Where do you draw the line between Past-Lives, Daydreams, and Prediction?

How can you tell a difference between simple daydreams imagined by an overactive imagination, to something a bit more meaningful.

I have been thinking about how best to express this question for a few weeks and I think I finally have a way of explaining what I am experiencing. But if it is confusing, I apologize.

First off, This is something I have dealt with for many many years. I am often told that the memories I have explained are not remembered by others actually happening to me or that the details are a little off. Which to an extent I understand as point of view, forgotten over time, etc. But I cant explain how if they weren't my memories how I can so concretely feel they are mine.
Maybe I am just losing my memory (Only in my late 20's so I hope not)...But to further complicate the judgment of my intellect : I occasionally find myself zoning out and I see a memory that doesn't quite feel like my own. Whether it be a place I have never been or a family that feels like it should be mine but isn't. Sometimes things do get a tad fearful as I have dreamed of others' deaths(whom I never seen before.) I am a full lucid dreamer, always have been. So where I draw the line of reality in dreams is blurred to me.

I guess what I am really wondering is how would I know if I am either having prophetic images, a past life regression trying to surface, or am I simply just using my overactive imagination and lucidly daydreaming?

If this could be a precognitive ability, does anyone have any pointers on how to better hone these skills to better understand what I am viewing?

I will write more later but I need to be heading to work. Any information, good or bad would be appreciated.
Thanks for the read!

I have a theory on the reincarnation stuff ..and I have read a few others who believe the same way (Researchers) ..
Do a search and you will find them
They call it the Memory Code on alot of the research sites ..


Isnt it possible that memories of distant relatives could have passed down in the DNA ?And yall are remembering stuff you did not go through but some distant kin did ....

I mean there is alot that comes down in our DNA throughout every generation ..I really do believe that memory could also pass down ...








[edit on 1-11-2008 by Simplynoone]

reply to post by Simplynoone

I took Psychology 101 over 30 years ago, and remember reading about lab experiments with cut worms and mice that were subjected to electrical shock after a light being turned on..... The test subjects learned to jump as if shocked when the light was turned on prior to being shocked after the experiment was repeated numerous times. The offspring of the test subjects, were placed on a metal plate and responded to the light with a fraction of the amount of electric shocks being implemented. .... Memory code is apparent in every purpose bred animal that I have ever seen. .... Humans demonstrate it in the same ways.

You are asking about the difference between extrasensory perception and imagination. Thats an old question and still a very good one.

I think this is better experienced than intellectually grasped. I will take the liberty to lead you through a short meditation...

But your attention to one of the walls of the room you are sitting in. You are perceiving the wall. Now put your attention through the wall, to the other side of it (to your neighbors place). You have two choices here: To either passively wait for "what comes up" or to actively imagine what it looks like over there. Beginners in ESP usually use a combination of both...or more precisely: They use imagination as an anchor tool to focus in on a certain place or time, but then release all imagination to passively "allow" something to "come up". Thats perception.

So when practicing ESP of past, future or other locations, a little bit of initial daydreaming/imagination is useful at first, but then becomes a distraction from perceiving what-is.

2 cents

Hi OP .. a well-expressed post

As to your enquiries, well, I'm a lot older than you, and I still grapple with it.

Like you, I've had 'memories' which cannot be from this lifetime. Began having them at around age four or five and it's still happening. Some are of far-ancient times. Another I think is from the 1920s or 1930s (and is not located in any country I've ever lived in or visited).

They're brief. But what interests me is the fact I can still remember, in detail, the first one, which occurred when I was 4 or 5 (the first one I can 'remember' in this life, if that makes sense). They're indelible .. at least as strong as real-life memories. And they're always the same .. they don't change or alter or gain or lose, the way some real-life memories sometimes do.

They also carry with them a 'feeling' or atmosphere that's distinctive .. almost have a 'mental flavour'. Hard to describe. For example, one of them just 'arrived' ... I don't know precisely when, maybe ten years or so ago. Not sure what triggered it. Could have been a bit of music .. don't know. What I 'saw' was this: the back of an obviously old house. Shabby old place. Very overgrown garden. House had been painted white but that was now wearing away. One level. Made of planks of wood. Specific windows in the back .. set higher than normal and longer than normal. Heat. Insect noises. And the overgrown bushes and trees closing in on the place. Some had a few flowers. Overgrown grasses as well. But non of the vegetation close to the house was over-tall, although further to the back there were dense trees. Deserted feeling. No one lived there now. Sunlight and shade. Humidity. Warmth/heat.

