More On Past Lives
by Stanley Bronstein on August 16, 2008
Taking a slight “break” for a day or two over the weekend before we get back to The Art of War on Monday.
What Are Past Lives?
Let’s define a few phrases first:
Past Life - A hypothetical existence prior to the present one, esp. for those believing in reincarnation; a previous incarnation.
Reincarnation - The belief that the soul, upon death of the body, comes back to earth in another body or form. Rebirth of the soul in a new body.
Soul - The principle of life, feeling, thought, and action in humans, regarded as a distinct entity separate from the body, and commonly held to be separable in existence from the body; the spiritual part of humans as distinct from the physical part.
So, past lives are previous incarnations; previous times when our souls existed in another body.
In my experience, many religions (notably Hinduism and Buddhism) believe in past lives. Many other religions do not.
Likewise, in my experience, many people believe in past lives and many others do not.
One of the major beliefs (which I wholeheartedly share) behind past lives is that our souls are going to be reincarnated over and over and over again, so that we can learn the lessons we need to learn in order to become wiser and more complete.
The goal of this posting is to share with you my beliefs and for you to share yours.
More Interesting Websites On Past Lives
Check out these websites. I highly recommend them.
Past Life Regression - Wikipedia
My Thoughts
I don’t know about you, but I have been CONSTANTLY intrigued by the concept of past lives throughout my entire life. I wasn’t raised in an environment that believed in them, but somehow or another, I keep coming back to them over the years.
I’ve done a “little” bit of past life therapy, but not as much as I would probably like to do.
It has led to some VERY interesting revelations, ALL of which explain certain aspects of my life.
BUT, here’s the question?
Did The People Helping Me Simply Make Up Stories That Might Fit, OR Did They Truly Make Insightful Observations
I would have to say I’m not sure. What I can tell you is this … There have been 2 or 3 times in my life where people made comments and observations about my possible past lives to me WHEN THEY HAD ABSOLUTELY NO CLUES UPON WHICH TO BASE THEIR COMMENTS.
In other words, they said something EXTREMELY APPLICABLE and EXTREMELY INSIGHTFUL, without any prior clues that would have helped them make up the story.
So, to be truthful, the jury is still out.
Personally, I think the MAIN question is whether or not YOU believe. IF YOU BELIEVE, speaking with someone in this area can be helpful. IF YOU DO NOT BELIEVE, you should not spend any time on it, as you’ll find it not the least bit useful.
What Do You Think ?
This is what I want to know.
What do you think ?
What do you believe?
And just as important, why ???
I would like to expand on this topic more in the future, so your thoughts, experiences and observations are GREATLY appreciated.
Recommended Reading
Laws of Positioning #6 - Position Yourself To Be A Believer
Laws of Positioning #14 - Position Yourself To Be Conscious
Laws of Positioning #38 - Position Yourself To Be Forgiving
Laws of Positioning #52 - Position Yourself To Be Imaginative
AND THIS, PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL CONCERNING PAST LIVES
Laws of Positioning #53 - Position Yourself To Be IMMORTAL !!!
Until next time, take care, my dear friends.Mr. Achievement
Stanley F. Bronstein
Attorney & CPA
August 16th, 2008 at 8:49 am
The idea sounds scary…
If it were true that would mean we have also left loved ones behind
or that our next life might be one of pain and misery…
And if we somehow have the ability to learn from past lives,
does that mean some of us never learn… (look at president Bush for example :p)
I believe that the rich get richer and the poor are doomed,
I wonder if that would also pass on into next lives… would it mean
the poor are doomed to be poor for al eternity?
August 16th, 2008 at 8:55 am
Timothy:
Personally, I believe we all CAN learn from our past lives. AND, when you talk about leaving loved ones behind. I’ve had instances in this life where I met someone for the first time and I could tell they were a loved one from long ago with whom I instantly felt a connection.
NOW, here’s the scary part. These people with whom we reconnect can be BOTH good and bad.
That’s the scary part to me.
Stanley Bronstein
MrAchievement
August 16th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
My best friend once told me that our soul travels in a group. So the people you meet in this life for example, one might reckon you have had a relationship with in a previous life, under different circumstances.
