Reincarnation in America : an esoteric history / Lee Irwin.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Irwin, Lee, 1944- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Reincarnation.

Physical Description:

xxvi, 447 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Lanham, Maryland : Lexington Books, an imprint of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc., [2017]

Summary:

Reincarnation in America: An Esoteric History surveys the complex history of reincarnation theories across multiple fields of discourse in a pre-American context, ranging from early Greek traditions to Medieval Christian theories, Renaissance esotericism, and European Kabbalah, all of which had adherents who brought those theories to America. In more contemporary American context, rebirth theories in regression therapy, childhood past-life memories, and new esoteric paradigms have been profoundly impacted by paranormal research. These theories are shown to be increasingly diverse and often disjunctive with mainstream religious beliefs even though members of conventional religions frequently affirm the possibility of rebirth. These vital belief patterns cuts across a wide spectrum of social, cultural, and scientific domains in a long, complex history not reducible to any specific theoretical explanation. This book emphasizes cross-disciplinary and multicultural research, linking religious studies perspectives with emergent science-based discoveries. Its underlying thesis is to demonstrate the cultural influences that inform contemporary reincarnation theories and to chronicle the gradual shift away from religious theories of rebirth to new theories that are uniquely therapeutic and transtraditional. Book jacket.

Contents:

Part I Pre-American Theories of Reincarnation 1

1 Indigenous Traditions in the Americas 3

2 Native Theories of Reincarnation 21

3 Greek Theories of Metempsychosis 37

4 Roman Rebirth and Neoplatonism 53

5 Medieval Christian Theories of Rebirth 75

6 Renaissance Kabbalah and Christian Esotericism 97

Part II American Reincarnation 117

7 Esotericism and American Transcendentalism 119

8 African and the Afro-Caribbean Synthesis 143

9 Spiritualism and Theosophical Regeneration 167

10 Occult Sciences, Freemasons, and Rosicrucians 185

11 Asian Influences and Pan-Indian Theories 209

12 American Buddhist Counternarratives 233

13 Christian Esoteric Theories of Rebirth 255

Part III Post-American Reincarnation 277

14 Altered States and American Eclecticism 279

15 Popular Media and Past-Life Narratives 295

16 Paranormal Sciences and Retrocognition 319

17 Regression Therapy and Case Studies 343

18 Out of Body Meets Near Death 361

19 Contemporary Speculative Models 381

20 The Metaspectral Highway 393.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Other Format:

Online version: Irwin, Lee, 1944- author. Reincarnation in America

ISBN:

9781498554077

1498554075

OCLC:

985604011

Publisher Number:

99973633044