my studies and writings for over 25 years have considered dualist interaction between the mind of god/holy spirit and the spirit, soul/mind of man through god’s created neural synaptic networks of the brain. it is an interaction between the immaterial mind of god and man and the material synaptic networks of the brain. i have drawn upon biblical and neuroscientific resources and demonstrated a concordance between the two entities. one can ask, “so what?” what is the ultimate purpose and benefit of documenting this interaction and showing, at least in part, how it functions? again, i cite dr. ross:

“likewise, christians in the sciences can help christian theologians recognize god’s handiwork in nature, revealing more about his wisdom, artistry, and other attributes that draw people to seek a relationship with him. a (moderate) concordist approach to teaching on god’s revelation can help deepen christians’ trust in the bible while also drawing skeptics to its message. such teaching will restore the value of loving the lord with all our mind, as well as our heart, soul, and strength.”

in my books and blog posts i have often noted that my research into dualist interactionism utilizes the neural synapse as a model for study. in chapter 20 of dr. ross’s book he discusses the use Of a model:

“in science, the term ‘model’ refers to the schematic description of a physical or living system, or combined set of systems, that accounts for its origin and operation. a model is more than an idea, inference, method, hypothesis, or rudimentary theory. it is a reasonable and well-developed attempt to explain the entire scope of a particulAR SYSTEM, AS WELL AS THAT SYSTEM’S RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER PHENOMENA. . . . USING A MODEL APPROACH SUPPLIES RESEARCHERS AND BIBLE SCHOLARS WITH A SUFFICIENTLY DETAILED OUTLINE TO ASSIST IN FURTHER STUDY. IT PORTRAYS HOW, WHEN, WHERE, AND WHY A PHENOMENON, OR A SET OF PHENOMENA, TAKES PLACE. IT ANTICIPATES FUTURE DISCOVERIES OR BIBLICAL INSIGHTS THAT COULD EITHER VERIFY OR FALSIFY THE MODEL’S EXPLANATION. IN SCIENCE, THE BEST MODELS ALSO YIELD SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH THAT COULD POTENTIALLY IMPROVE UNDERSTANDING OF THE SYSTEMS OR PHENOMENA THEY ATTEMPT TO EXPLAIN. . . . GIVEN THAT NEITHER SCIENTISTS NOR THEOLOGIANS CAN KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT ANY PARTICULAR SYSTEM, NO MODEL CAN OFFER A PERFECT EXPLANATION. HOWEVER, AS DIFFERENT MODELS ARE COMPARED AND CONTRASTED AND MORE THOROUGHLY TESTED, SCIENTIFIC AND THEOLOGICAL UNDERSTANDING ADVANCES.”

i am including an excerpt from chapter 19 in dr. ross’s book that speaks to the complex, yet truly wonderfully designed, interactions between synchronous neural synaptic networks that function in the processing and interpretation of specified, encoded information by the immaterial mind. In my books and blog posts i have focused primarily on the encoded cognitive activities of the neocortex that are interpreted by the mind. in dr. ross’s comments we shall see that the mind interprets and integrates complex, multiple synaptic networks of neural codes beyond the neocortex. his comments address a comparison between the brains of neanderthals and human beings, homo sapiens sapiens:

“with a smaller right cerebellum providing only limited connections to the prefrontal lobes, neanderthals would have lacked language processing capability. modern humans’ larger cerebellum endows them with a ‘larger capacity for cognitive information processing’ and for ‘episodic and working memory capacity.’ the much larger superior medial part of the human parietal lobe gives humans the ability to engage in ‘highly integrated tasks, including visuospatial imagery, episodic memory and self-related mental representations.’ the larger superior lateral portion of the human parietal lobe allows for humans’ ‘integration and coordination between the self and the external space, generation of body image and sense of agency.’”

my inclusion of this information should reveal the power and majesty of our creator god who designed our capacity for communion with him via his holy spirit and with each other!

i am reading the latest book by dr. hugh ross, founder of the now global ministry, reasons to believe (www.reasons.org). its title is rescuing inerrancy: a scientific defense, RTB press, covina, ca, 2023. i wish to share excerpts from chapter 11 that are relevant to what i am sharing in my blog posts concerning the personal interaction between the holy spirit and the spirit and mind/soul of mankind:

“the 39 human writers of the bible’s 66 books understood that the holy spirit was the guiding voice behind everything they wrote. in many biblical passages, the human authors explicitly declared that what they were writing was inspired by god himself. the phrase ‘thus says the lord’ appears 427 times in the old testament. . . . the apostle paul assures the early christians, ‘all scripture is god-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness’ (2 timothy 3:16), and the apostle peter affirmed that ‘prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from god as they were carried along by the holy spirit’ (2 peter 1:21). . . . the bible’s redemptive theme is sustained by the record of nature. that god began his work of redemption before he created anything implies that all of nature is designed to make possible not only the existence but also the redemption of a vast host of humans. [the neural synaptic networks of the human brain have been so designed by god to provide a personal means for counsel and redemption.] . . . the holy spirit knows the meaning of what has been written and promises to guide us toward ever-deeper understanding. he uses genre and prayerfuly discerned interpretive principles to help us today [bold type added], just as he helped ancient peoples of the world and will help future generations.”

i pray that my writings in books and blogs speak to the truth and process of the personal interaction between the mind of god and the mind of man through his created neural synaptic networks.

