Define a soul

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  1. profile image0
    Baileybearposted 12 years ago

    Please use your own words and refrain from regurgitating bible verses

    1. vox vocis profile image80
      vox vocisposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      A soul is a deep, deep well...sometimes you find it empty, sometimes full of dirt and waste, sometimes it contains the most beautiful water that can satisfy the thirst of many, and if you throw a stone in it or speak into it, the sound of echo makes you feel it's alive...you can't see the soul, but when it hurts, you physically feel the pain, oh boy, do you feel the pain.

      Don't you agree?

      1. profile image0
        Baileybearposted 12 years agoin reply to this

        so...the soul includes your emotions....psychological pain etc

    2. ajuvr profile image61
      ajuvrposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      'SOUL' is foul.
      don play foul.

    3. dutchman1951 profile image61
      dutchman1951posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      your soul is your art. Your expression, your story.
      That place where you don't need a dictionary to explain, you
      Your art,  for all to see.

      1. profile image0
        Baileybearposted 12 years agoin reply to this

        combo of creativity & personality & life experience?  Ultimately the output of your brain?

    4. profile image0
      kimberlyslyricsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      a soul is not something one has rather something one creates to feel complete
      http://s4.hubimg.com/u/3948651.png

    5. Beelzedad profile image59
      Beelzedadposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      It comes from old Greek; to breathe or the breath. When people saw a dying person take their last breath, they said it was the soul leaving the body. smile

      1. hanging out profile image61
        hanging outposted 12 years agoin reply to this

        nice post.. keep up the good work.
        quite cheerful smile

    6. profile image0
      DoorMattnomoreposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      oh, nevermind...

      I never heard of a soul outside of the bible

    7. Stevennix2001 profile image83
      Stevennix2001posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      watch ghost in the shell anime, as i think that show speaks volumes about what exactly a soul is. wink

    8. profile image0
      Twenty One Daysposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      The mind is the soul.
      The mind is not necessarily the consciousness of humans.
      It is tool, a 'revolving door', designed to unite the boundless energy/the human spirit, with stationary energy/the human body.

      That consciousness is the action-reaction (right-wrong; question-answer) of the indulgence of the mind as a necessitative master, rather than the tool it is.

      ~James.

  2. prettydarkhorse profile image59
    prettydarkhorseposted 12 years ago

    soul is third dimensional stalker of mine -- that is my soul

  3. flinchwymer profile image59
    flinchwymerposted 12 years ago

    A soul is a mythical concept, much like ghost, god and fairy. An illusion created by and for those that can't deal with the fear of death in order to give them (false) hope. Nothing wrong with escapism, but I prefer to use music and comedy.

    1. hanging out profile image61
      hanging outposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      nice gods.
      did they teach you that or did you think up your revelation inspite of them?

  4. libby101a profile image61
    libby101aposted 12 years ago

    I believe humans have three distinct parts: The body, soul, and spirit!

    The Body experiences through touching the Material world through the five senses of seeing, touching, tasting, smelling, and tasting.


    The soul experiences through Imagination, Conscious, Memory, Reason and Affections. The soul is also your self consiousness.

    The Spirit receives experiences throught outward and things through the soul. The spiritual faculties of the Spirit are Faith, Hope, Reverence, Prayer and Worship.

    Man not only has a soul but he is a living soul! The soul dies with the body! It is the spirit that one should be more concerned with! The spirit is the part of you that is immortal!

    1. Woman Of Courage profile image61
      Woman Of Courageposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Exactly

    2. profile image0
      Baileybearposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      those things you mention:  imagination, consciousness, memory, reason, affection etc - are they not generated by the brain, not the soul?

      1. LeslieAdrienne profile image72
        LeslieAdrienneposted 12 years agoin reply to this

        The content of the brain is part of the soul.

        The physical body, the soul body and the spirit body are all shaped the same.They are 3 separate entities, but they are connected.

        The experiences of the physical body are imprinted upon the soul and spirit bodies. When we die, the physical body is what returns to dust. The soul and the spirit remain connected and go to heaven or to hell.

