Past Lives – Do You Believe?
by Stanley Bronstein on August 3, 2008
WEEKEND MUSINGS
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.
An Interesting Website
While googling for research on this article, I came upon the following website.
Past Life Analysis – http://www.thebigview.com/pastlife/
I entered my birthday and it came up with an interesting past life diagnosis:
I don’t know how you feel about it, but you were female in your last earthly incarnation. You were born somewhere in the territory of modern USA South-Center around the year 1450. Your profession was that of a chemist, alchemist or poison manufacturer.
Your brief psychological profile in your past life:
You always liked to travel and to investigate. You could have been a detective or a spy.
The lesson that your last past life brought to your present incarnation:
You should develop self-love and ability to implant hope into hearts of people. Ambition is not everything. True wealth is buried in your soul.
Do you remember now?
My Thoughts About That Analysis
Believe it or not, I was blown away. I’ll tell you why. One of my first experiences with past lives centered around a woman I met MANY years ago who was a doctor. For some reason when we met, we hit it off instantly. We talked for hours and hours and hours. We became best friends almost immediately. It was like we had already known each other, even before we had met.
Despite our close friendship, it never became anything more than that, a fantastic friendship that still continues to this day. However, I had always wanted it to be more and was sometimes upset that it never did become more.
I always joked with her that we had known each other in a past life, probably when we were both Native Americans (as I have a major affinity and loves for all things Native American and I have made Arizona my home in this lifetime). I then told her that in THAT previous life, I was the female and she was the male (that made sense because I’ve always been told I have strong intuitive skills, which usually belong to females and she has a lot of male characteristics and even went into a profession, that until recent years has been dominated by males.
NOW, here’s the kicker . . .
I told her that in our previous lives, I WAS THE ONE WHO REJECTED HER AND NOW IN THIS LIFE, THE ROLES HAVE BEEN REVERSED AND I’M LEARNING MY LESSON, BY LIVING THROUGH WHAT I DID TO HER.
I ALSO TOLD HER THE LESSON WE BOTH HAVE TO LEARN IS THAT IF OUR SOULS MEET AGAIN IN A FUTURE LIFE, THAT WE SHOULD BOTH REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED, FORGIVE EACH OTHER, AND PUT IT ALL TOGETHER WHEN WE NEXT GET THE CHANCE.
NOW, tie this in with the past life diagnosis from the website:
- Female in past life;
- Born in the territory of modern USA South-Center in the year 1450 (Europeans had not settled in that territory at that early date, so I would have had to have been a Native American);
- I always liked to travel and investigate (I’m constantly asking questions and always trying to get to the root of things);
- Your profession was that of a chemist, alchemist or poison manufacturer (I have always told others that I was a Native American medicine man / shaman in a past life, so that fits);
- The lesson from my past life was that I should learn to love myself and the ability to implant hope into the hearts of people. Ambition is not everything. True wealth is buried in your soul. (anyone who reads my blog where I talk about success knows that I believe success is not just how much money you made – it is how well you accomplished your goals and how well you have helped others).
Personally, I choose to believe in this interpretation and I believe I am learning, IN THIS LIFE, the lessons my soul needs to learn.
I also believe that if we were to analyze our own actions and try to do past life regression analysis, we would ALL find explanations for many of our actions, feelings and beliefs we are having in this life.
Tell Us Your Stores – Tell Us What You Think
Tell us your stories. I want to hear about your beliefs about past lives and what you believe some of your past lives might have been.
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 !!!
Popularity: 18% [?]
Until next time, take care.
Stanley F. BronsteinHave you checked out my website that profiles the benefits of walking? iWarriorWalk.com
August 3rd, 2008 at 8:28 am
I was raised in a very conservative, traditional Christian family. And, the more I explore reincarnation and past lives, this viewpoint of spirituality makes so much more sense to me. I’m working with several different modalities right now and everything points to my deepening self love and self validation so I have even more to share with others. These are the lessons for me to learn this lifetime.
