Past Lives: What's the Big Deal?

Like many metaphysical concepts, the idea of past lives cannot - in an empirical sense- be proven. Regardless, the concept believed in by some cultures and individuals worldwide. My intention with this thread is not so much to question the idea of past lives, but to ask the following: if you believe in past lives, how does that belief shape your current life? Why believe in past lives? What do you gain by believing in it? How does the concept enrich and serve you in a positive manner? Do you find this belief can create problems as well as benefits?

In short: what's the big deal?

To be fully transparent, I myself do not put much stock in the idea of past lives, but am curious what benefits others get out of believing in it. To me, it is often the consequences of a belief that are more important than it's supposed truth and I am interested in how believing in past lives enriches (or doesn't, as the case might be) people.

[vicky3619]

To me it's the idea of not starting at zero again,if I can remember my past life maybe I could remember some of the things I have learn then, so I will not have to start back to zero but continue.What I've learn then I would not have to learn it again but could continue what I need to do/learn. That's why I believe in past life and it's quite important for me :)

[lifer76]

Originally Posted by Quintessence

Like many metaphysical concepts, the idea of past lives cannot - in an empirical sense- be proven. Regardless, the concept believed in by some cultures and individuals worldwide. My intention with this thread is not so much to question the idea of past lives, but to ask the following: if you believe in past lives, how does that belief shape your current life? Why believe in past lives? What do you gain by believing in it? How does the concept enrich and serve you in a positive manner? Do you find this belief can create problems as well as benefits?

In short: what's the big deal?

To be fully transparent, I myself do not put much stock in the idea of past lives, but am curious what benefits others get out of believing in it. To me, it is often the consequences of a belief that are more important than it's supposed truth and I am interested in how believing in past lives enriches (or doesn't, as the case might be) people.

I don't believe in past lives in a sense that it's linear. I believe all these experiences or lives are happening at the same time either past present or future because time does not exist. Inner self sends out multiple personalities to live out experiences and since inner self and all personalities belong together then all of them sense each other one way or another, they are all one split into different experiences. How could it enrich me? Maybe if I could tap into all the other personalities then I might find really interesting stuff.

Originally Posted by vicky3619

To me it's the idea of not starting at zero again,if I can remember my past life maybe I could remember some of the things I have learn then, so I will not have to start back to zero but continue.What I've learn then I would not have to learn it again but could continue what I need to do/learn. That's why I believe in past life and it's quite important for me :)

What are some examples of the things you aspire to learn from the past? Are they things like spiritual truths, factual information, past relationships... what?

Originally Posted by lifer76

I don't believe in past lives in a sense that it's linear. I believe all these experiences or lives are happening at the same time either past present or future because time does not exist. Inner self sends out multiple personalities to live out experiences and since inner self and all personalities belong together then all of them sense each other one way or another, they are all one split into different experiences. How could it enrich me? Maybe if I could tap into all the other personalities then I might find really interesting stuff.

That's an interesting way of looking at it! Have you tried to tap into these other personalities yet? Maybe we have already without realizing it?

Originally Posted by Quintessence

That's an interesting way of looking at it! Have you tried to tap into these other personalities yet? Maybe we have already without realizing it?

This is a really good way of putting it! For me, reincarnation has not been an idea that I picked out of a bowl of ideas to believe in for philosophical purposes so much as a physical and concrete reality, like my childhood or my body.

As a person who has managed to tap into a number of my other personalities, I've found a wealth of information about myself now, such as where I've come from and who I've met along the way. I'm sure you're aware of the concept of past life regression and healing, the idea being that we carry around a lot of trauma from previous experiences that still affect us in a visceral way whether we consciously remember them or not. This has also been part of the process of remembering for me: to heal and overcome.

In my opinion, while I believe that everyone reincarnates and has past life memories/experiences (though not necessarily conscious ones), I don't feel that it is necessary for everyone to hold a belief in a reality they have no conscious awareness of. That is, if one hasn't had their own experiences with reincarnation and they do not have an interest in exploring the topic, I'd have no reason to convince them otherwise. Clearly I believe in it because it has shown itself in my experience, but for others it may be different.

It's hard to say what level the belief in reincarnation has shaped my life except to say that it has shaped it profoundly. As an idea the concept of reincarnation didn't sit well with me when I was younger but as a physical/emotional/spiritual occurrence it began to make the most sense out of what I was experiencing.

Originally Posted by Quintessence

That's an interesting way of looking at it! Have you tried to tap into these other personalities yet? Maybe we have already without realizing it?

I echo lifer76's viewpoint... a friend of mine once got a glimpse of another, parallel life she is living as a man in Africa - quite an insight. I am open to the possibility that some spirit guides are parts of our expanded minds and thus, 'past' lives are energy imprints which bring us lessons to learn in this period of physical life.

Originally Posted by lifer76

I don't believe in past lives in a sense that it's linear. I believe all these experiences or lives are happening at the same time either past present or future because time does not exist. Inner self sends out multiple personalities to live out experiences and since inner self and all personalities belong together then all of them sense each other one way or another, they are all one split into different experiences. How could it enrich me? Maybe if I could tap into all the other personalities then I might find really interesting stuff.

this so much
so true

and it explains many things too.

however, if this wasnt true, the past lives would have an impact on the current one. like you could have an explanation for why you're always losing or misplacing your keys [just an example] and this could be both a benefit and a disadvantage.
what i just said, stands for the quote above as well.

*i hope all this makes some sense, cause im in a hurry in writing a 1000 words article, didnt even start yet*

It's been "proven" many times.
Folks who remembered things from previous lives, that could, and were empirically researched-verified. Sure this could be hoaxed, but then again most anything could be faked in some manner, that we all DO believe.

However I never gave it much thought till my wife spontaniuosly channeled several spirits and I realized life-intelligence of some sort existed beyond the physical.

Since then, I've witnessed hundreds of experiences with passed on spirits- communicating through channels.

Many of us are simply too wise, to have gained this understanding in just one lifetime... children especially...often possess adult wisdom-understanding.
Mozart composing at 4....is my fave example. And soon surpassing his fathers abilities.

Enriched ...? cannot say, but it makes earth life seem much more sense....that all we learn isn't lost forever... it simply feels right, economical and elegant.... Living 70 yrs and forever losing that knowledge would be a terrible waste, and pretty stupid "design"

How would we ever hope to evolve, if we forever made the same personal mistakes, with no hope of learning from them?

I've met a very few, that I loved profoundly, for no apparent reason.
I need no more evidence than that.

Henri77: wow, rather touching, your experiences and what you said.. im on the same level with you on his one

[vicky3619]

Originally Posted by Henri77

I
Enriched ...? cannot say, but it makes earth life seem much more sense....that all we learn isn't lost forever... it simply feels right, economical and elegant.... Living 70 yrs and forever losing that knowledge would be a terrible waste, and pretty stupid "design" How would we ever hope to evolve, if we forever made the same personal mistakes, with no hope of learning from them?.

Thats it is.

And to remember thing I know spiritualy,like maybe In a life I would have been really good in astral projection so in this life I can do it much quicker but also life experience and maybe things learn from relationship,all sort of knowledge.And it make life got sense, we aren't lost for ever,like Henry said what we had learn is not lost forever, thats why its a big deal for me.