The Brain Is A Transducer, Our Soul the Messenger

I never imagined that a revolutionary theory by an atheist about how our brain works could compliment my understanding of faith.

Robert Epstein, a Harvard-trained psychologist, recently appeared on the Joe Rogan podcast, where he shared his theory that the brain is not a computer storing data but a transducer for another dimension of reality. According to Epstein, our brain enables communication with other dimensions—a microphone to our souls, the very source of our consciousness.

In an article he published in Discover Magazine (https://www.discovermagazine.com/mind/your-brain-is-not-a-computer-it-is-a-transducer), Epstein wrote:

“What if spirits, dreams, and my mom’s music could all be accounted for by a relatively simple idea about how the brain works—an idea that might even be testable? The idea, which is quite simple on its face, is that the brain is a bidirectional transducer.”

While Epstein’s thesis might seem novel, it’s really an ancient concept, as old as faith itself. My own tradition offers countless examples of this idea, along with profound insights into its implications:

“The soul is greater than the body: the body becomes sick, and with that it is finished. But a spiritual sickness extends into eternity. Deliver us, O Lord, from such illness, and grant us healing.”
—St. Macarius

“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.”
—Matthew 10:28

Even Epstein might concede that if our soul, the source of our consciousness, exists on another plane in a non-material way, it’s something worth nurturing—even more so than the body. But while Epstein offers no guidance on how to care for the soul, our Church Fathers do.

In Greek, the word soul (ψυχή, psychē) means life or vital breath, calling to mind the breath of God that gave life to man. It is what truly makes us in the image of God, and it is where our immortality rests.

“The soul is a living essence, simple, incorporeal, invisible in its proper nature to bodily eyes; it is immortal; it is something logical and intellectual; it is without form. While it makes use of an organized body, it is the source of its powers of life.”
—St. John of Damascus

“The soul has three powers: the intelligence (mind), the incensive power (heart), and appetitive (will).
With our intelligence (mind), we direct our search; with our desire (will), we long for that supernal goodness which is the object of our search; and with our incensive power (heart), we fight to attain our object. With these powers, those who love God cleave to the divine principle of virtue and spiritual knowledge.”
—St. Maximus the Confessor

If we allow it, our transducer—our brain—can give us deeper clarity into our soul, a soul that exists in a dimension beyond our earthly understanding. But to access this, we need clarity of purpose and simplicity of thought—both of which are often obscured by the world around us.

The joy of our faith is that we have been given a path to not only connect with other dimensions but with God Himself. We can step out of the material world into the spiritual.

Not sure where to start? Here’s an example worth following:

“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.”
—Mark 1:35