Spiritual Silver Cord in Humans

Extensive studies conducted in the United States, the former Soviet Union, the UK, and elsewhere by some of the most renowned researchers of the soul, such as Prof. K. Ring, Dr. Mahl, and others, revealed that under specific conditions, the soul can voluntarily exit the body and choose to return after wandering certain distances. (This is in contrast to many people who experienced clinical death and, upon returning to life, reported astonishing experiences during their death, where their true "self" floated above their body lying on the operating table where they 'died' or on the road where they were 'killed'. See more on this in "Nine Answers and One Question" from the series "Torah from Heaven," Chapter One). From many reports, we will quote some excerpts from a report that appeared in the journal "The Association for Parapsychology in Israel" (Issue No. 6, pp. 15-17) in an article titled:

"Secrets of the Soul's Journey" "Eileen Garrett, the world's greatest and most famous medium, and founder of the Parapsychological Research Society in the USA, participated a few years ago in an experiment conducted in New York under the supervision of the parapsychologist Dr. Mahl. She had to separate her soul from her body (via a kind of self-hypnosis) and 'transport' her soul to Iceland, to the home of the Icelandic parapsychologist Dr. Swenson. As predetermined, the Icelandic researcher had to perform a series of actions at his home known only to him at a pre-agreed time. Eileen Garrett's task was to try to see these actions mentally and report them in detail to Dr. Mahl. The medium detached her soul from her body in New York and embarked on a 'transatlantic journey' to distant Iceland. It was a rapid flight that lasted a few seconds, but this did not prevent her from being impressed by the areas adjacent to the 'journey' route. She felt the Arctic chill of Iceland and smelled the scent of blooming flowers in the seaside garden before she passed through the walls of Dr. Swenson's house and reached the room where the experiment was supposed to take place. Dr. Swenson, himself possessing extrasensory perception, immediately sensed her presence in the room.

Eileen Garrett noticed the large bandage wrapping his head, and heard his words of encouragement: 'This will undoubtedly be a successful experiment. So, let us begin. First, look at the items on the table.' Her soul examined the items, while her body in New York provided an accurate description of what was happening across the ocean. A diligent stenographer, brought to the scene at Dr. Mahl's initiative, carefully recorded every word uttered by the medium. As the experiment continued, Eileen Garrett heard Dr. Swenson tell her: 'Please, apologize on my behalf to my colleagues in New York for being unable to follow through with the experiment as intended. I've suffered a head wound, as you can see, and I cannot perform activities requiring effort.' This account was also received in New York and documented in the protocol- Dr. Swenson exited to the hallway and headed to his study, with Eileen Garrett following. Before he even entered the room, the medium already knew what he was about to do. Indeed, Dr. Swenson took the book she knew he would take, held it in a manner that allowed the medium to see its title, opened it randomly, and began reading silently. The chapter he read dealt with Einstein's theory of relativity, and the medium had no trouble grasping this detail. She even 'transmitted' whole excerpts from the book to the stenographer in New York, despite Dr. Swenson in Iceland only showing her the cover. This historic experiment lasted about 15 minutes, and immediately afterward, the stenographer typed the protocol on a typewriter. Dr. Mahl signed the document's edge, added the signatures of other attendees, and urgently sent the sheets to Iceland for Dr. Swenson's approval. The next day, a telegram arrived from Dr. Swenson confirming that just before the experiment, he stumbled and his head was wounded and bandaged. Another day later, a detailed letter arrived from Iceland, in which Dr. Swenson described his actions at the scheduled time of the experiment. The details he provided astonishingly matched the testimony of the medium Eileen Garrett.

A "classic" explanation of the soul's journey is found in the autobiography of the famous Indian Paramahansa Yogananda: "...Suddenly my body became motionless, as if rooted to the ground. The air seemed to be sucked from my lungs by a giant magnet. The soul and mind gradually freed themselves from their physical chains and burst out through the pores of the skin. My body seemed to die, yet at the same time, I felt myself awaken to a new life. My senses were no longer limited to just the body. They encompassed the universe... My field of vision expanded immeasurably, capable of observing cities, continents, the entire Earth, millions of suns throughout the universe, distant galaxies... After a short while, I began to breathe regularly again. With disappointment and depression, I felt myself once again confined by the body's limits and subjected to material restrictions." This description, eerily similar to the historic account of Professor Jung, illustrates that the soul, when outside the body, can perceive experiences on a cosmic scale. Moreover, the impressions from these experiences are stronger and deeper than any regular impressions acquired by the five senses. Thus, researchers have numerous testimonies of people who, upon returning from such "journeys," described wonderful, unknown colors they had never seen before. [Based on reports from Russian scientists, such experiments were conducted in communist Russia for espionage purposes. The original program, which was interrupted with the fall of communism, intended to dispatch Russian spies to stand in the rooms of decision-makers in the United States to listen to their conversations without being seen].

