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How much of who you are is your mind/heart/soul and how much is your body? I am wondering how much of self identity is the inner self and how much of it is the body. Is the ‘self’ (your self identity) closely tied to the body?

How do these ideas affect how we see the world, how we relate to the world, connect with others, etc.

How much is body image related to how one functions in society or copes with or reacts to life? I saw a news piece about a soldier who lost both lower legs in Iraq. Before being wounded, he had been very athletic. Now, he has two prosthetic legs and continues to be athletic. Obviously, his identity with himself being an active, athletic person didn’t end but adapted to change.

Does being a certain body type affect one’s self image? Conversely, does the way you think influence what type of body you have; that is, does the inner self, not just behavior, affect if you are fat or thin and in many cases healthy or unhealthy?

If what and who you are inside is reflected in the body you present to the world, is it wrong for other people to be attracted or not attracted to your body as much as to your mind/soul/heart?

i think our body is that vessel that hides the real us ..

We are all spirit and soul trapped in our bodies...it's the energy that makes up our spirit/soul. Our minds are continually assaulted with good and bad ideas in our society. Some people follow and blindly accept, others lead and consciously create. If you can see through the smoke, your inner self will manifest....no matter what body type you have.

"Does being a certain body type affect one’s self image? Conversely, does the way you think influence what type of body you have; that is, does the inner self, not just behavior, affect if you are fat or thin and in many cases healthy or unhealthy? "

I would say that one's body image DOES affect their inner self-image. And the same is true in reverse. Consider anorexia....thin, gaunt women (usually women, though not always) who see themselves as fat and disgusting, yet they are basically emaciated. Their self-image is affecting not only their appearance but their health as well. And then there are the very obese people who ride a perpetual roller-coaster of self-loathing. Of course this is a generalization, for not every overweight person hates how they look, but I'd say it's a fairly accurate generalization for most.
Don't we all hold our heads up a little higher and walk with a bit more pep in our step when we feel good about ourselves? If we just dropped a few pounds, it may not be noticeable by anyone but we are aware and we feel better about ourselves for having done so; it affects our self-image and we then present ourselves with more confidence.

we are not human beings having spiritual experiences; we are spiritual beings having human experiences

Hey I was going to say that...but I've said it a couple times already....but true...."We are not humans on a spiritual journey. We are spiritual beings on a human journey" - S.Covey

The eyes are the windows to the soul. Most times you know by looking in someones eyes whether their purpose is good, bad or indifferent (For lack of better terms). The body is just a shell, it's only purpose is to allow the soul to communicate and experience things on the earth.

I believe that each soul has their own purpose for being here, it's whether or not we allow our souls to speak to our grey matter. We decide whether we are going to allow ourselves to listen with our heart or our mind or both.

I'm a person that believes in soul mates. My grandparents proved that when I was growing up. I also believe that when we meet up with a soul that we've come to know in that other plane of being as only souls.

I'm not sure if I made this clear enough I will reread it and post additional things if I've forgotten anything after I've gotten more sleep.

It's in the crystal-serene clear....I know exactly what you mean.....

Oh good...Thank you...Now I don't feel like a bumbling fool...I'll sleep better knowing that

Interesting response.

Lots of people, maybe most, believe the body is 'just a shell.' That's what I'm wondering, questioning. Good response.

I totally agree with the body being just a shell....I was at my dear mother-in-laws bedside with an hour of her death...and although Id loved and known her for the best part of 30 years I was struck by the fact that she was gone and this was just a shell of her lying on the bed that I was looking at and her beautiful spirit was truly gone...very sad

I have felt that way at a deathbed too. Once the spirit left the body, I felt the body itself had lost it's meaning.

That makes me think again about what I'm trying to figure out here. I do believe the body is more than just a shell. I think when the life force is inside the body, there is a body-mind connection, and through the body, the spirit suggests itself, expresses itself, etc. I think that in some ways, the body is just a physical shell, and some people are blessed with 'better shells' than others. However, we do relate to the world through our bodies, and in some cases our bodies become who we are. So, a person who is born without the 'standard' prerequisites of 'beauty', becomes more beautiful, literally and physically, because of the expression of their inner beauty through the body. And conversely, a person might be less 'beautiful' physically, because they don't express their inner beauty through their body--and I'm not talking about liposuction and make up. Am I making any sense at all?

Hi Crystal

We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.



- Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

Yes. I am impressed by this quotation. Could you elucidate, Conrad, on your personal interpretation of this statement?

I can shed some light on that if you want....

Please do...

It means that we are energy vibrating at a certain freqeuncy and that energy that is in our bodies never dies, just transits.....reincarnation. So in essence, our soul/spirit is basically energy that never dies. And we may be only a splinter or fragment of a much larger soul. It may be possible that we are living in other universes simultaneosly with this one. It is also possible that our souls do experience life as other entities....remember...eveything on Earth and the universe is made up of energy.

Personally, I feel the main reason we are here is to manipulate and use the energy that we create with our illusory thoughts. To manifest our reality so that we are happy and harmonic in the name of love. This is what speeds up our vibration and enables us to escape the viscious cycle here in this astral plane or others with a similar vibrations that is not the Source (Nirvana or Heaven) dependiing on which religous branch you choose, but it's the same only defined differently.

According to mainstream Hindu religious thought, the individual soul is trapped in the suffering involved with life in this world, and because of reincarnation, even death does not release one from this world. In most of the religious traditions of southern Asia, release or liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth is the ultimate goal of the spiritual life. But how? It is to master your thoughts by using many tools to manipulate your energy and create a karma that will speed up your vibration. The teachings preached in all the religions, psychologies(analytical) or self help-new age books are tools to help you understand yourself, others, the world so you can love yourself, others and find happiness. In essence, giving you the power to not take anything personal which would give you a very negative energy....and negative energy is what builds bad thoughts and actions.....bad karma.

The objective with Karma is to reach a level of vibration that would be far beyond the fifth dimension. To work out all karma that would need to be worked through. So when you get to that level of vibration there is no karma.

We don't die, just transit, and we may decide to come back into physical form because the earthly experience is very vibrant and unique. However, getting caught up in karma usually happens again, so therefore, one may be stuck in the painful cycle of trying to work out karma here in this vibrational plane.
The majority of people on Earth, when they die and leave the body, are working out problems in karma, so they have to keep going back and forth. There are exceptions....different entities containing different energies on a different vibrational level, yet they are still able to tune into our astral plane of existence.

Okay--I am a bit thick, but I'm trying. So, this is mainly a religious/spiritual philosophy you have in response to my question about the body-mind connection? The body is just a vessel--to transport the soul from plane to plane? Am I getting it? And the purpose of life is to work out karma? I do agree that we are all energy, and nothing but energy...don't know about the rest. Thanks.