I wonder does the belief in reincarnation stem from a sense of dissatisfaction with one's current circumstances or state of mind, wishing that it was all somehow different?

I don’t believe in reincarnation .But if my will is to be buried around Lemon trees,I do know I have the probability of ending up as a Lemonade

No I do not believe in Wishful Thinking.

There are many who believe in reincarnation, but probably very few, if any, of those, will be found here. Buddhists believe in it, and the concept of Karma is part of that belief. Karma is irrelevant if there is no future incarnation. there may well be other groups that also believe in it, for all I know.

No.

I'm sure there's some that may, I personally do not, I have now, I'm quite happy with now, I can do things in now, what happens then does not concern me for what was me will be gone.

The rational part of me says nope, the fanciful part of me swears that two of my previous dogs were reincarnated into the last two that I had (so basically the two dogs showed the same behaviour traits as my previous dogs yes I know I did say the fanciful part of me)

I also once had a dream of being with three of my aunts in Edwardian clothes in Scotland on a trip and when I woke it took me a long time to lock into place the fact I had never been to Scotland I was so convinced I had been there. Not sure what caused that one which parts of the brain fired up to produce that feeling and dream. Yes I wanted to go to Scotland but it was not being planned for the near future.

I have also been told I have the same mannerisms as a great aunt who I never met and very similar features. What is inherited and what is learned? Did my mother (who would have met her occasionally as a small child) have the same mannerisms that I learned from her?

Oh, btw, tell your friend that plants and animals DO NOT actually make meals of your buried remains.
IF they are NOT embalmed, then the bacteria, etc, inside and on the outside of your remains begin to multiply rapidly.
The internal ones, those living in your organs, digestive tract start DISSOLVING the tissues as they multiply and digest the tissues, those external ones start from the outside and slowly work their way IN.
Once your casket (coffin) begins to rot away, cracks appear and the worms and other minute creatures start burrowing their way into what is left of what once your body and the stinking, smelly slime that has oozed out of it and was it as the bacteria were merrily digesting you.
And, after a while ALL that is left of you is BONES, maybe a few strands of hair, bits of clothing, buttons and your teeth.
The worms SHIT out the dregs that they can't digest immediately, that goes into the soil and plants then send roots down, find it, and the roots suck it up once it is in solution enough to actually be sucked up.
Once that happens, your DNA has gone, gone ,gone for ever EXCEPT that which remains in your teeth and bones which, FYI ain't going NOWHERE.

Not in the literal sense. I suspect the legend got started by people who misunderstood the mystics who were really talking about "rebirth" of the "spirit" through practices that enabled the adept to "transcend" ego identity.

It's a fairly common fantasy, like all the others. Only energy is forever. Living things die, the end.

I think that when we die, the matter and the energy we are made of simply scatters away, being eaten up by a multitude of different life forms. I don't see how it could be all gathered back into a single life entity.

Strikes me as another, updated version of an old, appealing fantasy. Now, it would be interesting if your friend could dream up some way to test it ...

Untill your friend can provide evidence proving the belief, it is just an opinion.

I am always amazed when I hear people saying that they believe in reincarnation, not that it is true or not but the fact that thee seem to be so many Cleopatras, King Solomons and Marc Anthony's, etc, etc. That is just incredible.

Though admitting to acting childish on occassion...and admiring the theory when my shortcommings were pointed out.....I mostly have laid aside childish thinking.

Well, it does make for interesting stories and movies. Totally entertained by Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, but you do need to be able to separate fantasy from the real world.

What Science Really Says About the Soul

[skeptic.com]

@DBlaine There's a remote possibility that a trace of your DNA remains whole (in teeth, hair, and fingernails, for example; - scientists have found ancient DNA in well preserved remains) but it would take an intentional effort to transfer that DNA to a reproductive tissue (sperm or eggs) to even have a remote chance of "reincarnation" - it's called "cloning"....you might create a "twin" of yourself...but with no association other than looking exactly alike.

Only flowers, rodents, and sheep have been "cloned" to date. Google "Cloning"

So inform or ask your family or friends to preserve some part of you...then ask a relative to have that DNA inserted in to their sperm/eggs and yea - a similar form of who you are might be reproduced....but with no memories - it's like having a twin of you born after you die...not reincarnation by a long shot. And we have cloned sheep....so if you're desperate speak to a scientist in this area who may be able to save your DNA for a future twin of you...but sorry...no "reincarnation"

Your friend has zero falsifiable evidence to back up his claims. He is being absurd.

DNA transfer happens routinely, but it cannot cause the transfer of consciousness. He has no idea what he is talking about.

I was into understanding past lives many years ago. I don't have the need anymore. However, I did see many of my past lives, none of them too exciting. I did get the answer of why I was attached to people who were not very good for me. Cruel, uncaring people. I was born into a family where religion was everything and the only way to live. I was into that too, until I got educated, as i told one of my Christen neighbours. She is still praying for me. I say, "if it makes you feel better, fill your boots." It does nothing for me.

I don't no if it's true. When I was a pagan I believed it.

reincarnation is an evolutionary process of the - Eternal Soul -
that is usually required & requested by any - Spirit seeking to -
inhabit - animate - direct & control a human in order to - Be a Person -

it is thru such repetative times of Life - that One is able to fully -
express & experience- Ones - Will & Intent - Desires & Choices -
of the {Body Mind Spirit} that U R now currently - personifying -
thus allowing & enabling One to Know its Self - experientially -

yet few Spirits choose to enter the relative realm for just - a single -
time of Life - as a - physical manifestation - of their - Eternal Self -