Denyse O'Leary

Many scientists and medical doctors believe that there is no such thing as the soul. That there is no part of us that persists beyond death. We are just cells and tissue, completely controlled by a material organ, the brain.

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In The Immortal Mind: A Neurosurgeon's Case for the Existence of the Soul (Hachette Worthy, June 3, 2025), neurosurgeon Dr. Michael Egnor of Stony Brook University and I make the case that they are mistaken. The human brain is incredible, mysterious, and powerful. But it’s not what makes us who we are. The soul does that.

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Readers may be surprised by the amount of evidence there is for the existence of the human soul. First, the brain alone does not explain the mind. Inside very damaged brains, there is a thinking, feeling person with a spiritual soul that transcends the brain. Scientists can locate the parts of the brain that control the body or sensations or emotions, but they can't find the seat of reason or free will. Then there are people who suddenly become lucid after years of dementia or communicate despite apparent brain death. And then there are the many near-death experiences where the experiencer sees things that are later confirmed — experiences that cannot simply be explained away.