Reichenbach
(See Hypnotism.) Reincarnation is an extremely important part of Theosophical theory, and, while it is commonly regarded as a succession of lives, the proper aspect in which to regard it is as one single, indivisible life, the various manifestations in the flesh being merely small portions of the whole. The Monad, the Divine Spark, the Ego-whose individuality remains the same throughout the whole course of reincarnation-is truly a denizen of the three higher worlds, the spiritual, the intuitional and the higher mental, but in order to further its growth and the widening of its experience and knowledge, it is necessary that it should descend into the worlds of denser matter, the lower mental, the actual and the physical, and take back with it to the higher worlds what it has learned in these. Since it is impossible to progress far during one manifestation, it must return again and again to the lower worlds. The theory which underlies reincarnation is entirely different from that of eternal reward and eternal punishment which underlies, say, the teachings of Christianity. Every individual will eventually attain perfection though some take longer to do so than others. The laws of his progress, the laws which govern reincarnation, are those of evolution and of karma. Evolution (q.v.) decrees that all shall attain perfection and that by developing to the utmost their latent powers and qualities, and each manifestation in the lower worlds is but one short journey nearer the goal. Those who realise this law shorten the journey by their own efforts while those who do not realise it and so assist its working, of course lengthen the journey. Karma (q.v.) decrees that effects good or bad, follow him who was their cause. Hence, what a man has done in one manifestation, he must be benefited by or suffer for in another. It may be impossible that his actions should be immediately effective, but each is stored up and sooner or later will bear fruit. It may be asked how one long life in the lower worlds should not suffice instead of a multitude of manifestations, but this is explicable by the fact that the dense matter which is the vehicle of these bodies, becomes after a time of progress, incapable of further alteration to suit the developing monad's needs and must accordingly be laid aside for a new body. After physical death, man passes first to the astral world, then to the heaven portion of the mental world, and in this latter world most of his time is spent except when he descends into the denser worlds to garner fresh experience and knowledge for his further development in preparation for passage into the still higher sphere. In the heaven world these experiences and this knowledge are woven together into the texture of his nature. In those who have not progressed far on the journey of evolution, the manifestations Remie, Major J. in the lower worlds are comparatively frequent, but with passage of time and development, these manifestations become rarer and more time is spent in the heaven world, till, at last, the great process of reincarnation draws to an end, and the pilgrims enter the Path which leads to perfection. (See Theosophy, The Path, and the articles on the various Worlds.) Remie, Major J.: (See Holland.)