The body is pretty weird. We must eat to maintain the mysterious energy and functions of our brain, which some say is the soul or mind, and must also avoid intense physical punctures and wounds to stay alive, and also avoid reoccuring heavily stressful situations. But once the energy is lost for so long, it cannot be returned, or psuedoly replaced...
What if our soul makes energy the same way our body does, by consuming _______ and using it for action Much like our stomachs turn food into energy which in turn powers our muscles, Maybe the food we eat provides energy for our souls, so by eating healthy we can achieve "pure'er" souls much like a peaceful monk, while eating fast food poisons our soul and corrupts us (america) Idk just a thought
Yeah the problem is we CAN speculate, but we don't know. What we do know is that everything in the physical world is cause and effect therefore every thought/decision in your head MUST be the inevitable cause of some effect probably through interactions between our environment and senses. It's hard for me to accept a reality where we have no free will, so the best we can do is speculate. I think there's something going on that we haven't discovered yet, and may never will (seriously lol how can simple cause and effect drive humans to create things like this painting: http://i43.tinypic.com/20z5lvn.jpg). This is why a lot of people believe the mind exists outside of the physical world, thus freeing it from the restrictions of cause and effect.
I've always looked at it as your body is your ego/identity/personality. Physics basically. Your soul is what is in control of that body to keep it living. It's a force manipulating the energy and communicating where it needs to go. “The beauty of a living thing is not the atoms that go into it, but the way those atoms are put together.” - Carl Sagan There is also a very odd relationship between the two that rely on each other to experience ourselves (the universe/nature). I agree though, considering this relationship, you should try to keep it healthy to preserve your subjective experience, although I've always personally enjoyed this quote: “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!" - Hunter S. Thompson
^^I wish theyd neuro-hypothesisize on my brain when Im manic.. ....I want to know whats going on up there...cause it sho do feelz good...
[quote name='"batenswitch"']I believe there could be some kind of single omnipresent and universal force (plane of existence/consciousness/brahman/god whatever you want) that exists EVERYWHERE even outside of the physical realm. You can assume our brains operate on this plane of consciousness and the only reason we experience individuality is because the consciousness is limited to what each biological creature is capable of (because of dna). So there wouldn't be a soul, but just the single driving force throughout existence and when our physical bodies die, so too does the identity once associated with that body, all the while the consciousness is still prevailing in it's eternal state and in the minds of creatures throughout the universe.[/quote] What you say is kinda similar to what I think my friend. I see consciousness as a separate, intangible entity that originates externally from the physical world. Our consciousness's experience is limited by the very thing that defines experience; perception. Therefore our individual bodies - the vessels of perception/sense - are also the boundary of our consciousness. When we die the conscious entity continues, yet it's bodiless form is incomprehensible to our narrow eyes. Or something xD
no matter how much we like to feel separate from the physical.... it(that brain) still maintains a type of control of your "consciousness" that nothing elts manages to attain...... i tiny misfiring or chemical change in your brain can create very real hallucinations of each and every sense we posses..... the proper stimulation of that same brain.....can bring about all sorts of changes in the state of ones "consciousness" so if we are to associate this "soul" with ones "consciousness" (im personally not sure how one couldnt?) anyway.....if we associate this "soul" with this "consciousness" and we take into account the very real effect the "brain" has upon the individuals state of "consciousness" it quickly becomes apparent that from within this life...... the two are hopelessly intertwined with one another..... we may even for a moment consider them (these the brain and soul) the opposite poles of our existence....(so long as we remember not to limit them to this visualization) i often find myself picturing it as if the brain it simply the part of the physical self that is connected to the part of the self that is conscious.....or the part of the physical self that is connected to what would be the soul ............. ..........maybe
do animals have souls? insects? because they possess a level of consciousness as well although it pales in comparison to ours. and we've all killed bugs before. i believe the "soul" is merely the product of the intricate wiring that evolution provided between our brains and our bodies. when that wiring is no longer in function (when you're dead) your "soul" ceases to exist.
One thing we should acknowledge is that not all living things require a brain, but I believe all living things require a soul. It is the pulse that causes life.
so even without consciousness comes soul? interesting. our bloodcells have souls? AIDS has a soul? just asking because i'm curious to hear your response. although i suppose it could be argued that even bloodcells and the AIDS virus have some level of consciousness, as well as anything living. but my question still stands.
Anything containing dna has a soul imo, because the dna is what is communicating throughout a living beings body to keep it alive.
okay, so as far as soul-recycling goes (souls leaving their physical bodies and becoming metaphysical again, awaiting a new physical host for them), does that mean i coulda been a tree in my past life? or a white blood cell? or at some point a cell within a tree? or a cell within an insect?
That's a good question... lol. I'm not really sure cause I don't even know what the soul is exactly. As far as reincarnation goes, I believe that nature has an unlimited supply of soul causing energy. Reproduction allows us to tap into this source (lol). Death, as you said, I believe is just a return to the purely metaphysical state. I think subjectivity of life is defined by your dna, so upon death, what you consider "you" no longer exists, but the energy that caused "you" is recycled so I suppose you could say your soul was once a part of another lifeform, but really we're all intertwined so everyone's soul is a part of everyones subconscious. It's really interesting seeing you ask these questions UpFromTheSkies! What do you think about a recycled source of soul causing energy?
I feel that the soul is an energy within the void that separates each thought. The energy that connects previous thought to the next & continues the process regardless. I feel it identifies one's true self.
i may not subscribe to certain beliefs but im certainly willing to entertain all sorts of different possibilities. anyway- i'll get back to your question tomorrow. if i forget to, just like my post or something so that i get reminded of this thread. i do have an answer for you, just not one i feel like typing up right now. lol.
[quote name='"UpFromTheSkies"'] do animals have souls? insects? because they possess a level of consciousness as well although it pales in comparison to ours. and we've all killed bugs before. i believe the "soul" is merely the product of the intricate wiring that evolution provided between our brains and our bodies. when that wiring is no longer in function (when you're dead) your "soul" ceases to exist.[/quote] In my personal belief, I say yes, all living organisms have a soul. That specific soul is on a course for perfection through the process known as evolution... I have a bunch more to say, but I am really fucking baked and need to quit thinking. I'll finish this post when I'm a little less stoned.