REINCARNATION AND METEMPSYCHOSIS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2525, 11 June 1909, Page 5

REINCARNATION AND METEMPSYCHOSIS.

(To the Editor.)

Sir, I, among, others, was surprised to learn through your columns, on Monday morning, that one of our local ministers apparently does not understand reincarnation but has confounded it with metempsychosis. With your 'kind permission, sir, I would like to offer an explanation for the benefit or vour readers and those who listened to the reverend gentleman on_ Sunday evening last. Reincarnation is the belief that the immortal soul, or ego, of man has lived in human bodies many times previous to his present life, and? will be reborn, or incarnated in human bodies many times in the future inorder to give full experience obtainable on this planet- and until the perfect- man is reached. Metempsychosis, on the other hand, is applied only to animals taking our forms. Some encylopoedias have given Um meaning, as “passing after death into the body of some animal,” and thus misunderstood the doctrine of the passing from one human -form into another.. It doubtless arose from the theory which has great authority behind it, that the physical atoms will pass after death and the flight of the soul, into animal forms if the lire of the man been low and animallike, for every atom in the body is impressed with the actual character of t-ne person, and further, it was taught that a man having thus misused the atoms in his charge would reap bad. karma, i.e., the effect of the causes he «et going in the life or lives previously lived. From this arose the doctrine with the unlearned that men s souls passed into animal forms of different kinds as a nenalty for wrong doingHoping the above will clear away, themisunderstanding, and thanking you m anticipation.—l am. etc. “A HUMBLE STUDENT OF THEOSOPHY, or THE WISDOM RELIGION.”