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Six Questions about the Soul

blü 2

Veteran Member
Premium Member
1. What is a soul?

2. Who (and/or what) has a soul?

3. Why would a soul want a body?

4. What does a soul actually do?

5. If the soul is "immaterial", how does it communicate with the material brain?

6. If you had no soul, how would you be different?
 

mikkel_the_dane

My own religion
What are you doing with materialism in a dir about science? That is philosophy.

5. If the soul is "immaterial", how does it communicate with the "material" brain?

You can get close, but unless you want to claim a contradiction, then the mental is caused by the physical, but can't be reduced to the physical. And as @Polymath257 would point out, that leaved the problem of causation as back to David Hume.
 

amorphous_constellation

Well-Known Member
3. Why would a soul want a body?

The body seems to provide the physical resistance/limitation; the measuring stick. It isn't clear that the soul could have this experience any other way.

1. What is a soul?

It seems to be the energy that turns on physical devices, but I think it also might be a carrier of knowledge. As to how it might do that without always having a physical place to store acquired knowledge, I am really not sure. Maybe we aren't supposed to know. Then again, maybe we are supposed to learn about what the soul is, while we are here. In any case, I think it is useful to try to understand the soul, because it seems to teach us that there are forces that are transcendent, and sometimes we have stubborn ideas about what we are
 

blü 2

Veteran Member
Premium Member
What are you doing with materialism in a dir about science? That is philosophy.
The forum is called "Religion and Science" and the question of how the immaterial could influence the material in reality is unanswered in science, hence is a relevant question.
the mental is caused by the physical, but can't be reduced to the physical.
Give it time. Reductionism is a work in progress.
 

mikkel_the_dane

My own religion
The forum is called "Religion and Science" and the question of how the immaterial could influence the material in reality is unanswered in science, hence is a relevant question.
Give it time. Reductionism is a work in progress.

Well, materialism is philosophy. As for time, you run into some knowledge versus all knowledge. It may be that we can't answer that.
 

blü 2

Veteran Member
Premium Member
The body seems to provide the physical resistance/limitation; the measuring stick. It isn't clear that the soul could have this experience any other way.
The picture might be clearer when a clear answer to Question 1 is provided.
It seems to be the energy that turns on physical devices
Energy is part of the physical universe (the material universe).

So souls are found in nature, you suggest?
but I think it also might be a carrier of knowledge.
The brain works by the interplay of biochemistry and bioelectricity between neurons, and these form the basis, as we presently see it, of the monitoring of sensory input, the selection of relevant signals, the making of decisions, the enabling of appropriate responses, the laying down and recalling of memory, the release of hormones (adrenaline, testosterone, on and on), motor commands, language functions, self-editing, and of course more.

So where is the soul in all that?
Maybe we aren't supposed to know. Then again, maybe we are supposed to learn about what the soul is, while we are here.
Yes, this thread attempts to implement your Plan B there.
 

Trailblazer

Veteran Member
1. What is a soul?

2. Who (and/or what) has a soul?

3. Why would a soul want a body?

4. What does a soul actually do?

5. If the soul is "immaterial", how does it communicate with the material brain?

6. If you had no soul, how would you be different?
1. What is a soul?
According to my beliefs:

“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.”
Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 158-159

2. Who (and/or what) has a soul?
All humans have a soul.

3. Why would a soul want a body?
A soul does not want a body, a soul associates with the body around the time of conception and animates the body, giving it life.

4. What does a soul actually do?
The soul directs the body and brain and mind. The soul works through the brain and while we are alive on earth in a physical 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 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 form made up of elements that exist in the spiritual world.

5. If the soul is "immaterial", how does it communicate with the material brain?
By some process unbeknownst to us.

6. If you had no soul, how would you be different?
If you had no soul your body would be dead, since the soul is necessary for the body to live.
If you had no soul you would not be a person since the soul is the person.
 

blü 2

Veteran Member
Premium Member
Well, materialism is philosophy. As for time, you run into some knowledge versus all knowledge. It may be that we can't answer that.
Materialism may well be a simple and accurate abstraction about that particular state of affairs called "the universe".
 

blü 2

Veteran Member
Premium Member
1. What is a soul?
According to my beliefs:

“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.”
So if the question is "What is the soul?", the answer is, "Don't know" ?
2. Who (and/or what) has a soul?
All humans have a soul.
If there's no answer to Q.1, how can there be an answer to Q.2 (&c) ?
3. Why would a soul want a body?
A soul does not want a body, a soul associates with the body around the time of conception and animates the body, giving it life.
Why?

