Customer Reviews

Reincarnation: The Phoenix Fire Mystery : An East-West Dialogue on Death and Rebirth from the Worlds of Religion, Science, Psychology, Philosophy

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I first encountered this book as a textbook for a class taught by Dr. H.P. French at Monroe Community College in Rochester, NY. He used the book for a history class entitled "History of Reincarnation". The class was a combination of history, comparative religion, and philosophical thought and it was positively fascinating. I have re-read this book many times over the years, and I refer to it frequently. Whether you believe in reincarnation or not, I think this is essential reading on the subject and it will help you to understand the various perspectives on the idea of rebirth after death. The authors cover everything from Zoroastrianism to Hinduism to modern Western thought on the subject. This will be a wonderful addition to your library.

This is not just a book..it's an experience that takes the reader on an incredible journey through time and history..and beyond! It's about humankind and its fantastic, diverse spiritual development through the ages, but at the same time also about each and every one of us personally, whoever and wherever we may be.
The writing is so clear, the content so spell-binding and the consequences so mind-boggling I was profoundly immersed in it for weeks.
Sorry Amazon, this one I'll keep forever..to start re-reading soon!

What do all the following people have in common? Moses, Siddhartha Gautama, Pythagoras, Socrates, Plato, Jesus of Nazareth, St. Augustine, St. Francis, Leonardo da Vinci, Benjamin Franklin, Charles Dickens, Louisa May Alcott, Arthur Conan Doyle, Walt Whitman, Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Kahlil Gibran, Charles Lindbergh, Thomas Edison, Edgar Cayce, Mohandas K. Gandhi and Albert Schweitzer.

They all know that they have lived before.

In my early twenties, I collected and read practically every book available on the subject of reincarnation.

This Phoenix Fire Mystery book is without a doubt the BEST book on the subject. If you don't know anything about reincarnation, if you want an introduction to the subject, or if you want a comprehensive overview of the subject throughout history, READ THIS BOOK.

It's a real page-turner.

When you want to find out where some of the most interesting ideas on the planet came from, this book will help you out. I didn't agree with everything I read in it, but I still loved it. What a great overview of some of the most original thinking of our time.

My copy is copyrighted 1979 and its spine is broken in one place. It has several posted notes in places that I especially like, and now the pages have turned that odd shade of brownish yellow that inexpensive paper turns when it is old. I must have bought it used because it has someone's notes other than mine.

I would suggest this book to anyone interested in reincarnation and the history of the idea worldwide, but also for those who suffer because past life memories are breaking through in their dreams and meditations.This goes particularly for the those who happen to be Christians and remember past lives. You don't have to leave Jesus Christ nor forsake your trust in the Father, to believe. It is the Churches that demand orthodoxy that are the problem. Instead, read Origen and the Gnostics, especially what is known about the Cathar Christians who willingly suffered death instead of recanting.There were Christian communities that did believe.

It isn't easy, even today, to be in the West and know that this isn't your first life. It was harder in 1979 but knowing the immortality of my own soul made me a stronger person and I do not regret my insights. Once you read the words of people who believed -no, KNEW that they had lived before, you will know you walk in good company and you are not alone. It is also a book full of great prose and soaring poetry, enjoy!
The soul is immortal and does not die.

How do the various religions of the world relate to reincarnation? It is amazing....loved the in depth study of reincarnation throughout history and our religions....