Reincarnation in Spiritism is the natural law by which the immortal Spirit is reborn into a new body, as many times as necessary, to continue its evolution. It is not a punishment or a game of chance: it is the opportunity that each one receives to learn, repair, and grow, life after life, until reaching moral perfection.
This article explains what reincarnation is according to Allan Kardec, why we are reborn, the difference between mission, trial, and expiation, and how the law of cause and effect gives meaning to life's inequalities. Along the path, it also debunks some common myths about the theme.
What is reincarnation in Spiritism
In Spiritism, the body is merely the temporary garment of the Spirit, which is the true being, immortal and created by God. When the body dies, the Spirit does not cease to exist: it simply disconnects from matter and, later, is born again in a new body. We call this return to physical life reincarnation.
Allan Kardec addressed the theme in The Spirits' Book, in the chapter on the plurality of existences. The central idea is simple: a single life is too short to explain everything we are, and insufficient for the Spirit to reach perfection. There are many lives, linked together, each one adding to what we have already been.
The Spirit does not start from zero at each birth. It brings with it the progress already achieved, in the form of tendencies, aptitudes, and consciousness itself. This is why there are children who are naturally good and talents that seem to come "from the cradle".
Why we reincarnate
Reincarnation exists because of a greater law: the law of progress. No Spirit was created perfect. All are born simple and ignorant, and walk, over time, toward moral and intellectual perfection. This path would not fit into a single life.
We reincarnate, then, for several reasons that add up:
- To learn: each existence brings lessons that the previous one did not manage to teach.
- To repair: what we did wrong can be corrected in new opportunities.
- To serve: helping others and contributing to the collective good also makes the Spirit grow.
This process has an end. When the Spirit reaches fulfillment and no longer needs matter to evolve, it becomes a pure Spirit and the need to reincarnate ceases. Until then, rebirth is a blessing, not a punishment.
Reincarnation, resurrection, and metempsychosis are not the same thing
Many people confuse reincarnation with other similar ideas. It is worth separating each one:
- Reincarnation: the Spirit returns in a new body, in a new life, to continue evolving. This is what Spiritism teaches.
- Resurrection: the return of the Spirit to the same body that had died. Spiritism does not defend this in the literal sense.
- Metempsychosis (or transmigration): the belief that the human Spirit could be reborn in an animal body, as a punishment. Spiritism rejects this idea: the Spirit never regresses.
This last point is important. In the spiritist doctrine, evolution is a ladder that only goes up. A human Spirit never reincarnates as an animal, because that would be regressing, and the law of progress does not regress. See more about the subject in the entry on reincarnation.
Mission, trial and expiation
No reincarnation happens by chance. Before being reborn, and with the help of higher Spirits, each one chooses, within certain limits, the type of life they will live. There are three great reasons for an incarnation:
- Mission: More advanced Spirits who return to help humanity in teaching, science, and charity. It is the minority.
- Trial: life chosen as a test, a chance to exercise virtues and overcome weaknesses. Difficulties accepted on purpose, to mature.
- Expiation: the most common reason. The Spirit reincarnates to redeem debts from the past, repairing for good the evil they did in other lives.
Understanding this changes the perspective on suffering. A pain that seems meaningless may be a trial accepted by the Spirit itself, or a redemption that it itself asked to perform. Not as one who pays a sentence, but as one who wants to free themselves from an old weight.
The law of cause and effect
Linked to reincarnation is the law of cause and effect, also called the law of action and reaction, or, in popular language, sowing and reaping. It says that every action has a consequence: the good we do returns as good, the evil we do returns as a learning to repair. In this life or another.
It is this law that gives meaning to the inequalities that cause so much outrage. Why is one child born in a golden cradle and another in misery? Why do some have health and others carry diseases from an early age? Without reincarnation, this would seem like an injustice from God. With it, each situation begins to be understood as a stage of a long path, in which no one is privileged nor forgotten.
The law of cause and effect is not fatalism. It does not nullify free will: we choose what to plant, even though we reap what we sow. What life presents to us is a starting point, not a sentence. What we do with it is always our choice.
Those who wish to deepen this point can find much in the mediumistic work of Chico Xavier, especially in the psychographed books that narrate the backstage of reincarnations.
Why do we not remember past lives
If we have lived before, why do we not remember? Spiritism sees this forgetfulness as a mercy, not a flaw. Imagine carrying, with each birth, all the sorrows, guilt, and grudges of previous lives. It would be an unbearable weight, and it would prevent new beginnings.
The veil over the past allows us to start over with a light heart, alongside, many times, the same people with whom we had accounts to settle, now in a new chance to do things differently. Conscience, even so, keeps the lessons learned in silence, and that is why we feel affinities and repulsions that reason cannot explain.
A caution is prudent here: serious Spiritism does not promise to reveal past lives in sessions, nor does it treat "regression" as a healing formula. The focus of the doctrine is the present, inner reform, and charity. And, as with every spiritual theme, it adds to medical and psychological care, never replaces it.
Frequently asked questions
What is reincarnation in Spiritism?
It is the natural law by which the immortal Spirit is reborn in a new body to continue its evolution. The body is a temporary garment; the Spirit is the eternal being. According to Kardec, a single life would not be enough for the Spirit to learn everything and reach moral perfection, which is why it reincarnates many times.
Why do we reincarnate according to Spiritism?
We reincarnate because of the law of progress: to learn, repair errors and serve, evolving little by little toward perfection. Incarnations happen for mission, trial or expiation. When the Spirit reaches fullness and no longer needs matter, the need to reincarnate ceases.
What is the difference between reincarnation and resurrection?
In reincarnation, the Spirit returns in a new body, in another life. In resurrection, it would return to the same body it had died in. Spiritism defends reincarnation and does not accept resurrection in the literal sense, understanding that the old body has already fulfilled its role.
Can a human being reincarnate as an animal?
No. Spiritism rejects metempsychosis, the belief that someone could be reborn as an animal. Spiritual evolution only advances, it never retreats. A human Spirit never reincarnates in an animal body, because that would be a regression incompatible with the law of progress.
Why do we not remember past lives?
Forgetfulness is a mercy. If we carried all the grievances and guilt from other lives, the weight would be unbearable and new beginnings, impossible. The veil over the past allows for starting over with a light heart, even if the conscience keeps, in silence, the lessons already learned.
Where to find Spiritist books
At Joia Mística Laroyê, you find support for your study of the doctrine:
- Works by Allan Kardec: The Spirits' Book, Heaven and Hell and The Gospel According to Spiritism
- Psychographed books: classics by Chico Xavier about reincarnation and life after death
- White candles: for moments of prayer and concentration
- Cups and moringas: for fluidified water at home
Visit our shop in Extrema, Minas Gerais or talk to us via WhatsApp and we ship all over Brazil.
References
- Wikipedia: The Spirits' Book, by Allan Kardec
- Wikipedia: entry on reincarnation
