Shabad Kirtan: Kya Khoob Gaawta Hai – Bhai Gagandeep Singh Ji Sri Ganga Nagar Wale.  Thank you for the wonderful kirtan.

In Part 1 we discussed a video clip by Baljeet Rajpura claiming the Gurbani rejects the concept of REBIRTH and in Part 2 we showed his misleading expositions of Gurbani were attributed to his knowledgebase which was limited by his ideological alignment.  In this part we will investigate the concept of reincarnation from the scientific perspective.

by Harnaak Singh

INTRODUCTION 

In Part 1, we summed up that Baljeet Rajpura was unable to substantiate his claim that Gurbani rejects REBIRTH.  

He talked about KARAM, SANT, demeaning present day SANTs but did not address his claim (i.e. Gurbani rejects REBIRTH).  While trying to support this claim his lack of understanding of the Shabads he was quoting was glaringly exposed.  This is the reason he expounds MISLEADING and MISGUIDING Gurbani preaching to the Sangat.

In Part 2 we have analysed and explained how Baljeet Rajpura’s knowledge level and his alignment with the Kala Afghana Brigade, has resulted in his misleading preaching.

He has not been able to support his ideology that Gurbani rejects REBIRTH/ REINCARNATION.  Thus his claim is FALSE.

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND OTHER REFERENCES ON REBIRTH/REINCARNATION

Ian Stevension

One of the leading researchers in this field is Dr Stevenson who started his work in 1960.  See LINK A for an expose of his work at “Express News” of 16-Oct-2016.  

Dr Ian Stevenson, former Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and former chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Neurology, dedicated the majority of his career to finding evidence of reincarnation, until his death in 2007.

Dr Stevenson claims to have found over 3,000 examples of reincarnation during his time which he shared with the scientific community.  He used different methods (facial recognition, birthmarks, birth defects etc). 

He believed reincarnation is a feasible concept.

Figure 1: Illustration from “Express News”

His paper ‘The Explanatory Value of the idea of Reincarnation, Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, Vol 164, No 5, 1977’, available at LINK B, stated “The idea of reincarnation is presented as having considerable EXPLANATORY VALUE FOR SEVERAL FEATURES OF HUMAN PERSONALITY AND BIOLOGY that currently accepted theories do not adequately clarify”, very much substantiates the use of concept of reincarnation espoused in Gurbani.

He further adds in this paper 

Friendly critics of my investigations have pointed out that reincarnation is itself an irrefutable hypothesis.  We can never show that it does not occur; nor are we ever likely to obtain conclusive evidence that it does occur.  I can imagine the “perfect case,” but have no expectation of finding it.  All of the cases I have investigated so far have some flaws, many of them serious ones.  Neither any single case nor all of the investigated cases together offer anything like a proof of reincarnation. They provide instead a body of evidence suggestive of reincarnation that appears to be accumulating in amount and quality.  For the most part, science advances through the development of probabilities making one interpretation of a particular phenomenon more likely than another.  I anticipate a gradual further accumulation of evidence that will make reincarnation seem to an increasing number of informed persons a more probable explanation than others for cases of the type that I have reported.

Further he states that

Most psychiatrists and psychologists today believe that infancy and childhood are more important periods in the formation of personality than any later periods; but this idea is only an assumption, as I mentioned some years ago.  Cases of the reincarnation type challenge it and suggest that although personality is indeed being formed in childhood, its development begins much earlier in other terrestrial lives anterior to the child’s present life.  If we allow ourselves to think of the formation of human personality as extending further back in time than conception and birth, we may be able to explain better than we now can a number of anomalies in child development and human personality for which, up until now, theorists have had to invent “epicyclic” addenda to their theories that simply increase their top heaviness and suggest that they have overlooked some additional essential component.

Replication studies

Another paper ‘A Mills, E Haraldsson & H H Jurgen Keil, Replication Studies of Cases Suggestive of Reincarnation by Three Independent Investigators, The Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research, January 1994’ available at LINK C.  The abstract in this paper is reproduced below.

The three authors undertook to replicate Stevenson’s studies of children who are reported to remember a previous life; J.K. studied 60 cases in Burma, Thailand, and Turkey;  E.H. studied 25 cases in Sri Lanka, and A.M. studied 38 cases in India.  From a combined sample of 123 cases, each of the authors presents one case. The authors conclude that in some of the cases the children had no normal way of knowing about the person with whom they identified themselves, but note problem areas to be overcome in future studies.  Further research may lead to a better understanding of the dynamics of child development.

Further support for reincarnation

There are numerous references that concur with this.  See Figure 2 .

Figure 2: About reincarnation

Summary

From the above it can generally be concluded that scientific research has found that there is support for reincarnation as a hypothesis or theory to explain many phenomena that cannot be otherwise explained, more so in the field of Psychiatry and Medicine.

THE KALA AFGHANA BRIGADE 

At least we can say the Kala Afghana Brigade is not in touch with Scientific findings.  

Despite this they claim to be thinkers who prescribe to REASON, LOGIC and CRITICAL THINKING.  They don’t seem to be looking at what Science has to say about the area of REINCARNATION/REBIRTH.  Probably REASON, LOGIC and CRITICAL THINKING is used when it suits them to mislead the Sangat and damage long standing Sikh tenets and accepted practices.

Thus it is no surprise that Baljeet Rajpura was unable to provide any support for his FALSE CLAIM.

These are ideas thought out (rather dreamt up) by “das pardia ਦਸ ਪੜਿਆ” policeman, Mr Kala Afghana the Guru of the Kala Afghana Brigade, to damage the long standing tenets and practices of Sikhi.  

Does this not surprise you that they are unable to substantiate their claim?  

It is surprising that many well educated people, including PhD’s, have been indoctrinated into the Kala Afghana Brigade on the GUISE of REASON, LOGIC and CRITICAL THINKING!  

On the lighter side what some say i.e. Permanent head Damage may be the case in this instance.

What a gentleman said on Facebook, “So called professors, best examples of, ‘LITTLE KNOWLEDGE’ is a dangerous thing” seems to be apt in this case.

CONCLUSION

From the above references it can generally be concluded that scientific research has found, that there is case for reincarnation as a hypothesis or theory to explain many phenomena that cannot be explained, more so in the field of Psychiatry and Medicine.

This is in agreement with what Gurbani espouses. 

The Kala Afghana Brigade through their “new age” parcharaks are making FALSE CLAIMS and misleading the Sangat.

It is surprising that many well educated people, including PhD’s, have been indoctrinated into the Kala Afghana Brigade using the GUISE of REASON, LOGIC and CRITICAL THINKING!  

Have they been misguided?

Do we still want to go and listen to the DISTORTED and FALSE Gurbani preaching and join this misguided pack?  

Thank You.  ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਕਾ ਖਾਲਸਾ  ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਕੀ ਫਤਹਿ

… to be continued

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