Reincarnation cannot exist because there are to many people alive?

[James J]

Because we don't remember our "previous lives" and theres 0 scientific proof of it actually existing, it doesn't look good for the people who believe in such things as souls etc.

Consciousness was just an adaptation via natural selection to enable our species to learn faster and create very complex social interactions due to us have 0 natural defences against potential predators. If your DNA can't find a way to improve you physically to avoid death, it gives you the tools to out think the situation instead.

Some species have genetic learning, thats something you can actually measure compared to this soul idea. Until theres actual proof of it, I'll remain a pure none believer as science has more answers than religion (as usual) when it comes to this so far.

 

[Rainmaker]

Because we don't remember our "previous lives" and theres 0 scientific proof of it actually existing, it doesn't look good for the people who believe in such things as souls etc.

Consciousness was just an adaptation via natural selection to enable our species to learn faster and create very complex social interactions due to us have 0 natural defences against potential predators. If your DNA can't find a way to improve you physically to avoid death, it gives you the tools to out think the situation instead.

Some species have genetic learning, thats something you can actually measure compared to this soul idea. Until theres actual proof of it, I'll remain a pure none believer as science has more answers than religion (as usual) when it comes to this so far.

But if science is simply the machine looking at itself, how can it possibly comprehend anything outside of itself? We could be a spec of dirt under someone's fingernail and never know any different, let alone the idea of other realities or "spiritual" dimensions we have no access to as alluded to in theoretical physics.

Genetic learning is awesome though, especially how it's proven that some species of reptile can be exposed to a 'frightening' or 'threatening' stimulus and its subsequent offspring will then also be strongly averse to it (eg strawberry aroma) whereas the rest of the species is not.

 

[James J]

But if science is simply the machine looking at itself, how can it possibly comprehend anything outside of itself? We could be a spec of dirt under someone's fingernail and never know any different, let alone the idea of other realities or "spiritual" dimensions we have no access to as alluded to in theoretical physics.

Genetic learning is awesome though, especially how it's proven that some species of reptile can be exposed to a 'frightening' or 'threatening' stimulus and its subsequent offspring will then also be strongly averse to it (eg strawberry aroma) whereas the rest of the species is not.

I know what your saying and science has even proved the existance of alternate dimensions due to how protons react (basically the same proton being in 2 different places at the same time, which sounds impossible but its not). These will most likely be very similar to the one we are in though as its only protons taking a different "path", changing events etc. I sat in a lecture recently about this effect and cancer being potentially linked as a cause of the mutation of DNA lol.

However even this doesn't prove the existance of a soul, the corporeal/spiritual realm etc. The fact we live in a technological society but even ghosts haven't been proved yet is another nail in the coffin to be fair.

In regards to your grain of dirt comment, we have the technology to look at that grain in extremely good detail, break it down into its core elements and even tell you how old it is and what it can be used for. You can go to a uni lab and see these technologies for yourself, yet you can't go anywhere to see proof of a soul.

 

[Rroff]

I wouldn't bet my life on the whole soul thing - but I certainly consider it for now as having strong potential merit.

 

[James J]

Plus maths can predict everything and has done so far without fail, unless we havent worked out how the math works in relation to something (quantum gravity being the only example I can think of)

Example= electron orbits (S,P,D,F etc) = its pure maths which is accurate enough to make extremely advanced electrical technology like computer chips

 

[Skeeter]

Jeese, what have I started!

 

[Radiation]

What about astral projection? isn't that some sort of evidence we are more than just physical? as many people have independently had similar experiences, you could just say its all in the brain and maybe it is but it doesn't explain why people seem to experience the things they do, like energy vibrations, chakras, an astral cord that connects their physical and non physical body's, or their interaction with matter while astral, like i've read while they can pass through walls there is some resistance, or if they get close to electrical wires and devices there is a force there acting on them, how would you explain such things if people experienced it without ever know about the subject and later finding their experiences match up?

 

[Nitefly]

Some species have genetic learning, thats something you can actually measure compared to this soul idea.

Genetic learning is awesome though, especially how it's proven that some species of reptile can be exposed to a 'frightening' or 'threatening' stimulus and its subsequent offspring will then also be strongly averse to it (eg strawberry aroma) whereas the rest of the species is not.

I have never heard of this 'genetic learning' - can anybody provide me with some corresponding journals please?

 

[Orcish-Horde]

Im lacking some knowledge to be able to work out wether a theory a guy at work came up with could be true, so im hoping that OcUK can help me out.

He stated that reincarnation could not be possible because if you take the start of the world as being from the bible (dont know when this is, 6000 years or something isnt it?) then there are now more people alive on the planet than there are dead people who have lived since the start of time using the bible start time. Meaning we cannot all be reincarnations as there are not enough dead souls to populate the live ones.

I suppose this is some sort of complicated mathematical calculation, along the lines of the growth of population being exponential and the current population being larger than the total of the preceding population.

Either way, thought it was an interesting theory, but I dont know how you would work it out.

What makes you think that you would be reincarnated as a person? If there was such a thing as reincarnation.

 

[semi-pro waster]

Jeese, what have I started!

It was somewhat inevitable, you involved religion, life and death.

As has been stated your friends theory is nonsense for a variety of reasons but not least because it starts from a flawed premise (or multiple flawed premises). He might mean that there are more people alive today than at any point in human history prior to this i.e. the Worlds population is still expanding so that will remain the case if you take the measurements year on year but there are certainly not more people alive currently than have ever lived.

 

[Rainmaker]

I have never heard of this 'genetic learning' - can anybody provide me with some corresponding journals please?

I'll have a dig around for you today mate. It's something I read quite a few years ago (back when I had 60+ pythons and boas, monitor lizards and 'pet shop' breeder lizards)... The general gist was (from memory, so I won't be totally accurate here), that the researchers exposed gravid lizards to a non-natural stimulus in a threatening way. That is, they made an unnatural aroma appear threatening.

Once the offspring were hatched, they displayed a strong averse reaction to the stimulus the parents had been exposed to, even when presented with it in a neutral (non-threatening) way. Obviously being an unnatural stimulus there was no other explanation than a 'genetic memory' effect, and no control animals were averse to the scent. It was interesting stuff.

I also seem to remember something about painting eggs with certain unnatural scents and the offspring being crazy for foods containing that scent, but now my memory really is fogging up on me. To the books!...

 

[I get around]

Go in ground, wormfood.
Just accept it.

Thats what I say anyway.