What is a soul? Can it die?

[839311]

Do you think that souls exist? We exist, so we are made of something. But is our existence tied to this body, or are we something separate, something that will survive our physical deaths?

Maybe the only way for the soul to be immortal is if the soul is composed of some kind of matter and energy that cannot be broken down. Say, a special kind of particle whose parts can't be separated. If it can be broken down, then this creates some interesting possibilities. If our soul is broken down, what happens to the separate pieces that have broken off? Just as a figurative example, say that our souls are like houses built of 100 pieces of lego. If we disassemble them, would we cease to exist? What if we just take out 1 piece? What if each piece would be used to build a different house in 100 different cities across the world. Would there be 100 of 'us'? Will we cease to exist one day, or are we immortal?

I think that if we do have souls that they are somewhere in our brains lol. Because, people can lose other body parts and still be themselves. But if their brains are damaged enough then they may change into a kind of vegetative state. One would wonder if their souls had been damaged, because they no longer seem to really 'be there', but instead would be unresponsive to any stimulai and just stare at a wall all day. If their soul was still there, would it be aware of the situation? Or would it just be conscious in a very basic way, without any thoughts or memories at all? If we do have souls, then why don't we remember anything before we were born? Are our souls only conscious when combined with a brain, and a sufficiently advanced one at that? Do worms have souls? Or are they more like little machines that are 'living' out their lives according to their genes which act as a kind of computer program?

 

[True Faith]

An Islamic Soul is a Physical Object:
This is hard to believe, but if we are to read a few verses from the Qur'an, andcomprehend their exegeses from various authentic Islamic sources we draw only one conclusion: that an Islamic soul is truly a physical entity residing as an internal organ of a body. Even the Islamic stalwart ibn Kathir readily admits that human soul is a physical part of the body. During the time of death, Allah sends an angel (angels) to pluck out the soul of a person. This is similar to the surgery, in which an internal organ or a tumor is removed from a human body. The only difference is that Allah’s trained chief angel (such as Azazil or Azrail) performs this divine surgery.

Allah says in verse 6:61 of the Qur'an that when the time of death approaches to someone, He immediately sends His messenger (angel of death, Azrail) to take the victim’s life. Ibn Kathir writes that Allah sends guardian angels to look over humans; the angel of death has angels who pull the soul from its body and when it reaches the throat, the angel of death captures it. They guard the soul of the dead person and take it to wherever Allah wills, to Illiyyin if he was among the righteous and to Sijjin if he was among the wicked.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

Our soul is from and and part of God's essence , through which we and God communicate, and which returns to God at our death. We have no control or power over our soul.

 

[ChristineES]

As a theist, I believe in spirits. I believe that it is given from God- and returns to God when we die. I don't believe that spirits die.

 

[idea]

Do you think that souls exist? We exist, so we are made of something. But is our existence tied to this body, or are we something separate, something that will survive our physical deaths?

Maybe the only way for the soul to be immortal is if the soul is composed of some kind of matter and energy that cannot be broken down. Say, a special kind of particle whose parts can't be separated. If it can be broken down, then this creates some interesting possibilities. If our soul is broken down, what happens to the separate pieces that have broken off? Just as a figurative example, say that our souls are like houses built of 100 pieces of lego. If we disassemble them, would we cease to exist? What if we just take out 1 piece? What if each piece would be used to build a different house in 100 different cities across the world. Would there be 100 of 'us'? Will we cease to exist one day, or are we immortal?

I think that if we do have souls that they are somewhere in our brains lol. Because, people can lose other body parts and still be themselves. But if their brains are damaged enough then they may change into a kind of vegetative state. One would wonder if their souls had been damaged, because they no longer seem to really 'be there', but instead would be unresponsive to any stimulai and just stare at a wall all day. If their soul was still there, would it be aware of the situation? Or would it just be conscious in a very basic way, without any thoughts or memories at all? If we do have souls, then why don't we remember anything before we were born? Are our souls only conscious when combined with a brain, and a sufficiently advanced one at that? Do worms have souls? Or are they more like little machines that are 'living' out their lives according to their genes which act as a kind of computer program?

you might like this article:
Even Atheists Go To (Insert Afterlife Here) | Wired Science | Wired.com

The soul, believes Leslie, ​

consists of information, not matter. And one of the deepest principles of quantum theory, called “unitarity,” forbids the disappearance of information. (Stephen Hawking used to think you could destroy your information by heaving yourself into a black hole, but a few years ago he changed his mind.)
​

the brain could transmit, rather than produce, our mental life. Holt uses the metaphor of a radio that stops playing when damaged, though the signal is still broadcast.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

so, part of our brain gets damaged, and it can no longer transmit that part of our spirit - sort of like a radio that can only do "AM" and not "FM"

There are a few cases where someone is brain dead - but later they come out of it, able to think as they always have... that seems to me to indicate that there is something besides our brain.​

​

​

 

[idea]

(Doctrine and Covenants | Section131:7 - 8)
7 There is no such thing as immaterial matter. All spirit is matter, but it is more fine or pure, and can only be discerned by purer eyes;
8 We cannot see it; but when our bodies are purified we shall see that it is all matter.



spirit - is immortal, with no beginning, and no end... I think there is a difference between "eternal" and "eternal life" though. To be alive, you have to grow... plant vs. rock, plants grow.... so eternally existing, but the life part - the ability to grow/progress, comes from God.

