Spiritually speaking - If science disproved the idea that humans have souls that experience an afterlife......?

I think this is one of the better questions I have seen on this topic so I will do my best to give a honest answer that is not solely based on my beliefs.

The thing is, such a study will more than likely end up the other way around because many scientist are already atheist or agnostic.

So if they were to start looking deeper they will more than likely find proof for the existence of spiritual elements rather than evidence against them.

If this is to be a successful study it could only happen if they decided to look to prove those elements do exist and found nothing since you can't disprove a negative.

They would have to start out trying to find souls, God and the afterlife and if they find little or no evidence then that would be the proof that such elements don't exist.

Not to mention many people in the field of science feel they already have enough evidence to say spiritual and metaphysical entities don't exist, so I doubt any of them would get on board to just to prove themselves wrong.

Now when it comes to how people would handle it, I think if science were to prove that souls, God and the afterlife don't exist with out a doubt,it could either be a good thing or a bad thing dependent on how people take it.

I know personally it would be kind of hard to understand at first but I would probably accept it.

However I would only accept it after I learned more about how they came to this conclusion.

I'm a good person and I wouldn't change that no matter what happens, but I would still feel a little dishearten as I really have a strong sense of spirituality (not so much religiosity).

I would be surprised if science decided to try and prove or disprove anything that has to do with the metaphysical.

They usually just dismiss spirituality as a harbor for idiocy, and thus there is no one who is trying to look for anything regarding that matter.

They feel such entities are either not there are impossible to find so there is no use looking.

Even those who study metaphysics are atheist, agnostics or metaphysical naturalists.

So I don't think science will be looking to prove or disprove any of those things.

You can't hope to find what you "know" isn't there.

It would be interesting if they did though.

Such a study would settle some things no matter what the results were.

But if you want me to be honest I think many of them don't look for the same reasons many Christians don't read The God Delusion, they are afraid they might see something that will change their minds.

You don't have to agree with me but I was just giving my honest opinion.

I did my best to answer the question and convey my point clearly.

Interpret as you may.

Peace and Blessings = )

A couple of quick shots across the bow, so to speak.

you say math and logic have been proven to work.

what math rules says a Möbius strip can not exist. yet you can make one very easily.

it breaks some of the basic hypothesis of geometry.

next who says that our science, as minute as it is, has the frame work to deal with the soul, at this point. I estimate a few billion years before it does. btw nothing to back this up but why not leave some room for error.

So to take the other side of your question, what if science does prove there is a soul.

That it is some form of electromagnetic communications, and we have an something inside us that works at this frequency to communicate with a being of thought.

There is enough of our science to say this is possible now.

Just no way to prove it or disprove it.

Say like our ears hear the frequencies label Sound, and our eyes see the reflection of the frequencies we call light, and out skin senses the frequencies that are label infrared and utltraviolet.

to carry this further, we can transmit power to a device and use it to power the device. Albeit very inefficient, it is proven.

So if the strength of the Soul or the Love of the soul is transmitted in some form as stated above to us we would have an inexhaustible supply of what ever that is that I interpret as strength and love.

Lets say that this is also a two way communication, but because of the form we have that it does not posses the power to broadcast to each other. though Esp and empathy may be the way we interpret those things.

Take telekinesis- it has been studied under the most scientific conditions and yet has been observed and qualified as valid, by observation. yet there are now solid scientific rules in our current understanding on how this can happen.

now to the question:

As I said in the last question there are two many events in my life that do not follow our Science that I search for an answer for many years.

Do to some human side events I even was aware I was disconnected from what it is I define as a soul.

To me that says it does exist, yet there is nothing in our current knowledge the can prove or disprove this.

it is those experiences that give me faith that this phenomen is repeatable and real to me.

now the Eternal part I admit I am still working on, and this is probably the most arguable portion of my faith.

and until something comes along that is dyed in the wool fact, that counteracts that. that is where I will stand.

edit:

I guess I did not addres your questions directly:

Do you think the human race would be better or worse off than we are now?

assuming it proves no soul, I would be focus on how this was proven.

I doubt those that those that have my faith would be effected.

And do you think you'd personally be better or worse off than you are now?

The same but very curious how the result was arrived at.

Assuming that it turned out to be true, is this knowledge going to be useful to you, or anyone, in your opinion?

They say for an argument to be valid the evidence has to be accepted.

Hello. By the Soul I think people are trying to get an understanding of what makes the body think and work and differ from every other person. But I think exactly that we can't truly delve deep enough to come up with what it truly is. But on the surface, to me, it is the inner light and inner shadow being cast. It is what will never die no matter how many human years cross our bodies. I think that a soul can evolve because it can be like water or like stone. People can believe many outcomes for it but it alone can be all and none. I believe a soul is one of the so few things that may very well be the Perfection that humans have diluded themselves from because of our minds and thoughts. Good bye.

