Daniel Nicholson
Blasphemous Pryme
What is a soul?
How does a soul interact with the physical world?
How does one's soul relate to consciousness?
How does a soul interact with the physical world?
How does one's soul relate to consciousness?
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What is a soul?
- Thread starter Daniel Nicholson
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vulcanlogician
Well-Known Member
There are many different concepts of soul. The greeks used the word psyche which more relates to the mind and consciousness. The Romans used the word Anima which concentrates on the fact that a besouled entity is an active being who takes actions and affects reality. The Hebrews have a concept of breath, which bestows life. Any concept gets the job done. I suppose it depends what YOU think the soul is, then you can proceed from there drawing conclusions about it. Asking which of these definitions is correct is a fool's errand.
What isn't a Soul?
vulcanlogician
Well-Known Member
Devil's advocate: a lifeless rock.
dybmh
ויהי מבדיל בין מים למים
the simplest answers are: inner essence; it interacts through thoughts/feelings, speech, and action with the help of a material body; consciousness is one of the ways the soul interacts with the material world as listed above (thoughts/feelings).
dybmh
ויהי מבדיל בין מים למים
vulcanlogician
Well-Known Member
I object: the rock has a soul. Remember pet rocks? Are you too young?
Born in 79, So a little bit past the pet rock era.
Does an NES count as a kind of complicated version of a "pet rock"?
That's a Soul
vulcanlogician
Well-Known Member
Well then the word "soul" becomes rather broad and meaningless, doesn't it?
You are saying that all matter, whether animate or inanimate is a soul nonetheless. Why not just talk about matter and dispense with a concept of souls?
Trailblazer
Veteran Member
Below is a write-up about the soul according to my Baha'i beliefs.
The soul is a sign of God and it came to be part of man sometime during the course of evolution, when man became distinct from the animal.
The soul is s mystery whose reality the most learned of men have failed to grasp, and whose mystery no mind can ever hope to unravel.
The soul associates itself with the body at the time of conception. From then on the soul works through the brain and while we are living on earth in a physical body. The soul is associated with the brain and it animates and directs the brain and the body, but when we die and no longer have a physical body the soul continues to live. It lives forever, and that is why it is called an 'immortal soul.'
The soul manifests itself in our thought process. The soul itself does not have cognitive functions, only the brain has those, but the soul 'animates' the brain so it is responsible for consciousness, for our ability to think and feel. If we had no soul the body would have no life or conscious awareness.
The soul is the sum total of the personality so it is the person himself; the physical body is pure matter with no real identity. The person, after he dies and leaves his physical body behind remains the same person, and he goes to the spiritual world where he continues the life he conducted in the physical world. The soul takes on some kind of a spiritual body made up of elements that exist in the spiritual world and continues to live forever.
Because the Soul is deeper than matter itself and transcends it.
chinu
chinu
Human-soul is the one which is all the time driven by Mind+Body.
Therefore, its the combination of "Soul+Mind+Body" that which interacts with the physical world.
Consciousness is the one who witness all this.
It depends on who you ask. Different religions or people have different perspectives on what it is. I define it as the substrate on which life appears, what is known in Eastern philosophy as Atman. But I typically avoid the term "soul" because of the varying perspectives on what it is.
It doesn't. The physical world appears upon it.
Depends how you are defining consciousness. Eastern and Western philosophy have very different definitions.
If one uses the Western definition, then consciousness (jagrat) is an appearance in the soul. If one uses the Eastern definition, the soul is consciousness (turiya/Atman).
A soul is a brain that thinks it is something other than a brain.
Through physical appendages and sense organs which are attached to the brain via thew body's nervous system.
Consciousness is a relative small functional process of the brain.
It creates the illusion of self awareness by creating a mental persona which it then identifies with.
Basically the brain has convinced itself that everything it detects through its physical senses is actually happening to this mental surrogate which the brain identifies with.
Still the brain knows somewhere deep down that it is not actually this mental persona and is simply projecting onto it what the brain senses in the environment. So the brain experiences being the observer of this mental surrogate while still identifying as the surrogate.
This creates the illusion of self awareness/consciousness.
Madmogwai
Madmogwai
The concept of a soul has long been a subject of philosophical and theological inquiry, with various interpretations and understandings across different cultures and belief systems. In many spiritual traditions, the soul is regarded as the eternal, immaterial essence of an individual that transcends the physical body and persists beyond death.
The interaction between the soul and the physical world is a matter of philosophical debate. Some viewpoints suggest that the soul influences and animates the body, providing a vital force that enables conscious thought and action. Others propose that the soul merely observes and experiences the physical world, without directly affecting it. Regardless of the perspective, it is widely accepted that the soul's connection to the physical realm is intricate and multifaceted.
When examining the relationship between the soul and consciousness, it is essential to acknowledge the complexity of both concepts. Consciousness refers to the state of being aware of one's surroundings and experiences, while the soul is often considered the deeper, underlying aspect of an individual's identity. Some philosophical and spiritual traditions assert that consciousness arises from the soul, suggesting that the soul is the source of subjective experience and self-awareness.
However, there are differing views on this matter. Certain scientific perspectives propose that consciousness is a product of complex neural processes in the brain, with no need for a separate soul entity. These viewpoints emphasize the intricate connection between brain function and conscious experience, suggesting that consciousness can be understood and explained purely in terms of physical processes.
The interaction between the soul and the physical world is a matter of philosophical debate. Some viewpoints suggest that the soul influences and animates the body, providing a vital force that enables conscious thought and action. Others propose that the soul merely observes and experiences the physical world, without directly affecting it. Regardless of the perspective, it is widely accepted that the soul's connection to the physical realm is intricate and multifaceted.
When examining the relationship between the soul and consciousness, it is essential to acknowledge the complexity of both concepts. Consciousness refers to the state of being aware of one's surroundings and experiences, while the soul is often considered the deeper, underlying aspect of an individual's identity. Some philosophical and spiritual traditions assert that consciousness arises from the soul, suggesting that the soul is the source of subjective experience and self-awareness.
However, there are differing views on this matter. Certain scientific perspectives propose that consciousness is a product of complex neural processes in the brain, with no need for a separate soul entity. These viewpoints emphasize the intricate connection between brain function and conscious experience, suggesting that consciousness can be understood and explained purely in terms of physical processes.
Colt
Well-Known Member
In my religion: "Soul. The soul of man is an experiential acquirement. As a mortal creature chooses to “do the will of the Father in heaven,” so the indwelling spirit becomes the father of a new reality in human experience. The mortal and material mind is the mother of this same emerging reality. The substance of this new reality is neither material nor spiritual—it is morontial. This is the emerging and immortal soul which is destined to survive mortal death and begin the Paradise ascension."
I think it is the essence of a person.
RestlessSoul
Well-Known Member
The soul is that which is infinite and incorruptible.
It animates the physical world, puts the fire into the universal equations, breathes life into the living.
To become conscious of the soul, it is first necessary to overcome the ego. Unlike the conscious mind, the soul cannot be deceived but it can be denied.
There is but one universal soul; it is in everything, and everything is in it.
Daniel Nicholson
Blasphemous Pryme
thoughts, feelings, speech, and actions can be changed/ altered/ influenced by many things (age, alcohol, brain tumors, drugs, to name a few). Is the soul effected by them as well?