Do you believe in existence of souls, and why?

[Zazzaro703]

You get to pick which parts to take literally.

---------- Post added May-13th-2012 at 07:21 PM ----------

I am asking people whether they believe in existence of such "essense" and why.

I believe there is a soul. Somewhere inside the human body is an energy source. Energy cannot be created or destroyed. I believe the Energy inside each human body powering it is a person's *soul* that will continue on forever in the form or energy.

[PeterMP]

I believe there is a soul. Somewhere inside the human body is an energy source. Energy cannot be created or destroyed. I believe the Energy inside each human body powering it is a person's *soul* that will continue on forever in the form or energy.

And this energy came from where?

It will go where?

It has remained undetected because?

[PokerPacker]

The human body is powered by chemicals which we produce and store as we eat, drink, and breathe.

[Zazzaro703]

So I was tripping when my Mother was dying of cancer? I think you might want to rescind that. I am at great personal risk sharing very personal information with people on ES I thought to be trust worthy. I also was not tripping when I held my Grandmothers hand and she died of cancer as well. I have however tripped and would known the difference. When out West I was on business and in my forties, so no I was not tripping then either.

I had a similar experience that has just recently brought me into the fold. And it was my mother dying of cancer on Friday that did it. She was able to hold on for 48 hours with a heartbeat of over 140+ beats a minute. When i arrived Friday morning, it was clear to me my mothers body was dead, but her soul and spirit fought on to allow me to make it home. She couldn't talk, but late Thursday night when the rest of my family was gathered around her and i was on an airplane, she was suffering so they all told her to let go and go home. She thrashed her head side to side to say no. When i arrived i said my final words to my mother and said she was free to go home, i went outside and begged any God or Gods listening if there were any to take my mother and end this misery. She died 5 minutes later. Experience has changed my life for the better actually believe it or not. I have a deep rooted peace inside spiritually which was never there before Friday. Still don't care much for most Religions, but spiritually.... I have awakened.

---------- Post added May-14th-2012 at 03:52 PM ----------

And this energy came from where?

It will go where?

It has remained undetected because?

You don't think the human body is powered by energy? I didn't know that had remained undetected. Where does the energy come from? The Big Bang I'm assuming and the creation of the universe. My belief in a God has always been that something had to spark the very first atom of the universe. After that Science has taken care of the rest. It's why i have always had trouble believing in any kind of religion.

[No Excuses]

You don't think the human body is powered by energy? I didn't know that had remained undetected. Where does the energy come from? The Big Bang I'm assuming and the creation of the universe.

The context in which you describe it has never been detected. Of course the human body is powered by energy sources. We know what those are. Equating that to the 'soul' doesn't make sense. What you said made it sound like the 'soul' is ATP.

[PeterMP]

The context in which you describe it has never been detected. Of course the human body is powered by energy sources. We know what those are. Equating that to the 'soul' doesn't make sense. What you said made it sound like the 'soul' is ATP.

Just to be clear ATP is a physica thing- a molecule. It is the most common "energy" molecule in living organisms.

Breaking the bonds of ATP releases energy to carryout various function (like move). Once we die, ATP will break down spontaneously and the energy will be released as heat or be consumed by other living things (bacteria).

Zazzaro703,

Are you suggesting ATP, which is found in everything that is alive, including bacteria is a soul?

Are you suggesting that heat, which is found in things like ovens is a soul?

[Zazzaro703]

http://www.reiki.org/reikinews/sciencemeasures.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_%28esotericism%29

No... i believe the energy that is our Soul is still being discovered. We aren't quite there yet with the understanding.

Edit... The truth is none of us know what we are talking about. The Science just isn't there yet to disprove or prove if there is a soul or not. People are going to have different levels of faith due to life experiences, but faith is just that... faith. It's not proof either way.

When we die/pass, that energy/electrical light never dies, {{and our spirit/character is literally that energy}}

The Physical body remains on earth.

The Vital Energy(Human Spirit)is released back in to universe.

[SWFLSkins]

I had a similar experience that has just recently brought me into the fold. And it was my mother dying of cancer on Friday that did it. She was able to hold on for 48 hours with a heartbeat of over 140+ beats a minute. When i arrived Friday morning, it was clear to me my mothers body was dead, but her soul and spirit fought on to allow me to make it home. She couldn't talk, but late Thursday night when the rest of my family was gathered around her and i was on an airplane, she was suffering so they all told her to let go and go home. She thrashed her head side to side to say no. When i arrived i said my final words to my mother and said she was free to go home, i went outside and begged any God or Gods listening if there were any to take my mother and end this misery. She died 5 minutes later. Experience has changed my life for the better actually believe it or not. I have a deep rooted peace inside spiritually which was never there before Friday. Still don't care much for most Religions, but spiritually.... I have awakened.

