Are humans just a combination of lifeless atoms? How is it possible to bridge the gap between matter and consciousness through mere combinations? It's amazing that a combination of lifeless atoms can give rise to life and consciousness. If we can unlock the secrets behind this, could we create new species? That would be much more impressive than current artificial intelligence.
In my essay "Reflections on God and All Things," I pondered this phenomenon and attempted to argue for the existence of God. Recently, I came up with a philosophical hypothesis to explain this phenomenon.
Plants decay, humans die, seeds germinate and grow, and the cycle of life and death continues in nature. Throughout this process, there is something that remains unchanged or does not die. It is the essence contained in seeds that grow into plants after the death of the previous plant, and it is the essence contained in human sperm and eggs that absorb energy and grow into humans. This essence is the seed that nurtures life and consciousness. I may call it "spiritual matter" to distinguish it from the lifeless matter we usually refer to. In a metaphysical hypothesis, this world is composed of matter and spiritual matter. Spiritual matter can absorb energy and bind matter (atoms, molecules, etc.) together to form life and consciousness. Spiritual matter is the material that forms the soul. However, going back to the point, aren't the seeds and fertilized eggs also composed of atoms? Aren't they the same as the matter we usually refer to? But why can seeds and fertilized eggs grow into life while other matter (such as plant leaves, human bones, muscles, etc.) cannot without modern biotechnological intervention? Science should thoroughly study this phenomenon and explore the differences between seeds, fertilized eggs, and ordinary matter. Besides containing ordinary matter (atoms, molecules), is there something else (spiritual matter) inside them? Perhaps this spiritual matter cannot be detected by existing scientific instruments, just like dark matter, it is inferred. It is worth noting that before the invention of electromagnetic wave detection instruments, science could not detect the existence of electromagnetic waves.