Ortland shared some interesting comments about Einstein’s perspective on religion. I in turn share some now:

“for einstein, the more one penetrates into an understANDING OF THE PHYSICAL UNIVERSE, THE MORE ONE IS LEFT WIH THIS LINGERING SENSE OF SOMETHING ELSE, SOMETHING BEYOND. . . . ONCE, WHEN A LITTLE GIRL ASKED EINSTEIN IF SCIENTISTS PRAY, EINSTEIN INCLUDED WITHIN HIS ANSWER THIS ASSERTION: ‘EVERYONE WHO IS SERIOUSLY INVOLVED IN THE PURSUIT OF SCIENCE BECOMES CONVINCED THAT A SPIRIT IS MANIFEST IN THE LAWS OF THE UNIVERSE - A SPIRIT VASTLY SUPERIOR TO THAT OF MAN, AND ONE IN THE FACE OF WHICH WE WITH OUR MODEST POWERS MUST FEEL HUMBLE.’”

iT IS MY HOPE THAT AS ONE READS MY BLOG POSTS AND BOOKS THAT THIS SOMETHING IS RECOGNIZED AS THE PERSONAL GOD OF THE BIBLE, THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHO THROUGH THE SON, jESUS CHRIST, CREATED ALL THE LAWS OF THE UNIVERSE. HE IS A MAGNIFICENT, ALL-POWERFUL TRIUNE BEING WHO DESIRES A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CROWN OF HIS CREATION, MAN. HE CREATED US SO THAT PERSONAL INTERACTION IS POSSIBLE THROUGH THE SYNAPTIC NETWORKS OF THE HUMAN NERVOUS SYSTEM AND BRAIN.

as research continues concerning the potential application of quantum dots to the study of dual interactionism, i will be posting blogs that deal with the greater topic, understanding our relationship with the personal holy spirit.

gavin ortlund wrote a book entitled why god makes sense in a world that doesn’t: the beauty of christian theism. i am posting selected excerpts from his book that show the reality of god, giving us motivation to know him personally through his indwelling spirit. an objective of my research and writing is to share the reality of a bidirectional interaction with the holy spirit and how that works, at least in part.

“theologian thomas torrance describes scientific progress as accessing rather than surpassing spiritual reality, and he speaks of ‘an ascending gradient of meaning’ in which the spiritual realm is the ultimate animating cause of the material. this vision of the interrelation of the spiritual and physical realms is a classical christian instinct.”

quantum dots are being used productively in the neurosciences. neural cells and their constituents are being labeled with them enabling the identification of disease states and directional tracking within synaptic networks. It is my hope that it will become possible to identify a specific wave form generated by cognition/imagined thought, for example, that can be linked with an identical, or matched, wave form frequency, amplitude and shape within a quantum dot localized at a specific dendritic site where a spike train of action potentials is generated. it would provide strong confirmation of interaction between the immaterial mind and material components of synaptic networks. the precise design of such an experiment is yet to be determined. i have suggested a procedure that will surely require much refinement. i stand to learn and will welcome input from readers going forward. please stand by for future blogs that address this remarkable technology and its applications.

in the book of hebrews are verses which we can better understand as to process from the information presented in my books and in a number of my blogs:

the holy spirit also testifies to us about this. first he says: this is the covenant i will make with them after that time, says the lord. i will put my laws in their hearts, and i will write them on their minds. (heb 10:15-16)

it is my hope that i have presented compelling evidence for dualist interaction between the holy spirit and the human spirit and soul. the holy spirit has the power and will to establish neural codes within the human synaptic networks, manifested as “laws” in the “hearts” and “minds.” Yes, we can communicate directly with the Holy spirit via prayer, and we can also receive communications directly from him in our time, including those within the human conscience.

I am sharing a preview of blogs to come as my research continues. as i indicated in a recent blog post, technology is now becoming available use of which can extend our understanding of mind-brain interactions. specifically on so-called quantum dots! I AM POSTING A quotE from an article by stephen ornes in pnas, march15, 2016 ENTITLED “QUANTUM DOTS:”

“THEY’RE TINY CRYSTALS, GROWN FROM OR ETCHED INTO SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS, WITH DIAMETERS RANGING FROM ONE NANOMETER TO A FEW DOZEN NANOMETERS - ON THE ORDER OF A SMALL VIRUS. WHEN EXCITED BY ELECTRICITY OR LIGHT, A QUANTUM DOT PRODUCES A BRILLIANT, SINGLE-COLOR GLOW.