I think after an initial upheaval things would go on pretty much the same as they always have. Monsters would still be monstrous, and saints would still be saintly. The overwhelming majority would just live their lives day to day as if the question didn't matter at all-- exactly as they do now.

Of course, it would be hard on the world religions, but they too would adapt, I believe, shifting their focus to ethics and aesthetics as necessary components of full human existence.

That's my short term prediction. I believe the long term consequences would be catastrophic. My view of human nature, both as an atheist and a theist, is that people are only as good as they have to be. Removing the idea of a final judgement for our actions would lead to an ethic of power, where right and wrong were determined by who has the most guns. It would be the climax of Nietzsche's vision without the denouement of his evolved ubermensch. The world would either fall into chaos or grey stagnation. But life would be much less rich and challenging. It would be like holding the US open on a court without nets. Possible, but pointless to play or watch.

peace

"Consistency is contrary to nature, contrary to life. ... Mao Tse-tung jk :)

I've reread my previous answer, and can't tell what you mean. The fact I personally view truth as primary doesn't mean that utility is of no value. But maybe that's not what you're getting at?

Well, science could never prove it because science only deals with physical manifestations, while the soul exists in an entirely different realm, but yeah, I get your question and I'll answer it hypathetically...

The human race would be worthless, and it would be a mess. Personally, I would probably go around raping women, stealing vodka, getting drunk, and jumping off a building. I'd have nothing to live for anyway, right? I mean, if there is no soul, then nobody would exist aside from animals, eh? There would be no good or bad other than individual perception, and I wouldn't care about them, because I am me... oh, and I'd probably be a capitalist. That's the worst sin of all, lol.

Ok, unlike SOME people here, i'm just going to answer your question the way you asked it to be answered.

I can honestly say it would be a worse place, because it would give another thing for people to argue about, and possibly kill about. People die everyday over things they strongly disagree about, this would be just one more thing. Think about it this way, there are people that don't believe in gravity, or time, because they are too ignorant to understand mathematical concepts, and other proofs of these examples. So, even if science could prove the existence (or non existence for that matter) of a soul, and therefore an afterlife, what makes you think it would change what people think. I know there are a lot of people, who's opinions it wouldn't change.

I can't honestly say whether i personaly, would be better or worse off. Maybe...better? I think only in the sense that it is better to know and understand the truth than to live a lie.

Like i said previously, i think it would only be usefully to those who want to say 'i told you so.' The others would continue to not believe in it, out of shere ignorance. Me, i'm agnostic. I don't believe, or disbelieve in anything that could be taken as theism. As soon as i find something that shows definite proof in my eyes, i'd believe it. So, if they could scientifically prove, say, that the 10% of our brains that they can't map, are the spirits of us, and i can understand it, i'll believe it. Until then, who knows?

I hope that covers things.

While Michael makes his point very eloquently, it think it would be a good thing to dispel such metaphysical notions as a soul and a watchful authority figure. There have always been murderers and chaos makers without a conscience, despite threats "from above." However, if we knew for sure that this life is all we have, I believe it would be more valuable. Like Brad Pitt says in Troy: "I'll tell you a secret. The gods envy us. Because we're mortal. Every moment could be our last. Life is more precious, more beautiful, to us."

Science can not prove metaphysical truths, science also cannot prove math or logic, science presupposes math and logic otherwise trying to prove science or math would be going in a circle. Go figure. Science also can not and never can solve any of these things I have listed including asthetic truths. Even though it's scientifically impossible to prove we still think people are beautiful and ugly now don't we? The reality is if you want to live life by the scientific method you can not accept your very existance.

hard to say how evidence of no conscious afterlife would affect us. it may be harmful because the one thing that makes a lot of people not fear death is the belief of an afterlife. this could cause a whole new breed of mental disorder all stemmed from the fear of death. on the other hand the concept of heaven and afterlife allows many people do be irresponsible with their actions while living because the feel they are either doing gods work or they believe they can repent and still gain access to heaven. i believe the theory of reincarnation to be the most probable reality. it is ancient knowledge and it also aligns with physical laws namely the laws of energy conservation i.e. 1st law of thermodynamics

There is no real way to prove or disprove. but scientifically it has been proven that energy does not die.........

Imagine there's no Heaven

It's easy if you try

No hell below us

Above us only sky

Imagine all the people

Living for today

Imagine there's no countries

It isn't hard to do

Nothing to kill or die for

And no religion too

Imagine all the people

Living life in peace

You may say that I'm a dreamer

But I'm not the only one

I hope someday you'll join us

And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions

I wonder if you can

No need for greed or hunger

A brotherhood of man

Imagine all the people

Sharing all the world