JWs - soul sleep or no soul at all?

Question

I've seen JWs answer that after death the soul is unconscious, and that it is destroyed. Which is it?

http://www.watchtower.org/library/w/1997/5/15/article_02.htm
"Before God created him from the dust, Adam did not exist. After his death, Adam returned to the same state of nonexistence." "The Bible clearly shows that at death the soul does not move on to another body, but it dies." It seems incoherent to me that something that does not exist is sleeping. is one of these metaphorical?

Answer 1

Strictly speaking, Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe in "soul sleep".

Instead, Witnesses believe the bible to teach that a "soul" is a life, with no implication regarding some immortal otherwordly entity. Each deceased life is in Jehovah God's remembrance (with the potential for future resurrection), but the dead do not exist anywhere but memories until and unless the life is resurrected.

(Ezekiel 18:4) The soul that is sinning - it itself will die.

(Ecclesiastes 9:5) For the living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all

(Ecclesiastes 9:10) there is no work nor devising nor knowledge nor wisdom in Sheol ["hell"]

(Genesis 2:17) But as for the tree of the knowledge of good and bad you must not eat from it, for in the day you eat from it you will positively die.”

(Genesis 17:14) And an uncircumcised male who will not get the flesh of his foreskin circumcised, even that soul must be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant.”

(Judges 16:30) And Samson proceeded to say: “Let my soul die with the Philistines.” Then he bent himself with power, and the house went falling upon the axis lords and upon all the people that were in it, so that the dead that he put to death in his own death came to be more than those he had put to death during his lifetime.

(Job 33:22) And his soul draws near to the pit, And his life to those inflicting death.

(Psalm 78:50) He did not hold back their soul from death itself; And their life he handed over even to the pestilence.

(Isaiah 53:12) he poured out his soul to the very death

(Acts 3:23) Indeed, any soul that does not listen to that Prophet will be completely destroyed from among the people.’

(Revelation 16:3) And the second one poured out his bowl into the sea. And it became blood as of a dead man, and every living soul died, yes, the things in the sea.

Answer 2

We are souls inhabiting a material body. The soul (the real self) can not be destroyed nor it can be put in an unconscious state. When the body dies the soul exits the body and looks for another material body to be able to reciprocate with other souls already inhabiting other material bodies. This process is called the cycle of repeated birth and death, wheel of life or reincarnation. We (the spirit soul) do not die when the body dies, we exist eternally. Changing our body is the same as changing our garments. When our clothing becomes old and useless we discard it and get new ones. Same with the body.

Answer 3

Jesus used the metaphor that humans are in a sleep "like" state.

John 11:11 - Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.


However it clear that the body and mind are dead (destroyed as you put it) at the time of death.

Psalm 146:4 - "His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish."

Compare Gen 2:6. Dust is made up of the body and life is given from God's breath (holy spirit).

Answer 4

JW's believe that the soul is the person. It is not a seperate entity. At death, the person, the soul, goes into a state of unconscious non-being awaiting a resurrection.

Answer 5

At death we are as if asleep, awaiting the resurrection. This refers to the soul, because we die as a result of inherited sin, and Ezekiel 18:4, 20 states clearly that "the soul that sins, it itself will die." We will be resurrected later.

Some may not be resurrected due to such things as the "unforgivable sin" of blasphemy against the holy spirit, etc. When such as these die, then their soul is destroyed because they have no resurrection. As it states in the KJV of Mathew 10:28 - "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."

Answer 6

The "soul" is life itself. When you die, it is destroyed as your life. Naturally, it can be described as being unconscious as that's the best way to call being dead.

Answer 7

I don't know what JW told you that the soul is destroyed at death, but that's not correct. It is, however, unconscious; unable to see, hear, think, or do anything.

Answer 8

the bible says "the dead is concious of noting"
we are souls, we do not have a soul
just like how i am a female, i dont have a female

Answer 9

I believe that Warren63 is on crack.

Answer 10

After a long lifetime I believe I finally understand the reason for my existence. I pray to God to forgive me for my misunderstanding and provide me with enlightenment. I do not wish to convert anyone from their beliefs, start a new church, or write a book. I just want to document my thoughts which might benefit other souls.

