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How Has Reincarnation Affected You?

CharmingOwl

Member
My past life was obviously in Asia or something because ever since young I thought something was extremely fishy about America. I was probably Chinese or Vietnamese, maybe even Japanese. The spirits of those countries seem so much more welcoming to me than the ones here in Florida now. It is distressing to feel like a foreigner in America now despite having been here my entire life, but mindfulness and other things help. I tried to leave and go back before but it's not in the cards for me. I have to die in this strange country.
 

The Sum of Awe

Brought to you by the moment that spacetime began.
How has reincarnation affected you?

Well, considering I'll be experiencing all of these lives, it's painful to watch others who are not living happily or are making others unhappy.
 

PoetPhilosopher

Veteran Member
I've had past life readings done before. It's certainly interesting. In my apparent past lives, I always end up stuck in a rut in the end, which shows why I haven't yet broken any reincarnation cycle.
 

Brickjectivity

Turned to Stone. Now I stretch daily.
Staff member
Premium Member
My past life was obviously in Asia or something because ever since young I thought something was extremely fishy about America. I was probably Chinese or Vietnamese, maybe even Japanese. The spirits of those countries seem so much more welcoming to me than the ones here in Florida now. It is distressing to feel like a foreigner in America now despite having been here my entire life, but mindfulness and other things help. I tried to leave and go back before but it's not in the cards for me. I have to die in this strange country.
I was just mirror wandering about that. What happens if you squeeze in the experience of two people? Do your experiences merge? Do you lose memories in order to gain them? Is there space enough for two?
 

dybmh

דניאל יוסף בן מאיר הירש
Regarding reincarnation, it makes me sad. If the purpose of life is reconnecting to spirit, to the inner essence, to the source, then each successive lifetime will become harder and harder to acheive this goal. As time goes on, it seems that spirit becomes more and more occluded by the material.
 

JDMS

Academic Workhorse
My past life was obviously in Asia or something because ever since young I thought something was extremely fishy about America. I was probably Chinese or Vietnamese, maybe even Japanese. The spirits of those countries seem so much more welcoming to me than the ones here in Florida now. It is distressing to feel like a foreigner in America now despite having been here my entire life, but mindfulness and other things help. I tried to leave and go back before but it's not in the cards for me. I have to die in this strange country.

What do you mean by this, exactly? How do the spirits feel friendlier? How does a spirit "belong" to any country? As a Japanese Shinto practicer, the spirits do not discriminate. They do not care if you are Japanese, white, black, etc.... they give their blessings freely to anyone who honors them and asks for their help, no matter where in the world they are... well, besides ancestors. Also, kami exist in every country. The mountains of the US are just as much kami as the mountains of Japan.

I'm also curious. Did you feel like a foreigner in Asia in your past life? Why feel like a foreigner now? The current you is American. You grew up there, dwelled there, absorbed the world around you... it has left its mark on you, more than any past life would. You are not a foreigner in America.
 

The Sum of Awe

Brought to you by the moment that spacetime began.
Regarding reincarnation, it makes me sad. If the purpose of life is reconnecting to spirit, to the inner essence, to the source, then each successive lifetime will become harder and harder to acheive this goal. As time goes on, it seems that spirit becomes more and more occluded by the material.
Interesting you say that, don't most religions that teach reincarnation also teach the idea that with each passing life you gain more spiritual wisdom?
 

JustGeorge

Not As Much Fun As I Look
Staff member
Premium Member
My past life was obviously in Asia or something because ever since young I thought something was extremely fishy about America. I was probably Chinese or Vietnamese, maybe even Japanese. The spirits of those countries seem so much more welcoming to me than the ones here in Florida now. It is distressing to feel like a foreigner in America now despite having been here my entire life, but mindfulness and other things help. I tried to leave and go back before but it's not in the cards for me. I have to die in this strange country.

I, too, feel like a strange man(yeah, man) in a strange land...

Regarding reincarnation, it makes me sad. If the purpose of life is reconnecting to spirit, to the inner essence, to the source, then each successive lifetime will become harder and harder to acheive this goal. As time goes on, it seems that spirit becomes more and more occluded by the material.

I've always felt the opposite. In my mind, the more you experience the material, the more it loses its appeal, making one want to re-unite with its source.

