Skip to main content

The 21-gram theory by Dr. Duncan Macdougall



In 1901 Dr. Duncan MacDougall attempted to show that the human soul has a mass. Dr. MacDougall measured many patients before and after their death he got the idea that there was a simultaneous loss of 21 grams of the weight in every single body after they were dead. Skeptics thought that things like the size of tumors caused that small loss of the mass. And the 21-gram theory is justified as pseudoscience. 

The theory remained (at least almost) pseudoscience. Until some neurologists noticed that during death the neurons are activated before and after the moment of death. 

Especially the activating of neurons after the moment of death can cause that weight loss. That thing requires energy. And maybe just 21 grams of some nutrients or sugars are turning into energy. 

Why do neurons increase their activity, especially after death? Some sources are mentioned. That in brain activity has two pikes just before and after the moment of death. 

Just after the death neurons reactivate and that thing causes thoughts that "is somebody or something checking that everything was just fine"? this is one of the creepy things that come to mind. When we are looking at the results of modern neurology and old theories. 

That strange two-stage activation of the neurons could explain that mystery. There is the possibility that some neurotransmitters are destroyed during that process or some chemical reactions are transforming nutrients like pyruvic acid into energy. 

The thing is that what happens during death is not researched yet. The precise moment of death is not documented very often by using EEG and MEG scanners. Those scanners are uncovering the new things about that process which is the end of a person's life. 

Many things happen during death that has never been noticed yet. And the key question is why neurons reactivate after death? There is some genetic trigger that causes this thing. But what is the purpose of that strange thing that is happening during death?


https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/what-happens-die-brain-activity-life-heart-beating-death-after-eeg-study-research-a7620131.html


https://qpsneuro.com/researchers-discover-some-brain-cells-increase-activity-after-death/


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/21_grams_experiment

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The hydrogen-burning supernovas are interesting models.

"Researchers discovered a significant magnesium anomaly in a meteorite’s dust particle, challenging current astrophysical models and suggesting new insights into hydrogen-burning supernovas. (Artist’s concept.)Credit: SciTechDaily.com" (ScitechDaily, Rare Dust Particle From Ancient Extraterrestrial Meteorite Challenges Astrophysical Models) If the star is too heavy when its fusion reaction starts, it can detonate just at that moment, when its fusion starts. If the collapsing nebula is heavy enough, it can form a black hole straight from the nebula. But if the nebula's gravity is too heavy to  form  the blue giant or too  small  it can collapse  straight  into a black hole . If  the forming star is a little bit larger than the blue supergiants. It can explode immediately when the fusion starts.    The theory of hydrogen-burning supernovas consists  model  of the giant stars that explode immediately after their fusion starts. When the interstellar nebula  falls  it can form

The ancient galaxy mirrors the Milky Way.

"This image shows the galaxy REBELS-25 as seen by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), overlaid on an infrared image of other stars and galaxies. The infrared image was taken by ESO’s Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA). In a recent study, researchers found evidence that REBELS-25 is a strongly rotating disc galaxy existing only 700 million years after the Big Bang. This makes it the most distant and earliest known Milky Way-like galaxy found to date. Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/L. Rowland et al./ESO/J. Dunlop et al. Ack.: CASU, CALET" (ScitechDaily, Astronomers Baffled by Ancient Galaxy That Mirrors Modern Milky Way) Researchers found the youngest Milky Way-type galaxy. The distance to the galaxy is enormous. And the light that comes from that galaxy named REBELS-25 comes from the Universe that is only 700 million years old. The distance to that galaxy is enormous about 236 billion light years. And that means it's a very dista

Transcendence, or the ability to transcendent thinking may grow in teen's brains.

   "New research has discovered that transcendent thinking, which involves analyzing the broader implications of situations, can foster brain growth in adolescents. This form of thinking enhances brain network coordination, impacting developmental milestones and future life satisfaction. The study emphasizes the need for education that encourages deep, reflective thought, underscoring the critical role of adolescents in their own brain development". (ScitechDaily, Scientists Discover That “Transcendent” Thinking May Grow Teens’ Brains) "Scientists at  USC Rossier School of Education’s Center for Affective Neuroscience, Development, Learning and Education (CANDLE) have discovered that adolescents who grapple with the bigger meaning of social situations experience greater brain growth, which predicts stronger identity development and life satisfaction years later". (ScitechDaily, Scientists Discover That “Transcendent” Thinking May Grow Teens’ Brains) The transcendenc