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Do you believe that it exists? Does religion have a part in said belief? If you do believe in reincarnation, what is the basis for that belief?
Myself, yes, I do believe in reincarnation. It stems from "memories" I had as a small child searching for my former home in NYC - a typical brownstone. I've always felt close to Jews and the Jewish faith - the word "rabbi" and the Blue Star of David had a special draw to me as a kid. And I've always gotten along very well with Jews growing up (and this continues to this day). Many people have told me that I think and act like a Jew, although I certainly don't look like one, lol. On the darker side, I've had "memories" of fighting against the Nazis in WWII, namely flying P-51 Mustangs to provide cover for the big bombers. I would get into trouble acting out aerial dogfights in school - it was like a compulsion for me. Needless to say, I didn't make it back from one of those missions. So yeah, in my last life, I died at a young age.
All this aside, I just think reincarnation makes more cosmic sense than other belief-forms. Rather than sending a "bad" person to an eternal Hell in which there is no chance for redemption, reincarnation allows someone to restore bad karma in a future life. A rapist in one life may very well come back as a woman who is a victim of sexual abuse. A greedy industrialist in one life may very come back as a poor laborer in a future one. This way, we all get to experience the totality of the human experience.
I honestly think I came back with a disability in this life (hard-of-hearing) so I'd not "repeat" my previous life. Believe me, I'd joined the Air Force (Aim High!) fresh out of high school had I had been able to do so. That was not to be, of course, and it's nice to be able to understand that. Growing up, I hated the Nazis - I mean, I hated them with a passion. I'd make up endless stories of bombing missions wrecking total destruction - again, this was a compulsion for me. If people had been able to see into my mind as a child, they'd be freakin' - lol. My imagination was soaked in violence growing up.
Since then, I've come to accept that hate just eats you up, and it doesn't solve the problems of humanity. The German fighters in WWII, which were the world's best, flying the best aircraft, were defending their homeland, just like any country would. These were young men, many of whom looked like I do in this life, were merely following orders of a madman. I am fortunate that I didn't do the same thing in Desert Storm or what-have-you. It was time to move on. I think that's how reincarnation is supposed to work.
But then again, what do I know?
Anyone else care to share stories and beliefs related to reincarnation?
Do you believe that it exists? Does religion have a part in said belief? If you do believe in reincarnation, what is the basis for that belief?
Myself, yes, I do believe in reincarnation. It stems from "memories" I had as a small child searching for my former home in NYC - a typical brownstone. I've always felt close to Jews and the Jewish faith - the word "rabbi" and the Blue Star of David had a special draw to me as a kid. And I've always gotten along very well with Jews growing up (and this continues to this day). Many people have told me that I think and act like a Jew, although I certainly don't look like one, lol. On the darker side, I've had "memories" of fighting against the Nazis in WWII, namely flying P-51 Mustangs to provide cover for the big bombers. I would get into trouble acting out aerial dogfights in school - it was like a compulsion for me. Needless to say, I didn't make it back from one of those missions. So yeah, in my last life, I died at a young age.
All this aside, I just think reincarnation makes more cosmic sense than other belief-forms. Rather than sending a "bad" person to an eternal Hell in which there is no chance for redemption, reincarnation allows someone to restore bad karma in a future life. A rapist in one life may very well come back as a woman who is a victim of sexual abuse. A greedy industrialist in one life may very come back as a poor laborer in a future one. This way, we all get to experience the totality of the human experience.
I honestly think I came back with a disability in this life (hard-of-hearing) so I'd not "repeat" my previous life. Believe me, I'd joined the Air Force (Aim High!) fresh out of high school had I had been able to do so. That was not to be, of course, and it's nice to be able to understand that. Growing up, I hated the Nazis - I mean, I hated them with a passion. I'd make up endless stories of bombing missions wrecking total destruction - again, this was a compulsion for me. If people had been able to see into my mind as a child, they'd be freakin' - lol. My imagination was soaked in violence growing up.
Since then, I've come to accept that hate just eats you up, and it doesn't solve the problems of humanity. The German fighters in WWII, which were the world's best, flying the best aircraft, were defending their homeland, just like any country would. These were young men, many of whom looked like I do in this life, were merely following orders of a madman. I am fortunate that I didn't do the same thing in Desert Storm or what-have-you. It was time to move on. I think that's how reincarnation is supposed to work.