You don't think the human body is powered by energy? I didn't know that had remained undetected. Where does the energy come from? The Big Bang I'm assuming and the creation of the universe.

I was in Tahoe before my Mother was diagnosed with Cancer and returned to that time Tn. to be there for her in the end. I had raced down the mountain from eastern Tn. to Knoxville and just made it to the room when everyone was leaving, held her hand and said it is okay you can go in peace. And that is when that "other deal" occurred. Was in Balt. to visit my GM when I knew she was going to die, went there a week before as I wanted to talk to her while she could. The day I was to return to Florida for work I stopped for one last visit when just about the same happened with her. I have had too many of these encounters, and I can tell you Tahoe holds a special place in my heart. My oldest son was conceived there.

Worked at Heavenly in the early 90's and met John Denver, Arnold S. Sonny Bono and shucked Oysters in the celebrity tent that had been flown in from Chesapeake Va. just for the John Denver Celebrity Ski Classic. It was like a scene from Stripes where they asked for volunteers, everyone took two steps back except me who took two steps forward, hahhaa. At the end John Denver came around thanking us and it was just me and the exec chef for Heavenly left with a fire and a case of Heineken. He sat down and as helicopters lifted celebs and vip's from the Heavenly parking lot to Reno Int. we talked for an hour drinking beer. I must tell you as a twenty three year old at that time John Denver was not my go to music in my Walkman (hahaha) I learned so much about endangered species, his passion and the rain forest was part of that. He said, you know when it comes to the Rain Forest and the Oceans we know not what we are destroying.

I think that is relative to the discussion, and I think God flows and shines best in people when they let him in. I know I don't always follow the signs, but I don't wonder if they are there, I just get to caught up in day to day like everyone else. BTW, John blew off his pilot that night and made him join us and we all went to dinner at the Alpine? don't know if it is still there, it was 5 star. I got to have dinner with John Denver, and I didn't even realize how cool he was. Made me alter my book by it's cover deal.

[Renegade7]

Yes, because it helps me sleep at night...

[Zazzaro703]

I was in Tahoe before my Mother was diagnosed with Cancer and returned to that time Tn. to be there for her in the end. I had raced down the mountain from eastern Tn. to Knoxville and just made it to the room when everyone was leaving, held her hand and said it is okay you can go in peace. And that is when that "other deal" occurred. Was in Balt. to visit my GM when I knew she was going to die, went there a week before as I wanted to talk to her while she could. The day I was to return to Florida for work I stopped for one last visit when just about the same happened with her. I have had too many of these encounters, and I can tell you Tahoe holds a special place in my heart. My oldest son was conceived there.

Worked at Heavenly in the early 90's and met John Denver, Arnold S. Sonny Bono and shucked Oysters in the celebrity tent that had been flown in from Chesapeake Va. just for the John Denver Celebrity Ski Classic. It was like a scene from Stripes where they asked for volunteers, everyone took two steps back except me who took two steps forward, hahhaa. At the end John Denver came around thanking us and it was just me and the exec chef for Heavenly left with a fire and a case of Heineken. He sat down and as helicopters lifted celebs and vip's from the Heavenly parking lot to Reno Int. we talked for an hour drinking beer. I must tell you as a twenty three year old at that time John Denver was not my go to music in my Walkman (hahaha) I learned so much about endangered species, his passion and the rain forest was part of that. He said, you know when it comes to the Rain Forest and the Oceans we know not what we are destroying.

Yeah I work at Hyatt in incline village which is north shore. South Shore is where all the fun stuff is but I'm sure you know that being familiar with the area. It's still just a amazing as it was last time you were there. On topic, i def think this is a subjective question, as i could never expect any of the people in this thread who don't believe in souls to change their mind just because of my or your story. It took my mom being destroyed by pancreatic cancer in 9 months to make me come around. Could it be my mind simply struggling to comprehend how this could have happened and trying to reason a way that i will see her again? Could be... but i honestly don't think that's what happened. I know what i saw, felt and experienced and it was nothing i have come close to encountering in 31 years. My moms body was dead when i arrived, her soul and spirit (her energy) kept it running long enough for me to make it there. No one could convince me otherwise without seeing what i saw.

[SWFLSkins]

I believe it but I'm not gonna try to change anyone's mind. I'll believe what I believe and they will believe what they believe.

Can't argue that at all, however an open mind learns, a closed mind can't absorb anymore.

That can only enrich the conversation, in my opinion. Feel free to chime in if you'd like.

Great moderating there Conn, conversation good for the soul.

no, there is no reason to.

YET.

I tend to think so. It's certainly dificult to say why, but it has something to do a larger universe. Call it Jung's collective unconscious. Call it a sense of empathy or a touch of something larger. I also believe that it isn't an exclusively human province. That's just dumb. You watch the animal kingdom and you see that same empathy, awareness, or other that sometimes manifests itself in humanity.

