Why should we? To me this is another anthropocentric word that has been in use so long that even the non-religious consider it plausible.

No. That is part of the religious mythology and is used as an inducement to attract followers, promising eternal life.

One of the odd things about our language is that it enables us to talk about things that do not exist, unicorns or the bandersnatch and it extends to conversation about things that we can neither prove or disprove.
The notion of a soul would imply something that was implanted.....

To believe that you have a soul is to accept a greater reality, one not bound by materialism. This belief doesn't have to include religion at all. But to accept that you have a soul, in the Atheist community is to be excommunicated.

It's been my experience that we are souls. That we have experience of multiple lives. There is one lesson that I learned in all of this and anyone can do is to don't hold grudges for they last far beyond your current life. You could be holding a grudge against someone right now and you have no memory of it. So learn forgiveness, and move forward.
The the books that I recommend are...

Science and the Afterlife Experience: Evidence for the Immortality of Consciousness
by Christopher David Carter,

At the Hour of Death
by Karlis Osis

I cannot say for certain but it doesn't look likely. Having said that, my atoms become new things, and this is spiritual for me, so if a soul is a spirit, then perhaps the new organization of atoms is like me in some insignificant way.

It depends on how soul or spirit is defined.
If it is like how when someone dies in a movie, and you see their spirit leave their body, then no, I don't believe in that.

No, I don't believe in souls, I believe we are all in our physical brain. I have cared for people with encephalopathy and also transient global amnesia. Looking at what parts of the person remain when most is gone is a real eye opener. Personality changes, memory loss, and how things change back when they recover. Makes you realises that everything that makes them who they are is in their brain and body, nothing extra somal.

I believe there so you don't get dirt and stuff in the flesh under your feet and it makes standing easier.

As much as we desire it to be so. Its like before you were born. You didn't exist, knew nothing and felt nothing. There will never be another like you.

I believe this has soul.

I don't really know. I've reached a mindset where scientific and spiritual understanding run parallel at times. We can break everything down into human measurements and patterns and scientific theories and laws but it doesn't take the wonder out of it for me. So as far souls go... I don't think, if they exist, that most people have them. In which case it could be a matter of higher consciousness and potency (specifically in regards to something like reincarnation). But take away a certain chemical or part of the brain, and you have a completely different person, so... I think when I die I just won't exist anymore. Just whatever unconscious energy I carry that will return to everything.

Defining "soul" is the first task. I'll abdicate right away.

i'm an sgi-usa.org buddhist we re-incarnate
the judeo-christian definitions are LIMITED and base on the altered /deleted
King James Bible vs the ORIGINAL Aramaic
Jesus went among all 5 creeds INCLUDING Christianity

one doesn't have to be "religious " or "spiritual"
we are humans we are energy
too many common experiences among all the other humans
we are energy
we re-incarnate

It's an interesting thought, but the evidence suggests that all mental functions take place in the brain, including the chemical reactions which induce emotions. I'm afraid I'm not a chemistry or biology student, so I can't be much more specific than that. So, there doesn't seem to be anything beyond the mind.

What's a soul again?

Soul music maybe

I have longed for the consciousness to live on. You know, energy being neither created or destroyed sort of thing... BUT, a recent first experience with surgical anesthesia has me considering that to be more of a pipe dream than anything.

No. never have

I don't know if we have "souls". I really hope that when my body quits, my mind/personality quits, too. It would give me great peace if I could be assured that when I'm gone, I am gone. Who knows. What matters is that we try to live decent lives. Just be honest, ethical and decent.

I think I'd need a clear definition of "soul" to properly answer this. Some people use it metaphorically, others mean the sentient quality, and still others refer to a metaphysical, immaterial, immortal substance. I have no problem with metaphor, but see no reason to refer to sentience as "the soul." And in terms of metaphysics, I see it as fine for thought experiments in philosophical discussion, but I don't accept the claim that it's somehow who we are now and eternally. I see no indication it's true or that anyone should take the claim seriously.

I've never seen evidence of such a thing, just wishful thinking.

No. I think we have personalities.

connection between neurons that contain memories .. is ur soul .. the way they emerged from the beginning till the end .. that makes you who you are .. well some say it will be gone when u die .. some say by law of thermodynamic nothing will be gone it will just change to another form of energy

This is my humble opinion... I believe those individuals that have an out of body experience... I myself saw me sleeping I was like 6 to 8 feet over me. Scared me. There is a "believe" that people that died in their sleep for no apparent reason is that their soul left the body and was unable to return... if that is the case the soul is needed for our life as we know it. I know it could be simple church and religion hogwash to slave us in their fear for our soul. I also believe in spirits entering and leaving our bodies, they just don't stay... heroic acts beyond comprehension... incredible performances could be another reason. I am not an expert. I did while in college in a class and experiment conducing to "us" or our soul leaving our body. Started with laying down on the floor and relaxing the whole body to the point that I could feel my blood flow and my heart pumping blood in all my veins. Not everyone was able to feel that blood flow but I was not the only one. That is as far as she took us but when you can feel your heart pumping and that blood running thru your body you either get scare or believe in god... I choose to get scared. My opinion... not a value or fact. a part of me believe in reincarnation too and the meaning of old souls and new souls. You can tell that I don't know the answer to the question.

To me it seems that most Christians view the soul as something separate from the body, and leaves the body when a person dies. In that sense, I don't believe there is any soul, given what we know about how brain and body chemistry affects thinking, emotion and behavior. When our bodies die, we die completely.