Does soul have weight?

The Soul purely Believed by Hindus only.Science can deal with MATTERS only. i.e.it requires a or mass/volume. otherwise science can not accept god.science has no definite answers about life/soul.if one lives according to science he is breathing. IF he stop breathing he will die.Who is feeling?Brain?brain has no feeling at all.Soul is knowledge and love.You can feel that ,you can see that as LIGHT. you can not measure it.Refer vivekanada`s GYAN YOGA

Dear Amit & All

As we all know, Our Body(Sharir) Consists of 5 Elements (EARTH, WATER, AGNI, SKY & AIR), Now we should learn - WHAT IS ATMA, WHERE IT EXISTS, HOW IT IS DIFFERENT FROM PRAN(LIFE)

Our body has several Layers like ONION, the Outer Body is STHUL SHARIR(BODY), the 2nd Layer is Sukshma (Invisible) Sharir (Body) & the Third Layer is KARAN Sharir which is in Existence because of our Unfulfilled Desires & Wishes and Inside the KARAN SHARIR is the most important ATMA, A Small Fraction of Almighty GOD (PARMATMA).... The MOST Omnipresent, Omnipotent & Omnisciencent

PRAN(LIFE ENERGY) & ATMAN ARE QUITE DIFFERENT...

1. As described earlier that our Body has 4 Layers - Sthul, Sukshma, Karan & Atma

2. STHUL(PHYSICAL) SHARIR(BODY) needs Life(PRAN) to continue its Existence... Till PRAN(LIFE ENERGY) is associated with our body, our Body can act, move, think & all other good or bad works..

3. PRAN(LIFE ENERGY) is associated with the OUTERMOST LAYER i.e.,STHUL SHARIR, whereas ATMA(SOUL) is inside the KARAN SHARIR (WHICH IS IN EXISTENCE BECAUSE OF DESIRES & WISHES)

4. The ATMA(SOUL) or PARMATMA(SUPER SOUL) is beyond our Understanding, but Thousands of Rishis, Sadhus, Mahatmas & Munis after years of their PRAYERS, TAPA, YOG, SADHANA & BHAKTI have made it easier for us to understand the PARMATMA(GOD) a little bit....

5. ATMA & PARMATMA are Weightless, Talking in terms of Weight is quite Absurd, Do we ask what is the weight of Laugh in grams, what is the length of Happiness in Meters, what is the volume of BHAKTI in Litres etc...., Similarly to talk about ATMAN in terms of grams is Absolutely Absurd......

नैनं छिन्दन्ति शस्त्राणि नैनं दहति पावकः।
न चैनं क्लेदयन्त्यापो न शोषयति मारुतः।।

nainam chindanti śastrāNi nainam dahati pāvakah.
na cainam kledayantyāpo na śoshayati mārutah..

        इस उपयुर्क्त आत्माको शस्त्र नहीं काटते, अभिप्राय यह कि अवयवरहित होनेके कारण तलवार आदि शस्त्र इसके अन्गोंके टुकडे़ नहीं कर सकते। वैसे ही अग्नि इसको जला नहीं सकता अर्थात् अग्नि भी इसको भस्मीभूत नहीं कर सकता।

        जल इसको भिगो नहीं सकता. क्योंकि सावयव वस्तुको ही भिगोकर उसके अन्गोंको पृथक्-पृथक् कर देनेमें जलकी सामर्थ्य है. निरवयव आत्मामें ऐसा होना सम्भव नहीं। उसी तरह वायु आर्द्र् द्रव्यका गीलापन शोषण करके उसको नष्ट करता है अतः वह वायु भी इस स्व-स्वरूप आत्माका शोषण नहीं कर सकता।

        The so described aatman cannot be harmed by weapons - and since it is formless and shapeless - it cannot be cut into pieces by any instrument. In the same way, fire cannot burn it or destroy it. Water cannot wet it because water can only act on elements which have a physical description or dimension. For the same reason, wind cannot dry it or exert any force on it. Thus the aatman is beyond the influence of all the three primary forces (fire, water and wind) which can affect entities having physical form and description.

Soul has no mass & it is not influenced by Gravitational Forces, so Weight of Soul is NOT Possible at all. (Weight = Mass X Gravitational Force), Mass Value of Soul = 0, Gravitational Force = 0, So Weight of Soul has to be Zero.

Even the Combined weight of Millions of Sperms(Spermatozoon)& Ovum will not be 21 Grams....

