Kat Meltzer

In the following viewpoint, Kat Meltzer explains why she rejects the notion that people live multiple lifetimes. For one thing, she points out, the only proof in support of reincarnation comes from accounts from the dead, who are supposedly “channeled” to the living through a psychic or medium. Such “statements” from the dead, however, are either ridiculous or trite—obviously concocted by the so-called mediums. The idea of reincarnation, moreover, undermines any motivation for social or personal responsibility, since it encourages people to believe that their life choices are largely determined by fate. Ultimately, Meltzer concludes, belief in reincarnation leads to a callous indifference about the value of life. Meltzer is a freelance writer based in San Francisco.

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