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Twenty Cases Suggestive of Reincarnation
... in the 1930s by a government committee concerned with Shanti Devi (Gupta et al., 1936). Later, P. Pal (1961Pal ( -1962 reported the Indian case of Sukla, reinvestigated by Stevenson in 1961 and included in Twenty Cases Suggestive of Reincarnation (Stevenson, 1966(Stevenson, , 1974. ...
... Unverified, although plausible. Stevenson (1966Stevenson ( , 1974, recorded Aug. 1961 ...
... Besides promising to speak to the father, the intermediary addressed a letter to Ariyapala and, armed with this letter, Nissanka paid another visit to Gnanathilaka. The intermediary's missive proved insufficient; Ariyapala would not allow them to interview Additional statements reported by Stevenson (1974), recorded Nov. 1970 S94 ...
This paper analyzes one of the first reincarnation cases Ian Stevenson studied, in 1961, and reported in Twenty Cases Suggestive of Reincarnation. The case of Gnanathilaka Baddevithana had previously been investigated by H. S. S. Nissanka, who kept records of his interviews in writing or on tape, making this one of fewer than three dozen published cases with records produced before past-life memories were verified. Unfortunately, because the book Nissanka wrote about the case was published only in Sri Lanka, and not translated until 2001, his investigation is little known. Because Nissanka’s and Stevenson’s investigations were conducted independently, by comparing their reports, one can evaluate to what extent Stevenson’s oft-criticized practices of spending only a few days in the field and working through interpreters impacted his presentation and conclusions. These practices are shown to have led Stevenson to miss considerable detail but to have had no effect on his evaluation of Gnanathilaka’s case. This suggests that criticisms of Stevenson’s methods are misguided and that, if anything, some of the cases he reported may be phenomenologically richer and evidentially stronger than he presented them as being, rather than the reverse.
... The main investigated variables included past-life claims, birthmarks or congenital abnormalities allegedly corresponding to a fatal wound in a past life [12,13,14], phobias [15], gender non-conformity [16], skills not learned [17], and memories expressed during play [18]. Most studies followed a methodological approach previously developed by Stevenson [5,8,19,20], and children's past-life claims showed similar patterns in different cultures across the world, such as Lebanon [21], Sri Lanka [22], India [11], USA [23,24], Africa [25], Brazil [20,26,27,28], Japan [29,30], Europe [31], and native peoples in North America [32,33]. In all investigated cultures, most of the cases involved male children; the claims started spontaneously as soon as children were able to speak, faded gradually until completely stopping at about five to eight years of age, and were, in the majority of cases, associated with violent deaths [6]. ...
... The main investigated variables included past-life claims, birthmarks or congenital abnormalities allegedly corresponding to a fatal wound in a past life [12,13,14], phobias [15], gender non-conformity [16], skills not learned [17], and memories expressed during play [18]. Most studies followed a methodological approach previously developed by Stevenson [5,8,19,20], and children's past-life claims showed similar patterns in different cultures across the world, such as Lebanon [21], Sri Lanka [22], India [11], USA [23,24], Africa [25], Brazil [20,26,27,28], Japan [29,30], Europe [31], and native peoples in North America [32,33]. In all investigated cultures, most of the cases involved male children; the claims started spontaneously as soon as children were able to speak, faded gradually until completely stopping at about five to eight years of age, and were, in the majority of cases, associated with violent deaths [6]. ...
... To illustrate and discuss the main features of children who claim memories of a previous life, we will report the case of a Brazilian child who claimed to be his granduncle who was murdered some decades before his birth. It will also add to the few studies that have been conducted in Brazilian territory [20,26,27,28], and we will analyze how much it fits the cross-cultural patterns of cases of the reincarnation type. ...
Objective
Academic investigation of thousands of children who claim past-life memories has been developed worldwide for five decades. However, despite the scientific and clinical significance of this substantial body of research, most clinicians and scientists are not aware of it. This study aims to report a case of a child who claimed memories that match his deceased granduncle's life and to perform a literature review of the main characteristics and implications of children's past-life claims.
Method
We investigated the case through interviews with the child and first-hand witnesses, and conducted a documental analysis to verify possible associations between the child's statements and facts from the deceased's life. We also performed a CT scan of the child's skull to verify possible associations between anatomical features and a fatal wound from the alleged previous life.
Results
The child presented most key features typical of such cases of claimed past-life memories. He made 13 statements about the previous life; nine were correct (e.g., the mode of death and a toy the granduncle had) and four were undetermined. The child demonstrated eight unusual behaviors that matched the previous personality´s habits, interests, and manners. The child has a birth defect (a rare occipital concavity) that is compatible with the firearm injury that caused the death of his uncle.
Conclusions
The characteristics of the reported case fit the cross-cultural patterns of children who claim past-life memories, and it has scientific and clinical implications that need to be better known and investigated.
... [ Nevertheless, Stevenson's report matches Nissanka's report, and he added further pieces of information. [69] The case can therefore be regarded as quite authentic. wishes to offer an informed opinion about CORT must possess a firm knowledge of the most important material, its context, and its details. ...
... His family obtained no material gain at all as a result of his claims. [12,69] Moreover, given that it is not easy, if possible at all, to induce memories of a bygone life by parental coaching in a toddler who will later identify with a previous personality and talk about this past life emotionally for years, it is obvious that this will be even more difficult in twins who live together. Take cases in which both twins speak of a previous life: Have they been trained together by their parents who must have taken pains to feed each child only with information belonging to one specific previous personality but not the other, carefully preventing any confusion? ...
... on the next page contains a list of 15 important before-cases. Subject remembered two past lives and sang songs in a language she had never learned[69,79] 12 Ajendra Singh Chauhan India 46 Case only solved when subject was 13; only minimal contact between families thereafter[80] ...
... For more than 50 years, researchers have studied the phenomenon of young children reporting purported past-life memories (PLMs). 1 The vast majority of this work was pioneered and carried out by psychiatrist Ian Stevenson, at the University of Virginia. Stevenson investigated more than one thousand cases and published numerous articles and books presenting detailed case studies and typical features of this phenomenon (Stevenson, 1974;Stevenson, 2001). Most of the early investigations were of Asian cases, in cultures with a prevalent belief in reincarnation, but such cases have been found everywhere researchers have looked. ...
... The phenomenon of children reporting purported memories of past lives has been investigated for decades by psychiatrists and other researchers, with a recent focus on American cases (Stevenson, 1974;Stevenson, 2001;. Most of this work has focused on investigating these experiences while they are occurring in childhood, but less research has been devoted to following up with these children in adulthood. ...
