Our Life After

Reincarnation is usually defined as rebirth of soul in another body. This belief which is quite ancient and also the belief of nearly 800 million Hindus, has once again become quite popular and in the news lately because of the claims in Andrew Morton’s new book, “Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography.” The main reasons of being in the news is that in his book, Morton has rounded on the idea of reincarnation by saying that some of the Scientologists had the hope that the daughter of Tom Curse and Katie Holmes, Suri, would be the reincarnation of the famous Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, a man who died more than 20 years ago. Although, the Church of Scientology denies this statement

Whatever is being said about the Suri’s soul by the Scientologists, The concept of reincarnation is increasingly gaining popularity. Some of the famous stars like Madonna and Kate Hudson have claimed to be the believer of this philosophy. According to the Harris poll in 2003 almost 40 percent of the people ageing 25 to 29 believed that their souls would return to earth taking a different body after they die. This concept has been brought to the main stream by today’s new age movements like the Scientologists and the Kabbalah that teach some versions of reincarnation, along with some of the popular books by the Yale trained psychiatrist Brian Weiss and Carol Bowman, the therapist have added to the popularity of it. Stephen Prothero, who is a religion professor at the Boston University and also a student of Hinduism, gives a very interesting theory explaining why Americans have this great interest in reincarnation. According to him, the life in America is getting better and better day by day, people are getting more prosperous, getting more educated, hence they tend to be more inclined towards living in the earth forever, even the idea of living in heaven is of least interest to them compared to the idea of coming back. The concept of reincarnation is thought to be extenuating because now people want to come back and live again.

Reincarnation is a belief that is at odd with the religion of majority in the United States, Christianity. The Christian belief has been that after death the body and soul tend to separate temporarily which will then unite at the end of time at the resurrection of the dead.

However the belief in reincarnation presents problems which are both logistical and theological. Because if the souls kept coming back to other taking different body then which body will be theirs at the time or resurrection? What would happen to all the bodies they’ve inhabited? Due to all these reasons many Americans today choose that their bodies be burnt at the time of death, something that happened 30 years ago, with a belief that their souls are eternal not their bodies. This is a sign that Americans are becoming more Hindu.

Near-death experiences, or NDEs, are phenomenons that have been reported since the beginning of recorded history.  More and more people are coming forward with stories of their trips to the fantastic world beyond the one we see every day, including children.  While many aspects of NDEs seem to be universal, there are some significant differences in people’s experiences, depending on their age, cultural conditioning, and spiritual beliefs.  Some of the most obvious and intriguing variations occur in children.

While crucial elements of NDEs remain consistent in most cases, such as traveling at high speed towards a source of light and communicating exclusively via telepathy, other parts of the journey can be somewhat diverse.  For instance, adults generally report being greeted by a “being of light” or “God” while kids are often introduced to the other side by a specific and well known religious figure, such as Jesus or an entity they perceive as being an angel.  Kids are also much more likely to be met by animals, often a beloved deceased pet.  It seems that for the young, the Near Death Experience is cushioned by more layers of familiarity.

The NDE process for children is usually somewhat less complex and feature-rich than it is for adults.  One of the most notable differences is the absence of the “life review.”  Perhaps because children have considerably less experiences to ponder, this part of the encounter is left out.  Though it is one of the more obvious distinctions in child vs. adult NDEs, it is not always omitted for kids.  However, even when children are presented with the life review, the process is usually more simplistic and they are shown fewer images to contemplate.

Arguable, the most profound part of a NDE is not the actual visit to the “other side.”  It is the after effects that are extremely difficult to explain away.  After a Near-death experience, a large majority of people report major changes in attitude, lifestyle, and behaviors.  There is a shift from an emphasis on the acquisition of material possessions, to a focus on the needs of others and a feeling of universal “Oneness.”  Thankfully, this component of NDEs remains the same for just about everyone affected, including children.  They report an increased interest in spirituality, as well as a new-found thirst for knowledge.  In addition, many are seen as more mature and responsible than their peers.

There is no doubt that a Near-death experience is one of the most mysterious and life-altering things that can happen to a human being.  While people from an assortment of ages, cultures, and socioeconomic backgrounds experience the phenomenon in slightly different ways, it seems that the underlying message remains the same across the board.  Even the youngest members of our planet take away this extraordinary admonition from their NDEs; we are all One, we are all God’s children, and everything you do to others, you also do to yourself.