But then again, what do I know?
Anyone else care to share stories and beliefs related to reincarnation?
I'm Buddhist, but I'm very undecided about reincarnation or rebirth.
After visiting three different psychics in about 1985, all three came up with the same past life for me -- previously Thai, in a temple, where I was associated with music...problematic since there is rarely music in Thai temples. But all three came to the same conclusion...without any prompting of any type. And I had a rather mystical experience in the Thai city of Lopburi around that same time period.
But still I am unconvinced. Leaning, maybe, but unconvinced.
I'm Buddhist, but I'm very undecided about reincarnation or rebirth.
After visiting three different psychics in about 1985, all three came up with the same past life for me -- previously Thai, in a temple, where I was associated with music...problematic since there is rarely music in Thai temples. But all three came to the same conclusion...without any prompting of any type. And I had a rather mystical experience in the Thai city of Lopburi around that same time period.
But still I am unconvinced. Leaning, maybe, but unconvinced.
Ha, you need to find out which temple did have music - and go there. Perhaps you'll stir up some old memories.
When I was a kid, I begged, and begged my parents to take me to New York. I wanted go there so badly. We finally took a road trip there on the eve of my 13th birthday. Seeing the hazy outline of the Twin Towers while on the New Jersey Turnpike was like seeing the gates of heaven. I was one excited kid. The poor people sitting behind me on the Circle Line Tour did not have a good time...lol.
A question for believers - do you think you'll come back in a future life, or do you think this is the last one? I'd like to come back, but only under certain conditions. I'll not be coming back to this era, that's for sure - I don't like living in this era, and I long for a simpler, less stressful existence.
Maybe I'll spend some time in the cosmic "sandbox" and make a world of my own and have fun with it before coming back to deal with the mess that is humanity.
Do you believe that it exists? Does religion have a part in said belief? If you do believe in reincarnation, what is the basis for that belief?
Myself, yes, I do believe in reincarnation. It stems from "memories" I had as a small child searching for my former home in NYC - a typical brownstone. I've always felt close to Jews and the Jewish faith - the word "rabbi" and the Blue Star of David had a special draw to me as a kid. And I've always gotten along very well with Jews growing up (and this continues to this day). Many people have told me that I think and act like a Jew, although I certainly don't look like one, lol. On the darker side, I've had "memories" of fighting against the Nazis in WWII, namely flying P-51 Mustangs to provide cover for the big bombers. I would get into trouble acting out aerial dogfights in school - it was like a compulsion for me. Needless to say, I didn't make it back from one of those missions. So yeah, in my last life, I died at a young age.
All this aside, I just think reincarnation makes more cosmic sense than other belief-forms. Rather than sending a "bad" person to an eternal Hell in which there is no chance for redemption, reincarnation allows someone to restore bad karma in a future life. A rapist in one life may very well come back as a woman who is a victim of sexual abuse. A greedy industrialist in one life may very come back as a poor laborer in a future one. This way, we all get to experience the totality of the human experience.
I honestly think I came back with a disability in this life (hard-of-hearing) so I'd not "repeat" my previous life. Believe me, I'd joined the Air Force (Aim High!) fresh out of high school had I had been able to do so. That was not to be, of course, and it's nice to be able to understand that. Growing up, I hated the Nazis - I mean, I hated them with a passion. I'd make up endless stories of bombing missions wrecking total destruction - again, this was a compulsion for me. If people had been able to see into my mind as a child, they'd be freakin' - lol. My imagination was soaked in violence growing up.
Since then, I've come to accept that hate just eats you up, and it doesn't solve the problems of humanity. The German fighters in WWII, which were the world's best, flying the best aircraft, were defending their homeland, just like any country would. These were young men, many of whom looked like I do in this life, were merely following orders of a madman. I am fortunate that I didn't do the same thing in Desert Storm or what-have-you. It was time to move on. I think that's how reincarnation is supposed to work.
But then again, what do I know?
Anyone else care to share stories and beliefs related to reincarnation?
