At what point does a person get a soul?

Question

Yeah --- I'm on a soul kick today.

Conception?
birth?
does each egg and sperm have one,
at the point of self consciousness,
at the point of consciousness of God?

Answer 1

Hello Gaila's Random Penguins,

Interesting screen name....

When and how a person's body is filled with the soul depends on whose dogma you're following. Some of the conservative Christian folks get downright heated over the idea because they believe the soul enters that egg the moment the sperm does...

(Sorry... my sense of humor takes off in odd directions once in a while. I just had a vision of each sperm being ridden hard by an angel with a soul in its hand galloping for the eggy finish line and yelling "Yee-haw"if they got there first. )

Other faiths tend to think the soul inhabits the body just before birth.

Since I've been through the birthing process a couple of times with fine looking babies as a result, my personal choice among the options is that the soul enters the fetus at the quickening... that point at which the fetus begins to move of its own accord. The soul is there now and it's learning how to direct the body it will be in for the span of its years.

The point of consciousness may be more of continuum instead of a theoretical point. Do you recall the moment at which you became self-aware? Neither do I. It was a process that took place over time.

I doubt the point would be at the Consciousness of God because some people don't ever reach the point of realizing that the Divine exists. You might try to argue those folks don't have a soul, but I would have to disagree.

Your mileage may vary.

Warmly,
Tara

Answer 2

I think I answered this before, but I can't find it. According to the research and work I've done, the soul chooses the parents long before conception. When it's time for them to come back, they'll hang around their new body, but not really stay inside until shortly before, during or shortly after birth. Reason being, a fetus is very confining when you're able to soar. After birth, the soul never lives. Part of it may wander at times, such as astral projection, etc. But the soul always stays with the body until it's time to pass on.

Answer 3

A person doesn't "get" a soul. A soul is an integral part of a human being. If there is no soul, there is no human being. The life of any kind of being begins at the moment of conception - that's basic life science 101. The life of a human being therefore begins at the moment of conception, and therefore the soul becomes present at the instant of conception, the first moment in the life of an individual person.

Answer 4

I think a soul is the consciousness of the earth. We all come from the same source. It's like the energy of life is an ocean, and our souls are like waves in the ocean; all part of the same thing, just a temporary individual expression of that energy.

Answer 5

I'm a Muslim so here is an answer from a hadith (text about the life and sayings of the prophet muhammad(saws).): Rather interesting actually. :)


[Sahi Muslim: Narrated by: Abdullah Bin Mashwood (sws), and Hujaifa Bin Achid (ra) from the saying of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)]: Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said-every human remains as semen inside the mother’s womb for 40 days. After 40 days semen becomes blood-clot and mother is conceived. Then immediately after mother is conceived, Allah appoints one Farestha (Angel) right near the women’s genital (Vagina) to oversee the continuous development of the whole scenario of birth. That particular Farestha records and informs every bit of development and progress of the embryo-to-baby’s birth. This robotic Angel even tells Allah the movement-paths such as embryo is moved from vagina to uterus, settled there, growing alright etc. etc. And, After 120 days, when baby is full grown, Allah orders that particular selected soul (from the louh-e-Mahfuz) to be taken their to the womb and fix the soul to the fetus only when life starts. After putting that soul this robotic Farestha (Angel) ask Allah to give His decree, as to, what would be the longevity/fate/rizik and also ask Allah’s permission to fix the destiny of the future baby whether this human being will be a Mumeen Banda or Bandi (true believer) or Nafr (Kafir)

Answer 6

After the foetus is fully formed the soul comes to reside in its body. Egg and sperm do not have a soul. Otherwise you would be destroying souls after every masturbation.

Answer 7

Since a soul is not a physical characteristic, you would get one the moment you are a real being. So I would say, the moment of conception.

Answer 8

Conception.

Answer 9

I don't know what a soul is really, I've never seen a good definition of it so I can't answer that. But I would point out the question of what a soul is.

Answer 10

Conception.