Reincarnation
Reincarnation is the doctrine according to which the soul or some form of personal continuity passes through a succession of lives in different bodies. It is central in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, and is present in minority forms in other traditions.
Origin and etymology
The English word comes from the Late Latin reincarnatio, formed on caro (flesh) with the prefix re-. The concept appears clearly in the ancient Upanishads (c. 800-500 BCE), notably the Brihadaranyaka, which describes the transmigration of atman according to the quality of one's deeds. The Sanskrit term samsara designates the cycle of rebirths. Early Buddhism preserved the doctrine of rebirth while denying the existence of a permanent soul: what is reincarnated is not a substantial self, but a conditioned flow. In Greek thought, the Pythagoreanism of the 6th century BCE taught metempsychosis, a doctrine taken up by Plato in the myth of Er (Republic, Book X).
Evolution and tradition
Classical Hinduism offers liberation (moksha) from the cycle of rebirths through knowledge, devotion or selfless action. Buddhism aims at nirvana, the extinction of the attachment that produces the cycle. Modern theosophy, founded by Helena Blavatsky in 1875, popularized the doctrine of reincarnation in the West in an adapted form, often tied to karma. In the 20th century, empirical works such as those of Ian Stevenson at the University of Virginia documented cases of children claiming to remember past lives, without however providing definitive proof. Past-life regression psychotherapy (Brian Weiss, 1988) offers therapeutic protocols inspired by the concept.
Practical use
In contemporary spiritual practices, reincarnation serves as a framework for interpreting sensations of deja-vu, unexplained affinities, or recurring themes in a life. On Tarotoui, reincarnation is documented among the traditional spiritual concepts. Some numerology readings evoke karmic debts inherited from past lives. Hypnotic regression to past lives is practiced in some offices, without scientific validation of the real nature of the content produced. These practices should be distinguished from better-validated unconscious-mind therapies.
Going further
The compatibility of reincarnation with the Abrahamic religions is weak: Orthodox Christianity, mainstream Rabbinic Judaism and Islam do not teach it, even though some currents (Lurianic Kabbalah, Alevism, Cathar Christianity) have recognized it. Confusing reincarnation with Christian resurrection is a frequent mistake: these are two distinct doctrines. Note also that the scientific status of reincarnation remains an open question with no consensus proof.