What is a soul?

[Faithfulservant]

But have you learned more since?

I thought it was a perfectly good explanation as I looked on my dead fathers body at the age of 12.. why would I need to further complicate a perfectly understood answer?

Sounds good. Makes sense but unfortunately incorrect. A personality is part of learned character. But if you bumped your head, or had an illness that affected your memory, all that would change. As all memories of events are part of your body.

I think its interesting that you think you have the authority of knowledge to say whether its incorrect or not..

Personality
Function: noun Inflected Form(s): plural per·son·al·i·ties Etymology: Middle English personalite, from Anglo-French personalité, from Late Latin personalitat-, personalitas, from personalis Date: 15th century 1 a: the quality or state of being a person b: personal existence2 a: the condition or fact of relating to a particular person; specifically : the condition of referring directly to or being aimed disparagingly or hostilely at an individual a: the complex of characteristics that distinguishes an individual or a nation or group; especially : the totality of an individual's behavioral and emotional characteristics b: a set of distinctive traits and characteristics <the energetic personality of the city>4 a: distinction or excellence of personal and social traits; also : a person having such quality b: a person of importance, prominence, renown, or notoriety <a TV personality>

So I would conclude that I was correct and you are "incorrect" ...Might I add that whether or not someone bumps thier head and loses their memory... it does not mean that the memories are gone. The person simply cant remember them.

A soul is what you leave upon existence. Each and every act and imposition you cause while in physical life, is your soul. Almost like your wake upon the water of life. If your wake supports life to continue even when the boat stops, then you did good. See Darwin, JC, Newton, Confucious.... they each left the building and returned to mother earth, but alive just the same within their gifts to our species. So when you buy a pair of cool shoes ask yourself, are they what I want left on earth when I 'leave the building'?

That is your opinion and you are welcome to believe what you will but please remember that this IS the Christianity forum and not athiests R' US we are speaking on the side of Christian belief and doctrine... the question was posed on this forum right? So you are welcome to post your beliefs but stating it as fact is disrespectful to those on this forum that believe... so if you need some help with this let me give you some wisdom since I dont believe anyone has shown you the rules of this site..

to your OPINION.... add any of the following....

I believe....

or

I think....

Thats it!! simple and courteous!

Have a great day

[wil]

Originally Posted by Tao_Equus

Loved ones who care for the victims of Alzheimers disease commonly report that they are living with a stranger in the body of someone they once knew. Clearly our personality, which is our individual essence, can depart before death occurs. It proves there is no soul but just bioelectrical machinery responsible for who we are.

I'm always in wonderment dealing with folks as they go thru alzheimers. They return to that state when they were born needing someone to provide for their every need yet they are full sized and often strong. As the memories disappear it is interesting the ones that stay. It seems the polar emotions, fear, love, anger, meekness are amplified. And then old pictures from their youth, adolesence or twenties...those memories seem to stay the longest. I love getting asked the same question over and over, and replying the same reply, because it is amazing how well the reply satisfies in that moment, but a moment later it is needed again. All the while knowing that as a child I drove folks crazy the with the question, why?

While grandma was still home, she'd cook 10-15 times a day. Cook something, eat a little, clean up, put everything away, dust the house, straighten things and repeat..."Aren't you hungry? Let me fix something. I'll warm these leftovers" Get out the photo album and she would talk for hours and not cook. Walk in the garden she'd tell you when she planted each tree, but she didn't know who you were, it was amazing.

Funny how some folks say they are not all there. I believe that. They are not all here, a portion, much of the portion we knew has already moved on and is active someplace else saying or thinking, "Why?"

[Bishadi]

It seems the polar emotions, fear, love, anger, meekness are amplified. And then old pictures from their youth, adolesence or twenties...those memories seem to stay the longest.

emotions seem universal to any of consciousness as that state of life is still associated to the body.

Yet when the ‘wiring’ fails and memories are lost, the oldest ones are usually bound to the initial formations and probably why they still exchange when even the last days of physical life are being approached.

The apparent reality that represents itself is that the body is what retains the thoughts and memories combined as a single self (an I). Which would reflect that that idea of ‘soul’ is not an isolated thing, unless upon a living body; alive.

As neither could memories of words or things be described since all language is learned within the memories of the body.

Whether they exist with the body or soul; that is the real important observation to acknowledge.

That idea of ‘mind’ appears strictly attached to the body.

The spirit of something is the idea or thought of the information rather than an isolated ‘thing’ that floats around like a ghost, in my honest opinion.

[WalkingDead]

Could anyone know more than the details listed in the book of Apocryphon of John?

[Netti-Netti]

In The Thirteen Petalled Rose, Adin Steinsaltz suggests that the soul is associated with space-time aspects of this evolutionary realm. I agree up to a point. My sense is that the Soul actually belongs to another realm, or more accurately, to various other realms. In fact, Steinsaltz idetnifies the Soul as a kind of "primal existence" that antedates experiential reality - i.e. "a distinct spiritual entity in that it is a special combination of various Sefirot from different worlds." (p. 53)

As I see it, the Soul is given an opportunity to become aware of itself as part of the Divine within the context of evolutionary worlds in order to discover its origins as being beyond time and space. Basically, we get to discover our true identity as G-d's children while at the same time developing a deepening relationship with G-d who takes a direct interest in our journey back to Him. We value the process of this journey, which is to a large degree mindal in nature. However, the existence of the Soul is not dependent on our awareness.

Loved ones who care for the victims of Alzheimers disease commonly report that they are living with a stranger in the body of someone they once knew. Clearly our personality, which is our individual essence, can depart before death occurs. It proves there is no soul but just bioelectrical machinery responsible for who we are.

Again, the Soul does not depend on mental awareness for its existence. The mind may deteriorate, but that does not imply the destruction of the Soul, which is an everlasting part of G-d, i.e., "a part of the Divine and in this respect is a manifestation of G-d in the world." (p. 51).