Reincarnation Has Yet to Be Proven Invalid--Response to a Cynic

One sure way to generate controversy is to bring up the topic of reincarnation in a group conversation.

In our experience, in the Western world, about 30% will say they believe in it, 40% will express mild skepticism, and 30% will vehemently speak out against it.

Elsewhere in the world, believers are a significantly higher percentage, as the majority of the world embraces the concept of reincarnation in some form or another. They, like us, believe the soul is eternal and “the other side” exists, where souls go after physically incarnating.

Then there are the Atheists who believe that you’re just a piece of meat with a brain, the universe is one big accident, and there aren’t any consequences for your behavior as long as you don’t get caught.

Here’s an e-mail we received recently in response to an article on reincarnation, like we get on a regular basis from those unique individuals who express their hostility to strangers on-line, anonymously. By the way, do these special people also phone strangers, give them a piece of their mind, and then hang up?

“Compete bull---- Karma. One life has enough wisdom to teach anyone the world is an unfair place. There is not a cat in hells chance many would want to relive a life less fortune than others. One life, one death and earth is gone for good with your lifes experiences. One thing is for sure I wont be returning to earth even for a golden pig or any amount of anything.” Anonymous

We’re thrilled Anonymous decided to grace us with his/her wisdom, particularly with corroborating information, supporting his/her contention. Bravo!

We understand that life isn’t easy, and can seem unfair at times. This is especially so if you believe you deserve everything you want.

Below we address some of the usual anti-reincarnation contentions:

1. Conventional science doesn’t approve of reincarnation.

The science authorities haven’t invalidated reincarnation either, so until that point, it’s best to adhere to the spirit of science, and accept it as a valid theory.

Dr. Ian Stevenson spent over forty years scientifically documenting over 3000 cases of past life memories of children from multiple cultures around the world. The evidence certainly suggests the theory of reincarnation is worth considering.

2. People would not choose the horrible experiences they go through if reincarnation is valid.

Your personality wouldn’t, but your soul would in order to continue to grow and to balance karma. Consider your soul to be the parent and your personality, with all its fears, defenses, and biases, the child.

It’s not always the case that a person is enduring karmic retribution for past life dark deeds; sometimes the terrible experience is for other reasons, such as to help bring awareness to the world, or stop it from happening to others in the future.

3. I’d remember my past lives if it were true.

You would remember select past life experiences if you turned off the TV and meditated more often. Besides, you don’t remember everything because it would be too much for your mind to endure all the past traumas, trials, and at the same time, focus on the present, which is most important.

4. Only the present matters, not the past, and reincarnation holds you back.

What really holds you back are deep, subconscious past life memories that are driving your unconscious mind today.

Fear of air travel, fear of being on the open ocean, fear of a particular culture or religion, and all other seemingly unexplainable anxieties, strangely, are frequently assuaged or even eliminated after past life regression to get to the root cause. This is true even if the person doesn’t believe in reincarnation.

The anxious air traveler may have died in a WWII plane crash and the person afraid of the sea may have perished in a typhoon in a fishing boat off the coast of Japan over a thousand years ago. Look to your own fears and anxieties (and strengths and rewarding parts of your life too) for clues about your past.

5. Those into reincarnation always say they were a celebrated historical figure; they can’t possibly have all been the same person. Besides, recorded history goes back only so far and there were fewer people back then than today, so it’s not possible.

Actually, it’s very possible if you consider Earth is only one of millions (possibly billions) of inhabitable planets in this universe where souls incarnate. Don’t be too quick to rule out the theory that many lost civilizations on Earth have vanished without a trace due to massive plate-tectonic shifts and other cataclysms prior to recorded history, and that the population on this planet may have been higher at some point in history than it is today.

Also, our findings show that most people who experience past life regressions don’t perceive being a celebrity or having particularly glamorous lifetimes. We believe those who enjoy fame today have earned it, as have those who suffer infamy. All souls experience all types of existences at some point, in some life, in their progression.

Although you won’t know for sure until you leave this world, perhaps it’s best to entertain the theory of reincarnation if only for humanitarian reasons. If everyone lived their life believing in karma and reincarnation, the world would be a much better place.

Copyright © Scott Petullo, Stephen Petullo