The following was included in a comment made by “rautakyy” (a regular visitor to this blog) related to a discussion about “the soul” on Mak’s blog. I found his perspective closely aligned with my own feelings. What about you?
I do not know how it would feel like, if I had a soul, and I bet people who think they have one, have no idea what it would be like if they had none. Yet, what they feel about this issue seems best evidence they can put up in defence of this phenomena. There is no way we can verify any of us has one, let alone, that all had it. It can be seen as a poetic term for self, but otherwise it is just superstition and the thought of an afterlife is hardly anything but wishfull thinking. Either to avoid the thought of one’s own mortality, or the hope for some universal justice. However, the concepts of this universal justice are fairly skewed in religions. Hinduism offers future lives as insects = animals that do not have the brainpower to know their existance is some sort of punishment – a conclusion hardly any animal apart from us hominids has ever reached. Christianity offers hell, that can be avoided by joining the club, but non-members will suffer for an eternity. How is that supposed to be just on any level?
I was tickled by the remark about Hindus possibly being reincarnated as insects! I wonder if any individual who believes in reincarnation has considered this possibility?
In any event, what do you think? Do humans have souls? And is there any way/method to tell if we did?
Nan's Notebook 