    3. profile image0
      Baileybearposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      this spirit - does everyone have one or only when you are a "believer"?  If the soul dies with the body, then how does the spirit make you individual?

    4. hanging out profile image61
      hanging outposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      LIbby, dont forget unsaved people are spiritually dead.

      1. profile image0
        Baileybearposted 12 years agoin reply to this

        if spirtually dead, then how can one feel "hell"?

        1. LeslieAdrienne profile image72
          LeslieAdrienneposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          Spiritually dead means disconnected from the life that is in God. When Jesus died on the cross, He died spiritually...He was separated from the life of  God.

          Jesus couldn't have gone to Hell on our behalf unless He died spiritually.

  5. Cagsil profile image75
    Cagsilposted 12 years ago

    Soul- conjecture perpetuated by religion. As is the "spirit".

    These two words "soul" and "spirit" are only descriptive words, to describe other people. There is no substance otherwise.

    1. hanging out profile image61
      hanging outposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      how empty

      1. profile image0
        Baileybearposted 12 years agoin reply to this

        how judgemental

        1. Cagsil profile image75
          Cagsilposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          Hey Baileybear,

          It/he/she can say whatever they feel is necessary. I know who I am, what I represent and how I present myself.

          There are plenty of religious people who don't frequent my hubs and for good reason. I do have some religious readers, because they continue to strive to learn. That's a good sign.

          Otherwise, religious folks don't bother, because they simply have trouble looking internally for answers and when they cannot find an answer- it's plugged in with the "god" story/belief.

          In some aspects, religious folks, as I have said in the past, are selfish, yet don't realize it. They work diligently toward a commitment to being selfless, but in the end are actually selfish.

          The first doctrine of all documented religions is "selfless". This means you put others before self.

          What many religious folk fail to realize is that as a human being, you should put humanity as a whole, before self. Thus, you do not harm or hurt them, but always help them when needed.

          When a person forms a belief in god or a god, whichever, they immediately put themselves before humanity. Their pledge to god or a god is inconsideration of a reward. Thus, distorting their view and making them selfish at the same time.

          So, religious folks can say what they want. Truth always wins out.

          1. schoolgirlforreal profile image80
            schoolgirlforrealposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            I speak for myself- I read some of your hubs because you use logic and I like logic- that does not mean I want to give up my religion and it also means I'm not close minded.  I also read them because I like poetry.  People are reading your hubs for different reasons, some yes, maybe trying to find "godlessness....or whatever you call it!"

            CArry on smile

            1. Cagsil profile image75
              Cagsilposted 12 years agoin reply to this

              Thank you Schoolgirlforreal. I'm appreciative. smile Nice to see btw. smile

              1. schoolgirlforreal profile image80
                schoolgirlforrealposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                smile

  6. Jerami profile image58
    Jeramiposted 12 years ago

    libby101a wrote:
    I believe humans have three distinct parts: The body, soul, and spirit!

    The Body experiences through touching the Material world through the five senses of seeing, touching, tasting, smelling, and tasting.


    The soul experiences through Imagination, Conscious, Memory, Reason and Affections. The soul is also your self consiousness.

    The Spirit receives experiences throught outward and things through the soul. The spiritual faculties of the Spirit are Faith, Hope, Reverence, Prayer and Worship.

    Man not only has a soul but he is a living soul! The soul dies with the body! It is the spirit that one should be more concerned with! The spirit is the part of you that is immortal!



    Woman Of Courage  wrote     

      Exactly

    ===================

       I disagree     

    @Woman  of Courage  I'm agreeing with YA   
    and a little more.   But I can't think of the right word.

  7. PHDundermybelt profile image54
    PHDundermybeltposted 12 years ago

    The spirit is that which God deals with. The soul is that which is living in the here and now. That which is of the spirit is of god, that which is of the soul is of the body.

    Self mumbo jumbo is nonsense. Have a near death experience and see where your "self" helps you.

