Dr. N.L. Kachhara
With this in mind, let us now revisit the objections raised against dualism as described in the beginning of this chapter. In the process of fetal development, the soul attached to its subtle karma body enters the newly fertilized ovum and modifies the DNA in accordance with its karma (through radiation). This process of entry cannot be directly known to science, since the soul is non-physical, and the karma body is composed of subtle matter. Further growth and development of the fetus takes place according to the modified DNA. In Jain dualism, the interaction between the mind and body is through radiation and the principle of the conservation of energy is not violated. The soul does not directly interact with the conscious mind and body; its interaction with the karma body is based on the principle of parallelism and involves no energy transfer.
A correlation between the activities of the conscious mind and brain is a requirement of the system. The brain is the physical structure for the activity of the mind. The brain is the hardware, and the conscious mind provides the software. Neuron firing and other neuro-physiological activities in the brain are synchronized with the mental activity of the conscious mind. This is possible only when the brain is properly developed and functioning. In the early fetal stage or in a trauma state a suitable brain structure is not available, making required physical actions impossible. It would be wrong to assign mental capabilities to neural events as the materialists do; the driving force behind the neural activity is the mind, which actualizes the powers of the soul the ultimate source of all activities, both conscious and autonomic, in the body. The objections of Hume and Kant that the mind and soul cannot be apprehended are the result of human cognitive limitations; a person with a heavy karma load is not in a position to do so. However, an omniscient soul with minimal psychical karma can apprehend the mind and soul; this soul has the direct, first-person experience of reality in its absolute form. Consciousness and intelligence are properties of the soul rather than the mind or the brain. Consciousness exists in all organisms at all times and in all conditions, whether awake or in coma.
