soul

In everyday life, the soul spoken. Everyone knows what the term means - a definition, however, is difficult. In the field of psychology, the concept of soul is largely equated with the psyche. Other scientific disciplines separate it from the psyche.

What is the soul

There are theories about the origin of the word soul that go back to old Germanic terms for “lake” and “realm of the dead”. The expression psyche, which is mostly used synonymously with soul in psychology, comes from ancient Greek and means "breath" or "breath".

The term soul is used in various teachings and traditions. In religion the soul is what remains after the disintegration of the earthly body. But it is also used in the field of philosophy.

In psychology the soul is equated with life. Breathing is a sign of liveliness and vitality and thus an indication of the existence of a soul. On the other hand, the soul primarily describes the out-of-body that keeps people alive.

A precise definition is difficult, as the soul primarily describes what scientists and philosophers have puzzled over for centuries. It is possible to recreate the human body using biological and chemical methods. Even so, this body will never live because it lacks what man generally calls soul.

Often the term is equated with mind, reasoning and understanding. The attempt at a definition that is common today represents the soul as the whole of all life impulses that are associated with feelings and thoughts.

This includes the entire perception of living beings, behaviors, fantasies, dreams and consciousness. Psychosomatic illnesses affect the soul. They can trigger symptoms that cannot be detected in the physical body. However, on the other hand, they can also be the cause of physical illness.

Function & task

Based on these approximations to a definition, it is the task of the soul not only to give life to man, but also to let him understand and act.

According to Sigmund Freud, everything that drives people is conditioned in the psyche. Motives and motivations stem from desires that arise through perceptions and thoughts. Every person has on the one hand emotional and on the other hand rational motives that drive him. In the overall mechanism of the body, these motives are triggered by a mixture of psychological and hormonally physical reasons.

According to Freud's structural model of the psyche, humans have three different structures in the area of ​​the soul: the ego, the superego and the id. The said it has the function of directing drives, affects and needs. These are understood as psychological organs and guide the body.

Freud's super-ego names the psychological structure that is responsible for world views and ideals, while the ego connects all these claims, norms and values ​​with one another through rationality and critical thinking. The ego can therefore be seen as a mediating entity that includes perception, thoughts and memory.

These approaches are not only abstract, but just as little verifiable. In fact, however, the psyche and the body interact with one another, are mutually dependent and cannot be separated from one another.

In keeping with the saying “A healthy mind lives in a healthy body”, the physical condition is largely responsible for the psychological condition and vice versa. The soul can be just as sick as the body. In addition to psychologists and psychiatrists, medical professionals are increasingly considering such illnesses and physical connections.

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Illnesses & ailments

There are a number of diseases that are attributed to the psyche. Mental and emotional disorders go hand in hand with an impairment of social relationships, behavior, feeling, thinking and perception.

However, not all mood swings are synonymous with illness. In many cases a subjective assessment of the person experiencing is necessary for a diagnosis that is actually required objectively.

Mental illnesses include behavioral disorders, schizotypal and delusional disorders, and neurotic and affective disorders. Various diseases are often noticeably gender-related. Women in particular are surprisingly often affected by phobic anxiety disorders, panic, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and eating disorders. Men, on the other hand, show a higher percentage of alcoholism, ADHD, autism and disturbed social behavior.

These phenomena are mostly related to the way boys and girls are brought up differently and the resulting different demands on them. For example, it is socially okay for women (the supposedly “soft” sex) to be afraid of spiders, but for men it makes them weak in the eyes of others.

Among the diseases mentioned comes the burnout syndrome. This is an overload disorder. Depression has also become a widespread disease these days and often occurs in adolescence. They are characterized by lack of drive, inner restlessness, fearfulness and irritability.

Feelings of hopelessness, difficulty concentrating, and insomnia are often associated with depression. Several million people in Germany are affected. The trend is increasing.

In addition, stress factors or emotional pressure can trigger physical complaints such as headaches or stomach pain. Panic attacks or anxiety disorders are also predestined to get the pulse racing and lead to nausea and muscle cramps. This shows the close interrelationship between psyche and physique.