Wow, way to dive right in the with a heavy topic. I guess I could have started with a little small talk first.....So the meaning of life anyone?
Lets start at the beginning, not 'the' beginning but the beginning of my train of thought. Yep that's right a joy ride on the Sleepy Express again, fasten your seat belts!!
I have been thinking a lot about soul-mates ever since I read Brida, by Paulo Coelho, last summer, which then led to the development of a story that is growing here. I have come to the conclusion that I believe in the concept, in fact I buy into Coelho's version. That one soul is split, almost like a fertilised egg, to create two souls. Which are then in turn split, thus there can be many parts of the same soul, all connected all trying to find a part of it's self.
My mind then wandered off, is this the point of our existence Is this our reason to live, to find each other across time, across space?
Our bodies are just chunks of meat, it is the electrical impulses coursing through them that makes us who we are. The neurons firing, nerves sparking, the feelings that they produce is this the essence of the soul? So there is some law or another that says nothing can completely disappear, only ever change. Our bodies decay and feed the earth and their essence continues, but what of the electrical impulses? What of our soul? That won't simply decay and apparently it won't just disappear, does this mean there is an afterlife? A place for the dead, a place for our souls.
The Greeks and Romans had Hades a place of the dead, the realm inhabited by darkness and dreams. The Vikings passed to Valhalla and Christians brought the concept of a Heaven and a Hell. A place for good souls and a place of torment for dammed souls. Mythology and religion spanning time all have a take on what comes next, but there is usually something and not nothing.
I was raised a Christian; I believed in God, Heaven and Hell. I tried to live my life as prescribed and earn my seat in the good place. Right up until I started to question things. My beliefs have changed somewhat, I live as good a life as I can and hope that that will be enough.
There is a small part of me though that looks at the suffering around us, that sees the pressures we put on ourselves and wonders if hell isn't here with us. Torturing us into believing we are never good enough.
I don't know, I get the feeling I won't find out until I can't give the secret away to anyone else! All I know is if the reincarnation religions are right I will probably come back as a bug and there is no way I will be let into heaven...
So I will leave you with this Lokiism:
"Welcome to Hell, we have marshmallows" (at least they will be toasted...... maybe!)
I really enjoyed this little journey. As far as getting split up & trying to relocate your lost bits, my husband, best friend, other best friend, and I all are born on the 10th of the month. I figure I've got 4 of the ten total people I need to put myself back together. When's your birthday again?
ReplyDeleteNot on the 10th ;-) But my Other Half and I have birthday's that are the exact reverse of each other and 7 is involved to I guess I am missing 6 parts, that makes you ahead of me lol!
DeleteToo bad I don't like marshmallows! You've raised some really interesting questions today. I think your take on the soul is fascinating - I've never heard of that theory before. My husband is in Divinity School right now, not to become a preacher, but because he's fascinated by the philosophy, implications, and applications of religion and religious belief systems. These questions are no strangers in our house! :-)
ReplyDeleteAt least you discuss them, for me they mostly happen in my own head, surprisingly interesting and not at all one sided (should I worry?)
DeleteThis really is an interesting topic! I definitely have my beliefs on the subject and sometimes they get challenged in Theology class, which I think is a good thing.
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking up Sleepy Joe! (:
A little challenge is always healthy!!
Deletewow, this is heavy. The idea of soul mates interests me and confuses me at the same time.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, it is a very confusing subject!!
DeleteThis is such an interesting post! I never thought of it at that angle but it certainly makes sense. It doesn't seem quite fair that we don't actually get the facts of the matter until we can't possibly share them with any one else.
ReplyDeleteKathy
http://gigglingtruckerswife.blogspot.com
I do find it irritating, seriously wouldn't life be easier to handle if we knew the deal from the get go!!
DeleteIntriguing line of thought, Sleepy Joe. I've poked around in different religious/spiritual theories over the years and, for a long time, I was very interested in reincarnation and not necessarily "soul mates" in a romantic sense but in the idea that certain souls have all sorts of "unfinished business" with one another so that you will bump up against the same souls in the form of different bodies, genders, roles again and again until your business together is resolved. It's definitely one of those scenarios that could be alternately comforting and distressing, depending on how you're feeling about the people in your current existence at the time. These days, I tend to be more focused on the here and now business needing resolved and figure the rest of it will be whatever it will be (including, maybe, nothing). Thanks for a thought provoking topic.
ReplyDeleteThanks for thinking along with me. I love the idea of 'unfinished business' hmm that has me thinking.....
Delete