Reincarnation In Review

 

When one considers the subject of reincarnation, there are two distinct orientations.  First, an individual might be the physical and spiritual reincarnation of someone from a previous time period — expressing the same 'soul' yet each 'incarnation' acquiring individual life experiences and memories.  Secondly, when a transcendental communicator compares a contemporary person with a famous person who achieved some manner of renown during a past epoch, the basis may be to express similar symbolic or metaphorical characteristics of some sort.

Considering the first perspective, there are cases where there is photographic evidence suggesting 'individual physical reincarnation' as photographs of contemporary people closely resemble people who lived during previous eras; sometimes with noticeable parallels among events of the two lifetimes.  Correlating factors may include birthmarks; similarities relating to behavior, skills or aptitudes; some manner of family lineage relationship; or 'announcing dreams.'

An example of a nonfiction reincarnation case study where hypnotic regression is not an essential factor for a person becoming aware of a previous life is presented in a 2009 blog article about the book Someone Else's Yesterday: The Confederate General & Connecticut Yankee, A Past Life Revealed (2003) by Jeffrey J. Keene.  Also that year the James M. Huston Jr./James Leininger case was the subject of two short articles (1, 2): Soul Survivor: The Reincarnation of a World War II Fighter Pilot (2009) by Bruce and Andrea Leininger with Ken Gross.  The case is an example of many that have been chronicled about children with apparent memories of a previous life.

Jeffrey J. Keene (born 1947) and John B. Gordon (1832-1904)

Below are some comparison photographs in relation to cases of people who've come to know about a previous incarnation, as presented in Return of the Revolutionaries (2003) by Walter Semkiw, M.D.  (1, 2)  Joseph Myers is the author of Edward Bellamy Writes Again (1997).

Last February, a blog article profiled the intriguing case of Rich Kendall—a student of 'Seth' through Jane Roberts—and a woman from a previous epoch named Marguerite de Valois, with images of the two shown below.

The following paragraphs show how reincarnation is expressed in a 1984 British nonfiction book Survival of Death of the pictorial book series entitled "Mysteries of Mind Space and Time":
 

Evidence for reincarnation not only indicates that we survive and are reborn (perhaps many times), but also offers clues as to why we are born at all.


Many people believe that we must submit to a string of different earthly lives until we have achieved near perfection of soul, then we become gods or progress on a purely spiritual plane of existence.


Dr. Ian Stevenson of the University of Virginia in the United States had made a detailed and scholarly investigation into the evidence for reincarnation.  He has amassed hundreds of cases of alleged 'past lives' and came to the conclusion that 'a rational man . . . can believe in reincarnation on the basis of evidence.' 

The book includes photos of figurines of Yamantaka, Tibetan lord of the dead, and the Totonac god of ancient Mexico, Mictlantecuhtli: "Most ancient cultures believed in a supernatural deity whose sole task was to preside over the dead."

 

Some historical perspectives of reincarnation are included in Survival of Death:
 

. . . the idea [of reincarnation] dates back to at least the 6th Century BC.  It appears in the Orphic writings, which appear to have played a great part in the thought of Pythagorus.


Plato was greatly influenced by the Orphico-Pythagorean views and mentions reincarnation in his concluding part of the Republic.  The soul, according to Plato, is immortal, the number of souls fixed, and reincarnation regularly occurs.  Although discarded by Aristotle and other Stoic views, Plato's derivation was taken up by later schools of thought such as the Neoplatonists.  Within the Christian church the belief was held by certain Gnostic sects during the first century AD and by the Manichaeans in the fourth and fifth centuries.  But the idea was repudiated by eminent theologians at the time, and in AD 553, the Emperor Justinian condemned reincarnation, at the Second Council of Constantinople, as heresy.

 

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/10/01/new-age-beliefs-common-among-both-religious-and-nonreligious-americans/

 
 
Roy Stemman's The Big Book of Reincarnation (2012) begins with some facts allowing readers to consider the historical context.  Here are some excerpts —

 

We already know that at least half of the world's population, as followers of the teachings of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and various other Eastern religions, accepts reincarnation.


Dualism—the conviction that we each have a spirit or soul that separates from the body at death and continues to exist in another world or dimension—has probably been expressed in one form or another since the dawn of civilization.


Even simple processions alongside a body in a grave suggest, as one expert puts it, "concern for the dead that transcends daily life."


[Considering Buddhism]  Karma has been described as the force that drives samsara—the cycle of suffering and rebirth—but even within Buddhism there are different interpretations of how this takes effect.


As well as building great pyramids and subterranean tombs for their dearly departed and perfecting the process of mummification, the Egyptians also recorded in great detail, in the Book of the Dead, the journey they believed the ka (body double) and ba (personality) took from this life to the Kingdom of the Dead into which they would be reborn.


. . . Islam's mystical and esoteric tradition, Sufism, is very much in favor [concerning reincarnation], teaching that orthodox Muslims are misinterpreting passages in the Quran as being about judgment and resurrection whereas they really describe the continuous cycle of reincarnation.


. . . the spirits who spoke with French teacher Hippolyte Léon Denizard Rivail in Paris in the 1850s had no doubts on the subject of reincarnation.  Not only did they assure him that reincarnation occurred, but he was also informed that, in a previous life, he had been a Druid named Allan Kardec.  He liked the name and decided to make it his nom de plume when writing about spirit communication, to separate his Spiritualist interests from his educational endeavors in high schools, which included running free courses for underprivileged children.

