To begin with something which should be obvious, although it is not generally believed, the physical mass of biological cells and support structure which presents to us as a human is not actually a human being. It is instead a physical body which houses a true human -- the immaterial human soul. This is an important distinction because we are defining what a true human actually is, which is the immaterial part. Most cells of the body are constantly being replaced, therefore much of what was formerly our body died and was replaced long ago. Does that result in a new human? No. The material will someday cease to function entirely, but the same immaterial inner self will live on forever. The material physical body interfaces with the immaterial real human, but the two exist on different levels. In fact, the two parts would be physically incompatible if God had not designed and put them together to form humans. And the immaterial is severable from the material, meaning it can exist apart from the material side after the body ceases to function.
Most science outside of the Bible denies the existence of the immaterial part of humans, making science unable to offer much useful information about the subject, or provide real solutions to problems related to the inner self. Real science, when it is honest, seeks to discover and understand what God created, and explain what it has found without undue speculation. When it comes to the structure of the material side of humans, science has discovered many things which have improved our health and enhanced our lives. And we are grateful. But science has failed miserably when it comes to the immaterial part of humans because it cannot reach the true inner human which is outside the material realm. Science calls this "the hard question," because it has no answer regarding why humans can think and form beliefs. But God has told us what He created, how it generally works, what distortions have entered into His creation apart from His will, and how to bring the inner human into alignment with His plan. And He has revealed to us a lot more than most people realize, as we will discuss in detail.
It is beyond the scope of this book to try to explain what most science says constitutes a human. It would also waste your time since it is mostly wrong. But as a very quick and accurate summary of what science itself tells us: 1) there is no human soul, only a material body controlled by the brain; 2) humans are advanced animals; 3) the brain is the center of human existence, and when it ceases to function, that human is gone forever; 4) science is unable to understand advanced human cognitive traits including the human mind, memory, how humans think or form beliefs, how humans have self-awareness and know they exist, dreaming, or any other advanced cognitive phenomena beyond what animals are capable of. In other words, science is baffled by the inner human, and cannot understand it at any higher level beyond the material or animal levels. So they simply call it "the hard question" and move on.
That is what we learn from science about the inner human, and most of it is incorrect. When science starts with a false premise, such as denying the existence of the human soul, there can be no basis for deep knowledge about the subject. We applaud science for how it has enhanced our lives, because when science stays within its proper realm it often makes our lives better, and we are glad for that. But that does not apply to the inner human, which is beyond its reach and understanding. This is not criticism for no reason. It is simply an accurate representation of what science has told us, that it does not understand much at all about human thinking and beliefs. Therefore we look to the Bible for answers, where they have been provided.
The human body is therefore a material mechanism created by God which enables the inner immaterial human to interface with the material universe He created, with other humans, and with Him. The immaterial human needs a body to support it, both on earth and during eternity, although the eternal one will be much different. The human body is formed by DNA passed down from our ancestors, but each soul is created directly and uniquely by God. So we must quickly get beyond viewing the body, including the brain, as the true human when we attempt to understand the immaterial part of humans.
For those who firmly believe the physical body is the actual human, this book is not for them. They believe that when this mortal body dies, that is the end, and nothing exists beyond the material. They believe humans are just another animal, although possibly a bit more advanced. This book will not attempt to refute such a basic unbelief system. The truth is clearly visible to anyone who wishes to see it. For those who have such beliefs, it would be wise to continue reading and use the immaterial soul to think about the eternal future beyond death. We will all live eternally either way. But there are two very different ways of living eternally. One is wonderful and the other is not. The Bible says "What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?" (Matthew 16:26)
So how does all this material/immaterial stuff work? As a preview, the brain is NOT the center of human thought and belief. Therefore it is not the true human. Let us now proceed to discuss the brain and soul, the functions of each, which does what, and how they work together.