Talk:Time taken for a Jīva to be reborn

By Vishal Agarwal

According to Hindu scriptures and modern research, there is no fixed time that elapses between death and rebirth because there are numerous factors that determine this duration,

People wish to know the exact period that elapses from the time of leaving the body and being born again... Now, there is no definite period of time in this matter. In main two factors decide this issue viz., the nature of the individual Karma and the last impression before death. It may vary from hundreds of years to a few months even. Those that work out some of their Karmas in other planes in subtler regions, take a considerable time before entering a fresh body. The interval is very long, for a year of the earth period passes off as a single day on the celestial plane... A very sensual individual with strong craving or one with intense attachment sometimes is reborn quickly. Also in cases where life is cut short by a violent death or a sudden unexpected accident, the Jīva resumes the thread very soon.

“…..there is no definite time period for how long it may take between death and another physical birth. It depends on many factors, which mostly evolve around the person’s karma and the last impressions in one’s mind at the time of death. For some who have intense material attachments or cravings, they may be ready to enter another body right away. So, they may take another birth within a few days after death. This is especially the case when children die young and are ready to proceed to the next life. For others, they may need to work out a good portion of their karma in subtle realms, even in regions of heaven or hell. However, these also consist of a life after death but in the subtle dimensions. This can take some considerable time, even many years, before they are ready for another birth in the Earthly realm. Of course, I mean time as measured in Earthly years since years on the celestial regions are much longer. People who have done many pious activities can spend much time in the higher regions before they use up their good karma after which they will be born on Earth again. Those who are spiritually advanced may spend many years in the higher dimensions before ever taking birth again in the Earthly realm, or may never have to return at all and merely progress further along in higher and heavenly realms. They may simply progress through higher and higher realms of being until they are released from material existence altogether. Yet, sometimes such advanced souls will take birth on Earth and accept a human form with a mission to work for the upliftment of society in general.”

The time interval between two lives is apparently shorter where the subject had died a violent death. Another factor often ignored is the fact that according to Hindu tradition, time moves at a different speed in different realms-

Ten years of the earth plane is equal to ten days for the Devas in heaven.

Modern studies by a parapsychologist have this to say about the duration of time between two lives- “The interval between the previous personality’s death and the subject’s birth is usually less than three years. In 616 cases from ten different cultures, Stevenson found that the median interval was fifteen months although Stevenson says that in the cases he has examined, the intermission length varies from a few hours to more than twenty years.”