To better understand the nature of this phenomenon, researchers use the testimony of Mr. Urquhart from Toronto, Canada, as an example. Here are his words: "One day in November 1961, I was lying on the sofa in my room, resting. Suddenly, while lying with my eyes closed and a peaceful mind, I felt myself begin to inflate like a balloon. I distinctly felt myself leaving my body. Throughout this process, I was in full awareness and clear mind, and I am certain this process occurred without any intention on my part. The new state I found myself in did not concern me at all, even though I knew my soul was floating in the room while my body lay on the sofa. I maneuvered various movements, both in my room and in adjacent rooms. At some point, I even left the house. I was amazed to discover that even though it was extremely cold outside, I did not feel the chill at all. I felt wonderful. I felt like a person freed from a dark dungeon after many years of imprisonment. More than any detail in this experience, I was most surprised by the sight of a long shimmering cord that extended from me, connecting me to my body on the sofa. I knew that as long as the connection was maintained through this silver cord, nothing would harm me. However, I also understood that the moment this cord would be severed, my ties with life would also be cut... This thought of a possible detachment is what drove me to quickly return and merge again with my body."

Mr. Urquhart's testimony provided further evidence for researchers, who for decades have been trying to formulate an accurate picture of the connection between the soul and the body. According to these researchers, the soul is indeed connected to the body by a sort of cord, or string, that is invisible to the naked eye and is silver in color. This cord's function can be likened to the umbilical cord that connects the fetus to the mother's womb. At birth, the umbilical cord is severed, ending the life form the fetus knew until that moment. Parallel to this detachment, the newborn enters a new phase as an independent entity, no longer reliant on the mother's organic mechanism. The silver cord still plays a role. As long as this cord connects the soul to the body, life continues. However, once the cord is severed, the soul is completely freed from the body and shifts to a new stage of existence. From the numerous testimonies gathered over the years on this topic, a rather clear picture of the silver cord's structure and its unique properties emerges.

The cord is noted for its great flexibility, and its diameter changes in direct relation to the distance between the body and the soul. As the soul moves further from the body during separation, the cord's diameter decreases – and vice versa: as the soul nears the body again, the cord's diameter increases. This understanding explains one of the main dangers of the soul's journey: if the soul moves too far from the body, the cord's diameter could become so thin that there is a real risk of complete detachment. Most parapsychology researchers agree that the silver cord is a sort of 'life conductor' between the body and the soul. The researchers are also convinced that this miraculous cord enables yogis and fakirs to perform their most astounding feats.

Phenomena such as the burial of a person alive for an extended period, or the horrifying self-imposed deprivations that yogis and fakirs inflict on their bodies without feeling pain, are possible in a state of the soul's separation (along with the sensations) from the body. The silver cord, which continues to tie the floating soul to the body, transfers the necessary energy and vitality for its existence." Thus, 20th-century scientists inform the world of a new and intriguing discovery regarding the inner essence of each of us: "In our spiritual dimension, there exists a kind of spiritual silver cord that connects us to life!" Indeed, an interesting revelation. But did they also reveal something new to the People of Israel? Here are a few verses from the Torah of Israel (Ecclesiastes, Chapter 12): "And remember your Creator in the days of your youth (=even while you are young, remember to obey your Creator) before the evil days come and the years arrive in which you will say, ‘I have no pleasure in them’ (=these are the years of old age) ... before the silver cord is loosed, and the dust returns to the earth as it was (=as it was, as the body was created from dust), and the spirit returns to Hashem who gave it. Vanity of vanities, says the preacher, all is vanity ... The conclusion, all is heard, fear Hashem and keep His commandments, for this is the whole of man."