I’ve participated in 3 Native American Stone Peoples’ Lodges (sweat lodges) in the past 4 months. This spirituality resonates with me. The people who show up for the event, since each one takes on a life of its own, feel like family to me. I sense that we’ve known each other a very long time.
I’m currently reading “Ask Your Angels” and I’ve worked with the Avatar tools for many years. My sense that we are all connected at some level feels right to me. I also feel that consciousness on the planet is expanding rapidly so we’ll have new ways of solving what may appear as problems today. Take the fear out of it and go for the spiritual lesson we are all learning.
I’ll write more later as I contemplate the discussion. At the moment, I feel there is so much more to share and the writing of it isn’t clear yet.
Thanks for posting the link on Twitter!
Mark
August 3rd, 2008 at 8:39 am
Mark:
Your post means a TON to me.
This is the kind of response I’m looking for. I’m looking to connect with like-minded, spirituality minded individuals.
Personally, I happen to believe the same thing the Dalai Lama has said on many past occasions and in his books:
It does NOT matter what religion we are. What matters is whether or not we are good people.
You, kind sir, appear to be a good person. Please stay in touch and feel free to comment more.
We want your opinions.
Stanley Bronstein
MrAchievement
August 3rd, 2008 at 9:02 am
Thanks for writing about my favorite subject.
I checked out that link you posted and I’m an Austrian in a past life. lol. Why am I not into Mozart? From that link the fears and lessons for me in this lifetime is something I’m painfully aware of plus a few others that the site can’t elaborate. I believe the details can only come from the hour and minutes of our birth and your GPS position. That’s how the Tibetans monks are able to tell when and where the Dalai Lama would be born.
I’ve been studying past lives from Indian Astrology. There’s this thing in India called Naadi Leaf reading that can tell the future from your past. I lifted a passage from a site that described what it is very well http://www.naadi-shastra.com/
“But the Agasthiya Naadi predictions have been directly handed down by the Great Saint Agasthiya, written on palm leaves, more than 4000 years ago. In fact, these are not predictions. They are recorded facts about you and your life, your past, present and future. These facts have come from the knowledge of a great soul, Saint Agasthiya, who has conquered time.”
Whether it was from Saint Agasthiya or not (his existence is largely folklore). The leaves however, is fascinating. I haven’t experienced a naadi (or nadi) leaf reading but friends who have tells me it is life changing. To be able to know what the lessons are and what we must do in this lifetime doesn’t always make things easier.
I like the Buddhist philosophy. It’s not a religion and there’s no one to worship. It’s simply a way of life. Anyone can be Buddha NOW, not when we die. I’m guessing, if we can get to this state, the lessons should be over. But I don’t think I’ll find Nirvana this lifetime, so I’ll see you again next lifetime. Same time, same place?
August 3rd, 2008 at 9:25 am
Carolyn:
AH, Carolyn, you’ve opened up a whole other aspect of this. IS THE FUTURE PREORDAINED?
I’m not sure, BUT I do believe that time is a circle and we are in the middle of this circle. We can look at ANY time in our lives, IF we simply choose to change direction and focus on any one particular part of the circle.
HOWEVER, I also believe that things CAN and do CHANGE. Think about it. If NOTHING could ever change and EVERYTHING was preordained, why bother to live. Personally, I refuse to give up hope that things can be changed. THAT’S JUST MY PERSONAL POINT OF VIEW.
As far as lessons in life, that’s a funny thing. IF one wants to say that someone can look at us and tell us what our soul needs to learn in this life, THAT I BELIEVE. However, I think the path we choose to follow and what actually happens to us is left up to us and a certain bit of it is left up to chance.
My friend, IF you don’t find Nirvana this lifetime, WHAT can we do to help you in this lifetime? You don’t need to answer that publicly, but feel free to email me privately. What do you need to learn and more importantly, what do you WANT to learn?
