Reincarnation and the Akashic Field – A Dialogue with Ervin Laszlo
Christopher Bache, 2006
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Abstract
This article argues that Laszlo’s concept of the Akashic Field (A-fleld) does not render the concept of reincarnation either redundant or unnecessary, that reincamation is a fact of nature, something the universe is doing at this stage of its evolution. Not only is Laszlo’s theory compatible with the concept of rebirth, it actually strengthens that theory by clarifying some of the processes involved. This article presents a rationale for the belief that through reincarnation the universe is giving birth to a transpersonal individuality that does endure outside space-time and is not dissolved back into the quantum vacuum.
It is with deep respect for Ervin Laszlo’s stunning achievement in his two most recent books The Connectivity Hypothesis and Science and the Aknshic Field thatl open this dialogue with him about reincarnation and the Akashic Field. This article springs from a lively exchange in which he and I and his son, Alexander Laszlo, have been exploring whether his theory really dissolves the need for a concept of reincarnation as he first suggested. I do not think it does. To my eyes, Laszlo’s theory is not only compatible with reincarnation, it actually clarifies some of the processes involved in the cycle of rebirth.
Such a discussion throws one back at some point on one’s deepest intuitions about the direction and purpose of existence, and my intuitions in this area have been deeply influenced by tny work over many years in nonordinary states of consciousness; specifically, those states pioneered and catalogued by Stanislav Grof. Readers will appreciate the complex epistemic issues that surround extracting sound philosophical and psychological conclusions from such esoteric states, and I will not be able to address these concerns here other than to say that I am sensitive to them.l Not wishing to claim any universal waffant for these conclusions, I simply ofTer them as reflecting one person’s experience of the divine plenum, the value of which will ultimately depend on a careful comparison with others’ experiences and their coherence with prevailing theories in other disciplines