Good stuff.

There is an interweaving in universe. We try very hard to create us versuses thems. I think sometimes we look too hard to identify the differences and lose what we share in common.

Exactly, was brought up in Avatar extremely well. And yeah Kosher it was just a movie.

No, I don't. I also don't believe in Gremlins, Fire-breathing dragons, or imaginary friends.

thnx- Reminds me to check my airplane for wings next flight.

Some men wonder, some men are lost, some men are lost wondering.

I said much in this thread, but if I choose just one post this would be it.

And some men sleepwalk through life following the yellow brick road hoping to find a mythical Oz that does not exist.

Oz was made by man, not by God.

No, but hey that's a nice strawman though...why don't you go kick the crap out it and then feel better about yourself.

Funny you mention strawman considering ^

You don't understand WHAT line of thinking? lol...You just agreed with me. If you don't understand what I said, why did you agree with me?

Confuses say Calfan know more than technology.

ASF, Cheers man. I know it's getting better and I'm glad. It's funny, I get in these types of arguments on my FB page, because I have a pastor, a priest, a rabbi and some born again friends. It's always entertaining.

Sounds like a bar joke, A rabbi, a priest and a born again walk into a bar, Rabbi says I am not paying, priest says I am not drinking, born again says today is Sunday who's playing?

Yes. I believe there is a soul. I think that the human brain is a sophisticated biological computer that is the control center of our biological machine, the body. I think the soul is the data, the 0s and 1s that we accumulate over time, through decisions we make, the experiences we have and the things that makes us who we are. I think at the time of death, that data is transferred to another realm. So while our hardware has died, the data lives on.

/thread.

It would be nice if the OP of this thread who posed the question wasn't so conspicuous by his absence with his views on the differing responses.

Hail.

Yes, yes it would.

Of course we do, the soul is the experiencer, it is not the mind, it is that which is made aware of what the the mind knows.

Most can't BEAR this thought.

I believe there is a soul. Somewhere inside the human body is an energy source. Energy cannot be created or destroyed. I believe the Energy inside each human body powering it is a person's *soul* that will continue on forever in the form or energy.

All from a single cell, who so great as to create that cell, or did it just happen, you know happenstance like. I think divine design.

Yes, because it helps me sleep at night...

And when I don't sleep well at night it helps me go back to sleep.

[AsburySkinsFan]

Funny you mention strawman considering ^

Most times I'm pretty quick on the up take...but....

[AzSkinsFan63]

Revelation 20:6...Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years..

just sayin..

[Koolblue13]

SWFLskins, I am not discounting your experiences or saying that nothing happened that wasn't just in your head. I've had amazing experiences too. I've had an incredible life.

What has the human species done, that is so great and special, that has benefited any other living thing on this planet, from tree to forest from fish to eagle.

I think my line of spirituality is more in line with a Native American or Buddhist (although I hate being a middle aged white guy who uses that word to describe himself at all) and I believe that if there was a "God", be it Christian or not, this planet would still look a lot like Eden.

I think Yoda explained the after life better than I've ever heard anybody else do it. Life is everywhere, we are all connected, we are all part of the same greater life force.

---------- Post added May-15th-2012 at 09:15 AM ----------

Revelation 20:6...Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years..

just sayin..

Quoting a bible, doesn't make your belief fact.

[SWFLSkins]

Most times I'm pretty quick on the up take...but....

---------- Post added May-15th-2012 at 12:27 PM ----------

SWFLskins, I am not discounting your experiences or saying that nothing happened that wasn't just in your head. I've had amazing experiences too. I've had an incredible life.

What has the human species done, that is so great and special, that has benefited any other living thing on this planet, from tree to forest from fish to eagle.

I think my line of spirituality is more in line with a Native American or Buddhist (although I hate being a middle aged white guy who uses that word to describe himself at all) and I believe that if there was a "God", be it Christian or not, this planet would still look a lot like Eden.

I think Yoda explained the after life better than I've ever heard anybody else do it. Life is everywhere, we are all connected, we are all part of the same greater life force.

I don't think I contradicted that thinking at all KoolBlue, in fact read some of my other posts and you would surmise as much. I do think God is asking us to be good stewards of the Earth and not destroy it. I am much more in line with the American Indians when it comes to that fact and I seek Jesus Christ through him and not through man. Mankind has freewill. Not enough of us stand up for what is obviously pleasing to God, especially in Earth matters. I have had Godly encounters with animals, the look in the eye of a favorite dog, a special picture the day I put her down. I think Avatar is probably a pinnacle when you consider American Natives teachings being used as a theme in a movie, man messed up the planet and was seeking to again not learn but burn. James Cameron did a remarkable job laying out that movie as it relates to us and how we treat Earth. You want to know a great evidence of God, every color exists in nature, every single one.