Introduction
Some children between ages 3 and 6 claim to have memories of purported past lives. Prior research has documented this phenomenon in detail, including typical features and how it can manifest in the child’s life. However, less is known about what happens to these children as they transition to adulthood and whether this childhood experience may impact their lives.
Methods
We conducted the first observational follow-up study of American adults (N = 23) who were originally interviewed as children regarding their claims of past-life memories. Using online surveys with validated self-report questionnaires and a phone interview, we assessed personality traits, subjective well-being, and the impact of these memories on various domains in their lives.
Results
Adults who reported apparent past-life memories as children seem to lead normal, productive lives and have high educational attainment compared to the general population. They exhibit moderate-to-high levels of spiritual well-being, and slightly elevated, but not pathological, dissociation and fantasy proneness, compared to unselected samples. Sixty-five percent endorsed some impact of the purported memories in their lives, with few reporting negative effects. Spearman’s correlation analysis showed that the degree of impact of this experience was positively associated with the trait of absorption.
Conclusion
This study offers a first glimpse into the lives of American individuals touched by this intriguing childhood experience.
... [Mt. 26:54] But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?" ...
... In the verse [Mt. 26:54] Jesus says whatever is written in the scripture must happen and even Jesus cannot control it. ...
This is a multidisciplinary research paper. (A) It does not talk about religions; its focus is only on the books of religions. The books of religions are treated as books of science and engineering. This is also not about giving lessons on Vedas or Bible to anyone. Therefore, in addition to scholars of social science, it also addresses to physical science and engineering scholars. All interpretations and explanations are kept at their possible minimum to avoid any confusion. (B) It is found that all the major ideas of Vedas, at least ten of them, are also present in the Bible. As an example, destiny in Vedas, considered as the highest-level law of the universe, is valid for all humans on earth, and the destiny can be found in the Bible also. Such similarities indicate that there was a time when Vedas were known all over the earth. (C) This discovery will give us a better understanding of the laws of nature; which are the only truths. More we know about the truth better will be the peace of mind for all of us, including all the nations. Truth is the most important factor, necessary for eternal global peace.
... [Mt. 26:54] But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?" ...
... In the verse [Mt. 26:54] Jesus says whatever is written in the scripture must happen and even Jesus cannot control it. ...
This is a multidisciplinary research paper. (A) It does not talk about religions; its focus is only on the books of religions. The books of religions are treated as books of science and engineering. This is also not about giving lessons on Vedas or Bible to anyone. Therefore, in addition to scholars of social science, it also addresses to physical science and engineering scholars. All interpretations and explanations are kept at their possible minimum to avoid any confusion. (B) It is found that all the major ideas of Vedas, at least ten of them, are also present in the Bible. As an example, destiny in Vedas, considered as the highest-level law of the universe, is valid for all humans on earth, and the destiny can be found in the Bible also. Such similarities indicate that there was a time when Vedas were known all over the earth. (C) This discovery will give us a better understanding of the laws of nature; which are the only truths. More we know about the truth better will be the peace of mind for all of us, including all the nations. Truth is the most important factor, necessary for eternal global peace. 1. Introduction Known to entire earth: We show that there is a need for this article. We observe the nature, and find some eye-opening events, concerning humans and their lives. These events are well described in the public literature and are freely available on the internet. We then find that such events are very thoroughly explained in the Vedas, and surprisingly, very briefly in the Bible also. This observation will convince us that there was a time when the Vedas were known all over the entire earth, and that the human experiences are similar for all time. Not just the earth, but universal: We will then generalize that these events are indeed the laws of nature and valid for the entire universe and for eternity. These laws therefore represent the unique, universal, and eternal truths. And nature intentionally creates such examples for us, and demonstrates to us, so that we can learn about the nature and our life. Such knowledge, when error free, eventually helps us to liberate from the pain and suffering in life by creating a higher quality mental and physical body [SK: 65]. As we have seen [Das, 2020a] that the truth is the only thing that can lead to the global peace. An example: Before we start, here is an example to give you a feeling of the things that will be presented in this article.
... Mediumship refers to claimed paranormal communication between a living agent and some discarnate entity via the mind and/or body of a living person (e.g., Braude, 2003;Gauld, 1983Gauld, , 2005Sudduth, 2016). CORTs refers to the investigations of young children who reported memories of ostensible previous lives (e.g., Stevenson, 1974Stevenson, , 1977cStevenson, , 1983Stevenson, , 1987Stevenson, , 2000aStevenson, , 2003Haraldsson, 2000aHaraldsson, , 2000bHaraldsson, , 2003Pasricha, 2006Pasricha, , 2008aPasricha, , 2008bTucker, 2005Tucker, , 2007Tucker, , 2013. Reincarnation proposes that some significant personality properties of a deceased individual may join another physical body upon surviving bodily death (e.g., Irwin & Watt, 2007;Matlock, 1990Matlock, , 2019Slavoutski [Merlin], 2012). ...
... (The LAP hypothesis can be robust if its explanatory power includes some psychological expounding component; Sudduth, 2016;cf. Ducasse, 1961;Hart, 1959;Lund, 2009;Stevenson, 1974). Similar to the concept proposed by , the robust LAP hypothesis accounts for more evidence, including impersonations with demonstrable skills. ...
The continued investigations of the paranormal facilitated the development of novel theories and methodologies. Psi functioning of the living and the deceased in survival phenomena suggested the living agent psi (LAP) and discarnate psi hypotheses, but neither has demonstrated sufficient explanatory power to claim superiority in explaining survival data. Mediumship studies cannot determine whether paranormal information is sourced by means of discarnate psi or LAP, presenting the source-of-psi problem. Anomalous information can be obtained from joint sources (LAP, survival, or some other source), which supports the multiple sources of psi (MSoP) hypothesis. The maximized explanatory potential of the MSoP hypothesis makes the inclusion of the LAP and discarnate psi factors in the calculation of a Drake-S equation for post-mortem survival required and appropriate. This paper concludes that 1) the aggregate effect of skeptical explanations for survival was calculated at 65.6%, leaving 35.4% to paranormal explanations, which contradicts skeptical claims and is inconsistent with the existing laws of conventional science; 2) 16% of paranormal experiences reported among the general population appeared genuine; and 3) the calculated purified probability for all paranormal phenomena equaling 40% can be attributed to paranormal causes. This suggests reasonable plausibility of the survival hypothesis. To refine the existing factors and find new empirical factors related to known confounds and anomalous effects, future research should include more robust procedures and methods of data selection, gathering, and analysis.
