Reincarnation literally means ‘a re-entry into the flesh’. The word ‘incarnate’ being derived from the Latin words ‘in’, and ‘carnis’, meaning flesh – in English this means ‘to clothe with flesh’. Strictly speaking ‘metempsychosis’ (in Sanskrit) is the passing of the soul from one tenement to another (the transmigration of souls), the ‘fleshy’ idea being merely incidental. Metempsychosis and the Hindu principle of Karma are very closely linked. In Hebrew, the word for this passing of the soul from one tenement to another is called Gilgul or Gilgolim.
The almost universal acceptance of the principle of metempsychosis by the East with its teeming life, counterbalances its comparative non-reception by people in the West. From the early days of written or legendary history, metempsychosis has been the accepted belief of many of the most intelligent of the race.
It is found underlying the magnificent civilisation of ancient Egypt, and from thence it travelled to the West, being held as the highest truth by such teachers as Pythagoras, Empedocles, Plato, Virgil, and Ovid. Plato’s ‘Dialogues’ are full of this teaching.
The Hindus have always held to it. The Persians, inspired by their learned Magi, accepted it implicitly. The ancient Druids, and priests of Gaul, as well as the ancient inhabitants of Germany, held to it. Traces of it may be found in the remains of the Aztec, Mayan, and Inca civilisations.
The Eleusinian Mysteries of Greece, the Roman Mysteries, and the Inner Doctrines of the Hebrew Cabbala all taught the truths of metempsychosis.
The early Christian fathers; the Gnostic and Manicheans, and other sects of early Christianity all held to the doctrine.
Modern German philosophers and psychologists have treated it with the greatest respect, if indeed they did not at least partially accept it.
Modern Judaism, Christianity, and Islam reject reincarnation, since they espouse a ‘lineal’ rather than a cyclical (‘recursive’) notion of time and logic. This seems very contra intuitive to me!
From the discussion above we can deduct that metempsychosis means the transmigration of the soul. The soul can, but will not necessarily, return to the flesh. The soul will nevertheless continue to evolve into a higher form; ever growing nearer to ‘God’.
It might mean that we have lived on Earth before and will return again if it is necessary to complete our ‘education’. I sincerely do not think that you will return as a dog for example. Metempsychosis is about the ‘upward’ growth of the soul!
Is it possible to return from the future into the past? I sincerely do not know. Nevertheless, considering the so-called Over-self (the Higher Self, the Holy Guardian Angel, or the Holy Spirit/Ghost) it seems at least ‘theoretically’ possible!
According to the principle of the Over-self, this ‘Higher Self’ can, and does, control more than one aspect of the soul at any ‘time’. There is for example the case reported by Nigel Blundell in his book ‘The World’s Greatest Mysteries’ [it is also reported in ‘The Reader’s Digest Book of Strange Stories, Amazing Facts’]. He reports the incident of ‘The man who lived two lives at once’. Ansel Bourne (from Rhode Island) simultaneously lived a double life as Albert John Brown (from Norristown, Pennsylvania) in 1887.
I somehow do not think that the Over-self is too concerned about ‘time’ and ‘forward and backward movements in time’ might not mean a thing in this case.
Although the movie ‘The Devil’s Arithmetic’ (1999) with Kirsten Dunst is not strictly about ‘reincarnation’ it nevertheless is a fictional story about a contemporary young, Jewish woman who went back in ‘time’ and live the life of a Jewish concentration camp prisoner.
Some reckon that somebody like Nostradamus (1503-1566) was a case of ‘backward’ reincarnation rather than a man seeing the future! But again this is another story altogether.
In the meantime, I wish you a very blissful passing of your soul from one tenement to another.
Willie Maartens
