by KIY » May 11th, 2012, 6:59 pm
I have my doubts about reincarnation. If the material universe arises from consciousness, it would seem likely. If consciousness arises from the material universe, it would be unlikely. If the more "Christian" view of consciousness/the soul and the material universe are two separate things (i.e. the soul is inserted into a material body), it is also a possibility. Currently, the evidence seems to favor consciousness arising from matter, at least as far as I can tell.
Hypnosis has been used for past life regression (as well as future life progression.) Attempts to scientifically prove or disprove the reality of such practices has met with very confusing and contradictory results (see Deborah Blum's "Ghost Hunters: William James and the Search for Scientific Proof of Life After Death" for a well written account of such studies by some of the brightest minds of the late 1800s.)
Actually, what I find more interesting than past life regression is future life projection, as discussed in Michael Talbot's "The Holographic Universe." A study was done in Europe about this phenomena and found future lives could be categorized into one of four groups: three dystopias and a "new age utopia." The fact that the results fell into four categories is interesting whether or not they are real projections of the future, and I would like to know if the study has ever been duplicated in a distinctly non-Western culture, and what the results were. (If, for example, it was repeated with some stone age tribe in the Amazon, and the results were the same-- well, maybe they ARE projections of actual futures. If not, then something else is going on-- maybe they were recitations of current science fiction stories.)
Michael Talbot also discussions life after death experiences in which people met glowing beings, people planned future lives, and discussed the plans of their current one, etc. Unfortunately, Mr. Talbot died shortly after the book was released, so it is impossible to discuss it with him, since it is nearly two decades old and an update would be nice.
I've never tried past life regression and am not entirely certain I want to know what I've been in the past (if anything, that is.) I have suspicions which are best left unconfirmed.