Cloud comp and reincarnation

Aug 8, 2010, 12.00am IST
ANIL K RAJVANSHI.

There are several theories of reincarnation but none describe what passes from body to body when it happens. Cloud computing might help.

In cloud computing, most of the information for personal usage is stored in cyberspace and accessed on demand with a user ID and password. Similarly, it is possible that most of the deep memories of an individual, both good and bad, exist in knowledge space (KS) and can be accessed by an avatar.

KS is where concentrated thoughts and strong emotions are stored as memories. A powerful emotion or deep thought is a stable structure and hence can stay for a long time as memory in KS that is just like a virtual server of cyberspace.

It is possible that what gets transferred during the time of death is only the user name and password. If somebody wishes and has the ability then he can access those memories from KS. This is the basis of reincarnation.


Since memories can be accessed from KS, an individual also has the ability to change them. This could be the basis of Patanjali's idea. He says that with yoga and sanyam a yogi develops powers so that past birth sanskars can be modified or destroyed to achieve liberation. If the soul reincarnates into an animal body then those memories remain dormant till one can again find a human body and change them.

Energy-wise the transfer of only user name and password from one body to another makes more sense since a "switch" is easier to transfer than memories of a whole lifetime. Besides, it allows us to shed the baggage of old memories so new life starts with a clean slate.


Cloud memories in KS may have subtle effect on the actions of the person possessing them. This may be the basis why almost all religions have stressed on doing good so that past actions do not come back to haunt you. It seems memories are cumulative, that is, they accumulate through various births. However, not all memories exist in KS; only deeply emotional ones do.

Since the user name and password are important parts of reincarnation this could be the basis of ancient tradition of child-naming ceremony practised in almost all religions where the birth name is given based on the child's horoscope.

How can we access our memories of past births? Only a yogi with practice of sanyam might have the ability to know about their own or others' past births. Sri Ramakrishna came to know of the reincarnation of Swami Vivekananda by touching him on his chest.

Similarly, Swami Vivekananda once described how by touching the hand of a disciple he saw the disciple's past memories as though written in black and white with sky as the blackboard. With his knowledge and yogic powers Vivekananda could access the disciple's memories – much like one can access data in cloud computing.

There have been reports of several children who are known to have recollected their past births. As they grow older, personality and identity development obliterate the ability to access past-birth memory.

Just as we create a profile on social networking site by putting down our thoughts and experiences, we create a profile in knowledge space. The more powerful someone's mind is, the bigger is his signature in the KS.

The writer is director, Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute, Phaltan.