I believe in a continuity of consciousness and a continuation of karma from one life to the next. That places me squarely in the fringe of my particular faith, but I don't actually think there's a solid case against it in the New Testament (but also not a case for it either). I don't believe that consciousness is confined to the body/brain, and I don't think consciousness ends---which is how I came to my views. The collected energy of our actions and habitual imprints continues on, but without our personal sense of self. These are just my views that I have either intuited from contemplation or picked up from my spiritual travels. I don't think any one religion has all the answers to this question. But excellent idea for a thread!
One could debate that the bible teaches reincarnation, it's what I suspect.
I suspect that early church leaders stripped that out, so they could put the fear of Hell in people's hearts instead. Easier to control people that way.
Reincarnation is very freeing, since we have do-overs. Screw up this life? Hey, you can do better in the next one. How else are we expected to grow as a species? One-and-done just doesn't cut it, imo.
The God of Israel manifests here all the time & also His Son Jesus manifests here. God took me to a library in The Heavens & every life of every person throughout all time, including the past & future, is held inside a living book that glows with a heavenly light. God placed my soul into one book after another from all lands & all times & I found myself living the lives of all the people in the books. I actually became those people & knew everything they did. And they were from thousands of years ago & also from thousands of years into the future, & from all kinds of lands & cultures. God said to me that souls learn lessons from living mortal lives & they live a number of them before they are returned to Heaven where their original bodies are waiting for them.
God showed me that our original eternal god-like bodies are placed into a deep sleep in Heaven & our souls are removed & brought to the earth to live the lives of mortals. I've read many reports of God telling the same thing to other people. It's all very basic & simple once you meet The God of Israel & He explains it to you & walks you through it.
Jesus said to the man next to Him on the crucifixes that the man would be in Heaven with Him that day, even though the man's body would still be lying dead on earth. That was The Bible's recognition that people have souls that leave the body.
One time I read a book about people that can walk in & out of their own bodies at will & fly as spirits all over the heavens. I thought that sounded like great fun so I lay on the floor & started to force my soul out of my body by sheer will power. Then instantly a group of brightly glowing Angels appeared around me & told me it wasn't time yet & I must stay in my body. They talked to me for a while & I found I can bring them back at any time simply by trying to levitate out of my body. I could bring them here now if I wanted to.
I don't know anything about The Jews however. God speaks of them sometimes & He also speaks with great favour for The Catholic Church.
I've never had any desire to be a soldier or a fighter pilot. My job would simply involve walking through the battlefields & holding the hands of the dying, & praying with them, & helping them to surrender their souls to God as they gave up the ghost
Do you believe that it exists? Does religion have a part in said belief? If you do believe in reincarnation, what is the basis for that belief?
I don't, and I don't mean in anyway to dismiss your or phetaroi's strange experiences.
To me, it's much more believable that we have partially formed "memories" (impressions) in our brains before we are born; and when we see/hear/experience something similar as a child, we tend to blend the two. The pre-birth "memories" might be random neural connections influenced by the consciousness that is taking shape. I don't believe that a baby's brain is a complete tabula rasa.
How is it that, as children, we like and dislike certain foods and yet no two children like the exact same things? You can't explain it using evolution which just predisposes you. So all kids like sweet stuff (sugar = good for survival) but some hate taste of raisins while others hate the flavor of gummy bears. Extend that to what kind of people you like, or religion, or any other abstract ideas.
Admittedly, none of this explains phetaroi's case, where three psychics predicted the same past life... unless they somehow skilfully extracted that information (perhaps indirectly) from him/her.
EDIT: So in your case, you may have seen a WWII movie as a small child, or had Jewish neighbors, or some similar thing that clicked in your mind as a parallel to your pre-birth "memories". Also, kids have a very strong sense of justice so knowing about Nazis, it wouldn't be hard to have socially-acceptable murderous fantasies about them. (OK that's enough pop psych from me today.)
Last edited by cfa-ish; 10-08-2019 at 03:52 PM..
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So yeah, in my last life, I died at a young age. 
I'll not be coming back to this era, that's for sure - I don't like living in this era, and I long for a simpler, less stressful existence. 
