Non-physical entity

A non-physical entity is an entity that lacks a physical/material body or characteristics. Non-physical entities may be considered hypothetical, e.g. deities of religions no longer conventionally believed in, and used as an example of an imaginary being in analytic philosophy, or they may refer to concepts whose existence is considered in philosophical argument, such as qualia. In esotericism and religions they may refer to gods, spirits, and so on, which either lack a body, or possess a subtle body only, and are generally considered belonging to a supra-physical plane of existence. In philosophy of mathematics, many people consider numbers, spaces, sets, and so forth to be existent and yet not physical.

Philosophy

In philosophy, propositions, meanings, statements, etc, can be defined as non-physical entities.

In the substance dualism branch of philosophy, persons are considered non-physical entities attached to physical bodies.

Mathematics

Main article: Abstract object

In the philosophy of mathematics certain existent yet not physical conceptions can be considered non-physical entities, for example numbers, functions, and sets. These are nomally referred to as abstract objects.

Beliefs

Main article: Spirit

Non-physical entities in various belief systems can roughly be divided into three basic categories: gods and goddesses (deities), spirits (e.g. elementals, principalities), and ghosts.

See also

• Apparitional experience
• Platonic realism