  
As I've previously mentioned — When considering transcripts and recordings of transcendental communication, there are times when an individual must determine if the meaning of a statement should be interpreted literally or figuratively.  (1) 
 
Among the numerous books offering accounts of trance communication from the epoch of the Spiritualists is Flashes of Light from the Spirit-Land, Through the Mediumship of Mrs. J. H. Conant (1872).  (article)  The book was "compiled by Allen Putnam" from responses by "controlling spirits" of Mrs. J. H. Conant (1831-1875).  Here are some excerpts from the commentary by controlling spirit Theodore Parker on April 29, 1869:
  

In the first place, it should be understood that these séances are not controlled at all times by the same spirit, but for each occasion an intelligence is selected best adapted to that occasion.


It should be understood that each distinct intelligence, or human spirit, retains its own special intellectual integrity after death as before.

The communicator on February 28, 1870 was identified as Reverend Arthur Fuller.  One of the subjects addressed was reincarnation —
     

Since we have the evidence of thousands of spirits — I say we, meaning myself and the spirit-band with whom I am associated — since we have the evidence of thousands of spirits who remember having lived through several physical existences, of course we know that the theory is correct.  We do not know that we, too, shall be again and again re-incarnated in physical life, but we believe we shall.  Judging from the experience of others, we believe it to be our own fate also.

Considering the recurring topic of reincarnation in articles presenting perspectives from transcendental communication entities at this blog, 'one thing leads to another' — to quote a Pop song lyric that has struck me as being highly relevant to anyone undertaking metaphysical research with 'paranormal' case studies.  During the period in my life when I was working as a movie studio publicity writer (1987-1995), one of the movies I helped publicize was "Dead Again."  In this Paramount film the reincarnation storyline leads to unexpected plot twists.  While paranormal subjects are found among numerous fictional entertainment narratives, these diversions obviously are an inadequate source for serious metaphysical contemplation. 

Here are excerpts from a 2016 blog article about the subjects of transcendental communication and reincarnation as expressed by Direct Voice medium Leslie Flint's 'constant spirit companion' 'Mickey':

". . . various people coming from various spheres can only give you an insight into the knowledge that they have appertaining to their particular advancement or development . . ."  Lynn Russell in The Voice of Valentino quoted Mickey on the topic of reincarnation: "Reincarnation is so obvious that I can't understand intelligent people doubting it!  The fact that you can't remember is neither here nor there.  The point is, if you remembered too much you would always be on the defensive, avoiding mistakes, instead of overcoming them . . ."

The following paragraph includes another example of Direct Voice (unseen) communicator Mickey's comments about reincarnation on another occasion.

One recording features sitters Ida and Louise Cook (Cook Sisters #5) as Mickey began a conversation involving reincarnation by telling them about a Roman Centurion (soldier) seen by him during each of their sittings.  Mickey stated: ". . . whether you believe in reincarnation, I can't help that but I'm told to tell you that centuries ago when you were on Earth you both lived together in ancient Rome.  And that he was your brother . . . He's concentrating his thought force on to me. And he says that one of you was called Octavia and one of you was called Flavia."

Mickey's statements included: ". . . I'm told to tell you that he's conveying to me that you are both what we call 'old souls' and that you've had various incarnations at different periods."  Louise was stated to have once been Mother Superior in a convent in Italy.  There was also an ancient Egyptian incarnation for the sisters before the Roman one.  Mickey said, "Your last incarnation from what I can make out of it from what they tell me must've been in France during the reign of Louis the Fifteenth."

Mickey further explained to the sisters: ". . . you have certain guides or controls — or people who have a certain specific work to do who really are acting under the agency of higher souls."  Mickey described these souls as "the masters" although he stated that it wasn't quite the word he wanted.  The masters were said by Mickey to "relay their teachings and relay their power and they're love through others . . . all communication must be by the very nature of things on a relay system.  That is the more highly evolved a person becomes — and the higher their teaching, the higher their realization of truth and that — that has to be sent down via other souls who act as agents, who are nearer Earth conditions."  Mickey informed the sisters that they had wonderful work yet to do: " . . . the seeds are sewn and gradually you'll be shown the path and the way."

My own predicament involves reincarnation as I learned about parallels between my current life and events found chronicled on ancient clay tablets found in Assyrian ruins involving 'Bel-Marduk.'  The strange incidents included my finding an Egyptian-style antique pendant showing a profile view of my close likeness as I looked throughout my younger years.  I ended my entertainment industry career after the events chronicled in the case study Testament published in 1997.  
 

 

Some other blog articles about reincarnation include "Matthew Manning and Reincarnation", "Intricacies", "Esoteric Aspects of Edgar Cayce's Life", "A Meditation about Reincarnation" and "Channeled Reincarnation Scenarios".  The latter article presents excerpts from books about three different forms of 'channeling' cases: 'Seth' through the entranced Jane Roberts; 'George Bernard Shaw' through clairvoyant/clairaudient medium Rosemary Brown; and 'André Luiz' through Chico Xavier via automatic writing.  One blog article offers an "Articles and Videos Links Index" of channeling cases.