But souls? How do you prove souls exist? — Corvus

I don't think souls/spirit are real distinct beings. We apply those terms to the nonphysical, 'mental' processes which ultimately cause/include the illusion of being, although they are actually fleeting and empty processes.

But when we go on to speak of non-linguistic thought, here we are really lost and have been for thousands of years. — Manuel

Perhaps it is our own definitions creating obstacles to further "discovery." Take non linguistic thought. I might argue that even the seemingly nonlinguistic, is linguistics, if the latter has as its common feature a Signifier/Signified, ie. 'meaning-construction' function. What nonlinguistic thought is not yet, primarily about meaning?

That would have to be proved, not stipulated.

Or you can make the terminological choice of putting things this way, which is fine.

Or you can make the terminological choice of putting things this way, which is fine. — Manuel

Isn't that inescapably the case? Some adopted by convention for various reasons, including, as you say, proof; some fringe applications of the terminology, and not adopted. That is a mammoth question, I know. My point brings me back to what is the body? Not a thing to best access with knowledge, but rather the thing we are [isolated from knowledge].

I’m new here, but I’m curious to know what evidence there is that my mind is the same as my body. The quote from Maurice Merleau-Ponty didn’t offer any evidence. I haven’t read any of his work, so maybe he does make a case elsewhere, but it wasn’t in the quote I saw.

The quote from Maurice Merleau-Ponty didn’t offer any evidence — Clearbury

Hard to compress evidence for anything into three words :-)

Regardless, welcome to the Forum.

We apply those terms to the nonphysical, 'mental' processes which ultimately cause/include the illusion of being, although they are actually fleeting and empty processes. — ENOAH

Do you mean then souls / spirits are something that we apply to the illusion of being? That sounds like souls / spirits are illusions.