Questioner: A lot of religions believe in a soul. Is there really such a thing?
Jonathan: Of course there is. As an idea, that is. But it is worthwhile remembering that this is so for all words. Words point to ideas, concepts, constructs, not to reality. In reality we find only what is. Two things we do not find in reality are things, and events, since these are both concepts, with no real existence, dependent on arbitrary definitions, just like “soul.”
To say that a soul exists is neither correct nor incorrect. It is meaningless.
To say that a soul does not exists is also neither correct nor incorrect. It is equally meaningless.
So, some people regard the world in terms of souls, and some do not. It is just different ways of thinking, different terminologies. None of this relates to reality, but rather to the ways people think.
So my recommendation is to forget this whole issue and leave it to the philosophers, priests, rabbis and imams to worry about. That is their profession.
The main thing is to be kind to yourself and to others. With unconditional love, compassion, who cares really whether there is or is not a soul. This seems anyway to form the bedrock of most philosophies and religions.
Enjoy life.