Reincarnation

[onnut]

How many of you believe in Reincarnation? why would you believe this?

how can it be so that when you die, you then come back, it was only a hundred years ago or so that there were less than 4 Billion people on this earth, now there are over 6 Billion. It cant be possible that over 2 billion insects have come back as Humans can it

Can somebody explain the logic behind this please?

[mauGR1]

It seems logic can't explain everything..So, my logic is that everything is possible..

I believe in reincarnation, but can't explain why..It's like asking an insect to describe a Jumbo Jet, kind of..

Perhaps reincarnation is just an attempt to explain all the injustice that we see everyday in this world..

[onnut]

I believe in life after death, something has got to be out there when we are done here but reincarnation baffles me. there are many believers in reincarnation so somebody must be able to put a logic explaination to it.

[thaimite]

I used to believe in reincarnation. But that was in a previous life.

[canuckamuck]

If you believe in reincarnation then do you have any answer as to where all these people and creatures came from, and why do they now suffer from karma, and what decides good and bad.

[Just1Voice]

From something I read years ago, one of the theories of reincarnation also involves the 12 signs of the Zodiac. According to this theory, a person must pass through all 12 signs, with each one being either a reward or punishment for the previous one. The "ultimate goal" was to finally reach the sign of Aquarian, which was the sign of "enlightenment". Not saying I believe it, but only relating what I read.

There is also a form of "regression hypnosis" that can (supposedly) help a person remember past lives. I've read several books on this subject and some of the things people have been able to reveal while under hypnosis are truly amazing. One that I remember was of a young girl born in Montana around 1970. By the time she was 4, she was able to speak French fluently, which is strange when no one in her family, or any of their friends spoke a word of French, nor was it offered at her small country school. She then began to talk about her life in France and what it was like. This amused her parents as they thought she was making things up, as children sometimes do, but she insisted she was not making things up. Through a series of events the parents eventually took the child to Butte, where she was placed under hypnosis by a qualified psychologist. The entire session was recorded and transcribed.

During this session she gave her French name, the village where she had lived, the names of her parents, brothers and sisters, the name of the school she had attended, and how she had died, which was by accidental drowning.

Later an investigation was done to find out of the information the little girl gave had any validity. It took about a year, but they finally discovered that there had been a young French woman by the name the little girl liked to be called, that she had lived in the village the little girl named, and that she had died in a drowning accident, just as the little Montana girl said.

Reincarnation, or just something really, really weird?

[Farang0tang]

With regards to the 4 billion humans, now 6 billion humans conundrum -

Another parallel universe was short on a couple of billion insects, so the Great Power Up On High arranged a swapsy.

Probably via one of those 10 dimensions we supposedly have.

[Ulysses G.]

Reincarnation makes as much sense as any of the other religious myths and maybe more.

[Xangsamhua]

Shanti Deva's story is interesting.

In 1930, aged 4, Shanti Deva from Delhi, India, told her parents that she had once lived in a place called Muttra (now known as Mathura), that she had been a mother of three, who died in childbirth, and that her previous name was Ludgi. Because the girl continually related the story, her parents investigated. It turned out there was a village called Muttra, and that a woman named Ludgi had recently died there. They took Shanti to the village where she began to speak the local dialect and recognized her previous-life husband and children. She even gave twenty four accurate statements matching confirmed facts about Ludgi's life. An impressive feat for a four year old.

More at: http://www.beliefnet...i-Devi.aspx?p=1

[thaimite]

I am working in Amman Jordan and one of our engineers is a member of the Druze faith. He has told me of many cases of reincarnation which he or his family claim to have personal evidence of in their village in Lebanon.

I was aware of the Thai beliefs in reincarnation through my wife and the local village traditions, but the stories that this engineer tells in a very serous manner are on a totally different level. I may also add that he is a very competent and well educated Electro mechanical engineer who only brought this subject up after I asked him for more details about his faith. He is not the sort of person to tell stories for the fun of it or make jokes about his faith. He himself does not claim to have any knowledge of a past life.

