The world soul (Greek: ψυχὴ κόσμου
psuchè kósmou, Latin: anima mundi) is, according
to several systems of thought, an intrinsic
connection between all living things on the
planet, which relates to our world in much
the same way as the soul is connected to the
human body. Plato adhered to this idea and
it was an important component of most Neoplatonic
systems:
Therefore, we may consequently state that:
this world is indeed a living being endowed
with a soul and intelligence ... a single
visible living entity containing all other
living entities, which by their nature are
all related.
The Stoics believed it to be the only vital
force in the universe. Similar concepts also
hold in systems of eastern philosophy in the
Brahman-Atman of Hinduism, the Buddha-Nature
in Mahayana Buddhism, and in the School of
Yin-Yang, Taoism, and Neo-Confucianism as
qi.
Other resemblances can be found in the thoughts
of hermetic philosophers like Paracelsus,
and by Baruch Spinoza, Gottfried Leibniz,
Friedrich Schelling and in Hegel's Geist ("Spirit"/"Mind").
Ralph Waldo Emerson published "The Over-Soul"
in 1841, which was influenced by the Hindu
conception of a universal soul. There are
also similarities with ideas developed since
the 1960s by Gaia theorists such as James
Lovelock.In Jewish mysticism, a parallel concept
is that of "Chokhmah Ila'ah," the all-encompassing
"Supernal Wisdom" that transcends, orders
and vitalizes all of creation. Rabbi Nachman
of Breslov states that this sublime wisdom
may be apprehended (or perhaps "channeled")
by a perfect tzaddik (holy man). Thus, the
tzaddik attains "cosmic consciousness" and
thus is empowered to mitigate all division
and conflict within creation.
== See also ==
Atman (disambiguation)
Cosmic consciousness
The Force in Star Wars
Patrick Harpur
Neoplatonism and Christianity
Panpsychism
Paramatman
Unus mundus
Weltgeist
== References ==
Fideler, David (2014). Restoring the Soul
of the World: Our Living Bond With Nature’s
Intelligence. Inner Traditions. ISBN 978-162055359-6.
Jung, C. G. (1968). Psychology and Alchemy.
12. London: Routledge. ISBN 0-691-01831-6.
Roszak, Theodore (2001) [1992]. The Voice
of the Earth: An Exploration of Ecopsychology.
Phanes Press. ISBN 1-890482-80-3.
Southern, R. W. (2001). Scholastic Humanism
and the Unification of Europe, Volume II:
The Heroic Age. Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN 978-0-631-22079-4.