. . . THEY TYPICALLY CONTAIN RELATIVELY FEW ATOMS, RANGING FROM ABOUT 1000 TO 100,000. THAT MEANS THE CRYSTALS ARE LARGE ENOUGH TO BE USEFUL IN THE LABORATORY, BUT SO SMALL THAT THEY EXHIBIT QUANTUM BEHAVIORS ASSOCIATED WITH INDIVIDUAL ATOMS. THEY’RE A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF ‘ARTIFICIAL ATOMS”: SEMICONDUCTOR PARTICLES SUFFICIENTLY TINY SUCH THAT CHARGE AND ENERGY LEVELS ARE QUANTIZED. MOVEMENT OF ELECTrONS IS CONFINED IN ALL THREE DIRECTIONS SO TIGHTLY THAT QUANTUM DOTS ARE SAID TO BE ‘ZERO DIMENSIONAL.’ as a result, changing the size of the quantum dot controls how it absorbs and emits energy [in the case of my studies the nonmaterial energy within wave forms believed to be emitted by the immaterial cognitive mind] . . . . biologists are using the flourescece of quantum dots to tag cells of interest within a larger sample; [e.g.the dendritic tufts of lamina I of the cerebral cortex] . . . . quantum dots behave like atoms. . . . [giving investigators] a way to study cells and molecular structures [and their interaction].”

to understand how wave forms interact with synaptic network components we must focus on such small waves at the quantum level since it is quantum mechanics that serves as the “trigger” for synaptic transmission (discussed in previous blogs and in my books). the question that is being addressed is if quantum dots can be used to confirm the transmission of wave forms through the voltage barriers of synapses at specific sites, thereby confirming in turn interaction between the immaterial cognitive mind, including the mind of god/holy spirit, and the material components of synaptic networks. please stay tuned as my new collaborator and i pursue this study.

i highly recommend the book by Jeff cregg, a retired software developer entitled an emergent truth, texas sisters press, LLc, 2022. Though a fictional story, the author shares considerable factual information about artificial intelligence (ai) as considered by reductionist materialists. cregg shares in his story line how scientists with this perspective anticipate seeing ai greATLY exceed human cognitive capacity with the eventual elimination of mysticism, all religions and especially the acceptance of the reality of god. even the SIGNIFICANT lengthening of human life is anticipated by the development of ai. however, toward the end of the book cregg shares comments by a principal in chapter 24 named sam THAT i want to include as a blog post since they mirror so closely perspectives i have offered in my posts as well as in my books. the question addressed in this post is if ai can ultimately express free will and creative thought.

“BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT SHOWS THAT A COMPUTER PROGRAM DOES NOT UNDERSTAND INFORMATION THE WAY PEOPLE DO. . . . REMEMBER HOW I SHOWED YOU LAST NIGHT THat RODIN ULTIMATELY THINKS THE WAY It’S BEEN PROGRAMMED TO? . . . THIS DEMONSTRATION GETS TO THE HEART OF WHY WE CAN NEVER PROGRAm a machine to be autonomously creative. it’s because true autonomy is an attribute of an agent who possesses genuine free will. and as far as we know, that kind of agent is only known to exist in a metaphysical sense - it cannot be empirically detected or, for that matter, doesn’t even seem logically coherent. but we all know from our own subjective experiences that human beings are such agents. there is no biological equivalent of a prewritten software program that is stored in, and runs on, the wetware of our brains. no neuroscientist alive can tell you what comprises, or is responsible for, the existence of our conscious selves. every computer programmer knows you can’t reproduce what you cannot define, . . . oh sure, we’ve done an amazing job of simulating aspects of intelligence. as you know, we’ve gotten to the point of fooling the vast majority of people who converse with our machines into believing they’re talking to another person. but in the end, our software doesn’t intuitively understand what a word is or how to use it like our brains do because we don’t have a clue how it’s done. this is part of the hard problem of consciousness; the subjective reality we all experience. it’s hard because no one has any idea how our minds grasp the meanings of things or how experiences invoke emotions that inspire us to write poetry or paint masterpieces. those emotions are essential to give depth and perspective to our existence. . . . we take all of that for granted in our daily lives. but to software developers who think they can duplicate it in a computer, it’s what i’ve known all along - it’s impossible to achieve because we simply have no way to digitally reproduce an immaterial entity like consciousness. whatever we call ai, we will never be able to artificially recreate human consciousness unless we can do two things. first, we must write a practical, non-circular definition of it. and second, we must understand how our physical brains interact with it.”

I add at this point that the focus of my more than 20 years of research has been on understanding just how the synaptic networks of our brain interact with the cognition of the immaterial mind. I have shared in my most recent blog posts how specific immaterial/imagined thoughts can now be detected and interpreted as neural codes! so much of the text of cregg’s book is prescient! by the intelligent design of our creator god the means by which dualist interaction occurs provides for the personal communion we can have with the mind of god via his holy spirit as well as with one another. Whether conscious or not, we experience dualist interaction between the immaterial mind and the material components of the brain’s synaptic networks, a topic addressed in my writings.