Reincarnation - An interesting Interview

[RichLB]

I found this article from a Facebook post. While I'm one of those loons who think UFOs are real, the jury is still out for me about reincarnation. But, living in Thailand and loving a Thai boyfriend who has no doubt about reincarnation, I have to admit that my beliefs have moved from absolute denial to a quasi skepticism. I'd be interested to see what the rest of you think. The article (it's short) can be found at:
http://www.npr.org/2014/01/05/259886077 ... ncarnation

[Rogie]

That's an interesting case discussed in that interview with Tucker. As an ex-scientist (retired) I enjoyed reading this part of the interview:

(Rachel)MARTIN (host): So, break down the science for me, because there will be a lot of people who hear this who think there's just no way.

TUCKER: Well, I think it's very difficult to just map these cases onto materialist understanding of reality. I mean, if physical matter, if the physical world is all there is, then I don't know how you can accept these cases and believe in them. But I think there are good reasons to think that consciousness could be considered a separate entity from physical reality. And in fact, some leading scientists in the past, like Max Planck, who's the father of quantum theory, said that he viewed consciousness as fundamental and that matter was derived from it. So, in that case, it would mean that consciousness would not necessarily be dependent on a physical brain in order to survive and could continue after the physical brain and after the body dies. In these cases, it seems, at least on the face of it, that a consciousness has then become attached to a new brain and has shown up as past life memories.

However, the doyen of research into reincarnation was Ian Stevenson. I first came across his name on one of the message boards, maybe this one but I did a quick search and couldn't locate it here. I read up about him at the time and have seen him mentioned elsewhere. I did a search engine enquiry to refresh my mind and this obit. in Britain's Daily Telegraph is probably as good as any. I hasten to add I haven't read any of his books or publications, neither had I heard of Jim Tucker until Rich's post, and, despite some compelling accounts, I would consider myself an agnostic as far as belief in reincarnation's concerned. Here is an interesting quote from that obit. I have linked to. . .

The fact that his work received little or no recognition from the scientific community seemed only to reinforce his belief in its inherent conservatism: "It's been said that there's nothing so troublesome as a new idea, and I think that's particularly true in science." His greatest frustration, he maintained, was not that people dismissed his theories, but that so few bothered even to read the evidence he had so painstakingly assembled.

And a lovely wry sense of humour shines through here. . .

Stevenson regarded the prospect of his own passing with equanimity, maintaining that he was "apprehensive" but not scared of death. "I have a feeling I'm going to be confronted with memories, some of which I won't like, and would like to expunge. But I do wonder, what parents could possibly want me as a baby?"

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituar ... enson.html

[windwalker]

I do know of one farang who is a confirmed believer in Reincarnation and claims to have been reincarnated several times. But then he also believes in UFOs, alien abductions, Bigfoot and all other such type nonsense.

[Bob]

Maybe Yogi Berra had it right when he said: "It's deja vu all over again!"

Reincarnation? Come on, another fairy tale invented to help people cope with the fact they are going to die and no longer exist. But, I suppose, it's somewhat of an environmentally friendly fairy tale since it's all about the ultimate recycling....

[Gaybutton]

"I believe that when you die your soul goes to a Chinese restaurant in Pittsburgh."
- George Carlin

[RichLB]

I'm always befuddled when we humans operate as if the range of our knowledge envelopes all the known universe. It is particularly perplexing when presented with incidents which contradict our beliefs some, rather than providing counter-arguments or explanations, resort to dismissing those with a more open mind. Personally, I am not a believer in reincarnation, but accounts of those with validated memories of past lives leaves me searching for some kind of answer. Just as accepting weather balloons (and other such absurdities) as an explanation for UFOs, positing that past life memories are the result of early childhood memory retention seems more ridiculous than reincarnation, itself.

[windwalker]

Rich, it is difficult to provide rational answers to absurdities. Can you disprove the Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, ghosts, devils, angels, and on and on?

[Bob]

I'm always befuddled when we humans operate as if the range of our knowledge enveloped all the known universe.

Sorry for your state of befuddlement (presuming that's even a word) but suggesting something might be true because somebody else believes it is just a bit goofy to me. We know from history that humans have the habit of making up really silly explanations for things we don't understand or things we want/need to believe so we ought to be somewhat careful in not believing something without at least some reasonable evidence to support it. I recall the minister last year that declared the world would end in May (and then again in September) and at least several hundred people believed that (however, I'm hopeful we all now know that his prediction was slightly less than accurate).

If you have any evidence about the reality of reincarnation that a reasonably objective person might believe, spit it out! If not, you might as well ask if anybody believes in Cinderella.

[RichLB]

If you have any evidence about the reality of reincarnation that a reasonably objective person might believe, spit it out! If not, you might as well ask if anybody believes in Cinderella.

I reiterate, I am not a believer in reincarnation. But, I do have questions about how so many people are able to recall events from a past they have never experienced in their current life. A few isolated anecdotes are easy to dismiss, but research has presented hundreds (if not more) such cases. In many cases investigators have been unable to find any contaminating influences. These incidents include knowledge of a language they have never heard before, ability to draw maps of places they have never been, recognition of people and their history whom they have never met, and so on. Those experiencing these phenomena insist the explanation is reincarnation. While it is more comfortable to ignore these claims or cloud them with humorous put downs, I'd really like to hear some explanations.

[Gaybutton]

research has presented hundreds (if not more) such cases.

Research? What kind of research? I'm picturing a career day at school. "My dad is a lawyer." "My dad is a fire fighter." "My dad is a doctor." "My dad finds people who say dead guys come back to life."

Crackpots researching crackpots . . .