Average Soul Density Of The Red Sea

[(Not)]

Let's make some questionable assumptions.

A) Prior to Second Impact, the Earth of NGE had roughly the same population as our own in 2000 (6 billion).
B) Roughly half of humanity survived Second Impact (3 billion).
C) Newfound raises in death rate roughly counterbalanced newfound raises in birth rate, so the population growth rate from 2000-2015 in NGE is roughly the same as in real life (producing a population in 2015 of 3.5 billion).
D) The Red Sea consisted of the entire NGE Earth's oceans, which have the same volume as the real Earth's oceans: 1.35 billion cubic kilometers.
E) All souls who were living on the Earth at the time of Instrumentality, aside from Shinji and Asuka, were incorporated into the Red Sea.

Given A-E, Instrumentality put 3.5 billion souls in a quantity of fluid with a volume of 1.35 billion cubic kilometers. This produces an average soul density of 1 soul/0.39 cubic kilometers. In other words, each soul gets a quantity of space equivalent to a box 728 meters in each direction. What a lot of room!

Assumption E may have been insufficient, though. We know for a fact that those who were recently dead at the time of Instrumentality were incorporated into the Red Sea, and given Gendo's plans, it stands to reason that the long dead were incorporated as well (or at least Gendo believed they were, as much of what made Yui Yui was truly lost in the same sense that any long-dead person is truly lost). So we can make some further questionable assumptions:

F) All souls that had ever lived on the Earth, aside from Shinji and Asuka, were incorporated into the Red Sea.
G) Given that, in real life 2015, it's estimated that 108.2 billion people had ever lived on Earth, 100 billion is a reasonable estimate of the number of people who had ever lived on NGE Earth at the time of Instrumentality, to one significant figure.

Given A-G, Instrumentality put 100 billion souls in a quantity of fluid with a volume of 1.35 billion cubic kilometers. In this scenario the Red Sea has an average soul density of 1 soul/0.0135 cubic kilometers. This is equivalent to each soul receiving a box 238 meters in each direction to live in. This is much smaller, but I think you will find it compares favorably to your own living space.

Of course, this is all immaterial, because the souls in the Red Sea can't appreciate their condition, because they can no longer perceive themselves as individuals. I hope this has been enlightening!

[Tumbling Down]

I want to respond to this with a reaction image, but the mods have placed me on probation for using too many dank maymays. And so, even though brevity is the soul of wit, I am now writing an actual post explaining that the video I am linking to is, I think, a decent visual depiction of Instrumentality as you describe it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoOy4_F2a44

[(Not)]

The truth, of course, is that this hypothetical isn't accurate. I don't think anyone lives anywhere in the Red Sea. I think everyone's wandering around aimlessly. So really, no one has any living space at all.

[Lavinius]

1. Souls reincarnate.
2. Trees, microbes &c. probably have low-level souls or pre-souls or however you want to put it.

Edit: Gendou knew that Yui's soul was in Unit-01; the transfer of the soul from Yui's body to the Lilith-clone's is a controlled death and reincarnation. Yui retains her memory and will &c. by some mix of 1) the nature of this transfer, and 2) her Bene Gesserit training.

[Tumbling Down]

1. Souls reincarnate.
Edit: Gendou knew that Yui's soul was in Unit-01; the transfer of the soul from Yui's body to the Lilith-clone's is a controlled death and reincarnation. Yui retains her memory and will &c. by some mix of 1) the nature of this transfer, and 2) her Bene Gesserit training.

Why do you bring this up?

[Lavinius]

Why do you bring this up?

I'm not sure what you mean.
1 was brought up because if souls don't reincarnate, then the number of souls in the sea will equal the number of souled life forms to ever exist (assuming all souls linger after death), whereas if souls do reincarnate, then the number of souls in the sea will equal the maximum number of souled life forms that ever could/did exist at a specific time. There is a great difference between the numbers (if only humans have souls, for instance, the difference could be between a hundred billion and six billion).
The point in the edit was brought up because it's relevant to this:

We know for a fact that those who were recently dead at the time of Instrumentality were incorporated into the Red Sea, and given Gendo's plans, it stands to reason that the long dead were incorporated as well (or at least Gendo believed they were, as much of what made Yui Yui was truly lost in the same sense that any long-dead person is truly lost).