Here we are talking about Soul (ATMAN), it is quite different from Sukshma Sharira, Basically Sukshma Sharir has KARAN(Unfulfilled Desires & Wishes) and Inside the KARAN exists the Most Important ATMAN, The MOST Omnipresent, Omnipotent & Omnisciencent ... a SMALL Fraction of PARMATMA.

So, Amit, Plz tell me where the Mass is involved, even in Fine Atomic Level... and we all know that WEIGHT = MASS X GRAVITATIONAL FORCE, Where Mass of Soul = 0 & Gravitational Force = 0, So the Weight of Soul has to be Zero.

I feel soul is weightless!! its just a wave with some powers. Its a power which command our mind to do things, if mind stop working but soul keeps us alive. Very different topic from you but great work Sharma Ji!thanks.

Soul no weight . Body good weight , Its Thing without weight is many times more power ful, influential , directing , Invisible , Un understandable ,controlling wight and influance. Having energy  ,Chetana etc One soul is IMP It leaves the Body .Nothing Moves . Soul and its Relation to self and world is mistic to human kind even though we have some education through religious texts . But on real grounds Some knowledge always missing . Which is the mistry of our Life. Entities who are near to such situations are real saints .

If there cannot be any scientific proof for soul then all claims and counter claims about it can be accepted only by people who believe in witchcraft and black magic. There is no point in saying that "there has been many research" and "some of these maybe genuine". Pure scientific research and facts has to be substantiated with a firm "yes" or "no". This is what people who take bribes tell other people. They say that the need for bribe cannot be "experimented or proved in a lab" but it can only "be experienced by that person" and that it is "beyond the scope of human mind". 

There can not be any   Scientific proof of  "Soul" in laboratory ,  off course there has been many research and investigation about  "spirits" using IR photography  etc , some of these may be genuine also , but still it is about "spirit" or "shadow people ", it is not same as  the "Soul " or "Atman " of Vedanta , of Mandukya Upnishad which topic starter is talking about , the "Atman " is very base of existence and it can be only  experienced , it can not be shown in laboratory  , as science is dependent on the instruments for measurement , but Atman is beyond scope of  Mind also , what question of Physical instruments , Hisenberg's uncertainty principles proves that physical instrument can not tell exactly about  Atomic particles also ,Atman is even finer than "Akasha "(finest form of matter in Vedanta ) , 
"Vigyataram are ken vijaniyat " how can the knower be known ,

This is one of such topics which is difficult to debate. There are plenty of views on this topic but none of these have any scientific proof irrespective of whose view it is. Each religion has their own explanation for the word 'soul' and again none of these can be considered as authentic because none of these have been proved at least in a laboratory. So, let the soul remain as SOUL - colorless,weightless,invisible and highly controversial.

Dear khaitan saheb...its not about weapons...its about emotions,,,when we say,,,,"atma dukha di kisi ne"....and its all spiritual,,,,to heal the wounded souls,,,as far as my understanding goes,,,,and of course....i am a layman and have lilliputian knowledge over such matters...

After ages I am seeing an enlightened debate on this site and that too without any rancour, malice or abuses (AT LEAST THUS FAR). The learned comments have come at a time when I had been completely disillusioned by some recent unsavoury happenings here on this site.
While all toostep colleagues' arguments are forceful and convey a lot, I am particularly impressed by Mr Dhingra's very brief but compelling remark. Mr Khaitan and Mr Amit have also contributed meaningfully to the debate, though this time they are at variance with each other. Mr Srinivas and mr Muralidharan have done their own extensive research which makes me feel slightly uncomfortable because their remarks are so well-researched that they could have merited independent posts status.
I hope all toostep colleagues will continue this spirit.

Yes but can not measure because we have not such balance which can weigh it.Its weight in supermicro milligram.Just as black mater.It is in the form of energy when all energy is used it goes to reenrgise that circulation is endless.

Thanks Ajay for referral. I think the soul is weightless.

As wrote here..Soul is the part of Paramatma..God...and therefore, i feel,,,it should have the exact weight in proportion to which its the part of that devine light....but do souls have wounds or scars,,,or being haunted,,as some say,,,,thats the different part...

