Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!ucsd!ucbvax!agate!eos!data.nas.nasa.gov!news
From: kraus@se-sd.SanDiego.NCR.COM
Newsgroups: soc.religion.eastern
Subject: Re: Body and Soul
Message-ID: <1990Oct27.193633.5644@nas.nasa.gov>
Date: 27 Oct 90 19:36:33 GMT
Sender: news@nas.nasa.gov
Organization: NAS Program, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA
Lines: 32
Approved: prabhu@amelia.nas.nasa.gov

In article <1990Oct16.052640.4686@nas.nasa.gov> courtney@inmet.inmet.com writes:

>As for consciousness 'coming out of matter'.  This is considered a 
>diseased view.  They always stress that like causes like and that it 
>is impossible that mind/consciousness/awareness can be caused
>by matter (or the brain).  They of course will agree that states of
>consciousness (gross ones) are effected by the body/brain but the
>innate mind cannot be caused or originate from matter.  Now - this is
>a view - and one I don't necessarily hold - but it is convincing
>enough where I think I can base some actions of my life! ........

The Yogi Ramacharaka would agree with you. Its been awhile since I read
his thoughts on this subject in "Gnani Yoga", but basically , Yoga
philosophy states that it is matter that is generated from mind, and that
mind is generated from spirit. From this one might conclude that an individual
mind/soul might be directing the development of it's "housing" ,the body,
even before the human egg is fertilized, and that this mind/soul continues
to influence development after fertilization.

Ramacharaka also states that mind is simply a form of highly refined matter,
and that spirit is a form of highly refined mind. Spirit comes first and then
involves into its grossest form (matter) before evolution begins. The
evolution we see in the visible physical world is mirrored in the mind/spirit
arena. Anyway , this book makes for interesting reading.



-- 
====  David R. Kraus ============ | "Some terribly insightful
|     (619) 693-5539              |  quote that shakes the
|                                 |  foundation of all your
|   kraus@se-sd.SanDiego.NCR.COM  |  beliefs."