NationStates Jolt Archive

I'm up on the fence with this one. I haven't seen anything conclusive about it one way or the other but I will share an experience I had and I'd be interested in seeing others' experiences...

I once went to a sort of seminar at a local New Age bookstore in which the person conducting had us go into a meditative trance to try and gain some insight about past lives. I'd never done a regression before but was completelyopen minded to it.

In the first, I found myself standing on a wooden deck. As I loked around I could see rigging above me and people hurrying around, shouting. I looked out over the side and I saw a tall ship, like the one I was on, with a bunch of cannons aimed right at us. I felt terrified, and suddenly there was a huge crash and the next thing I knew I was looking up at the sky, laying on the deck.

At this point the person doing this regression had us skip ahead to the end of that life.

I was standing on a cliff, using a cane. I was looking out over the sea. Nearby there was a woman... There but not there. She had a white dress, brown hair... and seemed illuminated. I felt at peace.

After this one we did a second, quick regression in which...

...I was laying in some kind of bed, covered by furs. The room was dark, warm and quiet, with a hearth oif some kind and a low burning fire. I was laying beside someone, who was larger than I was. My skin had a coppery tone to it. As my hand traveled down my body I had a huge pregnant belly...

And that was it.

My dad recently vistied Spain where he said he felt very much at home, and knew his way around as if he'd been there before.

My religion is ambiguous about the subject althout most Mormons don't believe in reincarnation. I haven't yet made up my mind on it. Those experiences were much more vivid and familiar feeling than any dream I've ever had. As easy as it would be to dismiss reincarnation I find myself unable to do so.

What do you guys think? Ever had an experience like that?

This regression thing, are you awake at the time or are you dreaming?
and no i can't say i've had that sort of experience, i call it the imagination playing tricks on you.
It sounds odd to me, i can't see any benefit to this sort of thing.
Besides using your imagination is far easier and less likely to end up with you going crazy. probably.

I have yet to see evidence of such a thing to be reincarnated...

I believe in preincarnation.

I picked "Dunno/Don't Care" because I have no way of ever knowing that I or anybody else was ever re-incarnated. Moreover, it's irrelevant, because we should live this life like it's all we have (because it probably is).

So I don't know, and I don't care.

Well, I believe the soul is immortal and continues on after physical death, so I guess I do believe in reincarnation of some kind, but where, when, how, who, what -- that I have neither an idea of nor any interest in.

As to your experience, I'm sorry but I personally don't see anything there that necessarily suggests memories of past lives. I've done lots of guided meditations and intense visualization exercises, and it is not hard at all for the mind to generate intensely realistic images out of seemingly nothing (meaning no obvious real personal experience).

As to your experience, I'm sorry but I personally don't see anything there that necessarily suggests memories of past lives. I've done lots of guided meditations and intense visualization exercises,

I know what I'd like to intensely visualize .... ;)


....sorry

and it is not hard at all for the mind to generate intensely realistic images out of seemingly nothing (meaning no obvious real personal experience).

You know it's funny, as I was walking into my office this morning, I remember one of the partners asking me to do a research task. I suddenly felt vaguely impending doom, realizing I hadn't started it or advanced the project at all, and would have to tell him that on monday morning.

As I thought about this going up the elevator, even though I distinctly recall him giving very specific details about the case, and very specifically giving me instructions on what to do, we had no case of that type, there was no project, and I had oddly dreamed up the whole thing, so realistically enough that I to a degree incorporated it as a memory of an event.

I'm up on the fence with this one. I haven't seen anything conclusive about it one way or the other but I will share an experience I had and I'd be interested in seeing others' experiences...

Can you guess which side has the burden of proof?:)

I once went to a sort of seminar at a local New Age bookstore in which the person conducting had us go into a meditative trance to try and gain some insight about past lives. I'd never done a regression before but was completelyopen minded to it.

In the first, I found myself standing on a wooden deck. As I loked around I could see rigging above me and people hurrying around, shouting. I looked out over the side and I saw a tall ship, like the one I was on, with a bunch of cannons aimed right at us. I felt terrified, and suddenly there was a huge crash and the next thing I knew I was looking up at the sky, laying on the deck.

At this point the person doing this regression had us skip ahead to the end of that life.

