The word “reincarnation” means literally, “to be made flesh again.” It’s a belief that part of a living human being survives after death of the body, only to inhabit another body. The “sprit,” “true self” or “divine spark” remains intact through several lives, but a new personality is developed during each life.

This ancient doctrine is central to most Indian religions, dating back in Hinduism to the Upanishads in 800 BCE.  Buddhists, some ancient Greek philosophers and many modern pagans also embrace the doctrine, each with its distinctive version. Hinduism, for example, teaches that the soul continues to die and be reborn, because of the person’s desire for worldly pleasures. Hindus believe the world does not produce lasting peace, so souls going through many rebirths finally realize this, lose their desire for these pleasures, and rebirth ceases. Buddhists say this when a person reaches nirvana and finds peace.

Primitive people, before the era of ancient Egypt, believed in transmigration of the soul, in which the soul departed the body at death and entered a body at birth. It was also believed that the soul left the body during sleep.  Today, Scientology features founder L. Ron Hubbard’s version of reincarnation, in which the spirit, after death, finds itself without a body and begins looking for a new one. Finding a pregnant woman, it follows her, determined to slip into her newborn immediately after its delivery.

Although Christianity is said to have embraced reincarnation for 300 years until Emperor Constantine recognized the Church, it was declared a heresy by the Council of Constantinople in 533AD. This was due to teachings of death and judgment as part of orthodox Christian doctrine.  This means that man has just one life in which to establish his salvation, a belief that strengthened the church.