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Out of body experiences, and reincarnation || Acharya Prashant, with NIT, Trichy (2021)
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3 years ago
Reincarnation
Soul
Myth
Ego
Spirituality
Out-of-body experience
Prakriti
Dr. Ian Stevenson
Description

Acharya Prashant addresses a question regarding the scientific proof of the soul, reincarnation, and out-of-body experiences. He begins by stating that the soul is a myth, and even God is a myth. He clarifies that spirituality has nothing to do with the soul or God, as these are mental concepts, and the mind itself is a myth. When the questioner brings up research on out-of-body experiences (OBEs), citing that 11-14% of healthy people have had them, Acharya Prashant questions the definition of 'healthy' used in such studies. He asserts that the experiencer is inherently bodily, and therefore, an out-of-body experience is not possible because the experiencer and the body are one. He dismisses such phenomena as 'spiritual storytelling' and suggests that such beliefs contribute to the world's problems. He explains that these ideas persist because there is a market for them, which in turn fuels marketable research. Acharya Prashant further elaborates on the concept of reincarnation. He states that the personal self, such as the questioner 'Nitish', will not be reincarnated. This particular shape, he explains, will be dissolved upon death and will never be repeated. However, he clarifies that reincarnation is a great principle that has been misunderstood. Reincarnation, he says, is happening continuously within *Prakriti* (nature). It is not the person that reincarnates, but the egoic tendency or the principle that gives rise to various shapes and forms that continues to be in action. The reincarnating entity is this egoic tendency itself, not a specific person. He concludes by emphasizing that one should care for this life, as it is all one has, and that all else is just fairy tales.