Do you believe we all have souls?

[eudaimonia]

If by "soul" you mean that which makes us alive rather than dead, or consciously aware rather than unaware then, sure, we all have souls.

I don't believe that our life or awareness survives death, however. I don't think that one can separate these from the functioning of the human body because they are the functioning of the human body, and so when the body loses its functionability, we lose those functions.

I think that the only semi-plausible argument for life-after-death belongs to the Buddhist idea of rebirth (not reincarnation), but it is still just short of being persuasive to me. So far, anyway -- I'm still considering this view.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[michel]

No; I believe we are souls.

An interesting distinction. I like that!

 

[robtex]

Just to broaden this debate out a bit, what are souls made of, and if they are inorganic in life form why do you percieve inorganic life to exist?

 

[Hema]

It is the other way around. We ARE souls with a temporary body. One day the body will be left behind to return to the elements. The soul is eternal. Since the body is temporary, it is the soul that is real. The soul is our true nature. We are part of God. God is like the ocean and we are drops of water taken from the ocean. When our time on earth is up (after all reincarnations), we become one with God.

 

[Hema]

Just to broaden this debate out a bit, what are souls made of, and if they are inorganic in life form why do you percieve inorganic life to exist?

Souls are made of the absolute reality or Brahman. Souls are part of God. Even the Bible says that God created us in his image and likeness. We are Jeeva Atman or individual souls and God is Param Atman or the Super Soul. When we break free from the cycle of birth and death, we merge with the Param Atman. As for the "inorganic" topic, I perceive it to exist because I can feel God's prescence. I can feel the Param Atman because I am Jeeva Atman. The Atman cannot be seen with the eye, it is that which causes the eye to see (Upanishads).

 

[YmirGF]

No; I believe we are souls.

Agreed. That is exactly my thinking. The soul is not a possession or a lollipop for good behavior. It is what you are. You see, you have to try to grasp one small thing. To me, this is not a belief, per se. It is my experience. The soul is much easier to grasp than many expect and frankly most of you haven't a clue what you are missing out on.

Oh... btw... souls do not just merge into a cosmic god. That isn't the way the game works. We are the microcosm in the process of becoming the macrocosm. It's best if you just buckle down and get used to the idea, as you are going to be around for a very, VERY, long time.

Just to broaden this debate out a bit, what are souls made of, and if they are inorganic in life form why do you percieve inorganic life to exist?

The soul is energy although due to the scientific connotations perhaps a new word should be coined. In the ultimate sense everything is organic in a sense. Everything at a sub-sub-atomic level is this energy... even rocks ... even air... It is the glue that binds atomic structure. I am thinking of weak forces and strong forces here, but there is a possiblity that it is even more refined than that.

Souls are made of the absolute reality or Brahman. Souls are part of God. Even the Bible says that God created us in his image and likeness. We are Jeeva Atman or individual souls and God is Param Atman or the Super Soul. When we break free from the cycle of birth and death, we merge with the Param Atman. As for the "inorganic" topic, I perceive it to exist because I can feel God's prescence. I can feel the Param Atman because I am Jeeva Atman. The Atman cannot be seen with the eye, it is that which causes the eye to see (Upanishads).

I understand this point of view completely Hema, as I did once subscribe to this thinking. What one has to do is experience atma. Upon repeated experience of atma, one detects and then encompasses paramatma. I can't really desribe it any other way. As THAT experience deepens one experiences reality beyond the paramatma. Then, in time, one goes beyond that beyond. Frankly, I see no end in sight and fully expect experience to both grow and deepen with more experience. I do not see this process ever ending.

 

[megzy-boo]

I think we do but it is not something that can be detached from our bodies. It is the electricity in our brains - our personality. When our brains stop our souls stop.

 

[Kungfuzed]

A soul is the characteristics that make up a human's consiousness and individuality. Physically it is the electrical and chemical reactions in my brain that give rise to me. To put it simply, my brain is my soul. Of course, one could be brain dead and not have a soul, so what I mean is, the soul can't exist without a brain. The soul is what the brain does, more specifically the higher functions of the brain, like thinking, remembering, emotions, communication and interaction with others, art, etc. It could also be defined as the image one has of oneself or desire for life. When someone has a degrading or demoralizing job, or something very traumatic happens to them they sometimes use the expression that it has robbed them of their soul.

 

[Hacker]

Physics can prove that the brain cannot generate consciousness,therefore existance implies the presence in man of a non physical element.(which I believe the consciousness has a connection with the soul).

 

[Kungfuzed]

Physics can prove that the brain cannot generate consciousness,therefore existance implies the presence in man of a non physical element.(which I believe the consciousness has a connection with the soul).

I've never heard this before. How did they prove this? I'd be very interested to read about it.

 

[Katzpur]

Just to broaden this debate out a bit, what are souls made of, and if they are inorganic in life form why do you percieve inorganic life to exist?

I'm going to answer this question using the word "spirit." I believe that, technically speaking, the spirit and the body together comprise a "living soul." But if I may make that one substitution (i.e. spirit for soul), I believe that the spirit is comprised of "the light of truth," and that this is, in fact, matter. It's just matter that is so refined as to be invisible to the naked eye. I believe that God created everything spiritually before creating it temporally, and that all life has a spirit.

I would even go so far as to say that everything God created (organic or inorganic) has a spirit of some sort, although I don't know that that would be correctly interpreting the doctrine of my Church. It's just something I feel to be true. I'm not, by the way, saying that the spirit of a wad of dirt is the same thing as a human spirit. But then again, we came from dust and will end up as dust, so who knows...

 

[Doktormartini]

No. I believe that when we die our bones just rot in the earth, so no souls for me.

 

[BruceDLimber]

R>Do you believe we all have souls?

Most assuredly!

Best,

Bruce

 

[Hacker]

I've never heard this before. How did they prove this? I'd be very interested to read about it.

Actually it's common sense if you think about it, don't you think?

 

[Willamena]

Actually it's common sense if you think about it, don't you think?

That would depend on how you define "consciousness", no? Different people define it different ways.

 

[Hacker]

That would depend on how you define "consciousness", no? Different people define it different ways.

Hmmmm, interesting.....thanks!: hamster :

 

[Willamena]

Hmmmm, interesting.....thanks

But I am curious, too --in what way did you think that science's disproving of consciousness is common sense?

 

[!Fluffy!]

Do you believe we all have souls?

Yup. Mine looks like this
sort of. :super:

 

[Green Gaia]

I think there is something untangible that makes me, me. But I have not been convinced that this is something that keeps on living after I'm dead.

 

[Hacker]

But I am curious, too --in what way did you think that science's disproving of consciousness is common sense?

Because in all reality, how could you measure consciousness as being a physical element, how would that be possible? Maybe the brain activity but thoughts can't be measured, right?