Demystifying Reincarnation

Praise for the book

‘Having explored both the world of science and the world of spirituality, I always appreciate books that strive to bring together these two great streams of human thought. Chaitanya Charan’s Demystifying Reincarnation is one such book. The subject of reincarnation is indeed a mystery, because we can’t know what happens after death. Or can we? Scientific studies of near-death experiences and past life memories, as analyzed in this book, point persuasively towards a part of us that survives death. Readers will be surprised to know that this inference has been reiterated by many of the world’s most prominent thinkers throughout history. Chaitanya Charan’s demystification of reincarnation by drawing from the wisdom texts of ancient India such as the Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads is indeed intriguing and illuminating. Overall, Demystifying Reincarnation is an intellectually stimulating and spiritually uplifting book that will expand the readers’ conceptions of life and its meaning.’

–Padma Vibhushan Dr. Vijay Bhatkar,

Chancellor, Nalanda University

‘This may well be a major breakthrough work on reincarnation, and related subjects. Chaitanya Charan is known among writers and practitioners of Krishna-bhakti for his clear exposition, thorough analysis, and readable prose—this work is no exception. Demystifying Reincarnation, carefully studied, renders the mystery useless, like a snake without its teeth, and offers readers resolution for a problem long considered. I applaud Chaitanya Charan for this accessible and much-valued explanation of a dodgy subject. Well worth reading, even for those already well-versed in the existing literature on reincarnation.’

–Steven J. Rosen, author of The Reincarnation Controversy

and thirty books on spiritual topics, and founding editor of the Journal of Vaishnava Studies

‘The topic of reincarnation is indeed intriguing; are we actually eternal and beyond death? In this well-researched book, Chaitanya Charan addresses this topic from a variety of points of view. He offers evidence from scientific researchers, cites ancient wisdom texts as well as offers a historical survey of reincarnation in the classical traditions. He has written a fascinating book, which is not only historical or philosophical but spiritual as well, and is no doubt successful in demystifying this existential and complex issue. I found this book truly illuminating.’

–Dr. Ithamar Theodor, author of Exploring the

Bhagavad Gita; Philosophy, Structure and Meaning

‘Just as the discovery of something new is delightful, so is the rediscovery of the validity of something we have known. Demystifying Reincarnation offers such delightful confirmation of our gut feeling that we are meant for more than casual destruction at death. Those familiar with reincarnation will be enlivened to see such an array of evidence and reasoning marshalled in the service of this time-honoured concept. And those new to it will find in this soundly-reasoned book an irresistible invitation to the spiritual life they have been missing. Chaitanya Charan has rendered an invaluable service by authoring this insight-packed book about our core identity and ultimate destiny.’

–Hrishikesh Mafatlal, Chairman,

Arvind Mafatlal Group

‘I was convinced about the reality of reincarnation after having dealt with two of my pediatric patients who had elaborate memories of their past lives. I was looking for a scientific book on this subject, and Chaitanya Charan’s Demystifying Reincarnation fulfills that need very scientifically and with a critical eye. More such studies are required to make reincarnation acceptable in today’s world.’

–Dr. A. P. Sankhe, International President for Global Foundation for Ethics and Spiritual Health (GFESH); Director, Bhaktivedanta Hospital, Mumbai

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Copyright © 2017 Prakash Books India Pvt. Ltd.

Copyright Text © Chaitanya Charan

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise (except for mentions in reviews or edited excerpts in the media) without the written permission of the publisher.

ISBN: 978 93 86538 00 0

Processed & printed in India

Dedicated to

MY MANY SPIRITUAL MENTORS,

Who have expanded my conception of life

&

MY MANY FRIENDS,

Whose questions inspire me to keep seeking

better understanding of life’s timeless truths

CONTENTS

Introduction—A Telescope to See the World Within

Setting the Scene

CHAPTER ONE: PAST-LIFE MEMORIES—KNOWLEDGE FROM NORMAL SOURCES?

A Multi-Million Dollar Truth—the Sheikh Who Was a Hindu King

Hypnotically-Induced Past-Life Memories

A Case of Xenoglossy in an Extinct Language

Spontaneous Past-life Memories

The Case of the Pollock Twins

First Normal Explanation: Information by Normal Means

Case with Information Too Obscure to Be Known: James Leininger

Case with information too intimate to be known: Shanti Devi

To summarise

CHAPTER TWO: PAST-LIFE MEMORIES—GUESSWORK OR EXAGGERATION?

