Apology,
I'm sorry but I am no longer commenting on ESP or Reincarnation. I've explained my position and I cannot keep repeating myself!
Bob Guercio
I'm sorry, Bob, I don't see where you DID actually answer my question as to why, if there's no difference between reincarnation and a new incarnation, why it's worth believing in, and why it's worth defending your belief.
You said that you spent years thinking it over and came to the conclusion that reincarnation existed (though rare). Many people have asked you WHY you formed this belief, but you haven't really answered WHY, you just re-assert your belief.
I DID study critical thinking, so let me explain to you how it works. A person has a few premises and a conclusion based on those premises. If all of the premises are true, then the conclusion is correct. A classic critical thinking example is this:
(premise) If A = B, and
(premise) if B = C, then
(conclusion) A = C
Naturally, you can have other premises, and there are more complicated structures for problems than this very simple construct, but it's a beginning.
The problem that we're all having is that you have stated a conclusion (reincarnation exists) and given us many details of your conclusion (it's rare, it's like a blank slate, etc.), but you haven't provided us with any premises. The premises would help us understand how you reached your conclusion, and if there is a fault in one of your premises, then we could help you correct it. Here's an example of an incorrect conclusion due to a faulty premise:
(premise) If a dog is an animal and
(premise) if a cat is an animal and
(premise) all animals are the same, then
(conclusion) A dog is a cat.
You can clearly see in this very simple example that the third premise (all animals are the same) is incorrect, therefore the conclusion (a dog is a cat) is also incorrect. If you could just tell us your premises for reaching the conclusion that reincarnation exists, we'd have more to discuss.
You've said you've spent years thinking about it, so it's hard to imagine that the sum and total of your years of thought has been "Reincarnation exists...yup, that reincarnation, it's gotta be true..." What were the pros and cons you considered before reaching your conclusion? What were your reasons for believing it might NOT exist, that you later set aside? What was the most compelling argument in favor of reincarnation that made you decide that it must be true after all?
Help us out a little here, Bob.