what made you convinced of reincarnation as opposed to faith in religion?

Well, I know reincarnation is mentioned in the bible and everything.

I'm just wondering for those who don't place faith in any religion or certain God, what has been the biggest 'a-ha' moment that has led you to lean more towards the belief in soul plans , reincarnation and the theme that we go thru many lives to experience different scenarios and grow as souls?

I assume on a certain level or possibly the entire level, you all do believe in 'Source' .....but, just not a figure such as Jesus.

Did you struggle with this aspect during your awakening process? If so, how did you get beyond that struggle to free yourself from the limitations that most religions place on people, let alone the fear factor.

Thank you for any input. I look forward to reading your responses.

[lifer76]

Originally Posted by yumi14

Well, I know reincarnation is mentioned in the bible and everything.

I'm just wondering for those who don't place faith in any religion or certain God, what has been the biggest 'a-ha' moment that has led you to lean more towards the belief in soul plans , reincarnation and the theme that we go thru many lives to experience different scenarios and grow as souls?:

The biggest moment was questioning certain things in religion such as merciful god and the punishing god, it just seemed only convenience to appease masses; started reading about astral projection, Robert Monroe, Bruce Moen and went through very vivid experiences as well that have led me to believe we're all part of God, source and we have control of our own destiny.

Now I will say I don't believe in the common sense of reincarnation where we as individuals go through many lives in a linear sequential way. I believe that we are part of the higher self and we are one of many personalities that experience this physical life all at the same time since time and space does not exist beyond this reality.

Originally Posted by yumi14

I assume on a certain level or possibly the entire level, you all do believe in 'Source' .....but, just not a figure such as Jesus.

Did you struggle with this aspect during your awakening process? If so, how did you get beyond that struggle to free yourself from the limitations that most religions place on people, let alone the fear factor.

Thank you for any input. I look forward to reading your responses.

No struggle here, more like relieved. I'm not here to learn, go to school or through some complicated process of spiritual development. I'm here to experience and that is it.

[sea-dove]

For me, it wasnt easy. I grew up in a very christian family who made me go to Sunday school weekly till I was 12 or 13 years old (which I hated as the christian religion just didnt feel "right" for me). My aunt was a christian minister for two churches and my great uncle? also was a minister, my family tree has other ministers too.

It was a real conflict of beliefs for me as Ive always had a different awareness but on the other hand I was terrified I'd go to hell if I ignored that religion due to all the preaching I had while growing up. It took years to be okay with being "non Christian" and not to have that "fear factor" over it.

I ended up gettin to the point where I was completely fine about not being christian and not believing in Jesus etc.

That thou changed for me and I nowdays do believe there is a powerful energy out there which is the energy of Jesus. Why I believe that is he has aided me even thou I wasnt christian. I now see him as a possible "guide" of mine, along with the many other guides I have had. What is interesting is that I never experienced Jesus at all when I was still trying to be christian, I had powerful experiences with him only once I was walking my own spiritual path.

I may of always believed in reincarnation, Ive always believed in spirits and that due to childhood experiences (that may of been one of the many things why I never comfortable with the bible as a child as deceased people are supposed to be in "heaven" not hanging around here still).

Ive had also since proof to myself that reincarnation exists and went throu a period of time where I kept on coming across soul mates who remembered me from other lives and info they said, tallied with stuff I remembered too.

[desert rat]

Reincarnation makes more scense . Some believe Jesus taught reincarntaion and that it was takken out of the Bible at the councile of Niciea in 329 a.d.

[linen53]

All the pieces don't line up in organized religion IMHO.

All the other stuff I've learned since being out of organized religion match up perfectly, and I am still learning, and it is still matching up.

Originally Posted by yumi14

If so, how did you get beyond that struggle to free yourself from the limitations that most religions place on people, let alone the fear factor.

Without limitations or fear I would be able to go to any mosque, temple or church, and hug everyone who is in there. Because without all the huge amount of new age-beliefs and all the egoic self-help stuff I would see that we are all one and we are here together. One. Not one and them. Not one and he or she. One, including he, she and them.

