Reincarnation-A Commonality Running Through Religions

 Nadene Goldfoot                                                       

Hinduism is the first religion to have introduced reincarnation. Hinduism, with roots dating back over 4,000 years, is considered one of the oldest religions, while Buddhism originated in India around the 6th century BCE, with its founder, Siddhartha Gautama, becoming known as the Buddha.  In Hinduism, reincarnation, also known as rebirth or samsara, is a core belief where the soul (atman) is believed to be reborn after death, influenced by karma (actions and their consequences), until it achieves liberation (moksha).  

In Buddhism, reincarnation, or rebirth, is a core concept, where consciousness is believed to continue after death and be reborn into a new form of existence, influenced by one's actions (karma) in previous lives. The cycle of life, death, and rebirth is known as samsara, and the ultimate goal is to escape this cycle through enlightenment and achieve nirvana. Here's a more detailed explanation:  While the term "reincarnation" is often used, Buddhist teachings emphasize "rebirth" – the continuation of consciousness rather than a soul's transfer into a new body.   

                Shirley  Maclaine (April 24, 1934) , actress, who will be 91 this month,  wrote Out On A Limb, published by Random House on July 27, 2011,  telling us of her reincarnated experiences.  "Probably one of the reasons why reincarnation makes sense to me is because I understand how each one of us is so many people. When we open up and allow our soul's memory to emerge and express itself, we can be amazed at the talent for multiple personalities we each have. I don't mean multiple personalities in the sense of a psychological disorder. I mean each of us has had multiple experiences in past lifetimes that equip our souls with memories and intuitions that can't be explained any other way. How did I know and recognize streets and temples when I first went to India? Why did I find myself speaking Portuguese when I was in Brazil? Each human being can point to any number of similar experiences, specific moments that make them wonder why and how they know what they know."

                                 J.Z. Knight  Judy "Zebra" (aka JZ) Knight (born Judith Darlene Hampton; March 16, 1946) is an American spiritual teacher and authors, now age 79,  known for her purported channelling of a spiritual entity named Ramtha. Critics consider her to be a cult leader.  Knight has appeared on US TV shows, such as Larry King MSNBC and The Merv Griffin Show, as well as in media such as Psychology Todayl.   Her teachings have attracted figures from the entertainment and political world such as Linda Evans, Shirley MacLaine, and Salma Hayek.  

MacLaine claimed that in a previous life in Atlantis she was the brother of a 35,000-year-old spirit named Ramtha, channeled by mystic teacher and author J. Z. Knight.

Shirley came from intellectuals:  Shirley MacLean Beaty was born on April 24, 1934, in Richmond, Virginia. Her father, Ira Owens Beaty, was a professor of psychology, public school administrator, and a real estate agent. Her Canadian mother, Kathlyn Corinne (née MacLean), was a drama teacher from Wolfville, Nova Scotia. MacLaine's younger brother is filmmaker Warren Beatty, who changed the spelling of his surname for his career. Both were raised by their parents as Baptists. So Shirley put great thought into this belief of hers, taking a chance in spilling out her belief in a book.  She wrote beautifully ! However,

The book received both acclaim and criticism for its candor in dealing with such topics as reincarnation, meditation, mediumship (trance-channeling), and even unidentified flying objects. It made Shirley MacLaine the butt of many jokes, especially by late-night television comedians.  

Abstract: Numerous cases of young children who report memories of previous lives have been studied over the last 50 years. Though such cases are more easily found in cultures that have a general belief in reincarnation, they occur in the West as well.   The case of James Leininger, who as a young boy reportedly remembered details of a previous life as a World War II fighter pilot, James Huston, has gained significant attention, with his parents, Bruce and Andrea Leininger, documenting the experience in their book "Soul Survivor". This article describes the case of James Leininger, an American child who at age two began having intense nightmares of a plane crash. He then described being an American pilot who was killed when his plane was shot down by the Japanese.  It's describing reincarnation. 

Do Jews believe in reincarnation? Judaism started with Moses b: 1391 BCE-c4,000 years ago.   While traditional Judaism doesn't explicitly mandate reincarnation, it's a belief found within Jewish mysticism, particularly in Kabbalah, where souls are believed to undergo multiple incarnations to achieve spiritual perfection, a concept known as gilgul   "gilgul" (גלגול) means "wheel" or "cycle,"  .  Among the most prominent forms of Jewish mysticism is Kabbalah, which emerged in the 12th century CE and has since become a central component of Jewish mystical thought. Other notable early forms include prophetic and apocalyptic mysticism, which are evident in biblical and post-biblical texts.  So for Jews, reincarnation is a new philosophy/part of Judaism.             

