EXACTLY, What Is The Soul?

[Skwim]

.

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?

.

 

[Cooky]

.

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?

.

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.

 

[Trailblazer]

.

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?

.

According to my beliefs, the nature of the soul is a mystery.

“Thou hast asked Me concerning the nature of the soul. Know, verily, that the soul is a sign of God, a heavenly gem whose reality the most learned of men hath failed to grasp, and whose mystery no mind, however acute, can ever hope to unravel. It is the first among all created things to declare the excellence of its Creator, the first to recognize His glory, to cleave to His truth, and to bow down in adoration before Him. If it be faithful to God, it will reflect His light, and will, eventually, return unto Him. If it fail, however, in its allegiance to its Creator, it will become a victim to self and passion, and will, in the end, sink in their depths.”
Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 158-159

However, the function of the soul can be known.

The soul animates the body and gives it life. The soul communicates its desires through the brain to the physical body, which thereby expresses itself, so the soul is responsible for the mind, senses and emotions as well as physical sensations. The soul, working through the brain, is responsible for all our thought processes.

The body needs a soul to direct its processes, but the body is just the medium through which the soul functions while we are alive on earth in a physical body. The soul is our true self, the sum total of the personality, the person himself; the physical body is pure matter with no real identity. The person, after he dies and leaves his physical body behind, goes to the spiritual world where the soul takes on a spiritual body made up of heavenly elements that exist in the spiritual realm. Since all we have ever experienced is physical, it is impossible for us to understand what it is like to be living as a purely spiritual being rather than a physical body.

 

[sun rise]

You used "exactly" in capital letters. And since my own words would not meet the "exactly" request I'm going to do what I usually try to avoid: quote someone who I believe accurately echoes my own understanding:

Atma, or the soul, is in reality identical with Paramatma the Oversoul — which is one, infinite, and eternal. The soul is in fact beyond the gross, subtle and mental worlds. But it experiences itself as being limited owing to its identification with the sharir (sthul sharir, or gross body); the pran (sukshma sharir, or subtle body, which is the vehicle of desires and vital forces); and the manas (karan sharir, or mental body, which is the seat of the mind). The soul in its transcendental state is one — formless, eternal and infinite — and yet identifies itself with the phenomenal world of forms, which are many and finite and destructible. This is Maya, or cosmic Illusion.
...
The sole purpose of creation is for the soul to enjoy the infinite state of the Oversoul consciously...

Meher Baba: The Divine Truths

 

[Dan From Smithville]

.

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?

.

A great question for which I cannot provide an answer. Get some of the literalists on here. They can tell you what to think it is.

 

[Skwim]

However, the function of the soul can be known.

The soul animates the body and gives it life.

Are you then saying the body would not physically function without the help of the soul? If so, I'm curious as to how it interacts with the physical parts of the body e.g. neurons, muscles, light receptors etc..

The soul communicates its desires through the brain to the physical body, which thereby expresses itself, so the soul is responsible for the mind, senses and emotions as well as physical sensations.

So it's like we have something else in our body other than the mind that's also thinking of stuff? And it also makes us feel coldness and sadness?

The soul, working through the brain, is responsible for all our thought processes.

So our thoughts don't originate in our mind/brain, but in our soul?

The body needs a soul to direct its processes, but the body is just the medium through which the soul functions while we are alive on earth in a physical body. The soul is our true self, the sum total of the personality, the person himself; the physical body is pure matter with no real identity. The person, after he dies and leaves his physical body behind, goes to the spiritual world where the soul takes on a spiritual body made up of heavenly elements that exist in the spiritual realm. Since all we have ever experienced is physical, it is impossible for us to understand what it is like to be living as a purely spiritual being rather than a physical body.

I would imagine then that there are souls in dogs, frogs, and worms. That right?

.

 

[TransmutingSoul]

Are you then saying the body would not physically function without the help of the soul? If so, I'm curious as to how it interacts with the physical parts of the body e.g. neurons, muscles, light receptors etc..

So it's like we have something else in our body other than the mind that's also thinking of stuff? And it also makes us feel coldness and sadness?

So our thoughts don't originate in our mind/brain, but in our soul?

I would imagine then that there are souls in dogs, frogs, and worms. That right?

.

All questions that have reasonable and logical answers, I will let trailblazer answer.

Regards Tony

 

[74x12]

.

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?

.

In my view ... I think therefore I am. Consciousness.

 

[Skwim]

In my view ... I think therefore I am. Consciousness.

So when you lose consciousness, go to sleep for instance, you lose your soul as well?

.

 

[Jedster]

.

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?

.

I think a better definition would be Subject Of Universal Life, as anything that lives is an instance of the life force.
So, if I say to someone "Skim is a really good soul", anyone would know t̶̷h̶̷a̶̷t̶̷ ̶̷I̶̷ ̶̷l̶̷i̶̷e̶̷ I mean "Skim is a really good bloke/person".

That way any time a non-theist uses the word soul, theists won't go "na,na,nanana, you said soul".

 

[Aupmanyav]

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?

Do animals have soul? At one time it was thought that even Africans do not have soul.

