Read here first (http://www.snopes.com/religion/soulweight.asp)

For people who prefer to skim: This is basically about someone who set about measuring the weight of the human soul scientifically, and found slightly consistent, quite measurable results.

I think it is indeed an interesting study, but there are so many open ends that it is neither proven nor disproven, however I'm inclined to believe that this could be true, however this also brings to light the human being's instinct to believe that there is 'life' after death, which I believe could stem from our inability to cope with oblivion/ceasing to be.

What to make of all this? MacDougall's results were flawed because the methodology used to harvest them was suspect, the sample size far too small, and the ability to measure changes in weight imprecise. For this reason, credence should not be given to the idea his experiments proved something, let alone that they measured the weight of the soul as 21 grams. His postulations on this topic are a curiousity, but nothing more.


There must be a physiological explanation for the loss of weight. The study was made in the early 1900's and a century after, nothing has yet to prove this theory true.

I will try to make a small research about(if I have the time) this as I am sure that in 2004, we can explain the loss of weight.


EDIT: Though it is unlikely, maybe losing 300 million cells every minute(maybe it increases when you die) could explain a possible weight loss. This is unfounded so I could be very wrong.

I used to have a book somewhere that discussed this... I'll have to dig a bit. But I believe the experiment was not repeated with consistent results, thereby invalidating the methodology.

In other words, the good Dr. Evens was the only one to perform the experiment with the results he had. And, as the quote above mentions, he had a small sample size.

Interestingly enough, the ancients (early Greeks, etc.) defined "soul" as that which differentiates a corpse from a living being. Its the more recent theologists that attempt to put something more to this and imply an afterlife or "life-continuance."

But, with regard to the 'loss of cells,' let's not forget that "matter can neither be created nor destroyed," so if cells die, they don't necessarily lose mass. Water can evaporate or critters can consume then move away (as in the case of maggots). For a soul to be something measurable, it must have mass. If it has mass, then it is matter or energy. Neither of which can be created nor destroyed.

It could escape the body though eh. Most intriguing subject.

I remember reading about some... Russian experiment was it? Hmm, can't recall exactly. Anyway, whatever country it was, they measured electromagnetic activity in corpses, and those that had suffered a violent death manifested greater energetic activity for longer, than those who had died peacefully. Once again, fascinating. Death is fascinating though.

Bet that fascination makes me a bit gothic.

Aw damn, who took my dancing banana smiley away? :(

i always thought that the idea of the soul, if there is such a thing, was that it wasnt a physical entity like the body was? i cant believe religions would support this theory. i myself think there must be other explanations for weight loss at death. Then again im not a "soul" kind of person