Reincarnations, Duration and Number

The teachings on reincarnation posit that after a number of rebirths, the soul will attain human
perfection and be freed from the necessity of being born again into a physical body. Two
questions arise: first, what is the average time gap between incarnations, and second, how
many reincarnations will the soul have before attaining perfection?
Duration between Lives. According to theosophy, the duration between lives appears to vary
according to a number of factors: normal reincarnation, death by violence, death while still a
child, congenital idiots, and advanced souls.
The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett state that the period between lives can be subdivided into
three periods: (1) kama-loka or desire-world, which can last from a few minutes to a number of
years; (2) gestation period, which can be very long, but proportionate to the Egos spiritual
stamina; and (3) in the rupa-loka (form-world) of devachan, which will last according to the
good karma of the individual (ML, p. 194).
According to Helena P. BLAVATSKY, the average span between lives is 1,000 to 1,500 years.
The more mature and spiritual the person is, the longer is the rest period in DEVACHAN.
Plato, for example, who lived 2,500 years ago, is said to be not reincarnated yet. One who
claims to be a reincarnation of Joan of Arc, on the other hand, would be mistaken, since the
time period that has passed since the death of Louis XV and even of Joan of Arc is too short
according to our calculations, which are mathematically correct (CW V:45).
Charles W. Leadbeater and Annie Besant, as a result of their clairvoyant investigation of the
past lives of many people, postulated that the average time between lives was, for two different
groups of people, either 700 or 1200 years, although an analysis of their data does not seem to
support that claim. The duration between lives varies considerably and seems to depend on
several factors: (1) the length of the previous incarnation, (2) the spiritual, intellectual, and
emotional development of the soul in its previous life or lives, (3) karmic conditions (e.g., the
need for certain people to incarnate together), and (4) the will of the person to incarnate quickly
(as in the Tibetan practice called tulku). Furthermore, Besant and Leadbeater suggest that socalled young souls reincarnate more quickly after, say, 50 years than advanced souls,
which might have 2000 or more years between incarnations.
The same is true of some victims of violent death (accident or murder), as mentioned in The
Secret Doctrine (SD II:303). In the latter case, however, as well as in the case of suicides, both
called premature deaths, the vital energy which determines the duration of ones incarnation
had not been exhausted, so it is said that the person remains in the astral world for the
remainder of what would have been his or her normal life span before continuing on to
devachan or reincarnating. Apparently, however, this varies from person to person. In some

cases in which the person was murdered or died a violent or accidental death the reincarnation
occurs shortly after the death of the previous physical body.
Children and congenital idiots, on the other hand, are said to be reborn quickly because they
have not accumulated experiences that would entitle them to a devachanic state. Then there
are those victims of violent death (murder or accident) who are born immediately (this category
is mentioned in The Secret Doctrine, II:303). These are cases of premature deaths wherein
the person is not yet really dead because the latent vitality is not yet exhausted. Only the
physical body is destroyed. The person will remain conscious and alive in the astral world for
the rest of the duration of their normal life span.
The researches of Dr. Ian Stevenson and others have confirmed that many of these premature
deaths reincarnated quickly without waiting for the normal period of ten centuries or more. In
such cases, it is common that the reincarnated person can remember the details of the
immediate previous life, together with the emotions, reaction patterns and biases associated
with those memories. Even the physical deformities or wounds of the previous life are carried
forward in the succeeding incarnation. The gap between lives in these cases can be a few days
to several years.
Another special case mentioned would be reincarnation of Nirmanakayas, or those who forego
the normal after-death processes such as devachan, and get reincarnated immediately. They
are said to be high initiates who choose to incarnate in order to help the world (SD I:132n).
Number of Incarnations. The total number of incarnations of a human being before perfection is
achieved is discussed in theosophical literature but not definitely answered. This number is
related to the theosophical view of the field of the ROOT-RACES of mankind through which all
individuals must pass. (See CHAINS, PLANETARY; ROOT RACES; ROUNDS.) The Mahatma
Koot Hoomi stated that:
. . . one life in each of the seven root-races; seven lives in each of the 49 sub-races
or 7 x 7 x 7 = 343 and add 7 more. And then a series of lives in offshoot and branchlet
races; making the total incarnations of man in each station or planet 777. (ML, p. 175)
In the same letter, he mentions that there are other factors and information which should
be considered in such calculations:
Should you indulge in any calculations do not forget that we have computed above only
full average lives of consciousness and responsibility. Nothing has been said as to the
failures of Nature in abortions, congenital idiots, death of children in their first septenary
cycles, nor of the exceptions of which I cannot speak. No less have you to remember
that average human life varies greatly according to the Rounds. Though I am obliged to
withhold information about many points yet if you should work out any of the problems

by yourself it will be my duty to tell you so. Try to solve the problem of the 777
incarnations. (Ibid.)
V.H.C.