The Soul & Personality

[birdie1971]

A person's personality can sometimes be radically and permanently altered by brain injury, disease, emotional trauma, drugs and alcohol. This is an established fact. If we also accept as fact the postulate that human beings have immortal souls in the classical sense (ie. that your unique personality and your mortal memories survive the expiration of your corporeal body), which personality "survives" upon your death?

[beso]

You only get to heaven if you have no personality.

[douglas9401]

Denial may outlast all other personality traits for a brief period of time.
Maybe just long enough to watch everything fade to black.

[sandyRoe]

The pre-injury one. In the same way, if you died racked with pain as a consequence of some dreadful disease, you wouldn't carry that into eternity.

[beso]

What if you liked the change caused by the injury?

[Khandro]

Your "unique personality" (ego) doesn't survive you.

[jim360]

You kidding? My ego's so big that it's bound to last long after death.

[naomi24]

Khandro, //Your "unique personality" (ego) doesn't survive you. //

How do you know?

[sandyRoe]

Perhaps we're all just subsumed into a great God adoring mass?

[pixie373]

I hope not, sandy! If anything survives after your death, you aren't dead, so not really an issue.

[keyplus90]

First of all human being do not have immortal souls. Immortal as we human know is only God. Then change in personality in this world is also another way of shaping one's life in the hereafter. Souls do not have anything known as split personalities or two different personalities as a result of all of the factors you mentioned like injury etc. People's personality and actions do change throughout the life time but it is all part of one same person.

[grasscarp]

Human souls are immortal because spirits can't decompose.

[naomi24]

How interesting. Three claims unhesitatingly made by three people of different religions – but none of them can honestly claim to ‘know’.

//Your "unique personality" (ego) doesn't survive you.//

//human being do not have immortal souls.//

//Human souls are immortal because spirits can't decompose.//

Will the truth please stand up!

[Khandro]

Reincarnation - no. Rebirth - yes.

[jomifl]

Naomi. Khandro just knows these things ok? .....:o)

[craft1948]

I hope my immortal soul is a little less grumpy........

[Khandro]

jom; acknowledgement at last ! :-)

[naomi24]

Jom, and it appears he's not alone! :o)

Khandro, so if your unique personality doesn't survive you, which element of you do you think is reborn and how does your previous earthly life relate to your rebirth?

[modeller]

Khandro just for clarity in what form does this rebirth take. ?

[Khandro]

modeller; //Khandro just for clarity in what form does this rebirth take. ?//
To put it in simple terms; your life - though important to you - isn't much different from that of a leaf. Every leaf is unique, but if it is say from an oak, recognisable as an oak leaf. Each autumn that leaf expires, and never will return as such, even though trillions upon trillions more will.
Rebirth of that leaf happens when its constituent atoms are re-gathered in the earth enabling a new life.

[birdie1971]

Sandyroe - "... The pre-injury one..."

I read an article in the press several years ago about an Australian man who was well known in his small town as a rather nasty piece of work. He was the kind of guy who was always getting drunk and who was abusive and generally unpleasant to everyone he met. He wasn't a criminal, just a prat. One night while drinking, he got into an argument with the wrong chap and ended up with a rather large knife embedded in his skull and brain. The injury was life threatening. However, after several hours of skilful surgery the blade was removed and he was given the all-clear.

The interesting thing about this story is that his personality changed completely and (as far as anyone can tell) permanently. He became a model citizen; friendly and helpful to all those he met. He also gave up on the booze. In every way, he was a changed man. Also, his accent and speech patterns changed.

So when this gentleman shuffles off, according to you he will revert to his pre-injury state. Interesting.