A STRANGE OCCURENCE THAT'S STILL IN DOUBT.
Ever before the white men came with the Christian religion and Western civilization, our great grandfathers in Igboland (in Nigeria, West Africa) knew about reincarnation, which they called in local language, “Ịlọ ụwa” (a return to the world). They knew and also believed in life beyond, which they call “Ala-mụọ”. By “Ala-mụọ”, they mean the inner realms not just the fairyland of folkstories. It is at ‘Ala-mụọ’ that they imagine their noble ancestors to be living and interceding for them before “Chi-na-eke” (the God that creates) and “Ofo-na ọgụ” (Gods operating force) that balances things in nature including the yearly climatic conditions vital for their agriculture. It is at the same “Ala-muo” they believe their dead relations to be residing after physical death and from there would reincarnate probably to those that were their kin in their past life.
In Igboland, our forefathers’ knowledge of life beyond the present one on earth is well understood to be transmigration of human souls through the seven worlds of being. In Igboland, when a good child or wife does quite a good turn to an old father or mother; in many occasions, the elderly ones are heard making such comments as “Ezi Nwam/nwunyem, ịgakwa abụ nwam /nwụnyem, ụwam ụwa asaa” – meaning “my good child/ wife, you will continue to be my child/wife in my seven worlds of being”. This is an indication that our great Igbo ancestors knew and believed in the doctrine of seven rounds and seven races in the evolutionary cycles of mankind.
There are many apparent factors that convince the Igbos in their belief in reincarnation. The reappearance of bodily marks of deceased persons on the body of new born baby is one basis for the Igbos belief in reincarnation. In the circumstance of mentally ill people who were violent in a past life and were constrained wearing handcuffs or ankle restraints for a long time before they died; it is believed that the scar of the wound caused by the handcuffs does appear on the wrists or ankles of some of them upon their reincarnation. It is same with those unfortunate people who perished by fire in a traumatic accident; the scars of burns appear on the body of some such cases upon reincarnation. When marks such as I have pointed out appear on the body of an infant in whose family somebody in the past had such a handcuff or died in a fiery accident; no further proof will be needed to accept that the deceased has come back.
The occurrence of a child prodigy is called, “Ebibi-ụwa”, in Igbo language, meaning Nature’s imprint. Those born with their pre-incarnation intellectual and physical abilities are seen as yet another proof for the Igbos belief in reincarnation. According to Dr Onyike. In my home town, Umuahia, South Local Government in Abia State, Nigeria, there lived a renowned traditional medicine man called Nna-na-Mgbọrọggụ. Nna-na Mgbọrọgwụ was very famous in the early 1950s. My own father who was his senior in age, told me then that Nna-na-Mgbọrọgwụ was an exceptional human being. At the age of seven, he went to the bush behind their house and collected herbs which he compounded with other things and used the resultant medicine to cure his father’s uncle from the dreaded disease, tuberculosis.
Tuberculosis at that time was considered such a terrible threat to others in the village, that the poor suffers were ostracized from their own homes to a hut in the bush where such an unfortunate sufferer would be left to die. This young medicine man’s cure of his own uncle was like an advertisement for what was to be his mission in his present lifetime. People started approaching his parents with different health problems which this little boy efficiently managed. He did not go to school because he started the work of traditional medicine man at a very early age. Nna-na-Mgbọrọgwụ is an example of a man who points one’s mind to the possibility of his being a reincarnation of a forefather of his family. “Nna-nna” (fore father) “mgbọrọgwụ” (medicinal roots), when put together it gives the understanding, “our forefather who was medicinal root himself”, or knows all about roots for healing.
Names such as those mentioned below are very common in Igboland. They are a true indication of the Igbos belief in reincarnation. Nna-nna (the father of his father); Nne-nna (the mother of his father); Nne-ji (my brother or sister); Nna-ji (my half brother/half sister); and Nwa-nne Daa (the brother or sister of my mother). None of these names is repeated in the family because they specify the ancestors. Relations in this life pay the child the same high respect they were accustomed to pay to the deceased grandparent or relation of their father. Some people in Igboland are bearing their pre-incarnation names and enjoying the high level of respect due to a grandfather /mother.
Despite the strong influence of Christianity in Igbo cultures and traditions, reincarnation has remained a heart belief of the Igbos which the orthodox religion has found hard to abolish. Before the conveyors of Christian faith, the Igbos already had their own well established and complex religion which was indirectly Theocentric, a sequel to the order of worship. Reincarnation itself is not a virtually conspicuous tradition that attracts outright condemnation or attack from the preachers of Christian faith in
Nigeria. Nor does such a belief pose any threat or danger to it, like some barbaric customs of ancient times, e.g. twin killing, human sacrifice, etc. which attracted much concern in Nigeria and thankfully were stopped by the authorities.
This are what people have to say about this.
Anonymous
I do ,I don't belong to any sector of Christian religion, nor am I Muslim. So, I am free to think independently. I have spent a lot of years watching young babies doing things that they weren't taught, those experinces have brought me to my conclusion.
Anonymous
Reincarnation happens of course just that christianity and islam, our imported ''Tokunbo'' religions, have turned us away from examining such things.
Now it's all about ''Jesus''.
What time is it? Ask ''Jesus''.
Do we survive death? Ask ''Jesus''
Are we immoral spirits in a temporary physical encasement? ''Shush. Jesus alone is the answer''.
Our brains have been blocked of all thought and introspection by ''Jesus'
Ochugal
I have spent a lot of years watching young babies doing things that they weren't taught, those experinces have brought me to my conclusion.
Mark
I believe in reincarnation most times i feel i'm living a second life. when i was much younger i use to have dreams about certain events. sometimes i see some people i feel i've met before. as in much older people who don't seem to have the slightest idea who i am.
I do believe in reincarnation and I find the topic highly fascinating. The 'Obanje' phenomenon in Nigeria is form of reincarnation right?
I have heard stories of toddlers speaking languages fluently that neither Parents of other family members had any knowledge of. There was also the story of a little boy born in an obscure village in India who kept telling his 'new' mother that he was a shopkeeper Mumbai with a wife and two children. This boy knew his previous name and also the names of his wife and children. To cut a long story short, the boys 'old' family was found in Mumbai and reunited with him. It was quite fascinating watching this young boy of around 7 asking 'his' kids who were now teenagers if they had done their homework and what they had eaten.
Stella.
Using the Bible to refute the reincarnation theory is incorrect. Have you read about Elijah and John the Baptist. Jesus is also refered to as God incarnate! There are quite a few examples of reincarnation in the Bible. Me think the question is 'WHAT IS REINCARNATION'?
Amanda.
they say am my grand-ma's incarnate . . . i look like her and take decisions like her they say.
I dunno wat to believe anyways. I'm sha not a ghost.
James.
judgement follows. There is nothing like reincarnation. Reincarnation is an illusion. I was told that my grand father reincarnated our lastborn but our last born doesn't know my grandpa or have any knowledge of him. Unless you wish an evil spirit in life and family.I ask again, if not Jesus but who... Am i going to call on father or mother for assistance. Hell is real and heaven is real. Repent, tomorrow might be too late for you because you may sleep this night and never wake, i guess ur hope is reincarnatiom but bear in mind that GOD is not mocked, for whatsoever a man soweth that he shall reap. Jesus loves you.
Tell us your experience and what
you believe.
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