Freethought & Rationalism Archive

T. E. Lords · 05-06-2003, 03:13 AM

A friend of mine recently told me studies have been done that show the body losses approximately 4 oz at the time of death apart from any excrement. He says that this is "evidence" that we have souls. It sounds bogus to me but I was wonder if maybe it's true and if so can anyone explain it further and tell me where the experiments where conducted and under what conditions?

SULPHUR · 05-06-2003, 03:37 AM

EXperiments trying to prove the soul had "weight" were carried out in the late 19C but sorry I cannot point you to a source. IT was carried out in england.

Meatros · 05-06-2003, 04:45 AM

I also heard fo such a study, but it was flawed IIRC. I have no cites as yet of this though. Here's skeptic's on Souls

Peter Squaremeter · 05-06-2003, 04:50 AM

Could come from other reasons too.. But ofcourse its an intresting idea..

ps418 · 05-06-2003, 05:34 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by T. E. Lords
A friend of mine recently told me studies have been done that show the body losses approximately 4 oz at the time of death apart from any excrement. He says that this is "evidence" that we have souls. It sounds bogus to me but I was wonder if maybe it's true and if so can anyone explain it further and tell me where the experiments where conducted and under what conditions?

It is bogus. And it is also inconsistent with the soul being nonphysical -- how can an immaterial soul have weight? According to Susan Balckmore, author of Dying to Live: Near-Death Experiences, weight changes at death disappeared as measurement became more precise:

Quote:

In other experiments, dying people were weighed to try to detect the astral body as it left. Early this century a weight of about one ounce was claimed, but as the apparatus became more sensitive the weight dropped, implying that it was not a real effect. More recent experiments have used sophisticated detectors of ultraviolet and infrared, magnetic flux or field strength, temperature, or weight to try to capture the astral body of someone having an out-of-body experience. They have even used animals and human "detectors," but no one has yet succeeded in detecting anything reliably (Morris et al. 1978).

Blackmore, 1991. Near-Death Experiences: In or out of the body? Skeptical Inquirer 16, 34-45.

Patrick

simian · 05-06-2003, 06:09 AM

You may want to check the '70s and '80 tabloid rags. I remeber some of them (National Enquirer?) carrying such a story. (trying to avoid any comment that anybody who would believe the Bible as literal truth would have no problem believing the National Enquirer - or the Weekly World News)

Simian

SULPHUR · 05-06-2003, 06:13 AM

carried out. It is puzzling me where I heard of this years ago.

NumberTenOx · 05-06-2003, 04:11 PM

Check out this 1988 Weekly World News fabrication.

But this one from 1907 is a total hoot!

It's funny that you would look closely for a physical manifestation of something that is supposedly metaphysical.

SULPHUR · 05-07-2003, 03:45 AM

That is what I was trying to think of. thank you ,not another sleepless night.

Darth Dane · 05-07-2003, 04:22 AM

Isn't it just water evaporating?

I mean we consist of 70-80 % water right?

DD - Love Spliff

05-06-2003, 03:13 AM	#1
T. E. Lords Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: El Paso Tx Posts: 66	weight of the soul. A friend of mine recently told me studies have been done that show the body losses approximately 4 oz at the time of death apart from any excrement. He says that this is "evidence" that we have souls. It sounds bogus to me but I was wonder if maybe it's true and if so can anyone explain it further and tell me where the experiments where conducted and under what conditions?

05-06-2003, 03:37 AM	#2
SULPHUR Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: hobart,tasmania Posts: 551	soul EXperiments trying to prove the soul had "weight" were carried out in the late 19C but sorry I cannot point you to a source. IT was carried out in england.

05-06-2003, 06:13 AM	#7
SULPHUR Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: hobart,tasmania Posts: 551	where was it first carried out. It is puzzling me where I heard of this years ago.

05-07-2003, 03:45 AM	#9
SULPHUR Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: hobart,tasmania Posts: 551	soul That is what I was trying to think of. thank you ,not another sleepless night.

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05-06-2003, 04:45 AM	#3
Meatros Senior Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Virginia Posts: 944	I also heard fo such a study, but it was flawed IIRC. I have no cites as yet of this though. Here's skeptic's on Souls

05-06-2003, 04:50 AM	#4
Peter Squaremeter Junior Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Norway Posts: 27	Could come from other reasons too.. But ofcourse its an intresting idea..

05-06-2003, 06:09 AM	#6
simian Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: St. Louis, MO area Posts: 1,924	You may want to check the '70s and '80 tabloid rags. I remeber some of them (National Enquirer?) carrying such a story. (trying to avoid any comment that anybody who would believe the Bible as literal truth would have no problem believing the National Enquirer - or the Weekly World News) Simian

05-06-2003, 04:11 PM	#8
NumberTenOx Regular Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: Bellevue, WA Posts: 284	Check out this 1988 Weekly World News fabrication. But this one from 1907 is a total hoot! It's funny that you would look closely for a physical manifestation of something that is supposedly metaphysical.

05-07-2003, 04:22 AM	#10
Darth Dane Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Required Posts: 2,349	Isn't it just water evaporating? I mean we consist of 70-80 % water right? DD - Love Spliff

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