... Thinkers and scholars who argued in favour of reincarnation include ancient personalities and scholars such as Pythagoras, Socrates, Plato, Empedocles, Plotinus and laterday scholars like Stevenson (1974), Currie (1978), Weiss (1988Weiss ( , 2004, Onwubiko (1991), Ezekwugo (1992), Ikenga-Metuh (1999), Clare and Spadaro (2001), Almeder (2001) and Di Muzio (2013), etc. Pythagoras advanced a transmigration version of reincarnation, seeing that in his view, the occupant soul, upon the death of a body, departs and informs another human or animal body for another cycle of existence (cf. Heinrik 2014). ...
... In a related development, in one of his works on reincarnation, Stevenson (1974) forcefully defended the reality of reincarnation. Following the two cases, he examined concerning children who manifested memories of the past, Stevenson came to the conclusion that reincarnation is real. ...
Reincarnation is a death-specific and forward-looking philosophico-religious phenomenon that
enjoys a cross-cultural appeal. It represents the theory that when the soul separates from the
body at death, it informs another body for another round of earthly life. The debate on
reincarnation has, so far, revolved around the reality or otherwise of reincarnation and the
associated claims. In this article, we undertake a holistic and critical examination and appraisal
of the key arguments underlying the reincarnation debate, with emphasis on the nature and
structure of reincarnation, as well as the value of reincarnation belief. The aim is to determine
who gets what among the contending parties. Although oral interviews were involved in the
exercise, textual and doctrinal analysis of extant literatures on reincarnation formed the
predominant source of data for the research. Our finding reveals that although the phenomenon
of reincarnation is bedeviled by internal contradictions and belief in it hardly justifiable, belief in
it has some positive values, including coping and unifying values that could be harnessed for the
well-being of people and society. These observed values of reincarnation and the attendant belief
in it, the article concludes, do not constitute a conclusive proof of the reality of reincarnation.
Keywords: reincarnation; death-specific belief; after-life; death; transmigration; metempsychosis.
... Thinkers and scholars who argued in favour of reincarnation include ancient personalities and scholars such as Pythagoras, Socrates, Plato, Empedocles, Plotinus and laterday scholars like Stevenson (1974), Currie (1978), Weiss (1988Weiss ( , 2004, Onwubiko (1991), Ezekwugo (1992), Ikenga-Metuh (1999), Clare and Spadaro (2001), Almeder (2001) and Di Muzio (2013), etc. Pythagoras advanced a transmigration version of reincarnation, seeing that in his view, the occupant soul, upon the death of a body, departs and informs another human or animal body for another cycle of existence (cf. Heinrik 2014). ...
... In a related development, in one of his works on reincarnation, Stevenson (1974) forcefully defended the reality of reincarnation. Following the two cases, he examined concerning children who manifested memories of the past, Stevenson came to the conclusion that reincarnation is real. ...
Reincarnation is a death-specific and forward-looking philosophico-religious phenomenon that enjoys a cross-cultural appeal. It represents the theory that when the soul separates from the body at death, it informs another body for another round of earthly life. The debate on reincarnation has, so far, revolved around the reality or otherwise of reincarnation and the associated claims. In this article, we undertake a holistic and critical examination and appraisal of the key arguments underlying the reincarnation debate, with emphasis on the nature and structure of reincarnation, as well as the value of reincarnation belief. The aim is to determine who gets what among the contending parties. Although oral interviews were involved in the exercise, textual and doctrinal analysis of extant literatures on reincarnation formed the predominant source of data for the research. Our finding reveals that although the phenomenon of reincarnation is bedeviled by internal contradictions and belief in it hardly justifiable, belief in it has some positive values, including coping and unifying values that could be harnessed for the well-being of people and society. These observed values of reincarnation and the attendant belief in it, the article concludes, do not constitute a conclusive proof of the reality of reincarnation. Contribution: The contributive value of this paper lies in bringing to the fore the fact that contrary to popular assumption, the notion of belief is in reality, epistemically more powerful than knowledge, at least in the context of religion. Considering that HTS Theological Studies focuses on religious issues and that ‘belief’ and ‘knowledge’ are religious concepts, we consider this paper to be suitable to its objectives.
... Una prueba indirecta de su coherencia sería la verificación de casos de reencarnación o transmigración. Pero, mientras que hay muchas personas que pretenden recordar vidas previas humanas (cf.Stevenson, 1980), apenas las hay de recuerdos de vidas anteriores en forma de animal. La tradición nos dice que Buda fue diversos animales en sus vidas previas (relatadas en Jataka), pero eso pertenece plausiblemente más a la leyenda que a la historia. ...
El sufrimiento de los animales constituye el mayor escollo para la teodicea. Ni la defensa de los bienes de orden superior ni el recurso a la escatología, justificaciones estándar para el sufrimiento humano, sirven aquí. El teísmo necesita una reforma profunda que explore nuevas vías. Aquí examinamos las hipótesis de un cielo o paraíso para los animales y de la trasmigración de sus almas, junto con la cuestión ligada de la conciencia e ipseidad de los animales superiores. Tras rechazar las ideas de un cielo específico para los animales y de que los animales sean almas humanas transmigradas expiando sus pecados, concluimos que los animales superiores son personas, y conjeturamos que, si poseyeran una esencia espiritual, una haecceitas, podrían madurar intelectual y moralmente a lo largo del proceso evolutivo a través de sucesivos organismos biológicos de complejidad creciente, hasta devenir racionales y dignos de alcanzar un estado celestial.
... Armando Favazza (1967) praised the case studies in Medical Opinion and Review but cautioned that they were not scientific because they were not laboratory-based. Jan Ehrenwald (1967), in the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, suggested the possibility of "doctrinal compliance," whereby psychiatrists of different persuasions elicit evidence to match their expectations. Donald West (1967), a British psychiatrist associated with the Society for Psychical Research, said in the British Journal of Psychiatry that "Dr. ...
Ian Stevenson was trained as a physician and, later, as a psychiatrist. He made significant contributions to biochemistry, psychosomatic medicine, and other areas before turning to parapsychology in mid-career. From the start of his involvement in parapsychology, Stevenson was interested in claims to remember previous lives. As his research with such claims progressed, he became convinced of reincarnation’s potential to shed light on unresolved problems in medicine. This paper describes the background and traces the development of Stevenson’s classic collection of case reports, Twenty Cases Suggestive of Reincarnation, whose first edition appeared in 1966. Stevenson expected his monograph to be recognized as making the important contribution he believed it did and thought that it would lead to public funding for further research on reincarnation. Sixty years on that has yet to happen, perhaps due to Stevenson’s emphasis on the proof-oriented aspects of the cases he reported, to the neglect of other issues that might have connected more easily with mainstream interests, and more directly countered criticisms of his research methodology.
