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Reincarnation
Introduction
Reincarnation channels through many cultures and experiences which are examined by skeptics. In this research paper I will examine what is reincarnation, the evidence of people’s experiences of this, some of the views of the skeptics on this issue, and my own beliefs with reincarnation. Reincarnation can’t be given a concert scientific explanation, can’t be fully proven to humans, but there are assumptions and beliefs that make up the idea of reincarnation. This paper will give an analysis on reincarnation and the possibilities of this phenomenon to be true.
According to Ian Stevenson in his book “Children who Remember Previous Lives”, reincarnation “is about children who claim to remember previous lives” (9), how could children up to age 8 have such intense knowledge of someone else’s life? Is it possible for people to be reincarnated into another body? How is reincarnation possible? These questions are what I am trying to review with the literature I gathered. H Wayne House describes reincarnation with a “literal meaning, “enfleshing again” describes the soul’s travel from one physical lifetime to another” (132). Reincarnation is the soul passing from one body to another after a death, where the person has memories of their past life, specific details that are so powerful that the soul holds onto.
Stemman stated that “growing numbers of people are prepared to mix and match the beliefs of teachings that most appeal to them” (Stemman 3) this then suggests that the idea and beliefs of reincarnation are increasing; people are tending to expand their knowledge and beliefs and integrating the different beliefs into their own. Stemman also states that “we already know that at least half of the worlds’ po...
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...LASerials. Web. 8 Nov. 2013.
Mysore Nagaraj, Anil Kumar, Raveesh Bevinahalli Nanjegowda, and S. M. Purushothama. "The Mystery Of Reincarnation." Indian Journal Of Psychiatry (2013): S171-S176. Academic Search Complete. Web. 12 Nov. 2013.
Rivas, Titus. "Rebirth And Personal Identity: Is Reincarnation An Intrinsically Impersonal Concept?." Journal Of Religion And Psychical Research 28.4 (2005): 226-233. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials. Web. 8 Nov. 2013.
Snider, Amber. "The Pre-Existence Of The Soul: An Argument For Reincarnation." Journal Of Spirituality And Paranormal Studies30.2 (2007): 77-79. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials. Web. 8 Nov. 2013.
Stemman, Roy. The Big Book of Reincarnation. United States: Hierophant Publishing, 2012. Print.
Stevenson, Ian. Children Who Remember Previous Lives. North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., 2001. Print.
As a last resort, Guatama began intense yogic meditation under a papal tree. One night, he went into a deep trance, and moved through different levels of being. First, he saw all of his previous lives, living through each one over and over again. He then realized that reincarnation is based on how you treat all living things and whether you do right or wrong. He then achieved the knowledge of everything there is to be known in the world, and he attained perfection. He became the ?Buddha?, which means ?Enlightened One?, and he found the release from reincarnation. Buddhacarita, the best k...
In this paper I offer an explication of John Perry’s dialogue on the problem of personal identity, and my evaluation of the strongest account of personal identity between the body, mind, and soul. In this paper I will argue that the strongest account of personal identity is that a person can be identified by their soul. By having the sameness of soul you will then be able to solve the problem of personal identity. Your soul is the foundation of whom you are and by definition, personal identity means “The persistent and continuous unity of the individual person normally attested by continuity of memory with present consciousness.” And without your soul memory could not exist.
To answer the question of whether a person can persist through time, it is important to consider what is meant by a ‘person’. This consideration seems trivial at first, and if one were to take the physicalist route, it would be – a person persists through time by existing as the same human animal. However, it is in fact a lot harder to pinpoint what the ‘self’ actually consists of if we were to take the psychological route and consider the voice inside our heads, the voice that thinks and experiences and suffers. What is this mysterious immaterial phenomenon that we hold to be our personal identity? And what makes it the same entity as the one yesterday? Although these questions don’t have an explicit answer yet, in this essay I will attempt to give an insight on how they could be answered, offering a psychological
The 'doctrine of recollection' states that all true knowledge exists implicitly within us, and can be brought to consciousness - made explicit - by recollection. Using the Platonic concepts of 'Forms', 'particulars', 'knowledge' and 'true opinion', this essay explains what can or cannot be recollected, why all knowledge is based on recollection, and why the doctrine does not prove the soul to be immortal.
From the beginning of time, our ancestors from all over have told, and retold stories of reincarnations, and have even did they’re best to conceal the evidence they once possibly had. First and foremost, let me remind you that, the Bible is, in fact originally written by mankind’s hand, but here’s another mind-blowing mystery; all different Countries/Nations tell and all have such similar substantial facts, and even evidence.
It is comparable to the belief in reincarnation. Reincarnation is the belief that a person is born innocent and perfect. If during life if perfection is not achieved, birth and rebirth will continue until it is ultimately accomplished. This is similar to grief. When tragedy strikes it leaves heartbreak, and so a person begins the grieving and healing process and it is similar to life in reincarnation. A person becomes imperfect and has flaws as they grieve. Depression and anger will surface before peace and understanding is achieved. By the time the healing process is complete, the original person has died and is reborn into a stronger, more perfect person because of the journey grief took them
Considering the arguments from Plato’s Phaedo argue: “Death is not the end and we ought not fear it.” Souls are immortal and continue to live after the body has died. The theories of recollection and opposites are sensible and Socrates can justify them.
