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by Anonymous on January 24th, 2007

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What is the difference between the soul and the spirit?

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Answers. 22 helpful answers below.

  • by Singingismystyle on January 24th, 2007

    Singingismystyle

    Your soul is your mind, and your spirit lives forever and ever.

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  • by cancon on April 20th, 2007

    cancon

    Flesh has 5 senses:

    Touch, smell, sight, sound and sight.

    Soul has only 3:

    Emotion, intellect and will.

    Spirit has only 2:

    Conviction and revelation.

    It is through our spirit, as a channel, God communicates with us.

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  • by jin jang on April 20th, 2007

    jin jang

    They are two different words that essentially represent the same thing.They are one in the same,not of the material world.

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  • by Skip_2_My_Lou on February 24th, 2007

    Skip_2_My_Lou

    To my understanding...

    The word soul is referred to:

    1.People
    2.Animals, or
    3.The life that a person or an animal enjoys

    The spirit is known as:

    1. Force
    2. Life Force

    To illustrate this further, think of a portable radio. When you put batteries in a portable radio and turn it on, the electricity stored in the batteries brings the brings the radio to life, so to speak. Without batteries, however, the radio is dead. So is another kind of radio when it is plugged from an eletrical outlet. Also, like electricity, the spirit has no feeling and cannot think. It is an impersonal force. But without that spirit or life force, our bodies just expire.

    And that is the difference between the two.

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  • by iwnit on April 20th, 2007

    iwnit

    The English word "spirit" comes from the Latin spiritus, meaning "breath" (compare spiritus asper), but also "soul, courage, vigor", ultimately from a PIE root *(s)peis- ("to blow"). In the Vulgate, the Latin word translates Greek (πνευμα), pneuma (Hebrew (רוח) ruah), as opposed to anima, translating psykhē. The word was loaned into Middle English via Old French espirit in the 13th century. In India Prana means breath.

    The distinction between soul and spirit became current in Judeo-Christian terminology (e.g. Greek. psykhe vs. pneuma, Latin anima vs. spiritus, Hebrew ruach vs. neshama or nephesh; in Hebrew neshama from the root NSHM or breath.)

    The soul, according to many religious and philosophical traditions, is a self-aware ethereal substance unique to a particular living being. In these traditions the soul is thought to incorporate the inner essence of each living being, and to be the true basis for sentience. It is believed in many cultures and religions that the soul is the unification of ones sense of identity. In distinction to spirit which may or may not be eternal, souls are usually (but not always as explained below) considered to be immortal and to exist before their incarnation in flesh.

    The concept of the soul has strong links with notions of an afterlife, but opinions may vary wildly, even within a given religion, as to what may happen to the soul after the death of the body. Many within these religions and philosophies see the soul as immaterial, while others consider it to possibly have a material component, and some have even tried to establish the mass (or weight) of the soul.

    Sources:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirit
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul

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  • by DudeLer on June 26th, 2008

    DudeLer

    your soul operates your physical body. your spirit operates your soul. you can live with just a soul and body. but there is no spirit. you are a vegetable. lifeless and without mental activity. add your spirit and your body has life and your eyes say there is someone home.

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  • by DavidHume on January 24th, 2007

    DavidHume

    Soul is a type of music, and spirits are a kind of alcoholic drink.

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  • by Pete on June 3rd, 2009

    Pete

    I think they are identical. A person's soul is his everlasting spirit that transcends his material life after he dies. Or it's something close to that.

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  • by jjf on June 17th, 2009

    jjf

    The Spiritual Being , The Soul and the Human Being (the body) together become/are "The Self". The Spiritual Being (The Spirit) uses the Human Being (The Body) as a vessel, for the sole purpose of completing a mission. The Soul acts as a kind of invisible nuclear reactor, it becomes active when the Spiritual Being decides that a new life (a new mission) should commence and shuts down when a mission is ended (death). At the end of a mission (death) the Spiritual Being doesn't really care what happens to "The Body" - it is like e.g. The Human Being purchasing an article of clothing, which it discards after a year (it served its purpose)and is then replaced with a new item of clothing. The Human Being doesn't care what happens to the article of clothing it discarded.

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  • by Twisted Taco on June 17th, 2009

    Twisted Taco

    The former is on the bottom of your shoes and the latter at the liquor store

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  • by heart n soul on February 13th, 2009

    heart n soul

    soul is what stores things....your emotions , feelings?.....

    spirit is how you handle the emotions and feelings....