   Kabbalah explains that the soul is comprised of 613 channels, which parallel the 248 limbs and 365 blood Vessels of the body. These 613 channels attain eternal elevation when all 613 Mitzvot are fulfilled by a soul in its earthly descent.

"Usually a soul does not manage to fulfill all the commandments in one descent, and the Arizal writes that every soul must be repeatedly reincarnated until it has fulfilled all 613 Mitzvot in thought, speech, and action." As Chabad tells us, "In the previous chapter, the notion of purification through Gehinom was introduced." 

Unlike Buddhism and Hinduism, Kabbalah does not teach that reincarnation (gilgul) occurs over the course of millions of years to millions of different sentient (Sentient means having the ability to feel, sense, or perceive. It can also refer to a person or thing that has these abilities species.) In Hebrew,  Kabbalah, however, teaches a belief in gilgul; hence, the belief is universal in Hasidic Judaism, which regards the Kabbalah as sacred and authoritative.                               

 A Christian, Dr. Michael Newton,  held a doctorate in Counselling Psychology, and was a certified Master Hypnotherapist, and a member of the American Counselling Association.  He leaves us no knowledge of his birthdate or family, but I am assuming he's from English and Scottish heritage, a Protestant.  

Dr. Michael Newton was also  a highly acclaimed international spiritual regressionist, who discovered how to enable people to access the wisdom of the spirit world and their higher guidance whilst living their lives. 

Michael had been skeptical about exploring the metaphysical, in fact, he originally refused repeatedly to undertake past life regression sessions which had become popular in the 50’s and 60’s, since Morey Berstein’s classic “The Search for Bridey Murphy” was published in 1956.  The surname "Bernstein" originates from the German word for "amber," meaning "burning stone," and is a common Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname, so I'm assuming again that Morey is Jewish.  

 It is inspired by the story of American Virginia Tighe, who believed herself to formerly have been Bridey Murphy, a nineteenth century Irishwoman, in a case believed to be that of cryptomnesia. The surname "Tighe" is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Ó Taidhg" meaning "descendant of Tadhg," which translates to "poet" or "philosopher."  Little did he know at that time what life held for him…

 Known as a pioneer of afterlife exploration, his dedicated research over 30 years mapped for us all insight into our  Life Between Lives (LBL)®  as presented in his books Journey of Souls published May 1994- Case Studies of Life Between Lives and Destiny of Souls. That's what happens when you regress some people going back and back when hypnotized! 

Michael continued to be involved in the Institute until his passing in September 2016. His great contribution to the world was notable and he has left a wonderful legacy which the Institute continues to honor. 

Resource:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Judaism/comments/1aw1gmh/do_jews_believe_in_reincarnation/#:~:text=While%20traditional%20Judaism%20universally%20acknowledges,Tanach%20or%20in%20the%20Talmud.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_MacLaine

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reincarnation

https://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/shirley-maclaines-past-lives-im-over-all-that-excerpt/all

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Out_on_a_Limb_(book)

If Reincarnation Is Happening

Nadene Goldfoot                                                     

  Reincarnation of Bridey Murphy appeared, 100 years after Tighe had died.  

On the 15th of July, 1988, Many Lives, Many Masters: The True Story of a Prominent Psychiatrist, Brian L. Weiss, MD, was published.   His Young Patient, and the Past-Life Therapy That Changed Both Their Lives has been talked about ever since.  He had accidently discovered reincarnation through this patient.

To help his patient, he had used hypnotism on her in order to discover the origin of her problems, and had rather accidently taken her back before her birth.  She had a Bridey Murphy experience, becoming another person in another life!!!

The tale of Bridey Murphy was the first story I had ever heard of that is similar to Weiss's experience.   Not many people realize that, throughout the 1950s, the United States developed an infatuation with reincarnation due to the tale of Bridey Murphy. Under hypnosis, a Colorado housewife named Virginia Tighe claimed to be a reincarnated Irish housewife named Bridey Murphy. Speaking in a thick Irish brogue, Murphy told those in the rooms with her tales of her life in Ireland – which had taken place 100 years before. This case of Colorado reincarnation in 1952 led to a media frenzy and widespread fascination with the concept of past life regression and reincarnation. 

