Why does it come so easy for some people?

[newstartonlife]

It seems like some people just remember their past lives without even trying but I don't remember anything from past lives. I have feelings about things... feelings about who I was meant to be, that I think may stem from having been that person. But no specific memories. How is it that some people just remember so easily? I want to be one of the ones who remembers names, places, verifiable things that I can use to prove to myself that the memories are genuine.

Also, is it possible to meet someone who shares the same soul, or does the soul follow a linear time frame (inhabiting bodies that live one after the other, rather than jumping all around the time line)? I know one person said they followed a linear time frame but I'm curious to know what others think too.

 

[stardis]

Do you practice any sort of meditation exercises? Here is a link to some information about meditation.


Here is a link to how you can learn about your past lives.


Here is a link about regression through audio CD's.


I would think that verifiable information about a past life is exceedingly rare. Most people that have past life memories cannot verify that they were indeed the person that they believe themselves to have been, at least not 100%. It is enough for most people to just "know" who they were in a past life even if it is not a specific person but rather a person living in some specific time period. On a planet of billions of people we shouldn't expect to be one of the few who can verify anything about a past life. That said, it may be satisfying and worthwhile in the context of spiritual growth to become adept at different meditative practices and to become educated in the beliefs and philosophy of other cultures including those that hold some beliefs about reincarnation.


Most people don't explicitly remember a past life, although they may have thoughts that they don't recognize as memories but are, such as dreams or daydreams or things that just pop into their head. Most people don't give it much thought or even care about such things as it is not necessary for living a productive life. I don't believe that we were meant to remember our past lives and when we do it is because something in the rebirth process went awry.


People who don't remember are probably fortunate in my opinion because they can live this life as if it is truly their only life - even if their faith or philosophy allows them to speculate on such things. People like us who have questions about reincarnation may have a need to understand how reincarnation works and what lives we may have lived so that we can understand some aspect of ourselves that we find puzzling or maybe just interesting. I believe that when we begin to ask questions about past lives, we are experiencing a need inside of us that needs to be understood in order to put our mind at rest about who we are in relation to the rest of the universe.

 

[Jody]

I think some people remember past lives for the same reason some people have recurring dreams -- something's bugging them and demands attention from their conscious mind. I think Dr. Ian Stevenson did a study about children who spontaneously remember past lives, and the vast majority of them died violently, so perhaps they felt there was something unresolved there.

 

[Raakel]

Newstartonlife, please don't feel bad, or sad, about not being able to remember anything from your past lives. For all you know, you might know and remember much more than you think, and just not register any of it as the things most of us would probably think of as ''memories''. Just think about it! Your special instincts that you have in this life, for example. I don't know what else to use as an example. Dreams you have that you never remember. It's really okay if you don't remember anything, but it still might be good for you to try to meditate on your past lives, and see where your mind takes you.


Another thing - in this life, I have this practice that I started doing years ago, in which I sort of try to ''prepare'' myself for whatever next life I might have by looking closely at everything around me, especially the things I feel are beautiful or especially important, and I say to myself continuously something like, ''I hope I remember this in my next life. I want to be able to remember this in my next life''. It's really a kind of form of prayer for me, I guess, as strange as that must sound. But if you want to, try it for yourself anyway. Life does not end, and you will not end. In your next life, you might be able to remember things you never thought possible, sit back on a warm summer's day, and just think about it all.

 

[Sunniva]

One thing I've been thinking about is, and this not verified at all, that remembering past lives takes a bit of practice. Just as anything else - some people have a talent for it, others will have to work hard.


I usually find that if I'm going through a period with regular meditations/regressions I will get more memories and past life dreams. I see it as a kind of training - you train your subconscious mind to remember. I haven't been doing any past life work for a long while now and I hardly ever get any flashes or past life dreams. I'm totally out of shape!! :laugh:


So my advice is that you shouldn't give up trying to remember past lives just yet


Keep meditating, try out different regression methods (guided, non-guided), keep a journal and try to get in touch with your subconscious mind on a regular basis. Don't be too critical of what pops up - even snippets or an odd experience can be pieces of a puzzle. We all perceive past life memories differently, so don't expect a full movie with dialogues that make sense I've often found that even if I thought I had a session without anything substantial popping up, when I write it down I realize that there were actually many more details than I initially thought

 

[Truthseeker]

Like Stardis suggested, I don't think we're really meant to remember. If we do remember in our day-to-day lives, maybe it's an accident. As far as remembering through regression or meditation exercises, I remember Dr. Brian Weiss saying in an interview that (if I remember right) 85% of his patients that he regresses discover past life memories. He himself took several months of regressing others before was able to remember one of his own past lives.


Does it come easier for some than others? Absolutely, but doesn't everything else in life? It may take some perserverance, but don't give up. I think Sunniva's right, it's like exercising a muscle. I'm the same in that I haven't done much relaxing and meditating lately. So, now when I try to it's harder.


I didn't start having clear memories until I started doing regression and meditation exercises. I now know that the clues to my past were there all along. I just didn't recognize them.

 

[newstartonlife]

Thank you so much for all of the information guys! I feel like the memories are in my reach; I'm really excited to try this. I can't wait to see who I was in a past life! But I'm still curious about how the time line works. Could one of my past lives be born in 2070? Or are they all, well, actually in the past?

 

[Truthseeker]

I'm still curious about how the time line works. Could one of my past lives be born in 2070? Or are they all, well, actually in the past?

I can't say with 100% certainty (do any of us really know for sure?), but based on the reading that I have done, time as we know it does not exist on a spiritual level. However, on a physical level there is a natural progression of time. Things do occur chronologically. With acception to some work being done exploring future progression, all the past life work that I have read about dealt with people only remembering lives that actually happened in the past.

 

[Nightrain]

Thank you so much for all of the information guys! I feel like the memories are in my reach; I'm really excited to try this. I can't wait to see who I was in a past life! But I'm still curious about how the time line works. Could one of my past lives be born in 2070? Or are they all, well, actually in the past?

Hi Newstartonlife!


To the best of my knowledge, it seems that most regressions and flashbacks indicate that people usually experience their lives in consecutive linear order. However, if there is no such thing as time, when one is between lives; it should then follow that coming back could happen in the future and non-sequentially in the past. Being the conservative old man that I am, I prefer to think of everything happening sequentially from past only into the present.


Regarding any remaining doubt of ever remembering a past life; everyone, who has posted above, has brought up very good points. Sunniva is especially on the mark in my opinion, because, with practice and exposure to this Forum I have gradually uncovered surprising things. Last October, when I came aboard, I had not the slightest inkling of any past life memory. As a child it seemed that I sort of coasted through life without taking note of where I was, nor whom I was with. I thought that things I could remember as a child all came from this life; and there seemed to be no purpose in remembering that far back. That is, until the possibility of reincarnation became evident. Since October I began to critically examine whatever I could remember. As a result, I've discovered that some of those memories came from previous lives. And, memories, that I assumed were only dreams, began to hook up with other information to form accurate, but incomplete memories.


If you have ever noticed, even though something is commonplace, you sometimes begin to see it everywhere for some reason. This can happen as coincidences (synchronicities) involving numbers, people's faces or something else very specific. It's because something triggered your subconscious attention. After 9-11, for example, many people began noticing that tragic number everywhere; because, since that time, it has become a very meaningful number. In like manner, as you focus on memories that you took for granted, you begin remembering related information that you had completely forgotten. This can happen through meditation, regression hypnosis, or just by keeping track of this Forum.


This process might happen for you more quickly than you previously thought. I'll bet that you'll be reporting these experiences and asking questions about them before very long.


-Nightrain