I am reading a book called Life Before Life by Jim B. Tucker and he always says that the thoughts and emotions carry on to the next life and refers to this as the consciousness but doesn't say anything about the soul (so far from what I've read, up to Chapter 6). If it's thoughts and emotions, how do they end up in the next person's body?
What is the difference between the consciousness and the soul?
- Thread starter MobiusX
- Start date
Hi MobiusX, welcome to the forum 
I'm sure others will give you a better answer, but these are my own thoughts on your question, and anyone, please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.
I think as individuals, we can be separated into two halves, the physical self and the spiritual self, both combine to make us who we are today. Thoughts and actions come from the brain, or the physical self, and feelings and emotions come from the heart, not the organ, but the heart of oneself, or the soul. I also believe that memories are contained both within the soul and the brain, because the act of remembering (from the brain) various events throughout one's life can often evoke strong feeling or emotion (from the heart, or soul)
When the physical body dies, the soul, or consciousness, is no longer tied to that vessel and returns to its source where the recent life is reviewed and the next life is determined, then the process begins all over again. The soul inhabits a new body, bringing with it the learning gained from previous lives. Without a soul, the physical body would be just an 'automaton'.
I hope I've understood your question properly, and like I said, others will probably add to my reply and hopefully correct me if I've missed anything
Chris
I'm sure others will give you a better answer, but these are my own thoughts on your question, and anyone, please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.
I think as individuals, we can be separated into two halves, the physical self and the spiritual self, both combine to make us who we are today. Thoughts and actions come from the brain, or the physical self, and feelings and emotions come from the heart, not the organ, but the heart of oneself, or the soul. I also believe that memories are contained both within the soul and the brain, because the act of remembering (from the brain) various events throughout one's life can often evoke strong feeling or emotion (from the heart, or soul)
When the physical body dies, the soul, or consciousness, is no longer tied to that vessel and returns to its source where the recent life is reviewed and the next life is determined, then the process begins all over again. The soul inhabits a new body, bringing with it the learning gained from previous lives. Without a soul, the physical body would be just an 'automaton'.
I hope I've understood your question properly, and like I said, others will probably add to my reply and hopefully correct me if I've missed anything
Chris
tanguerra
Moderator Emeritus
Hi MobiusX
Some people use the words 'soul' and 'consciousness' quite interchangeably and don't really make any distinction between them. Personally I would probably fall into this camp. I feel words like soul, spirit, essence, consciousness, self, etc. are all describing more or less the same thing.
Some people use only one or the other very strictly and mean slightly different things by them. A lot of people prefer to use 'consciousness' instead of 'soul', as they feel it is more encompassing of ideas such as 'mind' and 'awareness' and so forth which is what they are trying to describe. Also 'consciousness' came more into favour in this type of usage in the 1960s with the start of the so called 'New Age' movement, because it does not have the religious (Christian) connotations words like soul and spirit do, but it is considered culturally and religiously neutral.
As to how exactly the 'soul' or 'consciousness' or whatever you want to call it inhabits the body? Well, I don't know. People talk about the soul being attached by a 'silver thread' and such things, but I certainly don't really understand the 'mechanism' properly. I just know that it happens.
We tend to believe in our scientifically minded culture that thoughts and memories and feelings are being generated by the brain and that they are stored in the brain somehow, but I do not believe this is correct. You only have to do some reading on near death experiences to realise that thinking, remembering and even being able to see are not dependent on the organs of the physical body. People frequently write about thinking, seeing and so on while there is no brain activity at all and they have been pronounced clinically 'dead'. There are innumerable stories of patients who were 'dead' who can later tell the doctors all about what they saw happening in the operating room from their vantage point on the ceiling and so forth.
Some people use the words 'soul' and 'consciousness' quite interchangeably and don't really make any distinction between them. Personally I would probably fall into this camp. I feel words like soul, spirit, essence, consciousness, self, etc. are all describing more or less the same thing.
Some people use only one or the other very strictly and mean slightly different things by them. A lot of people prefer to use 'consciousness' instead of 'soul', as they feel it is more encompassing of ideas such as 'mind' and 'awareness' and so forth which is what they are trying to describe. Also 'consciousness' came more into favour in this type of usage in the 1960s with the start of the so called 'New Age' movement, because it does not have the religious (Christian) connotations words like soul and spirit do, but it is considered culturally and religiously neutral.
