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In my article from last week, Seeing Snails, Finding Purpose and Reclaiming our Lost Soul, I referred to the soul as the mysterious core of who we are (as humans). In service of full disclosure, I admit that I have no idea what a soul is or if we even have one. I was just using the idea of a soul to point towards a human understanding that transcends our egocentric, rational mind’s limited comprehension. Like when we experience sublime beauty or love.
Despite the absolutist claims from different religious fundamentalists, theologians, New Age channelers, and yoga enthusiasts, I’m pretty sure that no one can state with certainty that souls are real or what a soul is, as if it were a thing, like a pine cone or a can of peas. And yet, the idea of soul resonates with many of us. And it doesn’t seem to matter that no two people share the same understanding as to the nature of soul.
Despite our lack of agreement on the description of soul, many of us believe that we are connected with a metaphysical source of life beyond our senses. And this connection often happens via a soul.
Our need for a supernatural worldview and mythological framework for describing the more etheric aspects of our lives has something to do with our primal urge for an existence beyond this world. We seek to find some comfort in the notions of divine intervention in this life and our soul’s ability to carry on for eternity after our physical demise. Many of us easily accept magical stories of creation and the work of spiritual forces influencing us within our dance of life.
I was having lunch with a group of people recently. A middle-aged woman sitting at the table shared she was struggling with weight loss and how she was sure that God was advising her on the previous evening about what she should have for dinner. She said that she ended up not listening to Him, but it was obvious that she welcomed His suggestions despite her lack of following them. It was a strange thing to share with others who were basically acquaintances. But the idea of an all-powerful god advising us is accepted by vast swaths of the human population. And those at the table didn’t seem put off by her sharing. (Although I found strange that she chose not to listen to her god, who she believed was, in a Christian sense, an Omniscient Being.)
We are consistently seeking to define ourselves and our place within an infinite universe that holds many more unknowns than knowns. If we can find comfort within a metaphysical story of soul that provides some calming peace as we freefall our way along our own character arcs, then why not? It’s a proven method for making the great mystery of life feel more navigable and is used by every culture, one way or another.
We are drawn to creating metaphysical maps to soften the jolts from the unbounded chaos that is life. We invent mystical systems and define spiritual currents and tributaries, charting infinity like we chart the flowing bodies of water that course throughout our world. With those maps, we can settle our boat in a particular stream and find comfort there for life. I can be sailing in a Christian current, a Hindu, a Wiccan, or I can claim any other countless belief systems I find that will float my boat nicely.
Once we have settled on a belief system, we have access to a story about the infinite mysteries, and we share those stories with others who claim the same belief system. And we can come together every Sunday or full moon or equinox and revel in our shared understanding and the stories retelling as we find that sense of community that is so important to a quality life.
Of course, the danger in adopting a given story is to believe that it is an absolute truth. Then we start feeling special because we are part of an elite group that knows the truth. We are the ones who will be lifted up to join our god while the rest of humanity suffers at the hands of some demonic figure, or whatever the story is that separates us chosen from the masses.
This idea that we are special because we know an absolute truth that others don’t is actually a form of delusional mental illness. It has its roots in our smaller brain and is about establishing our status within a tribe and the need to be a part of the cool kid’s group. It has also been the cause of unimaginable suffering and divisiveness that has dogged humanity from the beginning.
We have come to a time in our collective evolution as a species where we are being asked to loosen our grip on our stories—to let go of the notion of absolute rightness (self-righteousness) and others absolute and “evil” wrongness. We are at a very particular crossroads where we are being asked (by our souls?) to recognize how all of us humans are in this thing called life together, regardless of the stories we tell ourselves.
Those who promote hate and try to divide us are manifestations of the last gasp of that smaller, unconscious brain. More of us seem to be engaging a collective awakening to more complex mental circuitry that allows us to simultaneously carry multiple perspectives. Or at least, that is the current story that I am telling myself. And whether the soul is real or not becomes a more fluid proposition. I guess I believe in a maybe-soul.
I have felt the need to formalize my story in response to the profound ignorance that so many of my fellow humans are exhibiting today. I believe that those of us who are prepared to open up to multiple perspectives just need to get on with it. The ignorant among us are taking far too much of our time and attention that could be better spent trying to ease the anguish that is growing in epidemic proportions amongst us humans.
Sure, you have to render unto to Caesar his due, you have to cross the t’s and dot the i’s and interact with all kinds of folks in the world. But let’s give the power of our attention to people who are worthier of our precious time instead of the more ignorant who just scream the loudest.
We should be listening to those who empower our maybe-souls! What are the great artists, scientists, and diplomats, the great thinkers and doers of our world talking about these days? Let’s pay attention to those who can lead us out of ignorance and talk intelligently from a soul-based perspective of unity. The call has always been, as Gandhi reminded us, to become the change we wish to see in the world. Do we have a soul? Well, maybe. One thing I know for sure: we can certainly choose to act like we do.
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Photo credit: Cristofer Jeschke on Unsplash