Believers, a lot of questions about your soul...?

Question

If you believe in an immortal soul, what is it that is becoming immortal when you die?

Your beliefs, personality, feelings etc. are all parts of the mind, and are a consequence of neuronal activity in the brain. They cease to exist after death.

Even if there is some mysterious mechanism which carries these complex attributes away to the after-life what aspect of your soul is passed on?

Your 'soul' is not constant during life. Which soul is preserved in eternity? Your soul at 6? 16? 60? Whatever stage your soul is at when you die?

What if you die after developing schizophrenia? Is it the pre-schizophrenic soul that becomes eternal or is it the schizophrenic? From one moment to another you are never the same person.

Does an embryo have a soul?

Does a one cell fertilized human egg have a soul?

Didn't you just make this whole soul thing up?

Hooray. Mel is first off the mark again with another brilliant non-answer. Well done Mel.

Amerigirls: I have a PhD in neuroscience, ok. I don't claim to know everything about the brain, but I know enough about how the brain works to know that belief, emotion and personality are neuronal functions.

If you damage areas of the brain here you can grossly alter someone's personality. When people develop diseases like schizophrenia their beliefs change. Numerous neurological diseases cause emotional deficits, and simple syndromes such as depression and anxiety are the product of abnormalities in neurotransmission and brain function.

Answer 1

Very good and interesting question. I don't think anybody can give you a satisfying answer though.
I believe the soul is basically our true identity. It comprises our will, our emotions, and our conscience.
The way I see it, our brain is sort of like a computer. A computer in itself has no intelligence, it needs to be programmed and fed with the right information in order to function. It's basically just a tool. Without software, a computer is useless.
It's the same with our brain. Our brain is just the organ, that allows our soul to function in our bodies. If our brain gets damaged, our soul or spirit can't function properly just like a computer with a virus can't function.
Once our soul has left the body, the brain becomes nothing more than a useless gray substance...

Answer 2

Hey, I know very Little about any immortal soul or what is does
or is capable of. I just appreciated your questions.

Yes, that is correct, it seems such a waste however we can do
almost nothing about it.

Probably none, the physical components do get recycled though.

ahahahahaha,

That's a thought. eternally schizophrenic.
ahahahaha
Sorry, no I'm not

* Does an embryo have a soul?
Even if they do, such a thing is not provable, so i say no.

*Does a one cell fertilized human egg have a soul?
No, it does have a start on the physical realm.

*Didn't you just make this whole soul thing up?
Yes, it appears that that is the so.
Thanks

Nephesh - ( Soul ) - The Breath of Life.
All life at presentation receives this Breath of Life.
This breath of life animates the conscience ( mind ).
We are living souls ( physical bodies and minds ).
When we lose the breath of life,
the body and mind are soon to be no more.

Examples:

Psalms 25: 25
Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land.
( A soul can be wearied )

Isiah 1:14
Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts my soul hates.They have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
( A soul can hate . )

Isiah 26:9
My soul yearns for you in the night;
( A soul can yearn, and yes a soul, that was once living can die.)

Ecclesiastes 9:5
For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing;
they have no further reward, and even the memory of them is forgotten.

Amen

Answer 3

There are a lot of things us beleivers do not know, because we are only human, not God. But we trust God and that is called faith. (Without faith we would not be beleivers right?)

You second question is a statement. You didn't ask a question. I disagree with your statement.

All of our soul is carried on after death. Beleivers go to Heaven to be with God. Those who do not go to Hell.

You are correct that our soul is not constant during life. I would guess that when we die, is when our soul is preserved but I do not know that completely. I guess I will find that out some day.

When we die we will be free from all diseases and we will be healed. So it would be the pre-schizophrenic, or pre-cancer, or pre-any disease or illness.

God formed us in the womb and Christians beleive that life starts at conception, not before and not after, so yes, an embryo has a soul. And yes, I beleive a once cell fertilized human egg has a soul.

No I didn't make this whole soul thing up. I am only 28. People have been talking about souls much longer than that. God made up this soul thing. Maybe you should ask him about it.


Also - In response to your additional info that you added. I'm glad you have a Phd in neuroscience. I wish I had the ambition to do something like that. I beleive God made our brain, as well as the rest of our body. He can do what he wishes with the info after we die.

