Reincarnation, metempsychosis or transmigration of souls is a set of religious and philosophical doctrines that speak of the immortal essence of a living being, which is constantly reincarnating from one body to another. This immortal essence is called differently: soul, spirit, divine spark, true "I". According to some religions and teachings, the chain of reincarnations has a specific purpose, and the soul develops in the process of reincarnation.
It should be noted that the concept of transmigration of souls is inherent not only in religious systems, but also in the personal worldview of a person.
In general, belief in reincarnation is an ancient phenomenon, it exists among many peoples. For example, among some peoples (Jews, Indians, Eskimos) it is generally accepted that at the birth of a child, the soul of one of the deceased relatives enters into it. In many Indian religions, the doctrine of transmigration of souls is central. In this case, we are talking about Hinduism in such manifestations as Vaishnavism, yoga and Shaivism, as well as in Sikhism and Jainism.
The idea of reincarnation was also accepted by some ancient philosophers, in particular, Plato Pythagoras and Socrates. Belief in the transmigration of souls is inherent in some modern traditions, in particular, followers of spiritualism, the New Age movement, as well as supporters of Kabbalah, Gnosticism and esoteric Christianity.
If we talk about belief in reincarnation in general, it should be noted that it is based on several components. First: the idea that each person has a certain essence (soul, spirit), where the personality, its self-consciousness, a certain part of what a person is used to calling "I" is enclosed. This entity may have a connection with the physical body, but this connection is not at all inextricable. Therefore, the soul continues to exist even after the physical death of the body. At the same time, the question of the presence of a soul in other living beings, in addition to humans, is solved in different ways in different religions. Second: the idea that after the physical death of the body, the soul is embodied in another body, that is, the life of a person is possible outside the physical body.
In Eastern religions and traditions, just like in Buddhism and Hinduism, there is a theory about the continuity of life, that is, after the death of one body, the soul moves into another. The adherents of Eastern faiths have no alternative for the concept of "reincarnation". They are sure that it exists as logical and fair, because it turns out that pious, highly moral behavior enables a person to progress with each new life, each time receiving an improvement in circumstances and living conditions. And even more than that, reincarnation, as it were, acts as evidence of God's compassion for all living beings, since in each new incarnation the soul is given another chance to correct mistakes and improve itself. By progressing in this way, the soul from one life to another can be purified so that it can achieve liberation.
Religious and philosophical oriental beliefs about the existence of the soul have had a direct impact on how reincarnation is viewed in various oriental teachings, between which there are significant differences. So, some completely deny the existence of "I", others say that there is an eternal personal essence of the individual, and still others argue that the existence of "I" and its non-existence is just an illusion. All these teachings have a great influence on the definition of the concept of transmigration.
In Hinduism, reincarnation is one of the basic concepts. In this religion, the cycle of life and death is accepted as a natural phenomenon. The transmigration of the soul was first mentioned in the Vedas - the most ancient Hindu scriptures. Despite the fact that most scientists are sure that the doctrine of reincarnation is not recorded in the Rig Veda, some scientists still point out that certain elements of the theory of reincarnation are presented there.
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The most detailed description of reincarnation is given in the Upanishads - ancient religious and philosophical texts written in Sanskrit, which are closely related to the Vedas. In particular, it says that just as the human body grows through food and physical exertion, so the spiritual "I" feeds on its desires, aspirations, visual impressions, sensory connections and delusions takes on the desired forms.
The soul in Hinduism is immortal, only the body is subject to birth and death. And the very idea of transmigration of souls has a close connection with the concept of karma. After multiple births and deaths, the soul becomes disillusioned with earthly pleasures, and tries to find the highest pleasure, which can only be achieved with the acquisition of spiritual experience. When all material desires are finished and the soul is no longer reborn, the individual is said to have attained salvation.
