What is a soul?

Question

icarus: omg, great answer. Finally, one that actually makes sense.

Answer 1

Good question.

If it's postulated that consciousness, or awareness, or sense of self resides in the soul, it's difficult to see how this can be reconciled with the complete oblivion which accompanies general anaesthesia. How could a straightforward chemical, injected into the bloodstream, anaesthetise a soul so that it effectively ceases to exist during this time? If consciousness, in the form of a soul, were some kind of supernatural faculty, it would seem implausible that it could be completely disabled by a chemical.

How about some of the other things which we regard as essential parts of what makes a person what they are? How about love, compassion, reason, empathy, memory, conscious thought, character, 'spirituality' and so on? Well, there is really no plausible doubt that all these things are properties of the physical brain - We can alter all of these properties very simply with alcohol or other drugs, and observe how they change in people who have suffered significant brain damage. Previously placid people become uncontrollably violent, intelligent people become imbeciles, and so on. Stimulate the brain artificially, and the subject reports corresponding mental activity, e.g. 'religious experiences'. We can see from brain research that all these things - thought, emotion, sensation, character traits and so on - are correlated with activity in the brain, and some things can be identified with specific areas of the brain.

So, if all these faculties and characteristics of what we regard as the 'person' reside in the physical brain, as seems to be undeniably the case, and they all cease when the person dies, then what is left to be attributed to a 'soul'? As far as I can ascertain: Nothing. If there is no part of us that can continue after death, then there is no 'afterlife'... and if there is no afterlife, then most of religion is null and void.

Answer 2

You are made up of three bodies in one flesh, the outer shell is obviously called the body and has 5 gates (see,hear,touch,taste,smell) to contact this world. Inside that body you have a spirit also with 5 gates (reason, affection, consciousness, imagination,and memory) to contact the spirit world
and Inside of that you have a Soul with a single gate to contact God or the Evil one, this gate has many names and is understood to be free will but this gate is faith that contacts God. You either believe God and his word or you do not believe God and his word or you will be cut off eternally; Ezekiel 18:4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
Ezekiel 33:9 Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
Many people do not understand it is the Soul we receive when a baby takes it's very first breath and is the marriage between life in blood and life in the lungs.
Genesis 2:7 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.
The Temple the Jews used to worship God is the pattern of the human body and the Temple was made up of three parts also just like mankind was made. Outter court where men woman and children could go, Inner court where Priest could only go, and inside of that was the holiest of the holies where only one man could go once a year just exactly like human body

Answer 3

Your life essence, your emotions, the very unseen part of your being that keeps you from being a logical instinctive animal who just needs to survive... a better question might be... Do you believe souls or spirits exist?

Personally, from my standpoint it would seem illogical to have any desire to live if one felt a certainty of one's own death as a complete oblivion...

Also, if we don't use 100% of our brains to accomplish all of that we've needed to survive for this long, then it would seem very logical that humans all have an untapped part of the brain that possibly 'creates' a 'soul' or 'spirit' to continue it's life. It is also proven how brains at opposite ends of the earth have communicated to some desired effect with or without proir knoweldge of a given event or task... and that based on these results, it would seem logical to assume that all brains or 'spirits' have some extent of a 'connection' and that it's even further possible, based on the Holy Scriptures take of the matter, to speculate a possible God or creator or higher being linked to the overall connection of the brains or 'souls' of all humanity. Like God said, "I have created man in the image of myself"... Basically, I feel it's more than safe to assume that however a 'soul' or 'spirit' exists or is created, that it exists, and that an afterlife, Heaven, Hell, God, Satan... all exist as well

If that's not proof enough then my ace up the sleeve is psychics. Many have been proven to be up to 80% accurate with their abilities, and ALL agree that there is, without doubt, a Heaven and a Hell, a Satan and a God... if it weren't true, then at least ONE of them who are at least 80% accurate would have said otherwise, yet not ONE has... and has a PROVEN and undeniable ability...

But this is all just my take on the matter...

Answer 4

It is part of who you are. We are made up of body, spirit, and soul. Our body is the vehicle for our soul and spirit. Our soul is who we really are. Our spirit brings us life, desires, and knowledge.

Jesus said that we must be "Born Again", if we want to enter the Kingdom of God. This means that God has to remove our spirit and replace it with the Holy Spirit, God Himself. When He does, our desires begin to change and we begin to receive more life. We can understand the Bible better as we read it because the same person that raised Jesus from the dead and that wrote the Bible now lives in us.

When we turn from our sins and are baptized the name of Jesus for the payment of our sins, God will give us the gift of the Holy Ghost. If we remain faithful to that same Spirit, then our soul will receive eternal life in Heaven.

Answer 5

The Energy of God (holy spirit) which resides in every living thing and causes it to live. This energy cannot be duplicated. If it could then scientists could create life out of nothing, create Souls. If you recall, God blew into Adam's nostrils and then he came to be alive. We humans are living and breathing due to this energy of God's.

Answer 6

The deepest part of something unknown which leaves your body when you die......

I call it a conscience..(wink)

Answer 7

YO MAMA

Answer 8

Something thats within you which will never ever die.