And if it's necessary for animation, doesn't it follow that all living things from microorganisms upwards have an externally supplied animating principle? Humans can't be the only critters who need a soul to be alive, can they?
4. What does a soul actually do?
The soul directs the body and brain and mind. The soul works through the brain and while we are alive on earth in a physical 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 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 form made up of elements that exist in the spiritual world.

5. If the soul is "immaterial", how does it communicate with the material brain?
By some process unbeknownst to us.
If I might say so respectfully, that's really unhelpful.
6. If you had no soul, how would you be different?
If you had no soul your body would be dead, since the soul is necessary for the body to live.
If you had no soul you would not be a person since the soul is the person.
The soul as animating principle again. Hmm.

Thanks for the full reply, anyway.
 

Aupmanyav

Be your own guru
1. What is a soul? : An imagined entity.
2. Who (and/or what) has a soul?: None - Humans, animals, or vegetation.
3. Why would a soul want a body?: Question does not arise, since it is a non-existent entity, like unicorns, etc.
4. What does a soul actually do?: Does not exist, therefore, does nothing.
5. If the soul is "immaterial", how does it communicate with the material brain?: Question does not arise, since it is a non-existent entity, just human imagination.
6. If you had no soul, how would you be different?: I am a perfectly human person, with warts and all. I do not have any soul.
 

blü 2

Veteran Member
Premium Member
1. What is a soul? : An imagined entity.
2. Who (and/or what) has a soul?: None - Humans, animals, or vegetation.
3. Why would a soul want a body?: Question does not arise, since it is a non-existent entity, like unicorns, etc.
4. What does a soul actually do?: Does not exist, therefore, does nothing.
5. If the soul is "immaterial", how does it communicate with the material brain?: Question does not arise, since it is a non-existent entity, just human imagination.
6. If you had no soul, how would you be different?: I am a perfectly human person, with warts and all. I do not have any soul.
A coherent view.

Thanks.
 

Trailblazer

Veteran Member

So if the question is "What is the soul?", the answer is, "Don't know" ?
The answer is I don't know the nature of the soul but I know the function of the soul, as I described.
If there's no answer to Q.1, how can there be an answer to Q.2 (&c) ?
The nature of the soul is what it is comprised of, etc. and nobody knows that. Exactly how the soul works in the body nobody knows but I believe that the soul animates the body and directs its faculties.
Why?

And if it's necessary for animation, doesn't it follow that all living things from microorganisms upwards have an externally supplied animating principle? Humans can't be the only critters who need a soul to be alive, can they?
I believe that all living things have a spirit that animates them but only humans have a soul.

“The human spirit which distinguishes man from the animal is the rational soul, and these two names—the human spirit and the rational soul—designate one thing. This spirit, which in the terminology of the philosophers is the rational soul, embraces all beings, and as far as human ability permits discovers the realities of things and becomes cognizant of their peculiarities and effects, and of the qualities and properties of beings......

But the mind is the power of the human spirit. Spirit is the lamp; mind is the light which shines from the lamp. Spirit is the tree, and the mind is the fruit. Mind is the perfection of the spirit and is its essential quality, as the sun’s rays are the essential necessity of the sun.” Some Answered Questions, pp. 208-209
If I might say so respectfully, that's really unhelpful.
Sorry.
 

amorphous_constellation

Well-Known Member
So souls are found in nature, you suggest?

If nature has a goal, I think maybe the soul could a unifying and directing principle in it

The brain works by the interplay of biochemistry and bioelectricity between neurons, and these form the basis, as we presently see it, of the monitoring of sensory input, the selection of relevant signals, the making of decisions, the enabling of appropriate responses, the laying down and recalling of memory, the release of hormones (adrenaline, testosterone, on and on), motor commands, language functions, self-editing, and of course more.

So where is the soul in all that?

Well, I think maybe it's the thing that took a step back out of all that, to describe all that. Because I think that maybe what you just did, when you think about it, is really weird; it doesn't really fit in. You described all that stuff, but there was nothing in any of that stuff, that was actually looking to be observed, or described. But something was there to construct a sentence like that, and none of those things in the sentence called for that to be there.
 

