Embodiment

A magnetic resonance image of James' brain, which maps where his existence begins.

Are we each fundamentally definable as interlinked networks of cells like this—cells operating together for something we call ‘human’ to emerge—existence defined by the survival of organs; heart beats reminders of mortality; moods reducible to states like dopamine and oxytocin levels—don’t these claims make you feel small?

Don’t you want to be more than a collection of parts?

What’s freedom and meaning when you can be deconstructed like this?

Understanding how conscious beings govern their physical bodies—if you believe in something like mind-body dualism or transcendental phenomenology—is still a dehumanising task for metaphysicians—and an answer still isn’t really in sight.

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