> Personally, I think that the idea of the soul comes partly out of the experience
> of self-awareness. Even today, it's difficult to see oneself as a set of physical
> or biological reactions on a par with everything else that goes on the natural
> world. Postulating a soul IMO is not too much different from saying that
> consciousness is a fundamentally different sort of thing from the physical world
> (and in truth, it's not really possible to explain very well).

The idea of the soul is a way to resolve the questions that occur to a conscious
creature in moments of introspection.
e.g.,
"What is noticing this sensation?"
"What is observing these feelings?"
"What is thinking these thoughts?"
"What is asking these questions?"



Of course, then religion sticks in its oar and uses it as a mean of extracting
money and/or extorting certain behaviours.

My use of the word "soul" is the first kind, not the church kind.