I believe that once the physical body dies the astral body is freed to use up the last amounts of energy (chakra) it had left. Once it uses this it dies as well, I call this the second death. Once this happens, the Higher Concioucness (mental body,other self, HGA, etc.) goes on to be reincarnated, or is merged with the cosmos.
As a psychic vampire, i believe that i posess the ability to prevent the second death by taking minute amounts of energy from others. If the astral body and the Higher BOdy are reincarnated, the magickal knowledge is not forgotten. Peter Carroll described a similiar process called the Dark Rite (i think) wherein the astral body of a dead, yet wise magician can reincarnate and remember the magickal wisdom of his past life, even as a child.
(IMG:
style_emoticons/default/hmm.gif) Just some food for thought.