At what point, if any, does the soul leave the body?

I, along with probably many others throughout history, have been pondering about this great question for some time. Out of curiosity one day, I asked my college Biology professor when do the cells in one's body stop all their activities after one dies, as we were learning about, I think, cellular respiration. The professor responded by stating that, after several minutes, cellular actives stop. To be honest, I was hoping for an answer such as the one I received. As of late, I am leaning towards the idea that there is no soul (even though the debate can easily go towards any direction). I think of funny stories I hear, like ones involving dead people farting, and cool stories involving dead people's fingernails/hair growing, and now I think of the answer I received from my Biology professor. Is the evidence pointing to a soul not even existing?

My impression is that, if there is a soul, when the soul leaves the body, one dies (and one, then, is officially dead and all that). If this is the case, how can, after one is seemingly dead (no heart rate/brain waves, etc.), the body still have cellular activity? This bring about lots of very interesting possibilities, such as:

- There is no soul.
- Cellular activity and, indeed, all bodily activity ceases when the soul leaves the body.
- Some bodily activity (such as cellular activity) continues once the soul leaves the body.
- Any others?

I try to be on the fence, so the preceding list has hopefully not showed any bias in this topic. Let's go even further, if the soul exists, what determines when it leaves the body? Here is another list:

- When brain activity ceases.
- When heart activity ceases.
- When both brain and heart activity ceases.
- When all bodily activity ceases.
- At any point (remote viewing/etc.).
- Any other ideas?

I was always under the impression that, when the soul leaves one's body, one is dead. Science might be pointing to another possibility, however (or is it?). Maybe the soul takes time to leave the body, and maybe this is why some bodily activity continues after one is seemingly dead. Or maybe some bodily activity does not depend on the soul leaving the body (but how could this be?).

Feel free to discuss about this great topic in this thread .




[edit on 23-11-2008 by they see ALL]

Perhaps they come and go have u thought of the possibility that the soul could be the important factor in the creation of the body and not vice versa?

Maybe the soul can leave the body when you are alive, like out of body, and when the situation looks irretrivable just heads off for the nearest bright light at the end of a tunnel.

Originally posted by they see ALL

I try to be on the fence, so the preceding list has hopefully not showed any bias in this topic. Let's go even further, if the soul exists, what determines when it leaves the body? Here is another list:

- When brain activity ceases.
- When heart activity ceases.
- When both brain and heart activity ceases.
- When all bodily activity ceases.
- At any point (remote viewing/etc.).
- Any other ideas?

Perhaps free will. I think the soul can leave the body even before death, leaving the ego behind to run the show. But of course, my views are extremely tainted, I believe in the soul, but not the body.

I would think there is no standard definitive time. With OBE and NDE it could vary.

Also I don't think it is defined by cell death perse. Sure if a ton of cells die the brain doesn't function, but not sure if that would directly influence the exit of the soul, I think there is more to it than that. Not all cells die within minutes, sperm lives 24-36 hours (or longer) in a dead body.

People report being "dead" and out of body while the EMT's are trying to revive them, their cells are not dead yet, but they have still exited.


[edit on 23-11-2008 by Sonya610]

Well I've had an OBE lots of times and I'm still here. So perhaps your total soul doesn't leave the body. I've also heard the exclamation that we have some sort of spiritual string that keeps us to our bodies so I guess they can still function without our soul.

Another thing to consider is what is the relative time of brain death and how does that play out id be happy with a couple years living as a god in my mind, i know thats just an idea but dreaming seems tuned to help us conquer our fears and the subconscoius seems to be usually working for our perceived benefit.

and if you are a really enlightened soul, perhaps you could stay in your dead body and dead cells for weeks just for the hell of it.

I think its a perceptual ordeal here, I mean, we associate ourselves with our souls as if there is some real link besides perception and belief. What I mean is, we probably think of our soul as a part of us, when really, it may not ever come in contact with our body, may not have anything at all to do with our body or our reality. Think of your self as your soul, and think of an avatar in a video game as your body, what goes on in the game and how you die in the game, really doesn't have much to do with your self except what you so wish to entertain that it does.

[edit on 11/23/2008 by psychedeliack]

Yes differnt organs die at differnt rate, I think the brain is one of first to die . The seat of the soul is in brain area, and in Tibetan beliefe the death process takes three days. I remember one time when thought had killed myself, I was shooting out thru space at a very rapid speed.

[edit on 23-11-2008 by googolplex]

reply to post by they see ALL

In my experience, the soul/consciousness. leaves the body when it becomes untenable, through illness or injury. In my case, once I could no longer muster enough energy to continue breathing, I lost consciousness briefly, and then found myself fully conscious standing next to my bed.
Seeing my Mother asleep in a chair beside me,'watching over me' I re-entered my body and managed to start breathing again. Had my Mother not been there, I would not have attempted to return, the relief from suffering in my tired little body was so great.

Regards,

Horsegiver.

reply to post by psychedeliack


That is exactly what Paramahansa Yogananda did when he died, he kept his body in state of no decay for 50 days, maybe longer, they may have buried him after 50 days. Would have to check.

