Dr. Egnor is primarily a neurosurgeon and philosopher, not a self-help author. He does not provide a “10-step program to strengthen your immaterial mind.” His work is diagnostic and argumentative—he aims to prove the existence of the intellect and will as immaterial faculties, not to give practical exercises for them.
However, deep within the philosophical tradition he draws from (Aristotelian/Thomistic philosophy), there is a complete “step-by-step” guide. Egnor alludes to this framework but doesn’t write the manual himself. Here’s what that guide looks like, derived from the tradition he champions.
The Foundational Principle: “You Already Are Doing It”
The first step is recognizing that every time you…
- Struggle to understand a difficult concept (intellect),
- Resist a temptation or persevere in a hard task (will),
- Make a deliberate, reasoned choice (both)…
…you are already engaging these faculties. Strengthening them is about doing these things more deliberately, frequently, and virtuously.
The “Step-by-Step” Guide from Egnor’s Philosophical Tradition
Part 1: Strengthening the INTELLECT (The Faculty of Grasping Truth)
The goal here is to align your mind with reality and reason, not just to accumulate information.
- Pursue Deep Understanding Over Information:
- Step: Don’t just skim or memorize. When you encounter a fact, idea, or problem, ask “Why?” and “What does this mean?” until you grasp its essence or first principles.
- Practice: Read difficult, foundational texts (philosophy, great literature, advanced science) slowly. After a paragraph, stop and summarize the core argument in your own words. Egnor would argue this act of abstracting the universal meaning is the intellect at work.
- Practice Abstract Reasoning:
- Step: Regularly engage with subjects that are purely formal and abstract.
- Practice: Study logic (learn to identify fallacies), mathematics (especially proofs), and classical metaphysics (concepts like “being,” “causality,” “essence”). This is like weightlifting for the intellect.
- Contemplate (Don’t Just Think):
- Step: Set aside time for silent, focused reflection on a single, profound idea (e.g., justice, courage, infinity, the nature of life).
- Practice: This is the opposite of brainstorming. It’s holding one abstract concept in your mind and exploring its dimensions, relationships, and truth without an immediate practical goal. This is the purest activation of the intellect.
Part 2: Strengthening the WILL (The Faculty of Choosing the Good)
The will is strengthened not by getting what you want, but by choosing what is rationally good, especially when it’s difficult.
- Make Deliberate, Reasoned Choices:
- Step: For significant decisions, consciously articulate the reason for your choice. Avoid choices made purely from passion, impulse, or social pressure.
- Practice: Use a pros/cons list, but frame it in terms of “Which option aligns with a greater good or a true principle?” rather than just “What do I prefer?”
- Build Habit Through Small Acts of Virtue:
- Step: The will is like a muscle. It is strengthened by resistance. Perform small, conscious acts of self-discipline that go against a lower desire.
- Practice (The “Askesis”): This is the traditional ascetic practice. Examples: Wake up at a set time immediately, commit to a difficult physical task (like cold showers or exercise), practice fasting or moderation in pleasures, complete a tedious chore without procrastination. Each small act is the will commanding the body.
- Cultivate the Virtues:
- Step: The pinnacle of a strong will is virtue—a stable disposition to choose the good easily. Focus on one classical virtue at a time (e.g., Courage—doing the right thing despite fear; Temperance—moderating pleasures; Justice—giving others their due).
- Practice: Each day, find one concrete situation where you can practice that specific virtue. This trains the will to follow the intellect’s judgment of what is good.
Egnor’s “Bridge” Between Intellect and Will: Conscience
A key point in his tradition is that the intellect must inform the will. The strongest will is one directed by a well-formed intellect.
- The Process: Your intellect discerns what is true and good in a situation. Your conscience (practical intellect) makes a judgment. Your will then executes that judgment.
- Strengthening the Bridge: Engage in regular examination of conscience. Reflect on your day: Where did your will follow a false judgment from your intellect? Where did your intellect see the good, but your will fail to choose it?
What Egnor Would Say About Modern “Self-Help” Techniques:
He would likely argue that practices like visualization, affirmations, or manifestation exercises are impoverished, modern shadows of this classical training.
- Visualizing a Golf Swing: This is a very specific use of the intellect (holding a clear form) and will (focusing attention), which is why it works for skill acquisition.
- “Manifesting” a Car: This often bypasses the intellect’s search for truth and the will’s pursuit of the rational good, focusing instead on desire and feeling. It engages the faculties, but potentially in a disordered way.
**In summary, while Egnor doesn’t give a pop-psychology guide, the tradition he represents offers the most rigorous “step-by-step” manual ever written: it’s called the tradition of *philosophy as a way of life* and virtue ethics. To engage and strengthen your intellect and will, you would follow the path of a philosophical apprentice: study truth, think deeply, practice self-mastery, and cultivate moral virtue.**