EXACTLY, What Is The Soul?

[WhyIsThatSo]

I was not implying that animals have no reasoning ability, only that they do not have the same ability to reason in as humans. Clearly there are things we do not yet know about animals, science is constantly evolving.

The only thing that separates most humans from animals is the "spirit". Animals do not have a "spirit", they are only "souls".
I say "most humans", because there are some humans that do not possess "spirit" either....only "soul".

These are the "human animals".

 

[syo]

Depends on who you ask. Christianity has splintered into about 33,000 denominations, mostly all with differing beliefs on various things. That means we have at least 32,999 fakers out there...

...That's not even getting into the non-Christian realm.

Fakers????? That is why religious animosity exists. They all see FAKES.

 

[TransmutingSoul]

Thanks for sharing that. I know very little about the teachings of your faith. The physical mind seems important to consider in relation to what the soul is or might be.

I agree Dan, that it is very important. I see we are all connected in Spirit. As such any of my thoughts can permeate across all humanity. If I then choose to keep my thoughts pure and open to the good of all, I see that helps others to do the same.

I see great danger in impure thoughts and great danger if we concentrate on things like violent video games or entertainment.

I wish you always well and happy, Regards Tony

 

[Milton Platt]

Depends on who you ask. Christianity has splintered into about 33,000 denominations, mostly all with differing beliefs on various things. That means we have at least 32,999 fakers out there...

...That's not even getting into the non-Christian realm.

I suspect, based upon your own figures, we have precisely 33,000 fakers......

 

[osgart]

The soul is everything subjective that a person holds to be important and can't be measured or tested by way of instrumentation.

 

[TransmutingSoul]

The only thing that separates most humans from animals is the "spirit". Animals do not have a "spirit", they are only "souls".
I say "most humans", because there are some humans that do not possess "spirit" either....only "soul".

These are the "human animals".

There is a good talk on this, the 5 levels of Spirit at this link - Some Answered Questions | Bahá’í Reference Library

This talks is on Soul, Spirit and Mind - Some Answered Questions | Bahá’í Reference Library
and the talk that follows that is on The Outward and the Inward Powers of Man followed by [URL='https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/abdul-baha/some-answered-questions/10#555562300']The Differences in Human Character[/URL]

It gives us a better idea as to what we really are and how and why we exist in this world.

Regards Tony

 

[Cooky]

I suspect, based upon your own figures, we have precisely 33,000 fakers......

I haven't excluded that possibility... notice I said "at least" 32,999.

 

[mikkel_the_dane]

Happy Birthday!

Thanks

 

[Unveiled Artist]

.

Consider.

soul
/sōl/

Learn to pronounce

noun
noun: soul; plural noun: souls
1.the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being or animal, regarded as immortal.

​

Easily said, but just what is the nature of this immortal spiritual or immaterial part of a human being?

.

You're core or seat of your personality. It's not metaphysical.

Watch how people describe it. It's always connected to an abstract feeling, thought, or mystic concept. Something that defines a person (as so they say) that cannot be detected with the senses. Your "heart".

We are soulmates
He has an old soul
Heart, body, and soul
My soul or heart (internal drive) calls me

 

[Trailblazer]

The only thing that separates most humans from animals is the "spirit". Animals do not have a "spirit", they are only "souls".
I say "most humans", because there are some humans that do not possess "spirit" either....only "soul".

These are the "human animals".

I guess that depends upon how you define spirit and soul.
I do not believe that animals have a soul, but rather they only have an animal spirit.

Humans have a human spirit which is the same as a rational soul.

“The human spirit which distinguishes man from the animal is the rational soul, and these two names—the human spirit and the rational soul—designate one thing. This spirit, which in the terminology of the philosophers is the rational soul, embraces all beings, and as far as human ability permits discovers the realities of things and becomes cognizant of their peculiarities and effects, and of the qualities and properties of beings. But the human spirit, unless assisted by the spirit of faith, does not become acquainted with the divine secrets and the heavenly realities. It is like a mirror which, although clear, polished and brilliant, is still in need of light. Until a ray of the sun reflects upon it, it cannot discover the heavenly secrets.