 

[Iymus]

1Co 15:38 KJV But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.

Pro 20:27 KJV The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.

Gen 2:7 KJV And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

 

[TransmutingSoul]

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

There are 5 levels of Soul/Spirit at play in this world.

Vegetable
Animal
Human
Spirit of Faith, and
Holy Spirit.

The full explanation is here - Some Answered Questions | Bahá’í Reference Library

This is a short but detailed explanation;

Spirit, Soul, and Mind

1 Question: What is the difference between mind, spirit, and soul?

2 Answer: It was already explained that, in general, spirit is divided into five categories: the vegetable spirit, the animal spirit, the human spirit, the spirit of faith, and the Holy Spirit.

The vegetable spirit is that power of growth which is brought about in the seed through the influence of other created things.

The animal spirit is that all-embracing sensory power which is realized through the composition and combination of the elements. When this composition disintegrates, that spirit likewise perishes and becomes non-existent. It may be likened to this lamp: When oil, wick, and flame are brought together and combined, it is lit; and when this combination disintegrates—that is, when the constituent parts are separated from one another—the lamp also is extinguished.

The human spirit, which distinguishes man from the animal, is the rational soul, and these two terms—the human spirit and the rational soul—designate one and the same thing. This spirit, which in the terminology of the philosophers is called the rational soul, encompasses all things and as far as human capacity permits, discovers their realities and becomes aware of the properties and effects, the characteristics and conditions of earthly things. But the human spirit, unless it be assisted by the spirit of faith, cannot become acquainted with the divine mysteries and the heavenly realities. It is like a mirror which, although clear, bright, and polished, is still in need of light. Not until a sunbeam falls upon it can it discover the divine mysteries.

As for the mind, it is the power of the human spirit. The spirit is as the lamp, and the mind as the light that shines from it. The spirit is as the tree, and the mind as the fruit. The mind is the perfection of the spirit and a necessary attribute thereof, even as the rays of the sun are an essential requirement of the sun itself.

This explanation, however brief, is complete. Reflect upon it and, God willing, you will grasp the details. Link - Some Answered Questions | Bahá’í Reference Library

There is quite a bit on this subject in the Baha'i Writings.

Regards Tony

 

[Trailblazer]

Are you then saying the body would not physically function without the help of the soul? If so, I'm curious as to how it interacts with the physical parts of the body e.g. neurons, muscles, light receptors etc.

Yes, that is what I am saying. The body would not function mentally or physically without the help of the soul.

It is not known how the soul interacts with the physical parts of the body such as the neurons, muscles, light receptors, etc. The soul can be equated with the mind, and scientists are only starting to discover do how the mind functions in relationship to the brain. Traditionally, scientists have tried to define the mind as the product of brain activity; the brain is the physical substance, and the mind is the conscious product of those firing neurons, according to the classic argument. But growing evidence shows that the mind goes far beyond the physical workings of our brain. I believe that the soul also goes far beyond the physical workings of our brain, since I believe that the soul continues to exist after the body dies.

So it's like we have something else in our body other than the mind that's also thinking of stuff? And it also makes us feel coldness and sadness?

As I said above, the soul can be equated with the mind so it is the soul that is thinking of stuff. It is the soul that is happy or sad, for instance. Thoughts and emotions can be associated with the soul because they are non-physical. But if we feel cold that is a physical sensation so it is our body that feels cold, through the receptors in the brain that control physical sensations.

So our thoughts don't originate in our mind/brain, but in our soul?

Our thoughts originate in our brain but thought would be impossible without a soul which is allowing the brain to function.

I would imagine then that there are souls in dogs, frogs, and worms. That right?

Other animals do not have a rational soul like humans, they have an animal spirit. That is why lower animals cannot think in the abstract and make scientific discoveries, etc. as humans do and why they cannot know and worship God as humans can.

 

[Iymus]

1Co 15:38 KJV But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.

Pro 20:27 KJV The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.

Gen 2:7 KJV And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Ecc 11:5 KJV As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.

 

[Trailblazer]

So when you lose consciousness, go to sleep for instance, you lose your soul as well?

.

The soul is eternal so it cannot die. The soul is always functioning even when the sleeping person is unconscious to most things in the environment.

 

[Mock Turtle]

Perhaps it's just an invention that originated before people understood the concept of personalities/characters and where these likely come from, or some comfort when we feel so sad usually after a loved one's death. When did it originate? Do we actually know?

 

[Trailblazer]

Perhaps it's just an invention that originated before people understood the concept of personalities/characters and where these likely come from, or some comfort when we feel so sad usually after a loved one's death. When did it originate? Do we actually know?

Have you ever wondered where personalities/characters come from? The soul is responsible for the personality and the character, so that is where they come from. The soul is the sum total of our personality and our character; it is who we are.

It is the soul that grieves the loss of a loved one, even though that is expressed as emotions that originate in the brain as chemicals.

 

[74x12]

So when you lose consciousness, go to sleep for instance, you lose your soul as well?

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No, you just sleep.

 

[McBell]

.

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?

.

I suspect you would have a better chance at getting a consensus on the definition of "god" before you will for "soul".