On the subject of reincarnation...

I've been somewhat interested in the topic of reincarnation as of late. Of course, several eastern religions (Hinduism and Buddhism most prominently) support a belief in reincarnation, but I have a slightly different take on how this process works. Bear with me.

It is my personal belief (perhaps some of you share this belief) that life on this planet is simply a tool for our unconscious "oversoul", for lack of a better word. Basically, the importance and purpose of life is to develop and improve your consciousness and mind. Human life could be compared to a school for this exact purpose. It's a confined, controlled space where we interact, experience, and learn all sorts of things about ourselves and others over the course of our lifetimes. Eventually, when our minds finally "get it" so to speak, we can move on beyond human existence into other (probably non-physical) existences.

Where I believe reincarnation plays a role here is that the majority of people are unable to fully "figure it out" on one run through a physical life. Therefore, it often becomes necessary for people to experience different physical lives (perhaps not even limited to human life) in order to continue to accumulate knowledge and awareness before they are ready to move on to the next phase. However, you would not consciously remember these other lives, nor would you be able to consciously recall events or experiences from them. However, I think our unconscious minds can give hints to the reality of these other lives.

I was recently talking to my mother about this very subject, and she told me something very interesting. Apparently when I was very young (under the age of 5) I used to say and do things that made my mom suspect that I might have had some sort of perception of a past life. I don't remember this myself, and she couldn't remember specific details, but she said I would occasionally say things like "I've done this before" or "I've been here before" when she knew for certain that I had not. Obviously, this could simply be childhood imagination or something else, but it makes me wonder.

Has anybody else had some personal experience with this, or met people who did. I'm curious to hear what other people think about this idea.

-Brent

Reincarnation ? sounds a bit like recycling.
Our frequencies or whatever we give off might remain or be shot out into space, who knows? Does it really matter?

reply to post by paradigm619

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I share you belief system.

I view this life as an opportunity to learn.

reply to post by paradigm619

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Funny, our stories and beliefs are similar.

My mom said once that when I was about 2, we were in a cemetary. And I stopped by one stone and looked at it and just said: I knew him, he was shot.And I looked sad.

It was the grave of a WWII vet.

Gave my mom chills fro awhile.

On the subject of reincarnation...always consult the expert, G W Bush who himself is a Re Born (as he claims) or a Born Again (as he says) . In his past life he was a stupid monkey, but now.....hey, He just became more Clever....so you see, sometimes, reincarnation is a good escape from reality !!!

reply to post by paradigm619

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Your "personal belief" is astounding. You should search for deeper meanings on a broader range of topics. You might be intrested in checking out the Urantia Book as it aligns with what you say about "oversoul" but maybe no in those exact words. Also the urantia papers don't speak directly or reincarnation but they do alude.

Your concept of the oversoul might correspond to the following.

The Japanese concept of the self is three-fold.

There is the boundless self (your oversoul). The boundless self exists beyond the constraints of the physical world. It is the true self. I view this as a multi-life compiler. It is the you once all of your experiences from all your lives are put together and sorted through.

Then there is the inner self. This is the current you. It is your personality, thoughts, and experiences from your current life.

Then there is the interactional self. This self is divided into 2 parts: the presentational self and the empathetic self. The presentational self is the parts of you that you present to others in interacting with them. The presentational self is constantly changing depending on who or what you interact with. One presentational self when you talk to your mom. Another when you talk to your best friend. Another when you are at work. Etc... The empathetic self the part of you that percieves other presentational selves. It is "your mom" in you. It is "your best friend" in you. It is how you percieve other people. Kinda brings to light some meaning to the idea that "you give a part of yourself to those you love" concept.

Just a thought.

[edit]
Sorry for the edit, but I forgot to post where I got my info

Lebra, Takie Sugiyama. "Self in Japanese Culture" in Philosophical Questions: East and West. eds. Bina Gupta and J.N. Mohanty, Oxford: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2000.

[edit on 27-7-2008 by daniel191159]