The belief that the human body loses weight, 21 grams to be exact, upon the moment of death was popularized in 1907 in the published experiments of Dr. Duncan MacDougall. His theory, although unproven, states that the soul leaving the body after death is the direct cause of the weight loss.
Just last week my boyfriend, who I looked at as the most lovely creature, someone who allowed me to feel pure comfort is his presence, decided to end our relationship. Two days later I went to the gym only to find that I had unexpectedly lost 3.5 lbs. I immediately thought of Dr. MacDougall’s theory. However, it seems that the weight of the heart is significantly heavier than that of its counterpart the soul, and my weight loss only further supports MacDougall’s theory of why I feel this gaping, bottomless, hole residing in my chest.
