Reincarnation Living Again and Again

What happens to us after we die? This topic has held a long-standing fascination for people, especially since it’s one with no concrete answers. There are many theories about life after death, and one of the most prevalent is the notion of reincarnation.

Basically, reincarnation is the idea that our bodies are mortal, but our souls live forever. Therefore, when our bodies, or “vessels”, expire, our souls move on to a new body or vessel. Millions of people around the world believe in reincarnation. The theory is a central idea of several different religions and practices, including Buddhism, Neopaganism and Spiritism, many Native American traditions, and most Indian religions such as Hinduism and Jainism.

Beliefs about the process of reincarnation can vary from religion to religion. In many cases, it is described as a process of improving the soul, with each new reincarnation representing a chance to better the immortal self. Some forms of enlightenment are believed to be the result of people who have gone through many reincarnations and gotten closer to true spiritual perfection.

Others believe that a kind of collective wisdom is achieved through multiple reincarnations. A common term for this, found mostly among Neopagan and New Age practitioners, is the idea of an “old soul” – someone who seems wise beyond their years, and perhaps more compassionate, sympathetic and spiritually observant than others. People who are often crass, rude, and self-centric are viewed as young souls. The loss of ego is viewed as an important progression along the ladder of reincarnation.

For a long time, researchers have attempted to find proof of reincarnation. One of the most common methods believed to prove reincarnation is the existence of past-life memories. This phenomenon occasionally surfaces in children who seem to remember details from the lives of deceased people with no connection to their families. In some cases, children with past-life memories have been found to bear birthmarks and birth defects that match wounds and scars of the deceased whose memories they have.

Further attempts to prove reincarnation have resulted in a particular field of research called past-life regression. Using hypnosis, psychologists attempt to move a subject’s memories back to a point before their birth, and possibly uncover memories of another life. Some subjects have exhibited compelling signs that a past life may have existed, such as the ability under regression to speak another language fluently.

Notable people who have believed in reincarnation include Edgar Cayce, a famous American mystic; Henry Ford, who believed he had previously been a soldier killed at the Battle of Gettysburg; and General George S. Patton, who claimed detailed visions of his ancestors and believed he was a reincarnation of the ancient Roman General Hannibal. The subject of reincarnation remains a part of popular culture, and is featured in several movies, books, and songs such as “Highwayman” by The Highwaymen and “Galileo” by The Indigo Girls.

Reincarnation is a fascinating and widely held belief, shared by many people, with compelling evidence to suggest its existence. We may never know for certain, but the theory of reincarnation will never die.