Scientifically the soul is proven by consciousness. The problem is there is no scientific explanation of consciousness. The soul is an atomic particle of God’s consciousness.
In Bhagavad Gita God offers an argument in favor of an eternal soul.
Krishna says:
As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change. (Bg. 7.13)
From this statement we can deduce that reincarnation is a fact already in this life, within the same body. Once we had a baby's body, then a youth's body, and now we are in an adult body, and finally we’ll receive an old body.
During all these bodily and mental transformations, the consciousness (the I-feeling within) remains the same. IOW, the feeling of being ‘me’ remains constant. It is the same ‘me’ that was in a young body, and who is now in an old body. Ergo the 'I' (the soul) is unchanging, and hence, eternal.
So our very selves - our feeling of being an observer, a person - is a supernatural phenomenon. Anything that does not have a natural, or scientific explanation, by definition, is supernatural. Thus, being alive is a supernatural phenomenon.
It is said in the Vedas that all knowledge begins with understanding the self (the spiritual soul) to be different from the body and mind (matter). The very goal of human life is to realize one's self as separate from the body and mind. That is the beginning of all knowledge.
From understanding one’s self, one progresses to God-realization. One can understand God by first understanding oneself. This knowledge and realization is the sole prerogative of the soul in a human life-form.
Souls in lower species - animals, birds, insects, plants, microbes etc. do not have that option. They are simply engrossed in eating, sleeping, mating, and defending.
If a soul in a human form of life misuses this unique chance for self-realization, and spends his time in bodily and mental gratification, he wastes his human life-form, and in the next life he will be put back into yet another cycle in the lower species.
One attains the human form of life after transmigrating through 8,400,000 species by the process of gradual evolution. That human life is spoiled for those conceited fools who do not take shelter of the lotus feet of Govinda. —Brahma-vaivarta Purana
So how we want to perceive the world is entirely a matter of choice. Most of us are envious of God. That's why we have come here to the material world in the first place - to imitate Krishna as enjoyers and controllers.
But anyone who surrenders to Krishna will experience real happiness and satisfaction. It has nothing to do with faith. Anyone can directly experience Krishna simply by adding Him to one's life, by reciting His name.
We are all looking for Krishna, we are just looking in the wrong place. Everyone searches for love and happiness, but these things are available only as fleeting moments, They will always, without exception, end in misery. Only when we turn to Krishna can we experience lasting happiness and satisfaction.
Krishna says:
O learned Uddhava, those who fix their consciousness on Me, giving up all material desires, share with Me a happiness that cannot possibly be experienced by those engaged in sense gratification. --Srimad Bhagavatam 11.14.12
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