The Law of Karma

A scientific approach to karma

According to the "Introduction", Western scientists also see a relation between deeds and either well being or suffering. Current researchers of psychological and social issues are trying to uncover this relation. It is actually widely accepted that traumas may be traced back to childhood and early adolescence. It is further recognised that unfortunate decisions made by decision-makers of previous generations contribute to social problems in later generations. All in all, it is acknowledged that suffering is an interaction between individual psychological dispositions, hereditary genetic factors and social circumstances. In short, individual problems are the result of both inner and outer circumstances having root in the past.

The core issue separating Western belief from Eastern belief is whether the causes of suffering only may be ascribed to this life or whether they may also be ascribed to past lives. The latter belief is not accepted in academic circles today, even though the idea was widespread in ancient Greece, the cradle of modern science.