The concept of a man having a dead soul (no Life in the spirit within his soul) yet still walking around was hard for the disciples to grasp also, so you’re in good company, FRiend/brother in Christ.
Your definitions keep changing.
I understand the death to be a state of existence involving separation, not nonexistence.
The soulish existence, being separate from the human spirit, is still able to reason, perceive rationally, but lacks the ability to perceive spiritual phenomena other than how it might effect the soul or physical domain.
The soul in a state of unrighteousness, not being in the right state with God’s Plan, has a strong desire to return to righteousness, but lacks the ability because it lacks the human spirit.
The soul since the Fall in the Garden, now in possession of knowledge from the tree of good and evil. The soul will easily seek good and evil as counterfeit substitutes for His Holiness, which is comprised of His Righteousness and Justice.
Academically, the soul will even study Scripture attempting to become righteous by being legalistic, but still without faith alone in Christ alone, is simply exercising academic rationalism instead of faith through Christ.