"Reincarnation is the belief that each of us goes through a series of lifetimes for the purpose of spiritual growth and soul development.

For the 20 years following the first mention of reincarnation in Edgar Cayce’s readings in 1923, the subject of reincarnation appeared nearly 2,000 times. The readings Cayce gave that addressed the subject directly were called “Life readings.” In Life readings, Cayce was asked to look at the reading recipient’s current life and offer insights about its purpose, and this inevitably led to Cayce’s reading of their soul. A typical Life reading would start with something like: 'Yes, we have the entity here, and those relations with the universe and universal forces, as are latent and exhibited in the present entity.'

The Cayce approach to reincarnation focused on practical ways of dealing with life in the here and now—by living, growing, and being of service in the present. As Cayce said, it isn’t nearly so important who we have been so much as it is how our past actions affect our present conditions and what opportunities and challenges we face because of it."

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The Concept of Reincarnation

Past life work goes hand in hand with theories of reincarnation. This is a concept that has evoked a variety of reactions in the western world, from ridicule to condemnation -- essentially fear-based reactions to something unfamiliar and misunderstood.

Interestingly enough, although publicly people may joke about prior lifetimes,
millions of people have read books on the subject of reincarnation. The public image doesn't accurately reflect what people believe in private. A recent Gallup poll showed that 27% of adult Americans admitted anonymously that they believed in reincarnation, with an even great percentage saying they just weren't sure one way or another.

There really is nothing to fear from the concept of reincarnation. Today over half the world's population espouses this belief -- for good reason. There is a great sense of serenity that comes from knowing that the deepest parts of ourselves will always exist, that we are much more than just our current physical bodies, and that we have many opportunities to master human existence and learn the lessons we are here to learn. For many people, the idea just makes sense.

And What About Karma?

Along with reincarnation, the topic of karma usually also comes up. Borrowing the word from the Hindu tradition the typical Westerner interprets karma as "predestination" -- everything is set before our birth, we have no real choice in how our lives unfold. In reality, karma is the good old concept of "what goes around, comes around." It refers to the continuity of soul experience, the fact that we will reap the consequences of both prior good works and prior unloving deeds. For example, if a lifetime has been spent with very negative, racist attitudes and actions, then we may have the opportunity to experience this from the other side of the fence in a subsequent life, as the member of a group who is discriminated against or even persecuted. An individual who commits suicide to escape from perceived difficulties, will undoubtedly have the opportunity to meet similar problems and situations more creatively in another lifetime.

Although karma may contribute to the types of situations we may face, we have free will in each and every moment to choose our response -- either through love and connection, or through negativity and fear. If we choose the latter, we will have opportunities to learn the lesson again.

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