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Okay, I need to know this. I keep hearing people say that a soul is different from a spirit.

Please explain how do you think a soul differs from a spirit, if it does at all.

The only example that I can think of to back the difference is based purely on religious beliefs. The Holy Spirit is viewed differently than a mortal soul.

i think a soul is the true form of a living being. a spirit is like a entity or apparition. so i guess there is a simularity

I found this information at the following link:

http://www.writespirit.net/spirituality/life_and_death/the_soul__inhabitant_of_the_inner_world/copy_of_index_html

The following passage was taken from Sri Chinmoy’s book entitled Death and Reincarnation:

"A spirit, as the term is used in the West, is a vital entity, and it is usually not good. The soul, which embodies God, is deep inside us; it is part of the Self. Through the soul we enter into our all pervading divinity. When we use the term ‘soul,’' it refers to a spark of the Self, the Omniscient and the Omnipotent.

A spirit, as we use the term here, refers to a vital entity which is unsatisfied or dissatisfied when the person dies, and which stays in the vital world for some time. There are many, many disturbing, obstructing, conflicting forces that take the form of spirits.

These spirits try to create disharmony, division and so forth. This is their function."

Personally, I always thought it was mostly about context. Some people say soul and others say spirit.

Along the same lines as how some people say "Oh my God" and others say "Oh my Goddess"

Its all about faith.

I always thought they were the same difference unless you're talking about spirit as in ghosts.

Jack, are you suggesting one is a male and the other is a female?

Your soul is a part of a living being and teh spirit is when the living host has deceased

I thought they were the same thing. Believing one if male and one is female is just weird.

I suppose my take on it would be that a spirit is a disembodied soul? a soul who has yet to move on..... spirits live or dwell in the mortal world with out a body... a soul has a "home" if you will

Generally it would depend on any indivduals belief system.

I call a Spirit an invidual entity ( linked to the Soul ) either animating a human or having passed over to the world of Spirit.

I see the Soul as that which for the most part is hidden from us in this life.

It may well animate more than one Spirit.

I think of the Soul as being a diamond and the Spirit being the facets of that diamond.

well maybe the soal is alive and when its dead its a spirit..

Greg, no I wasn't trying to imply that one was male and the other was female. I just meant that they are the same to me and that some people just say soul and others say spirit.

Some people might say that a soul is something within a living being's body, and a spirit is outside of it. That's really the only thing I can think of..

I guess I always figured they were...not the same thing but really similar...Like the soul holds the personality and attributes that person has...
And a spirit is more so heard in a haunting sense, a spirit may be like a ghost.

Does a ghost not hold the personality and attributes on a person?

I would think so or else they would all just be carbon copies.

i dont seen any differance at all besides the holy ghost an the mortal soul ...

The only difference I see is the meaning behind them.... A spirit is seen as left behind or unfinished issues cause it to stay... A soul is more of a religious reference.... in my opinion the are the same thing with different names..

I think the spirit is mearly the physical manifestation of a soul's memory.

Interesting question and even though I have an opinion I'm finding it hard to express what I want to say. =/

well, I believe they are different...

I think that everyone has a soul, that it resides inside of us, but you can't see it nor will it separate from the physical body when the physical body dies, like I believe the spirit does.

But I do believe the soul will live on with the spirit after death.

I have always thought that a spirit was something more related to the afterlife or death.

A soul to me is more like a conscience or force that keeps you living.

I always thought of the two being similar, that the soul was part of being human and the spirit more of afterlife...

xMitsix did what I was about to do, pull up the actual definitions of the two words.

Before reading the definitions, I believed that they are different. A soul is your being, who you are. A spirit is a life force that exists as an entity outside of or possessing a physical body.

Okay there is a difference your soul is what carries on into your next life so you technically you never really die your body just wears out. Your spirit is your strength your will power. That is just my views.

I don't think there is much of a difference.

Its more like personal interpretation.

One is alcohol, the other is music :D

I always considered spirits to be like ghouls, ghosts and stuff liek that. The soul is the essence of human life.

Well, alcohol and music do have a tendency to go hand in hand haha.

Then again, alcohol has been called spirits in the past, but that is probably a different thread altogether.

The difference between a soul and spirit still seems like a contextual thing to me, but thats just my opinion.

some of my family are catholics, and i love to see them squirm when i ask that very question.

in my belief system, a spirit is the essence of someone or something - raw data so to speak. a soul is a self awareness - a function or result of what the spirit does. look at it like a computer game. the spirit of it is the code that makes it work. when you run the program, the actual gameplay is its soul. maybe not a brilliant example, but you get the idea.

depending on religon is what the out come is on this thread....

I don't , I think there one in the same . The stronger ones being able to break through .

I believe the soul is the energy inside of a living creature, and a spirit is the soul when it no longer has a physical shell to reside in.

