Whole by Nature

Rethinking the Soul-Body Divide

Ever caught yourself in that peculiar moment when fear literally tightens your chest? Or noticed how genuine joy sends warmth rushing through your body? There's something happening in that space between what we think and what we physically experience that defies simple explanation.

Most of us grew up with the implicit understanding that our bodies are essentially sophisticated machines – complex biological systems where consciousness is just an interesting side effect of neurons firing. Physical reality first, awareness second. End of story. We think this connection is purely biological – fascinating but ultimately mechanical.

But what if that relationship is actually backward? What if consciousness – not just our personal thoughts, but the universal intelligence underlying everything – is actually primary? What if our physical experiences are more responsive to consciousness than we've been taught to believe?

We’ve been trained to think of soul and body as separate—maybe even opposed. Body is physical, measurable, and bound by biology. Soul is... what? Mysterious? Metaphorical? Something you only talk about in a religious setting (preferably in hushed tones)? But what if that split is the real illusion? You’ve probably felt the tug-of-war: Do I trust what I feel or what I can prove? Do I listen to my inner knowing or defer to what scans on an MRI?

We've all felt that discomfort when the word "soul" comes up at a dinner party. You can almost hear chairs scoot back and polite nods turn silent. The body we can talk about. The soul? Not so much. Yet some of the most thoughtful people in history—Einstein, Mary Baker Eddy—didn’t buy the idea that these two ways of understanding the world had to compete. They saw science and spirituality as complementary, not contradictory. As Einstein put it: “Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.” Not exactly a ringing endorsement of body-over-soul materialism.

When researchers at the University of Utah studied patients with chronic pain, they found that practices that shift awareness significantly reduced physical suffering. The question isn't just whether changing our personal thinking helps – it's whether consciousness itself is more fundamental than physicality.

Without getting into magical thinking or denying reality, I’m recognizing what research on neuroplasticity, the placebo effect, and meditation impacts on the body have been revealing: consciousness shapes physical experience in profound ways. This perspective suggests something revolutionary: that the universal intelligence underlying existence (what some traditions call Universal Mind) isn't separate from us but expresses itself through us. And maybe our bodies aren't self-contained material systems, but expressions of this deeper intelligence.

If you're raising an eyebrow right now, I get it. This perspective challenges our materialistic worldview where matter is primary and consciousness is just brain activity. But every scientific breakthrough has come from questioning established paradigms. What we once thought was solid matter is now understood as energy in pattern. So maybe the relationship between soul and body deserves a deeper look.

Christian Science offers a perspective that once seemed radical but increasingly aligns with cutting-edge understanding. Maybe taking it a step higher in investigating the idea that it’s the divine intelligence underlying existence (God) that expresses itself through us. Soul, not as some vaporous thing hovering outside our bodies—but the very source of all the intelligence, harmony, and life we attribute to our brains? What if the body isn’t a flawed container we’re stuck in—but a visible reflection of something much deeper?

That changes everything.

Because now healing isn’t about fixing a body. It’s about recognizing what Soul already knows: wholeness, purpose, continuity. Healing often begins when we stop seeing ourselves as broken material beings needing fixing and start recognizing our connection to something more fundamental. What might change if, instead of asking "How do I fix what's wrong with me?", you asked "What if I'm already whole, and healing is about uncovering that wholeness?" That kind of shift doesn't ignore the body—it honors it as a window into something more real, not less. And maybe the weariness we feel—the ache for something deeper—isn’t a sign we’re broken. Maybe it’s Soul speaking up, reminding us that we were never just bodies to begin with.

Let’s be clear, this shift isn't about denying physical challenges. It's about approaching them from a different foundation – one where consciousness isn't just along for the ride but is actually shaping the journey. What might your experience look like if you didn't have to choose between your intellectual integrity and spiritual intuition? What healing possibilities might emerge if you considered, even briefly, that consciousness might be more fundamental than physicality?

The question isn't whether changing our personal thinking helps – it's whether consciousness itself is more fundamental than we've believed. And that's a question worth exploring.

Garland, E. L., Hanley, A. W., Nakamura, Y., Barrett, J. W., Baker, A. K., Reese, S. E., ... & Froeliger, B. (2022). Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement vs Supportive Group Therapy for Co-occurring Opioid Misuse and Chronic Pain in Primary Care: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Internal Medicine, 182(4), 407–417.

This study, conducted by researchers at the University of Utah, evaluated the efficacy of Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) in reducing opioid misuse and chronic pain among patients in primary care settings. The findings demonstrated that participants undergoing MORE experienced significant reductions in both opioid misuse and chronic pain symptoms compared to those receiving supportive group therapy.

For a more detailed overview, you can access the full article here: JAMA Network