Posts by Vidqun

609

What is spirit, exactly?

by Viviane in

i've always wondered that.

recently i asked that question on another thread and didn't really get ananswer.

cofty made an excellent point that we often hear what it isn't, but that really isn't useful.. so, what is it?

Vidqun

Viv, I've gone through your summary, and you've missed a few suggestions. Do review your thread. Clue: It's either matter or it's energy. We know it cannot be matter.

609

What is spirit, exactly?

by Viviane in

i've always wondered that.

recently i asked that question on another thread and didn't really get ananswer.

cofty made an excellent point that we often hear what it isn't, but that really isn't useful.. so, what is it?

Vidqun

Glad you sorted it out for yourself. Whatever you are happy with and floats your boat.

609

What is spirit, exactly?

by Viviane in

i've always wondered that.

recently i asked that question on another thread and didn't really get ananswer.

cofty made an excellent point that we often hear what it isn't, but that really isn't useful.. so, what is it?

Vidqun

You're the one that said you haven't encountered "spirit" in you Medical Career, and I responded to your assertion. By the way, we are discussing the word "spirit" and what it means (exactly)?

609

What is spirit, exactly?

by Viviane in

i've always wondered that.

recently i asked that question on another thread and didn't really get ananswer.

cofty made an excellent point that we often hear what it isn't, but that really isn't useful.. so, what is it?

Medical terms come and go. But it's always interesting to see where things come from. I am interested in linguistics and the origin of words. If a child asks me where a word comes from, yes, I'll start from the Dictionary definition and work from there. I am afraid "spirit" is here to stay, even if it just refers to the one that you buy in bottles. As Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull sang: "The Christmas spirit is not what you drink."

Snare, seems like you haven't done much in psychology/psychiatry? Like John Chirban, Ph.D, Th.D., a clinical instructor in psychology at Harvard Medical School, said in one of his articles: "Leaving Space for the Spirit in Clinical Treatment." You, as Medical Practitioner should also take it to heart. Treating the whole patient, acknowledging their beliefs and spiritual well-being, would contribute to the healing process. By the way, "take it to heart," what does that mean? One should say, take it to brain.

609

What is spirit, exactly?

by Viviane in

i've always wondered that.

recently i asked that question on another thread and didn't really get ananswer.

cofty made an excellent point that we often hear what it isn't, but that really isn't useful.. so, what is it?

Vidqun

Cofty, no you don't get rid of words that easily. They become entrenched in use. Perhaps in a hundred years or so things might have changed. But for the time being faith/superstition (whatever you want to call it) reigns supreme.

609

What is spirit, exactly?

by Viviane in

i've always wondered that.

recently i asked that question on another thread and didn't really get ananswer.

cofty made an excellent point that we often hear what it isn't, but that really isn't useful.. so, what is it?

Vidqun

Snare, I think "spirit" or related words are brilliant words to describe a process little understood 2 or 3 thousand years ago. From there we can see where our current word use stems from. Alive = warm = living soul. Dead = cold = dead soul. That's where our current "spirit" comes from, whether you like it or not. Oh yes, and Snare, may I just say, synthetic life < creator: Dr. Craig Venter. Do you get my drift?

609

What is spirit, exactly?

by Viviane in

i've always wondered that.

recently i asked that question on another thread and didn't really get ananswer.

cofty made an excellent point that we often hear what it isn't, but that really isn't useful.. so, what is it?

Vidqun

Viviane, here's an attempt to answer your question. At least a partial answer:

Spirit, wind, breeze = forms of energy:

1) spirit, the energy involved, keeping the organism alive (where breathing plays an important part): Spirit is an old-fashioned name, describing the energy needed to sustain life. In scientific terms: ATP > ADP + energy

Wikipedia : Adenosine triphosphate ( ATP ) is a nucleoside triphosphate used in cells as a coenzyme. It is often called the "molecular unit of currency" of intracellular energy transfer. ATP transports chemical energy within cells for metabolism. It is one of the end products of photophosphorylation, cellular respiration, and fermentation and used by enzymes and structural proteins in many cellular processes, including biosynthetic reactions, motility, and cell division (see also Cellular respiration: glycolysis, oxydative phosphorylation, mitochondrial ATP synthase complex).

2) It can also refer to motivational energy of a person, whether internal or external, whether good or bad, e.g., a philanthropist donates money to worthwhile causes or a criminal has the inclination to rape, steal and harm others. The philanthropist is driven by a benevolent spirit (internally). The criminal is driven by a selfish, egotistical spirit (internally). One needs not blame God or the Devil here.

3 ) It can refer to an inanimate force, e.g., breeze, wind. No explanation needed.

