What, exactly, is the soul?

[Woberts]

Currency.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Currency.

 

[Mock Turtle]

The Divine Spark of G-d in us.

A lighter somewhere needs a new flint then, since I feel no such.

For me, the soul is a colloquialism for the totality of our being, which was born into existence via our parents and will dissolve into nothingness when we die - apart for whatever we have done in life to affect others and any works we might have left that might last beyond the memories of a generation or two - or more if we justify this.

 

[Audie]

A lighter somewhere needs a new flint then, since I feel no such.

Maybe you need a Starbux.

 

[Quintessence]

People talk about these "realms" or "planes" as if they existed, or could be detected in any way.

Probably because those of us who regularly work with these realms do experience and detect them. You can too - it's as easy as using your imagination or listening to a story. "Spiritual" types often, for better or worse, cloak the whole process in needlessly flowery language because unfortunately, our culture fails at taking imagination seriously. We dismissively refer to it as "making things up" or "merely imaginary" in spite of the powerful influence such realms have upon human cultures worldwide. That seems so wrong to me, somehow.

In any case, as for the OP, someone posted up a list of definitions for "soul" earlier? The third one is pretty much what I go by - a person's total self (bearing in mind that "person" does not mean "human" for someone like me). That means "soul" includes all aspects of something's nature or essence, whether it's tangible or intangible. I'm not much for the dualism that's all the rage in my culture, so defining soul as solely the intangibles never really gelled with me.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

The soul is, perhaps, all and none of the above.

The soul is not a singular, but a plurality.

The soul is a conceptual explanation for our experiences.

The soul is not a noun, it is a verb...and maybe not even a verb...maybe it is adverb, adjective and/or preposition.

The soul is, maybe, just some thoughts on being.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Probably because those of us who regularly work with these realms do experience and detect them. You can too - it's as easy as using your imagination or listening to a story. "Spiritual" types often, for better or worse, cloak the whole process in needlessly flowery language because unfortunately, our culture fails at taking imagination seriously. We dismissively refer to it as "making things up" or "merely imaginary" in spite of the powerful influence such realms have upon human cultures worldwide. That seems so wrong to me, somehow.

In any case, as for the OP, someone posted up a list of definitions for "soul" earlier? The third one is pretty much what I go by - a person's total self (bearing in mind that "person" does not mean "human" for someone like me). That means "soul" includes all aspects of something's nature or essence, whether it's tangible or intangible. I'm not much for the dualism that's all the rage in my culture, so defining soul as solely the intangibles never really gelled with me.

If you wraped that (and other posts) with one word, wouldnt it be just our identity?

Our identity defines who we are. Its both body and mind. The traits involve not only our characteristics but how our mind interpets (imagination and literal) the world around us.

Its essense (a persons nature ), consciousness (his perception/awareness), spirit (her spirit/enlightens/mood; per dic.)

I dont know if Id use the word soul. I think its over explained or definitionalized, really.

What say ye?

 

[Windwalker]

Making things up and stating them as fact seems so wrong to me, somehow.

Speaking of transcendent realities and using metaphors to describe them, being interpreted literally, taking them "as fact seems so wrong to me."

Why does it not bother the "spiritual" types?

Because they understand metaphors are not descriptors of facts, but rather fingers pointing to something beyond what mere language can place a boundary around and call a "thing"? When a metaphor becomes a descriptor, it becomes a dead metaphor. And when our metaphors die, so does the wings of our "soul". We become Flatland characters in a Flatland reality. Flatland - Wikipedia

To me, words are attempts at understanding that which is wholly beyond them. So, we shouldn't mistake them as descriptors of fact to begin with. Maybe the "spiritual types" are those whose imaginations haven't yet been flattened?

 

[Unveiled Artist]

It's what's left of you in a non-physical sense after you die.

I like that sentence because it's probably agreeable to both hardcore materialists and hardcore theists. Don't get to say that very often.

Hmm. How does it agree materialists?

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Speaking of transcendent realities and using metaphors to describe them, being interpreted literally, taking them "as fact seems so wrong to me."


