REINCARNATION IN IGBO COSMOLOGY: A NEW LOOK

Résumé

Many Igbo scholars have looked at reincarnation in various perspectives, ranging from philosophical, psychological down to theological. In this work, the concept of reincarnation is considered from the standpoint of Igbo anthropological view of man and from the analysis of minimalistic reincarnation hypothesis. In trying to grapple with the issue of reincarnation, many scholars have sacrificed the Igbo understanding of human personality without which for the Igbo, man ceases to be complete self in the real sense of the word. The method has been analytical. Books, internet sources and journals were used in study. The result shows that the Igbo concept of reincarnation or ịlọ-ụwa in the Igbo philosophy and cosmology can have a scientific explanation based on human nature itself given that the proofs of fact itself are themselves proofs of genetic inheritance. The researcher recommends that a much more appropriate term should be given to this phenomenon. The writer therefore redefined the term ịlọ-ụwa or reincarnation.