But the mind is the power of the human spirit. Spirit is the lamp; mind is the light which shines from the lamp. Spirit is the tree, and the mind is the fruit. Mind is the perfection of the spirit and is its essential quality, as the sun’s rays are the essential necessity of the sun.” Some Answered Questions, pp. 208-209

 

[Trailblazer]

The very first lie ever told was "you will not die", i.e. you have an immortal soul, you can never die.

The person who chooses to reject God, receives capital punishment, they cease to exist, forever.

What Bible verses do you have that supports that belief?

I do not believe that any soul ever ceases to exist.

I believe that the soul (spirit) of man is immortal so it can never be extinguished. All souls continue to exist forever, but some souls have eternal life and others don’t.

“The immortality of the spirit is mentioned in the Holy Books; it is the fundamental basis of the divine religions. Now punishments and rewards are said to be of two kinds: first, the rewards and punishments of this life; second, those of the other world. But the paradise and hell of existence are found in all the worlds of God, whether in this world or in the spiritual heavenly worlds. Gaining these rewards is the gaining of eternal life. That is why Christ said, “Act in such a way that you may find eternal life, and that you may be born of water and the spirit, so that you may enter into the Kingdom.” 2” Some Answered Questions, p. 223

“Likewise, the rewards of the other world are the eternal life which is clearly mentioned in all the Holy Books, the divine perfections, the eternal bounties and everlasting felicity….The rewards of the other world are peace, the spiritual graces, the various spiritual gifts in the Kingdom of God, the gaining of the desires of the heart and the soul, and the meeting of God in the world of eternity.” Some Answered Questions, pp. 224-225

Those people who are distant from God do not have eternal life, although their soul continues to exist in the spiritual world after their physical body dies.

“In the same way, the souls who are veiled from God, although they exist in this world and in the world after death, are, in comparison with the holy existence of the children of the Kingdom of God, nonexisting and separated from God.” Some Answered Questions, p. 243

 

[Trailblazer]

I can't help but think this doesn't really mean anything. A lot of metaphysical stuff is just like this -- lots of words, no real meat to them.

It certainly does not say what the soul "is," because, being something that is pure "spirit" it has no real-world existence.

That would only be true if the spirit/soul did not exist in the real world; but it does exist in spite of the fact that it is not comprised of anything material so we cannot see it.

In order to act on the brain -- to any effect whatever on the brain, and therefore the person whose brain it is -- it must have some means of communicating with that brain. This requires making physical changes to that brain -- something that seems quite impossible since the soul apparently has no existence within physical reality. Only within something else, not known to exist, that some would seem to think of as "spiritual reality."

According to my beliefs, the soul does exist in the physical reality as well as the spiritual reality.
The soul is associated with the body of every human and it directs the bodily processes while we are alive in a physical body. After we die, the soul is freed from the physical body and continues to exist in the spiritual world, where it takes on another form which is spiritual.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

That would only be true if the spirit/soul did not exist in the real world; but it does exist in spite of the fact that it is not comprised of anything material so we cannot see it.

By "cannot see it" you mean, "have no means of detecting it." And yet, clearly, this is quite false, since in order to have any impact upon our physically real body, it is required to interact with it. This interaction is exactly the same thing having means to detect.

Anyway, you beliefs are yours. I am just not capable of believing anything that contradicts that which I already know to be true. For me, if there is no possible way for "the soul" to interact with the body, then either the soul doesn't exist, or has nothing to do with anything, anyway. And can therefore be safely ignored.

 

[Nakosis]

.

Consider.

soul
/sōl/

Learn to pronounce

noun
noun: soul; plural noun: souls
1.the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being or animal, regarded as immortal.

​

Easily said, but just what is the nature of this immortal spiritual or immaterial part of a human being?

.

Whatever is no longer present when a person is dead.

 

[WhyIsThatSo]

I guess that depends upon how you define spirit and soul.
I do not believe that animals have a soul, but rather they only have an animal spirit.

Humans have a human spirit which is the same as a rational soul.

“The human spirit which distinguishes man from the animal is the rational soul, and these two names—the human spirit and the rational soul—designate one thing. This spirit, which in the terminology of the philosophers is the rational soul, embraces all beings, and as far as human ability permits discovers the realities of things and becomes cognizant of their peculiarities and effects, and of the qualities and properties of beings. But the human spirit, unless assisted by the spirit of faith, does not become acquainted with the divine secrets and the heavenly realities. It is like a mirror which, although clear, polished and brilliant, is still in need of light. Until a ray of the sun reflects upon it, it cannot discover the heavenly secrets.