Some of the stories which he told are of people who have been murdered or died in strange circumstances and have come back to confront the ones who were directly or indirectly responsible for their end of their previous life. One story involved a child taking the village members to a well where the body of his former life had been hidden after his wife had murdered him. He then confronted the woman and her new husband and they confessed. In another story a child recognising and confronting his former father over a past family quarrel that led to the son leaving home. In another story a child was able to convince people that he had been their brother in a former life and they returned the lands he had left them in his will. All very interesting. The Druze beliefs are even more strict regarding reincarnation in that a in that a man can only be reincarnated as another man and a woman as a woman and nobody reincarnates as animals etc. See here for more information on this strange religion. My friend claims to have witnessedsome of the above events personally.

[Xangsamhua]

I am working in Amman Jordan and one of our engineers is a member of the Druze faith. He has told me of many cases of reincarnation which he or his family claim to have personal evidence of in their village in Lebanon.

I was aware of the Thai beliefs in reincarnation through my wife and the local village traditions, but the stories that this engineer tells in a very serous manner are on a totally different level. I may also add that he is a very competent and well educated Electro mechanical engineer who only brought this subject up after I asked him for more details about his faith. He is not the sort of person to tell stories for the fun of it or make jokes about his faith. He himself does not claim to have any knowledge of a past life.

Some of the stories which he told are of people who have been murdered or died in strange circumstances and have come back to confront the ones who were directly or indirectly responsible for their end of their previous life. One story involved a child taking the village members to a well where the body of his former life had been hidden after his wife had murdered him. He then confronted the woman and her new husband and they confessed. In another story a child recognising and confronting his former father over a past family quarrel that led to the son leaving home. In another story a child was able to convince people that he had been their brother in a former life and they returned the lands he had left them in his will. All very interesting. The Druze beliefs are even more strict regarding reincarnation in that a in that a man can only be reincarnated as another man and a woman as a woman and nobody reincarnates as animals etc. See here for more information on this strange religion. My friend claims to have witnessedsome of the above events personally.

Dr Ian Stevenson also investigated Druze claims.

Since 1967, psychiatrist Dr Ian Stevenson has pioneered the scientific study of spontaneous past life recollections among infants. Usually a youngster is aged between two and five years old when they describe what went on in a previous existence. In most cases, although not all, recall has faded by the age of seven.

Having interviewed thousands of children from all over the world, Dr Stevenson has discovered some interesting facets to the phenomenon. In some cases, the mother had experienced a prophetic dream, announcing or implying the past life identity of the child in her womb. Meanwhile, a number of children claiming a previous existence bore birthmarks that corresponded to wounds inflicted on them when they lived before. For example, a boy in India who was born without fingers on one hand remembered that in a prior existence he had put his hand into the blades of a fodder-chopping machine, amputating the digits. Dr Stevenson aimed to corroborate the verbal evidence of a child with relevant death certificates and interviews with witnesses to both existences.

Critics think the prophetic dreams are no more than wishful thinking. They credit Dr Stevenson with collecting anecdotal rather than scientific evidence.

Yet some of his cases are compelling and strangely thought-provoking. On one occasion, Dr Stevenson made an unannounced visit to a Druze village in Lebanon to see if any children there were subject to past life statements. He was immediately dispatched to the home of 5-year-old Imad Elawar, who had for several years been talking about another life in a different village some 40km distant. Young Imad had even stopped a former neighbour in the street to share recollections about the life he once lived. His first words as a child were Jamileh and Mahmoud, the names of his mistress and uncle in his previous life. Stevenson noted more than fifty-seven separate claims by the child about his past life, the majority of which could be supported with evidence from elsewhere.

http://ghosthunterat...hanti-deva.html

Whether reincarnation obeys the laws of karma is another question.

[thaimite]

Usually a youngster is aged between two and five years old when they describe what went on in a previous existence. In most cases, although not all, recall has faded by the age of seven.

This was also told to me by my friend

[Fast Eddie]

It's pretty unlikely really.

[greasemonkey]

I have very few opinions, I have few "beliefs" I have no religion. I dont seek to convert anyone. I do however have many interest, one being reincarnation.

My observations have lead to the following.

What we call life and death is a neverending cycle between the physical and spiritual manifestations.

Each person has, what some in the western world would call a soul.

