I don’t consider myself classically religious, but I do ponder the human experience and what constitutes my soul.

My beliefs require the following assumptions.

1. Our soul and consciousness are equivalent.
2. The consciousness we embody is not simply extinguished when our physical body ceases to function. (At least I hope not, it seems like a waste.)

We as humans are conscious beings with inherit questions about our place in the Universe. While consciousness may set us apart from other animals, we are animals and given enough time other animals may achieve our capacity for consciousness.

I believe our brain, as untrained and primitive as it may be, has reached the evolutionary point where it is capable of acting as a physical interface to consciousness.

I will attempt to define the mind as the combination of our consciousness and the human experience. I believe that our consciousness is separate from our human experiences. While what we learn and experience as humans may contribute to our consciousness, it does not define that consciousness. This definition leaves open the ability of consciousness to evolve.

I need to define the mind for a couple of reasons.

1. There are situations such as Alzheimer’s and others where people lose who they are. While this seems concerning, I believe this in no way affects the soul. I believe that in these situations the soul is no longer bound to the body due to the lack of connection with the brain.
2. As we age, we become set in our ways and collect mental baggage due to our experiences. I think this is the one of main reasons why humans aren’t currently equipped to live longer than one hundred years.

By defining the mind, it lets me keep the human experience distinct from the soul. Part of the reason is because I believe the soul is more abstract than we can currently comprehend and part of it is out of convenience. As far as convenience goes, it lends meaning to the phrase, “Until death do us part.” I don’t believe we are yet capable of comprehending what happens at the moment of death and our earthly relationships may not make sense in the context of our soul.

Let me summarize with the following. I think we are still evolving and due to that evolution we have reached important milestones in understanding our place in the Universe. I believe we all have a soul and it’s not something that can sold or given away. And, finally, I believe there are many aspects to our consciousness that have yet to be asked or understood.