    I, too, did NOT believe in the afterlife or God or anything beyond myself. I had a heartattack last year. I was dead for 6 minutes. I left my body and time seemed to stand still. I lingered over my body at what seemed like forever. I left the room where they were working on my lifeless body and roamed the hospital. Eventually I noticed my wife and children in the lobby. I went to them and I heard them talking about my condition. My children were miserable. I heard my wife tell my daughters if I wake not to tell me my Mother had died a few hours earlier in a car accident. I lingered there for a while and listened to my daughter talk about a boyfriend I had forbid her to date but her Mother was allowing it. I had no clue. I heard many things that I would not have known otherwise. Eventually I was pulled out and away, upwards. I didn't see a tunnel as many say. All I could see was a light that seemed to get brighter as my journey ventured closer. I heard a voice say and I will never forget the words, "My child, you have lived amongst the vipers and driven your poison into the flesh of many. Understand your father awaits to judge you righteously. I have stood witness on your behalf. Look at my father's work. It has begat evil upon evil. Return my child and believe. Be witness to the mercy my father has bestowed upon thee." It may not be word for word-I have tried to remember it word for word but a word or two may be off. Hopefully I got it right.

    At that moment I felt a peace come over me that I had never felt before. Words cannot describe! I am witness to the forgiveness and mercy he has for us all. My life was merely science. I breathed science. It was my existence. I believe nothing outside of what could be proven. I was wrong. Dead wrong.

    I felt a jolt. Then another jolt. Then I felt my body around me again. It was painful but I felt relieved. I had surpassed all odds.


    Later I had a triple bypass. I ask my wife how long she had allowed my daughter to see that no-good and her mouth dropped. She couldn't believe I knew. When I told her what had happened she was in shock, as was I. I also mourned the death of my Mother from the hospital. I ask her when she had passed. Again she was shocked. I knew too many things for it to be a dream or imagination. I know what happened. Once you have been in the midst of glory you realize the truth quickly.

    I was a true atheist at heart. I was worse than any in these forums. I knew I was right. Nobody could convince me otherwise. Nobody but one. And in front of him you know the truth. His presense radiates peace and love. I have since changed my life completely.

    1. PHDundermybelt profile image54
      PHDundermybeltposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Therefore those who call it merely conjecture have no clue as to what they are rambling on about. I realize many will not believe based on the words of someone they don't know. That's not my problem. My scientific mind wouldn't believe either. I'm saddened that many will never believe. It will take judgement for them to see, feel, and believe! I don't know why I was spared a second chance. I know it is rare. I should be dead. I am most thankful for this chance to tell you the truth. It is your business what you do with that truth!

      I stood before the son of God. His name was Jesus. Now I live and breathe that name and his work. Science is still important to me because it is my profession. However, something bigger is far more important now.

      1. PHDundermybelt profile image54
        PHDundermybeltposted 12 years agoin reply to this

        Just a note to those who don't know me. I am the wind. I will not be here long. I will post my truth and be done. A few days at most. I will then never return to this forum. My ideal is not to stir up trouble in forums. I am doing what Jesus said to do. Give to those who don't have. Teach to those who don't know. Love those who hate.

        1. profile image0
          Baileybearposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          so why aren't you going to stick around and write some hubs?  You sound like a good writer

          1. PHDundermybelt profile image54
            PHDundermybeltposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            My time does not permit me. I am a very busy man. On vacation at the moment enjoying a little R & R.

        2. ediggity profile image60
          ediggityposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          What did GOD say when you stood before him?

          1. PHDundermybelt profile image54
            PHDundermybeltposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Mercy took me from that my son. I stood in front of his son.

            1. ediggity profile image60
              ediggityposted 12 years agoin reply to this

              Were you able to say anything to him?

              1. PHDundermybelt profile image54
                PHDundermybeltposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                No I wasn't. He spoke, I listened. My spirit trembled at his voice. I could not utter a single word.

                1. ediggity profile image60
                  ediggityposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  Do you ever wonder why he sent you back?

                  1. PHDundermybelt profile image54
                    PHDundermybeltposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                    I believe, as a scientist, my beliefs were damning to others. In what was told to me that I had driven my poison into the flesh of many. I think I was spared to witness.

