Soul Energy

We must no more ask whether the soul and body are one than ask whether the wax and the figure impressed on it are one.

— Aristotle, Περὶ Ψυχῆς, 350 BC 

The concept of "soul" has gone out of fashion in modern parlance, being seen as an offshoot of illegal Religious Practices. Common humanitarian moralities fall back on Aristotle's explanations, which interpret the soul as the phenomenon of human consciousness (although in modern, scientific and biological terms, or sometimes as "psyche"). A soul is considered “the actuality of a body that has life,” where life means the capacity for self-sustenance, growth, and reproduction.
The word "soul" itself is still permitted in modern parlance, but is viewed with a certain amount of suspicion and is certainly considered old fashioned. However, people are more likely to be described by emotions - for example, "sorrowful" rather "soulful", or biologically: for example, "full of heart".

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The Divine Battle for Souls

Those who are unveiled know that the divine battle for souls - demons stealing their energy and angels attempting to protect mortals - seems to be as old as mankind. Much of the work of the The Knights of St John is clearing the streets of demons who prey after dark on partygoers, night workers and the like (in additional to their purging of problematic diamorphs).
Soul energy can only be stolen whilst the victim is indulging in one of the cardinal sins (gluttony, lust, greed, anger, sloth, pride, envy). 

Why do demons steal souls?

It's not entirely understood, even by the unveiled, why demons steal souls. Some say that souls contain divine energy, which empowers the individual demons with additional abilities. Some say it's part of the great tally that will be revealed at Judgement Day. Another theory is that the energy is being pooled and stored for some great purpose or event as yet to be revealed.

Type

Metaphysical