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Author Topic: Past Lives/Reincarnation  (Read 10799 times)

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PaganOne

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Past Lives/Reincarnation
« on: March 11, 2010, 12:02:11 PM »

I have always wondered why people believe in reincarnation and past lives.  I have never felt I lived before.  I have to wonder if I am a new soul, or in the past I was something not in human form.  I never get anywhere doing past life meditations, there's always nothingness.  I am not saying that I do not believe in reincarnation, but that there is nothing in my life to lead me to believe its real for me.

I have a strong affinity for dogs and spend time at a local humane society walking dogs and flowing Reiki for them.  I have to wonder if I was once a dog, although I don't have any thoughts or memories that would lead me to think that, except that I sometimes get glimpses into what a dog is thinking or feeling.

What do you all believe as to reincarnation and why?  What are some of the clues/glimpses as to your past life or lives?  Do we always come back as human?
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Tirya

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Re: Past Lives/Reincarnation
« Reply #1 on: March 11, 2010, 12:15:27 PM »

My own belief is that when we die, the energy that makes us "us" (spirit, soul, etc) returns to the Universe like a glass of water being poured back into the ocean. When something is born (or whenever you believe it is "ensouled"), the energy that makes it an individual is drawn from that ocean. It may have some energy that used to be a part of someone or something else, in greater or lesser quantities. To me, that's why different people feel they've been the same person in a past life (they both received some of that person's energy), or why some people have an "affinity" for others or for animals. I don't believe in whole-soul reincarnation. But when something dies, its physical body breaks down into more basic foundational parts and is then re-used by something else, I don't see why our energy should be any different.
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Re: Past Lives/Reincarnation
« Reply #2 on: March 11, 2010, 01:23:43 PM »

My belief in past lives is tied to a very powerful experience I had where I remembered something from another life that could have in no way come from anywhere but another life.  So, yes I do believe in reincarnation, but in what forms or how it all exactly works, I haven't a clue.  I lean more towards how Tir explained it, but that doesn't seem to fully mesh with my experience.  That makes me think that just about anything is possible, but I'm convinced that at least some part of us does come back.
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Ghost Wolf

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Re: Past Lives/Reincarnation
« Reply #3 on: March 12, 2010, 10:05:36 AM »

I think that what we experience sometimes as past lives is genetic or ancestral memory, passed down in our DNA. I think that our personality is shed like a husk at death and our spirit reintegrates with The All.
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VenusInFurs

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Re: Past Lives/Reincarnation
« Reply #4 on: March 18, 2010, 06:33:21 AM »

I have to go somewhere to really know.  There are a few places I've been that I get a distinct feeling that I've been there before, even when I haven't.  I never got it before I moved to Europe, so I think I've always been here (probably why I was drawn here.)  I've never been to Asia though, so maybe if I went to Asia I might get that feeling somewhere too.  I have a distinct feeling I've lived in Paris.  My first time in Paris it was like going home.  I've never been lost there, even when I wasn't sure where I was.  I'd turn a corner and voila, I'd be somewhere I knew.  I don't think I can live in Paris in -this- life....it's a much more hectic place than it used to be.  But whenever I go there I still feel like I'm going home.  When I was younger I used to dream in French often, but it's stopped and my French language skills are getting worse (though I'd like to improve so I can be tri-lingual.)  I love French food and wine, and French fashion.

I got a big sense from Greece too, but it's really hard to tell.  I don't think I was there so recently (I think Paris was only one or two lives ago) and it's a place that has changed a LOT in the past few hundred years. 

It's not like this for all of Europe.  When I was in Vienna, I felt like I was never there before, or if I was I didn't spend much time there, for example.
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VenusInFurs

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Re: Past Lives/Reincarnation
« Reply #5 on: March 18, 2010, 06:35:49 AM »

I have to go somewhere to really know.  There are a few places I've been that I get a distinct feeling that I've been there before, even when I haven't.  I never got it before I moved to Europe, so I think I've always been here (probably why I was drawn here.)  I've never been to Asia though, so maybe if I went to Asia I might get that feeling somewhere too.  I have a distinct feeling I've lived in Paris.  My first time in Paris it was like going home.  I've never been lost there, even when I wasn't sure where I was.  I'd turn a corner and voila, I'd be somewhere I knew.  I don't think I can live in Paris in -this- life....it's a much more hectic place than it used to be.  But whenever I go there I still feel like I'm going home.  When I was younger I used to dream in French often (when I was 13 or 14 even we were experimenting with hypnosis and I totally freaked everyone out by lapsing into French.  and this was in the first years of even learning French grammar) , but it's stopped and my French language skills are getting worse (though I'd like to improve so I can be tri-lingual.)  I love French food and wine, and French fashion.

