Do we have one life or many lives who is right?

I need to know for a book I’m writing.

Do we have one life or many lives who is right? I need to know for a book I’m writing. A question from Rachid S., I answered on Quora.

It depends on who you talk to.

The person who believes that we only have one life is right, as indeed is the person who believes we have many lives also right. It all depends on perspective – whether viewed from the soul perspective or the human situation.

There’s one major caveat in this viewpoint.

The person who doesn’t believe in, or doesn’t acknowledge the possibility of past lives at all. This person has probably never studied the matter in any depth. Possibly they have a more secular viewpoint, or possibly they have bought into the orthodox Abrahamic religions’ take on the matter – which in my opinion is profoundly fear-ridden and misleading.

For me, eastern religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism are on the money in grasping the matter – although my own understanding of it is more closely aligned with western astrology and the philosophical issues it raises.

A bit more…
Transmigration of souls (spirit)

I argue the logic behind reincarnation is sound and founded in the belief we live in a meaningful world where our thoughts and actions have consequence. Each situation is a learning curve of opportunity for each soul – and souls around that soul.

This helps explain how one person may live for only a short amount of time and another person live past 90. Nothing is really lost in the learning and experience – as painful as it may also be. It is all grist to the mill of the soul’s journey.

In my understanding it was the 3rd century early Church father, Origen, who first coined the notion of the transmigration of souls. Believe it or not, the early Church did hold up a candle for belief in reincarnation but the Fifth Ecumenical Council scuppered that madness.

A bit more…
Past lives – have I?

I have had a number of lives that I’ve been told of, that I also trust in terms of source. The lives that were given to me dynamically tie into my current life – and that is part of the reason I accept them.

When I say, “number of lives” and “my current life” though what I mean is MY soul’s current life. I, as Francis, have never existed before, and won’t do so after this part of MY journey concludes. You could say that “Francis” is the name given to my soul’s current adventures.

Keep on truckin

All success with your writing Rachid. More people need to explore and write about such matters. Afterall we are all inside this lifestuff, not simply observing it, and it behoves us to make sense of it. Regards evidence of reincarnation, you might take a look at the research and writings of Dr Ian Stevenson and Carol Bowman. It does read like you are already doing such.

Want to know more? Take a read of my book: Life and Death Making Sense of It. It’s available most any place online or bookshop – ebook and paperback.

Associated links:

How do atheists explain it?
Why do spiritual people want to be detached from material things?
Distinction between soul and spirit
What happens when you die?

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this post are entirely the opinion of the author, Francis O’Neill. No guarantee is given that the information provided is correct, complete, and/or up-to-date.