How Much Does a Spirit Weigh?

spirit leaving bodyIn 1901, after numerous experiments on people and animals, Dr. Duncan MacDougall determined that the human spirit weighed an average of 21 grams and that dogs didn’t have spirits. However, his results were considered false due to flawed methodology. All subsequent experiments using better methods and equipment have shown the spirit doesn’t weigh anything, but references to his work continue to show up in popular culture, including Dan Brown’s novel The Lost Symbol.

One might say the experiment was doomed before it even began. The basic concept of a spirit is that it isn’t physical, and therefore would be weightless.

So what is a spirit? And, where does it reside within your body? The soon-to-be released book, Dreams of Dying, tries to answer this question through a fictional story. The main character, a mother, who loses her family in a tragic car accident, vacillate between two lives, before and after the accident. At this time, Jesus appears and begins to offer her unorthodox guidance—repeatedly emphasizing she is a spirit, not a body.

Dreams of Dying

Dreams of Dying

Dreams of Dying has a compelling part where Jesus asks the main character if she believes God is a spirit or body. She answers, “A spirit.” He responds, “…if God made you in his image, wouldn’t you also be a spirit?” and “If you are a spirit, how can you be a body?”

Of course, the character resists the statement: “…how can you be a body?” as most people would. The body is right in front of us. How can you NOT believe you’re a body? Jesus’ explanation cannot be understood in one concise sentence, so he takes the main character on a journey, answering questions, while repeating emphasizing there is no death, only dreams of dying. Click to Order Dreams of Dying.


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