I was standing on a cliff, using a cane. I was looking out over the sea. Nearby there was a woman... There but not there. She had a white dress, brown hair... and seemed illuminated. I felt at peace.

After this one we did a second, quick regression in which...

...I was laying in some kind of bed, covered by furs. The room was dark, warm and quiet, with a hearth oif some kind and a low burning fire. I was laying beside someone, who was larger than I was. My skin had a coppery tone to it. As my hand traveled down my body I had a huge pregnant belly...

And that was it.

My dad recently vistied Spain where he said he felt very much at home, and knew his way around as if he'd been there before.

My religion is ambiguous about the subject althout most Mormons don't believe in reincarnation. I haven't yet made up my mind on it. Those experiences were much more vivid and familiar feeling than any dream I've ever had. As easy as it would be to dismiss reincarnation I find myself unable to do so.

What do you guys think? Ever had an experience like that?

Deja-vu would be something that could easily explain this and IS KNOWN to exist (i.e. the impression of familiarity is true, even though you have never come across that situation before). As for regression, it adds absolutely nothing to the debate, because it is unverifiable. It may be true, but it's equally probable that it is a phenomenon similar to hallucination/schizophrenia etc. Again the burden of proof lies with the claim that there is such a thing as reincarnation, and since there are other explanations known to be real, the case for is pretty much null.

I'm up on the fence with this one. I haven't seen anything conclusive about it one way or the other but I will share an experience I had and I'd be interested in seeing others' experiences...
<snip>

What do you guys think? Ever had an experience like that?

that seems like a really cool experience but i dont see that it needs to be labeled as a past life thing.

i dont believe in reincarnation.

This regression thing, are you awake at the time or are you dreaming?
and no i can't say i've had that sort of experience, i call it the imagination playing tricks on you.
It sounds odd to me, i can't see any benefit to this sort of thing.
Besides using your imagination is far easier and less likely to end up with you going crazy. probably.

To answer your question, the meditative state that's used is meant to put you in a state somewhere between sleeping and awake.

To answer your question, the meditative state that's used is meant to put you in a state somewhere between sleeping and awake.

like a lucid dream?

like a lucid dream?

Not quite the same thing.

Not quite the same thing.

So why exactly were you thinking of ships and the sea?
and what's battle star galactica got to do with reincarnation?

So why exactly were you thinking of ships and the sea?

Dunno. At the time I had never really had much of an interest in such things. I'd never read any Aubrey-Maturin novels or Horatio Hornblower, nor do I recall having seen any such movies.


and what's battle star galactica got to do with reincarnation?

Absolutely nothing. That's the joke option.

Dunno. At the time I had never really had much of an interest in such things. I'd never read any Aubrey-Maturin novels or Horatio Hornblower, nor do I recall having seen any such movies.

Absolutely nothing. That's the joke option.

I see, so what would this insight into past lives do for you?

As my hand traveled down my body I had a huge pregnant belly
so your belly was huge and pregnant or just heavily pregnant?
Does this re-incarnation thing involve turning into other animals and such or does it only apply to humans?
(yes i will keep pestering you with questions until i find something better to do)

I see, so what would this insight into past lives do for you?

Damn fine question. I suppose that IF such things are true then I'd want to know as much as I can for it's own sake.


so your belly was huge and pregnant or just heavily pregnant?

Just heavily pregnant.


Does this re-incarnation thing involve turning into other animals and such or does it only apply to humans?

No idea.


(yes i will keep pestering you with questions until i find something better to do)

Good I'm bored too.

I saw a documentary on reincarnations, and these really young kids who seemed to recall facts that they couldn't possibly have known. It was pretty creepy, but still, I choose "Maybe". Its about as likely as any other form of afterlife, and has an equal amount of proof from those who believe it. Though reincarnation had a more believable television report about it...


Reincarnation has animals in it, but only certain religions believe in that sort of thing. Some believe its all Hue-man.

Energy is neither created or destroyed, so why not?

My question was always what was reincarnated. The soul? A chance exact remapping of the brain's neurons, so as to tap into the same brainwaves as a previous individual? Enough of the quarks that made up some previous person that you can share their characteristics and memories?

I don't remember living before and have a strong feeling that this is my first life. I doubt reincarnation happens.

