“The Weight of the Soul” is a poem written by physician and poet Jack Coulehan. It refers to an experiment run in 1901 to measure the weight of the human soul by weighing a body before and after death to conclude that the departed soul weighed 21 grams. Coulehan concludes that it is humbling to hold less than an ounce of soul, and he hopes that it is enough in the end. This poem prompts reflection on the meaning of life and death, what can be known from scientific data and what cannot.
Access
- Link: https://pulsevoices.org/index.php/poems/the-weight-of-the-soul
Details
Language: English
Type of Story: Poem
Medium: written
Contributed by: Health Story Hub Team ( health-storyhub@uiowa.edu )
Citation:
Coulehan, J. (2022). The Weight of the Soul. https://pulsevoices.org/index.php/poems/the-weight-of-the-soul