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I guess I must be a little confused about the mind-body dualism we so often speak about when discussing neurobiology or the history of pychology. I have always thought of the mind as being a separate entity from the body, though the body includes the brain. Both function together to motivate, drive, and create behavior bidirectionally. Somatic symptomatology can be caused by psychological problems and vice versa. For example, during finals week many of us may experience a cold or other sickness resulting from a lowered immune system, which is caused by elevated stress levels. On the other side of the same coin, genetic predisposition can affect one's likelihood of manifesting a psychological disorder, such as depression. Examples such as these lead me to support Descartes position on mind-body dualism.

I also think the subject of the soul is an interesting and controversial one. I don't believe the soul needs to be thought of in terms of spirituality. Rather, I think the English language lacks an accepted terminology for whatever it is inside us that makes us think and feel in a way that is unique and distinct from any other life form. The "mind" or "soul" or whatever we want to describe "it" as is a dynamic aspect of the self which differs from our genetic biology which is unchanging.