        3. Joe Badtoe profile image61
          Joe Badtoeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          'I am the wind'

          are you a mobile fart?

          1. PHDundermybelt profile image54
            PHDundermybeltposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Son, I am whatever you make me out to be. If that is your way of reasoning then so be it.

            Have a good one. Good night!

            By the way: I am not what you make me to be. I came from where you stand. I lived my life without care or so called Gods. Once you stand where I stood, that day, your eyes open. Science becomes less important and other things become amplified. You go on son. Live your life to the fullest. I am simply stating my experience and if it falls upon deaf ears then so be it.

            Good bye now. I do not linger or argue.

            1. Joe Badtoe profile image61
              Joe Badtoeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

              cheers dad

            2. aguasilver profile image69
              aguasilverposted 12 years agoin reply to this

              Thanks for visiting and for the witness of your testimony.

              I'm glad you crossed the line back to Christ, may the Lord bless you with many years to witness for Him, and may many be saved their fate by your testimony.

              John

            3. libby101a profile image61
              libby101aposted 12 years agoin reply to this

              Amazing testimony. Thanks for sharing it with us.

        4. spookyfox profile image62
          spookyfoxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          Just out of curiosity, since you're a scientist, have you head of the god helmet developed by Michael A. Persinger and the research done by him and Todd Murphy? I find his talk very interesting: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid … 285733378#

    2. profile image0
      Baileybearposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I'm seeing a bit of a contradiction here.  Some christians say the soul endures.  Some say the spirit does.  So what exactly is the spirit and what essense does it have of yourself?  So you say everyone has a spirit and you believe your spirit was the part that was involved in your NDE?  Would you agree the soul is not really a separate entity, but is really the products of the brain?

      1. hanging out profile image61
        hanging outposted 12 years agoin reply to this

        a near death experience is just that, near death. There is no actual occurence of death it is near. The body tries to keep itself alive, endomorphines and chemical happenings take events, the eyes try to see and neuroflashes occur, the body "feels" light as if floating because another chemical has entered the bloodstream. Adrenaline surges.. heart races.. pulse hammers.. etc. The white light is not there but induced by eye receptors being stimulated. Its quite well documented just google it.
        Since the bible says that no one goes to heaven until the time of judgment then quite simply no one goes to heaven. Moses and elijah with jesus on the mount was a vision, jesus even says, "tell no one of the vision". A vision is a vision not a sight. So walking thru a tunnel, nope, seeing God, nope. Having an angel visitation, highly improbable, but not totally - if you die; if you live then its a nope. God does not tinker with our faith. No signs and wonders we walk by faith and not by sight. The dead, sleep and know nothing until resurrection to judgment.

        1. profile image0
          Baileybearposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          are you sure you wrote that, hanging out? smile
          Seems more open-minded than your previous posts

        2. Woman Of Courage profile image61
          Woman Of Courageposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          hanging out, you are open-minded in all your posts. Thanks!

    3. getitrite profile image74
      getitriteposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Your story sounds profound and compelling.
      But how do you, as a scientist, explain the fact that there is no evidence for a God?

      And would your experience have been the same if you were Muslim, or Hindu?  What happens to them during NDE, since their Gods are false if yours is real?

      Why was your experience based upon Christian concepts?

      Please prove that belief in a personal God is not illogical?

  8. Joe Badtoe profile image61
    Joe Badtoeposted 12 years ago

    any right wing racist conservative


    what?        Oh you mean 'A Soul'

    Sorry I just put the letter and the word together.

  9. Karanda profile image78
    Karandaposted 12 years ago

    A soul is the essence of who we are. It constitutes our beliefs, personality and emotions. It is in the core of every one of us, a defining feature that stamps our individuality. I don't have the academic background to understand the psychological definition but I do know that each of us has our own soul.

    1. profile image0
      Baileybearposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      do you believe in the supernatural and do you believe the soul endures after death.  It has been shown that the brain is responsible for all those things - personality, beliefs, emotions, so would you agree the "soul" is a description for a set of brain products rather than a separate entity?

