What is a soul?

[scorpia]

Just as the title says; What is a soul, exactly? Is is meant to be different from your body, as well as different from your mind Eg. You may lose your memories but you will still have your soul. Yet it seems like teh mind and soul have a lot in common. So what would be the difference? Is there any difference, other than a soul being eternal while the mind is not?

[bernee51]

Just as the title says; What is a soul, exactly? Is is meant to be different from your body, as well as different from your mind Eg. You may lose your memories but you will still have your soul. Yet it seems like teh mind and soul have a lot in common. So what would be the difference? Is there any difference, other than a soul being eternal while the mind is not?

A soul entails all thought, intellect, emotions, memories, hopes, dreams, aspirations, suffering, loves, joys, hates, sorrows, regrets, creativity, spite, knowledge, learning, understanding, empathy, sympathy, pity, greed, lust, desire, initiative, and instinct of each and every human. More so, of every organism that has mental faculty.

A soul is an emergent phenomena of a being’s mental faculty.

Given this natural definition of a soul, what can we say about a soul? For one, it is mortal. It exists while we exist, and when we die it perishes. It is ephemeral. For another, it is in constant flux. Always growing, changing, learning, and adapting; until the day it dies.

[scorpia]

That makes it seem pretty much the same as a mind

[bernee51]

That makes it seem pretty much the same as a mind

Or a 'sphere' layered over a mind. Without a mind a soul could not exist.

[Confused]

That makes it seem pretty much the same as a mind

Or a 'sphere' layered over a mind. Without a mind a soul could not exist.

But having a mind doesn't imply having a soul. Case in point, many antisocial personality disorder patients have nothing that anyone could conceptualize as a soul. They experience no remorse, have no real motive for their actions, lack the ability to reason right from wrong. They lack emotions in some cases. Autistic children fall into the same category. They act from more of an animal instinct than a human one. Their actions are emotionless, without motive, without intention. They just are. So any concept thus far that has been described as a soul can't be rationalized in my mind. Because if they can, then one has to admit that God created some people without souls. Why would God want to do that if He wants His creation to return to Him?

[scorpia]

But having a mind doesn't imply having a soul. Case in point, many antisocial personality disorder patients have nothing that anyone could conceptualize as a soul. They experience no remorse, have no real motive for their actions, lack the ability to reason right from wrong.

This is implying that the soul is morality. However there is more to a person than their morality but wouldn't it be the same for souls?

[Confused]

But having a mind doesn't imply having a soul. Case in point, many antisocial personality disorder patients have nothing that anyone could conceptualize as a soul. They experience no remorse, have no real motive for their actions, lack the ability to reason right from wrong.

This is implying that the soul is morality. However there is more to a person than their morality but wouldn't it be the same for souls?

To answer this, let me answer your OP first:

Just as the title says; What is a soul, exactly? Is is meant to be different from your body, as well as different from your mind Eg. You may lose your memories but you will still have your soul. Yet it seems like teh mind and soul have a lot in common. So what would be the difference? Is there any difference, other than a soul being eternal while the mind is not?

I don't beleive that one can actually separate the concept of the mind from the soul. To me, what makes up the soul is what makes up the personality. It is everchanging, ever adapting, but a direct reflection of the individual. I don't think there is any divinity to it. I think it is the thing that makes us unique but also the same. I think that one everyone can possess one, but not everyone does possess one. It is that common link that our mind creates to allow us to be an individual yet still fit in with society. When one has a soul, they have a personality that is reflect their nature but has been molded by external influences as well as internal influences. When one lacks a soul, they may or may not retain internal influences. By lacking internal influences, or innate qualities, then one lacks a sense of right or wrong, human or animal, wants vs needs. They lack morality. Some may be able to gain a sense of soul from external influences, but they only mimic a soul. They never actually gain one. These are your antisocial personality disorders, etc.... Eventually, their lack of innate influences leads them to act on impulse, predatory type nature if you will. If one retains internal influences but lacks external influences, then we end up with pyschopaths etc.... those who know it is wrong, yet do it anyways for perosnal gain, power, etc.....

The internal influences of a soul is the innate knowledge one is born with. The external influences of the soul is what the mind will eventually conceptualize the individual to become. Neither of which can we truly change. Either you are born with a soul or you aren't. Either you adapt your soul to make it unique throughout life or you don't. The concept of your mind will essentially determine what your soul will be. Provided you are born with one.

So to answer your second post: a soul can have morality or it can lack morality. A person can have a soul but lack morality (external influences), but can't lack a soul and have morality.

I know, I am confused.

[bernee51]

That makes it seem pretty much the same as a mind

Or a 'sphere' layered over a mind. Without a mind a soul could not exist.

But having a mind doesn't imply having a soul. Case in point, many antisocial personality disorder patients have nothing that anyone could conceptualize as a soul. They experience no remorse, have no real motive for their actions, lack the ability to reason right from wrong. They lack emotions in some cases. Autistic children fall into the same category. They act from more of an animal instinct than a human one. Their actions are emotionless, without motive, without intention.

Depends how you define soul...as above...I see a soul as "A soul entails all thought, intellect, emotions, memories, hopes, dreams, aspirations, suffering, loves, joys, hates, sorrows, regrets, creativity, spite, knowledge, learning, understanding, empathy, sympathy, pity, greed, lust, desire, initiative, and instinct of each and every human. More so, of every organism that has mental faculty."

Even a sociopath (or autistic child) can meet these criteria.

[Confused]

That makes it seem pretty much the same as a mind

Or a 'sphere' layered over a mind. Without a mind a soul could not exist.

But having a mind doesn't imply having a soul. Case in point, many antisocial personality disorder patients have nothing that anyone could conceptualize as a soul. They experience no remorse, have no real motive for their actions, lack the ability to reason right from wrong. They lack emotions in some cases. Autistic children fall into the same category. They act from more of an animal instinct than a human one. Their actions are emotionless, without motive, without intention.

Depends how you define soul...as above...I see a soul as "A soul entails all thought, intellect, emotions, memories, hopes, dreams, aspirations, suffering, loves, joys, hates, sorrows, regrets, creativity, spite, knowledge, learning, understanding, empathy, sympathy, pity, greed, lust, desire, initiative, and instinct of each and every human. More so, of every organism that has mental faculty."

Even a sociopath (or autistic child) can meet these criteria.

Our definitions of a soul are very different. I understand what you define as one, but does the soul encompass all these things, or do some souls have a few of the components and some have a few of the others, etc.... Because if one must posseess all the components you have listed, then yes even a sociopath or autistic child can meet the criteria, but not all sociopaths or autistic children must meet the criteria. Am I interpreting this correct?

[bernee51]

Our definitions of a soul are very different. I understand what you define as one, but does the soul encompass all these things, or do some souls have a few of the components and some have a few of the others, etc.... Because if one must posseess all the components you have listed, then yes even a sociopath or autistic child can meet the criteria, but not all sociopaths or autistic children must meet the criteria. Am I interpreting this correct?

I am not suggesting that each of these 'components' be extant for a soul to exist, nor at a certain level of compliance. If we are alive, we have no choice but for the soul, as I see it, to exist.