[Kosher Ham]

SWFL, You stated Oz was made by man.

Men wrote the Bible.

Which is a book.

The Wizard Of Oz was a book too.

I am willing to say that perhaps some of the story was taken from the Bible. But not that it means more than any other book.

So it's old. That doesn't mean it is right, nor can I accept that if the book was tampered with.

[SWFLSkins]

Maybe my post to Koolblue could shed some light on my thoughts for you Kosher Ham

I don't think I contradicted that thinking at all KoolBlue, in fact read some of my other posts and you would surmise as much. I do think God is asking us to be good stewards of the Earth and not destroy it. I am much more in line with the American Indians when it comes to that fact and I seek Jesus Christ through him and not through man. Mankind has freewill. Not enough of us stand up for what is obviously pleasing to God, especially in Earth matters. I have had Godly encounters with animals, the look in the eye of a favorite dog, a special picture the day I put her down. I think Avatar is probably a pinnacle when you consider American Natives teachings being used as a theme in a movie, man messed up the planet and was seeking to again not learn but burn. James Cameron did a remarkable job laying out that movie as it relates to us and how we treat Earth. You want to know a great evidence of God, every color exists in nature, every single one.

SWFL, You stated Oz was made by man.

Men wrote the Bible.

Which is a book.

The Wizard Of Oz was a book too.

I am willing to say that perhaps some of the story was taken from the Bible. But not that it means more than any other book.

So it's old. That doesn't mean it is right, nor can I accept that if the book was tampered with.

\

Pretty much.

[AsburySkinsFan]

Revelation 20:6...Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years..

just sayin..

That is about resurrection, it says nothing about the existence of a dualistic soul, in fact I can argue that the very fact that resurrection is so prominent throughout the NT rather than eternity in Heaven indicates that the body is in some way connected to the soul and is necessary for life eternal, rather than an eternity in Heaven after death....which isn't life at all.

[gbear]

I tend to think so. It's certainly dificult to say why, but it has something to do a larger universe. Call it Jung's collective unconscious. Call it a sense of empathy or a touch of something larger. I also believe that it isn't an exclusively human province. That's just dumb. You watch the animal kingdom and you see that same empathy, awareness, or other that sometimes manifests itself in humanity.

There is an interweaving in universe. We try very hard to create us versuses thems. I think sometimes we look too hard to identify the differences and lose what we share in common.

I think it is ironic a post which sums up many of my thoughts on souls is post 101. Burgold, are you holding a class, Souls101?

I tend to think there is something more to us than just the chemical reactions within our brains. There is certainly a collective intellect which is not the sole province of mankind. Animals learn to avoid certain things or places despite never having experienced the bad things, and they likewise instinctively go towards good places and people.

As a species, we love. Why? Is it to our betterment to love? Sometimes...

As an agnostic, I don't claim to know what is left after the physical mind dies. I know I still have a recurring dream of a talk with my Grandpa the night he died. I also know there have been two times I was about to fall asleep at the wheel when I woke suddenly to the strong smell of Old Spice (his cologne of choice). Was it him or simply some part in the recess of my mind using that smell to jar me awake to keep me alive? Does it matter?

Does it matter that there are times people push well beyond what should be their limits? How?

Why is it so easy to believe matter/energy is conserved following a general rule of heat lost = heat gained, and yet so easy to believe the spark of life can be extinguished/lost forever to this realm of existence? I tend to believe the rules which apply to one aspect of the universe as I perceive it apply to all unless I see evidence to the contrary. Whether the soul goes to heaven or is placed within another body or some other choice never before dreamed possible is beyond my knowledge.

[Koolblue13]

I don't think I contradicted that thinking at all KoolBlue, in fact read some of my other posts and you would surmise as much. I do think God is asking us to be good stewards of the Earth and not destroy it. I am much more in line with the American Indians when it comes to that fact and I seek Jesus Christ through him and not through man. Mankind has freewill. Not enough of us stand up for what is obviously pleasing to God, especially in Earth matters. I have had Godly encounters with animals, the look in the eye of a favorite dog, a special picture the day I put her down. I think Avatar is probably a pinnacle when you consider American Natives teachings being used as a theme in a movie, man messed up the planet and was seeking to again not learn but burn. James Cameron did a remarkable job laying out that movie as it relates to us and how we treat Earth. You want to know a great evidence of God, every color exists in nature, every single one.

Every color existing in nature is proof of God? That's a little absurd. Every color can just exist. Not to harp too much on this same point, but if you're eating factory farmed meat, buying foreign shipped goods, using plastic anything, etc, you are not being a good steward and seeking God does not in and of itself, make anybody a good or better person, let alone doing anything like a Native American.