I am an engineer who has tried to apply logic and reason to all things. I cannot just have ‘faith’ and believe in something I have not seen or cannot understand.

A short history with each year converted to one inch:
• 14 billion years ago (221,000 miles) – the first galaxies form after the ‘Big Bang’.
• 8 billion years ago (126,000 miles) – Our ‘Milky Way’ galaxy forms.
• 4.5 billion years (71,000 miles) – the age of planet Earth.
• 3.5 billion years ago (55,000 miles) – oldest bacterial fossils.
• 900 million years ago (14,000 miles) – first fossils of worms.
• 4 million years ago (63 miles) - Hominids, early ancestors of humans, develop very slowly. They did not advance beyond using stone tools for millions of years.
• 50 thousand years ago (about ¾ of a mile) – the human mind suddenly exploded in size and intelligence.
• 10 thousand years ago (277 yards) – The dawn of civilization.
• 80 years (80 inches). – Typical human lifetime.

A Story:

In the beginning, more than 15 billion years ago, God created all known material and energy in an instant (the ‘Big Bang’).

About one billion years ago intelligent life evolved on a planet in a galaxy far, far away on a planet called Heaven. This was at about the same time as early worms were developing here on Earth.

These creatures are billions of years more advanced than we are. Think of how much our technology has advanced in only the last thousand years (83 feet), and then consider that these beings are at least 2 billion years (32,000 miles) more advanced than humans. We could not possibly understand them or their technology. They have conquered time and space. They can be anywhere in the universe at anytime. They no longer have material bodies made of flesh that can get sick and die; they have developed into immortal ‘spirits’. They have become so advanced that they understand God, the original creator, and have become His servants and messengers. We call these spirit beings ‘angels’.

Some spirits have rejected God. We call these evil spirits ‘demons’ or ‘devils’. Sometimes these spirits can cause us to have bad thoughts to do bad things.

These spirits can be here with us and around us at any time but we cannot see them. Sometimes the angels will help us when we ask God in prayer. The devils can control our minds and make us do bad things. Sometimes demons like to inhabit objects, particularly those objects that are in human shapes. Sometimes demons can enter us and take over our whole being and make us totally evil. They also like to play games with us and tease us (have you ever had a ‘bad-day’ when everything seemed to go wrong?).

But we have been given authority over demons and devils and we can order them to depart from us. Try this sometime when trouble is upon you or when you have evil thoughts: just tell the evil ones, in no uncertain words, to leave you alone and that you believe in God. You will be surprised at what a change it can make immediately.

These ‘angels’ and ‘demons’ visited Earth about 50 thousand years ago and genetically modified the most advanced species they could find here to be more like themselves. We became both flesh and spirit beings. They caused human beings to be capable of developing into spirits like themselves (Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness . . ."). Our evolution suddenly jumped hundreds of thousands of years, maybe millions of years, most noticeable in the explosion in our intelligence. Our brains suddenly expanded ("The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil . . .") so fast that the human female pelvis has yet to evolve to comfortably pass the expanded human infants brain (I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth; in pain you shall bring forth children”). We still only use a small fraction of this sudden brain expansion that God, through his Angels, gave us.

We ‘inherited’ our consciousness, intelligence, imagination and creativity from these spiritual beings. We suddenly evolved from apes to humans in only a few thousand years and realized we were naked and clothed ourselves; we began painting on cave walls and to use language to communicate ideas and concepts. We were given a conscience and understood the concepts of ‘good’ and ‘evil’. It will take the ape, our closest ‘flesh’ relative, many hundreds of thousands or millions of years to evolve to the intelligence we were suddenly given by our spiritual ‘ancestors’. How far has the ape’s intelligence advanced over the past 100,000 years? Most apes can still hardly write their own names (just kidding) while we have advanced so much over the same period. Some scientists believe that when our ancestors came down from the trees we could spend more time thinking about things instead of swinging from branch to branch and this has caused the explosion in our intelligence over other similar apes. In fact the brain cavity of the average ape has changed little over the last million years. Do not mistake the tricks we can teach a dog with our intelligence or consciousness. You can teach a chimp to point to a number when he is shown a certain pattern of objects but this is not the same as human consciousness.

