Theory and Analysis:Nature of Souls
Based off of supporting evidence concerning Destrudo, Libido, A.T. Fields, Anti A.T. Fields, and the general behavior of how souls are depicted, the following is a theory on the nature of souls from a metaphysical biological point of view. Please note that this is relatively technical theory and that some things may be subject to change in the future as more information is gathered. However, for the time being, it is perhaps the most current view of Soul Theory as is presented in Neon Genesis Evangelion.
Evidence/Assumptions
Destrudo is an actual, measurable psychic energy. Libido, like Destrudo, is also seen as a measurable psychic energy. These two energies are, for all practical purposes, opposing forces/reactions, also meaning that what one does is symmetric to what the other does.
Matter that does not contain a soul (dead dead stuff), or normal matter, does not decompose to LCL upon Third Impact. And while this is rather obvious, there have been instances where seemingly dead stuff (different from earlier) CAN decompose to LCL. This would include people who have recently died prior to 3I.
Without exception, all living things possess a soul, and souls will stay with its vessel after the body has died. However, after a finite period of time after the death of the body, the soul disappears from its vessel, and the time for the soul to disappear is unknown, likely because it is variable. This time may be when the body degrades to the point of no longer resembling the original body at time before death or when all presence of life have been removed from the body. Either way, there is a point when a once live body will become dead dead.
First and foremost, the A.T. Field is, for all practical purposes, a barrier protecting the soul, and while it is predominantly treated as a field, there are qualities to it that make that term an incomplete, and at times inaccurate view of what the A.T. Field really is. There are two different types of A.T. Field (although it really is only one A.T. Field), one associated with physical separation, and one associated with psychological separation. Moreover, these two types are associated with the Fruit of Life and the Fruit of Knowledge, respectively. Something else important about the A.T. Field is that it is somehow linked to the ego border.
The Anti A.T. Field is an opposing field to the A.T. Field, and operates on similar things. In a similar sense to libido/destrudo, these two fields can be considered symmetric. Also, it has been noted that both the A.T. Field and Anti A.T. Field require energy to operate. And as a check among the priority of the various laws governing the universe in NGE, the field of Metaphysical Biology is an overriding extension of the regular physical laws.
Theory
Souls are typically in the state of constantly generating/producing an A.T. Field, thus protecting itself from the intrusion of other souls. However, this isn't to say that the A.T. Field can't be weakened, strengthened, broken, neutralized, etc. It just means that while alive, there is that barrier in place that keeps the living separated as individuals. The degree and nature of this separation depends on the nature of the A.T. Field of that individual and varies with how strong the A.T. Field is. Just as the ego is the psychological manifestation of the A.T. Field, the body is the physical manifestation of the A.T. Field. The relative strength and changes of these are a result of Libido and Destrudo reactions manifesting through the A.T. Field, and again, the processes are symmetric between living being bearing the fruit of life or the fruit of knowledge.
And now to speak a little bit about these processes, the creation process responsible for this is due to a Libido reaction in the soul which then utilizes its A.T. Field to organize surrounding biomass into a living organism according to the soul's concept of itself. On the psychological side, this is also putting up a mental barrier of the ego, not allowing outside mental contact. Similarly, the destruction process is due to a Destrudo reaction in the soul which then utilizes the A.T. Field to destroy the ego border previously wrought according to a lack of a concept of self. On the psychological side, this is equivalent to breaking down the barrier of the ego, welcoming outside mental contact.
Both of these processes/reactions require energy, meaning it's not spontaneous either way. And at death, the Libido and Destrudo energies are at equilibrium, which then because the forces due to Libido/Destrudo are not taking precedence, regular physical and chemical laws, such as molecular cohesion, are unopposed in their operation. It means that living matter is subject to additional forces than non-living matter due to the presence of the soul. This may in part be because in death there is no need for the separation of the individual because that individual no longer exists.
Derivations/Explainations
- The decomposition to LCL during Third Impact and similar occasions is due to destrudo causing the soul to destroy the A.T. Field and the manifestations that arise from it, the ego and the body. It is the Anti A.T. Field is what typically causes this destrudo reaction. However, there have also been instances where this destrudo reaction takes place under other circumstances such as a cockpit full of LCL inside the entry plug.
- The process of destrudo occurs by destroying the soul's individualization (self image) and this percolates down the chain of soul -> A.T. Field -> ego/body, manifesting this destroyed self image.
- Non-living matter does not typically decompose to LCL because there is no soul for there to be any destrudo effect. Without the energy to make any changes through libido and destrudo, matter stays as it was. Hence the difference between a "destroyed" A.T. Field and an A.T. Field that "vanishes" from the shell it once inhabited.
Notes
- Apparently, Libido and Destrudo can be generated artificially. Both in the destruction of the Rei clones and the reconstruction of a body.
- It would appear that Lilith's messengers during the Third Impact can be thought of as the manifestation of her Anti A.T. Field, and these messengers are ultimately responsible for causing the destrudo reaction after eliminating the A.T. Fields, the barrier to the soul, and thus decomposing lifeforms into LCL releasing the soul from the body.
Disclaimers
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"You jerk! How dare you do that to my Unit-02?!" "What are you talking about? You're the one who fell on me!" |
