I sometimes get a strong sense that I’ve been here before. Occasionally, I get vague flashbacks where I am bounding along chasing rabbits, and by the way the grass towers above me I think I must have been a weasel, or something like that.
I have heard of others who believe that they have had a previous existence, and some have done research to try to establish who they were in their past life. It is amazing what can be discovered by going through historic records. I won’t bother with anything like that though; I fear it would be a waste of time, the family history of weasels is very poorly documented.
I believe in it actually, but I really don’t know why people have to learn lessons at each incarnation. Why can’t we just live a happy life? I’m sure you were a very happy weasel, Harbal
I am fascinated by people who believe they were famous people in past lives. Nobody ever seems to be just a regular lowly person going about their business do they? They are always famous, rich and powerful!
I think there are more who believe in it than don’t. It was even part of Christianity until someone realised it weakened the hold the church had over its members.
I believe in it, not blind belief but informed, I and others might be wrong but does it matter? If I am right, I will probably come back, if I am not, it will hardly matter.
I’ve always believed in it. There have been so many reports of young children talking about people and places they’ve never known or been to, but they have such a strong knowledge of them. As they get older, these ‘memories’, if that’s what they are, fade, and I’ve often wondered if it’s because the adults in their lives dismiss them, rather than believing in them and allowing the child to talk more and hold onto the memories.
It’s a fascinating subject. Anyone remember the book and film ‘Audrey Rose’? Now that was a really thought provoking story!
I have no “weasel words” to share but twice in my life I have had a strong feeling of Déjà vu.
Once was when I crashed into a wall the first time I skated along the pavement on my brand new pair of roller skates.
I had never worn a pair of roller skates in the whole 9 years of my life, so how could I have a previous memory of skating along a particular pavement and crashing into a wall at that exact same spot in front of that exact same house?
The other Déjà vu moment was not quite so spectacular but rather Earth shaking for me - my siblings and I were all sitting at the dining table and there was a moment when a certain conversation was an exact replica of what I remember happening before, at the exact moment when I shook some salt onto my chips and the salt came out too fast, exactly as it had happened in the tableau of my previous memory.
It was most odd - but more likely a glitch in my brain processing than a memory of a previous life.
There are so many stories on Youtube about children who have had past lives, and recount them in great detail (which can be proved). I think adults find it a bit odd that their own children speak of previous parents, so yes, they may try and dismiss them as childish imagination, sadly. I personally would be fascinated if a child remembered a past life.
I feel the same when I notice the writing styles of some occasional ‘new’ members in here. Names can be changed but writing styles are extremely difficult to disguise.
I think the idea of reincarnation is bollox personally, my Buddhist friends however are very stuck on the idea. I remember nothing from before I was born and I will know nothing once I die - dust to dust etc
Slightly off topic but related (I think)
I heard a quite convincing explanation for deja vu.
Basically in a non scientific explanation it goes like this - the brain has a filter system which checks that things one sees or hears make sense however there is also a fight or flight response which in case of danger bypasses this filter to keep one safe.
Deja vu occurs when something the brain initially determines is danger is sent immediately for processing but which is then determined to be an over reaction so goes through the normal brain processing. However there is an apparent slight time difference between the event (like micro seconds) giving rise to the feeling that it was something one had seen before.
The original explanation was by a scientist on the radio and far superior to mine but I hope it conveys the idea.
Exactly Pixie, so much anecdotal evidence is out there - but is it actually past lives the children remember, or is some sort of collective memory that they are tuning into? Playing devil’s advocate here, because you really have to consider all possible causes of phenomena rather than blindly believing what you want to believe. I do sincerely believe in reincarnation, but I actually rather like the idea of collective memory too. Not sure that both possibilities can exist side by side?
Yes, I too would be fascinated if a child remembered a past life. I’ve never seen any evidence of it in my own children, but there were examples of them being rather tuned in - to another dimension, possibly? Or maybe it was just imagination, I don’t know. But one such example was this: When my son was about 18 months old, we were sitting at the table in our long lounge diner, when his eyes suddenly lit up and he pointed to the armchair at the far end of the room, saying ‘man!’ excitedly. I said, ‘where? Go and talk to him.’ He scrambled down and ran towards the chair, and as he got to within about 3 feet, he stopped, turned round to us with a puzzled expression and said ‘Gone. Man gone.’ My father always used to sit in that armchair when he visited - he’d died only 4 or 5 months previously. Did my son actually see him? Or was he remembering him? I’ll never know for sure, but it looked 100% as if he actually saw him there, and was surprised when he disappeared.
Have to admit … started life not believing in anything … progressed to dabbling with astrology, tarot, reading about reincarnation, Madame Blavatsky, Buddishm … anything you can name that provided some explanation or reason for ‘living’.
The ‘why are we here?’ syndrome.
Now, much as I’d like to believe in ‘something’ I’ve tended to start believing in nothing.
We live, we die.
Me too. Apart from anything else, it’s easier to admit you don’t know, which nobody really does, and regard it as a matter of interest, but not one of importance.
