The Silver Thread: Connecting Body and Soul

From extensive testimonies collected over the years about individuals who have had near-death experiences or out-of-body experiences, a clear image emerges of a silvery thread with unique characteristics, connecting the body to the soul, which departs from the body.

As long as the silver thread remains intact, the connection between the body and soul is preserved. According to the testimonies, this thread is known for its remarkable flexibility, with its diameter changing in direct proportion to the distance between the body and the soul.

The farther the soul distances itself from the physical body, the thinner the thread becomes, and conversely, as the soul returns and draws nearer to the body, the thread's diameter expands.

A Witness Account: Mr. Urquhart from Toronto, Canada:

"In one autumn afternoon of November 1961, I was resting on the couch in my room. Suddenly, while lying there with my eyes closed and feeling tranquil, I sensed that I began to inflate like a balloon. I was keenly aware of leaving my body. Throughout, I remained fully conscious and clear-minded, certain that this process was happening without any intention on my part. This new state did not alarm me, though I knew my soul was hovering in the room while my body lay on the couch. I maneuvered through different rooms in my house. At one point, I even ventured outside. Despite the cold outside, I felt no chill. I felt wonderful, like someone who had been freed after years of imprisonment in a dark cell.

More than any other detail of this experience, I was struck by the sight of a long silvery thread extending from me, linking me to my body on the couch. I knew that as long as this silver thread maintained our connection, no harm would befall me. However, I understood that if this thread were to break, my ties with life would sever. It was this thought of a potential break that urged me to quickly return and reintegrate with my body."

Mr. Urquhart's account provided further evidence for researchers who have been trying for decades to form a true picture of the connection between the soul and body. According to these researchers, the soul is connected to the body by an invisible thread or string with a silver hue. This thread, in its function, is comparable to the umbilical cord connecting a fetus to its mother's womb. Upon birth, the umbilical cord is severed, and the infant begins life as an independent entity, no longer reliant on the mother's body.

Similarly, the silver thread serves its purpose. As long as it connects the soul to the body, life continues. But when the thread breaks, the soul is completely freed from the body and transitions to a new stage of existence.

King Solomon on the Silver Thread Linking Soul and Body

"...And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns unto Hashem who gave it... "

(Ecclesiastes, Chapter 12, verses 6-7)

Death as "Very Good"

On the sixth day, when it was said that all that Hashem made in six days was very good, this corrected what was not said as "good" on the second day when the angel of death was created. Here, it was said that it was also good, since indeed there is a positive aspect to it... Just as the sages said, "very" signifies death, for through the fear of death, a person serves their Creator. Furthermore, through death, the pollution of the serpent is corrected, and after death, a person ascends to gaze upon the beauty of Hashem...

(Zohar, Genesis 47, Matok Midvash, page 171)