What I was 'seeing' was the back of the house .. an annexe or addition. Low roof, shallow pitch to it. I know this beyond any doubt, but of course cannot justify my certainty. I strongly suspect (but am not certain about this element) that the house is/was located in the United States. I've never been there, although people in the family emigrated there in the 1700s and more went over in the mid-1800s. But I didn't know they had until after I started 'seeing' the house (only learned about the American branches of the family a few years ago).

The house 'feels familiar'. Ridiculous. Shouldn't happen. But it does.

There's an element of trepidation when I 'see' the house in my mind for an instant. Although I never know when it's going to happen. I could be engaged in normal activities, thinking of this or that when suddenly ... I 'see' the back of that house. Might not happen for a year. Then I 'see' it. And I think to myself again, 'Where did that come from? What is it about ? '. Then it's gone. Until next time. Always takes me by surprise. Have no idea what it means. It's not associated with anything that's happened in my real life.

It all comes in a 'package': the sight of the house -- the atmosphere -- the mixture of homesickness and longing -- the trepidation (sort of an 'oh no ..' feeling ( with some dread, some nervousness) -- the heat, humidity, insect sounds combined with strong 'stillness'. And reluctance -- my mind both pulls me towards the house and into its 'atmosphere'. And at the same time my mind tries to escape being drawn in. There's definitely some fear/nervousness involved. But the 'homesickness' wins. And I allow myself to 'savour' the image. But only for an instant. I push it away, I think.

Then there's another bit which started quite a while after my first 'seeing' of the back of the house. The other bit first came when I was resting during the daytime. Suddenly I could see the inside of a house. Not much to see. Basically, an empty room. Painted white inside, all except the floor. Old fashioned. Tall ceiling. I see one room, but there are others leading off to each side and there's another behind .. something like a sunroom. So this room I'm seeing is close to the back of the house because there's sunlight coming through. It's not scary, but definitely has an atmosphere to it.

I see the room from higher than my normal height/eyes, for some reason. The atmosphere when I'm 'seeing' it feels similar to 'homesickness'. I don't recognise the room in the sense of normal 'recognition' .. yet it feels somehow familar and at the time I'm seeing it, I feel homesick. Difficult to explain these things, especially as while I'm trying to explain, I realise how ridiculous it must sound. Sounds ridiculous to my 'inner ear', which is as sceptical as the next person.

As much as I 'long' to be 'back' in the room --- I also want to get away from it and push it all from my (conscious) mind. There's a sense or atmosphere of sadness about it. There's a feeling of people talking, chattering, being busy and even happy. But I don't hear them of course.

So it's in layers: the real-life me suddenly 'sees' an unknown room -- the room is empty, feels long deserted -- and at the same time, this room carries 'memories' of its own, of a time when it was occupied. So my real life mind tries to grapple with all this, much of it subtle and all of it brief.

The room's 'memories' contain one girl for certain, and she invokes memories of other girls .. sisters, cousins, perhaps. They are young .. in their teens or some in their early 20s. They're quite happy .. they live there, they're happy there. They have long hair, medium brown. Don't know how I know that. Don't know when or how the 'sadness' came or what it consisted of. It's all gone now, anyway .. long gone.

The room is connected to the 'back of white house' image. It's the same place. I think it's in America and I think the time-frame is the first few decades of the 20th century.

I have absolutely no explanation and know it sounds like rubbish. It began pretty late in my life and I have no frame of reference for it.
It floats into my mind .. the room comes at different times to the back of the house -- I never 'see' them together. I don't know what it's about nor do I know what triggers it.

They're not from a movie or television, or I should say that to the very best of my knowledge, they are not a place I've seen in any sense in this my real life.

