Reincarnation

Reincarnation (also called transmigration or metempsychosis) is the religious or philosophical view that humans, and possibly also animals and plants, have multiple existences. This view is most prevalent in Asian religions of Indian origin, such as Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism. However, it also appears in the religious and philosophical thought of “primitive” religions and in some ancient Middle Eastern and Greek religions like Manichaeism, Gnosticism, Orphism; and the work of some early Christian thinkers, [Page 1090]such as Origen, may also be interpreted as referring to reincarnation. The modern current of thought called theosophy also teaches reincarnation. Among recent philosophers, J. M. E. McTaggart (1866–1925), Sarvepalli Radhaknshnan (1888–1975), and John Hick (1922-) are prominent exponents.

In ancient Greece, Orphism held that the soul goes through multiple incarnations (in humans or through other mammals) until it attains release from the cycle of birth and death. At this stage, the soul recovers its original pure state. Pythagoras (c. 569-c. 496 BCE) and Plato (c. 427-c. 347 BCE) accepted similar views.

Reincarnation is generally linked with the moral cosmic law of Karma (“act”). Hindus, Jains, and Buddhists, for instance, hold that actions in one life can affect conditionsparticularly the initial conditionsin a future life of the same individual. In Hinduism this process of birth and rebirth goes on indefinitely until one achieves moksba, the realization that the individual soul (atman) and the absolute soul (Brahman) are one.

Jainism puts particular emphasis on the method of nonviolence, ahimsa, to achieve this.

Buddhism adds the wrinkle that reincarnation occurs without the existence of an unchanging, substantial soul. Buddhists view the individual as a complex of psychophysical elements and states (skandbas) changing from moment to moment. Upon death, the individual who has not extinguished desires or cravings (and not achieved nirvana) will continue as a composite of psychic dispositions and energy. This psychic composite will then seek/require a new incarnation.

Among Tibetan Buddhists, spiritual leaders, or lamas, are commonly viewed as reincarnations of preceding lamas. Selection of the new lama, from a pool of child candidates, is often based on the right child recognizing unique possessions of the previous lama.

The leading scientific researcher on reincarnation, or at least on the past-lives possibility, is Ian Stevenson, head of the Department of Neurology and Psychiatry at the University of Virginia. His studies involve investigating the truth of detailed claims regarding alleged past lives, usually claims made spontaneously by children. Some of these detailed claims regarding past people, he concludes upon investigation, point decidedly at past lives as the best explanation. A recent dispassionate assessment of Stevenson's studies by the philosopher Robert Almeder affirms that the evidence these studies provide for reincarnation is strong.

One of the most fascinating versions of reincarnation is proposed by the Jane Roberts/Seth books. Seth is a “personality” that dictated the books through the American medium-poet Roberts (1929–1984). In this version, all of time is ultimately simultaneous. Hence, our historical events (past, present, and future) are like many parallel programs taking place along different electromagnetic frequencies (like simultaneous television programs). One can generally focus only on the present program/life, but in principle one's consciousness could switch programs and experience “past” or “future” onesbecause these are in fact taking place simultaneously. Occasional glimpses of other “past” or “future” lives would constitute examples of such switches.

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