BIG Question about 'Reincarnation'

Here goes:

If Reincarnation (does in fact exist)...

Then why does 99% of the population NOT REMEMBER their past lives?

According to the 'philosophies' of Reincarnation (paraphrasing), "People die, then are reborn in this world."

Supposedly, we are born again, into a different body, to experience a different lifestyle, that would somehow bring our spirits up a rung or two or more, into a better state for our spirits. (in a nutshell)

Now....here's the kicker?

If people would want to better ourselves...it stands to reason, that we would learn from our mistakes, if we can RECALL them (past lives), then use these experiences as a base-line to further better ourselves.

How can one better ourselves, on the Spiritual timeline, if we don't recall these past live experiences?

I'm sure there will be some of you that will bring about some relevant texts that will send a chill up our spines.

i.e. Children that recall past lives.

I don't have a problem with that. Very interesting topic!

Are memories erased (upon one's birth)...to spare us from the over-abundant knowledge that precedes us?

I look forward to your thoughts people!

~Ducky~



Yet...

I think the mechanism exists in order to prevent someone from going back to their old life. If they did this, then they would not grow, learn and progress.

If you died very young tomorrow, and were reincarnated with full knowledge, would you not seek out the parents which you have affection and affinity towards?

If we all remembered, how would a criminal escape his actions even after death? A single mistake could mean the eternal damnation of remembering (could this be a basis of hell).

You see, even in this life we dont remember those events which are traumatic to us. If you watch someone get murdered, you wouldnt want to remember it over and over again so your memory blocks it out.

Childbirth is supposed to be the most traumatic experience for the child, and as a consequence nobody remembers their own birth.

I surmise it is the same with reincarnation. If we remembered there would be no point in death, as there would be no change once we are reborn. A person would not change in character if they remembered their old ways.

I've been thinking a LOT about past lives lately....I'm glad you brought this up!

Maybe (These are just different thoughts on the issue, they aren't necessarily linked together to form one solid opinion):

- We don't remember the past life becuase we are in a new body...with a new brain....and since no two minds are alike, a new body must have a new mind...and therefore form new memories?

- Perhaps our Soul is what does the remembering, not us per se? And is this is the case, it could explain why people have memories about events, that may or may not have actually happend in this life...it could also explain why some people get intense dejavu....maybe parts of these memories follow us...maybe the important ones we are supposed to know?

- OR Maybe when we die, our souls go out into the world into the next available body for reincarnation...and when this happens, our memories die with the body...they don't follow the soul? This would mean, that nothing is remembered...

- If reincarnation is possible...and past lives exist...then will souls that exist together in this life follow eachother around in the next? Like would my fathers soul, or my best friends soul, be re-incarnated in the same "area" as me? And would we be friends/relatives in another life?
(Saw that on an X-Files episode once "The Field where I died", and "Hellbound" - both were interesting).

Just some thoughts to get some wheels going....

reply to post by 44soulslayer


Just wanted to see if I got this right.

We 'seek out' what helps us to grow spiritually?

Then...if Reincarnation exists..WHY wouldn't we remember the basics?

Why start off with a clean slate (knowing about what I said in my OP) to be inundated with a new life without a guidebook of some sorts to aid us on our journey?

~Ducky~

Originally posted by TheDuckster
Here goes:

If Reincarnation (does in fact exist)...

Then why does 99% of the population NOT REMEMBER their past lives?

According to the 'philosophies' of Reincarnation (paraphrasing), "People die, then are reborn in this world."

Supposedly, we are born again, into a different body, to experience a different lifestyle, that would somehow bring our spirits up a rung or two or more, into a better state for our spirits. (in a nutshell)

Now....here's the kicker?

If people would want to better ourselves...it stands to reason, that we would learn from our mistakes, if we can RECALL them (past lives), then use these experiences as a base-line to further better ourselves.

How can one better ourselves, on the Spiritual timeline, if we don't recall these past live experiences?