There is no continuity, none. All I get is the back of the house and associated 'atmosphere', sounds, temperature and 'feelings'. It never progresses. For example, I never move further around the house, or see it from a different perspective or at different times of day or season. It's always the same. I can never put people into the scene. In other words, I cannot alter it consciously, using imagination. It seems to be fixed.

But I can say in all honesty that these 'memories' or whatever they are, are as clear and unchanging as normal, 'real' memories from my real life.

There are quite a few more of these Out of Place Memories which have arisen or emerged at different ages in my real life. They are not connected to each other in time or locality. Some I know are triggered by a particular type of daylight .. I've learned that much over the years. Others are triggered by music, as I've learned from experience. One of them I really, really love. It's of a distant view of buildings which overlook a sort of sea-wall and flat water. I suspect it's in France, but I don't reall know. I used to experience it more often when I was quite young. Don't experience it all that often any more. It's unchanging, always the same. It's stayed the same through all these years. When I try to 'extend' this 'memory' I'm unable to do so, much as I want to because I enjoy it so much. On the rare occasions I 'see' it these days, I think, ' Oh, the lovely place ' and I want to be 'back' there more than anything. But even though I try to prolong it in my mind, it's only momentary and then it's gone. When I try to 'replay' this Out of Place memory in my conscious mind, it doesn't work properly and doesn't feel the same .. a sad disappointment. I would think that if my conscious imagination was creating it, I should be able to summon it at will. But I can't.

So difficult isn't it, trying to explain this in words ? Makes it sound so trivial and even ridiculous. Impossible to put into words the emotional effect .. often quite profound and moving .. which these Out of Place and Time memories can have.

reply to post by hypervigilant


Yes I just read that article ..
Here it is
www.sciam.com...

Here is another one
The Ghost in Your Genes
The scientists who believe your genes are shaped in part by your ancestors' life experiences.
www.bbc.co.uk...

If this is true ...those memories could also show up in some dreams and would explain some of the dejavu experiences ...
By the way I have had many dejavu experiences ...it was so strange to me and I could not figure out where it came from ...





[edit on 1-11-2008 by Simplynoone]

reply to post by Simplynoone

I was aware of the dejavu thing when I was in the 2nd grade. I had experienced it before then, but I was told by my mother what it was called when I was 7.... There have been a lot of times that I knew things that were going to happen, and what the ultimate outcome would be..... On 3 occasions in Vietnam, I had people single me out to tell, that they were going to die that day.... I could see it , and knew that they were right. Within minutes they were dead.....I didn't know any of them well, but for brief interactions while attached to their platoon or squad for a patrol or road sweep. For some reason they sought me out .... I have had numerous friends in my life that were of Native American or Mexican extraction, that accept that I have an inner awareness, and though I am very Nordic in appearance, have accepted me into their culture and families. They are very comfortable, and accepting of people that recognize and have these kinds of abilities. A 40 year old company commander, who was a Cherokee, picked up on my abilities, and placed more value on my assessments than even his own, though I was only a 19 year old E-3, he would verbally relinquish command of the company to me prior to me having to direct an air strike.... I am not one to tell war stories, and will cease to, though there is a lot of memories of other similar events that I can recall. I don't want to have to be put back on medication that disarms me of this insight that has served me so well during times of duress. I feel that the future is sure to provide situations, where I will need to be able to rely on what I consider to be, acquired through previous generation insights. ... There are some things that I have to leave alone, or they won't leave me alone, and then snowball, untill I become way too hypervigilant.

This is an excellent topic and I've struggled with it for most of my life. I have had a variety of experiences that truly lead me to wonder about if I may have even lived this present day life before. I've had dreams that have come true years later in very exact and precise ways. I've also changed other parts of my life after being influenced by a powerful dream about the situation.

There are also a series of unexplained events in my life that all seem to connect to some other place, some other time, and even, dare I say, to another part of myself. People tend to dismiss many of our experiences as "imagination" but I prefer to think that most of the most amazing things that have ever happened to me are far beyond anything I could imagine before that moment. I have always had a very strong feeling that this life is not at all what we beleive it to be, nor are we exactly what we appear. This of course does take an external perspective of our lives that most of us will never attain to, and I understand it in elementary concepts at best.

