The Mystery of Consciousness: Why Science Can't Capture 'I'

The greatest evidence of spiritual reality is found within each of us, in the most personal aspect of our being - the self.

Physics, chemistry, and biology pale in comparison to the greatest wonder of creation: the inner, psychological experience of consciousness - the sense of 'I'.

Can 'consciousness' be explained in materialistic and scientific terms?

Science cannot define consciousness with scientific tools, nor the mental activities of the mind. Prof. Yeshayahu Leibowitz, an expert in chemistry and neurophysiology, described this scientific barrier as 'the psycho-physical problem'. He wrote:

"The claim that a desire or feeling arises from a brain process is not understood at all. The brain is merely a component of the physical world, and everything that occurs in it is part of the transformations of matter and energy. The claim that brain processes result in the phenomenon 'I feel' or 'I want' holds no meaning in the world of natural science concepts... It is easy to say the words 'brain activity leads to psychic reality', but we cannot ascribe any true meaning to these words" (The Psycho-Physical Problem, Broadcast University, page 26).

In other words, consciousness and the psyche are beyond the boundaries of scientific perception. This is not a limitation due to technology that might be resolved in the future, but a fundamental issue that can never be solved, as material cannot describe and explain experiences that are intrinsic to the psyche.

Science is capable of describing only things with size and quantity, that depend on space and time, weight and measurement. Mental experiences, by definition, cannot be described quantitatively, thoughts and emotions do not occupy space and weight, and therefore, by their nature, cannot be scientifically described.

Researchers can document what people say about their personal experiences, but they are unable to explain psychic experiences using research tools. What is this human experience? What are these emotions? Where do joy and sorrow, justice and morality, thought and will originate?

The human experience is fundamentally different from any physical material, complex as it may be. It is the pinnacle of creation: the breath of life the Creator instilled in man.

Humans are not akin to machines designed to operate as part of nature but are independent beings separated from nature and capable of overcoming it: acting, creating, thinking, and choosing. Of all living creatures, humans have been endowed with the ability to choose between good and evil, to be righteous or wicked.

Spiritual testimony to the soul is also found in the fact that humans have an aspiration for true and essential spiritual connection and knowledge, and are not content merely with survival.

The existence of the soul leads to great conclusions: first, this fact testifies that humanity is fundamentally different from all of creation, and is the crown of creation; second, it teaches that the human soul descends into a material body for a purpose, and that upon the body's death, the soul returns to its Creator to account for its choices, as our sages said: "When a person departs from this world, neither money nor gold nor precious stones and pearls accompany them, only Torah and good deeds" (Avot 6:9).