Have you ever had the feeling that you have, "been here before?" Have you ever had the sensation you were sitting at a large table eating dinner with knights in armor, or present during the Civil War? This is what reincarnation is all about, the idea of past lives. Many religions have also incorporated this belief into their teachings in the past as well as the present.
             There are a number of groups around the world who believe in reincarnation. The people who lived in the West believed that only people in the Southeast Asian area believed in reincarnation, due to the Buddhist and Hindu religions. But now the life after death belief has spread from Southeast Asia to the West, by missionaries. The groups of missionaries were set up to spread the concept, and convince people that there is life after death. Large groups of Shiite Moslems of West Asia were one of the first to adopt the new theory. The next groups to grasp the faith were the people from both Eastern and Western Africa, who had not yet converted to Christianity and Islam, (who believe in Heaven and Hell, not life after death.) A large group of Brazilians gained ideas from the Africans and the French. Other groups such as the Trobriano Islanders, the Ainus
             of Northern Japan, and the people of central Australia also seized the belief of reincarnation.
             Many surveys have been done to prove the amount of people who believe in reincarnation. A survey was done in 1968 by the Gallup International. It proved that eighteen percent of the eight countries in Western Europe believe. During the next year a survey was conducted. It proved that out of only North Americans, twenty percent of Americans "questioned the idea," and twenty-six percent of Canadians believed in life after death. (Fulton, 73) The last survey was done in the year 1982 on people outside of the religions, Orthodox, Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Science, (who all believe...