Topics Science

Question Is there a way to prove reincarnation? Has the possibility been explored?

Accepted:
November 9, 2005

Comments

There are many philosopher who take themselves to have demonstrated the reality of rebirth (Dharmakirti most notably) or reincarnation (Sankara). But in my view the arguments are pretty poor. They typically appeal to putative memories, or to the alleged impossibility of a physical basis of consciousness or mind. Neither route has much going for it.

(1) Only mathematicians and logicians are in the business of proving anything, and I don't think reincarnation is a hot topic for them.

(2)Scientists offer evidence for their claims, making them more or lessreasonable to believe. But before that can be done, one has to make theclaim quite clear and, ideally, quantifiable. It's hard to offerevidence for or against a claim whose content is rather obscure. I saythis because when people talk to me about rebirth or about souls'moving from one body to another, I don't really understand them. I get confused enough when I think about the relation of my mind to my body!

Question Is there a way to prove reincarnation? Has the possibility been explored? Accepted:November 9, 2005

Question Is there a way to prove reincarnation? Has the possibility been explored?

Accepted:
November 9, 2005