My mother died of a brain tumour in 1976. For the last two
weeks of her life she was in a coma, in the hospital. She was completely
non-responsive. As I sat by her bed, I wondered. "Where is she?"
Obviously, her physical body was there, in front of me, in the hospital bed. It
was her soul that I wondered about.
As a Christian, I believed that humans are made up of body and soul. The body
is physical, made of matter, created by God to live on earth for a limited
time, and then to die. I was in the process of witnessing the final stage of
Mom's bodily existence. It was heartbreaking, because she was the best parent
anyone could ever have been privileged to have.
It would have been more bearable if I could have been assured that her soul or
spirit, her essence, the part of her that knew and loved me, her grandchildren,
our other family members and friends was no longer there, or perhaps was poised
on the brink of eternity, ready and anxious to shed this gravely-ill body and
proceed on the journey to her heavenly home.
I asked the devout hospital chaplain who had presided at the passing of
numerous patients. "Father Michael, where is Mother's soul right
now?"
He tried but he couldn't give me an answer that satisfied me. "Maybe God
has some matters to take up with her before she goes. Or, perhaps she's using
up some of her time in Purgatory."
That really didn't suffice. God was soon to have all eternity to sort things
out with Mother. Besides, the Sacrament of the Sick, which she had received,
removed all punishment due to sins committed during life. She shouldn't have to
spend any time in Purgatory. Those were his best guesses, so I didn't press for
more. But I continued to wonder.
For over 30 years, I've continued to wonder. The puzzle had become extended during
this time, it now included those with brain injuries, Alzheimer's sufferers,
even surgical patients under anaesthetic. Where is the person's soul during
these times?
The body is physical, but the soul is spirit. Anaesthetics, trauma or disease
should not be able affect the spirit, should it? Then, one night recently I
finally heard an answer that made sense to me.
I've formed the habit of listening to the "Coast to Coast" radio
program with George Noory on my Sony Walkman during the night. It helps when I
can't sleep, and George's soothing voice doesn't disturb my slumbers, when I do
nod off.
Some of the guests have very far-out ideas, some have vivid imaginations, and
others are very interesting. One evening, a call-in listener who had been
pondering the same puzzle as I had, came up with what seemed to me to be a
reasonable explanation.
The brain is physical, it is part of the body. Its function is to collect
information from the earth plane, using the five senses and to transfer the
data to the mind. The brain is like a computer. It gathers information and
transmits it to the mind. The computer can be damaged, or it can crash
entirely.
The mind, or soul is spirit. During life, it receives and processes information
the brain transmits. The mind thinks, makes decisions, feels emotions, knows
people and places the body has been in contact with during life. The mind is
superior to the brain. It is eternal.
When the brain becomes diseased, unconscious, or anaesthetized, the computer
stops working. The mind is still present and functional, but the connection to
the brain has been broken.
Where is the mind, during these times? Probably hovering near, as radio, TV and
electrical waves are always around us, even when no receiving device is plugged
in.
When the brain is out-of-order, the mind doesn't break through into the
physical realm to make its presence known. It probably hovers near the ailing
body, waiting to be fully released from its mortal bond. When the brain dies,
the soul or mind proceeds to its eternal home.
I have no theological authorities to confirm this theory, I can only state that
it satisfies me. After more than 30 years, I feel I know where Mother's mind
was during those final days when she was in a coma. She was very near all the time, probably praying for her loved ones to be given peace and courage, even as we prayed for her to have an easy journey to her heavenly home.