In Buddhist teachings, the scheme for the formation of rebirths is contained in the formula of being. Despite the fact that in Buddhist folklore and literature you can find a lot of reasoning and stories of the transmigration of souls, the Buddhist theory denies the existence of the soul, therefore it does not recognize reincarnation. At the same time, in Buddhism there is the concept of santana or the extension of consciousness, which does not have a constant support. Consciousness wanders through the worlds of samsara (there are six of them), as well as through the worlds of the sphere of forms and informals, divided into many locations. All these wanderings can occur both during life and after death, and being in this or that world is determined by the mental state. And the location is determined by previous deeds or karma.
Chinese Buddhism is characterized by a slightly different concept of the transmigration of souls. Chinese Buddhism is usually called mundane, so it often neglects concepts such as reincarnation and other abstractions, while at the same time attaching great importance to the beauty of nature. This is due to the influence of the teachings of Chinese teachers, in particular, Confucius and Lao Tzu, who attached great importance to the beauty of the natural world.
Shinto recognizes the possibility of transmigration of souls. It is generally accepted that a soul that has been reborn in a new body does not retain memories of previous lives, but at the same time, it can display talents and skills acquired and manifested in past incarnations.
In Christianity in all its manifestations, the possibility of reincarnation is denied. At the same time, there is an alternative view of the history of the transmigration of souls in Christianity, which became widespread in the late 19th - early 20th centuries among theosophists. This alternative view was later adopted by New Age adherents, who argue that reincarnation was accepted by early Christianity, but was later rejected.
At present, attempts are being made to link reincarnation with Christianity. An example is numerous books, in particular, the work of D. Geddes McGregor "Reincarnation in Christianity: A New Vision of Rebirth in Christian Thought." In addition, the theory of reincarnation has been adopted by a number of marginal Christian organizations and sects, which include the Liberal Catholic Church, Christian Society, Church of Unity, which profess gnostic, theosophical and mystical ideas.
As for Muslims, they have a rather complex system of ideas about the nature of death, about the moment of dying, as well as about what happens after death. According to Islamic beliefs, the soul after death is placed behind a certain barrier, and the body, which is buried in the ground, gradually decomposes and turns into dust. And only on the Day of Judgment will new bodies be created, into which souls will rush. After such a resurrection, people will appear before the Almighty and will be responsible for all perfect deeds.
In modern life, the number of people who believe in reincarnation has increased significantly. An interest in the reincarnation of souls is characteristic of representatives of American transcendentalism, theosophy. In these teachings, the soul of a person is viewed as pure and with great potential. And reincarnation, in turn, acts as a process by which the soul gradually reveals its potential in the formal world.
The theory of transmigration of souls plays an important role in anthroposophy - an esoteric spiritual movement founded by Rudolf Steiner. He described the human soul as an entity that gains experience in the process of reincarnation. Anthroposophy says that the present is formed as a result of the opposition of the past and the future. Both the future and the past affect the real destiny of a person. Between them, there is such a thing as free will: a person creates his own destiny, and not just lives it.
If we talk about reincarnation from a scientific point of view, then American psychiatrist Ian Stevenson was engaged in her research, who studied cases of people remembering their past lives, providing them with real facts and describing events that were associated with a hypothetical past life. Stevenson described over two thousand cases. According to the author himself, only those cases that could be documented were checked into his study. He also noted that in most cases, this documentary evidence of a past life has been found. In particular, the names of relatives, descriptions of places of residence were confirmed.
There is also a critical analysis of Stevenson's research. In particular, we are talking about the story of Edward Rayel, who claimed to have lived in the 17th century in an English county under the name of John Fletcher. But a check on parish books showed that no one with that name existed.
In addition, there are many descriptions of cases, the so-called false memories, which were provoked by previously obtained information stored in the subconscious. In addition, most scientists are inclined to argue that there is not a single scientifically substantiated confirmation of the existence of the phenomenon of reincarnation.
Therefore, the belief in the existence of transmigration of souls is one of the most common pseudoscientific delusions.