Kids Who Remember Their Past Lives

[George-ananda]

Mormons and others believe that they were spirit children before this life, and I have no argument about that. Another scripture, "before you were in the womb, I knew you.

Mormons don't believe in reincarnation.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Thoughts?

I used to find it interesting enough that I put some effort into studying the subject only to find it riddled with problems (one example I remember is a girl who talked about horses in her past life in ancient Egypt, but Egyptians didn't use horses as described during the time frame of this alleged past life). Eventually I got to the point where I realized such things shouldn't be encouraged or promoted.

 

[Quagmire]

In a universe where the number of living beings is increasing, there'd not have been enough previous individual living beings in prior generations from which the number of current living beings could all have been reincarnated. ....

I don't know. When I die I fully expect all the voices in my head to split up and go their separate ways.

 

[Quagmire]

I'm still a major skeptic.

I mean, tell me what significant thing you remember that you did on that one particular day when you were five years old, or what was discussed exactly one year ago from today?

My family moved out of the first apartment I lived in before I turned two and I can remember a few details about the place. We were only at the second place for about a year, but I have quite a few detailed memories of events, the apartment, the neighborhood, etc.

And these are all more or less mundane memories, nothing that would have just naturally made a lasting impression for any reason.

I Yet a person can retain memories of former life events that happened perhaps eons ago ?

I guess it depends on how you interpret the evidence, and how much weight you choose to give it.

IMost people can't remember their own birth when they left the womb.

I wasn't aware that there was anybody who could remember their own birth.

IYou would think things like languages would have been uttered by the newborns right at the moment where they are physically able to vocalize, rather than as older kids years down the road where they could have picked up things.

The brain has to reach a certain developmental stage before it can handle any language. Even if a "soul" found itself residing in a new brain, memories intact, it would still lack the equipment to process those memories or the motor skills to express them.

There are cases of people who have had brain trauma and have had to learn to speak all over again. The memories may be there, the entire language may be stored away intact somewhere in their memory, but the parts of the brain associated with speech are damaged and can't perform that function anymore. So the patient needs to "teach" other parts of their brain to take over the task

This is especially true of children who've suffered brain injuries, since their brains are still developing.

See neuroplasticity+after+brain+injry
Definition of Neuroplasticity
Neuroplasticity after Traumatic Brain Injury - Translational Research in Traumatic Brain Injury - NCBI Bookshelf
Brain Plasticity is the Key to Recovery after Brain Injury or Stroke [INFOGRAPHIC]

 

[Quagmire]

I don't know about it. In my beliefs it doesn't matter if there is another life or not. You will not be yourself either way if you drink from the well of forgetfulness.

So you're saying your not going to pay me the $10 you lost playing craps with me in that foxhole in Gettysburg . . .

 

[Milton Platt]

New souls are being emanated all the time... or some of the souls were previously in animal bodies, or the time between births is getting smaller. There are explanations.

those are not explanations, they are assertions. There is a difference.

 

[Quagmire]

those are not explanations, they are assertions. There is a difference.

They're assertions that serve as possible explanations in the context of the question.

 

[Milton Platt]

They're assertions that serve as possible explanations in the context of the question.

Yes, but not necessarily the correct, or even the most probable explanation.

But in any case, assertions are not explanations.

 

[Quagmire]

Yes, but not necessarily the correct, or even the most probable explanation.

Didn't know we were having a probability contest.

But in any case, assertions are not explanations.

True, just like letters aren't words, but try writing a word without them.

 

[Milton Platt]

Didn't know we were having a probability contest.



True, just like letters aren't words, but try writing a word without them.

probability matters.

letters are symbols used to make words. assertions do not assemble into explanations. proper explanations rest upon sound evidence, not assertions.

 

[George-ananda]

probability matters.

I agree. I do not assert these are genuine reincarnation memories and that there are souls but rather I say that after full consideration of everything from all sides that there are most probably souls and genuine cases of childhood reincarnation memories.

 

[George-ananda]

In a universe where the number of living beings is increasing, there'd not have been enough previous individual living beings in prior generations from which the number of current living beings could all have been reincarnated. ....

