Reincarnation is the belief that a human being can live several successive lives, being born again after death. Depending on the religion, what continues to exist may be a soul, a spiritual being, or a form of continuity between several lives. The word comes from Latin and literally means “to enter the flesh again,” that is, to enter a body. This belief exists in several religious traditions, but it does not always take the same form.
In Hinduism, reincarnation occupies a central place. The soul, considered immortal in many Hindu traditions, passes through a succession of lives. After death, it may be reborn in another human body or in that of an animal. This cycle of births and deaths is called samsara. The new existence depends in particular on karma, that is, the consequences of actions performed during previous lives. The ultimate goal is to be freed from this cycle and attain spiritual freedom, called moksha.
Jainism, another ancient religion of India, also teaches that souls pass from one existence to another. Every living being possesses a soul that can be reborn in different forms. Actions influence the conditions of future lives. This conception explains the exceptional importance attached to nonviolence in this religion: avoiding harm to living beings helps prevent adding to the burden of karma. The definitive liberation of the soul is the spiritual goal of Jainism.
In Buddhism, the term rebirth is generally used rather than reincarnation. The distinction is important: Buddhism, in many of its own traditions, does not teach the existence of an eternal personal soul that would simply pass from one body to another. It considers that the actions, intentions and conditions of one existence contribute to producing a new existence after death. There is therefore continuity between lives, without an unchanging soul being transmitted. The aim of Buddhist practice is to end this cycle of rebirths and the suffering that accompanies it, and to attain nirvana, a state of spiritual liberation.
Sikhism, a religion that emerged in the fifteenth century in northern India, also recognizes the cycle of births and deaths. The soul may pass through several existences, and human actions have consequences for its journey. However, Sikhism places particular emphasis on the relationship with God. Liberation from the cycle of rebirths comes through living a just life, meditating on the divine name, serving others and receiving God’s grace.
Scientology has a particular understanding of this subject. It teaches that human beings are fundamentally immortal spiritual beings who existed before their present life and will continue to exist after the death of the body. It generally uses the expression “past lives” rather than “reincarnation.” According to its teachings, a person may become aware of some of their past lives through spiritual practices, particularly auditing, a form of guidance specific to this religion. The existence of past lives is not, however, presented as a dogma that every Scientologist is required to accept. The approach emphasizes personal spiritual experience.
Among the Druze, a religious community that emerged in the eleventh century in the Middle East, reincarnation is also a fundamental belief. According to their tradition, the soul of a deceased person is immediately reborn in the body of a newborn child. The Druze generally consider that a Druze soul is reborn within the Druze community. This conception gives particular importance to continuity between generations and to the bonds uniting members of the community.
Reincarnation also exists in certain currents of Judaism, particularly in Kabbalah, its mystical tradition. Known as gilgul, it refers to the passage of a soul through several lives. These successive existences may allow it to continue its spiritual development or accomplish what it did not achieve before. However, this is not a belief shared by all branches of Judaism.
By contrast, Christianity and Islam, in their traditional teachings, do not recognize reincarnation. They teach that each person lives a single earthly life, followed by death and a destiny in the afterlife. Both also affirm the resurrection of the dead. This should not be confused with reincarnation: it refers to the dead being brought back to life through God’s action, rather than a succession of new earthly lives.
Reincarnation is therefore a belief widely found throughout the religious history of humanity, in various forms. Some religions see it as the journey of an immortal soul, others as a succession of rebirths without a permanent soul, and still others as the continuity of a spiritual being through several lives. Despite these differences, these traditions share a fundamental question: what happens to human beings after death, and what connection exists between their present life and their future destiny?