The question of when the soul leaves the body is of interest to me.
Different cultures or religions have a specific time you must wait before burying or cremating a body. Since I have decided to be cremated when I die, I am now wondering if I should wait a certain time period before having this done. What does everyone think?

why can't anybody accept that when you die, it's lights out!!...forever!!! nothing more!!! dead!! kaput!!! sayonara!!! bon voyage!! all electrical impulses that run the brain are gone, shut down, power button off with no CMOS battery to hold info. this is why you live each day like it's your last one on earth. quit worrying about what's going to happen after your dead, and live every day while your alive.

Originally posted by Aislin
The question of when the soul leaves the body is of interest to me.
Different cultures or religions have a specific time you must wait before burying or cremating a body. Since I have decided to be cremated when I die, I am now wondering if I should wait a certain time period before having this done. What does everyone think?

Wouldn't worry. People who die in fires can still be properly cremated, so the fire shouldn't be too much of an issue for the soul. I think that follows logically.

Originally posted by Aislin
The question of when the soul leaves the body is of interest to me.
Different cultures or religions have a specific time you must wait before burying or cremating a body. Since I have decided to be cremated when I die, I am now wondering if I should wait a certain time period before having this done. What does everyone think?

well it won't matter much because....wait....wait for it...wait....YOUR DEAD!!!!

haha good question

Well I tend to see the body being a product of the soul, so I restate: when does the body leave the soul?
my answer: when the soul transcends the dimension that connects with the physical entirely, meaning our soul is between the physical and the metaphysical right now, because the duality between our mind and body. (I can't say when exactly it would happen, sorry) but I guess when we die (when are we classified dead again?), and can't come back, our soul separates from the "between stage" to the completely outside our physical reality stage.
I basically answered nothing didn't I....

Originally posted by redled

Originally posted by Aislin
The question of when the soul leaves the body is of interest to me.
Different cultures or religions have a specific time you must wait before burying or cremating a body. Since I have decided to be cremated when I die, I am now wondering if I should wait a certain time period before having this done. What does everyone think?

Wouldn't worry. People who die in fires can still be properly cremated, so the fire shouldn't be too much of an issue for the soul. I think that follows logically.

LOGIC??? the fire shouldn't be too much of an issue for the soul? LOGIC??
i'm sorry, but did you actually go back and read what you wrote?

oh ok... i'm going to leave now...its no use.

[edit on 23-11-2008 by jimmyx]

reply to post by googolplex


hahaha thats awesome. And to reply to Horsegiver, out of body experience, could just be an extension of the mind or of the function of the reality, maybe an astral body that many associate with the soul. I personally think, that what people think of as souls, is just GOD or source, a sort of internal spark or reflection that we can paint any way we so will, but in the end, there is only the source of all sources, we are allowed to think whatever we so wish until we choose to be absolved back unto the source. What I mean by this, is that perhaps one can live multiple lives, perhaps it is of choice, perhaps some of us live once to figure it out and return to source to start anew or continue on a million different lives teaching. I really do think it is all relative to belief system and perceptions held within such. I think they are all functional and valid in their own right, its just how the ineffable seems to work.
I whole heartedly believe that whatever your belief system is, is how it will be. If you live your life doing things that you believe will get you to hell, then you will go to hell until you realize you chose to put yourself there, in many different aspects. If you think you will reincarnate until you have dealt with all of your karma and tamed all the demons, that is what will happen. Beyond the 3d, we're talking quantum reality, so why would it not be that way? I dont have any proof except the nature of belief systems and how they work within the realms of tangible data. An as above so below sort of theory. but who knows. cool thread op

Originally posted by jimmyx
why can't anybody accept that when you die, it's lights out!!...forever!!! nothing more!!! dead!! kaput!!! sayonara!!! bon voyage!! all electrical impulses that run the brain are gone, shut down, power button off with no CMOS battery to hold info. this is why you live each day like it's your last one on earth. quit worrying about what's going to happen after your dead, and live every day while your alive.

People can, its just with the amount of vanity, it makes it easy to be able to find the time to contemplate such things.

An as for it being lights out, I think that is what ultimately happens, whatever energy it took to make you, soul or not, transforms into another mode of energy, but I also believe it could be possible that whatever you so believe will happen, will happen. Since no one can prove either way, I dont think its so wise to just give up on thinking about it, I think it makes sense to live in a belief system that makes your life happier and more enjoyable or just make more sense. Actually, I think people can prove to them selves, but not to anyone else, and it is like this, so the law of free will is not biased or disturbed.

I believe Ive had to live at least a few lifetimes to figure that out though, so, like I was saying, my perception of the whole ordeal is extremely tainted by experience I cannot say was real, and cannot say was not.

[edit on 11/23/2008 by psychedeliack]

[edit on 11/23/2008 by psychedeliack]

Originally posted by jimmyx


LOGIC??? the fire shouldn't be too much of an issue for the soul? LOGIC??
i'm sorry, but did you actually go back and read what you wrote?

oh ok... i'm going to leave now...its no use.

It wasn't mean't to be mildly humourous........