As to how exactly the 'soul' or 'consciousness' or whatever you want to call it inhabits the body? Well, I don't know. People talk about the soul being attached by a 'silver thread' and such things, but I certainly don't really understand the 'mechanism' properly. I just know that it happens.
We tend to believe in our scientifically minded culture that thoughts and memories and feelings are being generated by the brain and that they are stored in the brain somehow, but I do not believe this is correct. You only have to do some reading on near death experiences to realise that thinking, remembering and even being able to see are not dependent on the organs of the physical body. People frequently write about thinking, seeing and so on while there is no brain activity at all and they have been pronounced clinically 'dead'. There are innumerable stories of patients who were 'dead' who can later tell the doctors all about what they saw happening in the operating room from their vantage point on the ceiling and so forth.
Hi MobiusX and welcome.
My personal thoughts are that conscious = soul = spirit. I have to make things simple for myself and I prefer to believe that only one "thing" transcends this life and I call that "thing" our consciousness or soul or spirit. They are all the same to me. I think that our true nature is like a being of light that can be any form that it chooses. All of the other different parts of the spiritual body that I hear about, I just put into my soul bag and call it by one name. You can draw your own conclusions.
You can study what others have ascertained the make-up of the soul to be and it ranges from the very simple to the very complex but where does their information come from? I like to think that there is no complex bureaucracy or structure in the world of light beings and that the light beings are a natural function of a greater consciousness that is experiencing the unfolding of the universe. In fact, when I depart this life and find out that I have to take a number and stand in line or report to a supervisor or something like that - I am going to be P.O.'d!
As spirits, we enter into a physical body and become one with it in order to experience the Earthly environment, to immerse ourselves in the experience of the senses and emotions which are different from the senses and emotions of our spirit nature. As spirits, when we depart, we take with us all of our experiences and memories and these are precious tangible "things" (words fail me here) that are shared with our fellow spirits or light beings. We are the same consciousness that we are now - sans hate, jealousy, and all of the other hurtful human traits. The human nature that we immerse ourselves in is where the animal instincts live and our spiritual nature is where Love resides. The Love is the energy that we are made of. When we love each other our energy reaches out to each other and our energies harmonize with each other - we become one being and that is what love is. You, me, Tanguerra and Chris becoming one in thought, sharing experience. It is wonderful.
You aren't the experience and emotion, rather those are things that you gather up to share with everyone else. Maybe you come back to the Earth to try and have the same experiences but live the life differently and gather up even better and more exquisite experience to share.
Have I even remotely answered your question? These are just my thoughts and don't represent any particular group but I do think that you can take the love part to the bank.
My personal thoughts are that conscious = soul = spirit. I have to make things simple for myself and I prefer to believe that only one "thing" transcends this life and I call that "thing" our consciousness or soul or spirit. They are all the same to me. I think that our true nature is like a being of light that can be any form that it chooses. All of the other different parts of the spiritual body that I hear about, I just put into my soul bag and call it by one name. You can draw your own conclusions.
You can study what others have ascertained the make-up of the soul to be and it ranges from the very simple to the very complex but where does their information come from? I like to think that there is no complex bureaucracy or structure in the world of light beings and that the light beings are a natural function of a greater consciousness that is experiencing the unfolding of the universe. In fact, when I depart this life and find out that I have to take a number and stand in line or report to a supervisor or something like that - I am going to be P.O.'d!
As spirits, we enter into a physical body and become one with it in order to experience the Earthly environment, to immerse ourselves in the experience of the senses and emotions which are different from the senses and emotions of our spirit nature. As spirits, when we depart, we take with us all of our experiences and memories and these are precious tangible "things" (words fail me here) that are shared with our fellow spirits or light beings. We are the same consciousness that we are now - sans hate, jealousy, and all of the other hurtful human traits. The human nature that we immerse ourselves in is where the animal instincts live and our spiritual nature is where Love resides. The Love is the energy that we are made of. When we love each other our energy reaches out to each other and our energies harmonize with each other - we become one being and that is what love is. You, me, Tanguerra and Chris becoming one in thought, sharing experience. It is wonderful.
