Do the Living Outnumber the Dead?

Did you ever get into a discussion of the possibility of reincarnation only to have someone announce, “Reincarnation is impossible because there are more people alive now than have ever lived”?

And then they sit back smugly. Or perhaps they quote George Carlin, the favorite sage of the Barstool Philosopher.

Not so fast, bubba.

It is true that if you delve back into the mists of time, the population of Earth was tiny in comparison to today and logically it might seem plausible that the living outnumber the dead.

Picking the right starting point seems to be crucial, and there is a certain amount of hand-waving involved, but see for yourself.

3 thoughts on “Do the Living Outnumber the Dead?

  1. Shak El

    Most religions that hold to rebirth recognize that folks can come back as other life and that other life comes back as humans according to their karmas/wyrds. I don’t know where the idea arose that humans can only be reborn as humans.

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