Reincarnation is a common concept in many religions and spiritual practices. Eastern religions like Buddhism, Hinduism, and Sikhism believe actions in life influence future reincarnations, while some pagan and new age beliefs support past life memories. Tribal cultures also have superstitions about specific plants and animals as ancestors. The idea of living on after death appeals to many, offering comfort to family members who may attempt to identify loved ones in other people.
Reincarnation is a concept common to many religious beliefs and spiritual practices. According to the theory of reincarnation, when people die, a part of themselves lives on in another person or organism. Different faiths have different approaches to this concept, and there are different versions of the reincarnation myth found around the world. Western religions, for example, notably reject the concept for the most part, although texts such as the Bible have references that could be interpreted as discussions of reincarnation.
Eastern religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism are probably most famous for their associations with reincarnation. In these faiths, people believe that their actions in life have an influence on their future reincarnations. By displaying good behavior, someone is said to be more likely to be reincarnated as a person or eliminated from the cycle altogether as a reward, while people who do bad behavior may be reincarnated as animals or more vile organisms such as plants, in a form of punishment. .
Many practitioners of pagan and new age beliefs support the idea of reincarnation. Some people claim to have past life memories and suggest that souls are brought back to Earth again and again to learn valuable lessons or to contribute something to human society. People who claim to have past life memories often have competing claims about past lives such as well-known historical figures, such as Cleopatra, which tends to make those claims less credible.
Some tribal cultures also manifest some form of belief in reincarnation, usually in the form of superstitions about specific plants and animals. According to these cultures, their ancestors live in the bodies of particular plant and animal species, and these organisms are therefore sacred to avoid accidentally using the ancestors for basic uses like building a house or preparing dinner. These taboos can also lead people to make offerings to sacred plants and animals out of respect for their ancestors.
The abundance of reincarnation myths around the world is perhaps understandable. Many people find a certain appeal in the idea that a fundamental part of themselves will live on after death, even though their bodies may decay. Family members may also find comfort in the thought that their loved ones still exist somewhere on Earth, even if they don’t make contact. In some societies, people may attempt to identify loved ones in other people, occasionally adopting their reincarnated family members or giving them gifts.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
