What is the soul? I’ve been asking myself this question for years, and the answers I find are as diverse as the people who have offered them. It’s one of those questions that has resonated within us since the dawn of time. From ancient philosophers and medieval mystics to modern quantum physicists, humanity has relentlessly tried to understand this intangible essence that animates us. Is it eternal? What is its relationship with our body? Or is it just a metaphor?
In this post, I want to take you on a journey through centuries and cultures to see how the perception of the soul has changed. We’ll explore the ideas of Western and Eastern thinkers to see how different traditions have defined the immaterial. This isn’t just a historical overview. It’s an invitation for personal reflection on what the soul means to you and how understanding it can help in times of crisis and searching for meaning.
The Soul in Antiquity – The Foundations of Our Thought
Antiquity gave birth to concepts that still shape our thinking about the soul today. Both Greek philosophers and Eastern sages saw it as the key to understanding our place in the universe.
Ancient Western Philosophy
- Plato believed the soul is immortal and exists in a world of ideas even before we are born. For him, the soul was divided into three parts: the rational (responsible for thought), the spirited (linked to emotions and courage), and the appetitive (driving our desires). Our goal was to strive for harmony among these parts, led by reason.
- Aristotle, Plato’s student, took a more pragmatic approach. He saw the soul as the “form” of the body—what gives it life and purpose. It was inseparable from matter, and after the body’s death, it ceased to exist in its individual form.
- The Stoics viewed the soul as a spark of the divine logos, the universal reason that permeates the entire cosmos. They believed that by living in harmony with nature and reason, we could achieve inner peace.
Ancient Eastern Traditions
- Hinduism introduced the concept of Atman—the eternal, individual soul that is part of the universal soul, or Brahman. The purpose of life is to realize this unity and break free from the cycle of birth and death (samsara) through spiritual practices.
- Buddhism proposed the revolutionary concept of Anatta, or the absence of a permanent, unchanging soul. Instead, it spoke of a “stream of consciousness” that passes from one life to the next, carrying the karmic consequences of our actions. The goal is to break this cycle and attain nirvana.
- Taoism described the soul as part of the Tao—the natural order of the universe. The Chinese believed in two aspects of the soul: hun (the spiritual soul, which returns to the heavens after death) and po (the corporeal soul, which remains with the body). Harmony between them was the key to health and longevity.
Questions for Reflection:
- Do you lean more toward the idea of an immortal, eternal soul, like Plato’s, or do you see it as an energy inseparably tied to the body, as Aristotle did? How does your belief shape the way you think about death or impermanence?
- Or perhaps the Eastern concept of a cyclical journey resonates with you—a soul that is reborn in different forms or strives for union with the absolute? Does the idea of reincarnation or merging with a universal consciousness bring you peace, inspiration, or is it difficult to accept?
- How do you imagine your soul’s “journey”? Is it a linear path of progress for you, or do you see yourself in a repeating cycle of returns, transformations, growth, and purification?
More questions can be found in the section at the end of the article.
The Soul in the Middle Ages – In Search of God
The Middle Ages was a time dominated by the great monotheistic religions. The soul became the central focus of theological debates, and its fate after death became the primary concern for every person.
Western Religious Thought
- St. Augustine saw the soul as the place of personal encounter with God. It was within the soul, through prayer and introspection, that one could discover truth and experience divine love. The soul was immortal, and its ultimate goal was salvation.
- St. Thomas Aquinas, merging Aristotle’s thought with Christianity, argued that the soul is the form of the body but, as a rational being, can exist after the body’s death.
- Christian mystics, like Meister Eckhart and St. John of the Cross, described the soul as a tool for deep contemplation and union with God in an act of mystical love.
Eastern Religious Traditions
- Islam presents a very rich and complex concept of the soul. A key role is played by the concept of nafs, which can be translated as both soul and ego. The Quranic tradition distinguishes several states of the soul: nafs al-ammara (inclined to evil), nafs al-lawwama (self-reproaching), and nafs al-mutma’inna (at peace, purified by closeness to God). Every person’s soul is given life by ruh—the divine breath, which is a pure, spiritual essence. After death, the soul enters a state called barzakh—an intermediate world where it awaits the final judgment. Particularly in Sufism, the mystical branch of Islam, the soul is depicted as longing to return to God—most famously captured by Rumi, who compared the soul to a reed flute cut from the reed bed from which it came.