You aren't the experience and emotion, rather those are things that you gather up to share with everyone else. Maybe you come back to the Earth to try and have the same experiences but live the life differently and gather up even better and more exquisite experience to share.
Have I even remotely answered your question? These are just my thoughts and don't represent any particular group but I do think that you can take the love part to the bank.
Charles Stuart
Senior Registered
Hi Mobius,
To me they are one and the same. Our Consciousness is what we would refer to as our Soul - an individualization of the Larger Universal Consciousness that we refer to as God. Therefore, we are also Co-Creators of the reality that surrounds us seeing as we are of the same essence as the Consciousness that rules upon all of Creation and gave origin to all things. This Universal or Cosmic Consciousness, just as your own consciousness or mine, is only accessible to us via its manifestations. Just as a painting is a manifestation of its creator, likewise the Universe is a manifestation of the Consciousness that gave origin to it...
To me they are one and the same. Our Consciousness is what we would refer to as our Soul - an individualization of the Larger Universal Consciousness that we refer to as God. Therefore, we are also Co-Creators of the reality that surrounds us seeing as we are of the same essence as the Consciousness that rules upon all of Creation and gave origin to all things. This Universal or Cosmic Consciousness, just as your own consciousness or mine, is only accessible to us via its manifestations. Just as a painting is a manifestation of its creator, likewise the Universe is a manifestation of the Consciousness that gave origin to it...
It is my belief that your spirit is a spark of Gods own creative spirit. It is pure and also creative. It is not touched my human negativity. The spirit creates the Soul. The Soul IS effected by all of the physical world and all of the human traits...good and bad. The soul creates free will.
I believe your soul is always seeking to be as pure as it's creator...always reaching for the light and in each life seeking to reach its spirit
As you reincarnate you begin where you left off in your last life......bringing along all of the traits that you developed....be they good or bad.
I believe it is the same spirit and the same soul. It is the soul who remembers all and is your higher self because it is connected to it's creator.....your spirit. You personality is part of your consciousness and soul
I believe in meditation you have your greatest chance to reach your higher self through your single minded and devoted consciousness and maybe once in a very long time receive a real message from Spirit.
That's just the way I see it in my mind.
I believe your soul is always seeking to be as pure as it's creator...always reaching for the light and in each life seeking to reach its spirit
As you reincarnate you begin where you left off in your last life......bringing along all of the traits that you developed....be they good or bad.
I believe it is the same spirit and the same soul. It is the soul who remembers all and is your higher self because it is connected to it's creator.....your spirit. You personality is part of your consciousness and soul
I believe in meditation you have your greatest chance to reach your higher self through your single minded and devoted consciousness and maybe once in a very long time receive a real message from Spirit.
That's just the way I see it in my mind.
Charles Stuart
Senior Registered
Hi Florence,
Beautifully exposed...
But to me it is the Soul-Consciousness that creates the Spiritual Body as well as the physical one, as well all else in our own individual "micro-universes". Certainly we can refer to the "God Consciousness" also as "The Universal Spirit" or "The Universal Spirit of God". I just rather prefer to use the term "Soul-Consciousness" to refer to "The Essence" or "The Origin", and "Spirit" to the semi-material element (which is apparently a form of "Light") of which our Spiritual Bodies and the Spiritual Realms consist of...
:thumbsup:
Beautifully exposed...
But to me it is the Soul-Consciousness that creates the Spiritual Body as well as the physical one, as well all else in our own individual "micro-universes". Certainly we can refer to the "God Consciousness" also as "The Universal Spirit" or "The Universal Spirit of God". I just rather prefer to use the term "Soul-Consciousness" to refer to "The Essence" or "The Origin", and "Spirit" to the semi-material element (which is apparently a form of "Light") of which our Spiritual Bodies and the Spiritual Realms consist of... :thumbsup:
HI MobiusX,
Let me know if this is what you are looking for - or if not - could you be more specific? Thanks...and welcome.
Roger Woolger goes into depth about this in his work which he refers to as --deep memory process.
Let me know if this is what you are looking for - or if not - could you be more specific? Thanks...and welcome.