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  • by Special K on February 13th, 2009

    Special K

    They are exactly the same thing- made up bull- neither exists. u see?

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  • by seahorse on January 23rd, 2012

    seahorse

    The original-language terms (Heb., ne′phesh [ׁש]; Gr., psy‧khe′ [ψυχή]) as used in the Scriptures show “soul” to be a person, an animal, or the life that a person or an animal enjoys.
    Earth’s First Souls. The initial occurrences of ne′phesh are found at Genesis 1:20-23. On the fifth creative “day” God said: “‘Let the waters swarm forth a swarm of living souls [ne′phesh] and let flying creatures fly over the earth . . . ’ And God proceeded to create the great sea monsters and every living soul [ne′phesh] that moves about, which the waters swarmed forth according to their kinds, and every winged flying creature according to its kind.” Similarly on the sixth creative “day” ne′phesh is applied to the “domestic animal and moving animal and wild beast of the earth” as “living souls.”—Ge 1:24.
    After man’s creation, God’s instruction to him again used the term ne′phesh with regard to the animal creation, “everything moving upon the earth in which there is life as a soul [literally, in which there is living soul (ne′phesh)].” (Ge 1:30) Other examples of animals being so designated are found at Genesis 2:19; 9:10-16; Leviticus 11:10, 46; 24:18; Numbers 31:28; Ezekiel 47:9. Notably, the Christian Greek Scriptures coincide in applying the Greek psy‧khe′ to animals, as at Revelation 8:9; 16:3, where it is used of creatures in the sea.
    Thus, the Scriptures clearly show that ne′phesh and psy‧khe′ are used to designate the animal creation lower than man. The same terms apply to man.
    The Human Soul. Precisely the same Hebrew phrase used of the animal creation, namely, ne′phesh chai‧yah′ (living soul), is applied to Adam, when, after God formed man out of dust from the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, “the man came to be a living soul.” (Ge 2:7) Man was distinct from the animal creation, but that distinction was not because he was a ne′phesh (soul) and they were not. Rather, the record shows that it was because man alone was created “in God’s image.” (Ge 1:26, 27) He was created with moral qualities like those of God, with power and wisdom far superior to the animals; hence he could have in subjection all the lower forms of creature life. (Ge 1:26, 28) Man’s organism was more complex, as well as more versatile, than that of the animals. (Compare 1Co 15:39.) Likewise, Adam had, but lost, the prospect of eternal life; this is never stated with regard to the creatures lower than man.—Ge 2:15-17; 3:22-24.
    It is true that the account says that ‘God proceeded to blow into the man’s nostrils the breath [form of nesha‧mah′] of life,’ whereas this is not stated in the account of the animal creation. Clearly, however, the account of the creation of man is much more detailed than that of the creation of animals. Moreover, Genesis 7:21-23, in describing the Flood’s destruction of “all flesh” outside the ark, lists the animal creatures along with mankind and says: “Everything in which the breath [form of nesha‧mah′] of the force of life was active in its nostrils, namely, all that were on the dry ground, died.” Obviously, the breath of life of the animal creatures also originally came from the Creator, Jehovah God.
    So, too, the “spirit” (Heb., ru′ach; Gr., pneu′ma), or life-force, of man is not distinct from the life-force in animals, as is shown by Ecclesiastes 3:19-21, which states that “they all have but one spirit [u‧ru′ach].”
    Soul—A Living Creature. As stated, man “came to be a living soul”; hence man was a soul, he did not have a soul as something immaterial, invisible, and intangible residing inside him. The apostle Paul shows that the Christian teaching did not differ from the earlier Hebrew teaching, for he quotes Genesis 2:7 in saying: “It is even so written: ‘The first man Adam became a living soul [psy‧khen′ zo′san].’ . . . The first man is out of the earth and made of dust.”—1Co 15:45-47.
    The Genesis account shows that a living soul results from the combination of the earthly body with the breath of life. The expression “breath of the force of life [literally, breath of the spirit, or active force (ru′ach), of life]” (Ge 7:22) indicates that it is by breathing air (with its oxygen) that the life-force, or “spirit,” in all creatures, man and animals, is sustained. This life-force is found in every cell of the creature’s body.