- Kabbalah, the mystical tradition of Judaism, described the soul as multidimensional, consisting of different levels (e.g., nefesh, ruach, neshamah), each responsible for different aspects of our existence—from vital functions to a spiritual connection with God.
- Jainism taught that every living being possesses a soul (jiva), which is by nature pure consciousness. The goal is to cleanse the soul of accumulated karma through rigorous ethical practices so it can achieve liberation.
Questions for Reflection:
- Do you see the soul as something that connects you to a higher power—God, the Universe, the Absolute—or is it more of a symbol or an inner compass for you? What feelings does this connection evoke, and do you seek comfort, guidance, or answers to difficult questions in it?
- Does the idea of a soul longing to return to its source, as seen in Sufi mystics or Rumi’s poetry, resonate with you? How do you experience this “call of the soul”—as a quiet nostalgia, a desire for understanding, or perhaps as intense spiritual experiences that are hard to describe in words?
- How do you imagine the relationship between the soul and your daily spiritual or religious life? Do practices like prayer, meditation, or moments of reflection on the meaning of existence build your sense of inner depth?
More questions can be found in the section at the end of the article.
The Soul in the Renaissance and Enlightenment – Between Reason and Spirit
With the arrival of the Renaissance and the scientific revolution, thinkers began to approach the soul in a more rational way. Old dogmas were questioned, and the relationship between soul and body became one of philosophy’s most important problems.
This was also a time of extraordinary flourishing in art and literature, which tried to capture what was hidden in the “invisible” part of humanity. In Dante’s “Divine Comedy,” the soul journeys through the afterlife, experiencing purgatory and heaven—and his words remain a living inspiration for asking questions about the purpose and meaning of existence:
“You were not made to live like beasts, but to follow virtue and knowledge.”
These words express human longing and hope for immortality. In turn, William Blake wrote:
“To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour.”
He placed the soul at the center of his poetry as a source of light, freedom, and imagination.
We find a similar depth in the art of this period. In his famous triptych “The Garden of Earthly Delights,” Hieronymus Bosch depicted a vision of the soul passing through realms of sin, temptation, and transformation. Bosch’s paintings are full of symbolic creatures and allegories that question the soul’s fate after death and the consequences of human choices.
In the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo depicted “The Creation of Adam”—a gesture in which the divine spark animates man, endowing him not only with physical life but also with a spiritual one. His sculptures, like the “Pietà,” exude both the suffering of the body and the invisible strength of the soul being tested in the face of death and surrender.
During this period, Eastern thought, thanks to the first translations of ancient texts, slowly began to penetrate Europe, opening Western minds to concepts of reincarnation and the unity of the universe.
It’s also worth remembering that views on the soul were shaped not only in the main centers of philosophy and religion but also across a great diversity of world cultures. A particularly significant stream is animism, present in many indigenous communities in Africa, Australia, and the Americas. In animism, the soul is seen not just as a privilege of humans but as a property present in animals, plants, mountains, rivers, and even man-made objects. Such a view fosters a sense of connection and shared responsibility for all of nature. Rituals, stories, and art reflect the belief that the world is inhabited by many spiritual forces and beings with whom one can establish contact, ask for support, offer apologies, or celebrate the cycles of life.
To this mosaic, we can add the metaphors and beliefs of mythology. In Norse tradition, the human soul was understood through concepts like Hugr (spirit, thoughts, intentions) and Fylgja (a personal guardian spirit, which could take an animal form). Among the Slavs, the soul—called “żywot” (life force)—was considered the quintessence of existence, sometimes depicted as a bird leaving the body during sleep or death, and was surrounded by rites of passage, prayers, and spells intended to support its onward journey. Indigenous cosmologies constantly remind us that the boundaries between the visible and invisible worlds are fluid, and understanding the soul also means recognizing its presence in every manifestation of life.
- René Descartes introduced the famous dualism of soul and body. He argued that the soul is a thinking substance (res cogitans), completely separate from the material body (res extensa). His famous “I think, therefore I am” (Cogito, ergo sum) became the foundation of modern philosophy but also deepened the divide between spirit and matter.
- Baruch Spinoza rejected Cartesian dualism. He believed that the soul and body are not two different substances but two aspects of the same single substance, which he called God or Nature.
- Emanuel Swedenborg, a scientist and mystic, described his visions of the spiritual world that the soul enters after death. His writings, filled with detailed descriptions of the afterlife, inspired many later thinkers and artists.
Questions for Reflection:
- Do you feel that your soul (or consciousness) is something separate from your body, as Descartes suggested, or do you believe that body and soul are inseparably connected, as Spinoza proposed? How does this belief translate into your attitude toward daily life and death?