As reporters researched the story, it became increasing apparent Tighe's claims were inaccurate. After the discovery of a neighbor she had known growing up named Bridie, people came to believe this was a case of cryptomnesia. This is a phenomenon in which someone recalls lost memories and falsely believes them to be new, leading to confusing recollections that may explain past-life memories. Despite the fact Tighe was likely not the reincarnation of Murphy – Murphy had not been resurrected in her body – the case continues to be a fascinating study in public curiosity and the fallible nature of memory.                                  

Reincarnation is the religious belief of the Hindus.     "Reincarnation, also called transmigration or metempsychosis, in religion and philosophy, rebirth of the aspect of an individual that persists after bodily death—whether it be consciousness, mind, the soul, or some other entity—in one or more successive existences." The soul is seen as immortal and the only thing that becomes perishable is the body. Upon death, the soul becomes transmigrated into a new infant (or animal) to live again. The term transmigration means passing of soul from one body to another after death.            

 Shirley MacLaine, singer, dancer, actress and writer, wrote 'Out On A Limb," about her own experience with reincarnation, published in 1983.   It details MacLaine's journeys through New Age spirituality. The book follows her from southern California to various locations including New York City, Europe, and Hawaii, culminating in a life-changing trip to the Andes Mountains in Peru. Central characters.

The book received both acclaim and criticism for its candor in dealing with such topics as reincarnation, meditation, mediumship (trance-channeling), and even unidentified flying objects. It made Shirley MacLaine the butt of many jokes, especially by late-night television comedians.  Out on a Limb was adapted for television broadcast in 1987. The five-hour ABC miniseries starred MacLaine (as herself).   

The prominent psychiatrist, Brian Weiss, is Jewish.  What does Judaism say about reincarnation?  We do believe in it, which is a new belief from Kabbalah, also a newer layer of Judaism.  You can say that a few are into it, but most may not be believers of it.  So it may not have been that big a shock when his patent regressed into another person.  However, he may not have known about the condition of  cryptomnesia.

Rabbi Hayyim Angel has also written an essay on "Afterlife in Jewish Thought." Here is an excerpt:

"There is a paucity of explicit references to afterlife—whether a bodily 

resurrection or a soul world—in Tanakh. The Torah promises this-worldly 

rewards and punishments for faithfulness or lack thereof to God and the 

Torah. It does not promise heaven for righteousness, nor does it threaten 

hell or the absence of heaven for sinfulness. Given the 

ancient world’s 

belief in, and even obsession with immortality and 

afterlife, the Torah’s 

silence is all the more remarkable.

Aside from the lack of explicit references to afterlife in the Torah, one 

might have expected an appeal to afterlife in the Book of Job. For all the 

arguments raised by Job’s so-called friends, they never invoke afterlife in 

their attempts to vindicate Job’s unfair suffering. Rather, Job and his 

friends agree with the biblical premise that ultimate justice must occur 

during one’s lifetime. Job insisted that his suffering was unjust, whereas 

his friends assumed that he must have deserved his punishment."

                                              

However, according to Chabad who teach about such 

things, , whose comment on 

reincarnation in the Kabbalah, is that : "The soul is 

eternal, a spark of the Divine, or 

as the prophet Job calls it “a part of G‑d above.” The soul 

exists before it enters the body and it lives after the body is 

laid to rest. Though the soul’s place of origin is in the higher 

worlds, there is something that the soul can achieve in a body 

that it cannot achieve in the heavenly realms. It has already 

been explained that the purpose of creation is to make an 

abode for the Divine in this world. Although higher worlds are 

glorious in terms of revelation and offer the best reward for a 

soul after it has achieved its earthly mission, the heavenly 

realms are not the purpose of creation. It was G‑d’s desire to 

create a world where His presence would be acutely 

concealed and darkness and evil would 

prevail. He charged 

his children with the task of creating a home in 

this world, and 

the soul fulfills that mission by its adherence 

to Torah and Mitzvot.(good deeds-like visiting 

the 

sick.)   The earliest roots of Kabbala are traced to Merkava 

mysticism. It began to flourish in Palestine in the 1st 

century 

ce and had as its main concern ecstatic and mystical 

contemplation of the divine throne, or “chariot” 

(merkava), 

seen in a vision by Ezekiel, the prophet (Ezekiel 1). 

                                        

Safed became a center of Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) 

during the 16th century. After the expulsion of the Jews from 

Spain in 1492, many prominent rabbis found their way to 

Safed, among them the Kabbalists Isaac Luria and Moshe 

Kordovero; Joseph Caro, the author of the Shulchan 

Aruch and Shlomo Halevi Alkabetz, composer of 

the Sabbath hymn "Lecha Dodi".            

