Thoughts on Souls

I don't accept supernatural explanations - They have no evidence for them. The same goes with the concept of a soul.

Generally, it is thought that the soul represents our consciousness - The "ghost" in the body. Apparently, when we die, our souls are supposed to leave our bodies to go to heaven, to be banished to hell or to wander the earth.

It seems almost intuitive to some to think that a soul exist within them. That they are that soul within, trapped in this body till death do they part.

I, on the other hand, think that the concept is completely ridiculous. And I have a couple of questions that, I think, would raise doubt in the concept of a soul.


Can souls see?
If one had any knowledge about basic body anatomy, one should realize that the senses are tied to sensory organs and the brain.

Take the sense of sight for example. The eyes are required to collect light from the environment - focusing the image, regulating light intensity, pointing at the desired direction - for the brain to process. Light falls on the photoreceptor cells, is then absorbed by the opsins (proteins in the cells) which uncoils, and that leads to a signal being fired to the brain via the optical nerves. The brain receives the signals and generates a 3D model of our surroundings in our minds so to speak.

That is how we see. If any part of the system is missing, we see nothing.

How does a soul see anything then? Arguably, it could see what the brain sees while still in the body. What about after death? Does the soul become blind?

How could it see? The soul is supposed to be immaterial. So where does light reflect, refract or be absorbed? How is the light even useful without a brain to generate a model with?

The same goes for all our senses.

How does a soul touch without skin? There aren't nerves to transmit signals. There isn't a brain to receive or process them. Being immaterial, how does a soul touch material matter?

How does a soul smell without the necessary olfactory organs? How does the molecular key and lock function with a immaterial nose? How is molecules even directed to the nose without the respiratory system? Random diffusion?

How does a soul taste without a tongue? How is food supposed to elicit a signal in the tongue without contact?

How does a soul hear without the ear, both inner and outer? How does sound energy transmit from the air to the immaterial eardrums? Is there eardrums at all? Then how does a soul change vibrations in the air into a meaningful sound?


How does a soul move?
Mobility is enabled by our motor systems. Muscles, bones and nerves interplay to enable movement.

If the soul retains its human form, what then is the purpose of a human shape that has no function?

If the soul is formless (commonly described as being an "energy"), how does that move then? Does it float and propelled by currents like jellyfish in the sea?

If soul has autonomous mobility, what are the mechanisms? Does it conform to the laws of physics? If it does not, why is it an exception?


Does a soul have memories?
Memories reside in the brain. Exactly where and how, I am not completely sure. Science works to solve this. Nonetheless, studies have shown that damage or trauma to the brain can cause memory lost. Damage of the hardware (brain) results in damage in the software (memory).

This directly contradicts the idea that the soul holds memories. If the soul is separate from the body, why should this be the case? Why would damage to the brain cause memory lost in the soul?

In addition, how does an immaterial soul store memory?

Since memory resides in the brain, wouldn't a departing soul be memory-less? Then what is a soul for? Going to heaven without memories... seems pointless to some extent.


Just food for thought
Oh well, these are just some of my thoughts. All may just be "mind crap" - Just some of the stuff I ponder when my mind wanders.

In any case, postulating (or simply asserting) that souls exist is irrational. We have no evidence and no reason to think they exist.