 

[Eliot Wild]

Personally, I believe that the soul is a fully intact spiritual force that actually represents the twelfth state of matter. I suppose we have come to recognize five states of matter at this time, but there are actually twelve in total.

Furthermore, because of a particularly unique displacement quality that is inherent with this pecular state of matter, it is actually capable of manifesting in other dimensions. The human soul, or "sentient force", as I like to call it, is actually a form of moleculer symbiosis, in which the . . . .

Okay, I'm just kidding. I don't really believe anything like that. However, I was considering writing a sci-fi short story based loosely on a similar concept. So it goes.

 

[soma]

I believe our soul does not die that it is a resident in a beautifully designed mind and a well-constructed physical body. In our worldly consciousness our mind only knows the outside of the home, the veneer of the body. If the ego continually directs the mind to the outside, the senses continually run around and about in service of the ego as it forgets the inner altar and the home of the soul. If the manipulation is long, the altar of the soul gets covered with the cobwebs of ignorance so in time it becomes hard for the mind to enjoy the peace and joy of the pure spirit. Tearing ourselves away from our self-created destiny, we can regain peace in the midst of our many activities if we direct ourselves to the center of our being, our soul and God's pure consciousness. Christian Mysticism

 

[Copernicus]

Normally, people think of a soul as a mind that can be associated with, but exist independently of, a brain. Although people are all over the map on the specific properties that souls have, they tend to attribute the same properties to souls that minds have--consciousness/self-awareness, memory, thought, emotions, moods, perception, will, etc. We know that those properties in living persons are completely dependent on the physical condition of a brain. There is no mental property that seems able to function independently of a physical brain while a person is alive. Therefore, it is unlikely that minds can exist independently of a live, functioning brain. Therefore, souls as "disembodied minds" most likely cannot exist.

 

[idea]

I think our body is the first little bit of matter that our spirit is given control over. If our spirit is able to master it's own body, it will then be given more matter to control... like worlds, and universes

 

[linwood]

Do you think that souls exist?

Yes.

We exist, so we are made of something. But is our existence tied to this body, or are we something separate, something that will survive our physical deaths?

No.

A soul is simply a mind.
When a body dies the mind dies with it.

 

[Copernicus]

I think our body is the first little bit of matter that our spirit is given control over. If our spirit is able to master it's own body, it will then be given more matter to control... like worlds, and universes

If our spirits control our bodies, and not vice versa, then why is it that putting alcoholic "spirits" in our brains makes us lose control of our thought processes, not to mention our bodies?

 

[idea]

If our spirits control our bodies, and not vice versa, then why is it that putting alcoholic "spirits" in our brains makes us lose control of our thought processes, not to mention our bodies?

perhaps I did not say that exactly right...

srtong spirits control their bodies. Weak spirits let their bodies control them... the body is alchoholic, not the spirit.

that's part of the point of this life on Earth, is to get a body, and learn how to control it.... learning how to control our body is the first step in learning how to control/manipulate matter... our body is the first little bit of matter our spirit is given.

(New Testament | Mark 14:38)
The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.

 

[Tarheeler]

Our soul is from and and part of God's essence , through which we and God communicate, and which returns to God at our death. We have no control or power over our soul.

I think you're on to something there.

 

[idea]

why do you think we have no power over our spirit/soul?

I think our spirit holds our character / attitude / who we are... I think we control that.

 

[Penumbra]

No, I don't currently believe in any sort of soul.

Our personality is stored in our brain, made of up interconnections. If we suffer a stroke or some other head injury, our personality can change. Surgery and medication can change one's personality as well. Our memories are also stored as information in our brain. If we suffer a certain injury, our memories can be erased. This seems to me to invalidate the concept that our body is just some sort of puppet that our soul controls, because changes to our body can change our "soul". If our body governs our personality and our memories, what is left for the soul to govern?

Many seem to view the soul, as it leaves the body upon death, as some sort of "snapshot" of who they are as a person at that time. But what if someone is old and has severe Alzheimer's? What if someone is in a vegetative state? The totality of a person when they are 30 is drastically different than the totality of that same person when they are 60. Does the soul have some backup copies so that when your brain, personality, and memories begin to rot away, it can load a copy of you when you were 30?

 

[839311]

If our body governs our personality and our memories, what is left for the soul to govern?

