Reincarnation refers to the rebirth of the soul s

Reincarnation refers to the rebirth of the soul so that a person who has died at some point in the past lives again in a new form. As Ward states, "The most fundamental aspect of reincarnation is the belief that a single soul will be incarnated in more than one body," and he further notes that the term can be defined as "the doctrine of the soul incarnating or reappearing after death in another and different bodily form" (Ward 9). This has long been a religious doctrine and is now examined as a possible physical reality by people who believe that hey have lived before and that they can recall earlier lives, often under hypnosis or some other external stimulus. Many people have reported that they have recalled previous lives, often in great detail and sometimes in ways that can be checked. Some of these stories have indeed suggested that either the individual in the present has superior knowledge gleaned form an unknown source or really did experience the events recounted from an earlier life. However, there is no clear evidence in support of reincarnation, and many accounts of reincarnation are rationales offered for why people experience psychological distress in this world so they can blame it on an earlier life which has left them with unresolved issues.

A number of well-known cases of claimed reincarnation have spurred adoption of the belief system by others. One of the best known was the story of Virginia Tighe, who in the 1950s reported that whenever she was

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chain reaction but not substance (Smith 171). Smith also offers an analogy to show the ingredients of Buddha's combined views of reincarnation and karma. He says that in the realm of ideas the thoughts that fill the mind are not there by accident but have definite histories (Smith 172). However, this does not mean that we have to pass on these ideas unchanged, and instead we may alter and add to them. Ideas need not be regarded, though, as entities, things, or mental substances that are in any way physically transmitted (Smith 172-173). Several scientific researchers have delved into the issue of reincarnation, and one, Dr. Helen Wambach, has regressed more than 750 subjects to their birth experiences and offers a wide variety of statistics for analysis. She reports that of the 750 subjects who said they recalled the birth experience, 81 percent said they chose to be born and that it was their choice to make. Many made the choice only after consulting others. They said they could refuse to be born into another lifetime, though they felt it was their duty to be born again. While virtually all said they had help making a decision, 41 percent could not identify their counselors. Only 0.1 percent felt it was God who had

Category: Philosophy - R