Do we posess a soul, or is it all chemical?

[Jedamethis]

Well, if you mean 'the thing that goes to Heaven when we die' then no.

In your opinion.

Well, that's the point of a forum, to share your opinion!

I know, I was just giving you a hard time.

Well that was the softest, most comfortable hard time I've ever had

I could make it worse if you wanted.

I DISAGREE WITH YOU AND YOUR PREVIOUSLY STATED OPINION!

There!

WELL THAT'S BECAUSE YOU'RE RETARDED!

Whee, this is fun![footnote]If the thought of reporting this crosses anybody's mind, then they shall be punished by having 'NO FUN' tattoed on their forehead.[/footnote]

 

[Zacharine]

No soul. We know that changes in brain chemistry and stuff like lobotomy can have drastic consequences to a persons views, attitudes, emotions and motivations.

I think consciousness, the 'source' (I use that word loosely here) of thought and sense of self, along with your likes, dislikes, hopes, fears etc. is some form of emergent property, or a process or an inherent consequence of a sufficiently advanced functional brain. Brain function ceases -> counsciousness, 'soul' dies. Brain function is forcefully altered or partly inhibited -> consciousness changes/experiences malfunctions such as hallucinations.

 

[Hawgh]

Of course it's not just chemicals. There's also some electrical activity.

The idea that humans, or anything else, possess a secondary ethereal mind is pointless and superstitious.

 

[The Austin]

Well, if you mean 'the thing that goes to Heaven when we die' then no.

In your opinion.

Well, that's the point of a forum, to share your opinion!

I know, I was just giving you a hard time.

Well that was the softest, most comfortable hard time I've ever had

I could make it worse if you wanted.

I DISAGREE WITH YOU AND YOUR PREVIOUSLY STATED OPINION!

There!

WELL THAT'S BECAUSE YOU'RE RETARDED!

Whee, this is fun![footnote]If the thought of reporting this crosses anybody's mind, then they shall be punished by having 'NO FUN' tattoed on their forehead.[/footnote]

I'm going to report you because I was incredibly offend by your hurtful comment.[footnote]Not really.[/footnote]

 

[L4hlborg]

Lets asume there is a soul. The soul obviously somehow has to communicate with our bodies, since our decissions and shit like that are determined by the soul. But why do substances like alcohol have a direct impact in the way that we think? In this case, physically existing things have an effect on the soul. Wouldn't dieing then kill the soul too?

Now if the soul gets destroyed when we die and can get damaged by the physical realm, then how does it differ from chemicals (and electricity or something. I'm not a brain specialist) in our brains?

Good one! Got to grind my gears a bit on this... Though external chemicals like drugs and alcohol alter your chemical balance, some people remain calm while some feel the sudden urge to get violent. Whether or not these are good things, maybe 'slowing' your mind down for a bit, can bring people to the more true and thus pure self. But that's just my speculation on a part of your question.

I hadn't really thought of that before. Interesting thought, even though I hate it.

But, alcohol and other drugs aren't the only thing that can cause your brains to function differently. I don't remember the full story, but a man who lived maybe 200 years ago got a metal pole through the front part of his head. He survived, but his personality changed completely. Either his soul took some serious damage or his personality is "just" his brain doing stuff. I'm pretty sure someone mentioned this before in this thread though.

 

[Slick Samurai]

Well I've written down my full answer in the "Is There True Love?" thread (I think that's it). So I'll just write down the abridged version. Yes and no. The "soul" is actually split into two different factors, biological and adaption. Biological is basically your instincts, reproducing, eating, breathing, stuff like that. Adaption is the part that takes the longest to develop, it's a form of lesser "personality".

Each person is born with an empty slate. Born only with biological functions. What the biological function does here is kickstart the brain into absorbing everything around it. Depending on what it absorbs, the adaption part can be extremely different. Shortly after the brain has adapted moderate information and the adaption starts to form, the biological merges with the adaption.

At this point, what some would refer to as a personality is formed. Depending on exactly what they absorbed, it can change radically. The biological part goads the adaption part to do things for it with things like pleasure and pain. To put things in short, your subconscious is your adaption part, your needs (not wants) is your biological part, and your mind is your personality: a combination of both.

So that brings me to my point; is there a soul? Well, depending on what you view a soul as, yes or no. If you think of a soul as literally a white ghosty embodiment of the person, then probably no. If you think of a soul as the personalty, then yes. Each personality is unique from anyone else on the planet, and I think that a soul is the embodiment of that unique soul, religious or not.

 

[Evil Earlgrey]

All chemicals and electricity. The soul is an imaginary construct like gods. Made up to explain what we didn't know at that time. We dont need that concept anymore since we know better now.

