The soul is like a sheath we wear while incarnated. The spirit is the uncorruptable essence or core of who we are. The soul is made up of forces that animate the human physical body. Whether we are conscious or unconscious of these forces determines how we interact in the world. The forces that are the soul can manifest in negative or positive traits depending on the influence of our environment, including parental upbringing, schooling, neighbourhood etc. The soul therefore is the seat of emotions, passions and the lower rational faculties of our consciousness. The definition aligns with ancient Greek literature. Consciousness, unconsciousness or subconsciousness is the level of awareness of these forces that play out. Regardless of our levels of consciousness, they still play out. Consciousness of them can determine a response, whereas a reaction is often and most likely the result of unconscious mechanisms In many spiritual teachings, it is to become aware of the forces and transform consciousness so those we can work with those forces to achieve higher states of consciousness, ie align with our higher selves.. It is the difference between being ordinary and extraordinary, with awareness.