I'm sure there will be some of you that will bring about some relevant texts that will send a chill up our spines.

i.e. Children that recall past lives.

I don't have a problem with that. Very interesting topic!

Are memories erased (upon one's birth)...to spare us from the over-abundant knowledge that precedes us?

I look forward to your thoughts people!

~Ducky~



Yet...

Though I'm not a believer in "forced" reincarnation(i.e. karma, reaching enlightenment to escape the cycle, etc.), I do think we can reincarnate by choice.

Keeping in mind my unorthodox beliefs, take my post with a grain of salt.

I'm a big believer in the interconnectedness of the spiritual and physical realm. That is to say, I believe that the spiritual works through the physical plane; and it follows that I believe the soul acts like a puppeteer, and the physical body the puppet. However, the soul still must work within the phsyical plane, so since the brain is a clean slate, we won't generally remember our past lives(or lives in the spiritual plane).

I suppose an apt metaphor for what I believe is the internet. I'll use the reply page for ATS in this case. So, on computer A I go to the reply page for this thread. I fire up computer B and I open up the internet, but I'm not on the reply page! Obviously, this is because I'm on a different computer, and that computer(the body), had nothing to do with computer A(a past body, or a spiritual life). However, if I'm lucky or memorize the URL for the reply page for this thread, I can type it into computer B, and recall that page(that would be the people who claim to remember their past lives, assuming they're telling the truth/remembering correctly).

It's not a perfect metaphor, but I think it illustrates my beliefs.

Just my $.02 on the issue.

reply to post by Core90


That's a GOOD analogy!

Like I said in my OP...

If we are ALL on some sort of spiritual quest; interwoven with others of like minds (or those who were previously integrated within our spiritual family, and change our 'familiar roles', to suit the 'up-grading' of said spirit) then WHY don't we remember these past roles/lives, in order to learn from our mistakes/misgivings, to up-grade our souls?

Why keep being 'reborn', if we don't remember our past mistakes, in order to learn from these exact occurances/memories to better ourselves?

For what purpose does this serve?

~Ducky~

IMO in the case of it being true, I think we DO remember just not anywhere near the conscious level. It comes out in our inexplainable pet peeves and tendencies. We all have them. It comes out in our affinities and dislikes. It comes with that longing to travel to that particular place, even though you should have no preference for that place over a thousand others. Also, depending on what version of reincarnation, your current life may be a punishment or reward for the previous one.

Originally posted by 44soulslayer
I think the mechanism exists in order to prevent someone from going back to their old life. If they did this, then they would not grow, learn and progress.

Pretty much what I think about the subject. I'm not religious in any way, but there are plenty of stories of past lives that seem highly credible and can't really be ignored.

It's hard accepting though and not leaning towards a religious explanation of it, maybe our minds are so powerful that they can survive death in some cases. I have no idea.

Always a nice thought to counter my usual, when your dead you rot in the ground, way of thinking though.

Dear GOD! Could you imagine the baggage you would have to carry if you did remember past lives? I think we get to die as a reprieve from the accumulated baggage of the one were living.

I hear people say they have no regrets about their life and I admire them. I wish I could be that pure. I have regrets that wake me up in the middle of the night just to call me a bastard. I don't think anyone can really live an interesting life and come out of it without a ton of regrets.

I too believe that reincarnation is a choice you can make. I don't think anyone would make it if they had to live with the baggage from previous lives.

Sometimes ignorance truly is bliss.

Originally posted by TheDuckster
reply to post by Core90

 

That's a GOOD analogy!

Like I said in my OP...

If we are ALL on some sort of spiritual quest; interwoven with others of like minds (or those who were previously integrated within our spiritual family, and change our 'familiar roles', to suit the 'up-grading' of said spirit) then WHY don't we remember these past roles/lives, in order to learn from our mistakes/misgivings, to up-grade our souls?

Why keep being 'reborn', if we don't remember our past mistakes, in order to learn from these exact occurances/memories to better ourselves?

