Nonphysical Component in the Human Mind

This theory of consciousness is a generalized notion that in order to make the human mind, some kind of “nonphysical component,” working with the human brain, might be needed. It is the speculative position I [RLK] took in my first paper, published in 1969, where I emphasized that such a hypothetical nonphysical component would not be a traditional immortal soul (Kuhn, 1969).

Speculating a Nonphysical Component

I did not impute to this nonphysical component, on its own, consciousness or any kind of awareness, only its (potential) power, when working with the human brain, to transform the human brain into the human mind. I can almost find, if I stretch, parallels or resonance with Polkinghorne's “information-bearing pattern” and perhaps Van Inwagen's “naked kernel.”

Human vs. Animal Consciousness

Here I distinguish human mind from consciousness, which we presume to exist in many animals. Few doubt that mammals such as primates, dogs, and cetaceans are conscious and have mental experiences. Human mind and consciousness are like intersecting, non-overlapping Venn diagrams: some but not all of human mind is consciousness, and some but not all of consciousness is human mind. Stated in reverse, aspects of human mind go beyond consciousness, and instances of consciousness go beyond human mind.

My 1969 conjecture was that a “nonphysical component” might be needed to explain the vast difference between “animal brain and human mind,” between the mental outputs of humans and other mammals, especially those whose brains are larger than human brains. There are, of course, purely physical explanations, often invoking critical-mass and threshold mechanisms. Neuroanatomically, the human brain is more complex in its microstructure; the cerebral cortex is more extensive, especially prefrontal areas. Cultural accumulation and an opposable thumb play their parts. Still, I wondered, taken altogether, would they be sufficient to explain that vast human difference, the step-function human qualitative superiority?

If not sufficient, to pursue the speculation, to crawl farther out on this shaky limb, such a nonphysical component difference between humans and animals could come about in one of two ways. If phenomenal consciousness per se is purely physical (Materialist theories), then the human mind would require a unique nonphysical component that no other animal species would share. Alternatively, if phenomenal consciousness per se requires some kind of nonphysical substance theory—dualism, panpsychism, idealism, etc., it wouldn’t matter—and therefore there is one kind of nonphysical component required for pure consciousness that is applicable to both humans and other animals equally—then the human mind would still need either a different kind of that same nonphysical substance as its nonphysical component, or, in addition to the “basic” nonphysical component, a separate kind of nonphysical component. In other words, if a nonphysical component is needed for consciousness broadly, then a different or an additional nonphysical component would be needed for human consciousness in order to transform basic animal consciousness into human consciousness. In either case, it would seem to follow that such a nonphysical component would have to be differentiable, whatever that may mean.

Nebuchadnezzar’s Mind as Case Study

Undaunted by my nested speculations, I had a curious Bible story where all these nonphysical mind components might just apply. At one point in my early ruminations, I wondered if there was anything in the Bible that might reflect the essence of human-level consciousness, distinguishing humans from other animals. In Daniel 4, an incredible account is given of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who was “driven from men and dwelt with the beasts of the field” for seven years: “Let his heart [mind] be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart [mind] be given unto him.” (Dan. 4:16). Then, after the seven years, “my understanding returned to me, and I blessed the Most High” (Dan. 4:34).

Assume (for the moment) that this really happened; how could this have literally happened? Mental illness and its spontaneous remission would be a naturalistic explanation. I speculated something else: a change made to some “nonphysical substance” in Nebuchadnezzar's mind; conveniently, I had a “nonphysical component” at the ready.

Reflections: 1969 vs. 2026

Suffice it to say that I wrote my “nonphysical component” paper more than 57 years prior to writing this entry in the Landscape of Consciousness, so I ask that my views (and my style) then should not color too darkly my views now. (Well, maybe just a bit of coloring is fair … my haunting teenage thought has not faded: Should a being who can perceive eternity be denied it? But, I promise, I won't fool myself.)