Souls- Do we have them?

[Valiance]

The brain covers all of our senses.

If we have a soul, I get the feeling I won't be seeing, feeling, smelling, or even realizing I exist.

 

[TheOnceandFutureKing]

not my own but I ate one I got from a monk once it tasted like chocolate.

 

[ThrobbingEgo]

but I think the soul determines your emotional and psychological makeup, like how you view certain things and how you feel about the ethics of things.

Sorry, but those are just chemicals in the brain. Like everything else.

*Whistles* You sure showed me!

How'd you explain antidepressants, narcotics, and alcohol?

 

[Dys]

That's an interesting question. I don't really believe in a soul, because it's existence is just to hard too fathom, even more so than my own lack of existence when I die. I don't know, I just can't fathom it.

But then again, what do we define as a soul? Does it have to be something which goes on to heaven (or hell, for that matter)? Or is it really just another word for our consciousnesses?

This, maybe with less emphasis on the dying part and more on the "what is a soul" part.

I've never heard anyone try to claim the soul is a physical entity, so if it is part of your subconscience then surely it can exist in a similar way to emotions or...something else that exists only in ones own mind. Maybe it is your conscienceness in general. I don't know, it's too vague of a term for me to dismiss or accept, but I don't beleive in heaven/hell/benevolent, omnipotent gods.

 

[BlackIronGuardian]

I've thought about that too.

It's weird, but we'll see what happens, I guess. Because no, I don't believe in the soul, you're right on the ball and it's wrong. Take what is, don't make fictions about it.

 

[ThrobbingEgo]

That's an interesting question. I don't really believe in a soul, because it's existence is just to hard too fathom, even more so than my own lack of existence when I die. I don't know, I just can't fathom it.

But then again, what do we define as a soul? Does it have to be something which goes on to heaven (or hell, for that matter)? Or is it really just another word for our consciousnesses?

This, maybe with less emphasis on the dying part and more on the "what is a soul" part.

I've never heard anyone try to claim the soul is a physical entity, so if it is part of your subconscience then surely it can exist in a similar way to emotions or...something else that exists only in ones own mind. Maybe it is your conscienceness in general. I don't know, it's too vague of a term for me to dismiss or accept, but I don't beleive in heaven/hell/benevolent, omnipotent gods.

If a soul was just a part of your subconscious and didn't go to heaven or continue to exist after you died, why call it a soul? Wouldn't it just be... you know... your subconscious? It seems like a meaningless thing to do.

 

[Drakenian]

but I think the soul determines your emotional and psychological makeup, like how you view certain things and how you feel about the ethics of things.

Sorry, but those are just chemicals in the brain. Like everything else.

*Whistles* You sure showed me!

How'd you explain antidepressants, narcotics, and alcohol?

They alter your mind, which therefor alters your being.

Maybe I wasn't clear. My point, was that I believe your mind and soul both go together to make up who you are. When one is affected, so is the other. When you take an antidepressant, your brain is affected, making you less depressed, affecting the rest of your body, including your soul. Same thing with narcotics and alcohol.

 

[ThrobbingEgo]

They alter your mind, which therefor alters your being.

Maybe I wasn't clear. My point, was that I believe your mind and soul both go together to make up who you are. When one is affected, so is the other. When you take an antidepressant, your brain is affected, making you less depressed, affecting the rest of your body, including your soul. Same thing with narcotics and alcohol.

So, uh, what does this soul "do," exactly, and why are you so sure of its existence?

 

[TheDoctor455]

Nope.

 

[Drakenian]

They alter your mind, which therefor alters your being.

Maybe I wasn't clear. My point, was that I believe your mind and soul both go together to make up who you are. When one is affected, so is the other. When you take an antidepressant, your brain is affected, making you less depressed, affecting the rest of your body, including your soul. Same thing with narcotics and alcohol.

So, uh, what does the soul "do," exactly, and why are you so sure of it's existence?

I believe that the soul makes up your psychological and emotional makeup, like how you feel about certain things and how you view them. But, those are just my views. I'm not sure that humans have souls, I just have faith that we do. To me, there's no real other way to explain why we view certain things differently or how we are attracted to different people.

 

[Rednog]

no

Thank you for the stimulating and well thought out response.
I applaud you.

well its one of thoes things, its like asking do unicorns exist, now thats not to put down the glorious one horned ponys but sadly proof of them is lacking

Psh everyone knows unicorns don't exist, twonicorns on the other hand...

 

[ThrobbingEgo]

I believe that the soul makes up your psychological and emotional makeup, like how you feel about certain things and how you view them. But, those are just my views. I'm not sure that humans have souls, I just have faith that we do. To me, there's no real other way to explain why we view certain things differently or how we are attracted to different people.

But what reason do you have to explain why the brain itself is not sufficient for a person's mind and and underlying personality? Why do we have to introduce a soul into the mix? (Hello! Occam's calling, he wants his Razor back...)

Do you believe animals, who have brains, complex emotional states (they can even be traumatized), but lack language, have souls? They have brains that, compared to humans, are mostly just deficient in logic and language centers.

 

[Kontar]

Well if by soul you mean "something that goes to heaven or hell after we die" I have to say "I do not know, I have seen no evidence of it, so I am inclined to believe no to that definition.

Although if you mean "something that makes each of us unique and special" then yes, but so does every animal and possibly any life-form on the planet (might be a stretch for plants and bacteria etc.). But we still would have that definition of "soul".

Oh and on a side note, if I end up dieing and winding up in hell because I am an atheist (as many religions believe, haha), I will try everything in my power to make a deal with the devil to get myself into a position of power =) ... I would also sell my soul for eternal life (such as a vampire) if that were possible, it'd be sweet to live forever, as long as you could die somehow, in case you got bored.

