2020, Weight Of Soul: The Subtle Body, Elements, Soul, Science and the State of Supreme Peace

Introduction

For centuries, sages and seekers have explored the mysteries of life, death, and the journey of the soul. Modern science has attempted to measure the weight of the soul, famously concluding that it may weigh around 21 grams. However, as explained by Bapuji Dashrath Bhai Patel, this scientific experiment fails to grasp the true nature of the Atma (soul) and its connection with the subtle elements of existence as described in Sanatan history.

 The Subtle Body and the Departure of the Soul

When a person leaves the physical body, it is not merely the Atma that departs. A subtle body (sukshma sharir) composed of the elements of air (vayu), fire (agni), and ether (akash) also accompanies it. In some cases, advanced souls such as yogis and tapasvis (ascetics) may leave the physical body in a completely incorporeal or formless state, with minimal or no subtle matter attached to them.

The Atma itself is divine energy — eternal, radiant, and completely weightless. Yet, the subtle body that surrounds it may have a minute trace of weight due to the presence of these elements.

 Elements Within the Physical and Subtle Body

When a person dies, the air element begins to leave the body. The subtle body mainly carries:

• Air element

• Fire element

• Space element

These elements are much lighter than earth and water. As a result, the subtle body is relatively weightless compared to the physical body.

 The Misinterpretation of the 21-Gram Experiment

In the early 20th century, a scientist measured a slight reduction in body weight (around 21 grams) at the moment of death and concluded that this might represent the weight of the soul. According to Bapuji, this conclusion is scientifically and spiritually incomplete. What actually happens is that when the Atma leaves the body, air and fire elements — which form the subtle body — also depart. These elements possess an extremely faint, almost immeasurable weight. Thus, the recorded weight loss is not the Atma itself but the exit of these elemental energies. The Atma, being beyond physical laws, is absolutely weightless and incorporeal.

Weight of the Soul and Subtle Body

Spiritually speaking, the soul itself is completely weightless. When it becomes fully incorporeal, it has no physical mass.

However, the subtle body may carry "weight" in a symbolic sense due to:

• Past actions (karma)

• Emotional attachments

• Unresolved desires

• Spiritual impurities

This karmic heaviness prevents the soul from ascending to higher spiritual realms. Some studies and spiritual discussions mention that after death, the body may lose a small amount of weight—often quoted as around 20 to 30 grams. Some reports mention even up to 120 grams. This is believed to be related to the departure of subtle elements and vital energy.

 The Journey of the Soul to Higher Realms

When death occurs, the soul separates from the physical body. However, this separation does not always happen in the same way.

• Sometimes, the soul leaves together with the subtle body.

• Sometimes, only the soul departs, leaving minimal subtle elements behind.

• In the case of advanced yogis and ascetics, the soul may depart almost completely incorporeal, though traces of subtle energy may still remain.

The subtle body may exit in different proportions—sometimes more, sometimes less—depending on spiritual purity, karma, and inner development.

When the Atma rises to the higher planes or returns to the Paramdham (Supreme Abode), it gradually sheds even the finest traces of subtle matter. As the Atma becomes more refined, it transforms into a state of pure light and consciousness. In that supreme stage, the soul is entirely weightless — beyond air, fire, or any measurable substance. A soul burdened by negative karma carries heavier subtle elements, which can prevent it from ascending easily to higher realms. Thus, spiritual purity and detachment are essential for lightness and liberation.

 Cosmic Perspective: The Weight of the Universe

Bapuji beautifully connects the journey of the soul with the formation of the universe. In the beginning, the cosmos — like the soul — was weightless, composed primarily of the purest divine elements, especially Akash Tatva (ether), which modern science refers to as dark energy. As creation unfolded and subtler elements condensed into air, fire, water, and earth, physical planets and celestial bodies emerged, giving the universe its measurable mass. Therefore, the evolution from subtle to gross — both in the human soul and in the cosmos — is a divine reflection of one universal truth: weight arises only when purity decreases and material density increases.

 Conclusion

The soul (Atma) is eternal, divine, and completely free from physical properties such as mass or weight. The temporary phenomena observed during death are linked to the departure of subtle elements, not the soul itself. Science may attempt to measure this mystery, but the truth revealed in Sanatan wisdom extends far beyond the limits of modern instruments.

In the ultimate state of purity — when the soul unites with the Supreme Light — it becomes perfectly weightless, merging back into the infinite ocean of divine consciousness.

Param Shanti (Supreme Peace)