... Khetu reported that his sister-in-law, Mana, had died a few years previously leaving behind a daughter named Minu. Several details given by Sukla of her previous life were later verified as accurate, and during a visit to Bhatpara, Sukla was able to identify the route to her previous life's home and recognize many members of her previous life's family including Mana's father-in-law, her daughter Minu, Mana's husband, her brothers-in-law Khetu and Karuna, and her stepmother-in-law (Stevenson, 1974). Again, this is just one of over 2500 similar cases (Tucker, 2007). ...
Science often advances only when a preferred theory is overturned by new evidence that cannot be explained within the existing theoretical perspective. This article explores material versus non-material theories of the mind within the context of research and logic. It questions aspects of the materialist model and emphasizes a research-based exploration of non-material views of mind, including a brief overview of Buddhist psychology. Questions are raised as to the accuracy of the materialist model and the author proposes that researchers consider all reasonable theories about the nature of the mind rather than holding a bias towards a primarily materialist view.
Link to article: https://jmb-online.com/pdf/05/JMB-45-1-2024-95.pdf
... Dr. Ian Stevenson berpendapat dari hasil penelitiaanya kasus reinkarnasi banyak terjadi pada anak-anak, dengan adanya tanda-tanda bawaan lahir seperti tahi lalat, kutil, bekas luka bacok, atau tertembak yang terkadang bisa muncul kembali. (M.D, 2008;Stevenson, 1980). ...
Panca Sradha merupakan kepercayaan bagi Umat Hindu yang harus tertanam kokoh didalam hati Umat Hindu demi mencapai tujuan hidup didunia, Reinkarnasi menurut ajaran Agama Hindu termasuk dalam keyakinan Panca Sradha, yang wajib diyakini oleh Umat Hindu, proses Reinkarnasi adalah fenomena unik dan abstrak yang memerlukan pengetahuan untuk memahaminya dan menelitinya. Banyak tokoh yang sudah berhasil meneliti proses reinkarnasi. Sesungguhnya reinkarnasi ada dan merupakan hasil perbuatan yang dilakukan semasa hidup didunia, jika seseorang berbuat baik semasa hidupnya maka ia terlahir kembali dengan wujud yang sama atau lebih baik sebalik jika seseorang berbuat kejahatan maka ia akan terlahir kembali dengan wujudnya lebih buruk dari sebelumnya hal ini sering disebut juga dengan karma. Reinkarnasi akan terus terjadi pada seseorang hingga roh tersebut mencapai titik sempurna dan kekal, tempat tersebut dikenal dengan moksa. Proses reinkarnasi banyak terjadi pada seseorang dengan terlahir kambali dengan wujud yang berbeda tetapi dalam atma/jiwa yang sama.
... The idea of the existence of a soul or spirit, however, is hard to ignore after looking at research done in reincarnation by Dr. Ian Stevenson and his successor Dr. Jim B. Tucker. Both researchers studied correlations between children's memories from a past life with deceased people's descriptions (Stevenson, 1974;Tucker, 2005;Tucker, 2014). Among their research subjects, two remarkable cases stand out. ...
The recent devastating pandemic has drastically reminded humanity of the importance of constant scientific and technological progress. A strong interdisciplinary dialogue between academic and industrial scientists of various specialties, entrepreneurs, managers and the public is paramount in triggering new breakthrough ideas which often emerge at the interface of disciplines. The following sections, compiled by a highly diverse group of authors, are summarizing recently achieved game-changing leaps in science and technology. The game-changers range from paradigm shifts in scientific theories to make impact over several decades to game-changers that have the potential to change our everyday lives tomorrow. The paper is an interdisciplinary dialogue of relevance for academic interdisciplinary thinkers, large corporations' strategic planners, and top executives alike; it provides a glimpse into what further breakthroughs the future may hold and thereby intends to spark new ideas with its readers.
... Sharma and Tucker (2004), analyzing 35 of Stevenson's Burmese reincarnation cases, identified three stages of the intermission experience: a transitional stage just after death, when the person may not realize they are dead, tries to communicate with loved ones and observes funerary preparations for the body, usually ending when the body is buried or cremated; a second stage of discarnate life that often seems to pass in a fixed location, discussed below; and a third stage of choosing the parents for a new life. Stevenson (1974) noted that the second intermission stage was fairly culturally conditioned, and indeed Matlock and Giesler-Petersen's (2016) analysis of 400 published reincarnation cases from seven Asian and five Western countries found that Asians tended to report spending the second stage in a terrestrial environment whereas Westerners tended to describe a heavenly otherworld. Both encountered the spirits of deceased loved ones and other humans as well as other spiritual entities, interpreted as the King of Death, deities and devas, or God, Jesus, and angels, respectively. ...
This article examines a second set of data produced in a thematic analysis of 68 “earliest memory” narratives submitted to an independent website to explore the question: what do people who claim to remember how they came into the world say about their experience prior to and including birth? Part 1 examined the first and largest subset of the data, narratives of an otherworldly existence consistent with Western reincarnation intermission stage 2 experiences, near-death experience accounts and mythic traditions. This article thematically analyzes descriptions of life in the womb, birth, and apparently veridical out-of-body and other paranormal impressions of events surrounding birth, congruent with pre- and peri-natal psychology, especially early trauma. Surfacing and resolving such early memories may have greater potential for healing than treating later life events.
... Laboratory studies have verified speech recognition in utero (Moon et al., 2010;Partanen et al., 2013). However, for most children, these pre-and peri-natal memories are lost to conscious recall with age (e.g., Solter, 2008;Bauer, 2008Bauer, , 2014Bauer, , 2015, in accordance with the infantile amnesia data and consistent with the fading of children's spontaneous recollection of past-lives with age (e.g., Stevenson, 1974Stevenson, , 1975Stevenson, , 1977aStevenson, , 1977bStevenson, , 1980Stevenson, , 1983aStevenson, , 1983bStevenson, , 1997aStevenson, , 1997bStevenson, , 2003. The preand peri-natal material can, however, be recovered using altered-state regression (e.g., Chamberlain, 1986Chamberlain, , 1988Chamberlain, , 1990Cheek, 1986Cheek, , 1992Kelsey, 1953;Maret, 2003;McCarty, 2004), including verbal records (e.g., Clark, 2015;Cozolino, 2010), often third-party verified. ...
... Vivekananda's argument that some people can gain knowledge of their past lives continues to be defended in new ways. Ian Stevenson (1966Stevenson ( , 1997Stevenson ( , 2003 and Jim Tucker (2005Tucker ( , 2013 have carefully investigated numerous cases of children in various countries like India and the US who claim to have spontaneous knowledge of a past life. 20 As Stevenson and Tucker acknowledge, the evidential value of these cases varies widely, but in the strongest cases, the child in question mentioned specific details about her or his past life which were later verified by others and which the child could not have learned by any normal means. ...
