Is Reincarnation Even Possible?

Read the previous post in the Behind The Scenes series: The Seduction Of History.

“Is reincarnation even possible?” This was the question that gripped me as soon as the concept became a possible choice among history-related themes for my plot. Strangely, it was also the reason I finally chose reincarnation as one of the dominant themes for my novel.

Reincarnation, in a nutshell, is being re-born in a different physical body after the biological death of an organism. It literally means “entering the flesh again”. The concept is prevalent in many Indian religions, and to a limited extent in Abrahamic religions like Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Hindu mythology is replete with instances of reincarnation and its correlation with karma.

I normally attempt to lend a degree of credibility and realism to my fiction writing, so I was naturally bent upon ensuring that choosing the concept of reincarnation did in no way rob my story of realism to the extent that it would read more like fantasy fiction. A bit of research and my own residual beliefs in the concept (try living in Indian society without being exposed ad nauseum to such concepts!) did enough to assure me that the concept was plausible, if not verifiable.

Now, the very fact that the concept of reincarnation tread the fine line between unverifiable history and fiction bordering on realism was in itself a strong reason for me to use it as a theme. It afforded the cushion of empirical information in the form of historical stories, yet had immense scope for stretching the limits of credibility and imagination, and tease the reader with did-you-think-this-was-possible scenes in the plot.

From a paranormal author’s viewpoint, what was particularly lip-smacking was the whole range of possibilities when you think of a human soul lying dormant for centuries after the death of its current physical body, drifting across space and time agelessly and entering a human body again at a time and location of its choice.

Add to this a powerful motive to be re-born, to the extent that it’s inevitable, and the plot becomes a delightful tease between the realistic and the incredible, the mundane and the horrifying, the mortal and the ageless.

So, do you believe in reincarnation? Do you love to read reincarnation fiction? Does it give you the butterflies? Or, is it one more unsubstantiated concept masked in history as mythology? Write in.

Coming soon: the next post in the Behind The Scenes series.