The spirit? lol. The only thing that I can think of would be that the soul is simply the consciousness within us, which may be the foundation upon which personality and memories are built upon. If our personality and memories are shattered by a severe brain injury, then all there would be left would be a simple consciousness. So, when we see people in vegetative states staring at walls, their soul may still be perfectly fine and they may be conscious, but it would be a very basic existence. If thats the case, well, I can't really imagine what such an existence would be like. It would just be too different for me to be able to understand. Maybe before we were born, our souls were just floating around for eons and eons, without memories and personality, but just this basic, simple conciousness.

 

[YmirGF]

I am such a sucker for these kinds of threads... not that anyone wants my opion, but... here goes...

Do you think that souls exist?

Indeed. I am rather certain I exist.

We exist, so we are made of something. But is our existence tied to this body, or are we something separate, something that will survive our physical deaths?

I am made of energy and am a personality energy essence, that is, energy that knows itself to be.

Maybe the only way for the soul to be immortal is if the soul is composed of some kind of matter and energy that cannot be broken down.

Or perhaps something else that, as of yet, remains somewhat undefined. In a clinical sense, what is called the soul is a collection of consciousness units though the emotional reality of said units may be somewhat offended by being called such as the term ignores the rich emotional connectivity between said units. There is far greater interplay between these aspects of consciousness than the casual observer might imagine.

Say, a special kind of particle whose parts can't be separated.

Quite. The consciousness unit does fit this bill fairly nicely.

If it can be broken down, then this creates some interesting possibilities.

How very perceptive of you. Yes, the possibilities are quite endless.

If our soul is broken down, what happens to the separate pieces that have broken off?

A difficult question due to the inherent reliance on linear thinking. Try taking a non-linear approach and things will come into much better focus. You see, the parts can and do continue along their own individual lines within their own myriad of unlimited potentials chosen from an unlimited array of choices. The "soul" gains from such endeavors in ways that are difficult to explain, but as each part is nurtured and grows it adds to the rich fabric of the greater psyche. It's sort of a cosmic "win/win" scenario.

Just as a figurative example, say that our souls are like houses built of 100 pieces of lego. If we disassemble them, would we cease to exist?

I can see how it would be difficult to imagine this, but the "soul" or entity is comprised of individual units that co-exist in multidimensionally "separate" reality. The connection is that each part exists within its own multidimensional experience of reality. The parts retain their identity, but also, the whole retains its identity. The good news is that what we know as personality is far richer than human animals have yet dared to imagine to a large degree.

Will we cease to exist one day, or are we immortal?

Sorry, your in it for the long haul. One can take "rests" but you also have to bear in mind that personality is an ever-renewing energy, so there is no real need to rest, say unlike with the physical body.

I think that if we do have souls that they are somewhere in our brains lol. Because, people can lose other body parts and still be themselves. But if their brains are damaged enough then they may change into a kind of vegetative state. One would wonder if their souls had been damaged, because they no longer seem to really 'be there', but instead would be unresponsive to any stimulai and just stare at a wall all day. If their soul was still there, would it be aware of the situation?

In my view, there are instances where they main focus of the personality involved leaves the system for whatever reasons. It's a bit complicated. In a sense, no, the "soul" is not damaged, nor can it be damaged, however the same cannot be said for the "vessel", as it were.

Or would it just be conscious in a very basic way, without any thoughts or memories at all? If we do have souls, then why don't we remember anything before we were born?

It is so you have sufficient focus to manipulate the three dimensional experience. If you were to receive very much non-physical data or "memory leaks" they could cause mental instability in the individual or at the very least be rather distracting. That said, some do remember 'traces" from other existences they have known.

Are our souls only conscious when combined with a brain, and a sufficiently advanced one at that?

Nope. All to their measure, really, besides this consciousness is not dependent on physical matter to validate its existence although consciousness does utilize physical existence to learn aspects of creativity that are quite impossible to otherwise comprehend.

Do worms have souls?

In a sense, yes, though realistically a worm does not require much of a "battery" to keep its body running. Human animals are far more complex in contrast and are able to handle more.

Or are they more like little machines that are 'living' out their lives according to their genes which act as a kind of computer program?

One could ask a worm.

 

[Penumbra]

The spirit? lol. The only thing that I can think of would be that the soul is simply the consciousness within us, which may be the foundation upon which personality and memories are built upon. If our personality and memories are shattered by a severe brain injury, then all there would be left would be a simple consciousness. So, when we see people in vegetative states staring at walls, their soul may still be perfectly fine and they may be conscious, but it would be a very basic existence. If thats the case, well, I can't really imagine what such an existence would be like. It would just be too different for me to be able to understand. Maybe before we were born, our souls were just floating around for eons and eons, without memories and personality, but just this basic, simple conciousness.

So do you believe that every soul is identical since they don't consist of personality and memories? Just a blank consciousness?

 

[839311]

So do you believe that every soul is identical since they don't consist of personality and memories? Just a blank consciousness?

I have no idea. Perhaps. I was just speculating. To me, its a great mystery.