Quote Originally Posted by gigaschatten View Post
Frankly, I have no idea who or what created consciousness/spirit/soul - if it was created at all. The concept of a consciousness/spirit/soul that exists independently from the body but can use a body/bodies as a vehicle by using its control center(s), which seems to be the brain, is simply a lot more reasonable than those imagination theories.

I've been to several realities - actually I just returned an hour ago from a short journey - and experienced things I could never have visualized, even if I had all the time in the world. Most people can't imagine peeling a peanut clearly if their grandmother's life depends on it. But even if, imagination may be nothing but a reflection of other realities we are able to access.

What is matter? Why does it have weight? Why does it even seem firm to us? Why does light not shine through it? Ask a physicist to answer that. Our material world is an illusion. Can the consciousness/spirit/soul be an illusion too?
There are a few problems I have with that way of looking at things.
(don't take this as a personal attack, it's just the reasons I find it hard to agree)

If we are a spiritual being, why have bodies at all?
Also are humans the only animals with spirits/souls?
If not, at which point down the line does the soul spirit stop? the mouse? the snail? the ameoba?
Did the sould evolve alongside the body?
Also if souls are independent of body/mind... then shouldnt it be possible for a human soul to enter an animals body and demonstrate its intelligence that way?

I agree that what is "physical" is a very odd concept. I dont quite see how that lends itself to the idea that a soul/consciousness is a seperate entity though. Our material world isnt really an illusion, just the idea of it being solid is just our way of perciving it based on the scale that we are in relation to atoms. To say it is an illusion begs the question "In comparison to what?"


I find myself more comfortable with the buddhist concept of self and soul... that being that there isn't one and it's just an illusion.