This isn't the one about where we get more souls so don't worry.

If someone were to die and be their soul was 'transfered' into another living thing - say an animal. Would that animal still retain the personality and intelligence of the person who died? And vice versa with an animal into a human (if animals have souls in that aspect)?

If not then what would be the point of transfering over?

Reincarnation doesn't have set tenets, it is a generic term.

^I think we can agree that the soul is reborn into something else, yes?

the whole reincarnation thing is something im not very well educated on...but being a human, like the people who probably thought this up(yea still atheist), surely you wouldnt retain ALL of 'animal self' when you transcend, however this would explain how and why some people are strongly draw to horses or dogs or whatever...but seriously most people, regardless of age (so dont start that shit about as you age you forget)dont drag their ass across the carpet because it itches(dogs), most people cant have sex sixty times in one hour (lions) and most importantly, MOST people dont try to store nuts in their mouths (name a rodent)

this goes both ways... most animals dont try to tell you how to drive while they are riding in the back seat(name a domesticated pet) most animals dont try to preach morals but instead can only mimic (different breads of parrots)

now to take the offensive to your post: that would explain why some people are sly, murderous, horny, strongwinded, whatever. perhaps their former animal coutnerparts have passed along subconscience traits, which this also goes the other way from human to animal, why dogs make such good pets or whatever, they are grasping the life they used to know.

surely someone else can delve into this much deeper with some kind of scientific research or religious type study....thats just my thinking on the matter

What I meant is that reincarnation is a verb, and that the belief in it only means the belief that it happens in general and doesn't require the belief in any specific tenets or ideas.

I understand what you mean and perhaps in retrospect 'tenet' was the wrong word choice.

But reincarnation does entail "rebirth of the soul in another body." [sic]*

*Dictionary definition.

[This message has been edited by Paradise Lost (edited 10-30-2005).]

The point of believing in reincarnation is the belief that the soul is eternal. That's the only thing that would be transferred(according to the few people I've talked to who actually believe in reincarnation).

My impression is that personality or "soul" would transfer, not intelligence, and then would be added to instinct for an animal, and added to human nature for a person. I don't believe in it, but I know a bunch of people who do.

Yeah I see what you mean PL, but when you say transferred into another body, would that mean your "soul" is transferred into the body of an unborn child/animal?

Would the unborn fetus have no soul, and the reincarnated one takes the place?

Technically, I think the idea of a human soul moving to an animal's body is transubstantiation. Be that as it may. . . .

In some cases, abilities, tastes, or fears acquired in one lifetime may be transferred to the present lifetime. I had a cient who had a phobia regarding fire in general and cremation in particular--the fact that she could not account for this probably bothered her more than the fear itself. i did a past life reading for her, and it turned out that in a previous life, she and her entire family had died in a fire.

When she learned that, she transcended the phobia.

I have a fear of spiders I cannot explain. Was my former family killed by a nest of giant mutant arachnids, or something?