an anarchist

Your local anarchist.
I’ll take a crack at this. I claim no special knowledge, I merely present my subjective intuition.
1. What is a soul?
A soul is a deity, a god in its own right.
2. Who (and/or what) has a soul?
I am not too sure if I believe animals and other forms of organic lives have souls. I believe human beings have souls. Thank to millions of years of evolution, our brain has evolved to be able to communicate with this soul, as well as god(?).
3. Why would a soul want a body?
Perhaps the body and soul are necessary for each other’s existence. If reincarnation is real, then the soul exists, absent of a body. Yet it finds it way to another body. If reincarnation isn’t true, then perhaps the soul is created upon conception, when the body is created.
In the first scenario, perhaps the soul wants a body in order to reach nirvana, that is, ending the cycle of rebirth. That is what the Buddhists believe I think.
4. What does a soul actually do?
It is up to the individual to align its efforts to maximize the use it can get out of the soul. The soul offers unlimited perspective. It is the means in which you can transmute your desires and ambitions into physical reality. It is an omniscient teacher.
The soul can be completely absent in one’s life. If the individual does not use their brain, which is the means in which we can communicate with the soul, then we forfeit any benefits we net from alignment with the soul’s power.
5. If the soul is "immaterial", how does it communicate with the material brain?
The brain has been highly developed through the process of evolution. I believe it is as simple as this. Our brain is a receiver in which it can communicate with Infinite Intelligence i.e. soul or God.
6. If you had no soul, how would you be different?
Perhaps the soul is integral in our ability to exist, so perhaps we wouldn’t exist at all. Tough question.
 

mikkel_the_dane

My own religion
Materialism may well be a simple and accurate abstraction about that particular state of affairs called "the universe".

Well, no! Because this no has no physical/material referent. It is apparently connected to the rest of the universe, but you have no way to explain its referent in physical/material terms. It is that simple to test. If the universe is material, then all words have physical/material referents in those terms. That is not the case.
 

Secret Chief

nirvana is samsara
1. What is a soul?

I think some people would say it means the essence of a being, in some way. Personally, I do not accept that such a thing exists.

2. Who (and/or what) has a soul?

See answer 1.

3. Why would a soul want a body?

See answer 1.

4. What does a soul actually do?

See answer 1.

5. If the soul is "immaterial", how does it communicate with the material brain?

See answer 1.

6. If you had no soul, how would you be different?

I feel I am already in that position! So no "difference" to consider.
 

Hermit Philosopher

Selflessly here for you
1. What is a soul?
2. Who (and/or what) has a soul?
3. Why would a soul want a body?
4. What does a soul actually do?
5. If the soul is "immaterial", how does it communicate with the material brain?
6. If you had no soul, how would you be different?


There is only one soul. It goes by many names; Christians call it Holy Ghost/Spirit.

But there are many minds, through which the Soul experiences perspectives on what it means to be (incarnated) in worldliness.

I don’t think there is anyone that the Soul does not experience through, but I don’t think everyone is aware of Its presence - and that’s okay.

As to when the Soul “enters” into a new, particular perspective (being), I’m not sure that I know what I think. But “entering” is a worldly term, implying a physical position. Perhaps it applies badly to the (immaterial) Soul.

You ask how the Soul communicates with brains and I wonder; does it…? If it does, it would do so abstractly, I think - not through words, images or other sensory… rather through “download” and epiphany.


Humbly
Hermit
 

Ella S.

Dispassionate Goth
1. What is a soul?

The rational faculty of a person that is seen as separate from the body according to mind-body dualism.

2. Who (and/or what) has a soul?

Rational beings.

3. Why would a soul want a body?

Bodies themselves produce souls, souls don't want bodies.

4. What does a soul actually do?

It is responsible for our capacity for analytical wisdom, discipline, and ethical reasoning, traditionally. (Essentially, it is closely related to the concept of the logistikon)

5. If the soul is "immaterial", how does it communicate with the material brain?

Traditionally, matter is seen as a product of the spiritual realm, although technically distinct from it. All of the laws of physics that govern matter are merely manifestations of higher principles that we can't fully comprehend through physical means. In this sense, some brain activity is caused by a sort of "reflection" from the soul.

However, in the same way that you can't see the code of a game from within the virtual space generated by it, we cannot see the souls that generate these patterns in our brains from within the physical world.

(ETA: To clarify how this fits into point #3, this means it's really more the "code of the body" rather than the body itself that produces the soul)

6. If you had no soul, how would you be different?

You would essentially become impulsive, amoral, and mostly driven by emotional reasoning, hypothetically leading to a rudimentary form of egocentric hedonism. This is why "soulless" is used as a pejorative towards people who act particularly callous, selfish, or shallow.
 
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paradox

(㇏(•̀ᵥᵥ•́)ノ)
1. What is a soul?

2. Who (and/or what) has a soul?

3. Why would a soul want a body?

4. What does a soul actually do?

5. If the soul is "immaterial", how does it communicate with the material brain?

6. If you had no soul, how would you be different?

1. A spirit, which is a non material being
2. Human beings, which are material bodies.
3. It's not up to a soul since God is the dealer of life
4. Al that I do, I'm the soul and I control myself.
5. I think therefore I am
6. I would be an animal driven by instincts.
 
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