Even if we don't accept general reincarnation, we know that Gendou knew Yui's soul in her Yuiness was in Unit-01 and very much alive- so his confidence that she can be restored can't be used as evidence of the general fate of the dead.

[Reichu]

I appreciate the gleeful nerdiness of this thread, so let me comment on some things...

- The insistent use of "Red Sea" as a proper noun, as if it were an official term for the post-3I world ocean, is a bit odd. I mean, it's not the Red Sea. It's just the world ocean with lots of souls and liquified organisms suspended in it.

- Point D: Volume is slightly different, because Antarctica melted. Remember all those consumed coastlines?

- Point E: Human souls were scattered back across the planet when the Black Moon broke. Why is it assumed that all of them conveniently fall into the ocean? Also, since you talk about "souls" in general and not "human souls" specifically, keep in mind that every organism in the NGE universe has some form of soul. So for total oceanic soul density, you would have to somehow estimate the total number of all marine organisms, down to microbes. Making the best possible estimate here would require extensively nerding out about how 2I affected marine ecosystems.

- "it stands to reason that the long dead were incorporated as well (or at least Gendo believed they were, as much of what made Yui Yui was truly lost in the same sense that any long-dead person is truly lost)."
Yui's soul is now Eva-01's soul. Yui lost her old body and got a new one. So if it can be said that she died, she also reincarnated. If she has changed, it's because a soul changes to fit the vessel it's in. (Happened with Lilith, and Yui shouldn't be any different.) This is unlike what usually happens, when the body dies and the soul is stuck there with nowhere to go and nothing to do. The situations can't be compared.

I don't think the assumption can be made that souls "naturally" survive death in the NGE universe, for any number of reasons. I could dig up some previous conversations if you wish to see the ideas batted around.

even though brevity is the soul of wit

"Brevity is the soul of wit" is said by a character who is neither brief nor witty. The wittiness comes from the fact that the claim is made amidst his usual bumbling longwindedness. Ergo Shakespeare never believed the adage true, and neither should you. Wit does not have a character limit.

[CommanderFish]

1. Souls reincarnate.

Wait, what? Are you just saying that they can reincarnate (hence why you specified with Yui), or is it official Eva lore that souls eventually do reincarnate after their previous body dies? (I guess that would make sense, because Ritsuko did say the Chambers of Guf were empty that one time. Is that the cause of this conclusion, if it is one?)

[Reichu]

Reincarnation only occurs under controlled circumstances, like the FAR having their souls collected for their Seeds' later use. We don't know what happens in the normal course of things.

[Tumbling Down]

"Brevity is the soul of wit" is said by a character who is neither brief nor witty. The wittiness comes from the fact that the claim is made amidst his usual bumbling longwindedness. Ergo Shakespeare never believed the adage true, and neither should you. Wit does not have a character limit.

[image of Scott Pilgrim K'O'-ing an Evil Ex]

I didn't even know the phrase came from Shakespeare. Shows how much I know.

[CommanderFish]

Reincarnation only occurs under controlled circumstances, like the FAR having their souls collected for their Seeds' later use. We don't know what happens in the normal course of things.

Alright, thanks. That was my impression.

[TraxXavier]

mmh... if microbes have souls what is then with the cells that make up your buddy, each of them must also have a soul as they usually act on their own detached from your counteschness. Like for example this white blod cel hunting and consuming a bacteria: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnlULOjUhSQ
they act on their own like bacteria so if microbes have souls so has every cell of a human body.

think about it...

[Reichu]

Your own mind can work independent of your "consciousness", so I suspect there isn't anything meaningful to be gained from this line of thinking...

[(Not)]

Unlimited soul works.

[thewayneiac]

Of course, this is all immaterial, because the souls in the Red Sea can't appreciate their condition, because they can no longer perceive themselves as individuals. I hope this has been enlightening!

Actually, once Shinji has Rei end Instrumentality by restoring the A.T. Fields, they are individuals again and can only perceive themselves as such.

That aside, this is the greatest statistical thread since Mr. Tines calculated the kinetic force with which Giant Naked Rei's head would strike the earth.