Truly a great topic and I'd love to hear about other people's experiences if they would like to share either here or U2U.

[edit on 11/1/2008 by atzmaz]

[edit on 11/1/2008 by atzmaz]

Where to draw lines? I DON'T. Its pretty easy to remember what the status quo is, and how to act if in a social situation, and how to keep your mouth shut around those who don't yet understand. Ya know, how to seem sane. I tried to draw lines a long time ago, and they inevitably crossed themselves, so I stopped trying to think of boundaries and limitations, and thats when realization really took off.
I firmly believe the lines are wherever you want to draw them, but if you investigate this subject matter endlessly, all lines you make will eventually cross themselves with some plethora of insane experiences that seem to break cosmic laws.
Rationality is great for physical survival and social graces, but beyond that, it doesn't have much place Ive learned in the realm of inner space realization. But thats just me.

It seems contradicting to use rationality to debunk itself, but thats the most true contradiction I have ever experienced. It seems, the truth lay in contradiction. Not so much as debunk, but understand its place within its belief system. Everything is a belief system.

I believe when you draw lines, you are creating your own possibly limiting belief system, if you dont draw lines, and just go with the flow, you let the belief system reveal itself. In my experience, the only belief I have left is GOD, everything else is obviously hypothetical illusions, god games.



[edit on 11/1/2008 by psychedeliack]

Thank you for posting those links! Very informative, and intriguing. I hadn't really thought of the possibility that it could be remnants of my family's past lives i have been experiencing, although it makes more sense than I would have imagined. Thank you again for the insight!

reply to post by Simplynoone


Thank you for posting those links! Very informative, and intriguing. I hadn't really thought of the possibility that it could be remnants of my family's past lives i have been experiencing, although it makes more sense than I would have imagined. Thank you again for the insight!

reply to post by Skyfloating


I could not agree more with you. The daydreaming has opened the door for me to pursue my "visions" (not sure what else to call them at this point) but I am definitely interested in becoming more aware of them and hopefully remembering more and clarifying what message is trying to come through or expanding on what I can sense. Thank you for the meditation, I foresee me using it a lot from now on.



[edit on 11/3/08 by Cheyracingchick]

reply to post by Dock6


Thank you for being so open with your stories! It's reassuring to see another person who understands this so well. I can also tell a few stories of places I have never been in minute detail. Mine seem to usually revolve around Mayan culture (from what i have scrounged up off of the internet over the years matching drawings and landscape typography) I do also find I have Deja Vu more than Anyone I have met.
I think it is great you can remember so much about your experiences. I am striving to remember as much as I can. The fleeting glances at these worlds are almost torturous as they are so real then gone in a flash. There are so many that will spontaneously pop into my head and then leave just as quickly that I can not recall them, but when I see them again they feel exceedingly familiar.
I also find that occasionally my memories are triggered by smells or feelings. Which is difficult to explain to the person you were having a conversation with when you zoned away for the last 2 minutes. (my bf hates me for that)
I hope your memories continue for you and give you more insight on your past. Thank you again!!

Originally posted by atzmaz
I have always had a very strong feeling that this life is not at all what we beleive it to be, nor are we exactly what we appear. This of course does take an external perspective of our lives that most of us will never attain to, and I understand it in elementary concepts at best.

Beautifully put! I agree 100% I also wonder if this happens to everyone, but that their perspectives will not allow them to realize it. I applaud your optimism and positive look on this. I also believe this is a blessing and not a curse. Hopefully others will see this the same way.

I have worked a lot with people that have had unexplained phobias. With the aid of clairvoyance and meditation techniques mostt where relieve after memories were brought to the surface of past life experience. I have also worked with numerous people who's past live where having extreme detrimental effects on their present incarnation. Again after exploring there past lives through clairvoyance and guided meditation many of these conditions were changed. I would not put it all on DNA memories. Exploring my own past litves has explained a lot of my present life circumstances and helped me to heal. Usually if you are remembering past lives there is a good reason. In many past lives we make decisions and hold beliefs that we carry forward into our present incarnation predisposing use to recreate the same types of experiences because of deep seated beliefs. We are also are predisposed to make the same dicision again in this life. We all always endeavoring to heal ourselves so in repeating the experience we keep recreating what we need to heal in ourselves. S&S