My best understanding is that an increasing population allows for more frequent returns. Also your model does not contain the understanding that it is not a closed system. Souls enter and leave the human reincarnation cycle at all times. Any small or large number of humans is just some small sliver of the universe.

 

[George-ananda]

I don't know about it. In my beliefs it doesn't matter if there is another life or not. You will not be yourself either way if you drink from the well of forgetfulness.

That is why I feel it is important to think of reincarnation in a bigger picture. IMO, After death there is still a considerable time spent as our current personalities on the astral/mental planes and where encountering past loved ones and digesting the spiritual lessons of the past life occurs. Eventually you will experience as the soul and feel the need for future growing lessons (reincarnation). The soul connects to the memories of all its past experiences. The newly reincarnated person has a blank slate of memory with influence from the soul. Only in rare cases does that influence go so far as actual detailed memories (as in the case in the OP). And usually in these rare cases it occurs with rather rapid reincarnation after a young death (life halted early stream).

 

[Jumi]

That is why I feel it is important to think of reincarnation in a bigger picture. IMO, After death there is still a considerable time spent as our current personalities on the astral/mental planes and where encountering past loved ones and digesting the spiritual lessons of the past life occurs. Eventually you will experience as the soul and feel the need for future growing lessons (reincarnation). The soul connects to the memories of all its past experiences. The newly reincarnated person has a blank slate of memory with influence from the soul. Only in rare cases does that influence go so far as actual detailed memories (as in the case in the OP). And usually in these rare cases it occurs with rather rapid reincarnation after a young death (life halted early stream).

If such a thing happens, then I will accept it. To my current self it doesn't sound any different from becoming one with the universe ("dust")... do you think it's important to think about reincarnation during life or is it a sidepath?

 

[George-ananda]

If such a thing happens, then I will accept it. To my current self it doesn't sound any different from becoming one with the universe ("dust")...

Living an afterlife on the spiritual planes (before becoming your soul and reincarnating) sounds different than personalityless and unfeeling dust to me.

... do you think it's important to think about reincarnation during life or is it a sidepath?

I think becoming more spiritual in this life is what is most important. It is not important that you believe in reincarnation.

 

[Wu Wei]

I wonder if this has anything to do with why, when I was a child, I could not stand anything on my neck, di

What do you guys make of this?:

The first example is fairly famous: https://www.google.com/search?q=Shanti+Devi&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b-ab

I remember her story appearing here and there during the New Age movement in the 70s.

For myself, I file this one under Choose to Believe it Until someone Gives Me a Good Reason Not To Because Hey, Why Not.

Thoughts?

I wonder if this has anything to do with why, when I was a child, I could not stand anything on my neck, didn't even like being touched there.

 

[Salvador]

My best understanding is that an increasing population allows for more frequent returns. Also your model does not contain the understanding that it is not a closed system. Souls enter and leave the human reincarnation cycle at all times. Any small or large number of humans is just some small sliver of the universe.

If all life began at one place somewhere in our universe from one-self replicating molecule, then there'd have been no prior life from which any "soul" then would have been reincarnated.; ...Right?

 

[George-ananda]

If all life began at one place somewhere in our universe from one-self replicating molecule, then there'd have been no prior life from which any "soul" then would have been reincarnated.; ...Right?

I'll go with 'No' for multiple reasons. For one, I believe souls precede the creation of physical bodies.

 

[Salvador]

I'll go with 'No' for multiple reasons. For one, I believe souls precede the creation of physical bodies.

From which previous life would the first living being in our universe have been reincarnated?

If the number of living beings were to have increased exponentially from one ancestral life form, then there'd had to have been some living "souls" who had no prior life. Right?

 

[George-ananda]

From which previous life would the first living being in our universe have been reincarnated?

If the number of living beings were to have increased exponentially from one ancestral life form, then there'd had to have been some living "souls" who had no prior life. Right?

Every soul would have a first incarnation on the physical plane. As I said the existence of souls precedes their first physical incarnation.