Reincarnation is the belief that a soul or stream of consciousness is born again in a new body after death. It is central to Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, and about one in four Americans say they believe in it. This guide covers the traditions, the research, the cautions about past-life regression and how to live with the question.
Key Takeaways
- The Sanskrit word punarjanma means “birth again.”
- Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism teach rebirth; mainstream Christianity does not.
- Ian Stevenson documented about 2,500 child cases; critics are not convinced.
- Hypnosis can create vivid false memories, so approach regression carefully.
- A 2009 Pew survey found 24 percent of Americans believe in it.
In This Guide
- What Is Reincarnation?
- Reincarnation Across Traditions
- Reincarnation and Karma
- What the Research Says
- Past-Life Regression: Cautions
- Signs People Say Point to Past Lives
- How Many People Believe in Reincarnation?
- Reincarnation, Near-Death Experiences and the Akashic Records
- Living With the Question
- Tibetan Buddhism and the Search for Reborn Teachers
- Reincarnation in Ancient Greece
- Common Questions and Objections
- If a Child Talks About Another Life
- A Life-Review Reflection
- Reincarnation in the Bible: What Mystics Point To
- The Bardo: A Tibetan Map Between Lives
- Channeled and Visionary Teachings on Reincarnation
- What Researchers and Scholars Have Found
- Books on Reincarnation and Past Lives
- Watch and Listen on Next Level Soul TV
- Where to Go Next
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Reincarnation?
Reincarnation is the belief that a soul or stream of consciousness is born again in a new body after death, sometimes many times. The Sanskrit word is punarjanma, “birth again.” In some traditions the cycle continues until the soul reaches liberation. In others it is a path of learning and growth. It is a belief and a spiritual teaching, and it has not been proven by science.
Reincarnation Across Traditions
| Tradition | View | Key Term |
|---|---|---|
| Hinduism | The soul (atman) takes new bodies until liberation | Samsara, moksha |
| Buddhism | No fixed soul moves on; rebirth continues cause and effect | Rebirth, nirvana |
| Jainism | The soul is bound by karma and reborn until freed | Karma, moksha |
| Ancient Greece | Pythagoras and Plato taught the soul returns | Metempsychosis |
| Kabbalah | Souls may return to complete their tasks | Gilgul |
| Many modern spiritual paths | Souls grow across lifetimes and choose lessons | Soul growth |
Christianity has no official doctrine of reincarnation. Origen (3rd century) taught that souls pre-exist, an idea condemned by later church councils, and some Christian mystics have been open to rebirth. See our guide to the lost years of Jesus for the debate over what early Christians believed.
Reincarnation and Karma
In Eastern teaching, karma and reincarnation work together. Actions and intentions shape what happens next, including future births. Read our guide to karma for the types and common myths. Many modern teachers emphasize that karma is a path of learning, not punishment.
What the Research Says
The best-known research is by the psychiatrist Ian Stevenson (1918 to 2007) of the University of Virginia. Over four decades he and his colleagues documented roughly 2,500 cases of young children, mostly in Asia, who reported memories of a previous life. His work is summarized in Twenty Cases Suggestive of Reincarnation (1966) and Reincarnation and Biology (1997), which explores birthmarks linked to past-life wounds. His successor Jim Tucker continued the work in Life Before Life (2005) and Return to Life (2013), including the American case of James Leininger.
Critics, such as the philosopher Paul Edwards in Reincarnation: A Critical Examination (1996), point to problems. Families may share information with the child, the cases cluster in cultures that already believe in rebirth, interviews are often held after the story has been repeated, and memory is easily shaped. Most scientists remain unconvinced. A fair summary: the cases are intriguing and carefully recorded, and they are not accepted as proof.
Past-Life Regression: Cautions
Past-life regression uses hypnosis or deep relaxation to explore what feel like memories of other lives. Brian Weiss’s Many Lives, Many Masters (1988) made it famous, and Michael Newton’s Journey of Souls (1994) explored the time between lives. Memory researchers, including Elizabeth Loftus, have shown that hypnosis can produce vivid but false memories, and that stories can come from books, films and imagination (a process called cryptomnesia). Many people find regression emotionally meaningful regardless. If you try it, choose a trained, licensed practitioner and treat the content as symbolic until you have reason to think otherwise.