Yes khaitanji , but "Soul" in popular use is used in same sense as Ghost , which is actually sukshma sharira , so i have doubt when the Debate starter is  asking about "weight "" he is referring to the Subtle body , Jivatma or the  Atman , 
For The Soul (Atman) , there is no question of weight , as it is no matter , it is consciousness , which is totally beyond scope of science or measurement , it can not be measured , as it is the very base of all existence , no instrument can analyze it ,measure it, because to experience Atman , one will have to become Atman , then there will be no question of experiment , "he who knows becomes one with.. ", 

Dear Ajay and Muralidharan,

I may have to contradict your views. All of us know that out body is made up of 5 elements, out of which air is also an important element. Soul (ATMA) is nothing except the active air in our body, which leaves the body on death of human being. The air has also its own weight. So, it is not wrong if the scientists say that soul has a weight.

There is difference in Atman and  Sukshma Sharira ( Subtle Body ) , Atman is omnipresent and Omnipotent   , Subtle Body is Mind + finer form of  senses , this is also called  Jivatma , this Jiva travels from one body to another , or to different Lokas and takes birth in all forms , this must have some weight as all material however fine have some weight , may be in atomic quantities ,

Rajeev ji thank you very much for the insight.  This insight made me to go through the original work of Mac. Dougall and the counters it received. I once again thank you for this. 

The Sanskrit words most closely corresponding to soul are "Jeeva", "Atman" and "Purusha", meaning the individual Self. The term "soul" is misleading as it implies an object possessed, whereas Self signifies the subject which perceives all objects. 

According to “Bhagavad – Gita” :

Na jayate mriyate va kadacin nayam bhutva bhavita va na bhuyah ajo nityah sasvato yam purano na hanyate hanyamane sarire
"For the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time. He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. He is unborn, eternal, ever - existing and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain." 


The Mandukya Upanishad verse 7 described Atman with more clarity 

"Not inwardly cognitive, not outwardly cognitive, not both-wise cognitive, not a cognition-mass, not cognitive, not non-cognitive, unseen, with which there can be no dealing, ungraspable, having no distinctive mark, non-thinkable, that cannot be designated, the essence of the assurance of which is the state of being one with the Self.

When the Atman becomes embodied it is called birth, when the Atman leaves a body it is called death. 

MacDougall's who made experiments to know the weight of soul  -----  his own notes (published in American Medicine in March 1907) show that of the six data points, two had to be discarded as “of no value”; two recorded a weight drop, followed by additional losses later on (was the soul leaving bit by bit?); one showed a reversal of the loss, then another loss (the soul couldn't make up its mind, leaving, re-entering, then leaving for good); and only one case actually constitutes the basis of the legendary estimate of ¾ of an ounce. 

Dr. Augustus P. Clarke who contradicted the findings of Mac Dougall -  in a rebuttal also published in American Medicine, stated that Mac Dougall failed to consider another obvious hypothesis: that the weight loss (assuming it was real) was due to evaporation caused by the sudden rise in body temperature that occurs when the blood circulation stops and the blood can no longer be air-cooled by the lungs. This also elegantly explains why the dogs showed no weight loss: as is well known, they cool themselves by panting, not sweating like humans do.

Soul is considered to be as immaterial i.e. without mass and, therefore, weightless. Obviously, this in turn raises all the classic problems of dualism: how can something immaterial interact with a material world? 

It is indeed an intriguing mystery whether human soul weighs anything at all. Soul's weight being put at 21 grams by a scientist is also soul-wrenching. Thanks for your learned comments, Murali sir.

Rajeev ji, you have brought out a very well-researched article encompassing views from various testaments, including that of Hindu Religion.  Its really, amusing to see the hypothesis "21-grams" of Dr. Duncan Macdougall of Massachusetts, which was later countered by Dr. Clarke.  To add further to that, I would like to present another view of Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami, who, in his article, "The Principle of Reincarnation" said, I quote, "There are innumerable atmas (living entities), each being a quantum of consciousness.  Each atma resides temporarily in an ephemeral biological form, according to the atma's consciousness.  This consciousness is due to the atma alone, but the content of the atma's consciousnes is due to its interactions with the particular body it occupines.  The material body can be divided into two categories: the gross and the subtle.  The subtle body is made up of mind, intelligence, and the apparent self (or the false identification of one's self with the material body).  The gross body is made up of the five gross elements - solid matter, liquids, radiant energy, gases, and ethereal substances.  The interaction of the individual atma with the gross and subtle bodies produces inconceivably complex reactions, which cannot be explained by simple chemistry and physics in the living cell.  That is why chemistry and physics cannot explain why there is so much difference between a living body and a dead one.  Simply put, when the individual living being leaves the body, the live body becomes dead matter - although all the chemicals necessary for the functioning of the living organism are still present."