reply to post by hypervigilant


It is a very scary thing to foresee death. I understand this all too well. The first time I was only 7. My grandmother was in all accounts, great health. I dreamt of her funeral 2 nights before her sudden heart failure and passing. She sat upright in her coffin (which was exactly the same in reality) and told me that everything would be fine, but that it was her time. I freaked out ran to my parents who told me I was "imagining" again and that she was fine. They never spoke of the incident after it all happened but i am sure it shook them up as well. Unfortunately i have done it 3 times since. So the anguish is all too real and I commend you for sharing that with us. Very powerful example. Thank You!!!

reply to post by rken2


Excellent explanation! Since it would seem there are a few of us that are better trying to understand our own memories, Would you be willing to possibly explain one or a few of you meditation techniques you have used? We have an excellent meditation given to us by Skyfloating. I would love to see everyone have a chance to better understand their memories. I know that some meditations work for me (personally) and others not so well. The more we have the more knowledgable we will be. Thank You!!

reply to post by psychedeliack


Amazing insight! Thank you for sharing it with us!

Hi what has worked for me in working with past life memories. There are a number of tools you can use. One thing to remember when accessing past lives is in relating to them. By this I mean many times what we see or remember of past lives in couched in things that are present day mind can grasp or has some familiarity with. So the important thing is to focus on is the feeling involved in the past life as this will point to the area that one needs to change or heal in regard to a specific past life.

If you want to access past lives that are affecting you now as a source of healing. Follow your feelings they will lead you to the memories whether from this life or if they are ones you brought with you.

A meditation might go something like this.

If your working on an issue that your aware of use that as a starting point. Such as reaccuring feelings of not being good enough.

So we would want to close our eyes in an dsit in an upright chair with our hands and feet apart. Focus your awareness in the center of your head. You might want to imagine a room for yourself there decorated the way you would like it. Make it a special place just for you that no one can enter without your permission and that you feel comfortable safe and secure in. This place is a place where you can be the neutral observer.

Be aware of your body. If your working on a particular issue. Imagine yourself in the situation. Notice where in your body this situation creates a feeling. Is it a comfortable feeling. Don't resist the feeling , make it your friend. Notice what emotion is connect to this physical feeling. Make that emotion your friend because its going to free you.

Note: Thought proceeds feelings either conscious or subconscious thought. Emotions are not the cause of thoughts. Once a thought has created an emotion, the emotion and re experiencing it can block the thought and memories behind it. Once you can begin to make the emotion your friend and let your self experience it the memories and thought behind the feeling automatically resurfaces.

As you make the feeling your friend memories with start to surface simply allow yourself to remember the first time you felt that way. Be aware of how you feel about yourself in that memory. How did that experience make you feel about yourself or what decision did you make about life or yourself. Or what information did you receive from someone else that created that feeling in you. You can release that thought whether its yours or someone elses. I like to imagine them as a color in my body. I then let that color drain out of my body and into a balloon that is outside my energy field. About 3 to 4 feet away should be good enough. When that balloon is full I simply release it to the universe and watch it drift out of sight. You might have to use more than one. In releasing you might have another emotion come up that is energy saying if you let that thought go something bad may happen. So once again be aware of where you feel that in your body and the fear connected to it and repeat the above steps. You can follow these feeling all the way back to the womb and into past lives. One way of telling if a past life is associated with particular issue is that if you follow it all the way back to the womb and can't find the source than if you let yourself keep following the feeling memories of past lives will come to the surface. Deal with them the same way as mentioned above. Lies that we have bought into stick the truth does not. If you find something that says your anything but a being of light you can be assured it is a lie. You might find that in a past life you did something not so nice. Thats ok. In that memory be aware of what feeling you were having in that life that lead you to do the act. Once again follow that feeling back to its source until you can understand why you did what you did. It was to based on a lie and you can release it, understand why you did what you did and foregive yourself. continu

i had a very vivid dream of being trampled by horses after i fell off once. it was scary but pretty awesome still. the horses were all into it just the same as teh riders. i got the impression it was some sort of battle.