This article argues that Swami Vivekananda developed a distinctively Vedāntic form of virtue ethics that deserves a prominent place in contemporary philosophical discussions. After showing how Vivekananda motivated his own ethical standpoint through a critique of deontological and utilitarian ethics, the article outlines the main features of his Vedāntic virtue ethics and his arguments in support of it. The article then compares the differing approaches to the problem of moral luck adopted by Vivekananda and by the contemporary philosopher Michael Slote. By means of this comparison, the article identifies some of the potential philosophical advantages of Vivekananda’s Vedāntic virtue ethics over other ethical theories.
... The typical claims of children who recall past lives are challenging enough to the current understanding of the relationship between mind and brain, but these problematic cases introduce additional complications in their interpretation. Because of these inconsistencies, Stevenson (1966Stevenson ( , 2003, who initiated this line of research, never claimed that these cases were proof of reincarnation. Instead, he referred to them as "cases suggestive of reincarnation" and "cases of the reincarnation type." ...
... Numerous mystics, as well as many people who claim to have had near-death experiences, report having perceived spiritual beings in higher realms. 11 Regarding (a), Edwards was aware of the work of the psychiatrist Ian Stevenson (1966), who documented numerous cases of children who claimed to remember details from their previous life, many of which were subsequently verified. 12 However, Edwards argues that these cases do not constitute convincing evidence for the truth of rebirth. ...
This article outlines and defends an ‘Integral Advaitic’ theodicy that takes its bearings from the thought of three modern Indian mystics: Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda, and Sri Aurobindo. Their Integral Advaitic theodicy has two key dimensions: a doctrine of spiritual evolution and a panentheistic metaphysics. God has created this world as an arena for our moral and spiritual evolution in which evil and suffering are as necessary as good. The doctrine of spiritual evolution presupposes karma , rebirth, and universal salvation. The doctrines of karma and rebirth shift moral responsibility for evil from God to His creatures by explaining all instances of evil and suffering as the karmic consequence of their own past deeds, either in this life or in a previous life. The doctrine of universal salvation also has important theodical implications: the various finite evils of this life are outweighed by the infinite good of salvation that awaits us all. After outlining this Integral Advaitic theodicy, I address some of the main objections to it and then argue that it has a number of comparative advantages over John Hick's well-known ‘soul-making’ theodicy.
... A belief in life after death is also frequent in (7) mediumistic experiences which correspond to the alleged ability to communicate with the deceased (Taylor, 2005;Kamp et al., 2020;Elsaesser et al., 2021). In experiences of (8) reincarnation, the person, sometimes a child, experiment with, and believe in, past life memories (Stevenson, 1967;McNally, 2012); and (9) Mystical experiences can also be classified in this encounter category and correspond to an intense and global feeling of having "become one" with God or the universe. Finally, maybe the most surprising of these experiences are (10) the abductions, in which people are convinced that they have been abducted by aliens (Mack, 1994;Clancy et al., 2002). ...
In this paper, we propose a clinical approach to the counseling of distressing subjective paranormal experiences, usually referred to as anomalous or exceptional experiences in the academic field. These experiences are reported by a large part of the population, yet most mental health practitioners have not received a specific training in listening constructively to these experiences. This seems all the more problematic since nearly one person in two find it difficult to integrate such experiences, which can be associated with different forms of psychological suffering. After having described briefly several clinical approaches already developed in this area, we outline the main aspects of clinical practice with people reporting exceptional experiences, in particular the characteristics of the clinician’s attitude toward the narrative of unusual events. We then present the core components of a Psychodynamic Psychotherapy focused on Anomalous Experiences (PPAE) based on three main steps: phenomenological exploration, subjective inscription and subjective integration of the anomalous experience. Such an approach, based on a non-judgmental and open listening, favors the transformation of the ontological shock that often follows the anomalous experiences into a potential source of integration and psychological transformation.
... The systematic study of reincarnation was pioneered by Ian P. Stevenson (1918Stevenson ( -2007. Nearly half a century of study of over 2500 cases (1400 of which have the actual existence of the previous lives confirmed) led numerous researchers to the firm conclusion that reincarnation is real (Stevenson 1974(Stevenson , 1997(Stevenson , 2003Haraldsson and Matlock 2017;Kean 2017;Tucker 2021). Remarkable facts include: ...
The possibility of AI consciousness depends much on the correct answer to the mind–body problem: how our materialistic brain generates subjective consciousness? If a materialistic answer is valid, machine consciousness must be possible, at least in principle, though the actual instantiation of consciousness may still take a very long time. If a non-materialistic one (either mentalist or dualist) is valid, machine consciousness is much less likely, perhaps impossible, as some mental element may also be required. Some recent advances in neurology (despite the separation of the two hemispheres, our brain as a whole is still able to produce only one conscious agent; the negation of the absence of a free will, previously thought to be established by the Libet experiments) and many results of parapsychology (on medium communications, memories of past lives, near-death experiences) suggestive of survival after our biological death, strongly support the non-materialistic position and hence the much lower likelihood of AI consciousness. Instead of being concern about AI turning conscious and machine ethics, and trying to instantiate AI consciousness soon, we should perhaps focus more on making AI less costly and more useful to society.
... One should also bear in mind that reports exist of ordinary people claiming to have personal contact with the deceased (Haraldsson, 2012). In addition, there are studies of children who retain memories of a previous life (Stevenson, 1980), so-called cases-of-reincarnation-type (CORT). They all support the alternative view that consciousness survives death. ...
In March 1933, the Librarian and Editor of the Society for Psychical Research (SPR), Theodore Besterman, received a letter from his Greek colleague Dr Angelos Tanagras, requesting the participation of the SPR in an experiment he was preparing to test the survival of the soul beyond death. Tanagras posted the details of the experiment in a sealed envelope addressed to the Hon. Treasurer and Joint Hon. Secretary of the SPR, W. H. Salter, an acquaintance of his from the 1930 Athens Parapsychology Conference. He had included specific instructions for when to open his sealed package after his death.
Yet, the package remained locked up at the SPR for 36 years after the death of Tanagras, and 71 years after its submission, awaiting a signal from Greece. In April 2007, SPR officers opened the envelope containing the survival experiment of Tanagras to deposit its content at the Cam¬bridge University library archives. This article revisits the survival experiment of Tanagras to evaluate whether it had achieved its mission.
... He died in hospital H of town T on date D, due to a gunshot wound on his chest. Over time, the research scholars, news reporters, parents visited the hospital H and verified everything that the boy had said from the autopsy records of the man named N, who indeed died on the date D [Stevenson 1974]. ...
