Ever wondered what the soul really is? You have, you say? It’s very confusing? Of course it is! In any case, here is my stab in the dark at what such a vague concept might be:

I’ve heard the human soul described as a conglomeration of the etherialness of thoughts in the mind and the concreteness of our physical bodies. I’ve also heard stories that when people die, they immediately lose 24 grams from their total weight. The ladder is a little hard to believe–intriguing nonetheless.

[image title="Arrows" size="full" id="1180" align="center" ]
Image shamelessly stolen from cosmosmagazine.com

I think the soul might be hidden somewhere deep in the dark reaches of a person’s ability to identify themselves as a self. This thing, ultimately personal by nature, is the one thing we can use to prove our own existence but that is impossible to share with others.

“I think, therefore I am.”

What does this argument for self do for us? Knowing that I exist helps to expose the existence of others who are similar.  I can see myself reflected in others. My morals are built upon what I wouldn’t (and would) want done to me. I can identify my “self” and can compare this identity to others around me to build a morality that allows me to function and grow socially beyond simple survival skills. So my identification of self is my soul; and morality is an effect of the soul. Perhaps any animal that displays moral behavior has a soul?

So what animals display moral behavior? Apes? Dolphins? There’s a difference between obedience like a dogs obedience to be nice to his master and an animal’s urge to be “good” in accordance to the society they live in. Is it a gift or a curse? By the amound of time I spend thinking about it, the ladder may be true