I believe in past lives because it goes along with the conception of our lives being eternal. Our soul is eternal. And the body we have in this life, is just like a dress that we change from one life to another. Just like when we change what we wear each morning after waking up from sleep, I believe we (our spirit) changes bodily forms (whether it be an insect or tree or yet another human form) from life to life.
Our “karma” will determine what form we shall take. If all you do is eat, sleep, mate, and defend, karma says you will continue to do that in your next life, as an animal. If you try to achieve a higher sense of self in this life, perhaps you will be fortunate enough to continue your journey as a human again…
(Those are some thoughts I shared from previous discussions between my best friend and I).
My two cents.
August 16th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
Adam:
I do indeed believe that SOMETIMES our souls travel as a group, BUT sometimes they do not.
All I know is that I can think of 5 or more times in my life where I met “new” people, who were incredibly familiar to me, probably more than they should have been.
Stanley Bronstein
MrAchievement
August 16th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
What a great question, Stanley! This reminds me of those little “Topics” cards you can get to help start conversations at parties.
So…I’m not sure what I think, as I have no conclusions on this subject, nor do I spend much time contemplating it. What I do know is this, my mother can remember (and I very vaguely remember) when I was three and she came into her room to find me staring at myself in the mirror with a strange sense of purpose. When she asked me what I was doing, I earnestly replied, “I can’t remember what I was before. Was I a boy or a girl?”
While some might wonder if I was having a gender identity crisis, my mother said that I went on to tell her that before I was her little girl, I was someone else.
Brought up in an amazingly loving and balanced Christian home, I grew up with a sense of myself as a child of God. In that context, I have always understood there to be a higher power. I also am a practicing Christian…maybe in the sense that I’m practicing to get it right and be a better representation of the Grace and Love lavished upon me. Regardless, the more I am in relationship with God, Christ and the Holy Spirit, the more I understand that there is much I can not begin to understand nor am capable of explaining.
When I have moments of Deja Vu, or when I feel that incredible–and rare–moment of having finally gotten through a conundrum, it does often feel to be part of some vast past experience.
Because I am blessed with parents who gave me the freedom to think and question things, and their unconditional love, I don’t look backward for answers as much as I work on handling the present. And I find lots of different resources for that journey. I find scripture to be a timeless guide (though a danger when taken out of context to justify a perspective!!) and Biblical history a testament to those who wrestled with their sense of purpose long before this age. I also often feel the guidance of those who love me who are no longer living. But I don’t need to delve into any of it. Rather, I just accept it as I do an unexpected rainfall in the desert…it’s something to get me through the now and that can empower me to move into the future. If I didn’t look at it that way, I might get mired in the past.
August 17th, 2008 at 4:28 am
Mimi:
What a TREMENDOUS story.
I frequently like to look at the past to learn from it, BUT you are correct that one can get mired down with it if they focus on the past too much.
I heard a great saying the other day that sums it all up.
NOW IS WHAT YOU DEAL WITH ! THE PAST IS WHAT YOU LEARN FROM.
Stanley Bronstein
MrAchievement
August 16th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
I absolutely believe in this concept - and was able with the help of a body work/massage specialist to find my own past lives. It sounds crazy, but with practice you can find these yourself, and it’s amazing the memories you can unravel regarding people you know. I had issues with a previous boss, and later realized we had a very traumatic experience together - i think he actually killed me in a past life after abusive behavior. It sounds crazy, I know, but if you’re interested in trying this for yourself, I recommend first working with someone that uncovers these for people professionally, then read books by Michael Weiss and Sylvia Browne that give detailled directions on uncovering your own past lives through meditation techniques.
August 17th, 2008 at 4:30 am
Amy:
I’ve done some meditation work in this area, but not as much as I would like to do.
I’ll check out the books you mentioned.
Thanks
Stanley Bronstein
MrAchievement
August 19th, 2008 at 8:09 am
Hi,I’ve done a lot of past life releases with the lady that runs http://www.soulwisdom.net
She is an amazing lady and her session reports can be incredibly specific.I have found sessions VERY intense though. V E R Y,but am still very glad I’ve found this path or maybe its this path has found me.
August 19th, 2008 at 8:28 am
Martin:
I’ll check her out.
Stanley Bronstein
MrAchievement