Contents:

Reimbodiment is Universal

Do Family Members Reincarnate Together?

The Overriding Factor

Born Again and Again and Again: Reincarnation in Christianity

Of Reincarnation Chapter 8 — The Ocean of Theosophy

Reincarnation Continued — The Ocean of Theosophy Chapter 9

Definition

Reincarnation is an anglicized word of Latin derivation, meaning "reinfleshment," the coming again into a human body of an excarnate soul. The repetitive reimbodiment of the reincarnating Human Ego in vehicles of human flesh -- this being a special case of the general doctrine of Reimbodiement. This general doctrine of Reimbodiement applies not solely to man, but to all centers of consciousness whatsoever, or to all monads whatsoever; wheresoever they may be on the evolutionary ladder of life, and whatsoever may be their particular developmental grade thereon.

The meaning of this general doctrine is very simple indeed. It is as follows: every life-consciousness-center, in other words, every monad or Monadic Essence, reincorporates itself repeatedly in various vehicles or "bodies," to use the popular word. These bodies may be spiritual, or they may be physical, or they may be of a nature intermediate between the these two, i.e., ethereal. This rule of Nature, which applies to all monads without exception, takes place in all the different planes, and in all its different worlds.

There are eight words used in the theosophical philosophy in connection with Reimbodiement, which are not all synonymous, although some of these eight words have almost the same specific meaning. They are: Pre-existence, Rebirth, Reimbodiment, Palingenesis, Metensomatosis, Transmigration, Reincarnation. Of these eight words, four only may be said to contain the four different basic ideas of the general doctrine of Reimbodiement, and these four are Pre-existence, Reimbodiement, Metempsychosis, and Transmigration.

In no case is the word Reincarnation identical with any of the other seven words, though of course it has grounds of strong similarity with them all, as for instance with Pre-existence, because obviously the entity pre-exists before it reincarnates; and on the same grounds it is similar to Rebirth, Reimbodiement, and Metensomatosis

The meaning of the word Reincarnation differs specifically from Rebirth in this, that the latter word simply means rebirth in human bodies of flesh on this Earth; while the former term also contains the implication, tacit if not expressed, of possible incarnations in flesh by entities which have finished their earthly pilgrimages or evolution, but who can and sometimes do return to this Earth in order to incarnate for the purpose of aiding their less evolved brothers.