What, exactly, is the soul?

[George-ananda]

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

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

Why does it not bother the "spiritual" types?

As a spiritual type, I believe there are those more advanced individuals with the capacity to perceive the higher planes through their psychic senses in their higher realm bodies. I judge what I hear from eastern (Vedic/Hindu) and western esoteric (Theosophical) wisdom traditions on the quantity, quality and consistency of the perceptions of the more advanced teachers.

And from my own psychically ungifted but logical mind, I have studied the so-called paranormal and have concluded beyond reasonable doubt that dramatic things exist that can not be explained in a physical-only understanding of our reality.

 

[sayak83]

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

Weirdest reply of the day.

 

[Audie]

As a spiritual type, I believe there are those more advanced individuals with the capacity to perceive the higher planes through their psychic senses in their higher realm bodies. I judge what I hear from eastern (Vedic/Hindu) and western esoteric (Theosophical) wisdom traditions on the quantity, quality and consistency of the perceptions of the more advanced teachers.

And from my own psychically ungifted but logical mind, I have studied the so-called paranormal and have concluded beyond reasonable doubt that dramatic things exist that can not be explained in a physical-only understanding of our reality.

If you like to think you are special, you are not alone.

 

[George-ananda]

If you like to think you are special, you are not alone.

?? You might have misread something. I don't think I'm special. I have concluded through study and consideration that there are those more gifted than me in perceiving things beyond the physical.

 

[shmogie]

You are gifted with Knowledge of the original?

No, but I know people who are, and I have various reference works that give me the knowledge.

 

[`mud]

Ahhh...Spirit and Soul...
One for existance and one for progression.
Which is which ?
Which comes from the Cosmos,
and which comes from the `gods`.
I've been wandering about this my whole life.
We'll find out eventually, won't we ?
Or will we ?
~
Buddha says:
"The trouble is, you think you have time."

 

[Audie]

?? You might have misread something. I don't think I'm special. I have concluded through study and consideration that there are those more gifted than me in perceiving things beyond the physical.

Ok that sounds better.

 

[Audie]

No, but I know people who are, and I have various reference works that give me the knowledge.

And of the many and divers opinions out there, you know which to choose?

 

[shmogie]

And of the many and divers opinions out there, you know which to choose?

Well if you think there are diverse opinions, please provide some. Specifically, opinions that the word soul is not a Hebrew term used in the Torah, written 4,000 years ago.
It has been co opted by many to mean all kinds of things, but that is totally irrelevant, it is what it is, and was, the original.

Use other than what it means and says in the Torah, is counterfeit.

 

[Audie]

Well if you think there are diverse opinions, please provide some. Specifically, opinions that the word soul is not a Hebrew term used in the Torah, written 4,000 years ago.
It has been co opted by many to mean all kinds of things, but that is totally irrelevant, it is what it is, and was, the original.

Use other than what it means and says in the Torah, is counterfeit.

That is one opinion among many.

 

[Skwim]

What do you think it is?

Not being a Christians, Jew, Muslim, or a subscriber to any other religion, it's not a concept I recognize, other than in the terms of someone else's faith.

.

 

[Skwim]

Gotta say that after 50 posts I expected much more consensus. At least among the Christians here, but maybe that's its appeal; everyone can define it as they see fit.

.

 

[sun rise]

In the East, it's called "atman" - the "eternal self".

There are forms of meditation that take "who am I?' as the focus. We find that we're not our feelings because they come and go. Likewise our thoughts are ever changing. We're not our bodies as body parts can be replaced without changing the sense of "I am". We fall asleep and wake up so the waking state is not who we truly are. And so forth. The end result of a long period of internal querying is the experience "I am the soul".

To use another perspective, the Age of Enlightenment "Cogito, ergo sum" is that age's understanding of what the soul is.

From yet another perspective, when "what is the soul/who am I truly" becomes a burning question, people find a spiritual path attractive as a means of having a truly satisfying experience of the answer.

 

[shmogie]

That is one opinion among many.

Well, facts aren't opinions. Please provide an alternate opinion of the origination of the Hebrew word translated soul, or, even the word soul, before 2,000 BC.

Your opinion of what you think is an opinion isn't a fact, it is an opinion.

I have cited the fact.

Opinions can't alter it. Not even yours

 

[Audie]

Well, facts aren't opinions. Please provide an alternate opinion of the origination of the Hebrew word translated soul, or, even the word soul, before 2,000 BC.

Your opinion of what you think is an opinion isn't a fact, it is an opinion.

I have cited the fact.

Opinions can't alter it. Not even yours

True: fact and opinions are not the same.

The only fact here is that some Hebrew wrote an opinion.

The wrote a lot of things that are not true or make no sense.

 

[shmogie]

True: fact and opinions are not the same.

The only fact here is that some Hebrew wrote an opinion.

The wrote a lot of things that are not true or make no sense.

True: fact and opinions are not the same.

The only fact here is that some Hebrew wrote an opinion.

The wrote a lot of things that are not true or make no sense.

The only facts I am addressing is the Hebrew source of the word soul, and it's original definition.

You may disagree with the definition, but that doesn't change the definition of the word as originally written.

If you make up other definitions, they are bogus

 

[Audie]

The only facts I am addressing is the Hebrew source of the word soul, and it's original definition.

You may disagree with the definition, but that doesn't change the definition of the word as originally written.

If you make up other definitions, they are bogus

The first two sentence are fine, other than 'original definition". There
would have been other religions with other ideas then as now.


If you make up other definitions, they are bogus

Ah, the arrogant assertion of facts not in evidence!

I think the correct definition would be
something like "an imaginary way inwhich the human mind
remains conscious after the body dies".

It is only your opinion that the old Hebes were right, all other
faiths past present and future being "bogus".

 

[sojourner]

The only facts I am addressing is the Hebrew source of the word soul, and it's original definition.

You may disagree with the definition, but that doesn't change the definition of the word as originally written.

If you make up other definitions, they are bogus

Unless the concept of soul also comes from other sources, perhaps from oral tradition. Biblical texts have no corner on the market of spiritual authority.

 

[shmogie]

Unless the concept of soul also comes from other sources, perhaps from oral tradition. Biblical texts have no corner on the market of spiritual authority.

Did I say the did (though I believe they do). It is a Hebrew word, used to define a certain concept. It was in use and written by the Jews in c 2,000 BC. Unless some other culture before or at the same time was using the Jewish term, it was co opted. Any meaning attached to it other than the meaning of the Torah, is using the word wrongly.

 

[Sanzbir]

There are three types.

The ability to feed and grow is one.

The ability to perceive and move is another.

Metacognition is the third.