- How do you understand the mutual influence of body and soul? Do you think your state of mind affects your physical health, or that bodily experiences leave a mark on the soul?
- Have you ever had an experience—perhaps suffering, great joy, loss, or awe—that made you feel you are both a spiritual and a physical being? How do you interpret such moments?
More questions can be found in the section at the end of the article.
The Soul in the Modern Era – A New Synthesis
The modern era has brought a fascinating attempt to merge science, psychology, and spirituality. The soul is no longer the exclusive domain of philosophy and religion; today, it is studied by psychologists, physicists, neurobiologists, philosophers of mind, and contemporary spiritual teachers.
Research on consciousness within the natural sciences has an increasing impact on the discussion. Neurobiologists are trying to answer whether consciousness—and perhaps the soul—is simply a product of neural activity, or if there is something that eludes a purely materialistic worldview. Modern brain imaging technologies allow us to “watch” thoughts and emotions arise, but they don’t fully explain the experience of existence itself—the so-called “hard problem of consciousness,” as described by thinkers like David Chalmers. He himself wonders whether it’s possible that consciousness is a fundamental element of the universe, not just a feature of complex biological systems.
Sam Harris, one of the most recognizable popularizers of science and philosophy, explores consciousness from the perspectives of both neuroscience and meditative practices, seeking to understand the deep, subjective nature of experience. His reflections show how the lines between science and spiritual seeking can blur.
At the same time, new technologies are challenging our existing concepts of the soul. Artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, and the creation of “digital twins” increasingly raise questions: can “machines” have consciousness, and if so, can we speak of something like a machine’s soul? Can the “self” be recorded, copied, and transferred to the digital world? These questions were once the domain of science fiction; today, they are a real field of ethical and philosophical debate.
The modern era has also seen an explosion of new spiritual movements, where spirituality combines with psychology, coaching, and the opportunity to explore one’s “inner soul” through various methods of working with consciousness. We also increasingly draw from New Age traditions, blending elements of meditation, body-mind work, creative visualization, and transpersonal practices.
The contemporary vision of the soul is therefore a meeting place: of science, technology, philosophy, religion, and art. It is a space where questions about what makes us “someone”—a person, a spark of life, a unique consciousness—are more open than ever before, and the answers can be as individual as each of our stories.
Western Psychology and Spirituality
- Carl Gustav Jung saw the soul as a bridge between the conscious and the unconscious. He believed that the process of individuation—the journey toward wholeness and the integration of all aspects of the psyche—is the soul’s most important task. His work with archetypes and symbols opened psychology to the spiritual dimension. If you’re interested in the practical application of Jung’s archetypes, I recommend my blog posts where I describe both masculine and feminine patterns—their maturity and shadows—in the context of personal development and soul work:
- Recognizing Maturity and Shadows in Jungian Male Archetypes
- Recognizing Maturity and Shadows in Jungian Female Archetypes: A Guide to Inner Power
- Exploring Jungian Male Archetypes: A Personal Journey
In these texts, you’ll find practical exercises, reflections, and everyday examples showing how working with archetypes connects to a deeper understanding of yourself, your soul, and your individual path of development.
- James Hillman, the founder of archetypal psychology, believed that the soul expresses itself through myths, dreams, and imagination. For him, “soul-making” meant deepening our connection with the symbolic and metaphorical in our lives.
- Michael Newton, a hypnotherapist, described his patients’ accounts from regression sessions into the life between lives in books like Journey of Souls. His work suggests that souls go through cycles of reincarnation, learning and developing in the spiritual world.
Eastern Spirituality in the Modern World
- Deepak Chopra combines medicine with Vedic wisdom, viewing the soul as part of a universal consciousness that is eternal and limitless.
- Amit Goswami, a quantum physicist, suggests that the soul may be a “quantum field of consciousness” that exists outside of time and space, and that consciousness is the foundation of all reality.
- Paramahansa Yogananda, author of Autobiography of a Yogi, brought meditation techniques to the West aimed at the direct experience of the soul as a divine spark within us.
Questions for Reflection:
- What do your dreams, intuitions, or inner images tell you about your soul? Have you ever had an experience you considered a “voice of the soul” or contact with something deeper within yourself? How do you react to such experiences?
- Have science, technology, or modern psychology changed your thinking about what the soul is? Or are there limits to knowledge that cannot be crossed with the tools of the rational mind?
