The only true answer is we don't know.

Is it possible? Can't see why not. There are obvious examples of form and matter undergoing sublimation. Complete discorporation of one form of matter only to appear as another. Before science advanced liquid turning to vapor was the stuff of Gods. Just because we are speaking of the Psyche doesn't make it less plausible that a similar change of states can occur.

What we see and experience as a body passing into the stages of death and decay, while further ahead with the understanding of anatomy and physiology, we are still very much superficial in our understanding of a next possible transition for consciousness, memory or experience.

Is it really all just.. lights out? I believe , for me, yes. I have zero expectation of returning as.. anything.

But I am also quite certain there are a number of natural processes that effect the human species on a core energy level that we are unaware of and if nothing else we are incredibly different in our sameness. There will be those who are exceptions to every rule. Keeping with the liquid to vapor example. In order for water to vaporize certain conditions need to be met. So too , possibly, with whether an individual reincarnates or not. Maybe ya gotta' be the right kind of crazy!

The way I see it is this. To be reincarnated you have to believe in a soul. A soul doesn't exist. So therefore reincarnation does not exist

As the universe is physical, the mechanism or process by which reincarnation were to occur would also be physical.

• I never understood where all the extra "souls" came from.

90% of the modern western obsession with reincarnation originated with the "Bloxham Tapes" made by Arnall Bloxham the father of regression therapy.
ALL of Bloxham's work has been thoroughly debunked as subconscious recounting of films, novels, historical texts etc while under deep hypnosis.
However Bloxham inspired several famous works of fiction such as the Audrey Rose case, the Bridey Murphy case, the Peter Proud case and others, that established the idea in the public imagination of reincarnation of tortured souls returning to seek justice or vengeance in a new body.

Asking the question is like does god exist, whatever that means? Please, Reincarnation? Regression? You have been regressed?? Really. Resurrection? Really? Sorry, can't be kind about it. Just preposterous!

I think some people have very creative story telling abilities.
Even in the very young.
I have had a snippet of a dream all my life of being inside the body of a little boy running home and inside and upstairs, kissing my mother. By my clothes and bare legs with shorts and lace up leather boot shoes I am guessing maybe about 1910 ish.
Anyway, I always run up and kiss my mother and she shoos me and I run up more stairs to the roof and throw my books down and I start to walk on the edge of the roof and a pigeon swoops at my head and I fall 3 floors to the street and die.

I think I have an active imagination. That is all.

We get reincarnated as topsoil!

Splitting: Mathmatically, there are more living souls on earth now than at any previous slice of time. So, are you suggesting that souls are split, to feed the increased numbers? If not all souls are from reincarnated stock, then new souls are necessary. Thus, there is no need for old reused souls, at all.

Combining: I'm satisfied that genetics from both parents, & their parents, will derive a unique but highly genetically influenced sentient being. Intuition or instinct is genetic coding for survival; and if any of this is lost (in a combination), then that individual won't survive long enough to procreate.

I wasn't raised by my father (I was kidnapped to another country), but my genetics were dominated by his, over my mother's. My looks, interests, personality, ways of thinking, values, etc. This all became apparent on meeting him twice, as an adult, and after his death (from documentary evidence and reportage of his friends of many decades). Was my father's genetics dominated by his father's genetics? Am I then very very similar to my one grandfather, who died before I was born? Are my instincts & intuitions, values & personality, a strong reflection of his?

As parents age, DNA can be modified by life, so is passed-on as 'different' to the DNA of the teenage self. So one inherits 'experienced' DNA. Each generation thus has DNA 'with experience' of past generations.

Isn't that enough logical 'reincarnation' of lives once lived?

I was once told that, in a past life, I was an American Indian woman, whose husband went hunting & never returned. I had waited for him, childless, from early 20s, until I was a very old woman. Romantic/traumatic nonsense! The intention of the author was to manipulate me (very unsuccessfully).

If one adheres to physics, energy can not be destroyed. It can only change into another form. So where does the energy of life go upon our demise? The Mormons say spirits are flying around without a body to inhabit. Personally I have no idea & it is the one of the greatest questions still unanswered.

@mischl
This reincarnation story is most fascinating. A woman reincarnated goes in search of her children in a previous life.

[irishcentral.com]

For me, this is one is difficult to dismiss. Many years ago when I was still s Hindu I shrugged off the belief in reincarnation. From around 20 years old I came across many stories of people's experiences of reincarnation in "white culture". I thought it odd as I thought (then) it was only supposed to be happening to Hindus since it was their belief ...and then we grow up

I guess your main question is is it possible, my answer is yes being there's not enough information available that is demonstrable and falsifiable to make a different conclusion for me. I'll deal with now and when it's over it's over.

Reincarnation is based on the idea of the transmigration of a soul and so presumes the existence of a soul, there is as little evidence for the existence of souls as there is for gods.
Reincarnation is a fun idea, but it is no more real than sparkling vampires, dragon's hoards or armored polar bears.

IMO regression involves hypnosis and a person who is hypnotized wants to please the hypnotist. If this is so, a game is started in which suggestion sets up questions and answers. Results will be obtained but it does not mean the results are a fact in any way.

I have experimented in the past with such things and found it fascinating. I cannot say I have any feelings of living a past life but I do have constant and strong feelings of deja vu. This happens with both people and movies. My standard joke about it is that I have that feeling when the phone rings.

I, too, am intrigued by the concept of reincarnation. I find it preferable to the Xian notion of an all or nothing Heaven or Hell as it allows for ongoing opportunities to grow and improve one's self over multiple lifetimes but I have a lot of questions about it too. For instance would people reincarnate for a limited number of times or would they just reincarnate forever? Would they reincarnate as the same species or could a person come back as a dog, or even a cockroach, or, worse yet, a Republican?

I like the Indian concept of the Transmigration of Souls where a person reincarnates again and again (as a human being) for as many lifetimes as it takes for them to reach a state of divinity after which, then and only then, are they allowed into Heaven. I really like that idea.

BUT...

I'm an atheist and I don't believe in souls or Heaven, or any of the supernatural nonsense this idea embraces so I can't believe it. There's also no evidence that reincarnation itself, in any form, is real or even possible so I can't believe in that either. no matter how appealing I may find it.

Sometimes being as practical and rational as I am comes with little reward.

If such coincidences as those referred to did not happen then statisticians around the world would be scratching their heads.

Were you a Pharaoh or a High Priest?

Nope, no evidence, but then, no evidence of Jedi mind tricks either....

Since no one knows what is necessary to pass knowledge from one mind to another, no one could do more than guess.

I have a friend who is witch we used to work together she is a really nice person and very kind but she believes she as loved lots and lots of times before i think it is over a thousand she as a specific number she as worked out. Another thing i have noticed by claimants of reincarnation is how many Ceasars and Napoleons there are I think Patton claimed to be a reincarnation of some roman matybe Ceasar but i am not sure about that

If passing knowledge or memory down since the first humans was possible. One would think not much of original people is left, with how many people are alive today compared to all of human history. Just a deluded mess.