Even if souls are recycled I don't think it means people live several lives. In my opinion a person is the information stored in their mind so if the soul forgets that information and starts over in a new life then the new life is a completely different person. The material my body is made of has been many other lifeforms before it became my body and if the material my soul is made of has also been other lifeforms before that is no different. Reincarnation without remembering past lives doesn't mean the same person has lived several lives anymore than eating past lifeforms means you lived past lives as your food.

I saw a documentary on reincarnations, and these really young kids who seemed to recall facts that they couldn't possibly have known. It was pretty creepy, but still, I choose "Maybe". Its about as likely as any other form of afterlife, and has an equal amount of proof from those who believe it. Though reincarnation had a more believable television report about it...


Reincarnation has animals in it, but only certain religions believe in that sort of thing. Some believe its all Hue-man.

How sweet would it be to come back as a male lion? All you have to do is beat up some other male lion and take over a pride, and then your lionesses do your hunting for you. You just lay in the shade and get laid.

Oh, and did I mention you're a lion?

Damn fine question. I suppose that IF such things are true then I'd want to know as much as I can for it's own sake.
Just heavily pregnant.
No idea.
Good I'm bored too.
So why did you partake in this if you're not sure of how it will affect you, i mean has it affected anyone else you know or is this a personal thing?

What would you do if this regression thing showed (apparently yourself) committing an act of cruelty to someone else, would you feel guilty?
What i'm getting at is what use is it to experience another life you had (assuming it was your life), there's nothing you can do to change it and there doesn't appear to be any conclusive proof it occurs.

Would you recommend other people try it to see what happens?

So why did you partake in this if you're not sure of how it will affect you, i mean has it affected anyone else you know or is this a personal thing?

Just a personal thing.


What would you do if this regression thing showed (apparently yourself) committing an act of cruelty to someone else, would you feel guilty?
What i'm getting at is what use is it to experience another life you had (assuming it was your life), there's nothing you can do to change it and there doesn't appear to be any conclusive proof it occurs.

I dunno that's kind of like asking "why bother studying history if there's nothing you can do to change the past?" To me, the obvious answer is learning, insight, etc.


Would you recommend other people try it to see what happens?

Yes.

There are far too many inexplicable things (such as a love of the french language) to not believe in reincarnation.

I know what I'd like to intensely visualize .... ;)


....sorry
SLAP!! :D


You know it's funny, as I was walking into my office this morning, I remember one of the partners asking me to do a research task. I suddenly felt vaguely impending doom, realizing I hadn't started it or advanced the project at all, and would have to tell him that on monday morning.

As I thought about this going up the elevator, even though I distinctly recall him giving very specific details about the case, and very specifically giving me instructions on what to do, we had no case of that type, there was no project, and I had oddly dreamed up the whole thing, so realistically enough that I to a degree incorporated it as a memory of an event.
Me too! Not exactly the same, obviously, but I've also had the incredibly vivid memory of dream be experienced as if it was a waking memory, on at least three occasions in my life. Once I actually did ask the other person, who I thought was involved, about whatever it was, and there were a couple of severely disorienting moments when they had no idea what I was talking about. And one time, I had the opposite effect -- I dreamed I finished a task that I hadn't actually done.

SLAP!! :D

pft, you liked it

pft, you liked it

So did you. ;)

*snip*

I notice in your signature you have the oft-misused Albert Einstein quote - it does not mean what I suspect you think it means.

"The word god is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honourable, but still primitive legends which are nevertheless pretty childish. No interpretation no matter how subtle can (for me) change this."

For Einstein, religion was more akin to a wonder at the universe, a sense of awe towards its complexity.

Reincarnation is probably/possibly a product of the same lack of knowledge we have of this universe that leads to ordered religion. In the same way that the universe is somewhat infinite and unknowable, our own brains seem an inverted mirror image of that universe, with clusters of electricity, swathes of grey matter and, in some people, vast black holes.

There is much to be explored in our brains, phenomena we cannot explain, the sense of 'other' that people have, memories people cannot remember and the sheer seeming flexibility of output.

In the same way the universe might be a product of how we see it, the brain is very open to impression, we can believe any view of reality adamantly if we choose, it's a weakness (and strength) derived from our ability to interpret information and play with it.

