What is a soul?

I am answering these according to what I believe. That does not imply I think other should follow these beliefs.

Is the soul your blood?

the soul is nothing tangible in the physical world

Is it your body as opposed to your spirit, or your spirit as opposed to your body, or a combination of the two?

your soul, your spirit, it is all one

Is it the life energy that leaves your body when you die?

simply, yes.

If so, does it leave when you experience brain-death (absence of EEG), since medicine can preserve the rest of the body "alive" on machines?

that, i believe, falls under the jurisdiction of what a soul's intent is here on this planet. some may choose to linger and fully experience death, while some may feel complete and depart. some may linger outside the body until they can let go of their grief at passing. it depends on how much the ego and the soul have become entwined over the lifetime.

Is it consciousness of self and surroundings? If this is the case, do infants who don't develop self-awareness until between ages 3-5 have souls or not?

a soul and the mind of an infant are similar in that they are aware of both being in the body and being part of something bigger, a piece of the energy all around them. holding a piece of that consciousness is the trick, and the root of all intuition, hunches, psychics, etc

Do only humans have souls? Does it define us against the animals? If so, how?

absolutely not.


Does the soul give us a conscience and morality?

yes....indirectly

How do you define these?

what lifts up, expands, opens up, blossoms, grows, loves, laughs.....is Light.

what shuts down, mocks, hates, scorns, closes, pushes away...is Not.

Avoid the Not.

Do animals not have these, even though group-animals can often display rigid social structures?

they do :)

this is a difficult one I like the way C.S Lewis describes it "You are a soul you have a body"

Yes, I believe that animals, trees, plants, and humans all have souls. I also believe that a soul is the part of you that keeps you alive, not only physically, but emotionally, and mentally as well.

the bottom of my shoe!

the soul is the part of your body that leaves once your time is done here on earth, it then goes to either heaven or hell based on your beliefs here on earth, the body is a temporary resting place.

The manifestation of your physical, mental, & emotional self in a spiritual & intangible form.

It's the bottom of your shoe.

Your soul is the essence of you. Your thoughts, the life that you lived. Your conscience that speaks to you inside, the inner person, the good part of you. We only use 1/10 of our brain, Scientist do not know what the rest is used for. It houses our soul.

That's a lot of questioning.
Interesting thought: the soul is the opposite of matter.
Did not know that one.....
I have to think about this for a while, I guess.

your soul is the last part of you that lives on after death.