 A factor of great conflict all over Eora is the recent scientific discovery that souls are not mere metaphysical abstractions , but quantifiable , measurable objects that can be transferred , stored , or molded . Souls are the basis of magic , as accessing their power is what allows certain people to use it . Souls leave the body upon death , and go through a largely unknown process before reincarnating into a newborn body . Every soul does , however , have embedded memories from their previous lives , and through certain processes a person 's soul can be " Awakened " , meaning they gain awareness of these past lives . Though the study of souls , called Animancy , is still a young field of science , the implications for society at large has been vast , and lead to rapid advances in technology and caused several rifts and clashes in the different religious communities , which has marked the era as a time of great turmoil . 
