to be human

Here's a thought experiment that was raised in class:

If each neuron in your brain is replaced with an artificial device , would the artifact -i.e. you- be the same "person"? 

And I said, "Well, a materialist would say that if the artificial device is able to duplicate the causal features of the brain, in the sense that it is exact and specific to the neuron it replicated in terms of its functions (such as the ability to adapt) and its physicality, then the result would still be the same person. But rationality aside, I would like to believe that each of us have a soul."

You may call me a dualist - one who believes that the mind and the body are separate entities, because at the core of my perhaps seemingly irrational belief, is that each one of us are more than just a product of biological processes; an existence that is beyond logical comprehension. I believe in a soul, which goes to say that I believe in the human condition and its inherent conception of humanity. How else do you explain or comprehend those moments that touches us and shakes us at our very core? We are an anthology of different experiences that differentiates us from other living creatures.

This also proves my unshakeable belief that art is important. It is an embodiment of our humane expression - a bit of ourselves we give to the world to share and empathise with.

Maybe that's why I, in my moments of tension and stress, turn to a very simple routine. In the cloak of the night, I burn my musk-scented candle. drink a cup of wine (today's zinfandel), listen to downtempo music and look at photography and/or write.

From my past experiences, I can say with the utmost confidence that I am able to work like a machine. But most of the times I feel a lot better when I take a step back and acknowledge my weakness and my vulnerabilities; to breathe and to let go and to accept the limits of my own human self.

So here is a product of such moments : here
these are a series of work that I produced when I am at my most introspective/reflective. This work of progress is not a call for literary criticism nor it is a display of creative prowess. It is simply my life manifesto born out of lived experiences. This manifestation of prose and poetry is an acknowledgement of my own humanity and sharing a part of it helps me deal with that. It is my greatest joy if you are able to find resonance with my words because ultimately what I'm saying is that - your suffering/your pleasures/your guilt/your anxieties/ - you're not alone in them. I feel as you are. Take comfort in that.