Are you sure? If our brains are to store information and be our memories, where do our souls store information and can remember what we did when we were alive?
I also believe that we don't have souls. It's classic, arogant, re-classification of the self to say we are not only unique, but better than everything around us because we have this intangible 'soul'. It is something about this mentality which I find gross. For me it is within this mentality that Jehova's Witnesses can get away with saying we should do nothing to save our environment, because we should pray for jesus' return, because when he does return, everything will be ok. Nasty. But there is that kind of element especially in American Christian religion. Nasty. I personally don't think we are more than the sum of our parts, the brain is an amazing part of an amazing body, like all the other species on this planet. Because we once had insufficient resources to explain what we are, does not mean we need to hold onto outdated beliefs now. staples
The fairy tale concept of the soul was created at a time when virtually nothing about human physiology was understood and certainly nothing about how the brain functioned. The propagation of this fantasy through to modern times is a remarkable example of human gullibility. Of course if souls do not exist then whether gods exist or not is entirely irrelevant.
Ever Heard The Term: Mind, Body, Soul. Thinking, Sensation, Feeling. Thought, Perception, Emotion. Go Figure!
ellion, What does that mean if anything? If I wanted to go into it, Thinking, Sensation, Feeling- Brain Thought, Perception, Emotion- Brain Mind= True, Body= True, Soul=x Make of x what you will, but now I think we can safely say the soul does not exist. staples
Staples Disconnected. Its Just Means We Have A New Name For What The Soul Is, Or A Better Understanding Of What Once Was Termed The Soul. Its Just A Name For A Physiological Function. So Really It Does Exist But The Word Is Now Redundant, To The Likes Of Yoruself.
Saint: this was recently posted by mis-t-highs. http://www.sciforums.com/showthread.php?t=45636 you may find it helpful.
We don't remember anything about this life when we're born into a new body. It's still possible to access the knowledge of all things if you have the right "equipment", because the self exists everywhere at the same time. Individuality doesn't really exist, there is only one self which is born in different bodies and thus is the illusion of individuality created. The soul (self) has no thoughts, feelings or 'anything', only the body needs such things. You're born into a body which matches the level of your consciousness at the end of this life. If you've reached the end of level 1 at this life, you'll start from the beginning of level 2 at your next life. The soul, which is the same as the self, is already perfect, only the body needs to be reborn and gain experience to attain knowledge of the Imperishable. A human discards his worn out clothes, the self discards worn out bodies. New bodies are born and the self contacts them. If a CD is broken, it doesn't mean that the information is gone. The information (self) is always accessible, it just depends on the instrument (body). The information is not on the CD, the information makes contact with the CD because of it's certain 'data' (consciousness) The information exists everywhere and nowhere at the same time. How long before "you" can be born again depends on how much you evolved in this life. People like Nikola Tesla, Leonardo da Vinci and Jesus may have to wait thousands of years. It's possible to be reborn instantly.
Yorda, That’s because we didn’t exist before we were born. Meaningless mystical gibberish. And how is that any different to imaginative fantasy? Which means the soul has absolutely no purpose or role to play. Which is consistent with something that doesn’t exist. Another fantasy. And as you point out the soul would have no way to remember any of this knowledge which again shows a soul is quite pointless. To what end? If the soul has no memory, feelings or thoughts, it is effectively a null entity – quite worthless. What is self if it isn’t the sum of our memories, thoughts and feelings, that are only possible with a sensory equipped body. Riiiight! More mystical meaningless gibberish.
I (the self) have always existed, that's why I don't remember my birth nor will I ever see my death. Only the body evolves like that. When the body of Cris dies, the self continues to live in other people, that means that "YOU" are not dead, only Cris (body/person) is dead. Yorda will also die, but the self will never die, since it hasn't been born, it is the life itself. The soul doesn't need to remember because it knows everything. It doesn't need to think because it knows everything, it has no karma, because it has all karma. The soul is not an "entity". The soul doesn't remember, the body remembers the soul (...) NOTE: It's not possible to talk about the real soul (self) No, that's not the self, that's the illusional reflection of the body which is called a PERSON.
i do not believe in a soul, spirit, or anything of that manner after we die we are no more than decaying organic manner. have a problem accepting that? its your problem. the idea of an after life merely cheapens the value of this life. spiritualism is terrible.
I wouldn't want to try and deconstruct your description, Yorda, because it has a kind of poetic truth. Most people cling to the concept as the embodiment of individuality immortalized. But if individuality is an illusion in the first place, then there are no souls, only soul, something each of us contributes to and withdraws from when born. It is the collective mind, but one with no center.
Cris, he's all yours. I wasted enough time on Yorda in another thread. There is basically no basis for his beliefs given, nor as you have already pointed out, is there an ounce of anything even relating to the world through which he has come to his assumptions. I will refrain from joining you in this argument, as it is like talking to a brick wall. Possibly one on drugs. staples
they dont, soul,spirit was thought to be breath/air by the ancient people...heres a nice explanation www.atheists.org/Atheism/mind.html
You people seem to be referring to the "spirit," rather than the soul. The soul would be the "essense" of who you are. The spirit is the mythical energy that's supposed to carry the soul beyond death.
if there is no soul, no after life, no reward or punishment after death, no judgment by God, then why should i bother about morality? i will just be a selfish person and do good to myself only.
one might be quite happy if everything just ended after the death of the body, but that is not the case. existence (the self) can't just end. i have to pay for all evil i have done, and i have to be rewarded for all good i have done, so that reward and punishment are no more separated (visible) the universe is in the mind. if it were not, you wouldn't be aware of it. everything is the self. there is no objective reality. why does it cheapen the value of this life? whether you live your 2nd or 543597843rd life, it will always seem as if it would be "this life". You can love everybody even if you do not believe in reincarnation, but belief in an end to mind generally makes you afraid and you eager to profit as soon as possible, with no respect for anything but your own property or affections. Of course, believing in reincarnation can make you lazy, since everything is possible sooner or later, and you have all the time you need. But in the spiritual reality everything has already happened. believing in reincarnation is a good thing. It makes you free from fear about death, about losing people you like, free about matter, but respectful about all that you have to transmit to coming generations. the only way to be free from life is to live our life through. suicide is never an option death is as good as sleeping and dreaming. since your nature is not limited but infinite, it is necessary to return to your infinity from time to time, for battling against what we are is tiring. thank you for being, your existence is needed. you are the center. the center is the self. the center is me. the center is everywhere, in everything. the center is nowhere. spirit, soul, self and god are very misunderstood concepts. they're pretty much the same thing, all of them.
staples, Ah yes I know it well - the brick wall. Yet it does give me an opportunity to practice my writing skills. There is of course no hope that someone who cannot reason can be reasoned with.
Yorda, No. You came into existence gradually as your brain formed neural networks in response to external stimulation. What you call “self” is an emergent property of neural networks that has achieved a threshold level of complexity, which we recognize as self-awareness. When the brain dies and cannot provide nutrients and oxygen to your neural networks then you will decay and cease to exist permanently. Pure baseless fantasy. Pure gibberish.
