"Regeneration and Rebirth: A Multidisciplinary Review of Aging and Cellular Renewal in Ancient Hindu Texts and Modern Biology"
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The mysteries of aging, regeneration, and the cyclical nature of life have intrigued both ancient sages and modern scientists. This multidisciplinary review explores the convergence between ancient Hindu philosophical doctrines and contemporary biological insights regarding aging, cellular renewal, and the concept of rebirth. Hindu texts such as the Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads, and Ayurvedic Samhitas offer profound metaphysical and symbolic reflections on aging and rebirth, often emphasizing the soul’s journey through multiple corporeal existences and the potential for rejuvenation through yogic and meditative disciplines. Modern biology, in contrast, provides a mechanistic understanding of aging through theories like telomere shortening, oxidative stress, and genetic regulation, while highlighting the extraordinary capabilities of stem cells and tissue regeneration in certain organisms. This article investigates these intersections from philosophical, cellular, ethical, and symbolic standpoints. It draws parallels between ancient notions of prana (vital energy) and contemporary discussions on mitochondrial health, explores the symbolic resemblance of the soul to stem cells as perpetually self-renewing entities, and examines the ethical implications of biomedical rejuvenation in light of karmic philosophy and metaphysical continuity. The analysis also interrogates whether modern scientific aspirations to overcome aging mirror ancient yogic quests for immortality and transcendence.
Authors: Seema Dixit, Swati Bardiya
Language: English
Topic: Indian and Buddhist Studies
Subfield: Religious studies
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4415725883