seeds wrote: ↑Tue May 11, 2021 6:50 pm
Lacewing wrote: ↑Tue May 11, 2021 12:06 am
Here's another idea... each human could be comprised of a collective of souls, rather than just one soul. Upon death, the collective may disperse in various ways.
That's interesting, Lacewing, and you are now entering into a territory of speculative ideas that I love to think about and talk about.
Sounds fun!
seeds wrote: ↑Tue May 11, 2021 6:50 pm
So then, are you suggesting that each human mind might be composed of a "Borg-like" collective of individual souls?
I tend to think in terms of organic connections, rather than machine-like ones. I'll try to describe more about that below.
seeds wrote: ↑Tue May 11, 2021 6:50 pm
(other than that pestering gnat of a voice that keeps reminding me of all of the stupid, and hurtful, and embarrassing things I've done throughout my life )...
I have had one of those. It doesn't pester me much anymore. Maybe because I do tend to live in the moment, and I feel a lot of love/acceptance/gratitude most of the time. Maybe that in combination with the way my philosophy and perspectives have evolved to make sense of things. I see: it's all perfect as it is.
seeds wrote: ↑Tue May 11, 2021 6:50 pm...when I close my eyes I can only sense the presence of what seems to be a singular "I am-ness" that I call "me."
Furthermore, when I look within, I find myself in control of a matrix of mental imaging energy that I can grasp with my will and shape into absolutely anything I desire.
So the question is, would these "other souls" (whose presence I have no awareness of) have the same degree of control over the same matrix of mental imaging energy to where they could create something that is independent of my awareness?...
...Or...
...Would this collective of souls simply (and simultaneously) see and experience the exact same thing appearing before our collective (yet individual) perspectives (such as simultaneously experiencing the exact same thought of an apple, or the exact same dream, or the exact same impulse to raise an arm to scratch an itch, etc., etc.)?
When I heard this idea years ago, of each person being a collection of souls, it somehow seemed to make sense. But I haven't thought a whole lot about it, rather, I've just noticed some things from time to time. In myself, I've seen a lot of different capability... so many things (for example, angel, devil, peacemaker, warrior, business woman, hippy, sharing partner, independent trailblazer, etc.). It's like a whole tribe aligned on the same path!
I've also thought about the quality of magnetism...
like attracting like. Perhaps a collective of likeness provides a balance for exploring that potential available on a given path. Then at the end of that path (death), the collective disperses into other formations... some evolving further, some not. It's intriguing to think about how this might make sense.
It would be necessary for the collective to feel unified as an "I/me", so that they wouldn't fight amongst themselves too much. The human provides the appearance of a single/separate individual, and the ego can be used to establish a singular identity. Maybe schizophrenic experiences could be due to a lack of unity in the collective?
A collective could provide more potential on the path, perhaps, unless the ego drew all the focus and power. The trick, perhaps, is to utilize the potential and have fun with it, rather than getting stuck in an illusion and making up lots of stories to support that. Such an illusion would certainly be an option to play out, of course... despite there being so much more.
It is challenging to think beyond "I" to "we"... and perhaps even more challenging to stop identifying as anything separate at all. If there is only one/completeness here... of many forms/manifestations... there really is no
other. There is no separateness to feel division from.
In observing nature, I can see how connected everything is... communicating, cooperating, flowing together... as one force. I see no reason that humans would not be part of that, even if they imagine they are separate from it. Human egos seem to be the blinding distractor. Egos can be a fun and convincing thing to play with, perhaps, but it seems they can easily limit greater potential: too consumed with themselves to recognize much else.
seeds wrote: ↑Tue May 11, 2021 6:50 pm
Btw, while we're at this, how about you give a quick description of what you think a "soul" actually is?
I guess I just think of it as energy. I don't think anything is unchanging, not even a soul. So I don't have this idea that it's a static thing. I do think energy can affect things, and be experienced.
??? I can hardly wait to hear your response.