Have you ever wondered why we find some things ‘beautiful’? Did we learn this from our parents? Did we learn at school what is considered ‘beautiful’ and what is not? Did you have to take Art Appreciation 101 at college before you could enjoy a scenic view? Why do we like certain types of sounds (music)? Why do certain sunsets please us? Our genetic modification by these spirit ancestors also gave us a genetic subconscious memory of the beauty of Heaven, our ancestral birthplace and the place the spirit side of us wants to return home to. I have never noticed chimps staring transfixed at a beautiful sunset.

The evil spirits around us constantly try to block our path back to Heaven. Pray that evil is kept away from you and you are not tempted.

We are a combination of animal ("..because he also is flesh..”) and spiritual beings. Our sexual instincts came from our animal ancestors, but our Father, God, through his Angels, gave us Love and Beauty ("God is Love.”). We must develop this non-animal part of ourselves (our ‘spirit’ or ‘soul’) to be able to become immortal and join the other Angels in Heaven. An evil spirit will not attain Heaven

Our spirit (‘soul’ or ‘character’ or ‘psyche’) is constantly being developed by exercise and testing during our lifetimes. We are constantly given choices between good and evil. We are tempted by evil spirits to see if we will reject God (Good). Our spirit is tested by riches and troubles in our lifetimes to break it or make it stronger.

Yes, I said lifetimes! Our spiritual side can be reincarnated when our animal flesh dies. Only the spirit that sins and is not forgiven will die and not be reborn in new flesh! Jesus died for our sins that we shall have everlasting life! Since Jesus died for our sins, our sins can be forgiven and our spirit can have everlasting life. He died for us. Spirits that die in sin will not have reincarnation and rebirth ("The person who sins will die” and "the wages of sin is death..."). Each of our short (only 80 inches) lifetimes is a test for our ‘spirit’ or ‘soul’ or ‘character’ or ‘psyche’. Sometimes we are born into hardship, sometimes riches, sometimes black sometimes white, our spirit is tested many ways in many lifetimes to see if it will stay true to God.

Our innermost thoughts can affect our spirit. We can sin and destroy our soul with our thoughts. ‘God knows what is in our hearts’.

Why do bad thing happen to good people? Why does God let little Johnny die with cancer? What are we here for? Why are some kings and some paupers? Each time we pass a test in these lifetimes and do not forsake God our spirit is reborn and becomes stronger and we get nearer to returning to our home in Heaven. The evil ones are our testers and God does not interfere with our free will or our testing. He awaits our return to heaven.

Do you see the beggar on the street or the king in his palace? This could be your next lifetime. It is selected at random and not due to blood, location or as a punishment for your past life. You cannot be reborn as an insect or a cow since they do not have a spirit. Love your neighbor as yourself and help lift his spirit towards Heaven. Help his spirit to love and not hate. Help each other toward Heaven and you will also be helped.


Have you ever noticed that each baby is born with his own individual ‘character’? Even the character of twins in the same household and environment can be so different. This is an indication that we are born with a pre-existing ‘character’ or ‘spirit’. You can be of good character or bad. You are constantly being given the opportunity to choose.

When you are reborn you forget the tests of your last lifetime so that your spirit can be retested without being affected by past tests. You are reborn and everything is fresh again. Your soul is not weighed down with past problems since this might influence your decisions in this lifetime. You do not bear the sins of your ancestors. Your blood is not your ‘soul’ or ‘spirit’ or ‘character’.

Sometimes your spirit will recognize other spirits you have known in past lifetimes. Have you ever had an instant like or dislike for someone? This is because you spirit has a memory of previous lifetimes. This is similar to its memory of heaven. Sometimes your soul remembers places from a past lifetime.
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All this is beyond our understanding. Perhaps the human ape will begin to understand in another million years.


Solomon said of God, "He has also set eternity in the hearts of men..." In our hearts we are aware that this "here-and-now" is not all that there is.