What is the soul?

Human beings are made of physical, emotional, mental, spiritual and sexual aspects. We also have a mind and a soul, which I would consider to be a part of the unseen world. So too is spirit I suppose, unseen that is, but I think it's closer to the realm of seen than mind and soul are.

My question is this: Is the soul the all-encompassing aspect of who we are? Is that the only part we take with us when we die?

The soul is what binds us to our body, to our flesh. Consciousness is the state in which we receive data. Consciousness is when we see or feel anything or any state of mind. The soul is what makes us feel only from one body and not your neighbor's.

Consciousness is the existence you perceive. Flesh is existence. The soul is the window to existence, binding you till death to your body. The soul makes YOU are YOU, even if you had a twin or clone, because you only see out of YOUR body not anyone else's.

That is the minimalist definition of the soul. Perhaps it is more then this, in the very least, it is what I have defined.

Soul? if you dont know what it is why are you suggesting we have one? LABEL it a SOUL... what if its just our intense significant feelings, mental images, sensations, mixed with deep all types of feelings from inside within our brain chemistry... ok you can label that a "soul" or "spirit" if you want but thats all it is (its a lot intense and signifiant) but why are you saying we have a soul? or better how would a sopul differ from what i just said??? supposed to believe it lives longeror somrthing.. its just different parts of our brain, from deep to out beutfukl faeelings.. ec... but perhps there is a root i guess defintly of our thoughts feelings aetc.. but labling it a soul? sure i guess we cannn

Well Plato would have it that the soul is the real you, and it is 'trapped' inside the body. All your body does is hinder your soul, needing sleep, food, water etc. A human being may say "I have a cat" and obviously that human does not think he is a cat. But a human may also say "I have a body" yet the human is not the body, he/she owns a body. The he/she could refer to thier soul.

What makes you think we are not slaves of our nervous system even with conscious thought?

All that changes is our impression of control and a bigger influence of our intellect and memories.

The soul is why you are in a your flesh and not mine. It is the reason you are seeing out of Decius' eyes a no one elses.

But we are seperate, in a fundamental way. Perhaps we could merge, but some part of the brain which seems to make us cut from each other.

Well then, I call soul that tremendous impression of individuality. It is the only thing which differentiates humans.

I'm not being very clear. If the soul is the part of the individual which is not part of the material, what is it?

What is the only defining part of humans which is not material?

But all those things are grounded in your brain, clearly. There is something physical (whether electrical or chemical) in your brain which codes your memories, your unique nervous system is also clearly physical.

Only one thing is completely otherworldly about our existence, and that is why am I me and not you? There is physical reason for this, nothing material, thus it the soul (at least a minimal definition of it)

suppose we are all the same. what you are saying is that our uniqueness is what we identify as a soul. so, this implies that what many believe to be a "soul" is merely a mask covering up what we all really are... which if this mask were taken away, we would all be the same. no more "soul" no more "individuality" ... no more conflict.

Well then what is your definition of the soul? Mine has always been, something which distinguishes us, but does not exist physically.

But what other non-material criteria make us unique apart from our individuality? I don't understand.

'Is the soul the all-encompassing aspect of who we are?'
I believe the 'soul' could be the 'all-encompassing aspect of who we are' if only we become aware of it and allow it to be. I think the majority of people are unable to see and realise their innate being as they are buried beneath so many desires, and egoistic wants and 'needs' of the physical world. People tend to form attachments to anything and everything around them- this clouds us, it clouds our ability to know, and realise what this thing people call the 'soul' is.

Decius> I hear you and agree with most of what you have said. Everyone and everything is connected to one other, once you know this, the lens through which we see the world and its existence becomes so much clearer.

Is the 'soul' the only part we take with us when we die? Yes.
To me, the 'soul'/ 'atman' / 'spirit' what ever you want to call it, is the life force/energy within us, it is the essence of what we are, the reason we are, and every living thing possesses it. It is never born and it never dies. Our body disintegrates but our 'soul' does not.

Here is an aspect to consider...
When ppl die, many folks have had encounters with the passed on.

Therefore, if thousands and thousands of ppl have had incredulous experiences and they see, hear from, have dreams...etc of prophetic instances from those passed on, then the soul exists.

The soul is what maintains the life force within us.

Also, I have known of folks to die, went to heaven and returned...waking up with a toe tag on...

This would mean that ppl live on, but their physical body stays in the mortal plane.

Therefore, something within still exists.

Hence, called a soul.

We may not have data to show this, but if brain waves end, and rigamortis has set in, and life is completely emptied out of a person, and they had an experience beyond the physical world, where they talk to a relative as we talk to who we currently live on earth with, then we must conclude we have a soul that doesn't see a mortal death.

We must also conclude then, that the other world is invisible, and no scientific data aside from that of a completely lifeless body can proof the world beyond.

And IMO the soul is the force of God's spirit living in us, and as Decius said, gives us all a connection.
A connection to the original Spirit hence forth we all come.