Previous Psychology

Most of us would agree we have a "psyche" per the above definitions in the sense of mind, thought, and emotions. Most would also agree they have a "soul" per the second definition above relating to man's mental, moral or emotional nature. We might all have different notions about what these ultimately are, but few could sanely disagree they exist. The derivation of "psyche" comes from Latin and the Greek psukhe - breath, life, soul. To get a better "feel" for this term try to think of it as the invisible animating principle or entity that occupies, interacts with and directs the physical body. We are not dealing with opinions or beliefs here. This is simply what the words and terms mean. Get clear on this first and understand what the words and terms mean, before you start getting into the opinions of others on the subject. If you choose to decide the "mind" refers to nothing real after understanding what the words and definitions mean, despite the fact that almost 10,000 years of thinking men have seriously and carefully looked into this subject, and after no real investigation on your own part, then that's your decision. Also, realize you will be basing this decision on "thinking" and "reason", both of which are only subsidiary to and part of any one mind, and neglecting to use a greater aspect of your mind - your personal awareness and direct observation. Basing a decision on what other people say about a mind involves only concepts and ideas about a mind. Observation involves experiencing the mind itself - your own mind. When it comes to minds there is only one mind any of us can directly observe or experience and that mind is our own. If you want to learn about minds, the only place to start is with your own. You cannot directly observe or experience the mind of another person, at least not without some extrasensory ability such as telepathy.

Next