I got a big sense from Greece too, but it's really hard to tell.  I don't think I was there so recently (I think Paris was only one or two lives ago) and it's a place that has changed a LOT in the past few hundred years. 

It's not like this for all of Europe.  When I was in Vienna, I felt like I was never there before, or if I was I didn't spend much time there, for example.
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vordan

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Re: Past Lives/Reincarnation
« Reply #6 on: March 21, 2010, 09:48:25 AM »

Energy can not be really destroyed so our energy persists. I lean logically toward it returning to the fund of things but it may retain some it's identity for awhile. It may be that part of the experience of the afterlife is the process of letting go, so the energy can find new expression.
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PaganOne

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Re: Past Lives/Reincarnation
« Reply #7 on: April 29, 2010, 08:20:25 AM »

Heard something interesting at my New Age meetup last night.  I have always thought that perhaps I have a parallel life instead of a past life due to always seeming to match wits with a male presence that at times steps up to the plate for me in stressful situations.  For a while I thought perhaps I was transgender, but that didn't fit.  What was going on with me wasn't about sexual identity.  A hypnotist that was at our meetup does past life regressions and said that what she thinks is that in a past life I was male.  She said it takes three lifetimes to fully integrate when reincarnating as a different sex. 

We will see how that pans out as I am going to have her do a past life regression hypnonsis for me sometime soon.  Will let you know how it goes.
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Eternal Seeker

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Re: Past Lives/Reincarnation
« Reply #8 on: April 29, 2010, 01:01:36 PM »


I agree with Tirya; it's called the transmigration of souls, rather than the reincarnation. Buddha illustrated it with a candle, using it to light another candle, then using that one to light still another- the candle went out, but the light continued. But I don't worry myself much about the afterlife- one reality at a time is my motto. The Divine is not petty or small; if I make myself worthy of this life, I need not fear what may happen thereafter.

peace,
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dragonspring

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Re: Past Lives/Reincarnation
« Reply #9 on: May 01, 2010, 02:01:26 PM »

I don't really have an answer for this question.  I believe that a soul is a form of energy and therefore it cannot be destroyed. Therefore, reincarnation seems as plausible to me as other theories espoused by different religions.  Honestly, I don't believe humans are meant to understand exactly what happens after "death" so I don't spend a lot of time contemplating it.
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bluefire

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Re: Past Lives/Reincarnation
« Reply #10 on: May 01, 2010, 03:19:06 PM »

Honestly, I don't believe humans are meant to understand exactly what happens after "death" so I don't spend a lot of time contemplating it.

I agree with DS.  When I was in my 30's I did a whole series of past life regressions under hypnosis.  It was fascinating fun -- jumping from time to time and place to place.  A truly unique experience.  I didn't understand it at the time and I don't understand it now.  I don't know what I was seeing and why it was so easy to just put myself into a different life.  What I DO know is that each regression taught me lessons that applied to my situation at the time.  It was a way to understand myself better, like analysing dreams.  In the end, I decided that it doesn't matter how we get our inspiration.  It only matters that we find the inspiration we need to continue to live and grow and enjoy our lives.

Trying to figure out what happens after death has become quite meaningless to me.  Would I change anything, depending on the answer?  I don't think so.  It's interesting to think about, until it's not interesting anymore.  No one has figured it out so far.  Don't think I'll be the one to do that.   :rotflmao:  It's kind of a relief for me to give it up.
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PaganOne

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Re: Past Lives/Reincarnation
« Reply #11 on: September 29, 2010, 10:14:46 AM »

Since I've been gone I attended a spirit circle and was contacted by my grandfather and a former boyfriend.  It was very interesting.  The medium told me things that no one outside the family would have known about my grandfather and I.  I was afraid my grandfather would look at my life and be disappointed in me.  It is wonderful to feel the waves of unconditional love he sends.  I talk with him daily now.  The former boyfriend simply wanted to say he was sorry for wrongs against me.  At little to late, my dear.

A hypnotist tried to lead me into past-life regression, but I would reach a certain stage and panic every time we tried.  I did however have success in a group meditation with my New Age group. 

Found my spirit guide in a meditation who is an Indian chief who I later found information about on the internet.  I was his daughter in a past life.  The longing to be with him and sorrow at being apart were rather earth shaking.  That really brought it home to me.

So much more to explore.  I'm ready.   :happydance:
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VisionFromAfar

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Re: Past Lives/Reincarnation
« Reply #12 on: October 08, 2010, 10:58:51 AM »

I'm glad you're making good progress. I know just enough about my own (most recent) past life to know I desperately want to know more (I was a British officer in WWI who may or may not have "killed himself" (re: taken on overly dangrous missions) over a woman). It's amazing the little things that can hit us so hard when we start looking back. Cheers to you!  :D
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