Expert: Marco - 4/14/2006

Question
Marco:

Let me first start by asserting that I am in fact a believer, even though my questioning to follow could imply that I am not. Anyway, I read your previous response on the existence of God and the soul, but at some point got lost and did not feel like it directly answered the question- though I admit, a direct answer may be too much to ask.
What exactly is the soul? How and where does it exist within or bodies? If our soul is unique and within our corporeal being, how come we can not measure it or test it or place it in a certain place? True, emotions are not physical either, but the thing about the soul as I understand it, is that it is immortal and immaterial but must have some substance as well if it is to remain within the bounds of the body. How do you reconcile these things? The soul must be some sort of physical object if it's to have any sway in human activity or general existence whatsoever, and most religious doctrines clearly state that it does. In that case, what's its makeup? If it is indeed a physical object, how would it exit the body?   Unless the soul had a consistency thinner than that of gases, it would have to exit through an orifice. Even gases created by the decay of a body are not able to just exit through the layers of flesh, they must seep out any opening they can find. This, however, is assuming that the soul is in fact a physical object. Yet I don't see how it could possibly be anything else. If it is a physical object, what does it look like? Is it like a gas, where it fills the shape of whatever container it is in? If it isn't a physical object, how could it be a part of the person? How could it influence and control a person's behavior and very existence on this earth? Some define a soul as a person's thoughts, feelings, and personality. Yet any cognitive scientist will assure you that these are created by electrical impulses in the brain. Once again, soul and brain interconnected... is it possible that someone has mistaken the electrical impulses in the brain resulting in thoughts and feelings and general consciousness for a soul? I know I am perhaps playing Devil's Advocate, but I would really appreciate it, and it would strengthen my faith if you could tackle these difficult questions.

Answer
Dear Benjamin,

I give my answers to your questions one by one.

What exactly is the soul?

Every definition requires some other more primitive concepts; so it is not possible to give a complete definition of the soul; The soul is the basic principle/entity/substance and is the cause of the existence of our psychical life.

How and where does it exist within or bodies?

Since the soul is not a physical or material object, the question "where is it" is meaningless, because only material objects occupy a position in the space.
What we know is that the soul exists and interacts with our body.

If our soul is unique and within our corporeal being, how come we can not measure it or test it or place it in a certain place?

Because the soul is not a physical/material objects; all our measure instruments can interacts only with material/physical objects. In fact all our measure intruments work through the laws of physics, but the soul transcends the laws of physics.

True, emotions are not physical either, but the thing about the soul as I understand it, is that it is immortal and immaterial but must have some substance as well if it is to remain within the bounds of the body. How do you reconcile these things?

The soul is a psychical substance and not a material/physical substance. You must understand that the concept of substance does not imply the concept of matter.

The soul must be some sort of physical object if it's to have any sway in human activity or general existence whatsoever, and most religious doctrines clearly state that it does.

Wrong. The soul is not a physical object but a trascendent entity. The trascendent nature of the soul does not forbit the soul to interact with our body.

Since all of your remaining questions are based on the wrong idea that the soul is a physical object, I will not answer them. You must inderstand that the soul is a trascendent entity , a psychical and NOT a physical entity.

Your brother in Christ,

Marco