Academic Source Summary

Cockburn, David. “The Evidence for Reincarnation.” Religious Studies, Vol. 27, No. 2. Cambridge University Press, June 1991. Web. Nov. 2014.

            Reincarnation is best defined as the idea that humans consist of physical bodies and minds, or souls in other words. While the physical body perishes at the time of death, the soul continues on to become associated with another physical body. The idea of reincarnation does not mean that the individual prior to death and the other individual are the same person. Cockburn states that there is something which ties the two individuals together; the suffering of one individual may be linked to the failings in life of the prior individual as well as a birthmark of one individual may indicate a wound or casualty of the prior individual. Similarities in personality and character between the two individuals shows the central link connecting the two together. There has been multiple reported cases of children, typically around the ages 3-4, who have stated facts about their supposed prior life. These statements are ones that these children would have had no way of knowing if it wasn’t for the idea of reincarnation. These claims are viewed as proof of the hypothesis that reincarnation does exist.