J. W. Dunlap, an educational specialist and a medium, in her article “REINCARNATION AND SURVIVAL OF LIFE AFTER DEATH,” defines reincarnation as life being eternal and with a purpose that each individual will experience and continue to experience after death. The belief in reincarnation is universal in certain aspect of the world; based on the lives of Africans and Native Americans there is a strong belief in the concept of reincarnation from past human history (Dunlap 157-170). Looking at some Africans, they have a strong belief in ancestral rebirth; they do not believe that once an ancestor died they will never see them again; they believe that it is just a separation and only temporary (Dunlap). Some Native Americans have a different view; they have a spiritual, philosophical view with regards to reincar...
Buddhism places a high value on finding the truth. This fundamental principal allows for an acceptance of science, as it is seen as a modern truth to most. Furthermore, Buddhists believe in the evolution of human consciousness—this evolution, along with the truth presented from science, allows for an over arching acceptance of biological evolution. Even more interesting is that in the Agganna Sutta, a sacred Buddhist text, Buddha explains the world as having evolved over time. Though there is no mention of biological evolution, there is still an emphasis of evolution as a whole—both physically and spiritually. Tibetan Buddhism is known as the branch of Buddhism that has the largest emphasis on reincarnation, which is the most relevant to this research. Reincarnation is driven by the decisions made in each life and is basically the knowledge that one’s spirit travels between material beings over different lives. The spirit evolves as one becomes closer and closer to Nirvana, or perfection. Karma, too, influences the lives of the reincarnated as this idea causes the consequences of both good and bad deeds from each past life to be brought over to the current life. Overall, Tibetan Buddhism and evolution flow very well together as various Buddhist beliefs in spiritual evolution and karma, and the search for truth lead to the acceptance of science and evolution.
Indra found this out the hard way. He was the king of the gods (Lidke 10-24-2017). The narrative starts off with this king meeting a brahmin boy, who begins to speak about the many universes and how there are infinite Indras (Lidke PPT 7, 18-20). Then suddenly ants rush in all in a line into Indra’s palace (Lidke PPT 7, 18-20). The boy begins to explain to Indra that the ants represent his past lives, and that each ant is another reincarnation of himself (Lidke PPT 7, 18-20). Indra then begins to realize that his destiny can be shaped instead of repeating itself (Lidke PPT 7, 18-19). We see through this that karma is a force that can be manipulated into something we can use to achieve
Many religions and philosophies attempt to answer the question, what happens after a person dies? Some religions such as Christianity and Islam believe there is an afterlife. They believe that good and moral people enter Heaven or paradise and that bad and immoral people go to Hell. Other religions and cultures believe that death is final, and that nothing happens after a person dies. Buddhism and Hinduism have a different idea about death. Both of these religions originated in India. Buddhists and Hindus believe that death is not final. They believe that a person comes back after he or she dies. This process is known as reincarnation, and it provides opportunities for people to enter the world multiple times in different forms. Buddhists and Hindus want to reenter the world as humans, and they want to improve their status through reincarnation. In ancient India, many members of lower casts wanted to come back as members of higher casts. While this is an important goal of reincarnation, the main goal is to reach either moksha (Hinduism) or nirvana (Buddhism). In other words, the goal is to reach a point of spiritual enlightenment that removes the person from the reincarnation process. Geoff Childs, an anthropologist examines the views of the Buddhist religion by studying the lives of the people in Tibetan villages. He looks at issues that adversely affect these people such as infant mortality. He carefully looks at the lives of people who have been left behind by deceased loved ones, and he pays careful attention to customs and traditions surrounding death. Tibetan Buddhists view death as a means of reaching spiritual perfection, and they seek to reach this level of spiritual perfection through living spiritually meaningful lives....
I stood in awe as his body dissipated into the air. I had to change the cycle. The timer turned in the blink of an eye. I studied his book he had left behind. How many more had there been of me? What caused this life and death cycle? I couldn´t die, I had just been created. I made him again the same way he had made me. We were all different yet the same, the same cycle over and over again. I remembered his fiery orange and brown eyes, his dull blue striped skin, his old leather vest, his tall pointed ears, our strange teeth, and our unique F-hole markings that we shared. I was going to bring him back. I was hard at work as the timer slowly spilled grains of sand, his life was now in my hands. Every stitch was precisely sewn, his
Grysman, A. (2012). Evolutionary Psychology [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from Soul Beliefs: Causes and Consequences Online Course site: rutgersonline.net.
Nicodemus’s questions function to show what being born again is not: it is not a physical rebirth
The relationship of the human soul and physical body is a topic that has mystified philosophers, scholars, scientists, and mankind as a whole for centuries. Human beings, who are always concerned about their place as individuals in this world, have attempted to determine the precise nature or state of the physical form. They are concerned for their well-being in this earthly environment, as well as their spiritual well-being; and most have been perturbed by the suggestion that they cannot escape the wrongs they have committed while in their physical bodies.