To me, the spirit or "soul" can be best put into practical terms as the fusion of the mind and the body. It's where the mind has dissolved into the body that houses it, yet there is a certain consciousness about that.

It's as if the brain stops trying to separate from the physical form, and therefor transcends it. By aligning with the body in it's physical form, it is able to connect with everything that has a physical form, and through consciousness, even that which has no form.

As such, physical pleasure or sensation such as touch, dancing, music, art, and sex (to name a few) are direct ways to form a bond with others. We seek that touch, that warmth, that truth, that connection. It's a part of who we are, inherently.

Mammals understand this more than most.