For what purpose does this serve?

~Ducky~

Well, for me that isn't an issue(as, again, I don't believe in forced reincarnation; I just think that we have a choice to go back to this physical plane once we're in the spiritual plane. So no 'spiritual quests' in my view.).

However, hypothetically speaking, I would have to posit that the actual experiences of the past life are irrelevant. We don't need to remember that it was in a Nazi death camp that we learned to appreciate what little we have; or that it was because of a trip to Disneyland during spring break that we learned to have patience. What is important is the effects that the life had on the soul. Hence we have children who act significantly more mature than others of their age(who we describe as having "old souls"). So our personalities are formed by our past lives, but we don't remember the experiences that were the cause of our personality. In essence, it would a way of keeping us from having the baggage of 1000+ years of experiences before we're spiritually/emotionally able to handle them.

reply to post by mrwupy

Dear GOD! Could you imagine the baggage you would have to carry if you did remember past lives? I think we get to die as a reprieve from the accumulated baggage of the one were living.

I saw an episode of (Outer Limits?) wayyyyyy back, and this one woman took a nap on her own coach and woke up in a different world, where everyone knew their past lives. She originally started off as a 'Regression Hypnotist Therapist', and woke up to discover that EVERYONE already knew about their past lives. At the end of the movie, the 'higher-ups' decided to use her services, to help others forget their past lives, because it was too much for the human soul to bear.

Anyone seen that episode?

~Ducky~

Which brings me back to my original question:

"If Reincarnation is true, then why do most of us NOT remember our past lives?"

~Ducky~

I see that not many people who have looked upon this thread, decided to bring about any examples (that which I proposed would happen in my OP)

Has the subject of Reincarnation died?....

Only to be 're-born again' in this thread?

~Ducky~

Originally posted by TheDuckster
Which brings me back to my original question:

"If Reincarnation is true, then why do most of us NOT remember our past lives?"

~Ducky~

I think if you are reborn you have to go to a totally different situation. Thats why you don't remember. For example:

You live one life as a rich white guy in New York but when you reincarnate your a farmers child in India or China. You spend so much time trying to learn the language and customs and how to survive in your new life that you don't have time to remember your last one.

I also think that though you lose your memories, you keep your karma.

reply to post by mrwupy

think if you are reborn you have to go to a totally different situation. Thats why you don't remember

Hence...my question:

"If we ALL don't remember where we came from, and what we did before, and if Reincarnation 'dictates' what was once before, will be again (to more or lessor degrees), then WHAT?

~Ducky~

reply to post by mrwupy

think if you are reborn you have to go to a totally different situation. Thats why you don't remember.

Then...

Why be 'reborn', only to forget our past-lives, and not remember the lessons learned within that particular time-frame, to live again, and brag about our life-styles here and now?

If we were ALL born before, what is the 'common denominator' of our life-experiences?

What is the purpose of dying, then being re-born, then living again, then going through the same freakin cycle....allll over again? If we can't remember what happened before... what the hell?!!?!??!

Mr.Wupy...I've always regarded your input with a measure of integredity and respect. I'm not on 'my high haunches or anything'. Just listenting to your say-so.

~Ducky~



[edit on 4-4-2008 by TheDuckster]

reply to post by TheDuckster


Thought it appropriate to include this video:



The time factor.

Reincarnation:

Am I part of the cure or part of the disease

~Ducky~



[edit on 4-4-2008 by TheDuckster]

[edit on 4-4-2008 by TheDuckster]

[edit on 4-4-2008 by TheDuckster]

If Reincarnation is true?

Then WHY don't we remember 'from before'?!?!??!

~Ducky~

how about them indigo children?

Well, look at it this way... if we could remember our many past lives, we could suffer from boredom. It's like getting bored with games after playing them for a long time. Who knows?

I do believe that we could remember our past lives, but they're very limited and only to help you grow.

[edit on 4-4-2008 by itisibrian]