Second Normal Explanation:Information by Guesswork

Case with Information Too Specific to Be Guessed: Nazih Al-Danaf

Third Normal Explanation: Exaggeration

Case with Written Records Prior to Key Meeting: Ajendra Singh Chauhan

Case with Precise Recognitions under Multiple Supervision: Gnanatilleka

Birthmarks and Birth Defects

Case with Double Birthmarks: Titu Singh

Case with Rare Birthmark: Indika Ishwara

Case with Multiple Correlating Birthmarks: Necip Unlutaskiran

CHAPTER THREE: PAST-LIFE MEMORIES—FRAUD BY PARENTS OR INVESTIGATORS?

Fraud by Parents

1. No Validation of Personal Beliefs

2. No Monetary Benefits

3. No Fame or Prestige

4. The Practical Difficulty in Executing a Fraud

5. The Displeasing and Embarrassing Behaviours of the Children

Case with Embarrassing Behaviours: Ma Tin Aung Myo

Case with Displeasing Behaviour: A Muslim-to-Hindu Reincarnation

Fraud by Investigators

Critical and Cautious Research Standards

Vindication of Research Standards by a Neutral Third Party

Consistently Similar Findings of Multiple Researchers All Over the World

CHAPTER ONE–THREE: SUMMARISED AT A GLANCE:

CHAPTER FOUR: NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES

First Possible Explanation: Hallucinations?

Second Possible Explanation: Guesses Based On Prior General Knowledge?

Third Possible Explanation: Partial Consciousness?

Why Only Sights?

Sights Imagined Through Sounds?

Sights Imagined Through Touch?

Paranormal Perceptions?

How Can the Blind See?

Perceptions During Documented Unconsciousness?

Fourth Possible Explanation: Fraud?

Chapter Summary at a glance

CHAPTER FIVE: THE MYSTERIOUS PHENOMENON OF CONSCIOUSNESS

Intuitive Understanding

1. Who Perceives?

2. Who is the Owner of the Body?

3. Who’s Gone?

4. When the Body Changes, Who is the I That Remains the Same?

5. Am I Just a Bag of Chemicals?

Problems with Materialist Theories About Consciousness

1. How can Unconscious Brain Cells Produce Consciousness?

2. How Do Our Memories Stay Intact Despit the Constant Regeneration of Our Brain Cells?

3. How Does Consciousness Alter Brain Cells?

CHAPTER SIX: REINCARNATION IN WORLD HISTORY

Greek Civilization

Pythagoras

Orpheus

Socrates & Plato

Roman Civilization

Cicero

Ovid

Plotinus

European Civilization—Pre-Greek

The Druids

Chinese Civilization

African Civilization

Australian Civilization

American Indian Civilization

Modern Thinkers

Judaism

Christianity

Islam

Buddhism

CHAPTER SEVEN: SOUL-SEARCHING—THE VEDIC WAY

Characteristics of the Soul

Two Kinds of Bodies

The Model’s Explanatory Potential

1. Near-Death Experiences

2. Past-Life Memories

Intuiting the Soul’s Essential Nature

Two Conceptions, Two Conclusions

The Home Territory of Consciousness

Realisation Through Devotional Connection

CHAPTER EIGHT: REINCARNATION—THE HOWS AND THE WHYS

Do Animals Have Souls?

Breaking Free From Anthropocentrism

The Mechanism of Reincarnation

1. The Soul’s Exit from the Body

2. The Soul’s Journey to the Next Body

3. The Soul’s Entry into the Next Body

What Determines Our Next Body?

Understanding Vedic Taxonomy

Can Humans Reincarnate as Animals?

Some Common Objections to Reincarnation

The Zenith of Spiritual Evolution

CHAPTER NINE: THE FREEDOMS OF THE REINCARNATION WORLDVIEW

Why Different Starting Conditions?

Chance?

Divine Caprice?

Multi-life progression

Redefining Our Relationships

Experiential confirmation

1. Freedom from Unidimensional Materialism

2. Freedom from Body-Based Discrimination

3. Freedom from the Fear of Death

4. Freedom from the Agony of Bereavement

APPENDIX ONE: THE COMEBACK OF THE SOUL

The Exile

The Quake

Problems Everywhere

The Forecast

A Model

A Personal Quantum Leap

APPENDIX TWO: ON MACHINE CONSCIOUSNESS

The Essentials

Beyond Face Values

Brute Force: The Key to Illusion

Where’s the Meaning?