      1. Karanda profile image78
        Karandaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

        Yes I believe in the supernatural and yes I believe the soul endures after death.  Is the brain responsible for those things? I don't know.

        This is what I know. I held my daughter in my arms the day before she died and our eyes locked. I looked in to the window of her soul and without words she thanked me. My daughter took her last breath in the early hours of the next morning and I knew she had left our world before anyone bothered to see if she was still breathing.

        I am talking about a baby, not yet nine months old, so was this soul merely a set of brain products? Gosh this is a hard one for me but I have to say I think there is a whole lot more to this than anatomy.

        1. profile image0
          Baileybearposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          Thanks for sharing a deeply personal story. 
          do you believe in both a spirit and a soul or is that a christian concept? Do you believe in heaven or hell or any other interpretation?  Do you still "sense" you daughter with you.  You had an "instinct" she had slipped away? 
          The reason I am asking all these questions is that I am working on a hub about death, and am trying to find out what people think

          1. Karanda profile image78
            Karandaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            It's okay Baileybear I have been following you on the forums and reading your hubs so I have an understanding of what you are researching.

            My belief is that a soul is our essence while here on earth and the spirit  takes over in the next world.  Heaven and hell are difficult for me to come to terms with. My daughter was not baptized, does this mean she goes straight to hell because of that? What kind of God sends your baby to hell because the parents haven't done the Christian thing?

            Having said that, I do believe in the Christian concept but also love the teachings of Ghandi and the Dalai Llama.

            Contact me personally if you want more for your hub on death, I've got lots I can share.

            1. profile image0
              Baileybearposted 12 years agoin reply to this

              no, I don't think you're baby went to hell; I'm not even convinced that heaven & hell exist

              I've got my hub 3/4 written, just trying to make sure I address some key points (otherwise will get bombarded with more questions)

              1. Karanda profile image78
                Karandaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                Such a touchy subject you know you are going to have it all thrown at you. I don't believe my daughter went to hell. And yes I do get a sense of her in many ways. Is that her soul, spirit or simply a mother's wish that her child lives on?

                1. profile image0
                  Baileybearposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  My last hubs were on very touchy subjects, and so far I have been happy with the feedback - not too many attacks (I deleted a pile of attacks of each other); I'm going to try an offer a perspective and not say this is absolutely right (which is what gets heckles up in first place). I can't be sure the supernatural doesn't exist; I'm not afraid to admit that, but christianity let me down more than it helped me

                  1. Karanda profile image78
                    Karandaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                    Was it Christianity or the people that purported to follow Christianity that let you down? Religions of all denominations have the good and bad aspects. Mostly they teach, right from wrong, good from evil and look after your fellow man. You would think that nothing but good could come from that, yet we have wars based on religion. People killing other people because they get lost in the code of ethics. Religion may have a lot to answer for or maybe man has to get serious about the code of ethics.

                2. hanging out profile image61
                  hanging outposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  wish

                  1. profile image0
                    Baileybearposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                    are you being cruel here about a baby dying?

              2. hanging out profile image61
                hanging outposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                nobody has gone to hell or heaven, except jesus. Judgment must take place first before any residential occupancy can occur.

            2. hanging out profile image61
              hanging outposted 12 years agoin reply to this

              baptism does not save anybody.
              Baptism in water is a ceremony that is meant to show others that you are serious about God and His ways.
              Salvation comes from the sinners prayer. This act of repentance is what saves the sinner and gets their name written in Jesus' book of LIFE, immediately! Having ones name in the lambs book of life is what brings you before the Judgment Seat of Christ and not the Great White Throne Seat of judgment which is for sinners.
              Maybe you did not want to hear this, but often Gods reality is comprised of things people do not want to hear and they go around and find something that tickles their ears. Truth is truth and better to know truth than a deception.

              1. Cagsil profile image75
                Cagsilposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                Oh boy. Supposedly spouting out "truth" again. roll

  10. kmacox profile image60
    kmacoxposted 12 years ago

    The soul is not a concept like in christianity, that's just a pointless word meaning not much.  The Soul is You the real You not the one you believe you are, these are just thoughts in your mind ie:your name your body your image
    The soul is the foremost extension of God, the Source, she is the perfect likeness of God, contrary to some belief the soul never gets dirty or soiled, she is eternally the image of the Creator and one with the Creator.

