Reincarnation (Rebirth) is the philosophical and religious concept that the nonmaterial essence of a living being begins a new lifespan in a different physical form after biological death In most beliefs involving reincarnation, the soul of a human being is immortaland does not disperse after the physical body has perished. Upon death, the soul merely transmigrates into a newborn baby or into an animal to continue its immortality (The term "transmigration" means the passing of a soul from one body to another after death.)

Reincarnation is a central tenet of Indian religons such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. In various forms, it is an esoteric belief among certain streams of Judaism and pagan religions (including Wicca), the indigenous people of the Americas and of aboriginal Australians (though most believe in an afterlife). Some ancient Greek historical figures, such as Pythagoras, Socrates, and Plato, believed in the soul's rebirth or transmigration.

Although the majority of denominations within the Abrahamic religions do not accept that individual souls reincarnate, particular groups within these religions do refer to it as part of their beliefs; these groups include contemporary followers of Catharism, hasidic Judaism, the Druze, Kabalistics, and the Rosicrucians. Rebirth is a key concept of major Indian religions, and is discussed using various terms, like punarjnman (Sanskrit पुनर्जन्मन्, 'rebirth’). It's a core belief in Buddhism, and Jainism (Samsara) as the journey of the soul toward liberation (moksha or nirvana) from the cycle of births and deaths. In recent decades, many Europeans and North Americans have developed an interest in the subject.