The Disappearing Man: Body, Soul, and the Question of Who We Are – Dr. Paul LaPenna
The Thomistic Institute
The Thomistic Institute
4.8 • 873 Ratings
🗓️ 22 December 2025
⏱️ 65 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Dr. Paul LaPenna uses the dramatic case of a man in a coma from autoimmune brain disease to show that personal identity endures despite severe loss of abilities, arguing from neurology and Thomistic philosophy that a human person is a unified body–soul substance whose soul grounds changing traits over time.
This lecture was given on October 17th, 2025, at St. Joseph’s Church in Greenwich Village.
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About the Speakers:
Dr. Paul LaPenna is a neurologist based in Greenville, South Carolina, specializing in the care of patients with neurological emergencies. He is also an award-winning professor at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, where he teaches neuroscience and has been recognized as the Professor of the Neuroscience Block from 2019 to 2025.
Dr. LaPenna’s professional and academic work is deeply informed by the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas, particularly regarding the integration of faith and reason, science and religion, and the Thomistic understanding of the human person. Through his lectures and writings, he explores how modern neuroscience complements classical philosophy and theology, offering insights into human cognition, virtue formation, and the relationship between mind, brain, and soul.
Dr. LaPenna lives in Greenville with his wife Nicole and their three daughters, Catherine, Susanna, and Lucia, who daily remind him of life’s greatest joys and deepest blessings.
Keywords: Body–Soul Unity, Catholic Anthropology, Consciousness and Brain, Human Person, Identity and Memory, Neuroscience and Philosophy, Personal Identity, Rational Soul, Thomistic Metaphysics, Trauma and Coma
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the Tomistic Institute podcast. |
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| 0:24.6 | It started with a headache. |
| 0:26.6 | That was day one for Brian. |
| 0:30.6 | And so I'm going to tell his story. |
| 0:33.6 | I forgot, I need to start with a disclaimer. |
| 0:35.6 | So this patient, this is his real name. |
| 0:37.7 | The pictures are real. |
| 0:42.5 | The imaging is real. |
| 0:43.8 | I have permission to share this written and verbal. |
| 0:47.7 | So I have to say that for HIPAA compliance. |
| 0:50.2 | But this is a real patient story, real name and everything. |
| 0:57.0 | And this is Brian and his daughter. |
| 0:59.0 | But it started with a headache. |
| 1:01.0 | He was a healthy man in his 40s, and he wasn't unaccustomed to headaches. |
| 1:06.0 | He thought it was a warm September day. |
| 1:09.0 | He thought, well, maybe I'm dehydrated. So he started to drink some water, but the headache persisted. |
| 1:14.6 | He said, okay, well, maybe it's a sinus infection. |
| 1:16.6 | I've had those before and often get a headache. |
| 1:18.6 | So I'll just give it some time. |
... |
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