Yeah, I'm not sure either, hence the post.
From a science (or I guess parascience) perspective one could imply that our consciousness is a form of electrical matrix (some even drawing correlations to the brain's structure neural pathways mirror the design of galaxies) is energy. Energy does not disappear nor is it created, it just "changes".
I've read and watched science studies on the act of humans and other species dying. Based several multispectrum recordings of the release of energy and the separation of the energy fields once the biological system ends.
More on the electrical system of our bodies
A more unverified theory is that the electrical matrix, aura, consciousness or simply the energy produced by the fusion in our bodies rises to a high dimensional plane once the body dies. (shrugs)
I'm not supporting the whole religion point of view of past sins, guild, and or reincarnation. Rather the interesting science research and how there appears to be an interesting fringe science implying both electro magnetic spectrum and quantum physics studies that sort of imply a connection between the two.
Define ''soul," please.
Humans are so very self-absorbed that we have trouble believing that WE will disappear after we've died! GASP! You mean there might be a world without ME? How could I be just a body with a self-aware brain?
I suppose, but my reason for not believing in gods is that I don't accept implausible assertions without proof. That kind of leads me to believe that the soul is just another aspect of the fairytale that let's people deny their own mortality. It could also be an egocentric reflection of unwarranted belief in special status for humans. Either way the belief is pointless and doesn't have any basis in reality.
Yeah...buddhists do. The soul gets reincarnated etc.
Let's think about that. Karma is based on a principle that the evil we do in this life is ''paid for'' in the next. This means there MUST be some kind of magical record-keeping which implies some kind of magical being who administers the records. Doesn't it? So, as an atheist--I'll pass on the ''soul'' concept because it's not based on anything demonstrable.