This is the kind of question that floats into your mind late at night when the world is quiet, and you’re left alone with your thoughts. And this is certainly the kind of question that arises in your mind naturally when someone close to you passes away.
In one way the question is strange, but you’re not the first to wonder. Actually, people have always wondered whether the soul is something physical, something that could actually be measured.
In 1907, a Massachusetts doctor named Duncan MacDougall decided to find out.
His idea? Weigh people at the exact moment of their death to see if anything changed. MacDougall believed if the soul existed, it would have mass, and losing it would result in a measurable difference.
So, let’s examine this experiment and many other questions related to soul, consciousness and death.
The 21 Grams Experiment
As mentioned, Dr. MacDougall’s experiment involved weighing people. Namely, he placed dying patients on an industrial-sized scale. As each person passed away, he recorded the weight.
After several cases, MacDougall claimed that, on average, people lost about 21 grams at the moment of death. This tiny drop became the stuff of legend.
But there was a problem. The results weren’t exactly consistent. Sometimes the weight didn’t change at all. Other times, the scale wobbled unpredictably. However, does that mean his experiment was completely wrong?
Well, many modern scientists dismiss the experiment as flawed – but that doesn’t necessarily mean the soul has no weight. After all, perhaps so called “modern” scientists could do something similar in modern times with much more precise digital scales.
And so, even though MacDougall faced ridicule, the fact that someone tried to quantify the unmeasurable is rather fascinating.
Interesting fact: MacDougall also tried weighing dogs. None of them lost weight when they died. His conclusion? Dogs don’t have souls.
Other Experiments on the Soul’s Weight
While MacDougall’s study is the most famous, it wasn’t the only attempt to measure the soul.
In the 1980s, a Soviet scientist named Konstantin Korotkov used bioelectrographic imaging to capture what he described as the “soul leaving the body.” Korotkov’s method involved photographing a person at the moment of death using a specialized device that detected changes in energy fields.
He claimed that subtle energy patterns could be seen leaving the body. And if energy did indeed leave the body then it could have some kind of “weight”, some kind of profound meaning. Perhaps not the best analogy, but at the end of the day charged battery is slightly heavier than a discharged one. Could something similar happen with human body / soul?
When the body passes away its energy is completely discharged and goes somewhere else.
Adding to that, there were more experiments around the world also.
Namely, in Japan, a group of researchers conducted experiments using sensitive thermal imaging. They hypothesized that if the soul had any physical properties, it might release energy as heat.
Some of their results suggested a slight burst of heat around the head immediately after death. Skeptics argued it was just the body’s natural cooling process, but the images did raise many curious eyebrows.
Interesting fact: In 1996, a study conducted in Germany claimed that bodies emitted an unexplained burst of light at the time of death, though the researchers couldn’t confirm the source. This phenomenon, referred to as "death flash," has remained controversial.
Is There a Scientific Basis?
As far as we know (based on our limitations), the human body, at its core, is just atoms. Everything physical about us can be measured, scanned, and broken down to its tiniest parts.
But the soul? We hit the wall there. No microscope, MRI, or X-ray has ever detected one. And of course, those instruments were not built to detect soul or anything similar. Perhaps one day, far into the future, perhaps in 1000 years we will have the ability to completely visualize soul and see where it goes after person passes away.
Namely, we need to be aware that some scientists argue the soul could exist as a kind of energy. And so “the issue” here is that energy doesn’t simply vanish – it transforms.
This means if the soul were pure energy, it wouldn’t disappear but shift into something else, like heat or light. The conservation of energy principle tells us that energy never goes away; it just changes form.
Additionally physicists have spent a lot of time trying to figure out where consciousness (which can be synonym for soul) comes from.
One theory suggests our thoughts emerge from quantum processes within the brain. But whether consciousness equals a soul is a problem to which we don’t have answer.
Some other scientists on the other hand think the soul could be linked to dark matter – the invisible material that makes up most of the universe.
So, if the soul is hidden in plain sight, it may explain why we’ve never been able to measure it directly.
Interesting fact: Quantum physics suggests particles can exist in two places at once until observed. Could this mean the soul exists in multiple states, too? It’s wild to think about. Some theorists argue the soul might operate in a quantum state, slipping between different realities, which could explain certain spiritual experiences.
The Connection Between Soul and Consciousness
I mentioned this several times already but it must be asked – could the soul and consciousness be one and the same?
Some philosophers and neuroscientists think so. Consciousness – our sense of self, thoughts, and awareness – certainly remains one of the greatest mysteries of life. Ever!
While brain activity explains much of our thought processes, the source of consciousness isn’t fully understood. Or better yet – we still can’t even define completely what consciousness is.
A leading hypothesis suggests that consciousness arises from quantum phenomena within the brain’s microtubules. This idea called the Orch-OR theory (Orchestrated Objective Reduction), was proposed by physicist Roger Penrose and anesthesiologist Stuart Hameroff.
They say that consciousness is more than neural activity – it might be a fundamental property of the universe, much like space and time.
If this is true, then the soul could be the manifestation of quantum consciousness that continues beyond death.
Interesting fact: Studies have shown that patients under anesthesia sometimes report experiences that suggest awareness even when brain activity is minimal. Could this hint at the soul’s existence outside the body’s normal functions?
