Central Quest in philosophy: existence of Soul

 What is soul? Is it the body ? Is it the mind ? Is it an abstract idea in the mind ? Is it an feeling of the experiencer? Or is it apart from the daily experiences of our lives? 

Is it Material or is it metaphysical ? 

Is the soul confined in  some organ of the body like human heart or brain or elsewhere? 

Or is the soul simply an outcome of esoteric religion and spirituality? 

First we have to understand these questions   in order to understand the hidden aim behind this . These questions are asked again and again by philosophers around the globe from all ages and still to this day this central quest in the search for existence of the Soul remains as important as before. 

All esoteric religions in the past be it Christianity , Taoism or in  Upanishadic texts this central question " what is soul ? " is there . 

Though some religions do not seek for the existence of Soul like Buddhism , charvaka , Jainism and only asked existential question about ones's being like " who am I ? " ,

" Why we suffer? " ," What is the purpose of life ?" ," do life has any intrinsic  meaning ? " 

" Is life meaningless?" But these questions also  Seems to be indeterminate . 

Western philosophers from Plato to Aristotle to contemporary Immanuel Kant all are in the search for the transcendental. 

From Empiricists,rationalists  all trying to find answers to these inevitable questions. 

Since we as humanity are unsure about our existence and since we are mortal beings we are bound to ask these inevitable questions. 

Still today ,commoners and masses from most religions and sects ,having different colour,creed and identity once surely or may have asked once surely or may be asked these inevitable questions . From days of stones to this very day of humanity asking again vand again the same inevitable questions that is " what is soul?" 

May be this question asked before in different ways or expressed through different means like music ,arts , philosphy but surely the very thought which this question or questions raises in one's mind remained intact and uniform throughout the ages,for eons and eons . 

In the realm of philosophy these questions have been asked ,no matter ,what type philosphy one propounded ,from rationalists, empiricists , idealists ,optimists ,nihilists , realists ,agnostics, even the pessimists and atheists asked these inevitable questions. 

In modern age ,if a person asks these questions like "who am I? " " What is soul? " 

" Does reality even exist ? "  Hearing these questions we as masses automatically and instantaneously think  that person may be  suffering from depression or harsh life events and we says that the person dealing with existential crisis. But is it not the case that a true religion or spirituality also starts of by asking  these same questions about existence. 

Hence , Today also humanity still struggling to find the answer of the question which is    " what is soul?" .