 

[Eggsnham]

I don't know.

I refuse to believe that human consciousness is chemical; but I can't really say whether or not we have a spiritual self as well as a physical form.

I'm not going to get too involved, I smell a flamewar.

 

[dragonslayer32]

I am not religious but I still believe that we have a soul. I find it hard to believe that a chemical can cause feelings like guilt (it probably does, but I find it hard to believe)

 

[Jedamethis]

Well, if you mean 'the thing that goes to Heaven when we die' then no.

In your opinion.

Well, that's the point of a forum, to share your opinion!

I know, I was just giving you a hard time.

Well that was the softest, most comfortable hard time I've ever had

I could make it worse if you wanted.

I DISAGREE WITH YOU AND YOUR PREVIOUSLY STATED OPINION!

There!

WELL THAT'S BECAUSE YOU'RE RETARDED!

Whee, this is fun![footnote]If the thought of reporting this crosses anybody's mind, then they shall be punished by having 'NO FUN' tattoed on their forehead.[/footnote]

I'm going to report you because I was incredibly offend by your hurtful comment.[footnote]Not really.[/footnote]

OH NO! I'm going back to a different, less well moderated forum.

[sub]User was banned for this post (Permanent)[/sub]

 

[The Austin]

Well, if you mean 'the thing that goes to Heaven when we die' then no.

In your opinion.

Well, that's the point of a forum, to share your opinion!

I know, I was just giving you a hard time.

Well that was the softest, most comfortable hard time I've ever had

I could make it worse if you wanted.

I DISAGREE WITH YOU AND YOUR PREVIOUSLY STATED OPINION!

There!

WELL THAT'S BECAUSE YOU'RE RETARDED!

Whee, this is fun![footnote]If the thought of reporting this crosses anybody's mind, then they shall be punished by having 'NO FUN' tattoed on their forehead.[/footnote]

I'm going to report you because I was incredibly offend by your hurtful comment.[footnote]Not really.[/footnote]

OH NO! I'm going back to a different, less well moderated forum.

[sub]User was banned for this post (Permanent)[/sub]

Crap, I actually thought you got banned for that! YOU SCARED ME!

 

[garfoldsomeoneelse]

That which can be asserted without proof, can be dismissed without proof. Until someone proves to me that souls exist, I'm in the chemical camp, baby.

 

[Kevvers]

I think we are "just" 'chemical' beings in the strict sense, in the same way that the mona lisa is "just" oil on canvas.

 

[Jedamethis]

Well, if you mean 'the thing that goes to Heaven when we die' then no.

In your opinion.

Well, that's the point of a forum, to share your opinion!

I know, I was just giving you a hard time.

Well that was the softest, most comfortable hard time I've ever had

I could make it worse if you wanted.

I DISAGREE WITH YOU AND YOUR PREVIOUSLY STATED OPINION!

There!

WELL THAT'S BECAUSE YOU'RE RETARDED!

Whee, this is fun![footnote]If the thought of reporting this crosses anybody's mind, then they shall be punished by having 'NO FUN' tattoed on their forehead.[/footnote]

I'm going to report you because I was incredibly offend by your hurtful comment.[footnote]Not really.[/footnote]

OH NO! I'm going back to a different, less well moderated forum.

[sub]User was banned for this post (Permanent)[/sub]

Crap, I actually thought you got banned for that! YOU SCARED ME!

Yes! I still got it.
*dance dance*

 

[ALuckyChance]

Well, I believe emotions are thought to be chemical, so why not a soul?
To be honest, I always thought the concept of a 'soul' was metaphorical. I mean, come on. Why does humanity really seem to like taking something supernatural/mystical and regarding it as a huge reason as to how we live our lives?

 

[Macgyvercas]

If you are relgiously inclined, then yes, souls do exist, and they persist after the body passes away.

Scientifically speaking, the statement "Humans have souls" is not scientifically based because it is in opposition to the test of whether or not some can be treated as science (the test is "Can it be proven wrong?"). So the statement "Humans have souls" can not be scientifcally confirmed because no one can theorectically disprove it.

My personal opinion? As a Catholic, I was raised with the belief of a soul, and to a certain extent, I think it has something to it. But I consider the soul to be more of a "life force", if you will. I can't predict what happens to it after we die though.

 

[Stewardesses]

Too deep, and squishy for me to think through.

 

[AnOriginalConcept]

What evidence is there that we have souls? None, as far as I can see.

From what I can tell, belief in souls comes purely from indoctrination or wishful thinking.

Of course, you are entitled to your own opinion.

 

[Flamezdudes]

I'l just leave this here...


It's not just about animals having souls, but the subject on souls altogether. It's my opinion on this subject.