I disagree and agree with you. I believe the classical vision of the soul as the basic makeup of a person is in fact instinct and the mind itself.
But to say that there is no basic, beyond instict, sensory perception or connectedness to whatever outside forces there are isn't something I can agree with.
Tantra dictates you find your own way there, never giving examples of how to do so. Don't look for it. It could take years to find an entry point into that, but the point is to not seek it with the processes of thought.
It sort of happens at random. It could take an hour, a minute, a day, a second, or even a year to find it. Don't be greedy.
Hell, many people are naturally able to tap into that the correct way.
And I see your point. But I've also experimented on this. I wrote down any snippet of raw data my brain could process on one of my earliest forays into Tantra, and later on compared it to when I actively sought after it.
Unless you're able to find it yourself, it's hard to explain.
Next time you meditate, skunk, I suggest just listening to the all encompassing noise of the Earth and instead of blocking it out, tap into its energy.
It's in a way the first step to readying your mind for the integration of Tantric processes.