The spirituality of human consciousness: a Catholic evaluation of some current neuro-scientific interpretations.
Science and engineering ethics September 1, 2012 Terence A McGoldrick
Catholic theology holds that the human person is a composite of a rational soul and a body, with free will and consciousness as the spiritual manifestations of the soul that unify human abilities. This religious perspective interprets findings from evolution, neuroscience, paleoanthropology, and animal intelligence as supporting a spiritual dimension to personality alongside physical processes. Therapies affecting consciousness raise ethical concerns because they impact free will and human dignity. Studies of resilience suggest that the soul's conscious choices play a greater, though limited, role in healing than mere metabolic or physical brain changes.