LS ;)=

a soul is the energy and life within a living form when a spirit is an appartation or the essence of somone in the afterlife.

A soul is a mortal that is in a body that lives off of energy.

A soul (ghost) was a mortal that has died and does not no that it has died or has unfinished bussness.

It's what i beilive

I've heard many people say they are "spiritual." Here's Websters take on it:

1: incorporeal (which would make it akin to soul, but could also be #2)

2: of or relating to supernatural beings or phenomena (ghosties)

I've heard preachers talk about spirit both in a religious extraneous to the human context (Holy Spirit), but also in an intrinsic to the human ("let your spirit fly") context.

So I think it can be both or be different depending on context.

i think it is the same. Just spoken in difference terms in some belivesystems.

a soul is inside you and when you pass away you become a spirit, thats what i think

there both part of you as a being its part of you you have to listen to both to know whats best

Most people see them as they're taught to.
they're different words for the same thing.. contextually interchangeable.

ok your soul is your inner being and the spirit is your will

I though your soul was the same thing as being ur spirit

spirit is used more often then soul when example tell someone to get some fighting spirit so he or she can acomplish a task.

Well I guess I kinda see it as two things as well but sort of one in the same at the same time.

Soul being your essence, who you are and the part that carrys on after your current body has died.

Spirit is more of a power in side that maybe part of your soul ....

I dont think that came across right but close enough..

I always thought spirit and soul was pretty much the same???

I dont.. you can break someones spirit but you cant break their soul.

Think of someone whos been in an accident and is now in a veggitave state. There soul is still trapped in the body but their spirit is gone..

Depends on the context of a persons belief system.

The Soul is imbued within a human body, we have them.

A spirit is outside of you IE the Holy Spirit/Ghost or other beings that are disincorporated from the being

Really hard to say..Spirit and soul are both within you..This is really tricky..I mean, I think they're the same thing..If you really think about it.

From the dictionary:

SPIRIT: –noun

1. The principle of conscious life; the vital principle in humans, animating the body or mediating between body and soul.

2. The incorporeal part of humans: present in spirit though absent in body.

3. The soul regarded as separating from the body at death.

4. Conscious, incorporeal being, as opposed to matter: the world of spirit.

5. A supernatural, incorporeal being, esp. one inhabiting a place, object, etc., or having a particular character: evil spirits.

6. A fairy, sprite, or elf.

7. An angel or demon.

8. An attitude or principle that inspires, animates, or pervades thought, feeling, or action: the spirit of reform.

9. (initial capital letter) the divine influence as an agency working in the human heart.

10. A divine, inspiring, or animating being or influence. Num. 11:25; Is. 32:15.

11. (initial capital letter) the third person of the Trinity; Holy Spirit.

12. The soul or heart as the seat of feelings or sentiments, or as prompting to action: a man of broken spirit.

13. Spirits, feelings or mood with regard to exaltation or depression: low spirits; good spirits.

14. Excellent disposition or attitude in terms of vigor, courage, firmness of intent, etc.; mettle: That's the spirit!

15. Temper or disposition: meek in spirit.

16. An individual as characterized by a given attitude, disposition, character, action, etc.: A few brave spirits remained to face the danger.

17. The dominant tendency or character of anything: the spirit of the age.

18. Vigorous sense of membership in a group: college spirit.

19. The general meaning or intent of a statement, document, etc. (opposed to letter): the spirit of the law.

20. Chemistry. the essence or active principle of a substance as extracted in liquid form, esp. by distillation.

21. Often, spirits. a strong distilled alcoholic liquor.

22. Chiefly British. alcohol.

23. Pharmacology. a solution in alcohol of an essential or volatile principle; essence.

24. any of certain subtle fluids formerly supposed to permeate the body.

25. The Spirit, God.


SOUL: –noun
1. The principle of life, feeling, thought, and action in humans, regarded as a distinct entity separate from the body, and commonly held to be separable in existence from the body; the spiritual part of humans as distinct from the physical part.

2. The spiritual part of humans regarded in its moral aspect, or as believed to survive death and be subject to happiness or misery in a life to come: arguing the immortality of the soul.

3. The disembodied spirit of a deceased person: He feared the soul of the deceased would haunt him.

4. The emotional part of human nature; the seat of the feelings or sentiments.

5. A human being; person.

6. High-mindedness; noble warmth of feeling, spirit or courage, etc.

7. The animating principle; the essential element or part of something.

8. The inspirer or moving spirit of some action, movement, etc.

9. The embodiment of some quality: He was the very soul of tact.

10. (initial capital letter) Christian Science. God; the divine source of all identity and individuality.

11. Shared ethnic awareness and pride among black people, esp. black Americans.

12. Deeply felt emotion, as conveyed or expressed by a performer or artist.

I think people use them similarly or for the same meaning. I guess it depends on the person themselves and what they believe.

