The Soul's Journey Across Lifetimes : An Integrative Model of Karma, Rebirth, Consciousness, and Scientific Perspectives
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Abstract
The soul has historically been an important yet debated notion in spirituality, philosophy, and religious studies. This review article presents a synthetic interdisciplinary model that conceptualises the soul (primarily as jiva) as a vibrational-informational continuum—a dynamic, enduring field of patterned energy and meaning that encompasses karmic imprints, experiential residues, and evolutionary potential across lifetimes. The model synthesises concepts from Vedantic, Yogic, and associated Indian philosophical traditions—such as Atman, karma, saṃsara, saṃskara, vasana, and praṇa—with heuristic parallels from modern science, including Shannon’s information theory, neural oscillations, biofield research, Integrated Information Theory (IIT), and Friston’s free-energy principle. Karma is understood as moral-informational feedback that shapes the continuum; rebirth (saṃsara) as the re-embodiment and refinement of unresolved patterns; and moksha as the achievement of complete coherence and non-dual unification with pure consciousness (Atman/Brahman). The paper upholds epistemic humility, framing these connections as constructive analogies instead of direct equivalences, while recognising the ontological and methodological distinctions between contemplative and scientific epistemologies. This paradigm conceptualises the soul as both vibrational, influenced by praṇa, and informational, characterised by the continuity of saṃskāras, so providing a participatory epistemology for spiritual practice and facilitating communication between contemplative traditions and post-materialist science. The discussion encompasses implications for personal development, ethical living, collective consciousness, and the future of spirituality studies. This paradigm enhances an integrative, contemplative methodology that respects traditional wisdom while actively engaging with contemporary knowledge.
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