Answer 4

Nobody really knows how to define a "soul" scientifically. Your question is relevant, but the only problem is that you are trying to explain the supernatural using science, and that will never work. Maybe the correct thing to say is that our spirit will live on after death. When a christian is "born again" it is like the Lord enters their body in the form of something called the Holy Spirit, and we are given a new soul. It is this spirit of God that separates us from non-believers. So, if only the born-again people enter the "kingdom of God," or heaven, it is because this spirit is living inside them, not because they are better people or more deserving than others. My conclusion from that is that the Holy Spirit in our bodies lives on after we die, uniting with God in heaven, thus transporting the new "spirit" or "soul" God gave us when we were born again into eternal existence with Christ. Like I said, scientifically impossible... but then, there are a lot of occurrences/miracles/ coincidences scientists throughout history have never been able to explain.
A schizo is inhabited by a disease that doctors have no complete explanation for. Many christians believe psychological diseases like that are a result of the devil's grip in one's life. The devil is not necessarily a little red man with horns, but a mentality, a sinful nature, a messed-up life, any sort of suffering. Therefor, if one was schizo, he wouldn't have god living in him, and wouldn't go to heaven.
I don't know if any early stages of life have a soul, but the Bible says that little children, when they die, go to heaven. This must mean that even as a single cell, God is at work in that organism, because he is a life-giver, and without him, nothing would live, let alone reproduce.

Answer 5

Read this and see if they answer your questions...
Eternity in human heart, Ecclesiastes 3:11
Spirit returns to GOD Ecclesiastes 12:6-7
Body destroyed, not soul Matthew 10:28; 1 Corinthians 15:54
Assured immortality John 8:51;11:25-26 & 1 Corinthians 15:53...
You might also read verse before and after for a better understanding...

Answer 6

Dear Mr. Ninja,

Thank you for you thoughtful questions about the nature of the soul. In most religious system the soul/spirit is thought of as a type of product of life processes. Everything you do , everything you say, every thought that enters your brain; all these are considered to contribute to the life product - the soul.

The scientific evidence for the soul comes from a variety of sources, most of which have no final scientific conclusion. For instance: Near-death experiences. Are they real? A number of doctors and scientists have made attempts to determine if there is any real basis for them? Perhaps the most comprehensive study is refered to as the "Dutch Study". This study pretty ends up saying, exhaustive scientific research suggests that just maybe there is something else....
http://www.iands.org/dutch_study.html#a1

Then there are all those crazy people who go about trying to collect proof of ghosts. And while they never actually capture a ghost they all seem to have experiences which can be classified as paranormal.. Exactly what do they mean, I cannot say.. Nonetheless, they do seem consistent with our understanding of the soul.

You are correct in associating the soul with our mental processes. Does the thought cause neurotransmitters to be released in the brain causing emotions, and other chemical stimuli? If so, what causes the thought? Do our minds act outside the brain? Does our consciousness work on a quantum level? Does the energies our mind uses remain on this quantum level after our bodies perish?
http://www.quantumconsciousness.org/
http://artsci.wustl.edu/~philos/MindDict/quantum.html

A number of scientists are currently struggling with the idea of studying the quantum relationship of the mind. In the not to distance future I hope to have a definitive answer to your question. Until then, keep your mind open.

Answer 7

Your soul is your soul, it does not age.
it is like an angel, it is energy, it can enter act with the physical world but it is sealed into a flesh body. When you die the soul which is you is freed and returns to God. As far as appearance is concerned, it look like you at the age of between 25 to 35. I don't know when a soul is sealed into a body for sure, most likely the 7 the day.
3, 5, 7, and 12 are numbers important to God so on one of these days the soul would most likely be sealed.

Answer 8

I don't know why Mel feels that religion causes "hate" when my religion teaches me love, compassion, and understanding. As I stated before, Christianity is faith-based. I cannot prove my faith to anyone or it wouldn't be considered faith. Sometimes we just have to follow our heart and SOUL to the right beliefs.

Do you ever wonder what happens if you're wrong? I'm not trying to offend you or judge your lack of believe in God, I'm just curious. At one point in my life, I wondered if there really was a god. At this stage in my life, I truly believe in God. I have been touched by miracles. Have you ever questioned your beliefs? If I spend my whole life worshipping the Lord and I die, I'm going to heaven. If for some reason, He didn't exist, it's no big deal. I enjoyed a good spiritual life. If you're wrong on the other hand, what happens to you?

Answer 9

The soul is the combination of body and spirit. It is the spirit that continues. You spirit is ageless. I don't believe it has form at all. The spirit of man is not subject to human maladies. I believe that God creates the spirit of man within him,. At what point of development that happens I again don't know. If it is at conception then abortion b y any means would be murder. I am not willing to be a murder so I wouldn't do it ever. The soul has been talked about since man walked out of the garden I don't think modern christians made it up....Jim

Answer 10

Science can tell you how things work to a certain extent. But science cannot measure everything. Science can tell how neurons move from one part of the brain to another, but they cannot tell you why, or what makes a person a person.

It is only modern man who has ever questioned the concept of the "soul" that lives on after death. What makes you think you,
the newcomer, have it over those who lived before you.