What exactly is an ''old soul''?

Thanks for this explanation, Greenslade.
I saw it earlier actually and been thinking about it on and off all day... The idea of skipping classes is kind of fascinating. It makes some kind of sense I think. I hadn't really given it much thought until now - like you said, I had just assumed it'd be more of a linear thing.

[Amilius777]

It probably varies since no two experiences are like. No two souls are the same.

An old soul could be a soul who just hasn't gotten it "right" yet and keeps reincarnating to understand things via physical world.

Or an old soul could be a wisdom teacher (Buddha) who incarnates specifically to cultivate human understandings and wisdom and impart them to others.

[javaweb]

Wow, very interesting..

[WmBuzz71]

Originally Posted by ThoughtOnFire

They said that the Buddha upon Realizing Nirvana remembered his past life. Then he remembered 10 past lives. Then he remembered 100 past lives. And then he remembered 1,000 past lives. He then remembered 10,000 past lives. On and on his past lives spanned infinitely into the depths of Eternity.

Soul family! There are many individual spirits that share the same soul in the same era.

Originally Posted by wstein

The old soul idea is based in the concept that souls incarnate into bodies multiple times in order learn through experience. An old soul is one that has accumulated much spiritual wisdom by living many many incarnations (think at least thousands, though probably a couple orders of magnitude more).

Note: not all 'souls' choose to gain spiritual wisdom via incarnation.

Simple accurate uncomplicated definition ...
That is all that is ever needed ...

When I hear or use the term 'old soul,' I think of someone who is very wise for their age...someone who says or thinks of things before what most of us would consider appropriate for their age..."advanced thinking" for their age.