A Vital Aspect of Health: Understanding and Nurturing the Soul

What is the soul? How does it relate to health? How should we nurture it?

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A Vital Aspect of Health: Understanding and Nurturing the Soul — (sun ok/Shutterstock)

By Jingduan Yang

4/25/2024

Updated:

5/2/2024

0:00

Health Viewpoints

While striving for physical, mental, and social well-being, one must consider another vital aspect of health: the soul. What is the soul? How does it relate to health? How should we nurture it? We will delve deep into these questions.

Everything is made of matter. Our physical bodies—made of hair, skin, organs, and blood vessels—are tangible objects. In contrast to the material body, the soul is considered immaterial. However, the concepts of material and immaterial are relative. When matter is so minuscule that it cannot be observed or touched by current scientific methods, it is deemed immaterial. I am inclined to believe that the soul is a more microscopic form of material existence rather than immaterial.

Most substances undergo a process of formation, existence, decay, and destruction, and the human body is no exception. It gradually deteriorates with age and then disintegrates after death. However, the soul is considered eternal. Many belief systems posit that the soul resides within the body and continues to exist after the body perishes. As for the soul’s destination, it is believed to be influenced by one’s actions, thoughts, and intentions in this life.

3 Ways to Experience the Soul

If the soul exists, how can we experience it? Generally, there are three ways to feel our souls’ presence.

1. Mindfulness Practice

Mindfulness involves being fully present in the moment—aware of our thoughts, emotions, sensations, and the surrounding environment. It prevents us from dwelling on the past or being distracted by non-reality.

Mindfulness cultivates a state of heightened awareness, allowing us to observe the inner workings of our minds and connect with more profound aspects of our being. By accepting each moment without judgment, we can foster a sense of connection to our inner selves, leading to profound experiences of peace and fulfillment.

Mindfulness often intersects with various spiritual traditions, providing a pathway to explore our spirituality and connect with our souls. Mindfulness can also enhance creativity and self-expression, enabling us to tap into our inner wisdom and channel it into artistic endeavors.

2. Spiritual Practice

Spiritual practice refers to embodying one’s beliefs in daily life. Different belief systems employ different spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer, qigong, scripture study, recitation, and adherence to religious laws. These practices are believed to result in spiritual changes in the soul. Over time, many early spiritual practices have transformed into religious rituals and activities.

3. Artistic and Creative Activities

Artistic and creative activities require inspiration. During the creative process, people often express something profound from within themselves, allowing them to experience the existence of the soul.

From a scientific perspective, our thoughts, behaviors, emotions, and consciousness are all linked to the functions of the brain and the body as a whole. This is because the brain does not function in isolation; it is connected to the body’s organs and systems. Current scientific research focuses more on the various activities of the brain, and our knowledge about the relationship between these activities and the soul is limited.

Recognizing the Soul’s Existence

In real life, two phenomena may help us recognize the existence of the soul.

The first phenomenon involves memories of reincarnation, whereby some people recall details of their past lives. This indirectly suggests the soul’s eternal nature, implying its existence before our current physical bodies.

The second relates to near-death experiences. Some individuals, often because of illness or trauma, come close to death and, in some cases, are even declared clinically dead for a period before being revived. Many of these people report experiences of the soul leaving the body. Some experiences are incredibly beautiful, with people reporting having seen a God-like being or heaven. Others are terrifying, with people seeing the devil and returning with intense fear. Throughout my medical career, I have encountered such cases.

These two phenomena are experiences that reflect the eternity of the human soul. This indicates that our physical bodies will eventually perish but our souls are eternal. Therefore, taking care of our souls is crucial.

4 Key Elements for Nurturing the Soul

If we recognize the existence of the soul, we should learn to nurture and cultivate it, enhancing its well-being, depth, and virtue. This not only enhances our spiritual realm and quality but also promotes our physical health and social harmony. So how can we nurture and cultivate our souls?

1. Self-Reflection and Introspection

We must learn to reflect and introspect because elevating the soul is intricately linked to elevating the self. Without the ability to focus inward, identify, and address our shortcomings, we cannot cultivate our souls or elevate our spiritual realms.

2. Authentic Living

We should live authentically, sticking to our beliefs in all circumstances. This is a demonstration of staying true to ourselves. It means not changing our beliefs out of fear or temptation and not swaying in our beliefs based on mood swings or desires.

3. Healthy Interpersonal Relationships

The essence of human relationships lies in the connection between souls. When interpersonal relationships are in turmoil, marked by deceit or resentment, it signals the need to examine one’s belief system and actively work to improve relationships.

Maintaining healthy interpersonal relationships is also closely linked to physical health. In 2022, the American Heart Association published a scientific statement in its journal indicating that social isolation and loneliness harm heart and brain health.

4. Developing Compassion and Forgiveness

Showing compassion, understanding, and forgiveness toward others is both a form of kindness and a method of spiritual cultivation. Regardless of how others treat us, we should always approach them with kindness and goodwill. Maintaining this positive attitude without regular spiritual practice is challenging, especially in the face of unexpected events, which can lead to inappropriate or even aggressive behavior, harming others and ourselves.

One study led by Harvard University indicated that forgiveness can reduce anxiety and depression, thus boosting mental well-being. The results align with recent evidence that forgiveness can improve sleep, alleviate stress, reduce blood pressure, and lower heart rate.

Meeting someone, working together, and especially living together are all fateful encounters. We should cherish these connections. Regardless of the other person’s social status, religious beliefs, or political views, we should strive to maintain equal and kind relationships.

A healthy soul must inevitably lead to a healthy worldview and positive thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Additionally, the health of the soul no doubt affects physical well-being.