Running head: HUMAN SOUL 1 Exploring the Concept of the Human Soul from a Religious, Psychological, and Neuro-Scientific Perspective Jenna M. Cleversley Medaille College Author Note Jenna M. Cleversley, Department of Psychology, Medaille College. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Jenna M. Cleversley, Department of Psychology, Medaille College, 18 Agassiz Circle, Buffalo NY 14214. Email:
[email protected] HUMAN SOUL 2 Abstract This paper focuses on one of the dissimilarities between science and religion. The main objective of this paper is to explore the different perspectives on the human soul from Christian, Buddhist, Psychological, and neuro-scientific perspectives. By the end of this paper one will have a greater understanding on the concept of the human soul and potentially develop his or her own perspective in greater detail. Keywords: religion, spirituality, psychology, neuroscience, human soul HUMAN SOUL 3 Introduction The human soul is a controversial topic that is defined by several different perspectives. Since the soul is an immeasurable material, it is impossible to prove whether or not the soul actually exists. However, many people define their own viewpoints on the soul and argue they have indeed figured out the answer. This topic provides an abstract viewpoint on the concept of life, who we are as individuals, and what our purpose is on this earth. The human soul is a concept that has been accepted for a long period of time; however, the perspective on the human soul has evolved. Generally speaking, the human soul is the unphysical part of the human. The disciplines discussed in the paper (religion, psychology, & neuroscience) use different terms to describe the human soul but they are all referring to the same general concept.