Reincarnate: carnate means flesh. The word reincarnate means to "reenter the flesh." We Hindus believe the soul is immortal and keeps reentering a fleshy body time and time again in order to resolve experiences and thereby learn all the lessons life in the material world has to offer.

There have been many recorded out-of-the-body experiences. These have been researched by scientists, psychiatrists and parapsychologists during the last decade and documented in some very good books. Even science is discovering reincarnation.

Yes, we Hindus believe in reincarnation. To us, it explains the natural way the soul evolves from immaturity to spiritual illumination. I myself have had many lives before this one and expect to have more. Finally, when I have it all worked out and all the lessons have been learned, I will attain mukti. This means I will still exist but no longer be pulled back to incarnate in a physical body.

When the soul leaves the physical body never to return, the soul does not die but lives on in another subtle body called the astral body. The astral body lives on another plane of consciousness called the astral plane. Here we continue to have experiences until we are reborn again in another physical body as a baby. The soul chooses a home and a family which can best fulfill its next step of maturation. Hindus understand the natural growth of all humans as they experience evolution because they know these facts. After enlightenment, however, we do not have to re-experience the baseness of human existence but go on in evolution in our other bodies. As an example: After we graduate from school we don't have to-nor do we want to-re-enroll in the fifth grade. We are beyond that in understanding.

The above Information is Courtesy of Gurudeva Sivaya Subramuniyaswami at:Gurudeva@HinduismToday.kauai.hi.us

PS.HINDUS RESPECT ALL OTHER FAITHS,BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT ALL RELIGIONS LEAD TO GOD. GOD MAY HAVE DIFFERENT NAMES, BUT THERE IS STILL ONE GOD.