Signs People Say Point to Past Lives
| Sign | What People Describe | A Grounded Note |
|---|---|---|
| Deja vu | A strong sense of having been somewhere before | Common and also explained by memory processes |
| Unusual childhood fears or skills | A child fears something never experienced or shows early talent | Could be temperament or learning |
| Birthmarks | Marks matching a past-life wound | Stevenson documented cases; evidence is debated |
| Vivid dreams | Recurring scenes from another time | Dreams draw on stored images |
| Instant connection | Feeling you knew someone before | Can reflect similarity or attachment |
Treat these as questions to explore, not conclusions.
How Many People Believe in Reincarnation?
Belief is more common than many expect. A 2009 Pew Research survey found that about 24 percent of Americans said they believe in reincarnation, including many who identify as Christian. In India and across Asia, belief is much higher, rooted in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain teachings.
Reincarnation, Near-Death Experiences and the Akashic Records
Some near-death experiencers say they saw a life review or felt they could choose to return, and some describe past-life themes, although many do not. Read our complete guide to near-death experiences. The esoteric idea of the Akashic Records holds that each soul’s lifetimes are recorded in a universal archive, also a matter of belief.
Living With the Question
You do not need to settle the question to benefit from it. Many people find that holding the idea of many lives gently makes them more patient, more forgiving and more focused on growth. Others prefer to treat this life as the only one and live it fully. A simple practice: write down what you would want to have learned by the end of this life, and take one step toward it this week.
Tibetan Buddhism and the Search for Reborn Teachers
In Tibetan Buddhism, high teachers are recognized as reborn leaders, called tulkus. The tradition goes back to the 13th century. The current Dalai Lama, born in 1935 as Lhamo Thondup, was identified as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama at around age two, after search parties tested him with objects belonging to his predecessor. Whether you accept the idea or not, it shows how central rebirth is to the culture.
Reincarnation in Ancient Greece
In the Republic (Book 10), Plato tells the Myth of Er, a soldier who returns from the afterlife and describes souls choosing their next lives from a set of options before drinking from the River of Forgetfulness. Pythagoras was said to remember earlier lives, and the Orphic mystery cults taught a cycle of birth and death. These ideas shaped later Western esoteric thought.
Common Questions and Objections
| Question | Common Answers |
|---|---|
| Why don’t we remember? | Traditions say forgetting is part of the cycle; skeptics say there is nothing to remember |
| Does population growth disprove it? | Supporters say new souls or other realms may be involved; skeptics see a problem |
| Can animals be reborn as humans? | Hindu and Buddhist teaching says yes; other views differ |
| Is it compatible with Christianity? | Mainstream churches say no; some Christians are open to it |
If a Child Talks About Another Life
Some parents report that a young child says things like “when I was big before.” Researchers recommend gentle curiosity. Write down exactly what the child says and when, avoid leading questions, and do not push. Most children stop around age six or seven. If a child seems distressed, speak to a pediatrician.
A Life-Review Reflection
- Sit quietly and take three breaths.
- Recall your day from morning to evening.
- Notice moments of kindness and moments you would redo.
- Ask what you would want to learn from them.
- Close with a simple intention for tomorrow.
Many traditions teach a version of this as a nightly practice.
Reincarnation in the Bible: What Mystics Point To
Mainstream churches do not teach reincarnation, but some mystics read hints of it in scripture. Three passages come up most often.
| Passage | What It Says | Mystical Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Matthew 17:10 to 13 | Jesus says “Elias is come already” and the disciples understand he means John the Baptist | John was Elijah returned |
| John 9:2 | The disciples ask whether a man was born blind because he or his parents sinned | The question assumes a prior life |
| Matthew 16:13 to 14 | People say Jesus is John the Baptist, Elijah or Jeremiah | Rebirth was a familiar idea |
Critics reply that the first passage is about the prophetic role of Elijah, that the second reflects a belief that a child might sin in the womb, and that the third is popular speculation. Origen taught the pre-existence of souls in the 3rd century, and the idea was condemned later. Read the full story in our guide to the lost years of Jesus.
The Bardo: A Tibetan Map Between Lives
The Bardo Thodol, known in the West as the Tibetan Book of the Dead, is a guide for the dying and the dead. It is traditionally attributed to Padmasambhava and was revealed as a hidden treasure (terma) by Karma Lingpa in the 14th century. W. Y. Evans-Wentz published the first English edition in 1927. It describes intermediate states (bardos) after death over a period traditionally given as 49 days, in which the consciousness meets lights and visions and may recognize them as its own mind or be drawn into a new birth. Readers of the dying are asked to speak calmly and remind them to stay awake to what appears.