Who’s Feeling?

A New Fundamental Reality

Might It Be the Brain?

Redirecting the Quest

APPENDIX THREE: GHOSTS DEMYSTIFIED

Three Levels of Being

The Disembodied and Distressed

Frustrating and Terrifying Predicament

Evaporating the Haze of Eeriness

Going Beyond All Miseries

Bibliography

Acknowledgements

About the Author

INTRODUCTION—A TELESCOPE TO SEE THE WORLD WITHIN

Since my childhood, I have been fascinated by science and its potential to uncover the truths of life in a logical and verifiable manner. I remember spending hours at night looking up at the vast sky through my telescope, wondering at the mysteries that the sky held and marvelling at the magical way the telescope made the distant close, the hazy clear, and the invisible visible.

Over the years, I found myself wondering whether there existed a telescope that I could turn on myself to look within for understanding who I actually was and the purpose of my existence.

In my youth, while pursuing my engineering studies, I discovered that telescope in the wisdom of the Bhagavad-gita. I found its teachings of yoga enormously empowering for myself and for those with whom I shared them; empowering in providing coherent answers and in effecting self-improvement.

Yet, the Gita telescope left me uncomfortable, for it was not the kind I had been looking for—it was metaphysical, not physical. At that time, I was apprehensive whether I would have to choose between science and spirituality. But surprisingly and thankfully, in my studies, I found that a significant body of scientific research supported many of the Gita’s fundamental tenets. The most important among such areas of the intersection of science and spirituality is consciousness and its possible origin in a non-material source like the soul, which, in turn, leads to the possibility of reincarnation.

As I studied both science and spirituality for over a decade and a half, I pored over scores of books that offered arguments and evidences supporting reincarnation. However, I realised that a book that systematically and coherently integrated all those around a reincarnation-centred worldview was acutely missing. This book is my attempt to fill that gap.

To help orient your reading of the book, here is a brief overview of its contents.

Past-life Memories—1

The chapter starts with hypnotically induced past-life memories, highlighting cases in which the subjects exhibit xenoglossy, the ability to speak and write in foreign languages—especially languages that have been extinct for centuries. Then, it focuses on spontaneous past-life memories among children, using specific cases to evaluate whether the children’s normal knowledge might have given rise to their past-life memories.

Past-life Memories—2

The chapter explores more cases of past-life memories, investigating whether they are a result of the children’s imagination, or their parents’ exaggeration. The imagination hypothesis is challenged by the extent of detail and accuracy in the children’s memories. The exaggeration hypothesis is challenged by the existence of written records of those memories, the occurrence of birthmarks that correlate with past-life wounds, and the presence of neutral third parties during the meeting between the children’s present-life and past- life families.

Past-life Memories—3

The chapter investigates the possibility that the past-life memories may have originated in fraud, by either the parents or the investigators. The parental fraud hypothesis is questioned by the absence of any religious, financial, or reputational incentive for the parents in attempting a fraud, the difficulty in executing a fraud involving many people and, perhaps most significantly, by cases in which the children’s memories and behaviours distress their parents. The investigator fraud hypothesis is questioned by the similarity in the pattern of past-life memories all over the world and the researchers’ objective, methodical, and rigorous documentation of their findings.

Near-death Experiences (NDEs)

Many people who have had NDEs report empirically accurate perceptions during their NDEs. Through the careful, critical study of various cases, this chapter evaluates whether these perceptions can be accounted for by various normal explanations such as hallucinations, educated guesses, partial consciousness, and fraud.

Who am I?

The chapter starts with five intuitive reflections about our identity and then examines the idea that the brain produces consciousness. It shows the inadequacies of this idea through several convergent areas of research such as the continuity of our memories despite the continuous regeneration of brain cells and the capacity of some people to function normally despite having nearly zero brain matter.

Reincarnation in World History

Countering the common notion that reincarnation is an Eastern belief, the chapter shows that people in all the inhabited continents of the world have believed in reincarnation. This chapter challenges the notion that reincarnation is a New Age fad and shows that reincarnation has enjoyed acceptability and even respectability among thinkers who have pondered life’s deepest questions throughout the ages, from the time of the Greek civilization and earlier.

