Vol. 7, No. 7, 1990

Articles on the New Age

Rick Branch

When does life begin?

This is a question that has been answered by the U.S. Supreme Court, by religious leaders, by the medical profession, and nearly every Christian author who deals with the subject of Abortion.

Yet few can agree totally on the answer. Thus it seems only natural that the New Age would also have an answer that should be thrust into this controversial milieu.

In a short 22-page booklet by Bryan Jameison, a "past life regressionist," several interesting New Age insights are gained.

"In my research, I have found that after the brain is formed, the soul may drop in and out of the developing fetus for occasional visits, up to and including going through the actual delivery process.

"However, the soul makes no final commitment to incarnate until the newborn baby takes its first independent breath," (Abortion & Reincarnation, p. 6).

Thus, according to this New Age author, life begins not at conception or even at birth, but actually after the child is born.

Jameison further explains the idea of the soul visits by stating, "The soul knows exactly what it will get into during any given incarnation - for better or for worse - BEFORE choosing a particular lifetime.

"If the soul's potential mother has decided to have an abortion, the soul is INSTANTLY aware of this choice, and therefore is elsewhere at the time of the abortion.

"Obviously, no soul would choose to be present in the body for such a traumatic experience...," (Ibid, pp. 7-8).

Hence, according to at least one New Age author, abortion effects neither the mother to be nor the child. For, "On a spiritual level of consciousness there are no villains, victims or heroes...," (Ibid, p. 21).