- What role do spiritual practices, meditation, prayer, art, or solitude play in your life? Do they help you better understand yourself on a soul level?
More questions can be found in the section at the end of the article.
General Questions for Reflection on the Soul
Consider the questions below, which can help you delve deeper into the topic of the soul—regardless of which tradition or philosophy you hold closest to your heart. You can return to them at different points in your life, compare your answers over time, and use them as a starting point for conversation or your own notes.
- How do you understand the concept of the “soul”? What is it for you personally? Do you feel you have a soul? Why or why not?
- When do you experience a sense of depth, inner guidance, or connection to something larger than everyday life?
- Have your beliefs about the soul changed over time? If so, what caused the change?
- What is the biggest question you are seeking an answer to on your spiritual path? Do you believe it is the soul that poses questions to you, or is it you who directs your calls and longings to it?
- If you could ask your soul one question, what would it be? What answer do you expect or desire?
- In moments of solitude, sadness, or awe—do you wonder what lesson that experience holds for your soul? Do you have ways to accept and integrate it?
I encourage you to treat these questions as a path to a deep, honest conversation with yourself. Write down your answers, return to them over time, be gentle with your own doubts, and open yourself to new perspectives that may emerge during this reflection.
To delve even deeper, try a simple exercise—devote a few minutes to quiet meditation on the question, “What is my soul?” or “How do I feel it today?” Allow thoughts and feelings to arise freely and jot down the words, images, or emotions that appear.
If you enjoy online tools and want to look at yourself from a distance, try taking quizzes or personality tests that aid in self-reflection. An interesting option could be a Jungian archetypes test (you can find many free versions by searching for “Jung archetypes test”), spirituality quizzes, or tests on values and life preferences. Such interactive tools won’t replace deep inner work, but they can inspire new questions or discoveries. You might notice aspects of yourself you hadn’t seen before or gain a new perspective on your way of thinking about the soul, identity, or meaning. Sometimes, it’s worth treating such a quiz as a pretext for your own notes or a conversation with someone close about these topics.
Conclusion – What Does This All Give Us?
This journey through the ages makes me realize how deeply ingrained the need to search is within us. Regardless of the era, culture, or personal history, there’s always a question simmering beneath the surface of daily life: am I more than just a body? For some, this “spark” will be the soul; for others, consciousness, a sense of purpose, or an invisible identity. Every tradition I’ve written about today is an attempt to grasp this mystery and find a connection within ourselves to something larger: nature, God, the Universe—or our own authentic “self.”
Maybe you’re someone who prefers solid knowledge. In that case, I recommend readings like David Chalmers’ “The Conscious Mind” or Sam Harris’s “Making Sense” podcast, where the boundaries between neuroscience and spirituality are becoming increasingly blurred. If you’re more inspired by art, pick up Dante’s “Divine Comedy,” the poetry of William Blake, or look at the paintings of Bosch or the sculptures of Michelangelo. For those intrigued by Eastern spirituality and psychology, “Autobiography of a Yogi” by Paramahansa Yogananda, “Man and His Symbols” by Carl Gustav Jung, or books by Deepak Chopra and Michael Newton will be fascinating guideposts. Seekers of experience can try meditation—quiet yourself for a few minutes and write down your thoughts on the question, “What is my soul?”
I encourage you to treat this article as the beginning of your own conversation with your soul—not just today, but in the coming week or year. Go back to the questions in each section: write down your answers, and share them in the comments below the text.
Your story, even if quiet and intimate, might inspire someone. If you have favorite books, films, documentaries, or podcasts that touch on the theme of the soul, write about them in the comments or send me a message. Together, we are building a space for sharing experiences and having authentic conversations about the things that truly move us.
I hope this journey has been an impetus for questions and discoveries that will stay with you for a long time.
In a world full of uncertainty and crises, returning to these ancient and modern questions about the soul can be incredibly healing. It can remind us that our journey has a deeper purpose and that difficulties are part of the growth process.
Finally, I leave you with one last question: What is the soul to you?
Share your thoughts in the comments! Your perspective is valuable and may inspire others. If you want to explore this topic further, seek out the works of the authors mentioned in this post—they are a treasure trove of wisdom for a lifetime.
If my writing has inspired or helped you, I would be grateful for your support.
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AI Disclosure
I see my thoughts as the essence, much like the soul, and AI helps me give them form. It supports me with research, translation, and organizing ideas, but every perspective is my own. Curious how I use AI? Read more here.
