Perhaps the soul is eternal conciousness. After death if the soul is re-incarnated into another body the mind will be different. The concioussness will remain the same?
I dont believe we possess a soul, Im just trying to get an adequate description of what a soul is. Whatever it is can we agree it must be eternal in order to be called a soul?
(No dictionary definitons please I`m not asking Webster)
2007-08-07 04:51:15 · 8 answers · asked by Future 5 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
I think there is a conflict with the views of the Soul being eternal in the sense with religions Like the catholics believe in the soul that it lives on after you die and go to Heaven and Hell depending on the way you live on this earth ...then the buddhists believe in Mindfulness...the mind lives on after the body dies....I see the confusion in that what you say about the reincarnation of the mind in another body and the clash of the soul and the mind being different...............
some how in all my beliefs and readings and studies of worl religions I feel that the mind is extremely connected to the soul and that the soul will control the mind because they are so connect...........the soul is the most powerful that is why we have Dark and Light souls..........on different planes of this conscious life and the realms that we can not see only the dead that have gone on can see..........
Some souls are old and some are new...it is amazing how people never tap into their souls and they must.......for it is eternal and knows the answers................The mind only functions because of the SOUL the Soul is the POWER Source that we connect to GOD a Higher power how many people have we seen walking around lifeless, no energy, no brains what so ever because they were not connected to their souls.....................................The mind will not change I feel even if it is in a different body the Soul will always direct it that is if you believe in reincarnation the Soul is far more powerful................the mind will always be the same even if the body changes you CANNOT change the SOUL it is eternal.................
2007-08-07 05:42:57 · answer #1 · answered by Rita 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I hate to start an answer like this, but I think you answered your own question. Especially when you said "can we agree" ... does that mean that if one doesn't agree then their answer is not correct? I think whatever definition you have for a soul is a perfectly acceptable definition, after all each religion and philosophy from both Western and Eastern thought has a different definition.
I don't think that the soul is always eternal in each description - at least not the individual soul. Many believe that their soul becomes a part of something larger once their mortal body expires, this larger entity may be looked at as more of a "collective soul." A more scientifically minded person may be spiritual enough to think there is a "soul" quality to us that goes beyond the mind, but disappears into nothingness after death.
There definitely is something about the very idea of a soul that goes beyond the human mind whose development is within the binds of reason and can be studied by biology and psychology and documented in various textbooks, but it may not always be seen as eternal. Even if a soul is re-incarnated, doesn't the reincarnated being have its own soul?
As I said in the beginning, the answers to your question are certainly things to ponder, but I think whatever definition you come to is completely suitable; there are so many variations already you may as well define it for yourself.
2007-08-07 05:56:50 · answer #2 · answered by seahawk2006 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Very wise; I don't "refer" to Webster or books or links, as I'd get as great a disparity as there are sources. The same applies to people's opinions/religions/theories. First, the soul is the spiritual, or immortal element in a person. (For those who believe in a soul.) The mind is the mental capacities or qualities of people; it is consciousness. It would be impossible for me to equate the mind with "eternal." I don't believe that philosophically or otherwise, you can get an adequate description of what a soul is. Stretching my "imagination" as far as it will go, & using current (& so far credible) explorations in science: Everything came from antimatter. After death, if one accepts the concept that everything came from antimatter, that is where "we" would return. & in that sense, our interconnectedness would extinguish our "individualness." The inability to comprehend loss of self has created ideas & beliefs that serve the "comfort" of minds. Heaven, hell, reincarnation into another body are such ideas. Whatever idea one chooses is their province, but can only be an idea, as there is NO way to "know" an absolute truth about after death. Personally, I find the premises on which you inquired, philosophically unsound.
2007-08-07 06:36:51 · answer #3 · answered by Psychic Cat 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, I don't think we have to stipulate that a soul has to be eternal to be a soul. The soul is what it is, what ever diffinitions or names we attach to it. The soul is simply the spirital or divine aspect of us, and I think that is all that is required, enternal or not.
What your asking really simply cannot be known, to anyone! Everyone has opinions and thoughts about what the soul is or was, what happens to it or doesn't, but no body knows for sure. Even the pristine use of logic fails us on this account, because things like the soul, God, reincarnation do not exist in the realm of science and logic. Whether they even exist or not is impossible to tell in any respect.
And no, the mind dying has nothing to do with the soul, because where can you like the mind and the soul together? The link, even if it is there, would be impossible to find.
2007-08-07 05:45:08 · answer #4 · answered by Martin S 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The idea of soul is rooted in the pathology of the individual self. The 'self' is no more than memories stored in the brain of the human organism. Consciousness is the use of knowledge through thought. The knowledge is given to you by your culture. Eternity is only necessary within time. Time is only the measurement of duration. Both are concepts created to carry on the idea of the 'self'. The thing that IS has nothing to do with these thought generated concepts. These concepts are like children poking at their reflection in a pool of water.
2007-08-07 05:53:40 · answer #5 · answered by @@@@@@@@ 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
first of all, you need to make up your mind about what you want to know or believe.
the soul is something religious and can only be explained in terms of religion. consciousness is something science can observe and explain (well, they're still trying). mind is a philosophical term originated in dualism, the first theory attempting to unify science and religion.
according to religion, yes, a soul must be eternal to be called a soul (as far as I know) and logically will be bound to consciousness, because there is no sense in having a subconscious soul - but i guess believers don't make too much discrimination there. more details should be asked for in religion.
according to science, a soul does not exist, and mind and consciousness end with death. dualism is hopeless.
so as i said, if you choose to believe, religion can tell you a lot. but if you want the truth, you will need to go with science.
2007-08-07 06:00:01 · answer #6 · answered by baerchen80 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The Soul /Spirit is of God... The Temporal body is Earthly. The body upon death loses weight with the absence of the spirit..Thus, the spirit is present in all.. It is incorruptible, truth our Jimmy Cricket conscious.. Scripture also tells us: The spirit is willing, the body/ flesh is weak .. the body is the mind of man. We choose our Eternal destiny in every act or thought we do. ( It isn't by accident/ or the Devil that made us do it!... Though we are tempted.. we have free agency to chose right or wrong.. "IN everything in life we chose, either by choice or default , we have chosen".
That is why the scriptures tell us "angels notes silently are taking".. If what we do or say wasn't so important, why do they?..
I don't believe in Reincarnation.. We are told that each of us is known to him. If baptism is too important, and done in one body, why then would it be necessary if rebirthed? / Reincarnated?.. that same spirit would have already been.. We are told after death even every hair on our head is known to him, and all shall be restored.. meaning the conscience of who we are , and became shall be as was before in life.. Moral is: live our lives well with God, and good to all mankind.
be charitable, loving, forgiving..in other words.. what goes around does come around..
2007-08-07 05:39:43 · answer #7 · answered by miladyfaire 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
From my explorations I have concluded that:
The soul is eternal, unchanging and independent
The soul is the core of our being, our true identity.
It is the supreme truth ie. there may be no existence beyond ourselves, we are reality.
All thoughts, actions and beliefs are superficial
the soul is perfect and incorruptible.
2007-08-07 05:13:51 · answer #8 · answered by serpent_empire 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