requires them to account for complexity
naturalistically.
The increase of complexity
involved would seem to be incredible—but it must have happened, they insist,
because otherwise God would have done it, and that would be unscientific.
There
is an analogy between the computer that many of us are familiar with and the
function of the brain. Its not an exact analogy and we
will find that at various points the comparison will break down.
The
comparison is further compounded by the separation between the mind and the
brain.
We find that Scripture makes a discrimination between
feelings, the person, and conscious will; Jesus said in Matthew 22:37; Deut. 6:5
Description of the Brain
The adult brain weighs about 1350
grams, just three pounds, yet it handles the information of 1000
supercomputers. The fundamental unit within the brain is the neuron, or nerve
cell.
Each cell, about 10-6 meter in diameter, contains a
nucleus and branching fibers called dendrites and axons. When
a cell "fires," it sends electrochemical impulses along its axon
extension to neighboring neurons. These signals, or brain-wave patterns,
are in the range of microvolts.
Our brain contains about 10 billion
neurons (1010). During the first nine months of life, these neurons
form at the astounding rate of 25,000 per minute.
At any given moment, perhaps 10% of the brain cells are
firing, at a frequency of about 100 hertz.
This implies a rate of 1015signals or
computations every second. For comparison, the Cray-2 supercomputer's speed is
109 computations per second, with a storage capacity of 1011
bits. Thus, the storage capacity of this supercomputer is 1,000 times less
than that of the human brain.
Evolutionary Explanations
How does modern secular science
explain the assumed "explosive development" of the human brain? Very
creatively!
One traditional idea is that man's
discovery of complex tools and speech led to higher thinking and increased
brain size.
Consider the suggestion that early
man had his brain "baked" and damaged by spending too much time in
the hot sun. The brain
compensated by evolving additional neuron connections to make up for the
deficit. When our ancestor finally came in from the sun (or perhaps put on a
hat!) his full brain began to function once again!
The Two Brains
One active area of research involves
the separate functions of the brain's left and right hemispheres. These
mirror-image halves are joined together by a massive bundle of perhaps twenty
million nerve fibers called the corpus callosum.
The left hemisphere is found to be
specialized for language and analytical problem-solving. The right hemisphere,
in contrast, controls visual and artistic ideas.
A standard secular explanation of this brain division is that
the two hemispheres evolved to provide backup systems for each other in the
event of injury to one side.
And if the two halves indeed evolved
as backups for each other, then why are they specialized for different
activities?
The arbitrary and conflicting ideas
of brain evolution are obvious. Much evolutionary thinking appears to be the
result of dominant right hemisphere activity, where creativity reigns, and the
neglect of the left hemisphere, where logical reasoning occurs!
Conclusion
The beautiful complexity of our brain
contrasts sharply with all simplistic, secular attempts to explain it away. Our
brain remains a frontier of science; we actually know very little about it, but
what is known is overwhelming.
In addition, every single neuronal
cell within the brain contains a trillion atoms. This is like a microscopic
universe within each cell, complete with order, purpose, and interdependence of
components.
The brain truly provides an ultimate
design challenge for evolution. It should be a cause for humble praise in
considering the wonder of the mind. We
should think of it as a privilege to dedicate our minds to the Creator.
NOTES
ON THE BRAIN
1.
Basic explanation of the brain: (also see diagram)
a. The brain is the most complicated and sophisticated
organ of the body.
1. Each cell in the brain (neuron) is capable of
developing its own electrical charge.
2. Each cell has a branch called an axon among its many
branches which carry current of neuronal impulses outward, away from the cell
to other cells.
3. Also there are many branches that handle arriving
impulses flashing signals onward.
4. These neurons make up islands called gray matter and
the branching connections between these islands are called the white
matter.
5. This whole system vibrates in a disciplined way like a
vast symphony orchestra with millions of messages flashing back and forth.
6. Any kind of disruption is called epilepsy or
automatism.
b.
Sensory and motor mechanisms:
1. The brain - stem
and spinal cord provide man with inborn reflexes (muscle tone, maintenance of
posture, mechanics of walking, temperature control,
sleep rhythm, breathing, and coughing).
2. The lower brain
stem is active at birth and operates the motor mechanisms.
3. Committed
convolutions in the cerebral cortex handle motor and sensory function
(committed at birth).
4. All sensory data
is relayed to the higher brain stem via afferent impulses (afferent means a
carrying toward an objective).
- the 5 senses relate you to the
world around you
5. While efferent
impulses command the body to act or react (efferent means to carry away from a
source).
6. Sensory and
motor functions are committed at birth.
7. The Hippocampus
Zone is likewise committed as to function and scans the record of past
experience and functions in memory recall.
c.
The Interpretative cortex:
1. The gray matter
of this cortex is a part of a mechanism that presents interpretation of present
experience to conscience.
(i.e. to the highest brain mechanism where the soul
functions).
2. Clinical
evidence indicates that past experience can be brought back in total detail.
3. The cortex forms
the storage banks for knowledge (i.e. experience, learning, etc.)
4. The brain has, many uncommitted convolutions.
d. The Hippocampus Zone:
1. The hippocampi (2) stores the keys of access to the record of consciousness. (keeps track of where info is stored)
2. In conjunction with the interpretative cortex they make
possible the scanning and recall of experiential memory leaving all
non-sentient data out.
3. If removed on one side, memory remains but if both are
removed ability to recall voluntarily is lost.
e.
Central
Gray Matter of the Highest Brain Mechanism (Brain - stem the area of
integration of data)
1. Injury or
interference with function in the higher brain-stem even in small areas
abolishes consciousness completely.
2. Clinical
evidence indicates that this is the area of consciousness where it interfaces
with the soul. (any
disruption is called epilepsy or automatism)
3. A major attack
of epilepsy is when a discharge originates in the sensory or motor area of the
cerebral cortex and spills over into the brain stem - called "grand
mal."
4. A minor attack
is when a discharge originates in other than the sensory or motor area and
spills over to the brain-stem - called petit mal or automatism.
