I used to think so once upon a time until I started to read quantum physics theories and saw some of the experiments for myself. It has become a scary fact to scientists that ‘consciousness’ not in the sense of being awake or unconscious in a physical sense but the primal awareness or being, what they term the observer (you) exists somewhere nonlocal in a quantum state. The physical body is only a vehicle which that I AM is using. The brain is only a computer designed to help you navigate this world. Till date they can not find where memories are actually stored. Case in point, your brain like everything else in your body entirely regenerates (save for the neurons in the cerebral cortex) the neurons in rest of your brain regenerate. The cerebral cortex is not where memories are actually stored either by the way. Processing seems to begin in the prefrontal cortex, however that part of your brain right now, is NOT the same prefrontal cortex you had years ago. Every single cell has been changed out.
In any case quantum physics has now shown that consciousness or an observer exists outside the physical which must exist outside the physical, in order for the physical matter to even manifest. The experiments showed over and over that electrons behave as a wave otherwise and not something solid and tangible. (Ever hear of the philosophical question, if a tree falls in the forest... if there are no humans animals or insects there to witness it, did the forest even exist to have a tree which could fall?) or is reality painted through our memories and observation? Science is actually pointing to that fact! As a wave, an electron - all electrons - would not be something solid and tangible. There would be no matter. And the only thing which causes an electron to become a solid particle is conscious observation. In short, someone is watching. So who is that someone? Since our own conscious observation effects the outcome of the experiments our own consciousness must exist outside the confines of he physical - meaning our awareness must not be created BY the physical brain because the physical brain is made up of the same atoms which contain the same electrons which must be observed into existence. (Google the “measurement problem” and “double slit experiments”)
If all of our collective awarenesses or ‘I AM’ or the observer in all of us.. that only part of us which is truly who we are... the only part which exists outside of this physical manifestation is the primal being. It just IS. It is the part which is not created. In fact there is only ONE and that one is the same in ALL of us. Just like I tried to explain with a dream. In my dream i create everything, grass, the sun, characters but they are me even if I am seemingly observing only through one characters eyes. I created everything within my own consciousness and observe through one characters eyes at that moment but I really control them all, and when I wake up I realize it was a dream and that I was everything and everyone. The only part of me that was true in the dream was my I AM, my primal being or the observer. Formless consciousness created an entire world.
It’s true of this world also. And there is only one dreamer. So who exactly is transmigrating or reincarnating? When you die physically you won’t cease to exist. The body dies but the observer which is YOU will realize it was a dream and possibly go on creating new dreams. Formlessness and ONE is the base. Everything arises from ONEness. Consciousness creates matter in some beautiful play. Just like you create a dream world.
Ang 21
ਸਿਰੀਰਾਗੁ ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ॥
Sirīrāg mėhlā 1.
Siree Raag, First Mehl:
ਮਰਣੈ ਕੀ ਚਿੰਤਾ ਨਹੀ ਜੀਵਣ ਕੀ ਨਹੀ ਆਸ ॥
Marṇai kī cẖinṯā nahī jīvaṇ kī nahī ās.
I have no anxiety about dying, and no hope of living.
ਤੂ ਸਰਬ ਜੀਆ ਪ੍ਰਤਿਪਾਲਹੀ ਲੇਖੈ ਸਾਸ ਗਿਰਾਸ ॥
Ŧū sarab jī▫ā parṯipālahī lekẖai sās girās.
You are the Cherisher of all beings; You keep the account of our breaths and morsels of food.
ਅੰਤਰਿ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਤੂ ਵਸਹਿ ਜਿਉ ਭਾਵੈ ਤਿਉ ਨਿਰਜਾਸਿ ॥੧॥
Anṯar gurmukẖ ṯū vasėh ji▫o bẖāvai ṯi▫o nirjās. ||1||
You abide within the Gurmukh. As it pleases You, You decide our allotment. ||1||
ਜੀਅਰੇ ਰਾਮ ਜਪਤ ਮਨੁ ਮਾਨੁ ॥
Jī▫are rām japaṯ man mān.
O my soul, chant the Name of the Lord; the mind will be pleased and appeased.
ਅੰਤਰਿ ਲਾਗੀ ਜਲਿ ਬੁਝੀ ਪਾਇਆ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਗਿਆਨੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Anṯar lāgī jal bujẖī pā▫i▫ā gurmukẖ gi▫ān. ||1|| rahā▫o.
The raging fire within is extinguished; the Gurmukh obtains spiritual wisdom. ||1||Pause||
ਅੰਤਰ ਕੀ ਗਤਿ ਜਾਣੀਐ ਗੁਰ ਮਿਲੀਐ ਸੰਕ ਉਤਾਰਿ ॥
Anṯar kī gaṯ jāṇī▫ai gur milī▫ai sank uṯār.
Know the state of your inner being; meet with the Guru and get rid of your skepticism.