Is the Body Producing DMT at Death?
One intriguing theory is that the brain floods with dimethyltryptamine (DMT) at the moment of death. Namely, DMT is a powerful psychedelic compound, naturally occurring in trace amounts in the brain.
Therefore some people speculate that the pineal gland, a tiny organ deep within the brain, releases DMT during death, triggering intense, dream-like visions.
Those who have experienced DMT often describe encounters with beings, landscapes, and sensations eerily similar to near-death experiences.
This then raises the possibility that the “soul leaving the body” could be the result of a brain flooded with DMT, causing consciousness to feel as though it’s traveling to another world.
Interesting fact: In controlled studies, DMT users consistently report entering “other worlds” populated by strange entities. These encounters closely resemble descriptions from people who have returned from clinical death.
Near-Death Experiences – A Window into the Soul?
Thousands of people across the world have reported near-death experiences (NDEs) – those surreal, often otherworldly episodes that happen when a person is clinically dead or near death.
Many describe floating above their bodies, seeing bright lights, or being greeted by deceased loved ones. Others report traveling through tunnels, feeling a profound sense of peace, or encountering mysterious beings.
One famous case involved a woman named Pam Reynolds. During brain surgery, doctors lowered her body temperature and stopped her heart and brain activity. Despite being clinically dead, Pam later recalled vivid details of the operation – things she couldn’t have possibly known.
She described conversations between surgeons, the instruments they used, and events that occurred while she was unconscious.
In another case, a man who drowned for over 20 minutes recounted meeting his grandfather in what he described as a vast, glowing field. When revived, he provided accurate details about a family secret only his grandfather had known.
These experiences defy any kind of explanation. Could they represent the proof that soul exists? For now we don’t know but it is extraordinary interesting to think about that.
Interesting fact: A large-scale study led by Dr. Sam Parnia found that 39% of cardiac arrest survivors reported some form of consciousness during resuscitation, even when brain scans showed no activity.
Religious Views on the Soul
Science aside, most religions agree on one thing – the soul is real. But what it looks like or how it behaves is where things get interesting.
- Christianity and Islam believe the soul is eternal and departs the body upon death, heading to an afterlife.
- Hinduism and Buddhism hold that the soul reincarnates, living many lives.
- Animist traditions often say the soul isn’t just human – animals, trees, and rivers can all have souls.
- In Islam, the soul transitions to an afterlife where it awaits judgment
Interestingly, some indigenous cultures believe souls can also split. A part stays with the living, while another part transitions to a spiritual plane.
Interesting fact: Some ancient Egyptians believed the soul had multiple parts, each with different functions. One part stayed with the body, while another journeyed to the afterlife. Another part, known as the "Ba," could travel between the realms of the living and the dead, allowing communication across worlds.
Where Could the Soul Go After Death?
Religious beliefs offer a wide range of ideas, but let’s get a little weirder. Some physicists suggest parallel universes could be the soul’s final destination. Others propose the soul might drift through space-time or even merge with the fabric of the cosmos itself, existing as pure energy or consciousness.
Perhaps the soul is absorbed into black holes, pulled into dimensions we can’t yet comprehend.
Another theory is that the soul might exist as part of a collective consciousness, merging with the minds of those who came before. Some then suggest the soul could reincarnate, not as a human, but as a star, plant, or entirely new lifeform.
Maybe the soul rides some kind of cosmic waves, echoing in the radiation left from the Big Bang.
Because if the time is an illusion, the soul could simply skip ahead or return to the past, creating endless loops of experience.
And so…one question remains?
What Could the Soul Be Made Of?
If the soul exists, what could it consist of? One speculative idea is that the soul might be a form of exotic matter – something that doesn’t interact with regular physical matter in the way we expect.
Another theory suggests the soul could be tied to electromagnetic fields, operating at frequencies our technology hasn’t yet detected.
Others then propose that the soul could consist of consciousness itself, something more fundamental than particles – a state of pure awareness.
This might explain why no scientific instrument has detected it: the soul isn’t material but rather an essence that exists independently of physical laws.
Interesting fact: Some believe the soul could be linked to tachyons – hypothetical particles that travel faster than light.
So, What Does This All Mean?
As humans, we truly know almost nothing about the soul or consciousness. We don’t know if the soul and consciousness are one and the same. We don’t know if the soul can be measured. We don’t know if the soul is some form of energy. We know nothing!
Perhaps animals (or even plants) know far more about this topic than we do. Maybe, as modern humans, we’ve simply lost touch with our inner selves and our spiritual selves.
We know we’ve completely lost touch with nature. Maybe ancient people and tribes were right, and perhaps they knew that humans have souls – and maybe they even knew exactly where those souls go.
For now, the question remains unanswered. And maybe that’s part of the fun. After all, not everything in life (or death) needs to be solved.
And perhaps it’s best left that way. Maybe if we knew where the soul goes, we’d lose our minds completely.
Then again, for many, if they knew that the essence of a person – their soul – was going to a better place, all the suffering would disappear.
For now, we can only wonder. Or to put it differently – for now, our souls can only wonder if our souls even exist, if they travel somewhere else, or transform into some different kind of energy.
Interesting fact: Some philosophers argue that the very act of wondering about the soul proves its existence. If we can imagine it, perhaps it's already part of us.
