Anne Carol commented on "What Happens to the Soul of a Clinically Dead Person in Coma?"
She commented:
"Fascinating article as always. Can you tell us more about the mystery of life and death? How would you define life, and what happens when it dies? We have always wondered on this question for an answer.
Can you tell us more on this, Dr Lim?"
Here's an extension of my thoughts for Anne Carol in blue:
Presently, we have no definition for life. The acronym for living things is often given as MRS GREN to mean Movement, Respiration, Sensitivity, Growth, Reproduction, Excretion, and Nutrition.
But these are defining the characteristics of something that is living, but it is not the definition of life itself. So what is the true definition of life? Is it some biological entity, some life energy, life force, spiritual life or what resides inside a physical body, and what happens when it leaves the body? The direct answer is - the body dies?
The true definition of life is a complex and debated topic, but scientifically, life is defined by a set of characteristics, such as those in the MRS GREN acronym, that describe how an organism functions, rather than a separate "life force". There is no evidence in the eyes of science for a non-biological "life energy" leaving the body at death; rather, death is the cessation of these biological processes.
Biological definition of life is a process, not a thing. Science defines life by its functions, such as metabolism, growth, and reproduction, rather than a singular entity. These key characteristics is a useful starting point, but a more comprehensive list of non-entity characteristics that define life is needed such as life or vital force
On the existence of "life force" or "spiritual life", unfortunately currently we have no scientific basis for this. The idea of a non-biological "life force" or "life energy" is a concept from spirituality and philosophy, not biology. As far a s science is concerned, death is the end of a biological function. When a body dies, it is because the complex biological processes that sustain it have permanently stopped, not because a non-physical entity has left the body - at least this is what science describes. Science defines life through observable and measurable biological processes, not through a spiritual or metaphysical concept. While MRS GREN is helpful, a complete understanding of what makes something becoming alive is more than than just describing the characteristics of life.
The cessation of these biological processes is what defines death according to science, not the departure of a separate life force as religion sees it.
Since science cannot define exactly what is life, except define its characteristics as something living, can we give the definition as the breath of God? This question brings two distinct ways of understanding the world - the scientific and the theological, into conversation. Science describes how living things function, reproduce, and evolve by observing their characteristics.
Religion explains the metaphysical source of life, offering a divine or spiritual explanation for its origin and essence. Therefore, one framework cannot be directly substituted for the other.
Science does not attempt to define the ultimate "essence" of life. Instead, it uses a set of observed characteristics to classify things as living, non-living, or dead. The characteristics of life is just a list of working models seen in living things. It is not the definition of life itself. Moreover, some entities like viruses challenge this criteria highlights that life is a complex process that resists a simple, catch-all definition.
The theological perspective ("Breath of God"):
The concept of the "Breath of God" is a religious explanation for the origin of life, not a description of its biological functions. In the Bible on Genesis, God is described as breathing the "breath of life" into humanity, an intimate act that brings a physical form to life. This theological idea addresses the ultimate source of existence rather than the biological mechanisms through which it is sustained. It is a different realm of inquiry. Our question conflates a scientific model with a theological explanation, which occupy different realms of thought:
Science answers "how?" It provides mechanistic, evidence-based answers for how biological systems operate. Science cannot explain everything. It does not mean that only when something we can see, touch, detect and measure, are real and exist - the rest all not real and does not exist? It is so clear and real we see life creeping, crawling and flying everywhere on earth, and just because we cannot understand or define what they are, and why they are living, and what makes them alive, they are not science, and not real? But religion has the answer, and philosophy answers "why?" These fields explore questions of ultimate purpose, origin, and meaning, often outside the scope of scientific inquiry. The abundance of life presence on earth challenge of a single definition
The attempt to force a single, universal definition of life is not only difficult for science but also problematic in a philosophical context. As a 2024 paper wrote, there is no comprehensive scientific definition that perfectly separates living from non-living things, in part because life is a continuous, evolving process rather than a discrete, static category.
Therefore, equating the characteristics listed in the MRS GREN acronym with the "breath of God" mixes a functional, descriptive model with a spiritual, metaphysical explanation. The two ideas serve different purposes and offer different types of understanding.
The entity that gives a body life is known as a "vital force," "spirit," or "soul," but there is no scientific consensus on what it is, and it cannot be detected or measured by current scientific methods. From a biological and scientific perspective, life is the result of a complex interplay of chemical and biological processes, and death occurs when these processes cease. Different cultural and spiritual beliefs attribute death to the departure of the soul or spirit from the body.
But what makes a body alive? From a scientific perspective, life is a property of organized biological systems, a result of cellular and biochemical processes, not a single "entity" or "force".
But from a spiritual / cultural perspective, life is often attributed to a "vital force," "spirit," or "soul" that resides within the body and animates it. The specific beliefs about this entity vary across cultures and religions.
Then why does death occur? From the scientific perspective, death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. When the body's systems, such as the brain, heart, and lungs, stop functioning, the organism dies.
From the spiritual perspective, death is considered the point at which this non-physical "soul" or "spirit" leaves the physical body, which is why the body can no longer live.
