This is a thought provoking topic, thanks for bringing it up! I'm sure that the most popular consensus at first would be that humans have souls, while animals and other life has a life force that is somehow less defined and developed, hence they have spirits. As I said, at first. I can't honestly say with conceit that I as a human being am somehow spiritually superior than an animal that doesn't hurt any creature on purpose with the possible exception of food and self-defense.

As to the question of the difference between a soul and a spirit, I'd suppose that both are energy/plasma that comprise the whole of a being. The Egyptians stated that there are many aspects that make a human, and that mankind have both a soul AND a spirit, but spirits are often tied to nature or between our plane of existence and another, usually the spirit realm. The soul seems to be an immortal force that defines our self-awareness and potential to interact with the rest of the universe, not just in a haunting or protective capacity as many spirits are attributed to. Spirits like ghosts or haunting entities tend to echo strong emotional actions in life, or are focused to a specific cause. Spirits also seem to require some kind of energy, as many seem tied to elemental forces like the earth, electricity, water, etc. like the dragons in Eastern belief. I'm not sure if I supplied a good enough answer, but I'll try checking back to see what else is written about this. Keep in touch!

 

"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."  Hebrews 4:12

This to me states clearly that there is a difference between a spirit and a soul.  They also have different functions...The three main functions of the soul are the will (Job 7:15), the mind (Lam. 3:20, RSV), and the emotion (2 Sam. 5:8; Deut. 6:5).  The soul seems to be what makes me me and you you...our humanity, or who we are inside our bodies.  Our will enables us to make decisions and choices..our mind we use for thinking and knowledge, and our emotion...well, that allows us to feel and express love or hatred, joyfulness, anger, sadness, or happiness...etc.  As a Christian, my belief is that Jesus bought my soul when he died on the cross for my sins...it belongs to Him.  I suppose if I walk the earth after death, then, it would be with my soul if that's what He wants me to do or allows me to do.

The spirit is definitely separate from the soul...a human, I believe is incomplete without it, and I believe that every human is born with a spirit....whether or not it's been awakened.  Now, I'm not a fundamental Christian...I'm more of a believer, I suppose and I guess I can only put it to ya from my perspective, right?!  To me...my spirit is what allows me to communicate with God since He himself is spirit.  It is what allows the Holy Spirit to teach me what He wants me to know and gives me my understanding of things "spiritual".  It is the part of me that at death will go back to God as He is the one who made my spirit alive.  The spirit is where intuition, communion, and conscience are.

Ya know Mellen...if I knew what it was we run into when we speak with these "things" we meet while looking into paranormal matters, I'd definitely have the key we are all seeking...but I surely don't know what they are.  I know that I've found that they seem to be only partially there...which would make sense and not in that they no longer have bodies, but there is something else that is missing.  Maybe a very soul can be split and some piece may just remain...the love, hate, confusion...etc...until it is deemed to be made whole again.  I don't think we're supposed to know exactly...because we aren't meant to know it all.

 

Honestly, you've already confused the issue with religion, even though I am not religious but a believer/defender of freedom of religion as a disabled veteran.  My take is this. Your soul is your personality. Your spirit is a repeating film of yourself w/out the personility.
 

I've heard of people speak about this in the religious context. Great blog Mellen. I'm honestly stumped. Erin and Dave's comments are interesting. Hope to see more posts on this one!

 

soul to me, is the identity of my energy. spirit to me, the residue of what's leftover after my soul leaves my body. so if i appear as an apparition, you see my spirit, not my soul. my soul creates the energy of my spirit residue. does that make sense? it does to me!
 

Your soul is your energy that is what makes you, you in a body, A spirit is your soul out side you physical body. My 2 cents short and sweet.

 

I have to agree with Greg and Melissa on this one....it doesn't need to get political, full of religion or even debatable ....a soul is what makes you....our soul is energy....we are just a shell when we die because our soul is no longer there...it is now the spirit of our energy. Our spirit lives on into the spirit world for may reason unknown...is it equatable to say that this is what makes us up? I do believe so....no doubt about it!

 

Hola my sweets!

TY for the WONDERFUL comments & messages!  Note that I have read each & every but awakened late for work this morning so I haven't ample time to comment or reply back. Hold tight, will get to 'em this afternoon.

*wuvs you*


 

My take on the matter is somewhat different than the others here, I suppose.

But, eh....cashing in my two cents now.

Without going into a lot of detail, which I would happily do later, I believe that the soul is something that is not tangible in any form.  I believe it is something that we as humans will never fully grasp, which is why there is a lot of controversy over it.   It contains very little of our personality.

The spirit is what makes us, us.  The spirit is emotion and thought that is molded as we learn and grow.  It is our body's energy and that's why it can remain or leave an imprint.   Think of it as the spark of electricity that is left in your tele once it's been turned off. 



 

Over-estimated my free time, sorry!  I WILL comment upon your comments as soon as life allows me that honor! 


*big hugs*
 

Thank you all for the AWESOMELY ENLIGHTENING comments - sorry it's taken me this long to comment back ... my life is keeping me constantly busy therefore my cyber time is practically non-existent (hoping to find a balance soon -- well AFTER my painting is done that is, d'oh).  :)

Okay, what I was told is that when we die, our souls die -- we do NOT roam the 'earth' so what we, paranormalists, are detecting were NOT human (again, because our living souls die when we do). 

Then he told me that our 'spirit' is divine and given to us by God which is simply energy we expel upon death.  So I asked him if THAT is what we could possibly be detecting to which he replied, "no, because it was given to us by God therefore returns to God". 

Noticing my bewildering look he explained to me what we're hearing during our EVP session (etc) is probably a guardian angel.  He explained to me that they never were 'human' BUT know so much about us and those we know that they can mimic them.  Made sense to me but I don't get WHY a kind guardian angel would mess with us like that ... posing as our lost loved one in EVP or in full dress.  Seems like a prank, in my eyes. 

Then he said they're probably demonic and Satan truly is THE ruler of the world at the moment.

*hhhhmmmmmmmmmmmm*

Mind you, he's a nice fella and makes for good sense most of the time; however, as you can tell, I am NOT convinced obviously so tis why I TRULY appreciated your takes on this subject. 

Okay, sorry but as usual I'm on the fly!  Just wanted to post this to explain why I wrote what I did, yada yada ya ...  feel free to comment more if you'd like. 

Oh & THANK YOU for staying polite (long story, but in the past, comments have been used to attack other people's opinions and to me that's disrespectful as we've all the right to think our way ... *smiles & wuvs*).


Happy hunting ...

Mellen
 

I would respectfully disagree and do this in a quantum physics level. Energy, the soul can never truly be lost you only cna change its form. Example, if you strike a match, you are changing the sulpher, oxygen form its solid form and releaing its energy into heat and light which dissipates in to the atmosphere. . Again my two cents. Thanks 

 

Greg, now that you mention it ... I did; I brought that up (well not in those EXACT terms but ya know the 'energy cannot be destroyed, only takes on another shape' approach).  Come to think of it ... I believe he didn't answer that one.  Hmmm.?.?  I shall be certain to ask again the next time he & I get to having a friendly chat.  *stay tuned*

BTW, he's a nice guy, genuine - not trying to detract from his passions - I'm just a 'um, but why?' kinda-girl.   

TY sir!   

TY ALL!   
 


  *mwahs* 
 

I'm a Taoist. I can't differentiate between the two terms. It's all still part of some weird dream I've been having for the last 39 years.