Religions in general don't place limitations on people more than chess-clubs in general. If you like the word "Source", the main problem is that we are cut off from Source, or maybe that we don't see that we are connected. Religious practices and groups, other practices and groups, also chess-clubs and golf-clubs can help us with this. Or they can lead us more astray.

I believe in reincarnation because of my experiences in life and my experiences in my own past life regressions.

I have a deep appreciation for the masters who gave us the teachings that became our world religions. I think our world would be much worse off if it were not for their presence. I don't believe that any of the enlightened masters sought to leave a religious legacy of judgement, manipulation and control. I believe that people who were not as far along in their spiritual development created those religious views.

[Robinski78]

(A question raised by Yumi earlier in this topic ~ 'Quote' ~ [Did you struggle with this aspect during your awakening process? If so, how did you get beyond that struggle to free yourself from the limitations that most religions place on people, let alone the fear factor.] Un-quote...

In my case, it was more the feeling that there would be no escape from inborn teachings, that made me step aside from religious beliefs and followings... I felt as though I was becoming trapped in some sort of absolute situation, whereby my mind was unable to explore the outer reaches of individual imagination...

One Sunday afternoon, whilst others in my peers group were gathered together in the Baptist Chapel, I spent the requisite hour pondering on where my next port of call might be, deciding that I would wait for an answer that would set me on a different pathway... That waiting period lasted about forty years... Then I met my mentor ~ Lorraine... Life was never the same after that initial introduction...

Our spell together lasted about two years... Then one day, she walked out of my life and I've never seen or heard from her since...

I see her now as my very first 'Soul Mate' who came into my life, to complete part of her purpose this time around... It was Lorraine, who steered me towards reincarnation, although not via some set teaching methods... More by explaining how she herself related to ~ and understood ~ the process...

She often brought the phoenix aspect into our conversations and the arising features pertaining to that mythological creature, which seemed to beautify the whole concept of rebirth through fire...

And so the story continued...

I hope this throws a little light on the overall subject, with contributions by others, helping to build the bigger picture...

With respect...

Rob....

Thank you for your replies and insights, everyone. I appreciate it very much :)

Originally Posted by yumi14

Well, I know reincarnation is mentioned in the bible and everything.

I'm just wondering for those who don't place faith in any religion or certain God, what has been the biggest 'a-ha' moment that has led you to lean more towards the belief in soul plans , reincarnation and the theme that we go thru many lives to experience different scenarios and grow as souls?

I assume on a certain level or possibly the entire level, you all do believe in 'Source' .....but, just not a figure such as Jesus.

Did you struggle with this aspect during your awakening process? If so, how did you get beyond that struggle to free yourself from the limitations that most religions place on people, let alone the fear factor.

Thank you for any input. I look forward to reading your responses.

The first thing is to deal with religions. They, all of them, are necessary because of the immaturity of the human race as a whole. The average man is not equipped to understand greater realities so he is given a simple "believe and be rewarded" format instead. OK that sounds pretty harsh and a critic will use the term, "judgemental". So be it.

the first thing to understand so that the complexity of the world makes better sense is to realize that creation, once begun, has never stopped. New "baby" human souls come into existence all the time just as mature ones "graduate" from the need to express through physical bodies. If it weren't for this fact no religion would have endured as long as they have. Considering the planet as a whole most, by far, of the humans who live on her are very young souls. Only a small percentage are older and there is only a very small group of advanced souls (in bodies) here on earth. Jesus is one of these but since the average soul could not relate to greater truths it is better to use the "father son" relationship instead when speaking of Him and God. The entire Bible is nothing more than an answer to the level of maturity of man. If man were "static", if all of us were the exact same spiritual age, there would be only one religion. In Christianity there would not be "denominations". The earth is not that way though. We are very diverse so religion is also. Want to know who is junior and who is senior. One way to find out is to look at who pushes religious conversion. No advanced soul would do that. