What is a person's soul?

A friend's perspective

A beloved friend once asked for my definition of the human soul. Until then, I had never tried to answer, even for myself, that simple yet profound question. Mindful that each of us has her or his own definition or concept of the human soul, this is the description that came to me.

I imagine the human soul to be like a space, a unique, perfectly safe space between the cosmos and each person’s consciousness; the personal passageway between the Holy Spirit which connects all life and each individual’s consciousness.

I imagine two openings on either side of this space, one to and from pure Spirit and the other to and from our individual’s consciousness.

I imagine that we leave that space slowly, through the door to consciousness, beginning when we are born and farther into consciousness to the extent that we become conscious of the world around us and of our place in it. The soul is not the only place we find the Holy Spirit: it often passes through that space on its way to our consciousness. But it is each person’s safe harbor. We return to the soul in deep thought, in meditation, and in sleep. The soul informs our dreams, expands our creativity, and can guide our actions and bring us peace because the Holy Spirit is always directly accessible there.

I imagine that we leave that room through the opening on the other side, the opening to the Holy Spirit, when we die.

Until then, I imagine that it is up to us to keep both openings of the soul open and to care, each of us, for her or his soul so as to honor the Spirit of Life; to cultivate and express gratitude for its gifts; and to keep that space safe and inviting for ourselves, for the Spirit, and for anyone with whom we choose to bare our soul.