從生死學看西方死後生命續存研究－以兒童前世記憶研究為例

Considering Western Studies on Existence of Life after Death from the Perspective of Life and Death Studies－Research on the Past Life Memories of Children as an Example

盧國慶(Kuo-Ching Lu)

《國防大學通識教育學報》 1期 (2011/06) Pp. 61-81

https://doi.org/10.29856/TJNDUGE.201106.0004

摘要

祇有人類是宗教動物，才會永遠探討死亡問題，尋覓生命的終極意義，並透過一些方法提供足夠的證據，來顯示生命「終極意義」的客觀真理理據。問題是，人類究竟能夠透過那些方法來尋找生命的「終極意義」，而這些方法是否真的能夠提供足夠的證據，來顯示生命「終極意義」的客觀真理意義？西方超心理學家百餘年來始終鍥而不捨的運用各種方法研究查證死後生命續存的證據，其中「兒童前世記憶研究」正是屬於「死後是否續存」查證項目之一，它不同於坊間盛行的前世催眠研究，而是純粹就孩童前世生命的記憶所作的查證研究。本文主要在探討美國維吉尼亞大學艾恩．史蒂文生教授與吉姆．塔克教授對兒童前生記憶專注嚴謹所建立的數千件研究案例，已成功為死後生命續存與生命輪迴的研究，建立了穩固而堅實的基礎；同時並為未來轉世可能的潛在案件開發出更具強度的案例量表，顯示未來在採證兒童前生記憶的科學方法上，有了更嶄新的量化模式與更開闊的前景。事實上，西方對生命輪迴此一課題積極關注的真正意義，是從「死」的角度，反證「生」的價值。也就是在提醒人類正視生死輪迴所顯示的生命使命意義。同時，生死學更超越高遠的重要課題，是如何從「個體死亡學」轉到「共命死亡學」，基於新時代的集體共慧命，面對死的挑戰，表現愛的關懷。

關鍵字

死後生命續存 ； 生命輪迴 ； 終極意義 ； 個體死亡學 ； 共命死亡學

並列摘要

Only humans are religious creatures who eternally explore the question of death in order to seek the ultimate meaning of life. They also use some methods to provide sufficient evidence as objective bases for the ＂ultimate meaning＂ of life. The question is, which methods could be used to search for the ＂ultimate meaning＂ of life, and whether these methods could truly provide sufficient evidence to reveal the meaning in objective truth of the ＂ultimate meaning＂ of life? For more than a century, Western parapsychologists have persevered in using various methods in research to prove the existence of life after death. Among them, ＂research on the past life memories of children＂ is one such category for investigation into ＂whether there is existence after death.＂ Unlike the popular studies on past life hypnosis, it consists of purely empirical researches into the past life memories of children. This article primarily explores the several thousand research cases of children's past life memory, carefully established with stringent standards by Prof. Ian Stevenson and Prof. Jim Tucket of the University of Virginia. These studies have successfully established a stable and solid foundation for research into the existence of life after death and reincarnation. At the same time, it develops a more potent scale for potential cases of reincarnation in the future. This shows that in the future, scientific methods used to collect proof on the past life memories of children, there are brand new quantitative models and wider possibilities. In fact, the true meaning of Western concern for the issue of reincarnation is in using the perspective of ＂death＂ to prove the value of ＂life.＂ It reminds people to pay attention to the meaning in the purpose of life as demonstrated by reincarnation. At the same time, the even more transcendent and significant issue is how to turn from ＂individual thanatology＂ to ＂destiny-shared thanatology.＂ Based on the collective life wisdom of the new era, we can face the challenge of death with expressions of loving care.

並列關鍵字

existence of life after death ； reincarnation ； ultimate meaning ； individual thanatology ； destiny-shared thanatology