Sunday, July 10, 2016

The Brain is NOT the Mind

One important biblical and anatomical concept to keep in mind is that the human being is both material and nonmaterial.  He has a physical body, which can be seen, and a spirit or soul, which is nonphysical and cannot be seen.  The brain is material and the mind is nonmaterial.  The mind uses the brain, but it is not the brain.  The brain can be diseased and sick, but not the mind.  If the brain is damaged, the mind is not sick.  With brain damage, the damaged part is no longer available to the mind, and thus function is altered.  But the damage can be demonstrated.  This is not a mental condition, but organic brain damage.

Robert D. Smith, M.D., The Christian Counselor’s Medical Desk Reference, pg. 96

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