ਮੁਇਆ ਜਿਤੁ ਘਰਿ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਿਤੁ ਜੀਵਦਿਆ ਮਰੁ ਮਾਰਿ ॥
Mu▫i▫ā jiṯ gẖar jā▫ī▫ai ṯiṯ jīvḏi▫ā mar mār.
To reach your True Home after you die, you must conquer death while you are still alive.
ਅਨਹਦ ਸਬਦਿ ਸੁਹਾਵਣੇ ਪਾਈਐ ਗੁਰ ਵੀਚਾਰਿ ॥੨॥
Anhaḏ sabaḏ suhāvaṇe pā▫ī▫ai gur vīcẖār. ||2||
The beautiful, Unstruck Sound of the Shabad is obtained, contemplating the Guru. ||2||
ਅਨਹਦ ਬਾਣੀ ਪਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਹਉਮੈ ਹੋਇ ਬਿਨਾਸੁ ||
Anhaḏ baṇī pā▫ī▫ai ṯah ha▫umai ho▫e binās.
The Unstruck Melody of Gurbani is obtained, and egotism is eliminated.
ਸਤਗੁਰੁ ਸੇਵੇ ਆਪਣਾ ਹਉ ਸਦ ਕੁਰਬਾਣੈ ਤਾਸੁ ॥
Saṯgur seve āpṇā ha▫o saḏ kurbāṇai ṯās.
I am forever a sacrifice to those who serve their True Guru.
ਖੜਿ ਦਰਗਹ ਪੈਨਾਈਐ ਮੁਖਿ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥
Kẖaṛ ḏargėh painā▫ī▫ai mukẖ har nām nivās. ||3||
They are dressed in robes of honor in the Court of the Lord; the Name of the Lord is on their lips. ||3||
ਜਹ ਦੇਖਾ ਤਹ ਰਵਿ ਰਹੇ ਸਿਵ ਸਕਤੀ ਕਾ ਮੇਲੁ ॥
Jah ḏekẖā ṯah rav rahe siv sakṯī kā mel.
Wherever I look, I see the Lord pervading there, in the union of Shiva and Shakti, of consciousness and matter.
ਤ੍ਰਿਹੁ ਗੁਣ ਬੰਧੀ ਦੇਹੁਰੀ ਜੋ ਆਇਆ ਜਗਿ ਸੋ ਖੇਲੁ ॥
Ŧarihu guṇ banḏẖī ḏehurī jo ā▫i▫ā jag so kẖel.
The three qualities hold the body in bondage; whoever comes into the world is subject to their play.
ਵਿਜੋਗੀ ਦੁਖਿ ਵਿਛੁੜੇ ਮਨਮੁਖਿ ਲਹਹਿ ਨ ਮੇਲੁ ॥੪॥
vijogī ḏukẖ vicẖẖuṛe manmukẖ lahėh na mel. ||4||
Those who separate themselves from the Lord wander lost in misery. The self-willed manmukhs do not attain union with Him. ||4||
ਮਨੁ ਬੈਰਾਗੀ ਘਰਿ ਵਸੈ ਸਚ ਭੈ ਰਾਤਾ ਹੋਇ ॥
Man bairāgī gẖar vasai sacẖ bẖai rāṯā ho▫e.
If the mind becomes balanced and detached, and comes to dwell in its own true home, imbued with the Fear of God,
ਗਿਆਨ ਮਹਾਰਸੁ ਭੋਗਵੈ ਬਾਹੁੜਿ ਭੂਖ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥
Gi▫ān mahāras bẖogvai bāhuṛ bẖūkẖ na ho▫e.
then it enjoys the essence of supreme spiritual wisdom; it shall never feel hunger again.
ਨਾਨਕ ਇਹੁ ਮਨੁ ਮਾਰਿ ਮਿਲੁ ਭੀ ਫਿਰਿ ਦੁਖੁ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੫॥੧੮॥
Nānak ih man mār mil bẖī fir ḏukẖ na ho▫e. ||5||18||
O Nanak, conquer and subdue this mind; meet with the Lord, and you shall never again suffer in pain. ||5||18||
It’s obvious to me that ‘conquering death while alive’ can only mean true knowledge that death is not the end. The body obviously dies. If we continue to think we are only the body then how can we truly contemplate what it means to exist beyond it? Once you know with full understanding that YOU are NOTA just a body, then you have conquered death because you know it’s just part of the same illusion. You gain spiritual wisdom. The ‘true home’ is beyond the physical, it’s the primal formless ONEness and being. The understanding of how reality works, union of Shiva and Shakthi (creation and destruction) of consciousness and matter. Gurbani already gave us the same knowledge that the quantum physics experiments mentioned above only learned hundreds of years later. That there is an intrinsic relation where consciousness is a catalyst of creation and destruction of matter (the very fabric of physical reality). Once you know this, and understand the OBSERVER, knowing the state of your inner being, then death is conquered because you see that it was all a dream and you were the dreamer.
So no I don’t believe in soul jumping as traditional reincarnation or transmigration says... but yes I do believe in existence beyond the physical.