But the mind is the power of the human spirit. Spirit is the lamp; mind is the light which shines from the lamp. Spirit is the tree, and the mind is the fruit. Mind is the perfection of the spirit and is its essential quality, as the sun’s rays are the essential necessity of the sun.” Some Answered Questions, pp. 208-209

I think everything depends on how one defines spirit and soul, and it can get complicated too.
Or rather, we can make it more complicated than it needs to be.

"spirit" = WILL (free will....the power of choice, and "creation" )
"soul" = INSTINCT (animal instinct....primarily in the form of survival )

The "soul" part of us is what keeps us bound (enslaved) to this flesh (body)...
The "spirit" part of us is what sets us free from it.

 

[blü 2]

What is a number?

A number is an abstraction, and exists as a concept in individual human brains.

What is an electron?

If you find an elementary lepton with a negative charge, it's probably an electron.

What is time?

What clocks measure.

What is energy?

As far as we can tell, the contents of the Big Bang at Time Zero consisted of mass-energy. Hence the universe, its dimensions, material elements, particles and waves, its forces and regularities of behavior, and all the interactions of these, are either manifestations of mass-energy or the properties and effects of mass-energy.

What is anything?

The answer will vary with the particular thing. My own view is that the most basic categories from a human perspective are 'real' and 'imaginary'.

 

[The Hammer]

.

Consider.

soul
/sōl/

Learn to pronounce

noun
noun: soul; plural noun: souls
1.the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being or animal, regarded as immortal.

​

Easily said, but just what is the nature of this immortal spiritual or immaterial part of a human being?

.

The Norse didn't really have a concept of a "soul" until after the introduction of Christianity. This article goes into pretty good detail about the "self" and it's interrelated parts.
The Self and Its Parts - Norse Mythology for Smart People

 

[Salvador]

.

Consider.

soul
/sōl/

Learn to pronounce

noun
noun: soul; plural noun: souls
1.the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being or animal, regarded as immortal.

​

Easily said, but just what is the nature of this immortal spiritual or immaterial part of a human being?

.

Please allow me to hypothesize there being a simulated reality where the soul is the character of each person whom the simulator or simulators might bring back into the game of life.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

I think everything depends on how one defines spirit and soul, and it can get complicated too.
Or rather, we can make it more complicated than it needs to be.

"spirit" = WILL (free will....the power of choice, and "creation" )
"soul" = INSTINCT (animal instinct....primarily in the form of survival )

The "soul" part of us is what keeps us bound (enslaved) to this flesh (body)...
The "spirit" part of us is what sets us free from it.

Well, I'm sure that clears it up nicely for you. Meaningless to me, though.

 

[WhyIsThatSo]

I guess that depends upon how you define spirit and soul.
I do not believe that animals have a soul, but rather they only have an animal spirit.

Humans have a human spirit which is the same as a rational soul.

“The human spirit which distinguishes man from the animal is the rational soul, and these two names—the human spirit and the rational soul—designate one thing. This spirit, which in the terminology of the philosophers is the rational soul, embraces all beings, and as far as human ability permits discovers the realities of things and becomes cognizant of their peculiarities and effects, and of the qualities and properties of beings. But the human spirit, unless assisted by the spirit of faith, does not become acquainted with the divine secrets and the heavenly realities. It is like a mirror which, although clear, polished and brilliant, is still in need of light. Until a ray of the sun reflects upon it, it cannot discover the heavenly secrets.

But the mind is the power of the human spirit. Spirit is the lamp; mind is the light which shines from the lamp. Spirit is the tree, and the mind is the fruit. Mind is the perfection of the spirit and is its essential quality, as the sun’s rays are the essential necessity of the sun.” Some Answered Questions, pp. 208-209

I think everything depends on how one defines spirit and soul, and it can get complicated too.
Or rather, we can make it more complicated than it needs to be.

"spirit" = WILL (free will....the power of choice, and "creation" )
"soul" = INSTINCT (animal instinct....primarily in the form of survival )

The "soul" part of us is what keeps us bound (enslaved) to this flesh (body)...
The "spirit" part of us is what sets us free from it.

Well, I'm sure that clears it up nicely for you. Meaningless to me, though.

It means we can either get busy living...
or get busy dying.