Stanley Bronstein
MrAchievement
August 3rd, 2008 at 9:39 am
Haha, yes, we do have the power to change the course of destiny but only to some extent. I believe that’s written too because if you’re born to HIV parents in Africa or a woman in Iraq, the environment one grows up in may not present much of an option to suffering.
August 3rd, 2008 at 9:42 am
Carolyn:
I agree with everything you are saying. I believe we have the ability to change things, SUBJECT TO THE CIRCUMSTANCES AROUND US.
You are so correct. If you are born with HIV in Africa, you don’t have as many options as you or I have probably had. The ONLY thing you can control is what you are able to do with those options.
AND, I also believe we ALL (you, me and everybody else) need to do what we can to make the environment better for those who are less fortunate than us.
I’m sure you agree, but I’d love to hear your comments.
Stanley Bronstein
MrAchievement
August 3rd, 2008 at 10:35 am
I believe that all life cycles through the learning process of living, working to regain the knowledge we hide from ourselves each time we are born again. Maybe the goal is to remember that we are all part of something greater than ourselves. I don’t know exactly what the ultimate goal maybe but I “feel” the truth of multiple lives. I also believe that there is a sort of stirring in the global community – an awakening or at least an awareness of the connection we all have to one another and to the earth.
August 3rd, 2008 at 10:57 am
Martha:
I thin it is NOT only regain the knowledge we already knew (which is part of the experience), BUT because we went through the process of regaining it, we develop the experience and wisdom necessary to move forward, PAST where we were before.
Like you, I also believe in the global community and despite all the craziness out there in this world, I truly believe we have a unique opportunity to ALL make the world a better place.
Perhaps, the ENTIRE world has had a past life and we’ve all been reborn now to see if we can do a better job of collectively putting it all together.
Stanley Bronstein
MrAchievement
August 3rd, 2008 at 11:22 am
Interesting. I do believe in past lives. The analysis I think is a wee bit ut in my case giving my last past life was 1050 in Australia. I’m sure I have had a couple between then and now. Nevertheless, when my parents were decide to immigrate the choice was Australia or Canada and I remember pushing real hard for Australia, and I love the heat. What I found very interesting however was the Lesson You have to learn and the suggestions that I should bring others a spirit of joy.
Now go look at my website, and tell me you aren’t blown away.
Nick
August 3rd, 2008 at 11:56 am
Nick:
It’s interesting that you pushed for Australia and it said you were from Australia. While we will never know, it’s interesting how I gravitated back to the American southwest. I remember a time 10 years ago when I stepped out from the Tucson, AZ airport at 10:00 PM and walked out into the hot air and said: HOME !!!
I’m going to your website now.
Stanley Bronstein
MrAchievement
August 3rd, 2008 at 11:48 am
I recently did and interview and my guest talked about past lives. I’m not convinced, but I allow myself to learn from past life information and how it affects me today. I did the reading based upon my birthdate, and at first I was not blown away, but after thinking about it, I agree it was perfect.
……Your lesson is to conquer jealousy and anger in yourself and then in those who will select you as their guide. You should understand that these weaknesses are caused by fear and self-regret………………..
Since I DO have people who follow me as a guide, (not terms I’d use, but I am a teacher/speaker), I do move past anger and fear, when I can! LOL
p.s. Stumbled and Dugg
August 3rd, 2008 at 11:54 am
Michelle:
It’s kind of like reading a horoscope. Someone can say almost anything and it can be interpreted in almost any way.
HOWEVER, I believe in this stuff. What matters more than what the website say is what you, my friend(s) believe.
BELIEF is the power !!!
I believe all of us should try to learn from past mistakes (whether from this life or another) and try to improve upon the situation.
THAT is something I suspect most all of us can agree upon.
Stanley Bronstein
MrAchievement
August 3rd, 2008 at 5:18 pm
The issue of reincarnation is certainly a fascinating one and one that I’ve been spending increasing amounts of time exploring over the last seven years or so. There are of course many ways to seek answers to these questions, but I’ve found some that are proving, well, at least somewhat promising to me.
