A soul or consciousness passes at death into a new body and continues its journey. That process is reincarnation. The doctrine is central to Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and several other traditions.

The quality of the new birth is shaped by the moral quality of previous actions. The cycle of rebirth continues until liberation is achieved through insight or divine grace. Memories of past lives are sometimes claimed but are not required for the doctrine. Ethical living and spiritual practice influence future conditions.

Western interest in reincarnation has grown through popular culture and some psychological research, though mainstream science remains skeptical. Within its home traditions the teaching supplies both an explanation for present inequality and a long horizon for moral effort. Death becomes a transition rather than an absolute end.

• Rebirth of a soul or consciousness in a new body
• Conditioned by past moral actions
• Continues until liberation is reached
• Central to several Asian religious systems