Mmm. Well when talking about it without supernatural connotations when one refers to someone as spirited, it generally infers that they are very energetic or driven. To say someone has soul generally is to infer that they're very spiritual....
And I don't really know where this train of thought is headed! =P
But in the supernatural context I believe a spirit is a seperate entity and a soul has to be attached to a seperate entity to exist.

I agree with the above statement a spirit is something taht has left its body, where a soul is attached to its body within.

Just my thoughts

A soul is the part of a person that lives inside them while they are alive, the part that can be "spiritually" damaged thru decisions and magics. A spirit is a soul that no longer has its body, and is often called a ghost, of something of that sort.

A soul is something that helps a body live.

A spirt is something when a person dies if they do not cross over the persons spirt will linger untill they can cross over.

it mean the same thing to me. i dont think of them as two different things.

After reading everything , I still say their one in the same ---

spirit vs soul = same. I believe our body is our earth suit for our souls, upon our demise our spirit awaits another body for its reincarnation.

the soul is something that cant be broken but the spirit can be so they have to be two different things.

in some ways they may be different concidering situation.

Thanks AlchemistDamned...

To me in this case, to go by the parameters of this thread.. a spirit is like a ghost and soul is what makes up a person - their spark, their uniqueness, what they are.

i don't really think there is a difference. but as someone said earlier, it depends upon your religious beliefs

The soul I beleive is more religiouse terminology as to where spirit is used in conjunction with or instead of soul, but also can carry deeper meaning As for example, spirit of the wolf, spirit of the hunter, fighting spirit. One while giving likewise a sort of soul to an animal it also lends to its attribute as do the others, they display and sort of... collect as to say attribute to label with... though I hate to use the word label... Categorize... yes a much better term... Categorize mental, emotional and sometimes physical attributes to someone or something to make comparisons and contrasts...

I really dont think there is really a difference.

this i found

Concerning your question on the Soul versus the Spirit, let me first say it is a good one! There are some who don't believe there is a difference. This is due to the fact that the Hebrew word for soul is nephesh which means literally "life". It

is also used for animals (Gen 1:20-24) and man as a whole person (Joshua 2:13, Exodus 21:23). The Hebrew texts denotes the spirit as "ruach" and refers to it as only the immaterial part of man (Num 16:22).

The greek of the New Testament makes things a little more clear. We know there is a difference between the soul (psyche) and the spirit (pneuma) by looking at Hebrews 4:12- "For the word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit..." .

The spirit is always referred to as the immaterial part of man. Man is not a spirit, he has a spirit. I believe the soul (psyche) is just what the greek word implies... the makeup of man. You are different from every other person. The thing that makes Raymond Raymond is the soul. The soul is how you relate to others and how you understand yourself. The spirit is how you relate to God. When you are reborn, you are born of spirit (John 3:5-6). The spirit is part of the soul, much like the mind is part of the soul. It is the soul, though, that comprises who you are.

Animals don't have a spirit per se- they don't seek God. Plants have a body, animals have a body and soul (they are capable of relating to man and other animals), but only man has a spirit. Both the soul and spirit pass when man dies, thus you will be recognizable as Raymond in the coming resurrection (ref Matt 17:3) and you will as a believer forever be able to fellowship with God. You will be given a new body (1 Cor 15:51-55), but you will be you.

http://www.comereason.org/theo_issues/theo070.asp

well i say a soul is whats in your body in living form if that makes sense. as for spirit well i think that is what leaves the living form after it can no longer stay host body

I think it depends on one's outlook and religion.Some thing a spirit is a ghost, while the soul is something is something immortal and cannot be seen.

i believe that one only has a soul while he or she is living and spirit after one has passed on. but i agree that it also has to do with one's outlook.

a soul has a host where as the spirit doesn't but i also thought the spirit can take over a host in a different way and only tempary

Like several here, I'd have to agree that the differences would depend on your indivdual beliefs.

I believe that the soul is a part of you. A soul defines your being, and stays with you always.

A spirit is the part of you that leaves your physical being upon death and (again, this is my personal belief) is released to either heaven or hell.

well the spirit is to me is more of the emotional part of a being rather it be apart of the Soul or lets say Ghost LOL of the person...

your soul is what make you *YOU* and the true deeper part of your true being just how I look at it

I mean people are always saying "your in poor spirits" or happy sirits" LOL so to me it is the emotional part of the person... :0

Warrior -

Aren't Spirits normally referred to as ghosts?

oh see i always thought the soul was IN us and the spirit remains after death

Don't some consider both?

to me the soul is the life force of a person and the spirit is just the life after death form of a person.

Couldn't they be considered one in the same? A life force and a life after?

Despite some efforts, the discussion isn't really developing, it's just repetition of the same responses.