    But each one of us must come to realise the Soul, at the moment most of us are sleeping the dream of physicality believing it to be true, we believe we are a body walking around in the world, it must first be seen through as not You then the Soul is born.
    She is the most precious creation, one with God always, yet because she is "incarnated" here she has forgotten her heritage, once she remembers, that is her birth, and through her transparency God is able to create.

  11. Stevennix2001 profile image83
    Stevennix2001posted 12 years ago

    here's a clip of it if you want to check it out, as these scenes alone will make you question the perception of what a soul exactly is along with the perception of reality.  i should warn you, there's some brief nudity in it, but it's a very good video that i recommend if you want an answer.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHfs7OQ_Cwk

  12. wingedcentaur profile image67
    wingedcentaurposted 12 years ago

    Good Day BaileyBear

    I would say 'soul' is the religious mythological equivalent of the secular understanding of consciousness. These terms are, to my way of thinking, flip sides of the same coin. "Soul" is the preferred term of religious believers and "consciousness" is the preferred term for secularists.

    Now I would move into using the term soul-consciousness -- even though religious believers and secularists have different notions about the capabilities of the soul-consciousness. However I take the view that these two seemingly opposing points of view actually align and do not, in fact, contradict one another.

    I believe that the ancient masters of the distant past (founders of all the world's great religions and spiritual systems, regardless of what one feels about the "truth" of their beliefs, were intellectual geniuses who discovered great truths about human personality and the natural world. Now their insights were way, way, way ahead of their time; and so there was no scientific or clinical language available at the time to record their wisdom. The only language available was the language of religion and mythology -- and thus the claims the ancient masters were actually making became expanded and exaggerated over time.

    I believe that the idea of the 'soul,' as we have it from the religious tradition going back many thousands of years, is the 'consciousness' (they were trying to describe back then) as we understand it today.

    So what, then, is the soul-consciousness? Well, according to religious tradition entry into heaven is dependant upon the aggregate quality of one's soul -- it must be more "good" than "bad." Therefore the 'soul' or soul-consciousness is a person's accumulated understanding of what good and bad and right and wrong AND her accumulated, majority intentionality toward the world and the people in it,  be they rich or poor, lordly and "lowborn," and so forth in a variety of life situations. In other words, we might say that soul (or soul-consciousness) is your basic programming.

    What is the soul?

    It is the accumulated understanding of good, bad, right, wrong combined with the majority intentionality of the individual toward the world and the people in it, be they rich, poor, important or obscure, powerful or powerless, privileged or downtrodden, etc. The 'soul' or soul-consciousness is the aggregate of all of that.

    That's my best shot at it.

    1. profile image0
      Baileybearposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      very informative, Winged Centaur, and desribes very well how I see it.

      - do you know what the origins of the "spirit" are?  Spirit of a person, ghosts, demons, angels, holy spirit....?

      1. wingedcentaur profile image67
        wingedcentaurposted 12 years agoin reply to this

        Hello BaileyBear

        I'm glad you like my answer. What are the origins of "spirit?"

        Well, again, I think waht we have is the religious mythological idea and the more secular idea of spirit. We sometimes talk about the "spirit" of a person when our meaning is perfectly secular. Does that make sense?

        We say we like the spirit of a person, or he has a lot of "spirit," which means one has a lot of "fire" or "fire in the belly." In this secular form "spirit" means that one has a formidable and palpable personality.

        For example, people used to say of Theodore Roosevelt, the indefatigable uncle of FDR, that after meeting him (TR) one had to "wring" his personality out of one's very clothes.

        In this secular mode, not everyone, believe it or not, is said to have "spirit" or "gumption" perhaps -- ever heard that term, "gumption" (I hope I'm spelling that right). But if only certain people have "spirit" (we're still in secular mode) then what does everyone else have -- we all have soul (soul-consciousness); but what of "spirit?"

