Well, if we're taking science, let's talk science (for a momen or two). A fair discussion of the pros and cons would require that everyone concerned read Dr.Ian Stephenson's masterly treatise, [I'll try to get the title right], "An Investigation of Some Claimed Memories of Former Incarnations." That's for starters.

But the book is almost two inches thick and very very expensive, so we're not going to do that, are we? And, it doesn't prove anything! -- It just proves that of about 21 Indian (in India) children who claimed to remember a past life, about 12 or 15, (I don't remember the number and it isn't really important), remembered being a specific, verifiable individual who was separated from them by distance, language, customs, etc, and they could relate very specific details of that person's life history. And when Dr. Stephenson checked it out, he found that there had been such a person and many of the details checked.

This doesn't prove anything! -- But it is an example of investigating rather than spouting off.... False memories during hypnosis don't prove that all "other-life" memories are false, either. But it's worth knowing about, and as long as you remember that it's a valid consideration, it doesn't have to feel like an attack on one's beliefs.... It can only be threatening if you let it.

To my knowledge, Dr. Stephenson did not make a case for reincarnation as an interpretation of his findings. He just investigated the cases, very, very thoroughly.

Now, I don't think Dr. Stephenson "proved" anything. I'm just saying that there are layers and layers of evidence, interesting personal experiences, arguments, religious beliefs, scientific investigations, "I want to believe"'s and "I don't want to believe"'s out there and that an argument over "does it happen" or "Doesn't it happen" is pretty well doomed not to take them all into account.

So, those of us who find it interesting and worth thinking about, may have run across some of the more convincing stuff, including personal subjective experience; or may just have a temperament that finds it interesting.

I too have had experiences that I don't want to share here. They didn't prove anything, even to me. But they opened a glimpse of a cosmos that may be more subtle, complex and rewarding than it seems on the face of it in today's world.

I would like that, if it turns out to be true.