I sometimes cannot stop thinking about the soul.

September 10, 2026
I sometimes cannot stop thinking about the soul.

“In the beginning of all things, wisdom and knowledge were with the animals, for Tarawa, the One Above, did not speak directly to man. He sent certain animals to tell men that he showed himself through the beast and that from them, and from the stars and the sun and moon should man learn…” Eagle Chief (Letakos-Lesa) Pawnee

I often look to Native American thought for insight and ideas. Perhaps it is that indigenous peoples were more oriented around the land and survival than we civilized folks are. Many of my lessons come from nature and the world around us rather than from someone’s ideas. The lessons are often handed down in story form from father to son, not printed in a holy book or text that so often lends itself to translation and interpretation. Many nights, as children, we fell asleep to stories of older adults that my father would tell us, and I have told my sons.

“All things in the world are two. In our minds we are two, good and evil. With our eyes we see two things, things that are fair and ugly…. We have the right hand that strikes and makes for evil, and we have the left hand full of kindness, near the heart. One foot may lead us to an evil way; the other foot may lead us to a good. So are all things two, all two.” Eagle Chief (Letakos-Lesa) Pawnee

Writer, teacher, and Counselor Dr. Michael Garrett repeatedly discusses a theory of opposites in his writings on Native American thought. Each entity has an opposite. As I ponder the concept of soul, is there an anti-soul, or a soulless aspect, within humanity? Working with adolescents, in all honesty, I would say I have never met a soulless person; I have come close, however. Conduct Disorder children have no concept of right or wrong and essentially focus totally on themselves. The world revolves around them, and everything else is insignificant. A good friend, Dr. James Sutton, considers CDD children as “more dangerous, deficient in social understanding, and poorer skills in general.” I recall my first meeting with James and being told, as a high school teacher, that there was nothing I could do for these kids. He went on to state that most, about ninety-nine percent, would end up dead, in jail, used car salespeople, politicians, and/or evangelists. If this holds, it could explain why we have so much difficulty in Washington: no one really cares.

“Everything on the earth has a purpose, every disease an herb to cure it, and every person a mission. This is the Indian theory of existence.” Mourning Dove Salish, 1888-1936

There are times I find it difficult to say there is a purpose for some of the people I have met, but as I think about this possibility of opposites, and how all things have purpose, if not only to give contrast to the good. A student interviewed one time back in the day and asked: Have I ever intentionally hurt an animal? All I could think of was feeding mice and rats to snakes; I did it intentionally to nourish the reptiles. But it depends on how you see it: was a squeaking rat being constricted hurting as it died, suffocated by the snake? I mostly feed frozen-thawed rats and mice, though. But it made me think of other issues and how some people see them. So many are concerned about health care reform, and yet even before legislation a year ago, my premiums went up, and all I use it for is medicines, since I seldom go to the doctor and my visits are often free. I am sitting here thinking that having a wife in health care does have its advantages at times. So we have differing perceptions, and some of the people out there could be without a soul, so how do we continue as a society?

“Soul, the word rebounded to me, and I wondered, as I often had, what it was exactly. People talked about it all the time, but did anybody actually know? Sometimes I’d pictured it like a pilot light burning inside a person–a drop of fire from the invisible inferno people called God. Or a squishy substance, like a piece of clay or dental mold, which collected the sum of a person’s experiences–a million indentations of happiness, desperation, fear, all the small piercings of beauty we’ve ever known.” Sue Monk Kidd, The Mermaid Chair

“Men possessing small souls are generally the authors of great evil.” William Scott Downey, Proverbs

“I simply believe that some part of the human Self or Soul is not subject to the laws of space and time.” Carl Jung

Rushing to finish this look at the soul, I always end up with it as a definitive aspect of who we are and how we see ourselves. Soul is not an entity or thing; it is far more and less. Soul is a paradox, and perhaps, like Jung, I see it as not subject to the laws of space and time. So, perhaps not a final answer; I should call a friend. Maybe I will close today, and please keep all in harm’s way in your mind and in your heart. Namaste.

My family and friends, I do not say this lightly,

Mitakuye Oyasin

(We are all related)

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