Where is the soul? Locating Our Spiritual Essence
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Dearest readers,
I've spent countless hours pondering the nature and essence of the soul. What is it? Why does it exist? But it wasn’t until I recently stumbled upon a Wikipedia article1, that it occurred to me to wonder: where is the soul?
Does it even need to be located?
Interestingly, some ancient Greek philosophers thought so. They seemed to have spent a great deal of time philosophizing over the question.
Here are a few summaries that I found particularly interesting:
Plato (428-348 B.C.E.) envisioned a tripartite soul: the logos (located in the brain), the thymos (located in the chest), and the epithemitikon (in the belly). To him, only the logos survived beyond physical death.
Aristotle (384—322 B.C.E.) also saw the soul in parts, with one immortal and incorporeal, and the other embodied and residing in the heart.
Epicurus (341—271 B.C.E.) believed the soul was made of small particles or building blocks that were spread throughout the body. To him, the soul emerged from and was a result of the body.
Herophilos (330—260 B.C.E.) also believed that the body created the soul. To him, air was a divine substance that, when inhaled, was converted into soul by the brain.
Galen (130—210 C.E.) supported Plato's tripartite soul, associating different parts with various motivations: bodily pleasures (liver), honor (heart), and reason (brain). He asserted that these three soul parts were constantly at odds with one another, vying for supremacy. It’s the job of the individual to bring the soul parts into balance, which can only be attained when the rational soul is in charge.
Plotinus (204—270 C.E.) the founder of Neoplatonism, saw the soul as a bridge between the body and Source, initiating the idea of separation between body and soul.
From there, Western philosophy largely adopted the notion of the soul as separate from the body, an immortal essence temporarily housed within us.
I was fascinated by this question of where the soul might be located and asked myself if I had any of my own ideas about it. I really resonated with the idea that many of these ancient thinkers had about the soul being a multi-parted entity.
I tend to envision existence as an infinite tapestry, much like the Norse concept of the Web of Wyrd. Every thread, every connection, is imbued with consciousness and spirit. It's a vast, interconnected expanse where the soul permeates all.
Where I differ from some of these philosophers, however, is that I believe there is no division between the material and the spiritual. There is no soulless part of anything.
So, where is the soul? To me, it’s EVERY WHERE.
What about you? Where do you locate the soul?
Wikipedia contributors. (2024, July 3). History of the location of the soul. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 20:08, August 5, 2024, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=History_of_the_location_of_the_soul&oldid=1232363190
The writing of this Wikipedia article is a little strange and I question some of its accuracy, but it did inspire to me spend a lot of hours in contemplation about the location of the soul.
Love the rebranding, think it well captures the entirety of your vibe here 🫡
As to the Koa ('soul'), I think it is the energy which animates the Temporal vessel we call the 'body,' thus saturates every fiber of the physical form we inhabit. Humble opinion, natch ☺️
Great piece, thanks for sharing it!
And that's before one runs into the Ancient Egyptians and their division of the soul into five...
After experiencing someone's death, its hard for me to see the soul in terms other than that animating, connecting energy without which there's simply dead, inert matter.