This is what remains aafter the death of the physical form

As in physics, energy cannot be destroyed, only changed, and every action has an equal and opposite reaction. ths soul is a form of energy.

nature strives for harmony and equilibrium. A tortured soul is not in harmony with nature.

The purpose of the physical form is to harmonise ones soul, throught the senses of the human body and our conciousnes, so irrational fears and negative emotions do not get carried into the spiritual realm. This harmonisation is not possible once the soul is in purely spiritual form. This is what is referd to as Karma.

This energy is infinite, allowing for the growth in population.

Some people have never had a past life. and some have had many, some will reincarnat quickly and some slowly depending on the quality of Karma.

In case someone thinks I am some kind of spiritual genius(ahem...), I did not think this up myself. It was put to print by greater minds than mine.

And now I must go and get a life.

[Jingthing]

Like all religions, another way to comfort people facing the grim and final reality of death. The masses seem to need this kind of thing.

Next ...

Edited October 10, 2010 by Jingthing

[onnut]

Like all religions, another way to comfort people facing the grim and final reality of death. The masses seem to need this kind of thing.

Next ...

JT, Reincarnation is NOT a religion. if its true then it will be a cycle of life. I just do not understand how that could be so though!

I do believe that there is life after death, but I reckon it is in another dimension though and through our souls and I do not think we come back as another life form how we know it. but the stories some of the posters have said are strange and even comforting I suppose. and do make me think!

I believe in ghosts also, and reckon ghosts hang around because they have something to finish? maybe! and maybe the persons from some of the stories have come back in another life form because they have some un-finished business?

I believe that when I die I will meet my old man again.

shortly after my dad died I had a dream, or at least I think it was a dream, I am pretty sure I was asleep! my dad came to say goodbye to me, he told me that he was proud of me and he thought I was doing well for myself and wanted me to keep it up. he said that he was waiting for his dad to come and collect him to take him to another level and so that was the last chance for him to come back to see me. then he said that he will come and get me when its my turn. and thats when I woke up, as I woke up all I could hear was him saying dont wake up yet i want to tell you something else, but too late as I was already awake! anyway, I felt better after that then any other time in my life.

it could of been a dream because thats what i am hoping for, or it could have been very reall! I will never know until its my time to go.

[Jingthing]

No, reincarnation in itself is not a religion. But belief in reincarnation is an important aspect of numerous RELIGIONS.

[Xangsamhua]

No, reincarnation in itself is not a religion. But belief in reincarnation is an important aspect of numerous RELIGIONS.

Yes, it is central to some religions and pops up as a minority or temporary belief in others: Judaism (Kabbalah), Islam (Druze), Christianity (some Gnostics and early Christians). Some contemporaries thought Jesus may have been Elijah reincarnated (John 1: 21).

[thaimite]

Like all religions, another way to comfort people facing the grim and final reality of death. The masses seem to need this kind of thing.

I agree with most things that greasemonkey said and I too would consider that I have no religion, but I do have spiritual needs and beliefs.

To me Religion is no more than the commercialisation of the spiritual needs and beliefs of others. It drives people apart rather than brings them together and plays on the fear of its followers for the benefit of its officers.

Edited October 11, 2010 by thaimite

[canuckamuck]

Religion is an attempt to humanize that which is beyond human.

This creates a cheap copy that is powerless and leads to division and massive amounts of regulation to plug the holes.

[johntou]

Consider this. What are we? Mostly water, some carbon, and a few chemicals. That's all we are. I don't think that water, carbon, and a few chemicals can be reincarnated. Just my personal opinion...

[Ulysses G.]

Consider this. What are we? Mostly water, some carbon, and a few chemicals. That's all we are. I don't think that water, carbon, and a few chemicals can be reincarnated. Just my personal opinion...

I would not think that they could produce a human being, If I did not know better.

[Jingthing]

It's a matter of faith. Like believing in the Tooth Fairy. Maybe she exists?

Next ...

[greasemonkey]

Water, carbon and chemicals are being constantly "reincarnated". not always into the same form. From earth to mouth to earth again, plus a bit of sunlight.

Its the intangible, non physical "soul" that is reincarnated. This can reside in many blobs of water, carbon and chemicals.ie humans.

This soul is a form of energy that cannot be destroyed, only changed, coz the laws of physics say so.

the soul is not From somewhere or created by something. It is all there is. It is the source. the very energy on which the universe runs.

