Does a Soul really exist?

Let me share with you something deeply personal that I am reluctant to share...but it is very, very important that everyone understand the importance of "soul". I was seven months pregnant and my baby girl died in the womb. I knew it the minute it happened. No one believed me. I appeared to be fine at the time. There was no pain. When she left; I physically felt her spirit leave my body...and although I am usually quite prolific in words...for once, I don't know how to describe it. It actually passed right through my body. The very strangest part of the whole thing is that it also generated a very peaceful sense of well-being...that once again defies words...but it was very, very real.

When I went into labor, she was officially determined still-born. It came as no surprise to me. In fact, I knew she was a girl without ever having confirmation of it until after the fact. I had opted not to know when they did my sonogram. So I want everyone to take it very seriously...we have a soul...and it is very, very real...and cannot be defined by physical matter. I hope this helps someone out there. My child is still with me...we really do live on.

What exactly do you think a soul is? What properties does it have? What part of 'you' resides in the soul?

If it's postulated that consciousness, or awareness, or sense of self resides in the soul, it's difficult to see how this can be reconciled with the complete oblivion which accompanies general anaesthesia. How could a straightforward chemical, injected into the bloodstream, anaesthetise a soul so that it effectively ceases to exist during this time? If consciousness, in the form of a soul, were some kind of supernatural faculty, it would seem implausible that it could be completely disabled by a chemical.

How about some of the other things which we regard as essential parts of what makes a person what they are? How about love, compassion, reason, empathy, memory, conscious thought, character, 'spirituality' and so on? Well, there is really no plausible doubt that all these things are properties of the physical brain. We can alter all of these properties very simply with alcohol or other drugs, and observe how they change in people who have suffered significant brain damage - Previously placid people become uncontrollably violent, intelligent people become imbeciles, and so on. Stimulate the brain artificially, and the subject reports corresponding mental activity, e.g. 'religious experiences'. We can see from brain research that all these things - thought, emotion, sensation, character traits and so on - are correlated with activity in the brain, and some things can be identified with specific areas of the brain.

So, if all these faculties and characteristics of what we regard as the 'person' reside in the physical brain, as seems to be undeniably the case, and they all cease when the person dies, then what is left to be attributed to a 'soul'? As far as I can ascertain: Nothing. If there is no part of us that can continue after death, then there is no 'afterlife'... and if there is no afterlife, then most of religion is null and void.

NB You say "The Humanist believe that when we die, we become as God"... err, no, they don't. What humanists say is that this is the only life we will ever have, so we need to treat life as something precious instead of an insignificant prelude to an 'afterlife', which sounds very sensible to me.

The whole idea of 'life after death' is one big oxymoron. Life is *before* death, not afterwards, and there's nothing *after* death because death, by definition, is the end of you.

Scientifically speaking there is no evidence to warrant the existence of a soul.

Interestingly I noticed you linked to Snopes in relation to the 21 grams assertion. What you may have failed to do is read where the studies were performed around the turn of the century (20th century) and the methodology the research utilized was severely flawed:

"MacDougall's results were flawed because the methodology used to harvest them was suspect, the sample size far too small, and the ability to measure changes in weight imprecise. For this reason, credence should not be given to the idea his experiments proved something, let alone that they measured the weight of the soul as 21 grams. His postulations on this topic are a curiousity, but nothing more."

When you examine the way “soul” or “souls” is used in the Bible, it becomes evident that this word basically refers to (1) people, (2) animals, or (3) the life that a person or an animal enjoys.

(1) people-- (1 Peter 3:20) Here the word “souls” clearly stands for people—Noah, his wife, his three sons, and their wives.

(2) animals-- Birds and other animals are called souls at Genesis 9:10; Leviticus 11:46; and Numbers 31:28.

(3)Life as a person--God told Moses: “All the men who were hunting for your soul are dead.” (Exodus 4:19) What were Moses’ enemies hunting for? They were seeking to take Moses’ life. You will find more examples of this sense of “soul” at 1 Kings 17:17-23; Matthew 10:39; John 15:13; and Acts 20:10

The soul and the spirit are not the same. The body needs the spirit in much the same way as a radio needs electricity—in order to function

Bible writers used the Hebrew word ru′ach or the Greek word pneu′ma when writing about the “spirit.” The Scriptures themselves indicate the meaning of those words. For instance, Psalm 104:29 states: “If you [God] take away their spirit [ru′ach], they expire, and back to their dust they go.” And James 2:26 notes that “the body without spirit [pneu′ma] is dead.” In these verses, then, “spirit” refers to that which gives life to a body. Without spirit, the body is dead. Therefore, in the Bible the word ru′ach is translated not only as “spirit” but also as “force,” or life-force. For example, concerning the Flood in Noah’s day, God said: “I am bringing the deluge of waters upon the earth to bring to ruin all flesh in which the force [ru′ach] of life is active from under the heavens.” (Genesis 6:17; 7:15, 22) “Spirit” thus refers to an invisible force (the spark of life) that animates all living creatures

I truly do not know if we have a soul or not. I really don't know if there is a God or not. I choose to believe it. That is the difference between faith and science---faith is a belief with lack of supporting empirical data where science is the opposite.

I look around and wonder--how did this world come to be in such a way that everything fits together like a puzzle? There are plants and animals that give us nourishment and medicine. Air for us to breathe--water to drink. Look at how plants and animals are interdependent on one another. It amazes me and it makes me think that there is no way this could be happenstance--more like a defined plan. Whose plan? I don't really know, but it does make me wonder.

At death, a human loses fluid.

The Spirit or soul has no weight, because it is of the Spiritual realm. Hope this answers your question.

Studies regarding souls having weight have been discredited; however, I absolutely believe souls exist. I think the best evidence comes from people who retain memories and skills from previous lives.

As Adam became a 'living soul', you are a living soul.

Rub your hands together fast and then hold them several inch apart feel soul ?

GOT Soul?

I believe we are all living souls.