Who controls the body: the brain or the soul?
Who controls the body: the brain or the soul?
The question of how a person is structured (his mind, body and soul) has worried humanity since ancient times.
From a scientific point of view, it is generally accepted that it is the brain that controls our actions, makes decisions and is the centre of intelligence. However, Islamic and philosophical traditions offer a much deeper and more multidimensional view.
According to Islamic under-standing, the true operator of a person is the soul (ruh). The brain is just a tool, like an operating system, which collects information and executes commands. The body is an executor, performing physical actions, if there is the will and power of the Almighty Creator.
How does it work?
- The senses (sight, hearing, smell, etc.) collect information about the outside world.
- The brain processes this information, compiles it and transmits it to the soul.
- The soul, possessing reason and conscience, makes a decision.
- This decision returns to the brain as a conditional “code”.
- The brain decodes it and sends a signal for execution - to muscles, organs, voice, etc.
Thus, the brain is not a controller, but an intermediary. True reason is in the soul. It is the soul that decides how to react to a particular situation. This understanding combines religious, spiritual and philosophical truth about man.
Is “mental illness” a myth?
In everyday speech, the expression “mentally ill person” is often heard. But if you think about it, it becomes clear: the soul cannot be sick. The soul, created by the Almighty, is perfect. It is not susceptible to diseases, like the body. Then why can a person behave inappropriately?
The answer is in the incorrect functioning of the brain. When the brain, for some reason (trauma, stress, innate characteristics) incorrectly processes information collected from the environment, it transmits distorted data to the soul. The soul, not having a complete and correct picture, still has to make a decision. It transmits its decision back to the brain, and the brain, in turn, incorrectly decodes this command. As a result - errors in behavior, unstable perception, inadequate reactions. It is not the soul that is sick - the mechanism that interacts with it is sick.
An amazing case in France
One of the amazing medical phenomena was a case in France, where an experienced programmer with a high IQ complained of headaches all his life. He underwent an MRI and found that his brain was compressed - no larger than a chicken egg. The rest of the cranium was filled with fluid.
Despite this, the man had normal logic, memory and intellectual activity. How is this possible? From the point of view of materialism - no way. But from the point of view of a believer - very possible. This is a clear sign from Almighty, evidence that the mind is not in the brain but in the soul and that intelligence is not just chemistry and electrical impulses but a gift and manifestation of the Divine will.
Conclusion
A person is not only a body but also a mind and soul. And it is the soul that controls this complex mechanism and not vice versa. Understanding this fact changes the outlook on life, on the psyche and on faith.
It is necessary not only to take care of the health of the body and train the brain, but above all - to cleanse and educate the soul, develop the inner world and strive for humility before Allah ﷻ. Then both the body and the mind will work correctly and a person will achieve true success - not only in this world, but also, most importantly, in the eternal world.
