Table of contents hide 1 Primal funeral pageantry 2 The immortality of the soul in ancient Egypt 3 The immortality of the soul and Greek philosophical ideas 4 The immortality of the soul in ancient Israel 5 The immortality of the soul during Christianity 6 Other ideas about the immortality of the soul 7 Is the human soul immortal?
What happens after death ? This is a question we have all asked ourselves at some point. It is a matter that worries and amazes us. To respond, religions, metaphysics, philosophy and even science have researched and deepened the subject throughout history . What conclusions have you reached about the immortality of the soul? Do we really reach a new state once our days end by drilling the Earth?
Primal Funeral Bats
The immortality of the soul is as old as consciousness itself . It is known of ancient Neanderthal funerary enclaves where various beats were already made for the transit to death and the new world that awaited them in the Hereafter.
Since then, philosophers, thinkers and religious have dealt with this idea. Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, Zoroastrianism ... is our soul immortal by nature ?, or is it a simple belief necessary to sustain faith?
The immortality of the soul in ancient Egypt
It is evident that in ancient Egypt, now thousands of years ago, they were aware of the immortality of the soul . For more than 3000 years, this civilization believed in an eternal cycle of death and resurrection.
For the Egyptians, the Sun was born every morning and died every night . The same happened with the seasons, which breathed new life with the arrival of Spring to fall back into disgrace during the Fall.
It is evident that in Egypt, the cycle of life, death and eternal resurrection was a constant . However, this immortal phase was only intended for kings, according to beliefs in the early phases of the Empire .
Subsequently, there was a belief that the god Osiris civilized the Egyptians and granted them eternal life, just as he taught them agriculture and culture . So, with an appropriate funeral, anyone could live an eternal life. Hence the need to mummify, so that the wandering spirit had a place to return.
The immortality of the soul and Greek philosophical ideas
In the same sense of the immortality of the soul were the most important Greek philosophers, such as Socrates, Plato or Aristotle .
Already at the dawn of Hellenic civilization, Homer proposed ideas of the soul as something that breathed life into the human body . However, he did not believe in his immortality.
Until the arrival of Socrates, four centuries later, the presocratic soul had various virtues related to emotions and reasoning, but not immortality defined as such.
But it is Plato who believes most in the immortality of the soul, which enters the human body temporarily as a mere accident . In this way, for them it was accepted as something natural.
The immortality of the soul in ancient Israel
Hellenistic ideas deeply rooted in their society, penetrated strongly in various civilizations, in the case of ancient Israelis . The Greek intelligentsia went deep into the need to develop moderate, virtuous and intellectual lives .
But already in the first Hebrew writings, such as Genesis, the soul is identified as a living physical creature . It is logical to think that this meaning is far from modern as we understand it today.
However, in the various books of the Old Testament we already find allusions to eternal life . Once death is over, expect a new world with wonderful expectations . However, Solomon, the wisest king, did not believe such a thing, as we see in Ecclesiastes.
In short, it seems that the early Israelites believed rather in the resurrection of the dead and a world beyond life. Can this be identified as the analogy of the immortality of the human soul?
It is evident that these societies believed in an almighty god. In addition, they glimpsed incredible stories such as plagues, the separation of the waters of the Red Sea and other miracles. It is hard to tell if their beliefs went to an immortal soul or simply death and resurrection as a natural cycle .
The immortality of the soul during Christianity
Throughout Christian history, and since he strongly drinks from the Hebrew tradition, there is a clear confusion. Again the idea between the resurrection of the human being after death and the immortal soul is complex .
It is clear that for Christians, the need for an almighty god who lives in each one is essential . Now, according to this belief, there is a combination between the insufflated spiritual body of a new life after death and the true immortality of the soul.
It seems obvious that if God created Jesus the image and likeness of humans, and this resurrection once dead, could all men and women of this world be able to follow in their wake? Do we do it or not?
Does this mean that we are already immortal? It seems that according to the Bible, there is a plan for each person . God has a purpose for every being that inhabits this world. But it would be clear that our destiny is already written, and that is to be with him once our earthly days end.
Other ideas about the immortality of the soul
But the immortality of the soul does not end in historical writings and the various religions and philosophies . Other currents of thought have postulated about it on several occasions and different times.
For example, the current known as humanism, faithfully believed in the spirituality of the human being without the need for religious use . Thus, for them, the immortality of the soul is evident, and it is not necessary for anyone to intercede for him, neither almighty god nor any figure.
We can also enter into other beliefs, especially the Hindu. This line leads us not only to believe that every thing in the world has a soul, but that there is even a multiverse where we constantly appear and rise again .
Is the human soul immortal?
And so we could continue investigating and entering the bowels of history to know how far the immortality of the soul can go . We observe that our ancestors have already reached similar conclusions. Now, is it a purely anthropological phenomenon, or is there really some kind of basis?
In this sense, we can find various beliefs. The Greek Epicureans considered the soul as something real, formed by atoms . In this case, whether immortal or not, should be corporeal and be within each human body, because it is who breathed life.
Scientific theories estimate that material is neither created nor destroyed, it simply transforms . In this sense, and with a corporeal soul, it is not unreasonable to think about his immortality. It would occur simply by converting and adapting to each phase.
In fact, the universe in which we move seems infinite in space and time . So at least the research estimates. What makes us think that we, the fruit and children of it, are not of their same eternal and immortal nature?
In short, I would not dare to affirm the sentence on the immortality of the soul . Others wiser than I postulated about their existence. I would love to think it's real. However, so many tests we find in one sense as in another, throughout history and today.
Be that as it may, spirituality and our own soul will be eternal and necessary throughout the existence of man . Our teachings pass from parents to children for generations. Is n't that a real way to ensure the immortality of the soul throughout the ages since man is man ?
By Pedro, writer of the White Brotherhood, partially based on visionjournal