While I don’t see myself as belonging to one particular religion as such, I’m engaged daily in what could probably best be described as a modern Buddhist practice, and have also spent a great deal of time studying Buddhism both here in Norway and in South East Asia, mostly Thailand. Buddhism is, as you mentioned, but one of several religions (if you want to call Buddhism a religion) that believes in reincarnation – you find the concept even in some European folklore. So one does obviously not have to be a buddhist to investigate this issue. Still, I find buddhist (and buddhism-like) practice to be a pretty good way to explore the subject through what could perhaps call very, very, very deep introspection (deep meditation). The insights that can be gained (on an experiential and not merely intellectual level) are certainly profound – and absolutely profoundly life altering. They certainly have been for me.
While I’m still not fully convinced as to whether or not I’ve actually lived before, I’m now leaning more and more towards accepting that I probably have. The notion of reincarnation is certainly starting to make sense to me, but more because of my experiences with this stuff than because of what I’ve read or studied. Paradoxically, though, the more I do this the less it kinda matters anyway, because the fear of death really just goes away. So whether I – when I die – will go back here for another lifetime, or whether I just keep on exisitng in another dimension, it doesn’t really matter. Because I still exist. This body obviously dies, but that’s the body. As for ‘me,’ I can’t really die. At least that’s my experience. A true scientist might scoff at such ideas, but then more than a few of those guys are really dead already, I think.
The site you linked to is a fun one, Stanley, but I’ve got to admit that I’m a little skeptical of some of the things it told me (like being born in ‘modern’ Australia in 1575 – there wasn’t much modern about the place back then)… Some of it was good, though – I’d almost say it’s spot on in the way it described me.
Anyway, I’m ranting because it’s two o’clock in the morning in this part of the world and I’ve had an insanely loooooong weekend. So I think I’m going to pack it in now.
You have a nice blog here, Stanley and you’re doing good stuff. Keep it up!
Harald
August 4th, 2008 at 9:07 am
Harold:
You HIT on the NUMBER 1 point. THE DETAILS DON’T MATTER.
All that matters is what you believe. AND, if you’ve identified something you need to do to make your life better, it doesn’t matter where it came from (this life or a previous life). All that matters is you correctly identified it and you’re willing to work to make it better.
When the blog said modern Australia, it was asking you to look at the “modern” part now, and equate that back to what Australia was in the past.
HOWEVER, once again, all that matters is what YOU believe my friend.
Stay in touch. Stay tuned. More good stuff coming.
Stanley Bronstein
MrAchievement
December 27th, 2008 at 9:08 pm
hello, i’ve always known somehow that i’ve lived before. my only problem is that i don’t know where or when or with whom. i dream alot and always haved and in one particular dream, i dreamed of sitting around in a house with people and i was speaking spanish and they were speaking to me in spanish, and i totally understood them. that was weird. my son told me once when he was about 6 years old, that i was the best mom he ever had. i thought that was unusual for a child to say that, but after i started getting into the paranormal studies, i realized he was just stating what he felt in his heart and probably subconsciously confessing to something he didn’t understand at all. i just want to know when i lived before and who i was and did i have kids, was i married. and why am i so scared of heights, water, and of death itself? please can you help me. I ALSO WANT TO KNOW WHY I HAVE A ADDICTING PERSONALITY TO DRUGS. Does my past life have anything to do with that? please help, joy perry.
November 16th, 2010 at 11:21 pm
I have always struggled with my beliefs and if the power of reincarnations is a possibility, it stuck me as odd when i read that you believe that you were a native american because i too have a love for all native things and have a deep connection to all the traditions.Also i find myself drawn to the very old geisha times do you think this had anything to do with past lifes ?
November 17th, 2010 at 9:40 am
Yes, I do believe our present loves often have much to do with our past lives.
I believe there are no coincidences. If you find that you focus on Native American traditions and you are drawn to very old geisha times, you should explore those further.
You no doubt have a connection to them. Embrace this connection. Explore it and see what you are able to find out.
Stanley Bronstein