A scientist who offers interesting evidence for reincarnation
Dilip Kumar and Vyjayanthimala fans would remember the old film Madhumati. The pained voice of the tragedy king of the 1960s calling out, "Madhu!" and Vyjayanthimala appearing smilingly in each of the hero's lifetimes as the same woman reincarnated as his wife. Okay, said the more analytical viewers, we have heard of the seven-lifetime bond between couples. It is a part of the Hindu belief system and is alluded to in Bollywood all the time. But why was it necessary for his wife to look exactly the same in every incarnation? The answer, my friend, seems to be blowing at us from an unexpected direction. Dr. Walter Semkiw, a practicing medical doctor in the U.S., has just penned a book "Born Again", released this past week in New Delhi. Among his propositions is the assertion that the physical traits, apart from personality and talents, are passed on through lifetimes. The work, published by Ritana Books and released in tandem with the ongoing Second World Congress on Regression and Past-Life Therapy in New Delhi, has been put together after considerable research and interviews of people believed to be reincarnations of famous personalities and mediums said to be capable of psychic feats.
IS SEEING BELIEVING? Pictures from Semkiw's book showing Jaya Bachchan (left) and Sonia Gandhi (far right) in their current and past incarnations
That the book was launched in India is a matter of happiness for the author, who considers this country "a leader in spirituality" and feels it can play a major role in propagating the belief in reincarnation. The findings, though, have a tendency to trouble both those who have never believed in anything but one earthly life, and those who have always taken for granted that our life is just a small part of the long journey of transmigration undertaken by the soul. It is naturally upsetting, agrees Semkiw, for people to see a theory they never had to bother with till now, suddenly backed up by empirical evidence. As for the believers, to have a part of one's spiritual belief system exposed so glaringly to the spotlight, dissected, documented and cross-referenced, is not such a comfortable feeling either.
But, says Semkiw, who earlier published "The Return of the Revolutionaries: The Case for Reincarnation and Soul Groups Reunited", his aim really is to start a revolution in the realm of thought. "Basically spirituality is in the Middle Ages," he says. "The last big development was Mohammed and the Quran." Contrast that with developments in science, he points out, and it is clear that dogmas have replaced the search for truth. "People all over the world accept science because it is based on fact," says Semkiw, who reminds us that Galileo was imprisoned by the Christian Church for his findings on the solar system, yet later his views were accepted the world over. He also asserts, "My overall strategy is to change the consciousness of people to stop fighting."
Towards oneness
The premise is simple enough: If we all realise that we may return to this world as a person of the opposite sex, belonging to another religion, country, race, etc., we would realise we are all one and not persecute each other. Also, once we know we have to return, we might not make such a mess of the planet. The last assumption makes one wonder, though. If such were the case, the countries with a majority population believing in reincarnation should be closer to paradise on earth. They, however, don't seem to have lost the `apres moi la deluge' syndrome.
Anyway, to help publicise his findings, Semkiw was advised to research into the past lives of celebrities, since everybody gets attracted to stories of famous people.For Indians, it may be of interest to know that Amitabh Bachchan is said to be the reincarnation of Edwin Booth, a great actor of Victorian times ? "The Big B of his era" says Semkiw. Jaya Bachchan, he found to be the reincarnation of Mary McVickers, wife of Booth. And film star Rekha, whose name has been closely linked with Bachchan, is said to be Mary Devlin Booth reborn. Who was Mary? Booth's first wife, who died within a few years of the marriage! There are other interesting findings, or hypotheses: Sonia Gandhi was once Lucy Hale, who was engaged to the man who assassinated Abraham Lincoln, J.K. Rowling is Charles Dickens reincarnated. Semkiw's intention is not to set the cat among the pigeons as he points out the mission statement in the book: "To make violence obsolete,/To make our oneness known/To help create a civilization/We return to with Joy,/On Planet Earth,/Our Terrestrial home."
Source: http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/mp/2006/0 ... 350100.htm