4) It can also refer to independent creatures, e.g., angels and demons.

5) It can refer to the substance of God and that which he uses to accomplish his will.

For 4) & 5) one needs a bit of imagination. (I am a great fan of SF, and have an overactive imagination, so that helps.) If physical (single cell or multicellular) organisms can exist, can one rule out that organisms, made out of energy, can exist? What would keep the energy concentrated? I don’t know. Our understanding of natural phenomena is limited. But that does not rule out the possibility that these cannot exist.

An example, “ball lightning,” comes to mind. One of the Czars saw it. People were skeptical of it until scientists, flying from New York to Washington , witnessed a blazing orb drifting down the aisle and disappear through the back of the plane. From then on research began to explain the phenomenon. So unable to explain something, doesn’t mean it doesn’t or cannot exist.

40

OMG I'm so happy!!!!

by Julia Orwell in

jw
friends

yup, the apostate is happy.

i shouldn't be, right, because my life is empty without "jehovah" and the organisation.. but i just got a job at one of the best theme parks in the world, which is so what i want to do, and it's the first permanent job i've had since i lost my government job in 2012!.

the job pays minimum wage but i don't care because working in tourism and entertainment is what i want to do!

Vidqun

Cat

609

What is spirit, exactly?

by Viviane in

i've always wondered that.

recently i asked that question on another thread and didn't really get ananswer.

cofty made an excellent point that we often hear what it isn't, but that really isn't useful.. so, what is it?

Vidqun

Spirit, wind, breeze = forms of energy: 1) spirit, the energy involved, keeping the organism alive (where breathing plays an important part). The Bible refers to a living soul and a dead soul, the latter lacking “spirit.” 2) It can also refer to motivational energy of a person, whether internal or external, whether good or bad. 3) It can refer to an inanimate force, e.g., breeze, wind. 3) It can also refer to independent creatures, e.g., angels and demons, whether you believe in them or not. 4) It can refer to the substance of God and that which he uses to accomplish his will, whether you believe in him or not.

609

What is spirit, exactly?

by Viviane in

i've always wondered that.

recently i asked that question on another thread and didn't really get ananswer.

cofty made an excellent point that we often hear what it isn't, but that really isn't useful.. so, what is it?

Vidqun

Here’s an edited discussion of “spirit” from two reputable dictionaries, discussing the Biblical meaning of the word, for those that are interested. From this one can see how Biblical and clergy use would have influenced the modern use of the word. As already mentioned, it has more than one meaning.

RUAHH (according to HALOT).

Statistics: ruahh 387 times; not attested in Lv, Ob, Nah, Ruth, Song, Est; Ezk 52 times, Is 51 times, Ps 39 times, Jb 31 times, see further THAT 2:727; in Sept. (see TWNT 6:366): πνεῦμα 277 times, ἄνεμος 52 times, θυμός 6 times, πνοή 4 times, ψυχή twice, νοῦς once, φρόνησις once, for further citations see KBL and TWNT loc. cit.; signifies air in motion, a blowing, breeze, wind, nothingness, spirit, sense. Generally is fem.; only seldom is it masc., not able to find a reason for this shift in gender.

—1. breath.

—2. breeze.

—3. wind (THAT 2:728-730), over 100 times.

—4. wind, meaning one of the sides of the world.

—5. wind and God ) THAT 2:731-733 ( .

—6. breath which supports life.

—a. among animals Gn 6:17 ; 7:15 .

—b. among people (also meaning spirit).

—7. ) not always distinguished from 6 with certainty) meaning the natural spirit of humanity, as sense, mind, intellectual frame of mind (THAT 2:738-742): the following meanings (a-e) easily merge with one another:

—a. spirit: Ezk 1:15 : 13:3; 20:32; Mal 2:15 , 16 ; Ps 3:22 ) see above, 6 b ii ( , a spirit outside my experience ) NRSV; REB: a spirit beyond my understanding) Jb 20:3 .

—b. mind: Is 57:16 ) for prp., BHK ( , Ezk 13:3 ; Pr 29:11 ; Qoh 7:9 ; 1C 28:12; Ps 51:12 .

—c. temperament: cj. 2 S 13:39 ) textual corruption ( , prp. ) cf. Sept.) cf. NRSV: the heart of the king went out; REB similarly; 1K 215, or under e;

—d. frame of mind: Nu 14:24 ; Dt 2:30 ; Ps 3:22 :: Wolff Anthropologie 66: intention;

—e. courage: Jos 2:11 ; 5:1 ; 1K 2:15 ; Pr 18:14 .