Because they understand metaphors are not descriptors of facts, but rather fingers pointing to something beyond what mere language can place a boundary around and call a "thing"? When a metaphor becomes a descriptor, it becomes a dead metaphor. And when our metaphors die, so does the wings of our "soul". We become Flatland characters in a Flatland reality. Flatland - Wikipedia

To me, words are attempts at understanding that which is wholly beyond them. So, we shouldn't mistake them as descriptors of fact to begin with. Maybe the "spiritual types" are those whose imaginations haven't yet been flattened?

Do you think those who use metaphors confuse metaphor with facts unkowningly?

 

[WalterTrull]

I'm not a dualist. I believe in a mental universe. I believe body is as much mental as thought. I believe in a single awareness that I call God. (Had to get those stated first) We are one. We are the children. Soul is the aspect of consciousness that makes our appearance unique. IMHO

 

[Quintessence]

If you wraped that (and other posts) with one word, wouldnt it be just our identity?

Our identity defines who we are. Its both body and mind. The traits involve not only our characteristics but how our mind interpets (imagination and literal) the world around us.

Its essense (a persons nature ), consciousness (the perception/awareness), spirit (what gives spirit/what enlightens; per dic.)

I dont know if Id use the word soul. I think its over explained or definitionalized, really.

What say ye?

I suppose one could use a term like "identity" as a synonym, yes. I'm more likely to use a word like "identity" or "nature" or "essence" than "soul" or "spirit" (unless I feel like being poetical).

 

[sojourner]

Well?


.​

The soul is who we are.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

I suppose one could use a term like "identity" as a synonym, yes. I'm more likely to use a word like "identity" or "nature" or "essence" than "soul" or "spirit" (unless I feel like being poetical).

I actually had to look up the word essense. Identity and nature works for me. Even the word god sounds to complicated whe stripped of the metaphoric language.

 

[shmogie]

Well?


.​

The Bible says the soul exists when the breath of life ( from God) and a physical body are combined. There can be no soul without either or both.

The soul is usually totally confused with and conflated with the spirit, not the same at all.

The term soul is a Hebrew term used in the Hebrew Bible, over 4,000 years ago.

Every time you use it, not in conforming to it's original meaning you use it wrong.

 

[Audie]

Speaking of transcendent realities and using metaphors to describe them, being interpreted literally, taking them "as fact seems so wrong to me."


Because they understand metaphors are not descriptors of facts, but rather fingers pointing to something beyond what mere language can place a boundary around and call a "thing"? When a metaphor becomes a descriptor, it becomes a dead metaphor. And when our metaphors die, so does the wings of our "soul". We become Flatland characters in a Flatland reality. Flatland - Wikipedia

To me, words are attempts at understanding that which is wholly beyond them. So, we shouldn't mistake them as descriptors of fact to begin with. Maybe the "spiritual types" are those whose imaginations haven't yet been flattened?

Ok! So making things up and saying they as facts is metaphor.

I definitely do not mistake talk of "spiritual realms" etc as fact.

Metaphor for what, who knows.

Maybe the "spiritual types" are those whose imaginations haven't yet been flattened?

And just maybe "spiritual types" are dopey dreamers who are out somewhere
past the orbit of pluto.

Hard to deny that some of them are not exactly that! Meta,you know, phorically speaking.


ETA. I read Flatland when I was 8 yrs old.

 

[1137]

The soul is the Platonic Form of the individual Self.

 

[Audie]

The Bible says the soul exists when the breath of life ( from God) and a physical body are combined. There can be no soul without either or both.

The soul is usually totally confused with and conflated with the spirit, not the same at all.

The term soul is a Hebrew term used in the Hebrew Bible, over 4,000 years ago.

Every time you use it, not in conforming to it's original meaning you use it wrong.

You are gifted with Knowledge of the original?

 

[paarsurrey]

What, exactly, is the soul?

I give Ahmadiyya Islamic understanding of soul:

"It (soul) is related to the sperm in a mysterious manner by the design and command and will of God. It is a bright and illumined quality of the sperm. It cannot be said that it is a part of the sperm as matter is part of matter, nor can it be said that it comes from outside or falls upon the earth and gets mixed with the matter of the sperm. It is latent in the sperm as fire is latent in the flint."

Page-13
https://www.alislam.org/library/books/Philosophy-of-Teachings-of-Islam.pdf
Regards

 

[Father Heathen]

Probably not the answer that you're looking for or interested in, but to me, it means your conscious mind, personality, and other incorporeal aspects that define who we are as individuals.