I'm always surprised in these discussions that the ideas of Tesla, Planck and others don't come up. Someone once tried to convince me that consciousness arose from the brain by saying that if he removed a part, then consciousness would change and diminish. I answered along the lines of Tesla that perhaps the brain is a like a radio receiver and if you remove parts from the receiver it is not going to work.

My brain is only a receiver, in the Universe there is a core from which we obtain knowledge, strength and inspiration. I have not penetrated into the secrets of this core, but I know that it exists ― Nikola Tesla

All matter originates and exists only by virtue of a force which brings the particle of an atom to vibration and holds this most minute solar system of the atom together. We must assume behind this force the existence of a conscious and intelligent mind. This mind is the matrix of all matter ― Max Planck