"Life after life? Reincarnation in Polish esoteric traditions" | Lecture by Małgorzata Alicja Biały, PhD | March 20, 2026, 6 PM

"Life after life? Reincarnation in Polish esoteric traditions" | Lecture by Małgorzata Alicja Biały, PhD

March 20, 2026, 6:00 PM

Do we really live only once? Or is our biography just one chapter in a much longer history of existence? Inspired by Michael Newton's book "Journey of Souls," Marta Jamróg's paintings raise questions about human destiny, the beginning of life, the nature of the soul, as well as the heritage and past that still pulsate within us. Her work has become a starting point for reflection on one of the most intriguing spiritual concepts: the idea of reincarnation.

The theme of the journey of souls has been recurring since ancient times, each time in a new form. In the 19th and 20th centuries, under the influence of spiritualism, theosophy, and a fascination with Eastern religions, reincarnation became part of the modern vision of spiritual development and human evolution. It ceased to be a punishment and became a promise, an opportunity for transformation, maturation, and transcending the limitations of a single life.

Pickled Mirror, 2025, wood, glass, ⌀ 61 x 74 cm, photo by Szymon Sokołowski

During the lecture, surrounded by the works of Maria Jamróg, in which the artist asks questions about the beginning of existence, the possibilities of self-knowledge, the meaning of life, and the destiny of the soul, we will travel back to Poland in the interwar period. We will see how the ideas of reincarnation functioned in native esoteric circles and how they gave meaning to the experience of illness, suffering, and history. We will meet Agnieszka Pilchowa, a clairvoyant who sought the sources of diseases in previous incarnations. We will take a look at the séances of Dr. Habdanek, who attempted to explain the phenomenon of reincarnation through spiritualism. We will also examine circles convinced that Józef Piłsudski was the reincarnation of Juliusz Słowacki.

This is a story about Poland's forgotten esoteric heritage: about ghosts, the law of karma, and the desire to cross the threshold of death. It is about how Poles imagined life after death and how they tried to give meaning to their own existence through the idea of multiple births.

Małgorzata Alicja Biały, PhD – religious scholar, winner of the Preludium research grant awarded by the National Science Centre. Author of scientific publications, speaker at numerous national and international conferences. She specializes in the study of European esoteric trends and traditions, including divination systems (such as fortune-telling cards and astrology), new religious movements, and the relationship between art and esotericism.