ASPECTS OF THE SOUL
"A CONSCIOUS SOUL IS AWARE OF ITS OWN POWER."
A commonly held belief among people is the existence of a soul dwelling within us, forming the core of our entity, as immaterial and invisible energy. It is the fundamental constituent and essence of our identity, making us ourselves, not someone else.
There are multiple aspects of a soul. The Soul is the true I, true being, true heart, true intelligence. It is an inner realness, inner truthfulness, the innermost essence of our being. The soul is also will. But this is not the same as personality willfulness. Instead, the soul-will is an aspiration to greater truths and virtues. When we feel such aspirations, then we are experiencing soul consciousness – we are soul experiencing. The soul-will is a will-to-truth, a will-to-love, and a will-to-serve. It is a will that cares about life and seeks to do what is best. The three main aspects of the soul or Soul's Triad, are Will, Consciousness, and Being.
The word Being or essential Being is mostly what a soul is about and mostly the substance of the soul or energy vibration. From its universe of origin, a soul may choose to expand its awareness to other universes or dimensions of consciousnesses, or it may choose to take on more material form by descending into incarnation. In order to function and survive within the density of these dimensions, the soul cloaks around itself like the rings of a tree, the energetic "matter" or vibrations of those dimensions. Until shed, these coverings remain with the soul as part of its energetic bodily wardrobe. Each of these energetic layers adds to the unique identity or personality of these aspects. As there are countless dimensions, the permutations are virtually endless.
The ancient view of the soul was very simple and meaningful. The soul was the animating principle of the body. The abruptness of death, like turning off a switch, provides the simple intuition that something has departed. The soul was seen as that vital energy that kept us walking, talking, and thinking human beings. Early development in the idea of the soul structure, can be observed in its multilayered functions and can be found in Platonism as well as in Hermeticism. A simple way to explain this is that human beings can be viewed in several different ways.
The soul may be described as multi-ascending levels of awareness and connection with the Source. The three main levels have distinct functions to fulfill the needs of our existence. In the Kabbalistic world, they are called "Nefesh, Ruach, and Neshamah". Plato referred to them as "Epithyrmetikon, Thymoeides, and Logistikon. Freud called them "Id, Ego, and Superego".
1) The instinct of the Soul
This is part of the spirit that is associated with the realization of the body in all matters that are connected with the blood or Life Force, which sustains the body throughout its life, through the perception of this world concerning physical needs. It is an awareness of the physical body and the physical world, in the world of Action. It is the life-force, and the realization of the vessel we occupy. This physical awareness is a result of the enmeshing of the Soul with the body. This is the lowest level of consciousness and the primordial instinct of preservation, where all the lower passions reside, and is associated with the element of Fire.
2) Emotions of the Soul
This is the middle level of the soul and the conscious part of our being which is also known as the Ego. It is the mind and reasoning powers and represents the intermediate stage between the lower and higher portions of the Soul. It is not attached to the body in the same way as the lower part and can depart the body with the other ascending levels of the soul during sleep. The first two levels are sometimes called the existential aspects of the soul.
This is the power that enables the soul to maintain itself in the body. It is where we can distinguish between good and evil. In this level of consciousness, the manifestation of the intellect is in contemplation to arouse emotions. It is here where the individual can choose between focusing either on temporary desires or on higher spiritual goals.
3) The intellect of the Soul
The so-called "Neshamah" is the higher aspect of the soul and the contemplation of the manifestation of Divine energy. It is our true and immortal Self, our True Will, and the Soul's greatest aspirations. Through this stage, we realize our intellect attain the awareness of our Higher Self, and live on after physical death. It is where we find true reason and understanding. It is hewn from the source of life, and from the wellspring of intelligence and wisdom. This is our higher state of consciousness, the intuitive power that connects the Divine with humankind.
Old Souls
Some of us are called "old souls", maybe because we are familiar with certain aspects of life, and people rely on the wisdom we acquired during our soul's journey. But not always we have been accepted as such and often called crazy for thinking we can feel people’s energy, or considered hermits for needing to have time alone, or ‘weirdos’ for believing in alternative things, so the best thing we can do is continue to be true to ourselves. As old souls, we are viewing the world in a different way, and not conforming to a society that is hollow and spiritually void will cause us pain and suffering, but once we accept who we are and free ourselves from the chain of mainstream lifestyle, we can feel whole and able to focus on our journey. Do not allow anybody to pressure you into betraying your passions, desires, and natural state of being.
For some is extremely important to take time away from life, people, and obligations and spend time alone in isolation. Life can be overwhelming at times, and the energies of other people can be exhausting. Spending time alone in nature, or spending all day in your room are things that have become necessary for your spiritual health at times. Some people may call you a hermit or say that you are socially challenged, but you just know the value of spending time alone to detox, reflect, and nurture yourself.
Our experienced soul at times feels to take risks and go on adventures that other people may think are unwise, but playing it safe is just too boring for us. At the end of our journey here on earth, we would love to have experienced a life full of ups and downs, suffering and joy, and amazing adventures as opposed to having experienced a "normal" life playing it safe. We are the pioneers for the next generations, opening possibilities and opportunities to experience our physical existence on Earth. Sometimes you feel that you have software that allows you to look around and download information, and able to read and identify the characteristics of other people and the lifestyle they live in just a few minutes. This is because you have seen and interacted with thousands of souls throughout the course of your soul history and you are able to identify the archetype of that person before in a past life and is familiar with the general behavior and psychology of that archetype.
In this lifetime old souls have learned to trust and appreciate the journey, understanding that life is temporary and don't take anything for granted. Not everybody can understand why we are spending so much time in nature, looking at the stars, or meditating and contemplating the meaning of creation, simply because they are too busy and distracted with worldly matters to see the big picture.
The spiritual concept called "Following your bliss" means to live for the greatest experience you can have, no matter what. It’s often misinterpreted actually, as people can think it means just do what’s fun. It’s not saying anything like that. It’s saying do and be the things that truly excite you, express your true self, and be passionate about your existence. And by exciting you, it means growing you, challenging you, pushing you in new directions, expanding your consciousness, and developing you into something great. It means to live fully and synchronize yourself with all your senses and your soul.
Paola Luciani Fulbright