Then many have continued to ask for ages can we detect or measure this living force? In the eyes of science, the answer is no. There is no scientific evidence or method for detecting or measuring a "vital force," "soul," or "spirit" in this context. Science relies on empirical evidence that can be observed and tested, and these concepts are beyond its current scope. But from the spiritual perspective, those who believe in a soul or spirit do not see it as something that can be measured by physical instruments, but rather something that is experienced or known through faith or spiritual intuition.
This brings us back to the "true" definition of life which is a complex and debated topic, but scientifically, life is defined by a set of characteristics that describe how an organism functions, rather than a separate "life force". Currently we have no evidence for a non-biological "life energy" leaving the body at death; rather, death is the cessation of these biological processes. Biological definition of life is, it is a process, not a thing.
Science defines life by its functions. But the idea of a non-biological "life force" or "life energy" is beyond science, a concept from spirituality and philosophy, not biology. But others will ask the scientist why does the body finally dies? In the eyes of a scientist, death is the end of biological function.
When a body dies, it is because the complex biological processes that sustain it have permanently stopped, not because a non-physical entity has left the body.
When a body dies, biological processes begin, including the cessation of breathing, circulation, and brain activity, followed by cooling and decomposition,
The question of what happens to "life" or consciousness is a matter of faith and philosophy, with different beliefs including an afterlife, reincarnation, or the cessation of consciousness at death. Science currently has no evidence for the continuation of consciousness after death, attributing near-death experiences to the brain shutting down. In death there are physical changes to the body. There is initial shutdown when breathing, heart, and brain activity cease. Blood circulation stops, and all the body's systems shut down.
The body temperature drops until it reaches the ambient temperature.
Decomposition begins when
bacteria begin to break down the body's tissues. Enzymes digest cells, and bacteria in the intestines and other tissues start digesting the body, which can cause bloating and gas. There is
structural collapse when over time, the soft tissues will disintegrate, leaving behind a skeleton that will eventually crumble. That's from a biological and chemical stand-point.
From a physics, and thermodynamics
standpoint, death is when a body stops maintaining its organized state and its energy disperses into the surroundings. Life maintains low entropy by constantly consuming energy to organize its matter, but death is a point where this process ends, and the body's energy, stored in chemical bonds and mass, dissipates as heat and is broken down through decomposition, increasing the overall disorder (entropy) of the universe. The body's energy dissipates but the energy is conserved.
The first law of thermodynamics states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred or changed in form. The energy in the body doesn't disappear; it is released.
The body's internal heat, produced by metabolism, transfers to the colder environment, causing the body to cool down to ambient temperature. This is a major part of why medical examiners can estimate time of death based on body temperature.
The energy stored in the body's chemical bonds (like those in sugars, fats, and proteins) is released as molecules break down through decomposition. This dispersed energy is then available to be absorbed by the environment, such as by decomposers like bacteria and insects, or eventually to be incorporated into new life forms.
Life is low entropy -
Living organisms are highly organized systems that maintain low entropy by using energy to stay structured and functional.
Death is high entropy -
The second law of thermodynamics states that entropy (disorder) in a closed system always increases over time. Death is the point where the body's ability to fight this natural tendency for disorder ends.
Decomposition is the result:
Decomposition is the final thermodynamic process where the body's organized matter breaks down into simpler, less organized components, increasing the overall entropy of the universe.
Beliefs about "life" or consciousness in religions and atheists views are:
Afterlife:
Many religions, including Christianity, Islam, and Judaism believe the soul or spirit continues to exist in another world, such as heaven and hell, or a spiritual realm.
Reincarnation:
Religions like Hinduism and some others believe the soul is reborn into a new physical body after death, continuing a cycle of life and death.
Enlightenment:
Some Buddhist beliefs suggest that it is possible to escape the cycle of death and rebirth through spiritual enlightenment.
Some people believe that consciousness is a product of the brain, and that when the brain dies, consciousness simply stops, with no life after death.
Near-death experiences like seeing a bright light or feeling peace during a near-death experience may be caused by changes in the brain to be able to 'see' as it shuts down but this is hotly disputed, because there were people blind from birth who could not describe how the physical world looks like, but when the return from death they could describe clearly what the physical world looks like though still blind when they returned from death. Moreover changes in the brain chemistry during death do not provide evidence of consciousness continuing after death, according to Verywell Health.
In conclusion for a scientist, science defines life through observable and measurable biological processes, not through a spiritual or metaphysical concept. The cessation of these biological processes is what defines death, but in the eyes of science it is not the departure of a separate life for. But in the eyes of religion, especially in Christianity, life is the breath of God that is not meant to be measures or detected, and it shall go back to where it belonged
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul (Genesis 2:7).The phrase "the soul returns to where it came" is a well-known line from Ecclesiastes 12:7 in the Bible, which states that after death, the body returns to the earth as star dusts from another world brought here through a supernova explosion, and the "spirit returns to God who gave it"
In many traditions, this signifies a return to a divine source or a state of being beyond the physical world. Other belief systems describe different outcomes, such as reincarnation or a cycle of life, death, and rebirth.
Unlike other scientists, this is what I strongly believe.
(I shall write more on this subject in a more philosophical tone in Part 2)
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