Often used interchangeably with "soul," but can imply a less personal, more universal or energetic essence. The hard problem here is similar: what is its substance? Is it a field? A vibration? A form of information? And how does this universal "spirit" give rise to individual, bounded consciousness? It risks becoming a vague, all-explaining metaphysical ether that, by explaining everything, explains nothing in a testable way.
Example: "She said she was 'raising her spiritual vibration.' The hard problem of spirit: what is 'vibrating,' and what instrument could measure it? If it's just a metaphor for a positive mindset, call it that. If it's a real energy, point to the gauge. The term floats in a realm between poetry and physics, accountable to neither." Hard Problem of the Spirit
by AbzuInExile January 31, 2026
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Get the kinchud spirit mug.Related to but distinct from the soul hypothesis, this proposes the existence of non-corporeal, conscious entities that are not necessarily tied to a once-living body. Spirits might be nature spirits, ancestral guides, angels, demons, or discarnate intelligences of other kinds. The hypothesis expands the potential population of the universe to include invisible, sentient agencies that can interact with the physical world or human consciousness. It's about other minds, not necessarily the survival of our own.
Example: "The old folklore about a 'genius loci'—the spirit of a place—that gets angry if you pollute its river is a Spirit Hypothesis. It personifies the complex, emergent ecosystem of a location as a conscious agency. Modern environmentalists might call it 'systems thinking,' but the ancient hypothesis was more visceral: the forest isn't just trees; it's a being you can respect or offend."
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