Soul
& Brain 6 February 2014
Two recent personal events have steered me to detour from my originally planned “Soul & Brain 6” article, about the Brain’s “Limbic system”, to provide an example of a link between the Soul & Brain.
Thanksgiving day 1950, my parents and I arrived at Ellis Island New York from Germany. From New York we traveled by train to Chicago where I grew up in a Ukrainian Catholic neighbor. A few years later, I started attending St. Nicholas Catholic School. In those days public transportation consisted of “Cable Cars” just like in San Francisco and some European Cities. My new friend Jerry who was 5 years older would travel west on a Cable Car, jump off near my house to take me to school. Together we would both climb on or sometimes jump on (if it was still moving: in those days safety was not a real concern) a Cable Car going North to our elementary school. Before arriving at school we would stop and play at a nearby playground. I liked going to school until I found out that the playground session was not part of the academic curriculum. Because of our age difference, I saw Jerry only on holidays and special occasions.
The next time we interacted was on my return from Canada. At a time when I felt very alone and some of my friends indicated they were busy and told me not to depend on them for company, Jerry and his wonderful wife Janina made me part of their extended family, inviting me to their home, taking me to amusement parks and on their vacations. During one vacation, while driving through the state of Kentucky on our way home to Chicago, we saw a road sign advertising the Rocket Center in Huntsville Alabama where the rocket engines were tested before hurling Astronauts to the moon. Jerry turned to me and asked me if I was interested in stopping at the Rocket Center. My facial expression told him the answer and off we drove to Huntsville.
Only many years later did I realize the inconvenience of that side trip. Huntsville was 300 miles in the opposite direction of Chicago. In the back seat of the Ford Van were two sisters playing and fighting and it was hard to tell the difference. In the middle seat, a patient and understanding Janina was nurturing a baby son and entertaining my God Daughter, who was then just a toddler. To me touring the Rocket Center was an exciting and memorable moment at a time that I was still struggling with my difficult decision in leaving the Seminary.
Six years ago Jerry suffered a stroke leaving his left side paralyzed. After some medical hurdles, Jerry was moved to a nursing home at which he resided until he died in January 2014. At the beginning of his ordeal Jerry was able with limitations to talk, remember past events and recognize me and my wife. But with time His brain functions deteriorated to a point where He could not communicate with His Family and Friends. To his Wife, Daughter, and Her husband who were constantly at His side and with love and care, comforting, feeding, and making sure He was as comfortable, Jerry was always with them in that room. Even though His failing brain prevented His Soul from responding to their love, Jerry was always aware of that love. With his death, Jerry’s Soul was in Heaven. The subject of Heaven will be explored in the “Letters from Canada” series.
The second event was a lecture by a distinguish Scientist Sean Carroll at FermiLab. He lectured about a subject matter that underlies all of our physical reality, “Quantum Field Theory”. It is an essential part of our physical world that is explored and discussed among scientists but seldom shared with the public. Examples of Quantum Fields are: magnetic, electric, gravity, Higgs….
At this point you might wonder what does the Human Soul and Quantum Field Theory have in common.
Quantum Field Theory is about invisible substances that enable physical matter to emerge and become everything from rocks to Human Beings. We physically exist because of Quantum Fields. We will explore Quantum Field Theory in the “Higgs Boson” series of articles.
The Human Soul is an invisible substance that enables the Human Brain, a 3 1/2 pound biological organ the size of a head of cauliflower and with the color and consistency of tofu to possess Divine Power.
The Positive Manifestation of that Divine Power is the capability to Love, Create, Amaze, Dazzle, Inspire, Explore, Discover, Invent, Transform, and reach for the Stars. We can do these things because our Souls are an image of God.
Just as Quantum Fields underlie our Physical Existence, our Souls underlie our Human Existence.
We will return to explore the Limbic System in Soul & Brain 7.
Two recent personal events have steered me to detour from my originally planned “Soul & Brain 6” article, about the Brain’s “Limbic system”, to provide an example of a link between the Soul & Brain.
Thanksgiving day 1950, my parents and I arrived at Ellis Island New York from Germany. From New York we traveled by train to Chicago where I grew up in a Ukrainian Catholic neighbor. A few years later, I started attending St. Nicholas Catholic School. In those days public transportation consisted of “Cable Cars” just like in San Francisco and some European Cities. My new friend Jerry who was 5 years older would travel west on a Cable Car, jump off near my house to take me to school. Together we would both climb on or sometimes jump on (if it was still moving: in those days safety was not a real concern) a Cable Car going North to our elementary school. Before arriving at school we would stop and play at a nearby playground. I liked going to school until I found out that the playground session was not part of the academic curriculum. Because of our age difference, I saw Jerry only on holidays and special occasions.
The next time we interacted was on my return from Canada. At a time when I felt very alone and some of my friends indicated they were busy and told me not to depend on them for company, Jerry and his wonderful wife Janina made me part of their extended family, inviting me to their home, taking me to amusement parks and on their vacations. During one vacation, while driving through the state of Kentucky on our way home to Chicago, we saw a road sign advertising the Rocket Center in Huntsville Alabama where the rocket engines were tested before hurling Astronauts to the moon. Jerry turned to me and asked me if I was interested in stopping at the Rocket Center. My facial expression told him the answer and off we drove to Huntsville.
Only many years later did I realize the inconvenience of that side trip. Huntsville was 300 miles in the opposite direction of Chicago. In the back seat of the Ford Van were two sisters playing and fighting and it was hard to tell the difference. In the middle seat, a patient and understanding Janina was nurturing a baby son and entertaining my God Daughter, who was then just a toddler. To me touring the Rocket Center was an exciting and memorable moment at a time that I was still struggling with my difficult decision in leaving the Seminary.
Six years ago Jerry suffered a stroke leaving his left side paralyzed. After some medical hurdles, Jerry was moved to a nursing home at which he resided until he died in January 2014. At the beginning of his ordeal Jerry was able with limitations to talk, remember past events and recognize me and my wife. But with time His brain functions deteriorated to a point where He could not communicate with His Family and Friends. To his Wife, Daughter, and Her husband who were constantly at His side and with love and care, comforting, feeding, and making sure He was as comfortable, Jerry was always with them in that room. Even though His failing brain prevented His Soul from responding to their love, Jerry was always aware of that love. With his death, Jerry’s Soul was in Heaven. The subject of Heaven will be explored in the “Letters from Canada” series.
The second event was a lecture by a distinguish Scientist Sean Carroll at FermiLab. He lectured about a subject matter that underlies all of our physical reality, “Quantum Field Theory”. It is an essential part of our physical world that is explored and discussed among scientists but seldom shared with the public. Examples of Quantum Fields are: magnetic, electric, gravity, Higgs….
At this point you might wonder what does the Human Soul and Quantum Field Theory have in common.
Quantum Field Theory is about invisible substances that enable physical matter to emerge and become everything from rocks to Human Beings. We physically exist because of Quantum Fields. We will explore Quantum Field Theory in the “Higgs Boson” series of articles.
The Human Soul is an invisible substance that enables the Human Brain, a 3 1/2 pound biological organ the size of a head of cauliflower and with the color and consistency of tofu to possess Divine Power.
The Positive Manifestation of that Divine Power is the capability to Love, Create, Amaze, Dazzle, Inspire, Explore, Discover, Invent, Transform, and reach for the Stars. We can do these things because our Souls are an image of God.
Just as Quantum Fields underlie our Physical Existence, our Souls underlie our Human Existence.
We will return to explore the Limbic System in Soul & Brain 7.
