Reincarnation Essays (1490 words) - Afterlife, Kabbalah, Death

Reincarnation Biological death is defined and accepted. Winstead- Fry points out that within sensory science, death is the termination of certain biophysical functions. "We can empirically confirm the existence and ending of life." ( 163) The criteria for brain death are accepted as proof of biological death. Of course if one considers the human being and the human body as one, then death must be a definite ending. But what about those who believes the soul never dies? There is the belief that the body is like a set of clothes the soul changes when the body gets worn out. Can the human body be considered such a worthless object? Many say no and yet others believe it truly. The debate about death is in the question of existence after death. It is not possible at present to recreate or validate existence after death using our senses. This is why there is so much of an interest in near-death experiences. Dr. Morse and his team have proven that a person actually needs to be near death to have a near death experience. The team compared seriously ill people with those near the brink of death and people who had near-death experiences were clinically dead at the time of their experience and ?were brought back from the dead.'(183) This is the closest one can get to death ; therefore, it is reasonable to use these experiences to learn about death. Near- death phenomena are as old as recorded history. Such an experience is reported in Plato's Republic, written in the fourth century before Christ.(Blackmore 79) The phenomenon is wide spread. Over eight million adults in the United States have claimed to have a near- death experience. Dr. Stevenson believes that by him writing books it will 7 encourage more people to share their experience. He believes many people may not share their story for fear of ridicule.( Santos F1) Mr. Underwood reveals that one in three people who recover from coming close to death or becoming clinically dead reports having a near-death experience. (245) Some critics argue that the near- death experience results from the brain's response to distress. They claim that the brain reacts to the threat to the body so that fantasies and memories of the ?childhood flood the consciousness'.(264) However, if the skeptics were right the experience would be unique to the individual. We know what the brain is capable of, but to say that the content of every brain is the same is farfetched. There are common components in experiences described irrespective of differences of the people who experienced it. The sense of being dead, being in a tunnel, meeting people of light, life review and the presence of light. These people were different in age, nationality and religion. It is recognized that every human being is unique. Then, why should everyone's brain produce the same images? Children and adults differ in the memories they gather and the way they comprehend the world, yet their core experiences were the same. Therefore, the argument of the brain flooding one with past memories does not seem logical. Some argue that the experiences contain cultural and personal marks of those who have them. Then the near- death experiences of Hindu's would differ from those of Christians and Americans different from Japanese. But here too the core experiences were the same. There is obviously two sides of the story. One must look at both sides with careful eye and determine for themselves what they believe is true. This is where the idea of reincarnation comes in. Because it is 7 incorporated in so many religions, you find an answer to a question which you truly want to know the answer to and do not abandon your faith in doing so. Reincarnation is detected in many religions. Reincarnation is normally thought of as a Hindu philosophy and it is traced back to Hinduism, yet it can be found in Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism and in many more religions. In Judaism, reincarnation is known as Gilgul. Though it has a different name it has almost the exact same meaning. Gilgul was a dominant teaching in Judaism for over three hundred years. Cabala, a book of Judaism which is often studied by Rabbi's, one of the holy books of the Jews which talks of reincarnation. Rabbi Steinsaltz (Cranston 181) is an authority on the Cabala. He states: According to Cabalistic doctrine, the Torah contains not only manifest but also hidden truths: the same transcendent God whom the Bible celebatres as supreme king and

Definition and Examples of Compound-Complex Sentences

Definition and Examples of Compound-Complex Sentences In English grammar, a compound-complex sentence is a  sentence with two or more independent clauses and at least one dependent clause. Also known as a  complex-compound sentence. The compound-complex sentence is one of the four basic sentence structures. The other structures are the simple sentence, the compound sentence, and the complex sentence. Examples and Observations The compound-complex sentence is so named because it shares the characteristics of both compound and complex sentences. Like the compound sentence, the compound-complex has two main clauses. Like the complex sentence, it has at least one subordinate clause. The subordinate clause can be part of an independent clause.(Random House Websters Pocket Grammar, Usage, and Punctuation, 2007)His blue eyes were light, bright and sparkling behind half-mooned spectacles, and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice.(J.K. Rowling,  Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone. Scholastic, 1998)The door of the morning room was open as I went through the hall, and I caught a glimpse of Uncle Tom messing about with his collection of old silver.(P.G. Wodehouse, The Code of the Woosters, 1938)All of us are egotists to some extent, but most of us- unlike the jerk- are perfectly and horribly aware of it when we make asses of ourselves. (Sidney J. Harris, A Jerk, 1961) Those are my principles, and if you dont like them . . . well, I have others.(Groucho Marx)The Druids used mistletoe in ceremonies of human sacrifice, but most of all the evergreen became a symbol of fertility because it flourished in winter when other plants withered. (Sian Ellis, Englands Ancient Special Twig. British Heritage, January 2001)We operate under a jury system in this country, and as much as we complain about it, we have to admit that we know of no better system, except possibly flipping a coin.(Dave Barry, Dave Barrys Guide to Marriage and/or Sex, 1987)She gave me another of those long keen looks, and I could see that she was again asking herself if her favourite nephew wasnt steeped to the tonsils in the juice of the grape. (P.G. Wodehouse, Plum Pie, 1966)In America everybody is of the opinion that he has no social superiors, since all men are equal, but he does not admit that he has no social inferiors, for, from the time of Jefferson onward, the doctrine that all men are equal applies only upwards, not downwards.(Bertrand Russell, Unpopular Essays, 1930) How,  Why, and When to Use Compound-Complex Sentences The compound-complex sentence consists of two or more independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses. This syntactic shape is essential in representing complex relationships and so is frequently put to use in various forms of analytical writing, especially in academic writing. It is also probably true that the ability to use compound-complex sentences elevates a writers credibility: it demonstrates that he or she can bring together in a single sentence a range of different pieces of information and order them in relationship to each other. This is not to say that the compound-complex sentence invites confusion: on the contrary, when handled carefully, it has the opposite effect- it clarifies the complexity and enables readers to see it clearly.(David Rosenwasser and Jill Stephen, Writing Analytically, 6th ed. Wadsworth, 2012)Compound-complex sentences get unwieldy in a hurry. So clear writers minimize their use, generally restricting them to no more than 10 percent of their wo rk.But varying the sentence structures in a piece makes it more interesting, and writers who care about rhythm will stray from the simpler forms to mix in compound sentences now and then. (Jack Hart, A Writers Coach: The Complete Guide to Writing Strategies That Work. Anchor, 2006) Compound-complex sentences are  used infrequently in business messages because of their length. (Jules Harcourt et al.,  Business Communication, 3rd ed.  South-Western Educational, 1996) Punctuating Compound-Complex Sentences If a compound or a compound-complex sentence has one or more commas in the first clause, you may want to use a semicolon before the coordinating conjunction between the two clauses. Its purpose is to show the reader very clearly the division between the two independent clauses. (Lee Brandon and  Kelly Brandon,  Sentences, Paragraphs, and Beyond, 7th ed. Wadsworth, 2013)For in the end, freedom is a personal and lonely battle;  and one faces down fears of today so that those of tomorrow might be engaged. (Alice Walker, Choosing to Stay at Home Ten Years After the March on Washington, 1973.  In Search of Our Mothers Gardens, 1983)