There's no proof reincarnation does not happen, in some ways we're reincarnated into worms, into the earth, providing fertilizer that helps grow flowers, fertilized by bees, eaten by birds and so on throughout the food chain.

Awesome, in some ways a religious experience just to think about it.

We'll have to die to find the answer.

Reincarnation is certainly no more or less valid than the notion that everything rides on one roll of the dice as it were. And I certainly prefer the idea that we get multiple chances to get it right as opposed to only the one.

I'm up on the fence with this one. I haven't seen anything conclusive about it one way or the other but I will share an experience I had and I'd be interested in seeing others' experiences...

I once went to a sort of seminar at a local New Age bookstore in which the person conducting had us go into a meditative trance to try and gain some insight about past lives. I'd never done a regression before but was completelyopen minded to it.

In the first, I found myself standing on a wooden deck. As I loked around I could see rigging above me and people hurrying around, shouting. I looked out over the side and I saw a tall ship, like the one I was on, with a bunch of cannons aimed right at us. I felt terrified, and suddenly there was a huge crash and the next thing I knew I was looking up at the sky, laying on the deck.

At this point the person doing this regression had us skip ahead to the end of that life.

I was standing on a cliff, using a cane. I was looking out over the sea. Nearby there was a woman... There but not there. She had a white dress, brown hair... and seemed illuminated. I felt at peace.

After this one we did a second, quick regression in which...

...I was laying in some kind of bed, covered by furs. The room was dark, warm and quiet, with a hearth oif some kind and a low burning fire. I was laying beside someone, who was larger than I was. My skin had a coppery tone to it. As my hand traveled down my body I had a huge pregnant belly...

And that was it.

My dad recently vistied Spain where he said he felt very much at home, and knew his way around as if he'd been there before.

My religion is ambiguous about the subject althout most Mormons don't believe in reincarnation. I haven't yet made up my mind on it. Those experiences were much more vivid and familiar feeling than any dream I've ever had. As easy as it would be to dismiss reincarnation I find myself unable to do so.

What do you guys think? Ever had an experience like that?

Do Mormons usually consult new age mediums?
But I'd have to say, its crap. The truth is that we get one shot at life, and thats it. No second chances. Once its over, no re-trys.
Do you think reincarnation would make salvation through Jesus, kinda pointless or invalid?

Do you think reincarnation would make salvation through Jesus, kinda pointless or invalid?not if he was understood the same way Hindus understand salvation through Krishna or Shiva...which would make Christianity a vastly cooler religion even without the reincarnation...

it wouldn't work with substitutiary atonement, but that contradicts itself logically to begin with.

*wonders why logical inconsistency would bother mormons*

I don't believe in reincarnation, but I did in my last life.

It could be real, I hope it's real, but I don't beleive it's real.

Do Mormons usually consult new age mediums?
But I'd have to say, its crap. The truth is that we get one shot at life, and thats it. No second chances. Once its over, no re-trys.
Do you think reincarnation would make salvation through Jesus, kinda pointless or invalid?

Good question.

To the first, no, not usually. I'm special like that ;)

To the second, I don't necessarily see a conflict. If I were to imagine that both Christianity AND reincarnation are objective truths, then one could suppose that reincarnation enables one to have more than one opportunity to learn the Gospel and gain salvation. It would also suggest that maybe someone who has already been saved in a previous life would be in a position to be a very spiritual person who helps lead others to Christ in subsequent lives.

...but that's just wild speculation.

Certainly possible. I do believe in karma ..but I mostly look at karma as what you do in this life will come back on you later in this life.. but I have caught myself thinking .. your ass is gonna come back as what you hate and you'll get to 'walk in the shoes'.

my thought is that its such a big universe out there, with so many worlds that might have life on them, that how would we ever know.

i mean, if every time you were born the odds were equally random of it being on any one of them, what are the chances you'd be born on the same one twice?

i WAS born with something that could have been memories, or paramemories, of previous lives, but they were very definately on tangable material worlds that WERE NOT THIS ONE.

so i absolutely do not beleive my past lives, any of them, were on THIS earth at all. but i do believe there's a REAL GOOD CHANCE i HAVE had them.

=^^=
.../\...