Thus the interconnectednes of all things.

when part of the enegy of the source is out of balance, it reincarnates to allow the human consious mind to balance it.

However, there must be freedom of choice, otherwise there would be no existence.

I've never really found a concise and satisfactory answer to religion, the closest ive got, is that it was a mechanism by which to allow those without the time or ability to come to an understanding of the human condition, created be those with a wish to preach, and the time or abiliy to understand. Unfortunately, it was hijacked be those with a wish to control.

Not preaching, not an opinion, just adding to an interesting thread.

Edited October 11, 2010 by greasemonkey

[johntou]

According to religious/spiritual beliefs, reincarnation is believed to occur when the soul or spirit, after the death of the body, comes back to life in a new body. Therefore, unless you consider water, carbon and chemicals to be alive, they cannot be reincarnated. (I realise I am setting myself up for a 'define life' question). The soul, again according to religious/spiritual beliefs, is the incorporeal essence of a person or living thing. Some belief systems, Animism for example, believe inanimate objects also have souls. The point I am making is the soul is part of a belief system. It is not relative to physics. Personally, I don't believe in the soul.

As for the point made about water, carbon and chemicals producing a human being, that is due to evolution. It is extremely amazing, but evolution nonetheless.

I'm not looking to lock horns in an online spat, just expressing my opinion, and also just adding to this interesting thread.

[Xangsamhua]

According to religious/spiritual beliefs, reincarnation is believed to occur when the soul or spirit, after the death of the body, comes back to life in a new body. Therefore, unless you consider water, carbon and chemicals to be alive, they cannot be reincarnated.

Yes, I think theories of reincarnation assume an animus/anima to be what is reincarnated, i.e. some form of consciousness, also called "soul".

As for the point made about water, carbon and chemicals producing a human being, that is due to evolution. It is extremely amazing, but evolution nonetheless.

If evolution involves the emergence of consciousness/animation from inanimate unconsciousness that raises a question in many people's minds: How does that occur? Isn't it logically as well as physically impossible?

Perhaps the answer is that everything in the universe is "alive". Everything shares consciousness at least to some limited extent (sometimes limited to the point of undetectability to our instruments), and some higher order beings are very clearly animate and conscious. It is this life-principle that evolves (and can revert?).

[jlaaway]

I believe we live and we learn, then we die and forget it all. Cuz if I have lived before, I surely don't remember any of it.

[dominique355]

Water, carbon and chemicals are being constantly "reincarnated". not always into the same form. From earth to mouth to earth again, plus a bit of sunlight.

Its the intangible, non physical "soul" that is reincarnated. This can reside in many blobs of water, carbon and chemicals.ie humans.

This soul is a form of energy that cannot be destroyed, only changed, coz the laws of physics say so.

the soul is not From somewhere or created by something. It is all there is. It is the source. the very energy on which the universe runs.

Thus the interconnectednes of all things.

when part of the enegy of the source is out of balance, it reincarnates to allow the human consious mind to balance it.

However, there must be freedom of choice, otherwise there would be no existence.

I've never really found a concise and satisfactory answer to religion, the closest ive got, is that it was a mechanism by which to allow those without the time or ability to come to an understanding of the human condition, created be those with a wish to preach, and the time or abiliy to understand. Unfortunately, it was hijacked be those with a wish to control.

Not preaching, not an opinion, just adding to an interesting thread.

You are getting on thin ice when you invoke laws of physics or science or borrow terms in order to prove reincarnation or the soul (or god for that matter), because in physics as a science, you need to furnish evidence, repeatable evidence for everyone to recreate. And that - I am sorry to say - cannot be done for proving existence of souls and thus reincarnation.

It is part of a religious believe and let's treat it like that. No pseudo science please.

[Birdman]

If it all ends after life, there would be no need to live and and no need to provide for descendants. That would be senseless. It most likely will go on in one way or in another. That does not necessarily mean on that planet in the future.

[Nunny Bunny]

I always add Carnation milk to my morning dose of Quaker's Oats; this is something I also used to do as a child. And since I consider my childhood to be some type of previous life that also involved Carnation milk, I see this as proof positive of reinCarnation.