—f. ill temper: Qoh 10:4 , rage, wrath Ju 8:3, Is 25:4 ; 33:11 , cf. spirit of envy Nu 514.30 ) see below, h ( ;

—g. Pr 16:32 : the exact rendering is uncertain, possibilities include:

—i. who masters himself (KBL; cf. ZürBib.).

—ii. he who rules his temper (Gemser Spr.2 72; REB: control one’s temper);

—iii. who masters his wrath, thus with Sept. ἰ δὲ κρατῶν ὀργῆς; NRSV: one whose temper is controlled.

—h. the intellectual frame of mind, in certain connections:

—8. the spirit of Yahweh (THAT 2:742-746).

—9. spirit of God.

—a. the spirit of God (so NRSV margin, REB) hovered.

—b. a (the) mighty wind (so NRSV margin) blew.

—c. a (the) divine wind (meaning a divine storm); cf. NRSV: a wind from God blew, but this interpretation is not strictly separable from the previous one (b); see further see W.H. Schmidt, Die Schöpfungsgeschichte der Priesterschrift 81-84 (with bibliography); U. Westermann BK 1/1:147-149; on the first suggestion (a) see esp. O.H. Steck, Der Schöpfungsbericht der Priesterschrift , 233-238: the breath of God was moving.

—10. a holy spirit:

—a. Is 63:10f .

—b. Ps 51:13 ; cf. Caquot RHR 169 ) 1966 ( 147: no hypostasis, but rather the power of prophetic inspiration in Is, and in Ps the power of giving life, the spirit (wind) of life.

—11. ) the ( spirit of God: Nu 1117.25f, Ezk 22 324; the spirit as an autonomous entity over and against God 1K 2221 2C 1820; as a moving spirit Ezk 112.20; the spirit of living things Ezk 120f 1017 (sg. collective, see Zimmerli Ezechiel 7 ( .

—12. transferring the spirit from one person to another (THAT 2:743-746):

—a. Yahweh will take from the spirit that is on Moses and set it upon the seventy elders Nu 11:17 ; this pronouncement is carried out in v. 25f, cf. 29; Moses transfers the on to Joshua Dt 349; ) Joshua ( Nu 27:18; the spirit of Elijah is transferred to Elisha 2 K 2:9 .

—b. see also above, 8 e. God gives spirit

—c. he exhorted them by his spirit: Neh 9:30 ; led upward ) by the spirit of Yahweh ( Ezk 37:1 ; Yahweh put a spirit into the king of Assyria , and he will hear a rumour, 2 K 19:7 ; Is 37:7 .

—13. particular types of spirit: the spirit of wisdom as the spirit of skilled workmanship, Ex 28:3 ; spirit of wisdom, Is 1:12 , divine spirit that manifests itself in wisdom ) skilful craft ? ( and insight, a spirit of cleansing, Is 4:4 ; Is 11:2 ; as a gift of wisdom Pr 1:23 ; the spirit of a destroyer Jr 5:11 ; Zech 12:10 , the spirit of grace and of gracious supplication, the spirit of ) cultic ( impurity Zech 13:2 .

—14. Is 3:13 , see THAT 2:747f.

—15. cj.:

—a. Is 38:16 text uncertain, for “give rest to my spirit; you have refreshed my spirit; my spirit is not destroyed.

—b. Jr 52:23 unexplained, see Rudolph Jer.3 322;

—c. Mal 215 text uncertain, literally, and no one does thus, and retains even a part of his life, thus Horst HAT 142 (1954) 268; or, and no one does something like this, if he possesses even a remnant of his understanding, thus Schreiner ZAW 91 (1979) 216f.

PNEUMA (according to BDAG).

1. air in movement, blowing, breathing (even the glowing exhalations of a volcanic crater: Diod. S. 5, 7, 3).

a. wind

b. the breathing out of air, blowing, breath

2. that which animates or gives life to the body, breath, (life-)spirit

3. a part of human personality, spirit

4. an independent noncorporeal being, in contrast to a being that can be perceived by the physical senses, spirit (ELangton, Good and Evil Spirits ’42).

a. God personally:

b. good, or at least not expressly evil spirits or spirit-beings

c. evil spirits

5. God’s being as controlling influence, with focus on association with humans, Spirit, spirit as that which differentiates God fr. everything that is not God, as the divine power that produces all divine existence, as the divine element in which all divine life is carried on, as the bearer of every application of the divine will. All those who belong to God possess or receive this spirit and hence have a share in God’s life. This spirit also serves to distinguish Christians fr. all unbelievers (cp. PGM 4, 1121ff, where the spirit is greeted as one who enters devotees and, in accordance w. God’s will, separates them fr. themselves, i.e. fr. the purely human part of their nature); for this latter aspect s. esp. 6 below.

