I think, therefore I am. I think. I am.

At least I think that's what French philosopher René Descartes told us to think.

If you're confused already, you're in good company. The BBC documentary Finding My Mind, presented by Oxford University professor of mathematics Marcus Du Sautoy, has given me a lot of food for thought about this subject.

Du Sautoy dives headfirst into the deep wells of academic, philosophic and religious discourse to scientifically measure the essence of personal identity, asking: what defines our consciousness?

At the core of his investigation are questions about whether our conscience is separate from our physical mind. Can we call it a soul, or is the conscience simply a biological construct randomly produced by billions of neurons?

Wrapped up in the mix is the question of free will. Do we make our own decisions? Or does biology predetermine how we will think and behave? Are we slaves to Darwinian biological constructs?

Du Sautoy is genuinely rattled by one of the scientific experiments he undergoes, in which a scientist using a brain scanner determines what choices he will make six seconds before he physically makes them. Left with a sense of fatalism about his life - that perhaps his brain makes decisions independent of his conscience - Du Sautoy signs a legal consent form donating his brain to science when he dies. It's a genuinely fascinating journey with a deeply personal conclusion.

I'm of the opinion that this is a story seen primarily from Du Sautoy’s perspective. His version of reality and consciousness is shaped by his personal view of the world. Du Sautoy, an atheist since the age of 13, openly admits he's trying to prove that our biological brain is all there is - our inner sense of who we are is largely an emotional construct of the brain. Descartes and his dualism, which separated mind and body, are brushed aside.

As he submits himself to another scientific test, Du Sautoy asserts that all we can really measure is our physical bodies. How can you have a conscience, a soul or a spirit that's separate from your body, when you can't see or measure it beyond the electric pulses of neuron activity represented on a computer screen? At the same time, Du Sautoy is conflicted by non-rational, intuitive feelings that suggest his identity is separate from his body.

It's a fascinating dilemma, and a controversial one at that. Like you, I'm interpreting this issue through my own lens. In contrast to Du Sautoy, I'm a theist who holds the Judeo-Christian belief that the body, soul and spirit are three separate, yet interconnected, entities. That doesn't mean I'm excluding science. Faith versus science should not be a binary discussion - it's “both/and”.

That said, I find myself respectfully asking questions about the validity of genuine scientific inquiry, which in this case is largely focused on proving a predetermined position. Du Sautoy seems to hope science will support his view that the conscience is a figment of the mind, as it were.

The danger here is to adopt a position that denies an essential element of humanity that Du Sautoy himself observes with wonder: we are capable of profound (non-drug induced) experiences that transcend the rational mind. But the challenge facing us is to avoid arguing our case from a position of limited or no experience. Just because you have not experienced something does not automatically mean it is not possible.

To give you an example, I was at a Jewish funeral and burial service recently. As we stood at the grave site, the Rabbi explained that Jewish tradition dictates that a person's spirit and soul are separated from the body when the casket is lowered into the ground. The body returns to the earth from which it came, and the spirit returns to God in heaven. Personal beliefs aside, the Rabbi’s words were compelling. This separation of body and spirit meant now was the best time to deal with unresolved anger or hurt towards the deceased, he said. And for a short moment, the gift of silence allowed people to seek emotional closure and consider the reality of a deeper consciousness. For some, this might have happened.

But the scientific mind could easily shut down at this point, denying that outcome. It's a bit like Shakespeare's King Lear. Reading the program notes from the Bell Shakespeare production, I learnt the characters are deliberately set in a pre-Christian world. The characters were prevented from attributing any redemptive spiritual meaning to their suffering and forced instead to look for answers within themselves and the physical world.

As it turns out, Du Sautoy fails to reveal definitive answers despite his scientific endeavours. As a result, he's left slightly downcast, confessing: "I'm still not sure who I am."

It begs the question, how can we truly 'find our minds' if we restrict the search area?