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  • by Twisted Taco on January 21st, 2012

    Twisted Taco

    The soul is on the bottom of your shoes. The spirit you drink.

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  • by onewizeman1957 on January 21st, 2012

    onewizeman1957

    The soul and spirit are one by this the living spirit resides in the body the soul being until death then the living spirit leave the body leaving and empty soul...............................................

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  • by New Elian on January 21st, 2012

    New Elian

    One of them is more beautiful than another.

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  • by Marky Mark on January 23rd, 2012

    Marky Mark

    As usual some people get hung up on words but (obviously) the meaning is the same. i.e. the non-physical essence of a being. The words are used interchangeably in everyday conversation but it seems when it comes to religion, all of a sudden they're supposed have different meanings...as if no-one's ever heard of a synonym. I'm sure there are many other words in other languages meaning the same thing.

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  • by kento37 on January 27th, 2012

    kento37

    They are one and the same thing. Look to the definitions of each. They are interchangeable. They refer to that part of the individual that never dies. It goes on to live forever. It was created by God in the beginning and will live continuously for eternity.

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  • by iwnit on January 9th, 2009

    iwnit

    1) I see that this question has been asked in the following category: "Religions » Religions A - Z » Islam » Sunnism"

    Actually, this is a question which could be asked in many religions outside from this specific context.

    Moreover, this very question can only be asked once, so the same question asked in Shiaism, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism or old Egyptian religion would be a duplicate.

    If you don't want to risk to have your question recategorized, it would be better to make it more specific in the formulation and not rely on the category for defining it.

    So you could rather ask: "What is the difference between the soul and spirit in Sunni Islam?"
    I shall answer this last question.


    2) "For all practical purposes, the body as body can be ignored, since as body it is dead, no different from a corpse. It is the body as living through the soul that is at issue, and that living body cannot be considered apart from the soul. Bodily pain and pleasure are experienced as real by the soul, since life and sensation are attributes of soul, not body. Hence the soul is identical with our embodied self. The distinction between body and soul can be ignored until it becomes relevant to the discussion. In contrast to both soul and body, the spirit stands beyond normal experience. As the luminous and noumenous reality beyond the soul, the spirit is a father, since all positive qualities descend from it. In contrast, the embodied soul is a mother, since it is the locus wherein the spirit's attributes become manifest. The spirit is rain-giving heaven and the soul fruit-yielding earth."
    Source and further information:
    "The Tao of Islam By Sachiko Murata, Annemarie Schimmel"
    http://books.google.com/books?id=dohUSRo2DpUC&pg=PA144&lpg=PA144&dq=difference++soul++spirit+"islam"&source=web&ots=t5Ohp6W04Y&sig=4gp5r84qo9waTP-k42Utny7R4Fw&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=10&ct=result#PPA144,M1


    3) "According to few verses from Qur'an though the following information can be deduced: In part 15 verse 29, the creation of humans involves Allah "breathing" souls into them. This intangible part of an individual's existence is "pure" at birth. It has the potential of growing and achieving nearness to God if the person leads a righteous life (to be noted: this is a sufi perspective of the soul which is also held by a large majority of Sunni and Shia lay Muslims but which cannot be directly supported by the Quranic texts or Mutawatir Ahadith except with extremely free interpretations and influence of other religions and philosophies). At death, the person's soul transitions to an eternal afterlife of bliss, peace and unending spiritual growth until the day of judgement where both the body and soul are reunited for judgement at which point the person is either rewarded by going to heaven if they have followed God's commands or punished if they have disobeyed him (Qur'an 66:8, 39:20).
    From the Hadith we understand that Allah assigns an Angel to "breathe" soul into an embryo after 40 days of pregnancy.

    Generally, it is believed that all living beings comprise two aspects during their existence: The physical (being the body) and the non-physical (being the soul). The non-physical aspect, namely the soul, is one's soul-related activities like his/her feelings and emotions, thoughts, conscious and sub-conscious desires and objectives. While the body and its physical actions serve as a "reflection" of one's soul, whether it was good or evil, and thus "confirms" the extent of such intentions."
    Source and further information:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul#Islamic_beliefs


    4) "The qur'an delineates three levels for the soul (the nafs, the self). In sura 12:53 it mentions the nafs ammara (the commanding soul). This is the level at which most of us exist. Our self consists of a conglomeration of wants, desires, impulses, habits, fears, angers, appetites, tendencies and an ego that constructs a self image that it then seeks to protect and maintain any way it can - even by distorting the true nature of the realities around it. This is the commanding soul - but it is not one which commands but rather it is a self which is commanded by this host of impulses and desires."

