Past lives and reincarnation

[Feathers in Hair]

I sure don't. Anyone have a good reason that one should believe so?

Not any reason that anyone should believe, because I don't think that anyone should believe anything that doesn't speak to their heart.

I know I believe because I know things from other lives that I've never learned in this one. I remember places I've never been and events I've never witnessed, or heard described. I know things that it is impossible for a young, caucasian woman on the lower end of the economic spectrum to know, or at least it would be impossible for me to know them if I hadn't been told. And I since I haven't and have only had them validated by one who do know these things... well, that's why I believe.

 

[turk179]

I am an unsure kinda person. I have to agree with PaintedWolf. We'll see what happens when the time comes. I will always have an open mind though.

 

[michel]

Not any reason that anyone should believe, because I don't think that anyone should believe anything that doesn't speak to their heart.

I know I believe because I know things from other lives that I've never learned in this one. I remember places I've never been and events I've never witnessed, or heard described. I know things that it is impossible for a young, caucasian woman on the lower end of the economic spectrum to know, or at least it would be impossible for me to know them if I hadn't been told. And I since I haven't and have only had them validated by one who do know these things... well, that's why I believe.

I agree; it is not a case of 'you need to believe'; there is an expression in French for something that 'just doesn't feel right, although you can't put your finger on it' - 'on n'est pas dans son assiette' literally 'I'm not in my plate'; anyone who feels this way about anything would be best advised to meditate over the 'unease'.

I empathise with your last paragraph Feathers; I used to go to a meditation group where we would regularly try to 'reach' our previous lives. It was incredible; and, like you, there are things I know I don't know, but I do. (That probably sounds absurd, but it is the way I define it). I don't query it; I just 'go with the flow'.

 

[oracle]

I had a past life regression for entertainment reasons. I was told that this is my 12th (5 is considered an old soul) lifetime, and a bunch of other stuff. Generally I'm unsure on my standpoint in regards to reincarnation. Actually I would have to say yes and no. I believe that the "soul" is generally ageless and eternal and is singular and whole. I don't really believe in an afterlife, but in my belief your "self" dissolves into the infinite and eternal "soul" which is unified, self-sufficient, self-containted. I believe that the "self" is an excursion from a unified state, (a "fall" if you will), like raindrops that fall to earth and then vaporize back into which it came. The self is an illusion: completely finite and mortal, coming into temporal existence. Existence is in a contineous flux of life-death, illusions and non-illusions.

 

[Doc]

I am the 2nd Christian here that believes in reincarnation I think. I don't believe in Hell or Purgatory but the end to my suffering here which I hope is this life. That is why I wish to become enlightened and love exploring other religions so much. Besides I think I can sometimes view these past lives in my dreams which none seem to be in the present. Or it could just be my obsession with history.

 

[Majikthise]

No if your talking souls,yes if the body.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

If reincarnation is true, then I most certainly am the coolest version of my "self" in this life. No doubt.

 

[No*s]

No, I don't. I believe I have one life, and when that's over, I have hope in an afterlife, but I don't belive in reincarnation.

 

[painted wolf]

heres a question (probably silly)

Is resurection sort of like reincarnation lite?

you come back to life, but instead of a new body you keep the old one.

wa:do

 

[Dinogrrl]

I dunno...I guess in a way it is. But for me, reincarnation implies that the spirit must leave the body and not be able to return. Which puts reincarnation and resurrection in two different, if similar, categories. But that's just my opinion :}.

 

[Draka]

I believe that reincarnation and resurrection are two completely different things. You described what resurrection was and reincarnation would be the rebirth of your spirit into another life, another body, an infant, to live a whole new life all over again.

 

[ayani]

personally, i don't believe in reincarnation. i believe that when we die.... something happens to our spiritual selves, though i'm not sure what. i wouldn't say it's definately reincarnation that happens, though.

 

[Lostinthisworld]

Yes I think I was you at one time, but when I dream I'm them

 

[No*s]

heres a question (probably silly)

Is resurection sort of like reincarnation lite?

you come back to life, but instead of a new body you keep the old one.

wa:do

Etymologically, yes it would be, because people are incarnated again. However, the term reincarnation is normally used in a way more akin to metempsychosis: the placing of the soul in a new body after death in a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth in another body. This is how I take the term "reincarnation," and inthat sense resurrection does not qualify.

 

[almifkhar]

i went to a physic once and she said that i had like 6 past lives. it was weird cause she explaied my love for the tiger, intrest of indians (india) my love of great lakes. and said that my husband and i were married once before except he was the wife and i was the husband. she said that we are soul mates. now i didn't really know what to think of this until my friend had a session with her. she just asked the general past present future bit. the lady read her like a book. so with this in mind i think it safe to take her seriously. i have always believed in reincarnation as a reality.

 

[Dinogrrl]

With past lives and stuff, it's usually better to figure things out through your own personal meditation than completely relying on someone else's word. Even if that person is trustworthy, he/she is still not /you/, and in the end only /you/ know what /you/ are.

That's how it is when you're talking about Otherkinism and therianthropy and such, and since many 'kin and therians believe themselves to be reincarnated to begin with, I'd assume this would apply to past lives in general.

 

[EnhancedSpirit]

I read that the one who banned the concept of reincarnation from Christianity was... a Roman emperor!

In the year 543 of our present era, the Emperor Justinian convened a Synod in Constantinople, for the sole purpose of condemning the teachings of Origen regarding reincarnation.