Channeled and Visionary Teachings on Reincarnation
| Source | When | What It Teaches |
|---|---|---|
| Helena Blavatsky and Theosophy | 1870s to 1890s | Souls reincarnate over many lives under the law of karma |
| Rudolf Steiner, Reincarnation and Karma | 1912 | Each life shapes the next; karma guides growth |
| Edgar Cayce | 1920s to 1945 | Gave roughly 2,500 “life readings” describing past lives |
| Paramahansa Yogananda, Autobiography of a Yogi | 1946 | Describes reincarnation and the astral world |
| Seth (Jane Roberts) | 1970s | Time is simultaneous; past and future lives exist now |
| Dolores Cannon, Between Death and Life | 1993 | Hypnosis sessions on the time between lives |
| Michael Newton, Journey of Souls | 1994 | Case studies of “life between lives” |
| Dowling, The Aquarian Gospel | 1908 | Includes teachings on rebirth attributed to Jesus |
These sources agree on the main idea that the soul grows over time. They differ on the details. Hear one view of how the Seth material treats time and lives in our episode with David Cielak.
What Researchers and Scholars Have Found
| Researcher | Work | Contribution |
|---|---|---|
| Ian Stevenson | Twenty Cases Suggestive of Reincarnation (1966) | Founded the systematic study of children’s past-life reports |
| Jim B. Tucker | Life Before Life (2005) | Continued the work at the University of Virginia |
| Satwant Pasricha | Indian parapsychologist | Studied many cases in India |
| Erlendur Haraldsson | Icelandic psychologist | Studied cases in Sri Lanka and Lebanon |
| Paul Edwards | Reincarnation: A Critical Examination (1996) | The leading philosophical critique |
| Elizabeth Loftus | Memory research | Showed memories can be implanted and distorted |
Books on Reincarnation and Past Lives
- Many Lives, Many Masters by Brian Weiss. A psychiatrist’s account of past-life regression.
- Journey of Souls by Michael Newton. Case studies of life between lives.
- Life Before Life by Jim Tucker. Research on children who recall past lives.
- Return to Life by Jim Tucker. The James Leininger case and more.
- Reincarnation: A Critical Examination by Paul Edwards. The skeptical case.
- The Tibetan Book of the Dead by Gyurme Dorje (translator). The Tibetan guide to death and rebirth.
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Watch and Listen on Next Level Soul TV
These titles from the Next Level Soul TV catalog go deeper into this topic.
- Reincarnation and the Law of Karma. Audiobook on NLS TV.
- Theosophy. Audiobook on NLS TV.
- Past Lives, Soul Origins, & In-Between Lives with Dr. Linda Backman. Episode.
- The Shocking Truth About Past Lives & Soul Contracts with Toni Reilly. Episode.
- Atheist Turned Past Life Psychic with Ainslie MacLeod. Episode.
- How Karma and Past Lives Shape Parallel Realities with Gaia Chinniah. Episode.
- Truth About Reincarnation & Afterlife with Grandmaster Wolf. Episode.
- Past Life Regression Saved My Life with Michael Hoffmann. Episode.
- The Between. Audio course.
- 700+ Past Life Regressions with Joanne Dimaggio. Episode.
Where to Go Next
- What is karma?
- The Akashic Records
- Near-death experiences
- Soul groups and soulmates
- What is consciousness?
- Go deeper with Next Level Soul Mastery, our collection of in-depth courses.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Reincarnation?
The belief that a soul or stream of consciousness is born again in a new body after death. The word for it in Sanskrit is punarjanma.
Is Reincarnation Real?
It is a spiritual belief, not a scientifically proven fact. Some research on children who report past lives is intriguing, but most scientists do not accept it as proof.
Which Religions Believe in Reincarnation?
Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism teach rebirth. Some Jewish Kabbalists teach gilgul, and ancient Greek thinkers such as Pythagoras and Plato taught it. Mainstream Christianity does not.
What Is the Difference Between Reincarnation and Rebirth?
Reincarnation usually implies a soul moving into a new body. Buddhist rebirth teaches that a stream of causes and effects continues without a permanent soul.
What Did Ian Stevenson Find?
Stevenson documented about 2,500 cases of children reporting past-life memories. He argued some cases were suggestive of reincarnation, while critics point to cultural influence and weak verification.
What Is Past-Life Regression?
A hypnosis or relaxation technique used to explore what feel like memories of past lives. Memory research shows hypnosis can create vivid false memories, so treat results as symbolic.
How Is Reincarnation Connected to Karma?
In Eastern thought, karma is the cause and effect of intentional action, and it shapes future births. See our guide to karma.
How Many Americans Believe in Reincarnation?
A 2009 Pew Research survey found about 24 percent.