    "Sura 75:2 speaks of the nafs lawwama (the blaming soul). This is the level at which an inner jihad (struggle) is taking place within the self - the person has become aware of a higher, deeper reality and struggles to centre their consciousness so that they do not move erratically from impulse to impulse but so that all action and thought is fed through an aware, conscious centre that struggles to manage and control the self."

    "Sura 89:27 speaks of the nafs mutma'inna (the soul at peace). This is the level at which, as the Qur'an says, the person witnesses God's signs on the horizons and within their own nafs, their own selves. "
    Source and further information:
    - "(Sura 4: verses 1 - 3) - On the nature of the nafs"
    http://www.islamfrominside.com/Pages/Tafsir/Tafsir(4-1).html

    Further information:
    http://www.ezsoftech.com/akram/nafs.asp
    http://en.allexperts.com/q/Islam-947/Questions-university-students.htm


    5) Here some non Islamic views:
    "THE SOUL is the essence of all what makes us human and unique - our emotions, desires, experiences, thoughts, worries and joys…
    THE SPIRIT is the essence of our divine nature - it is something almost impossible to precept, but once percepted, it gives a vast realisation of what we actually are, that we are one with the whole. The spirit makes the ego and the soul disappear, and it is truly the ultimate."
    Source and further information:
    http://1000petals.wordpress.com/2008/12/04/what-is-the-difference-between-spirit-and-soul/

    "The word spirit refers only to the immaterial facet of man. Mankind has a spirit, but we are not a spirit. However, in Scripture only believers, those who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, are said to be "spiritually alive" (1 Corinthians 2:11; Hebrews 4:12; James 2:26). Unbelievers are "spiritually dead" (Ephesians 2:1-5; Colossians 2:13). In Paul's writing the "spirit" was pivotal to the spiritual life of the believer (1 Corinthians 2:14; 3:1; 15:45; Ephesians 1:3; 5:19; Colossians 1:9; 3:16). The spirit is the element in man which gives him the ability to have an intimate relationship with God. Whenever the word spirit is used, it refers to the immaterial part of man including his soul.

    The word soul refers not only to the immaterial part of man but the also material part. Unlike man having a "spirit," man is a soul. In its most basic sense, the word soul means "life." However, the Bible moves beyond "life" and into many areas. One of those areas is to man's eagerness to sin (Luke 12:26). Man is naturally evil, and his soul is tainted as a result. The life principle is removed at the time of physical death (Genesis 35:18; Jeremiah 15:2). The "soul," as with the "spirit," is the center of many spiritual and emotional experiences (Job 30:25; Psalm 43:5; Jeremiah 13:17). Whenever the word soul is used, it can refer to the whole person, alive or after death.

    The "soul" and the "spirit" are similar in the manner in which they are used in the spiritual life of the believer. They are different in their reference. The "soul" is man's horizontal view with the world. The "spirit" is man's vertical view with God. It is important to understand that both refer to the immaterial part of man, but only the "spirit" refers to man's walk with God. The "soul" refers to man's walk in the world, both material and immaterial."
    Source and further information:
    http://www.gotquestions.org/soul-spirit.html

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  • by JoeAllcomm on December 22nd, 2008

    JoeAllcomm

    As far as I can tell. A soul is a living creature. As when God breathed into Adam and he became a "living soul", so I guess the logical deduction would be if the breath was taken back then Adam would not be a soul again.

    This is a good question. It merrits some studying on my part. In scripture (if I am correct), the word for "spirit" and the word for "soul" are the same word. But dont quote me on this though.

    But as of yet this is the way I see it. The spirit is the "breath" that came from God. This given to a lump of clay (Adam), makes both the clay and the breath, a soul. I hope im not being confusing. Take care.

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  • by anonymous on February 8th, 2012

    anonymous

    No difference and a couple of other words used for spirit are ghost (derogatory) and entity...

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  • by Gratefully Me on January 21st, 2012

    Gratefully Me

    Not much. They both fall into the "unproven" category.

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  • Are the soul and spirit the same thing?
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