This old chestnut, again

-Removed-

Brain function is a tangible thing, something we can monitor and observe. A person's spirit falls outside of this.

-Removed-

Where in the brain would you locate a person's zest for life?

-Removed-

Could you pinpoint it?

I do not believe we have consciousness outside of ourselves but the human spirit is a far more complicated affair than simple brain function. It is everything we have ever experienced, and I don't just mean memory. Having worked for many years with people with dementia I have seen spirit even when the brain has started to fail. Spirit is the very petrol in our engine, something that can be damaged without any physical injury. It can be broken and lost.

-Removed-

Our spirit is contained within ourselves and in how we relate to the world.

-Removed-

This warrants a more thoughtful response.

'I do not believe we have consciousness outside of ourselves but the human spirit is a far more complicated affair than simple brain function. It is everything we have ever experienced, and I don't just mean memory. Having worked for many years with people with dementia I have seen spirit even when the brain has started to fail. Spirit is the very petrol in our engine, something that can be damaged without any physical injury. It can be broken and lost.'

-Removed-

You are trying to simplify something that simply isn't simple. Of course the brain enables the spirit, but it is not something one can point to like a liver or a big toe. Think of spirit in the same way you would think of character or personality, or a sense of humour. Spirit is the source of our individuality.