Soul and spirit

What is the difference between the soul and the spirit? Some feel they are one and the same. However, in many doctrines, cultures, and religious beliefs, these are two totally separate entities when we are in the human body, during our life journey here on Earth.

[edit] Christian beliefs regarding soul and spirit

Christian belief and faith is based upon the fact that “God” or, sacred spirit, gave us our soul to be in “likeness with him and other spiritual beings.” Human beings were given a soul to differentiate them from other animals that were created on Earth. It is believed in the faith, humans are to learn how to get past temptation and other things considered wrong or against said faith, in order to become more “godlike.” The belief is that when we leave the earthly plane, we become a spiritual or heavenly being, and are evaluated by our higher power as to how well we have done our work on Earth. How much we have learned from our earthly journey is also important.

[edit] Native American beliefs

Native American cultures believe that the soul and the spirit work in conjunction with each other while alive on earth, in order to allow us to visit the astral or spirit plane. This is used to gain knowledge, wisdom, information and healing from the sacred spirits. Shamans are well known for walking and communing with higher beings in order to help their tribe, or race, by gaining knowledge, or portents of the future, that are not known to us in our earthly bodies.

[edit] Views regarding soul spirit from other cultures

In many other cultures, both ancient and present days, is the belief that once we leave our earthly bodies, we are judged for our lives, and then reincarnated. We can evolve or devolve, depending on the works or actions that we have taken while on our life journey. The faithful strive during the course of a lifetime in order to become more like the heavenly beings, so that in the next life, they are evolved either in stature, or in spiritual terms for the next life.

In the same cultures, it is believed that those human beings, who commit evil acts or go against the teaching of the higher beings, will be devolved, or lowered in either stature or station. They may even become an animal, or other creature, plant or tree in the next life so they can ponder the mistakes they have made in previous lifetimes.

The belief continues that once the human evolves to the point they cannot go any higher in spiritual station, they will become a sacred spirit or heavenly being. This is what is strived for in many cultures who believe in reincarnation.

It is also believed, in some cultures, that if the human does terrible things, commits acts of evil, or crimes, or commits suicide that they become earth bound spirits until they learn where, or what, they did wrong. Only then are they allowed to become a heavenly being or soul spirit.

In closing, this information has provided the belief that there are differences in the soul and spirit. No matter the type of faith, belief, or doctrine, it is believed that the soul and spirit are separate entities while living in the human body and through our life journey. The soul and spirit only become one and the same when our time on the earth has ended, and we become a part of the spirit realm.