# Weight of a soul? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 25, 2000, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-of-a-soul/6682 "2000-01-25T17:09:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mrblue92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@mrblue92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrblue92)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2000, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-of-a-soul/6682/1 "2000-01-25T17:09:00Z")
I sent this off to Cecil, but maybe someone out there has already checked this out: I heard about this experiment on the radio awhile back that supposedly measured the weight of a human soul. I suppose you’re recoiling in disgust already, as it sounds like something straight out of the National Enquirer, but apparently they were referring to this paper written in 1907 by a Duncan MacDougall (I found it on the web at [http://www.ghostweb.com/soul.html](http://www.ghostweb.com/soul.html) ). Of course, the websites I’ve found this on didn’t mention any validation or refutation of this particular experiment, nor I have seen anything else about MacDougall. Is it A.) a hoax B.) experimental error C.) something found in a few species he didn’t test D.) an unknown element of human physiology or E.) circumstantial, but nevertheless possible evidence for a human soul? ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2000, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-of-a-soul/6682/2 "2000-01-25T19:55:00Z")
1 gram. Which was the consensus of a scientist weighing a body before & after. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2000, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-of-a-soul/6682/3 "2000-01-25T20:03:00Z")
One gram! The bugger sure eats a lot of chicken soup for such a little runt! * * * Elmer J. Fudd, Millionaire. I own a mansion and a yacht. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2000, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-of-a-soul/6682/4 "2000-01-25T20:03:00Z")
My boss has no soul. Weigh that. * * * “Solos Dios basta” . . . but a little pizza won’t hurt. ---
**Author:** ![mrblue92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@mrblue92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrblue92)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2000, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-of-a-soul/6682/5 "2000-01-25T20:39:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by Gabriel: > \*\*My boss has no soul. Weigh that. > > \*\* Did he sell it to (yer pal) Satan? ---
**Author:** ![mrblue92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@mrblue92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrblue92)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2000, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-of-a-soul/6682/6 "2000-01-26T16:05:00Z")
Actually, tho, I was looking for at least some confirmation of this particular experiment. Is this for real? Have there been any other studies? Any doctors out there with alternative explanations? ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2000, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-of-a-soul/6682/7 "2000-01-26T16:13:00Z")
My recollection is that there is some weight loss at death due to escaping gases (breath and others)… which alone would invalidate the experiment. ---
**Author:** ![mrblue92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@mrblue92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrblue92)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2000, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-of-a-soul/6682/8 "2000-01-26T16:20:00Z")
Please read the link I posted above. According to them: > [@](#): > > There remained but one more channel of loss to explore, the expiration of all but the residual air in the lungs. Getting upon the bed myself, my colleague put the beam at actual balance. Inspiration and expiration of air as forcibly as possible by me had no effect upon the beam. My colleague got upon the bed and I placed the beam at balance. Forcible inspiration and expiration of air on his part had no effect. In this case we certainly have an inexplicable loss of weight of three-fourths of an ounce. ---
**Author:** ![mrblue92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@mrblue92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrblue92)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2000, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-of-a-soul/6682/9 "2000-01-26T16:24:00Z")
Oh, and I forgot to mention their experiments on dogs yielded no such weight loss… ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2000, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-of-a-soul/6682/10 "2000-01-26T16:32:00Z")
I recall reading of this experiment in an old _Stranger Than Science_ paperback I had as a kid, by a reporter, fairly well known at the time – Frank Edwards, IIRC. Although I doubt that the air in the lungs has any significant weight, as a previous respondent noted, that was allowed for in the weighing. In another experiment, the researcher and his wife made love in a perfectly dark (i.e., light-tight) room for about an hour. At the conclusion of that time, he reported seeing a very faintly glowing ‘mist’ arise from both their bodies and float up and then through the ceiling of the room. I don’t recall whether the experiment was ever repeated. I believe the researcher received such scornful abuse after he publicized his findings that he declined. * * * If you knew what **I** know, everything would make sense; and if it didn’t, you’d know enough to know not to worry about it – _ **The God of Somebody Else** _ ---
