Soul

[da]

What's the word "soul" mean to you? What associations does it bring up? Is the word fraught with baggage... smelling partly of brimstone? Does it have deep connection for you? Is it ineffable and abstract? Is it like a Platonic ideal of a thing, not to be pinned down? Is it boring? Is it a handy fiction?

I'd love to have a conversation about that, to the extent we can in an online journal. Anonymous comments are fine. My hope is to have common referents to continue in another post.

I invite you to make your first comment here, that is to say without reading the previous comments before-hand. Of course feel free to read other comments too, and discuss with others, but after your first comment. :) Thanks!

[Edit to add:

I can say: the breadth of peoples' responses is pretty darn cool.

So, I suggested a dialogue. What now?

It would be one thing if we were in the same room, and could look at each other and be clear that we're going to treat this with the respect it deserved. In that situation, I would say we could just ask each other open, honest questions; questions that don't try to convince the other of our own understanding; but help the other person to articulate their truth for us. And take it from there.

We could try something like that. I'd participate. Why don't we try that?

It might go without saying, but I'll say it anyway: you're welcome to not reply to someone's question, or to reply telling them you won't reply (and that's final; challenges are not OK).

]

Comments

Re: Unsurprisingly technical and lengthy

[ng-nighthawk.livejournal.com]

I don't mean to distinguish between spiritual evil and physical evil... not really. If someone does an evil act, the consequences of that act fall on the soul just as they fall on the rest of a person. The consequences are primarily (but not exclusively) an increase in self-loathing and losing connection with other people. Of course, it's not a strict rule, like "Ooh, for insulting that person you're getting +3 self-loathing and a -2 penalty to all relationships." But something happens to you, and I think those consequences have a real spiritual impact.

But your question also brought this to mind, which might have been your real intention: what can a soul do that is evil?

To answer that I would say the soul is responsible for deep, close relationships (as many others have also said) and it's definitely possible to use those relationships to harm people. It's also possible to be so negative that you impact the ability of those around you to reach out--that seems like an example of using your soul for evil.