Rebirth (not reincarnation) is now a proven phenomena even among
non-Buddhists (i.e Ian Stevenson's research, many other
researches), not only that, there are scientific methods taught by
Buddha that you can PRACTISE and SEE yourself (though remembering
past lives isn't emphasised in Buddhism)
What I meant by scientific method?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_method
The scientific method involves the following basic facets:
* Observation. A constant feature of scientific inquiry.
* Description. Information must be reliable, i.e., replicable
(repeatable) as well as valid (relevant to the inquiry).
* Prediction. Information must be valid for observations past,
present, and future of given phenomena, i.e., purported "one shot"
phenomena do not give rise to the capability to predict, nor to the
ability to repeat an experiment.
* Control. Actively and fairly sampling the range of possible
occurrences, whenever possible and proper, as opposed to the
passive acceptance of opportunistic data, is the best way to
control or counterbalance the risk of empirical bias.
* Falsifiability, or the elimination of plausible alternatives.
This is a gradual process that requires repeated experiments by
multiple researchers who must be able to replicate results in order
to corroborate them. This requirement, one of the most frequently
contended, leads to the following: All hypotheses and theories are
in principle subject to disproof. Thus, there is a point at which
there might be a consensus about a particular hypothesis or theory,
yet it must in principle remain tentative. As a body of knowledge
grows and a particular hypothesis or theory repeatedly brings
predictable results, confidence in the hypothesis or theory
increases. (See also Lakatos.)
* Causal explanation. Many scientists and theorists on scientific
method[attribution needed] argue that concepts of causality are not
obligatory to science, but are in fact well-defined only under
particular, admittedly widespread conditions. Under these
conditions the following requirements are generally regarded as
important to scientific understanding:
* Identification of causes. Identification of the causes of a
particular phenomenon to the best achievable extent.
* Covariation of events. The hypothesized causes must correlate
with observed effects.
* Time-order relationship. The hypothesized causes must precede the
observed effects in time.
In this case, Buddhism fulfills ALL criteria of
Scientific Method.