**Author:** ![mrblue92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@mrblue92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrblue92)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2000, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-of-a-soul/6682/11 "2000-01-26T17:08:00Z")
Boy, I’ve heard of “afterglow” but, sheesh… ---
**Author:** ![mrblue92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@mrblue92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrblue92)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2000, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-of-a-soul/6682/12 "2000-01-26T17:12:00Z")
Are you sure he just didn’t get caught in the dark room? “Boss, it was just an experiment, really!” ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2000, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-of-a-soul/6682/13 "2000-01-26T17:32:00Z")
mrblue, when CKDextHavn mentioned _weight loss at death due to escaping gases (breath and others)…_, you addressed the breath issue, but not the others. And please, let’s limit the flatulence jokes to those in good taste (if any exist.) ---
**Author:** ![mrblue92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@mrblue92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrblue92)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2000, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-of-a-soul/6682/14 "2000-01-26T17:41:00Z")
But wouldn’t the same things apply to the dogs? Shouldn’t they experience a similar weight loss, somehow proportional to their original weight? ---
**Author:** ![mrblue92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@mrblue92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrblue92)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2000, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-of-a-soul/6682/15 "2000-01-29T07:32:00Z")
Still looking for a definitive answer to the OP, so let’s toss this one back up… ---
**Author:** ![David\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@David\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_B)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2000, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-of-a-soul/6682/16 "2000-01-29T14:27:00Z")
I can’t give you a definitive answer right now on that particular experiment. However, think of this – we have _much_ more sensitive equipment now. We also have people who are interested in this type of thing. Isn’t it likely that if there was any value to the claim, wouldn’t it have probably been duplicated using newer, better equipment? I’m not saying that’s proof, and given time (that I don’t have right now) I could probably find out more about this subject, but it sure seems unlikely to be correct. ---
**Author:** ![mrblue92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@mrblue92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrblue92)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2000, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-of-a-soul/6682/17 "2000-01-29T17:34:00Z")
I agree completely that it seems likely the experiment would have been repeated, and that’s what I was wondering. I am not necessarily sure it would have been made public, though, as people experimenting with such things can easily be labelled as quacks and lose their funding. Regardless, if you know of a specific place that would most likely be able to tell me, I’d appreciate the info. I’ve searched the web using standard search engines to no avail. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2000, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-of-a-soul/6682/18 "2000-01-29T21:38:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by mrblue92: > **But wouldn’t the same things apply to the dogs? Shouldn’t they experience a similar weight loss, somehow proportional to their original weight?** Well, I haven’t been around the last couple of days. My answer would be: a) Are wee sure that dog’s sphincters work the same way as humans? Though I for one would assume they probably do. b) Since the weight difference for humans was very small (3/4 of an ounce), it probably would have been smaller for a dog, and maybe undectatable by their instruments. ---
**Author:** ![David\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@David\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_B)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2000, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-of-a-soul/6682/19 "2000-01-30T14:19:00Z")
Ok, I asked the question of some folks I know. I didn’t get anything specific, but one (a doctor and generally all-around knowledegable guy) said the following: “They were dismissed as experimental error, although I forget exactly what the error was. If I recall, it was simply that the experiments were not blinded in any way, and the experimenter was introducing enough error to validate his hypothesis. The experiments have never been successfully replicated.” In other words, the guy who was pushing the idea was also doing the experiment, and knew what he wanted the outcome to be ahead of time. Even if he didn’t do anything consciously, that alone puts his results in question. The fact that it’s apparently never been replicated adds further weight against him. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2000, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-of-a-soul/6682/20 "2000-01-30T14:47:00Z")
When you pass on, your life will be judged according to the weight of your soul, should your soul weigh more than a feather, you will be sent back to the realm of the living, if not you will reincarnate as a higher life form. Can’t remember where I first read/heard this, but it is what I thought this thread was about !!! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-of-a-soul/6682.md?page=2)