This article incorporates multidisciplinary contents from mathematics, physics, economics, engineering, history, Vedas, and Bible. All these subjects are also interdependent. This happens because all these subjects are supported by the same money, coming from the same single source, the central bank (CB). Thus global peace, or any phenomenon, cannot be understood from any single subject in isolation. We show that the money is the root cause for everything that happens on our earth.
Unfortunately there is no definition of truth in our modern societies. The principle that - you have your own truth and I have my own truth - is a false notion. And if this was true then Galileo would still be in jail today. If you read carefully then you will find that the following definition of truth is embedded in the pages of both Vedas and Bible: ‘(1) The laws of nature are the only truths. (2) These laws are created by the objects of nature and their characteristics. (3) Nature always demonstrates all its truths.’
You cannot have peace in your mind unless you know this truth. If you observe yourself or anyone carefully, you will find that all of us, knowingly or unknowingly, are always searching for this truth. For the same reason, a society, a nation, and the world will be in eternal peace only if they all know this truth. We show that the soul is the root cause of everything that happens in the universe, which includes the earth.
Such a truth can be implemented and maintained only when the moneyless economy (MLE) is created. MLE is the only economy that is based on the laws of nature. MLE also cannot be maintained without implementing the truth. Thus the truth, peace, and the MLE are synonyms. All problems of our earth, including threats of possible nuclear wars, will be solved almost overnight if you can implement MLE now. Only MLE can bring heaven on earth. If you understand the concept of root cause, then you immediately have the solution to all problems.
... We need to pay close attention to these core experiential phenomena, particularly where they appear to be linked to evidential data, whether from an apparent past life (Stevenson 1974;Tucker 2006;Haraldsson and Matlock 2016), a near-death experience, an out-of-body experience (Fenwick and Fenwick 1995;van Lommel 2007;Carter 2010;Moen 1997), or mediumistically transmitted information (Haraldsson 2015;Klimo 1987;Goforth and Gray 2009). While each event occurs in time in a particularly embodied encounter (or disembodied in some cases), and not in the abstract, it is also possible that these commonly recurring phenomena point to something beyond the individual or social body and convey information about the constitution of the world and our relation to it. ...
This essay explores the tension between the study of religion as an exercise in phenomenological bracketing on the one hand, and as engagement with a world of transpersonal forces on the other. I argue that certain experiences of encounters with spirits, non-human others, and with what are perceived as diving beings, have cross-cultural features that transcend specific cultural interpretations. One reason for their ubiquity could be their origin in direct human experience. The ontological force of anomalous and transpersonal experience has been debated by anthropologists for well over a century, gaining recent visibility via explorations in the anthropology of ontology.
... Haraldsson, 2012) and recollections of previous lives (e.g. Stevenson, 1974). Interestingly, in recent decades there has been some interest in death-related phenomena similar to those explored by Flammarion, and with a similar interest in favouring belief in survival of death (e.g. ...
There is a long conceptual tradition that interprets phenomena such as clairvoyance and apparitions as evidence for a spiritual component in human beings. Examples of this appear in the literatures of mesmerism, Spiritualism and psychical research. The purpose of this Classic Text is to present excerpts from a book by French astronomer Camille Flammarion touching on this perspective. They are selected from the introduction and conclusion of Flammarion’s L’Inconnu: The Unknown (1900), a translation of L’Inconnu et les problèmes psychiques (1900), in which he published and commented on cases of apparitions and other phenomena he collected. In his view, these phenomena showed the existence of the soul. Similar beliefs regarding ideas of the nonphysical nature of human beings and psychic phenomena have continued to the present.
... But there are scholars, e.g.,Stevenson 1980Stevenson , 2000Fontana 2005Fontana , 2009Story 2003;Tucker 2008;Thanissaro 2012;Bodhi 2010Bodhi , 2013, who try to argue for the truth of rebirth. ...
With the naturalist worldview having become widely accepted, the trend of naturalistic Buddhism has likewise become popular in both academic and religious circles. In this article, I preliminarily reflect on this naturalized approach to Buddhism in two main sections. In section 1, I point out that the Buddha rejects theistic beliefs that claim absolute power over our destiny, opting instead to encourage us to inquire intellectually and behave morally. The distinguishing characteristics of naturalism such as a humanistic approach, rational enquiry, empirical observation, as well as a pragmatic and realistic outlook can all be seen in the Buddha’s teachings. In section 2, however, I advance arguments to show that while the Buddha is opposed to theistic doctrines, his views are not entirely in accordance with the presuppositions of naturalism. Firstly, the Buddha’s foremost concern is not purely intellectual in nature—the purpose of his teachings is to realize a soteriological goal through spiritual practice. Secondly, naturalism tends to subscribe to ‘self-being,’ while the Buddha holds all things to exist conditionally and impermanently. Because of the dependent nature of all things, it is not possible to discover their essence through reduction. Thirdly, naturalized philosophy would be a kind of belief-habit that follows from certain preconditioned assumptions. But the Buddha encourages us to re-examine our conceptual proliferation leading to biased views, as that ultimately leads to suffering. I conclude by proposing a broader naturalist outlook that would allow for a more inclusive conception of the natural world that would take the axiological dimension of human transcendence into account and increase an overall understanding of human potentiality.
... Nas últimas décadas, muitas pessoas no Ocidente desenvolveram um grande interesse pela hipótese da reencarnação. Alguns investigadores universitários na área da psiquiatria, tais como Ian Stevenson [1] e Jim Tucker, têm pesquisado o tema da reencarnação e publicado artigos, em revistas científicas, sobre as memórias de vidas passadas de várias pessoas, bem como, escrito em livros, sobre este tema, tais como Twenty Cases of Reincarnation and Life Before Life. No entanto, alguns cientistas, como Carl Sagan, defendem que a investigação sobre a reencarnação precisa de um estudo mais profundo. ...
Nas religiões Ocidentais o conceito de «vida após a morte» tem sido relacionado com ressurreição e moralidade, enquanto que nas religiões Orientais o mesmo conceito tem sido interligado com reencarnação e karma. Este artigo pretende ser uma contribuição para o estudo mais profundo deste tema da «vida após a morte», através da abordagem de algumas experiências da mecânica quântica e das ciências cognitivas que apoiam as teorias religiosas da reencarnação e ressurreição, conceitos tão importantes para a filosofia da ética.
What happens after death? Reincarnation as a text continue where the Christian narrative ends. This essay deals with the issue of reincarnation in social media and popular culture in a new project. The subject involved expressed in blogs and popular books are mainly of modern character although the context and style of negotiation are postmodern. Death at present may be individualized according to Bauman (1992) but the need to discuss, recreate and rearticulate images about death and presumed after-life scenarios, is more collegial and interpreted as an ongoing intertextual and intercultural practice.