That's my 2 cents.

 

[Dys]

That's an interesting question. I don't really believe in a soul, because it's existence is just to hard too fathom, even more so than my own lack of existence when I die. I don't know, I just can't fathom it.

But then again, what do we define as a soul? Does it have to be something which goes on to heaven (or hell, for that matter)? Or is it really just another word for our consciousnesses?

This, maybe with less emphasis on the dying part and more on the "what is a soul" part.

I've never heard anyone try to claim the soul is a physical entity, so if it is part of your subconscience then surely it can exist in a similar way to emotions or...something else that exists only in ones own mind. Maybe it is your conscienceness in general. I don't know, it's too vague of a term for me to dismiss or accept, but I don't beleive in heaven/hell/benevolent, omnipotent gods.

If a soul was just a part of your subconscious and didn't go to heaven or continue to exist after you died, why call it a soul? Wouldn't it just be... you know... your subconscious? It seems like a meaningless thing to do.

Yeah I suppose, but a specific part of your sunconscious, prehaps it's part of the element that defeines who you are? I honestly don't know.
I've just not heard a specific definition of what a soul is other than if you are good it goes to heaven and if you're not it goes in more of a hell direction. Surely then if it goes going to heaven/hell it must be part of your consciousness at some level, otherwise what would the point be? and is it doesn't have a physicialal form what better place than your mind for it to reside?

 

[ThrobbingEgo]

To me, there's no real other way to explain why we view certain things differently or how we are attracted to different people.

Upbringing, the fact that we're all separate self-interested beings, even pheromones... again, why do we need a soul to explain all this?

 

[sneakypenguin]

I'd say souls exist, if you where to perfectly make a new copy of yourself would it be alive as you? would it continue to think feel, say, do things like you do? If we could stamp ourselves into new copies would they be "alive" or would they be a shell(vegetative state)

People would like to say the "soul" doesn't exist because without a soul you don't have to worry about an afterlife. But without a soul we are just smarter animals. What makes us feel love anger happiness, contentedness, sorrow, joy, connectedness. What gives us the drive to achieve things to create to advance? Is it just that our brain is more complex or is there something deeper? If you've ever seen someone die how can you sometimes feel that they are gone instantly, or that they are still there?

 

[reaper660]

hmmmmmm.......lets put it this way...will a bear in the wilderness suddenly get up and think about how nice the surrounding area looks? I don't know much about the soul, but the subject is pretty complicated. Its also about scratching the ceiling of our mind. Here's a quest for you: Make up a law of physics in a different universe, that doesn't relate or apply at all to anything in our universe.

 

[Drakenian]

I believe that the soul makes up your psychological and emotional makeup, like how you feel about certain things and how you view them. But, those are just my views. I'm not sure that humans have souls, I just have faith that we do. To me, there's no real other way to explain why we view certain things differently or how we are attracted to different people.

But what reason do you have to explain why the brain itself is not sufficient for a person's mind and and underlying personality? Why do we have to introduce a soul into the mix? (Hello! Occam's calling, he wants his Razor back...)

Do you believe animals, who have brains, complex emotional states (they can even be traumatized), but lack language, have souls? They have brains that, compared to humans, are mostly just deficient in logic and language centers.

When I think of the mind, I think of logic and reasoning. Maybe it sounds stupid and corny, but whenever I think of emotions or emotional states, I just don't believe the brain gives a person their emotions by itself. There's no real way to explain it, it's just how I feel. You know how you just feel that something will happen, or that something is true, but you don't have logic to prove it? It's sort of like that, I suppose. Faith, I think.

And yes, I do believe that animals have souls. Because their brains, compared to humans, are simpler and more primitive, I suppose, doesn't mean that they lack a soul.

To me, the brain controls logistics and reasoning. The soul controls emotion and feeling. I'm sorry if I sound like a broken record, but there's no real other way to explain myself. I just don't think the brain is capable of creating a personality for somebody. I don't see why it would.

To make things easier, explain to me why you think the brain controls everything and makes up a person's identity, and I'll try my best to respond.

 

[ThrobbingEgo]

Yeah I suppose, but a specific part of your sunconscious, prehaps it's part of the element that defeines who you are? I honestly don't know.
I've just not heard a specific definition of what a soul is other than if you are good it goes to heaven and if you're not it goes in more of a hell direction. Surely then if it goes going to heaven/hell it must be part of your consciousness at some level, otherwise what would the point be? and is it doesn't have a physicialal form what better place than your mind for it to reside?

But you don't know that it goes anywhere and there's no reason to believe it exists...

Just stories from people who thought we were put here for a reason - because our natural way of viewing the world involves intentional stance. Unless we're taught otherwise, we believe changes in our environment are made by beings with intent. It's why children ask if someone can turn off the sun, rain, etc - or why people swear at their computers or cars for "betraying" them. In the second case, it isn't serious, but we have a strong urge to blame the computers themselves.

 

[ThrobbingEgo]

To make things easier, explain to me why you think the brain controls everything and makes up a person's identity, and I'll try my best to respond.

Because it's the answer that makes the most sense. It's not what I want - why would I, after I get old and sick, want to believe my soul doesn't exist and I die long before my body rots in the ground? Why wouldn't I want to go to happy cloud land, or some other final rest? Because everything we know tells us otherwise. People die, ghosts only exist as hoaxes or in their mourners' "haunted" memories, and, as I've said, there's no reason to believe in a soul.

As I've said before, why believe in souls if, since our understanding of neuroscience and psychology, there's nothing to support the claim of a soul and no reason why we can't "come from" the brain? You're introducing something that doesn't need to be introduced.