Theist zone

[Watson]

The soul is a personal thing, we find it within ourselves and all the proof one needs of it is a glance at the inner workings of oneself. It's like breathing, something you do all the time but could almost never explain.

It's sad that i had to quote a post which is four posts up for you to actually take stock of what is going on in this conversation. No one can tell another what exactly a soul is, for with each new person comes a new soul. There may be similarities between two souls and they may intertwine but ultimately they defy label or category, description or knowledge. You can't just ask me what exactly a soul is and expect my answer to satisfy you, because at the end of the day that is all that it is; my answer. Yours is still yet to be found, as you have ceased looking.

But the clinically written wikipedia article did the job perfectly well.

But in a face to face conversation that would not work out so well.

your insistance on me 'putting it in my own words' is illogical, why should I spend hours writing up how the respiratory system works,

Because a sentient, alien being has just asked you to describe and explain breathing to [him]* for the purpose of [his] own research and understanding. You must describe not only the physical process of breathing but the very act, the experience. This being wants you to be thorough.

This is diving too deep into the metaphor in the first place, and shouldn't really need to be expanded upon as it is now. You clearly have a lot of knowledge on the subject of the respiratory system and the act of breathing, but do you actually understand the very act, the experience of breathing? Could you explain in words what it is like for you personally?

(i am trained in biology, human anatomy and medical terms and terminology so could bore the pants off you on this)

Good. The alien you are talking to has picked a perfect person to discuss the act of breathing with, now hasn't he?

*Assuming aliens can be male or female that is...