This paper embarks on a profound exploration of the nuanced mosaic crafted by the concepts of Karma and rebirth, unravelling their deep spiritual and philosophical threads. It begins by journeying into the ancient doctrines that have long shaped human understanding, drawing on rich narratives from scriptures and mythologies that breathe life into these timeless beliefs. Karma is meticulously examined, its essence defined and its various forms classified, while the soul's cyclical journey through rebirth is illuminated, revealing its profound significance in spiritual traditions. The paper then navigates the intricate web connecting Karma and reincarnation, uncovering the philosophical foundations that underpin these concepts, while also embracing modern perspectives that reimagine these ancient ideas in today's world. Moreover, it delves into how the wisdom of Karma and rebirth can light the path for students, offering them ethical and spiritual guidance that resonates both personally and academically. Through compelling case studies, including the pioneering research of Ian Stevenson and the evocative stories of past lives narrated by Dr. Brian Weiss, the paper offers a window into the empirical dimensions of rebirth, presenting evidence that supports the continuity of the soul's eternal journey. In its conclusion, the paper emphasises the enduring impact of the cycle of Karma and rebirth, demonstrating how these ancient teachings continue to shape our understanding of life, ethics, and the afterlife, seamlessly bridging the wisdom of the past with the insights of the present.
Despite its tremendous progress and continuously further emerging breakthroughs, science faces many unsolved questions. There are many areas that we do not yet understand, fields where human knowledge has not yet conquered, questions whose answer one day however we should have, whenever this day may come. At the same time, we must be aware that even more new questions will emerge that we do not even anticipate today. As Albert Einstein has put it, “As our circle of knowledge expands, so does the circumference of darkness surrounding it.” Science is constantly progressing, and we can be sure it will do so in the future and many new doors are waiting to be opened.
When the relation between Buddhism and contemporary natural science is discussed there is usually at least one elephant in the room: the Buddhist conception of rebirth. This appears to constitute a clear example of a situation where Buddhism asserts the existence of something that science considers to be simply not there. The reason for this is obvious. If we accept the widespread contemporary belief that the mind is what the brain does, or, somewhat more cautiously, that the human mind could do nothing without the human brain also doing something at the same time then the destruction of the human brain during and after the process of death must mean the cessation of the human mind. This paper will discuss a number of strategies for addressing this tension.
Part 1 of this paper presented a secure timeline for the James Leininger reincarnation case, showing Michael Sudduth’s criticisms of it to be unfounded. Part 2 begins with an analysis of the exchange in this journal between Sudduth and Jim Tucker over Tucker’s investigation, then recommends improvements that might be made in the investigation and reporting of reincarnation cases to address criticisms, overcome a will to disbelieve in the evidence, and reach scientists and scholars open to following the research findings where they lead. Proposals are grouped under three headings: Case Study Methodology, Reporting Standards, and Statistical Analysis.
In this chapter, the author sets out a unitive way of thinking about the relationship between spirituality, psychiatry and psychotherapy. An introduction to spirituality in mental health care is followed by a discussion of the meaning of ‘spirit’, ‘soul’ and ‘ego’ and how these terms may be understood with reference to ongoing developmental tasks. The poem I AM, written by the nineteenth-century poet John Clare, who suffered from enduring mental illness, is considered in depth from both psychoanalytic and Jungian approaches in order to illustrate different perspectives on Clare’s anguish and spiritual yearning. The evolution of transpersonal psychology, in which Jung’s concepts play an important part, is traced historically, with the increasing recognition of the value of spiritually orientated psychotherapy. The chapter concludes with several case studies by the author, illustrating how a range of soul-centred approaches can readily and helpfully engage with the spiritual reality of the patient.
Referencing the poem I AM by John Clare, who suffered from mental illness. Psychoanalytic and Jungian therapies are compared in order to illustrate different perspectives on Clare’s anguish and spiritual yearning. A brief history of the evolution of transpersonal theory and of spiritually oriented therapeutic approaches is provided, and the chapter concludes with case studies illustrating how soul-centred therapy can readily and helpfully engage with the spiritual reality of the patient.
There are infinite physical dimensions not just 3D, 4D, 5D, etc.
And a unitary or singular spiritual or Quantum dimension.
All material things living, non living in the physical dimension have a quantum or spiritual equivalent. So a human body has an energy or quantum body. A cloud or a river also has a quantum body.
The physical body or object exists in a particular physical dimension and the energy body exists in the quantum or spiritual dimension.
So there may be many versions of me in infinite physical dimensions all connected by a single energy body in the quantum dimension.
Ok now let's look at the atom. It's made of negatively charged electrons as free radicals surrounding a nucleus made up of positive charged protons and neutral charged neutrons. The nuclear bond is very strong and if broken releases enormous amount of energy. The electrons are not so strongly bonded in the atom.
So consider our soul like a Quantum particle with a neutral spin and requiring neutral energy to balance its vibration. Imparting positive energy raises vibrations and imparting negative energy lowers vibration.
The bond between positive and neutral energy is strong but negative energy is to be kept out of the energy body in the quantum state.
Every thought and action in the physical state raises energy in the quantum state.
Anger, hate, envy, and other negative thoughts, actions and emotions raise negative energy in the quantum state or energy body. This lowers the vibration of the soul.
Positive thoughts, actions and emotions raise positive energy in the quantum state or energy body raising the vibration of the soul.
Living a life with neutral thoughts, actions and emotions raise neutral energy in the quantum state or energy keeping the souls vibration in balance. This is what happens temporarily when we meditate in silence.
The soul as a quantum particle is not singular but like a drop in the ocean. Without the individual drops there is no ocean and without the expanse and energy of the ocean the individual drop is powerless.
When the soul is in vibrational balance as a result of the neutral state of the energy body, it is in sync with the ocean of souls which I call as the Superverse. Some may call it God or Higher power or Source.
When the soul is in sync with the Superverse, it can draw on its power and energy and can manifest changes in any or all of the physical dimensions depending on how much energy the soul can draw.
What we call as healing or reading or miracles are manifestations of this energy.
By being neutral in meditation (as opposed to mindful) a sentinel being (humans being the highest form) can draw in the neutral energy to feed its energy body and help its soul attain quantum balance and thus engage in the manifestations.
Now this is theory. To practice living a neutral life and then engaging in meditation with a neutral state of mind is not easy.
But after many years of practicing living in this state, I have achieved some limited success.
I have trained a few people in the past with some amazing results by them so it is not self delusion or self belief. And I have tested the principles both with living and non living.
This summarises in brief my modality and practice. If anyone wishes to join me in going deeper, you are welcome.
