Mind is more than consciousness. In fact consciousness is only a very small part of mind.  Most are familiar with the ideas of the unconscious and the subconscious.  Even these parts of mind must be integrated in the cortex.  Have you ever heard of the idea of the gut mind?   Your idea of life force is not a neuro-scientific idea.  There may be some good thoughts behind it in Asian and American Indian Philosophy and Religions but lets not kid ourselves into believing it has any validity, at least at this time, in neuroscience.