Soul-Searching—The Vedic Way

The last two chapters of the book focus on the Vedic texts of ancient India, which give the most extensive explanation of reincarnation. Drawing insights from these texts and especially the Bhagavad-Gita, this chapter outlines a model of the soul as an ontological, non-metaphorical entity. A diagrammatic presentation based on this model explains the features of near- death experiences and past-life memories that are unexplainable by conventional science.

Reincarnations—The Hows and the Whys

This chapter explains the mechanism of reincarnation and analyses the factors that determine the trajectory of our post-mortem journey. It also addresses various common questions about reincarnation such as: Do animals have souls? Can humans reincarnate as animals? Why can’t we remember our past lives? How do we learn if we can’t remember our past lives? Does genetics disprove reincarnation? and Does population explosion disprove reincarnation?

Freedoms of the Reincarnation Worldview

Understanding life with the help of a reincarnation- based worldview helps us make sense of the world’s glaring inequities. It also empowers us to pursue our enlightened self-interest, thereby helping us realise our dormant spiritual potential. This worldview also brings significant freedom from humanitarian, economic, and ecological perspectives.

Appendix

The Comeback of the Soul

Since the time of Descartes, the problem of mind- matter interaction has seemed intractable, and has led to the exile of the soul from mainstream intellectual discourse. However, insights from the Vedic model, when combined with the implications of quantum physics, enable the soul to stage a comeback.

Conscious Machines?

Technological advances enable machines to replicate and even supersede the information processing capacities of consciousness. But those very advances also expose the yawning conceptual chasms that prevent machines from becoming conscious and also problematise all materialist attempts to explain consciousness.

Ghosts Demystified

The Vedic model of the self explains many other phenomena that, though widely documented, elude explanation by the conventional model of the self. To illustrate this explanatory versatility of the model, we consider one such phenomenon: the existence of disembodied beings. The Vedic model removes ghosts from the realm of the eerie, and brings them into the jurisdiction of the explainable. A diagrammatic analysis elucidates what ghosts are, who become ghosts, and why.

SETTING THE SCENE

. . . Were an Asiatic to ask me for a definition of Europe, I should be forced to answer him: it is that part of the world which is haunted by the incredible delusion that man was created out of nothing, and that his present birth is his first entrance into life.

–Arthur Schopenhauer, Parerga and Paralipomena, II

Reincarnation—the idea that we return in another body after the death of our current body—has fascinated people throughout history. All over the world, many cultures, ancient and modern, have included reincarnation as an integral part of their worldviews. Even Pharaonic Egypt, polytheistic Greece and Rome, Taoism, Zoroastrianism, and a large variety of shaman and tribal groups shared a common belief in reincarnation even when they had widely differing other beliefs. In the light of this overwhelming acceptance of reincarnation, Schopenhauer rightly considered the European disbelief in reincarnation an incredible delusion.

With the global expansion of European colonialism, disbelief in reincarnation became widespread all over the world.

Nevertheless, even today, one-thirds of the world population believes in reincarnation. And interestingly, even in the sceptical West, a significant number of eminent figures have always accepted reincarnation. Here are a few of them:

Pythagoras (Greek philosopher-mathematician circa 580 – 500 BC)

Plato (Greek philosopher, 428 – 347 BC)

Giordano Bruno (Italian philosopher, 1548 – 1600)

François Voltaire (French philosopher, 1694 – 1778)

Benjamin Franklin (US statesman, philosopher, and inventor, 1706 – 1790)

John Adams (US president, 1735 – 1826)

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (German poet and dramatist, 1749 – 1832)

William Wordsworth (English poet, 1770 – 1850)

Ralph Waldo Emerson (US philosopher and writer, 1803 – 1882)

Robert Browning (English poet, 1812 – 889)

Richard Wagner (German composer, 1813 – 1883)

Henry David Thoreau (US social critic, writer, and philosopher, 1817 – 1862)

Walt Whitman (US poet, 1819 – 1892)

Leo Tolstoy (Russian novelist and social critic, 1828 – 1910)

Mark Twain (US writer, 1835 – 1910)

George Bernard Shaw (British writer, 1856 – 1950)

Henry Ford (US automobile pioneer, 1863 –