a. the Spirit of God, of the Lord (=God) etc.

b. the Spirit of Christ, of the Lord (=Christ) etc.

c. Because of its heavenly origin and nature this Spirit is called (the) Holy Spirit (cp. PGM 4, 510 ἵνα πνεύσῃ ἐν ἐμοὶ τὸ ἱερὸν πνεῦμα.—Neither Philo nor Josephus called the Spirit πν. ἅγιον; the former used θεῖον or θεοῦ πν., the latter πν. θεῖον: Ant. 4, 118; 8, 408; 10, 239; but ἅγιον πνεῦμα Orig. C. Cels 1, 40, 16).

d. abs.

e. The Spirit is more closely defined by a gen. of thing: τὸ πν. τῆς ἀληθείας (TestJud 20:5) J 14:17; 15:26; 16:13 (in these three places the Spirit of Truth is the Paraclete promised by Jesus upon his departure).

f. Of Christ ‘it is written’ in Scripture: (ἐγένετο) ὁ ἔσχατος Ἀδὰμ εἰς πνεῦμα ζῳοποιοῦν 1 Cor 15:45 . The scripture pass. upon which the first part of this verse is based is Gen 2:7 , where Wsd 15:11 also substitutes the words πνεῦμα ζωτικόν for πνοὴν ζωῆς (cp. Just., D. 6, 2). On the other hand, s. Philo, Leg. All. 1, 42 and s. the lit. s.v. Ἀδάμ ad loc.

g. The (divine) Pneuma stands in contrast to everything that characterizes this age or the finite world gener.: οὐ τὸ πν. τοῦ κόσμου ἀλλὰ τὸ πν. τὸ ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ 1 Cor 2:12 ; cp. Eph 2:2 and 1 Ti 4:1ab .

α. in contrast to σάρξ, which is more closely connected w. sin than any other earthly material (Just., D. 135, 6): J 3:6; Ro 8:4-6 , 9a , 13 ; Gal 3:3 ; 5:17ab ; 6:8 . Cp. B 10:9. πᾶσα ἐπιθυμία κατὰ τοῦ πνεύματος στρατεύεται Pol 5:3.

β. in contrast to σῶμα (=σάρξ) Ro 8:10 and to σάρξ (=σῶμα, as many hold) J 6:63a (for τὸ πν. ἐστιν τὸ ζῳοποιοῦν cp. Philo, Op. Mund. 30; Herm. Wr. in Cyrill., C. Jul. I 556c=542, 24 Sc. the pneuma τὰ πάντα ζῳοποιεῖ καὶ τρέφει. S. also f above). Cp. Ro 8:11b .

γ. in contrast to γράμμα, which is the characteristic quality of God’s older declaration of the divine will in the law: Ro 2:29 ; 7:6 ; 2 Cor 3:6ab , 8 (cp. vs. 7).

δ. in contrast to the wisdom of humans 1 Cor 2:13 .

6. the Spirit of God as exhibited in the character or activity of God’s people or selected agents, Spirit, spirit (s. HPreisker, Geist u. Leben ’33).

7. an activating spirit that is not fr. God, spirit: πν. ἔτερον a different (kind of) spirit 2 Cor 11:4 . Cp. 2 Th 2:2 ; 1J 4:1-3 . Because there are persons activated by such spirits, it is necessary to test the var. kinds of spirits (the same problem Artem. 3, 20 περὶ διαφορᾶς μάντεων, οἷς δεῖ προσέχειν καὶ οἷς μή) 1 Cor 12:10 ; 1J 4:1b . ὁ διάβολος πληροῖ αὐτὸν αὐτοῦ πν. Hm 11:3. Also οὐκ οἴδατε ποίου πνεύματός ἐστε Lk 9:55 v .l. distinguishes betw. the spirit shown by Jesus’ disciples, and another kind of spirit.—Even more rarely a spirit divinely given that is not God’s own; so (in a quot. fr. Is 29:10 ) a πνεῦμα κατανύξεως Ro 11:8 .

8. an independent transcendent personality, the Spirit, Syn. II 218-50. New Docs 4, 38f. DELG s.v. πνέω. M-M. Dict. de la Bible XI 126-398. EDNT. TW. Sv.

Personal conclusion: From the above one can conclude that “spirit” refers to: 1) the energy involved, keeping the organism alive (where breathing plays an important part). The Bible refers to a living soul and a dead soul, the latter lacking “spirit.” 2) It can also refer to motivational energy of a person, whether internal or external, whether good or bad. 3) It can refer to an inanimate force, e.g., breeze, wind. 3) It can also refer to independent creatures, e.g., God, angels and demons.