Why A Psychologist To The Stars Believes Everyone Has A Soul - Exclusive

Existential thoughts — like the purpose of life and what happens to us when we die — are musings that occupy everyone's minds every now and again. It's human nature to try and find meaning amidst chaos, and the deeper questions that plague us when we lie awake at night often lead us down different roads in search of answers. 

If you've watched the Pixar movie "Soul" as an adult, you may have been left wondering about the concept of just that — a soul. A soul is often spoken of in relation to various religious beliefs, which describes it as a guiding principle within us that's entirely independent of our bodies and will exist even when we are no more on this earth, according to Live Science. 

Depth psychologist Dr. Carder Stout who's worked with stars in the entertainment industry — musicians, writers, and actors — has a reason to believe that everyone has a soul. 

It is not uncommon to find themes about the soul in works of art — even the idea of soul mates has survived through time. Although the concept of a soul has largely been written off as religious belief not based on science, scientific theories like biocentrism have challenged this notion over time, according to Psychology Today. 

Psychologist to the stars, Dr. Carder Stout, believes that the soul is "pure consciousness" not confined to human experience. "Just look at the way babies come into the world ... loving, trusting, happy, curious, without fear or worry," he tells The List. These innocent versions of ourselves haven't yet been spoiled by the vast human experience that plagues everyone — heartache, worry, and pain. Babies, according to Stout, are still intimately joined with the soul.

Philosopher and Oxford professor Richard Swinburne, in an interview with Closer to Truth, shared that we won't be telling the complete story of the world and ourselves if we only include accounts that are related to the physical realm of our experience. He spoke of the importance of telling stories about the experiences related to our "separate mental entities for which the natural word is 'soul.'"

Finding a way to connect with the unvarnished part of ourselves — the soul — may take some intentional and meaningful effort on our part. Although everyone's souls are always within their reach (via Forever Conscious), psychologist Dr. Carder Stout thinks that we as adults have forgotten about its existence, mainly because of the powerful nature of our ego. "But every time we laugh with a friend, expand our minds, hug our child, or watch a beautiful sunset, we are connecting to the soul. We all know the feeling," he tells The List. 

Spending mindful time in nature is one way to better connect with this authentic part of ourselves, per Forever Conscious, as is the practice of meditation. 

When we learn to become compassionately aware of the surface-level thoughts that take up a lot of space in us and distance ourselves from them, we move one step closer to connecting with our soul, according to Wanderlust. Being guided by our soul will start to feel different because as Stout believes, the soul is our "most loving and divine center and our highest good."