Kind of how one gets tired of ice cream after the 3rd or 4th bowl, even though they were craving it for the 1st.
 

dybmh

דניאל יוסף בן מאיר הירש
Interesting you say that, don't most religions that teach reincarnation also teach the idea that with each passing life you gain more spiritual wisdom?
Yes. But I have not experienced that myself. Maybe I'll realize at some point the wisdom I've collected; but it hasn't happened yet.
 

CharmingOwl

Member
What do you mean by this, exactly? How do the spirits feel friendlier? How does a spirit "belong" to any country? As a Japanese Shinto practicer, the spirits do not discriminate. They do not care if you are Japanese, white, black, etc.... they give their blessings freely to anyone who honors them and asks for their help, no matter where in the world they are... well, besides ancestors. Also, kami exist in every country. The mountains of the US are just as much kami as the mountains of Japan.

I'm also curious. Did you feel like a foreigner in Asia in your past life? Why feel like a foreigner now? The current you is American. You grew up there, dwelled there, absorbed the world around you... it has left its mark on you, more than any past life would. You are not a foreigner in America.
I know there are spirits here, but it feels like such a strange place to me. The energies of those other places in the world resonate with me a lot more than my current location. There are so many things that westerners do that I don't understand. I also find it hard sometimes to relate to other people even from the same city.
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
I see life as a series of lifetimes, not this single lifetime. We've all been beggars, we've all been gay. we've all been both genders, we've all died tragically, and more. We're souls, not ego/personalities. So it broadens one's perspective, I think.
 

JDMS

Academic Workhorse
I see life as a series of lifetimes, not this single lifetime. We've all been beggars, we've all been gay. we've all been both genders, we've all died tragically, and more. We're souls, not ego/personalities. So it broadens one's perspective, I think.

I think that is the beauty of the idea of reincarnation to me. That we can evolve and learn with every life. That each time allows us to experience the world anew. In my mind, it is best to learn from the past and take it forward, rather than long for the things past.
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
I think that is the beauty of the idea of reincarnation to me. That we can evolve and learn with every life. That each time allows us to experience the world anew. In my mind, it is best to learn from the past and take it forward, rather than long for the things past.
An analogy is reflecting on yourself one year at a time. Hopefully, the 20 year old 'you' has benefitted by the 12 year old 'you', and the 40 year old 'you' will benefit from the lessons of the 20 year old 'you'.

As an aside, I find pronouns tricky in this topic, as 'I' can either be referring to the soul or the ego/personality of this individual life. That's why I use quotes for 'you' in the above.
 

Colt

Well-Known Member
My past life was obviously in Asia or something because ever since young I thought something was extremely fishy about America. I was probably Chinese or Vietnamese, maybe even Japanese. The spirits of those countries seem so much more welcoming to me than the ones here in Florida now. It is distressing to feel like a foreigner in America now despite having been here my entire life, but mindfulness and other things help. I tried to leave and go back before but it's not in the cards for me. I have to die in this strange country.
I was injured so I called the law firm of Allen, Allen, Allen and Allen becuse they mean business!
 

JDMS

Academic Workhorse
An analogy is reflecting on yourself one year at a time. Hopefully, the 20 year old 'you' has benefitted by the 12 year old 'you', and the 40 year old 'you' will benefit from the lessons of the 20 year old 'you'.

As an aside, I find pronouns tricky in this topic, as 'I' can either be referring to the soul or the ego/personality of this individual life. That's why I use quotes for 'you' in the above.

All great insights too!
 

Orbit

I'm a planet
My past life was obviously in Asia or something because ever since young I thought something was extremely fishy about America. I was probably Chinese or Vietnamese, maybe even Japanese. The spirits of those countries seem so much more welcoming to me than the ones here in Florida now. It is distressing to feel like a foreigner in America now despite having been here my entire life, but mindfulness and other things help. I tried to leave and go back before but it's not in the cards for me. I have to die in this strange country.

I was once told by a "psychic" that I was a Viking fishwife in a previous life. Can't say that has had much impact on me, lol.
 

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
On a trip to India, a number of us felt immediately at home as we left the plane whereas others felt the opposite. I took that as a residue from past lives.

Many years ago I met someone and felt an immediate bond. My wife met someone and felt an immediate bond. It turned out to be the same person we had met in two separate venues.

But in Meher Baba's view that we have 8,400,000 lives as humans before entering the spiritual path, who knows how many any of us have had.

It does also affect my thinking. To me being trans could be a natural consequence when someone spends quite a few lives in a row as male or female and then switches to the opposite.
 
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