What was important to Weiss and his patient were comments coming from his patient, that were apart from the reporting of the patient, Catherine, said to be coming from "The Messenger."  It was a spirit there to teach the doctor as to how to help his patients work on more views of their outlook on life, sort of like our 10 basic laws with some more, like our 613 Jewish laws of behavior.  They seem to be very common sense, not going against anything in any religion, but things that have been possibly ignored.  It's about the growth of our spirit.  They go through 7 stages.  

"No.  We go through so many stages when we're here.  We shed a baby body, go into a child's, from child to an adult, an adult into old age.  Why should we go one step beyond and shed the adult body and go on to a spiritual plane!" p. 140. 

The 7 heavens that the Quran of Islam refers to:  

In religious or mythological cosmology, the seven heavens refer to seven levels or divisions of the Heavens (Heaven). The concept, also found in the ancient Mesopotamian religions, can be found in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam; a similar concept is also found in some other religions such as Hinduism. 

Latter-day Mormons can distinguish between 1. acelerity, 2. aterrestrial, and a 3. telestial place of heaven.There will only be one living in the heavens, the celestial kingdom. The Trinity (the God existing in three persons), which Christian followers do not appreciate (their concept of God existing as three persons).

Here is a Mormon perspective on the Jewish concept of 7 heavens:

A famous system, which I've never heard of,  of Seven Heavens for Jews developed in the 1st millennium CE.   The first heaven, called Vilon (*), belongs exclusively to the family of Angels: it is the closest of the seven heavens to our planet: It is home to angels and angels are considered the highest spirits.  It is believed by Jews that any attempts to preserve the world around us will result in a good afterlife.  This would refer to "repairing the world, Tikkun Olam", that I do know about.  There are Jewish claims that all Jews receive new life as a result of reincarnation throughout their lives and into their deaths.

Before I go on any further, I wonder if Weiss's patient, Catherine, might be Mormon or Muslim or a Kabbalaist.  She might be repeating lessons learned and forgotten, in that part of the brain.  

No doubt that the "lessons" Weiss was uncovering could help him help patients, but he was helping his patient anyway, with his own methods, as it was.  

"It's about coexistence...and harmony....the balance of things."  I knew the Masters were nearby....... The Masters told her through Catherine that if the person didn't learn an important lesson in this life, they would have to repeat it in another life and get it right before they could go on to another level.  

My thoughts on this is that Hitler should be reborn in an ant's body and have to go through all the forms of creation to get it right.  

What this is leading to is that one must be a good person in this life.  There is no allowing one to shirk their responsibility for being good.  Actually, following the commandments, either the 7 for most people or the actual 10 for Jews couldn't hurt in order to reach "Nirvana" or that  place of perfect peace and happiness, like heaven. In Hinduism and Buddhism, Nirvana is the highest state that someone can attain, a state of enlightenment, meaning a person's individual desires and suffering go away., the 7th heaven -being perfect.  You can't expect another person to take on your errors in life, only you.  

The question of following an orthodox Jewish life comes to mind.  The reason for all that is expected, that was created more by the rabbis than by the laws that Moses brought to us, the whole package of 613, have developed for a reason, to create a body of religious people who will keep all this in mind.  It's a conditioning process, in my opinion, and a good one.  It has kept us together for about 4,000 years.  

We've reached a new era in all aspects, questioning religion, having the highest of technologies, and yet we have war continuing, viruses that keep on mutating, and the possibility of even  destroying our own planet.  No wonder we're seeing UFO's  or whatever they are now being called-UAPs, Unidentified Aerial Phenomena.  We may be on the verge of what has always been referred to as "The End Times."  it's like math;  the highest of intelligence/ the desire to kill.  It bubbles over in all the shootings happening, in schools, hospitals, cities.  Many children are walking around in fear for their lives.  The good old days of my youth may never return.  There's no real door we can go through to a past generation like in "Outlanders."  We're stuck in the time period we ourselves have helped to create.  Everyone needs to work on "repairing the world."  

                                                                                       

Resource:

Book: many Lives, Many Masters, by Brian L. Weiss, M.D.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptomnesia

https://www.ranker.com/list/bridey-murphy-reincarnation/erin-wisti

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reincarnation

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Out_on_a_Limb_(book)

https://www.jewishideas.org/

https://www.jewishideas.org/heaven-hell-and-afterlife-jewish-thought?gclid=CjwKCAjwtcCVBhA0EiwAT1fY70mntly8DxTYhMsvdBUY7u9gE2W2SZK0E9lBvV8yVatK7l2KiyFbBRoCwBIQAvD_BwE