Soul
A soul (魂, tamashii) is a necessary component along with an AT Field and LCL/PWM that any living thing in Neon Genesis Evangelion needs in order to physically exist. Souls originate from the Chamber of Guf, entering and leaving the world through the Doors of Guf. Souls then intersect with LCL, and by a process that Aoba calls "self-formation of LCL"[1], they form a vessel that is shaped by the soul using the AT Field/ego border/edge of the mind/self-image. The LCL is formed into the constituent elements that compose the vessel by being electrolysed[2]. When the soul leaves the vessel the vessel collapses back into the state of LCL[3]. The words soul, mind, self-image, psyche, heart and will seem oftentimes interchangeable in NGE.
We learn the most about the soul's physical properties during Episode 20. A torus electromagnetic is placed around the Entry Plug to re-anchored Shinji Ikari's soul within the LCL present in the Entry Plug, see image to right. Libido, destrado, and the temperature of the LCL also seem to be factors during the salvage of Shinji. The entire salvage of Shinji during this episode is based on the salvage attempts of Yui Ikari after the Contact Experiment, giving us one of the few windows present during the course of the show into exactly what is involved between the soul and body.
Souls appear as red orbs of light during End of Evangelion. In the Old Testament/Torah blood (and so possibly LCL) is equated with the lowest aspect of the soul in qabalah called nepesh (נפש). See Leviticus (ויקרא) xvii:xi and Deuteronomy (דברים) xii:xxiii.
Recommended reading
As this term is so closely tied many other terms in the show the following articles are recommended reading.
- Guf
- Metaphysical biology
- Salvaging
- AT Field
- Dirac Sea
- Particle-wave matter
- LCL
- Ego Border
- Libido
- Destrado
Articles that have lesser relevance, but may be useful:
References
This article bears the unpleasant designation of "Stub." This is a Bad Thing. Provide a great service to NGE fan-geeks everywhere by making it awesomer!