        From the Western Judeo-Christian we have "spirit" as a modality of God, yes? It is one of the three forms of God: The Father, The Son, and Holy Ghost.

        The Father: the totality of the being of God, the originating presence, if you will

        The Son: Jesus, the "genetic" equivalent of God, the exact same in substance in quality but of course naturally inferior in quantity.

        Holy Ghost: (I admit to having a harder time defining this -- I'm no theologian) but its function seems to be as a kind of divine inspiration, conveying the hope of God and the "will" of God through subtle, non-verbal means.

        You know what might help? Thinking about the way human beings exist in a trinity as well as "God." Let's try it.

        I am who am I am. If you were to visit me "in the flesh," as it were, you would have come into the presence of my total being -- this is the human equivalent of "God The Father," the total being, the originating presence.

        Remember how it said in the Bible, various places, that Jesus was/is the manifested "Word of God," the word made flesh, as it were. You read my words here on the computer screen; I could write you a letter and send it snail mail -- my written word is a manifestation of my total presence. The closest you could come to "knowing" me would be to study my written words, but of course there would still be things hidden and all but inaccessible within the secret mind of my total presence, yes?

        My written word, then, is my "Jesus The Son" equivalent.

        Now suppose you were to talk to me on the phone, interacting only with my voice. Like my written words, my voice is a manifestation of my total being -- it emanates out from my total being to interact with you; it is the only way given the presumed distance of our communication and so forth. All you would interact with is a disembodied voice and this would be my human equivalent of "spirit."

        It is in this sense, then, we can think of "spirit" as having a dual, two-sides-of-the-same-coin secualr/religious mythological meaning.

        Still, in one secular sense, when we say "That boy's got 'spirit,'" we are not referring to humanity in a universal sense. We tend to mean that certain people, of exceptionally strong personality (like TR) have "spirit."

        How about this? You know how certain public figures, be they musicians, athletes, politicians, or whatever are sometimes referred to as a "Voice of a generation," or we say that they somehow exemplified an "age" in some way or were emblematic of a period in time? I think perhaps this is the closest human equivalent we have to Holy Ghost.

        As for the precise theological origin of the idea of a Holy Ghost, I'm afraid I would be at a loss, BaileyBear.

  13. hanging out profile image61
    hanging outposted 12 years ago

    want the christian viewpoint?

    1. profile image0
      Baileybearposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      if you can explain in your own words and try to avoid jargon, then go right ahead.  I'm interested in how you distinguish the soul from the spirit

  14. Jerami profile image58
    Jeramiposted 12 years ago

    What if the soul is that hidden part of our intelect that we know very little about.

    1. Troy C. profile image62
      Troy C.posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      The soul is the true essence of who or what you are. The spirit is the nature of the soul, be it good or evil.

      1. Jerami profile image58
        Jeramiposted 12 years agoin reply to this

        I agree  and yet few people know who or where they are.

           I too am in wonder, Do I really know what I think that I do?

           Sometimes it seems that someone else is doing my deciding for me.  And most of the time it works out for the best.

            But once in a while ???  When it is a person that I'm listening to ???   I end up wishing that I didn't do it.


           I think I trust the voices from my subconscious better.   Wish I listened to it more than I do to myself even.

  15. aguasilver profile image69
    aguasilverposted 12 years ago

    The body is the hardwear, that allows things to run.
    The soul is the operating system.
    The spirit is the softwear that allows the whole thing to function.

    Just a simple analogy! smile

  16. pylos26 profile image72
    pylos26posted 12 years ago

    Define soul:

    Something that occupies the bottom of my shoes.

    A type of food consumed by some.

    That's about it.

    1. starme77 profile image79
      starme77posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      lol lol lol Thats a good one smile

  17. Master Life profile image60
    Master Lifeposted 12 years ago

    The soul is your mind, will and emotions

    1. Beelzedad profile image59
      Beelzedadposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Nope. The mind is the mind, the will is the will and emotions are emotions. smile

  18. starme77 profile image79
    starme77posted 12 years ago

    Love, Faith, Honesty, and Hope  if you have them you have a soul smile smile smile

 
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