Spiritualist beliefs drew from the beliefs of many non-Western cultures, but also from early Christianity. Barnett references the belief in reincarnation in Hinduism, Buddhism, and in ancient Rome and among early Christians. The connection between non-Western belief systems and the past may be considered harmful as it suggests a degree of eurocentrism in depicting other cultures as backwards or “uncivilized.”
“Why We Remember Our Past Lives: In Defence of Reincarnation,” Ada Barnett, in Survival, vol. IV, no. 26, 1932, pg. 323, Box 34, Eileen J. Garrett Parapsychology Foundation Collection, Collection 331, Special Collections, University of Maryland, Baltimore County (Baltimore, MD).