Let me begin by thanking Jim Tucker for offering his thoughts on my JSE paper on the James Leininger case (Sudduth 2021). I appreciate his clarifying his interpretation of several of the facts in the case, as well as his providing further context to some of them. I also appreciate his acknowledgement of Bruce Leininger’s authorship of the 2003 chronology which I uncovered in my investigation and made use of in my paper. That’s all helpful. For the rest, I wish I could say what St. Augustine said to Evodius when responding to the latter’s criticisms – “you have knocked vigorously.” Alas, I cannot say this about Tucker’s response.
My paper developed a number of different concerns about the evidential value of the James Leininger case (hereafter, JL case). The paper was lengthy and the scope of the material I presented was broad, often involving considerable detail regarding different aspects of the case. I realize this can make writing a concise and salient response a daunting task. To effectively navigate the landscape, therefore, it’s crucial to properly understand the structure and content of my arguments, as well as how I intend to leverage various facts in the service of specific lines of argument. One must not miss the forest (the argument) for the trees (particular facts). Or, in the words of St. Augustine, one must knock vigorously. Tucker has not.
Journal of Scientific Exploration Whole Issue PDF
In this article, I examine an ostensible case of the reincarnation type previously investigated and analyzed by Jim Tucker, M.D. of the University of Virginia. The case concerns James Leininger, a young boy who beginning around age two in 2000 and for several years thereafter began exhibiting behaviors and making claims that were later believed to resemble the life and death of World War II fighter pilot James Huston, Jr. The James Leininger story is widely regarded as a superior American case of reincarnation. After a two-year investigation of this case, I present my findings and their implications for the evaluation of this case as evidence for reincarnation.
The favorable assessment of the case is based on the assumption that there is a sufficiently robust and credible narrative of James Leininger’s experiences, behaviors, and claims. I will argue that the chronology of events which provide the factual scaffolding of this case is neither robust nor credible, especially with respect to what are presumed to be the case’s strongest features. The official narrative is not robust because it excludes salient contextual details related to James’s exposure to ordinary sources of information which plausibly shaped his experience. The narrative is not credible because the presumed facts of the case are based almost exclusively on the testimony of James Leininger’s parents, but their testimony suffers from a variety of significant credibility problems. These two defects – lack of narrative robustness and credibility – also vitiate Jim Tucker’s investigation and presentation. Consequently, his favorable assessment of this case as evidence for reincarnation is unwarranted.
This is an integrated, multidisciplinary, research and review paper. It embraces some core ideas from mathematics, physics, economics, and books of religions like Vedas and Bible. Claims described here are already proven in many different ways in the open peer reviewed published literature and are cited here. (1) Destiny law is based on the fact that all objects in the universe are simultaneously and continuously interactive with each other for eternity. On the other hand the Karma theory assumes that all humans are individually operating, independently, and in an isolated environment. (2) Therefore, Karma theory assumes the existence of freewill, choices, and God. It is shown that it is a law of nature that no one, including God, can have freewill and choices. It is also a law of nature that every object in the universe is created individually by its own individual soul and according to its own individual destiny. We point out an example. And therefore there is no God that created the entire universe. (3) Karma theory says that life is evolving as time passes. But the destiny law shows that every life is predetermined for eternity. The destiny is stored in the memory of the universe, and any seer yogi can read them. This memory, and therefore the destiny, is also eternally existent. (4) Thus destiny can be precisely predicted long before you are even born. God and destiny are therefore contradictory concepts. Destiny is not God, because destiny is exactly predictable. Karma theory therefore can violate the predictions of futures. (5) Since everybody together created the destiny law and all the events in the universe, therefore we are all equally responsible for everything that happens in the universe. Thus the concepts of good, bad, morality, responsibility, fatalism, etc., are meaningless. (6) Only destiny can stop your reincarnation, and only destiny can give you liberation; Karma theory cannot. (7) Karma theory came from Upanisads. We show that Upanisads cannot be considered as part of Vedas, and therefore cannot be trusted. Upanisads not only contradict Samkhya and Gita, they are self contradictory also. Upanisads are not written by seer yogis.
The purpose of this essay is to complicate the common Buddhist modernist claim that because Buddhism is, allegedly, atheistic and process-oriented in metaphysics and fundamentally empirical and critical in method, it is the most “evolution-friendly” of the major religions. Comparing Darwin’s theory with the metaphysics of Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, I investigate Darwinian and Buddhist views on the drama of sentient life, survival of the fittest, randomness, and the problem of human uniqueness. I find in each instance that while superficial similarities may be detected, at a deeper level the differences are profound, primarily because Darwinism posits a non-teleological, materially driven process in which randomness is a major factor, humanity differs from other species in degree but not kind, and mind matters hardly at all; while Buddhism posits a mentally-driven teleological process in which a human birth is rare and precious and causal predictability is a key to the attainment of the Buddhist telos, enlightenment. I conclude with a consideration of several Buddhist modernist attempts to reconcile Buddhism and evolutionary theory, finding little to indicate that these attempts can succeed without severely compromising the traditional perspectives and methods of one or the other system.
This is a multidisciplinary review-research paper, and its purpose is to introduce the concept of yogic power to the scientific communities. Yogic power has nothing to do with religions. There are advanced level yogis all over the world. The internet has a rich collection of literature on the subject. Once we read this paper carefully, we will understand that there is a vast science that we never knew that it exists even today.
We give an amazing example, first published by Professor Ian Stevenson, to illustrate how a human baby is manufactured inside mother's womb in a very specific engineering way like an advanced 3D printer. From this example we can conclude that every object in the universe, like our sun for example, is also manufactured in the similar way. Thus yogic power is not just the power of yoga exercise or yoga meditation, it is also the manufacturing and controlling power of our souls. We point out that this theory of creation is detailed in Vedas and is also summarized in Bible.
Therefore the yogic power is the strongest level power in the universe, and it is also the foundation of all knowledge about the universe. All the scientists in various fields like, physics, medicine, biology, evolution theory, social science, and even engineering, must understand this concept of yogic power as demonstrated by nature. These demonstrations and the corresponding analysis will show how we can improve our societies and life styles.
It is well known in the academic literature, and is described briefly in this paper, that all modern scientific theories are based on assumptions. Since assumptions are invalid for both nature and engineering, no results based on theoretical and experimental evidences therefore can provide any meaningful conclusions about nature. All engineering experiments will automatically reject all assumptions because engineering is a part of nature. Therefore we must observe the nature, the way as it is, just like Galileo did, to understand the laws of nature. We will give many examples of such observation in nature to illustrate the characteristics of yogic power. We will realize that the nature always demonstrates all its truths for us to find, observe, and learn about nature for our own individual emancipation.
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