Soul Define

[add]

1. Is a soul one, all alone, connected to others only by touch, sight, hearing, taste and hearing?
or
2. Is a soul interconnected to your spouse, by holy matrimony and to my children by blood and heart?
or ...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I believe the latter that my soul is interconnected; to my spouse and our children and our parents before us.
i wonder, given this design, if your spouse suffers from a deadly painful ailment (like cancer) can the soul be damaged? or When your daughter or son abandons the family, in anger, is peace obtainable?

i wonder if it is on earth as it is in heaven.

Edited February 24, 2010 by apparently

[Ed Normile]

I seem to remember that we all have a unique soul, a blank slate for us to write on, we start out as only having original sin and after baptism we are saints for a while, until we corrupt our soul. The question you posed about whether the soul can be damaged by the sufferings of a loved one, I think this would definetly be a possibility if we allow ourselves to succomb to depression or the feeling that God let this happen. As we know we are to accept God's will, the sufferings or even the loss of a loved ones is hard for us as humans to endure, blaming God or losing faith over this would damage our soul. As hard as this is to really do we should celebrate the death of a loved one as they are on their way to God.

ed

[CatherineM]

I definitely felt as if part of my soul was missing after my dad died. If something were to happen to my husband, I'd probably feel as if it had been ripped apart. Not very theological, but when it comes to stuff like this, I think with the human half of my brain.

[Ed Normile]

[quote name='CatherineM' date='24 February 2010 - 01:25 PM' timestamp='1267035930' post='2062452']
I definitely felt as if part of my soul was missing after my dad died. If something were to happen to my husband, I'd probably feel as if it had been ripped apart. Not very theological, but when it comes to stuff like this, I think with the human half of my brain.
[/quote]


Catherine, me too. I lost most of my family in a six month period, my mother my aunts and uncles and my grandfather all died, for a 2 month period I went to a funeral each weekend. I was devastated, the worst was the loss of my mother, then my aunt Jackie, her sister and like an extra mother too me. If it was not for the rosary i think I would have died too.

ed

[laetitia crucis]

I voted for "1" and "other".

From what I've learned and believe to be true, the soul is a immortal, unique subsistent form. It is that which gives life and motion to the body -- the "substantial form of the body". There aren't any "branches" of one's soul which connects spiritually to others' souls.

As humans, we gain knowledge initially through our common sense (seeing, touching, tasting, hearing, and hearing). So, I suppose one could say that this is how we are "connected" to every one and every thing, but... ...there is also a supernatural level sensing, too, right? The kind of knowledge that can be gained because we have immortal souls...? Again, I find myself mourning the loss of all my notes from various philosophy classes while in the convent...

I suppose, humanly and personally speaking here, I would say that we [i]are[/i] all connected in the extent that we have shared experiences, and through the use of our passions/emotions, intellect and will. We build lasting bonds and connections with others through our "hearts", so to say. Friendships form from common interests, experiences, and agreeable personalities. When something happens to those that we have cared about and formed lasting bonds with, it's only natural to feel as though "a part of us is missing", though spiritually and physically, this is not so. That person never spiritually or physically existed as a shared entity that is "YouandThem", right? But then again... I guess that sense of "knowing" would mean that so-and-so [i]did[/i] become a part of you in the spiritual sense.... like how we gain knowledge -- the objects of knowledge are incorporated into our intellect and so on. Like how one day, we'll truly [i]know[/i] God when we see Him face-to-face.

Perhaps I'm beginning to confuse myself here.

Yet, how does this all connect to the make-up of the soul? Where does the "heart" reside within the soul? (And "the mind" for that matter?)

I ask those questions because I do believe there is a physical and spiritual connection between the soul and body, because both affect one another. Say for example, the effects of original sin and the effects of sin in general on the body and soul. After original sin, all of nature was affected, especially human nature (we lost so many awesome preternatural gifts). And perhaps even more simple, if someone falls into the sin of wrath, more than likely they're probably breathing heavily and rather red-faced.

Here's hoping for some more enlightened answers!

O Great Thinkers of PM, come teach us your wisdom!

[add]

[quote]Here's hoping for some more enlightened answers! [/quote]
yea, me too

[Mark of the Cross]

I kind of visualise our bodies as being like windows to the physical world. When you look through your window to the outside world you see other people through their window, but on the inside we are together as one. That's why what you do for others you also do for yourself.

Edited February 27, 2010 by Mark of the Cross

[rizz_loves_jesus]

[quote name='CatherineM' date='24 February 2010 - 01:25 PM' timestamp='1267035930' post='2062452']
I definitely felt as if part of my soul was missing after my dad died. If something were to happen to my husband, I'd probably feel as if it had been ripped apart. Not very theological, but when it comes to stuff like this, I think with the human half of my brain.
[/quote]

Expanding on that.. do you think that if someone was born without a father, or if their mother died at childbirth and they never knew her, would part of their soul be missing all their life?

[Ed Normile]

[quote name='rizz_loves_jesus' date='26 February 2010 - 10:25 PM' timestamp='1267241156' post='2063492']
Expanding on that.. do you think that if someone was born without a father, or if their mother died at childbirth and they never knew her, would part of their soul be missing all their life?
[/quote]


I think she was talking more from an emotional viewpoint, not the actual loss of her soul rather how she felt.

ed