If a species can (evolve with) the passing of time in order to adapt to its environment, why can’t a soul evolve across many life times? Over many (millennia), the ape becomes the human; likewise, the soul of one person evolves into the improved soul of another. 'There's an old saying from the mystics which I like very much, and the saying is, ‘We are not human beings having a spiritual experience here, but we are spiritual beings having a human experience’.' Scientists of course have a different view. They compare the human brain to the engine of a car. When you shut off the engine, (residual) energy dissipates in the form of heat. Similarly, when a person dies, the energy generated from the brain dissipates into the environment as heat. Human consciousness simply stops, it becomes nothing. But believers in reincarnation do not accept this. “If you think for a moment clearly, there can be no evidence for the existence of nothing. Nothing that is one thing that you can never prove.” Scientists know there is no proof that a soul disappears when the body dies, but argue that neither is there any evidence to suggest it lives on. “What the reincarnationist is asking me to believe, is that even though the organ dies and reverts back to the simple chemicals from which it's (ultimately) made, it’ll (plug down) inside the brain of a developing fetus and it’ll force into that complex brain, in all the information that allows them to know things, to feel things, to have the abilities, to have the thoughts and the experiences and, and motivations of a brain that took a whole lifetime to get organized, and I just find that totally incredible.” Defenders’ point once again, though what they believe is good evidence, thousands of documented cases of children who have unexplainable memories of past lives. “There's (ample) evidence of reincarnation, now maybe you can, then after you examine that evidence you can say, well I am still not persuaded. Naturally, that’s the scientific process, but you can't say there’s no evidence.” “I don’t think you could ever be possible to physically prove it. We are talking about the realm of faith. This is a level deep, deep down, far deeper than matter and material things.” In 1991, astronomer Carl Sagan interviewed the Dalai Lama, a meeting of science and faith. Carl Sagan wanted to know, "If I would give you proof that reincarnation did not exist, what would you do?" The Dalai Lama replied, "I'd stop believing tomorrow. But how would you go about designing such a study?" Carl Sagan didn’t have an answer. For most, a belief in reincarnation still requires a (leap) of faith, and will likely remain (unexplained).

Vocabulary:

residual: remaining after a process, event etc is finished the residual effects of drug treatment reincarnationist: 灵魂转世说信徒

a leap of faith: A leap of faith, in its most commonly used meaning, is the act of believing in something without, or in spite of,available empirical evidence. It is an act commonly associated with religious belief as many religions consider faith to be an essential element of piety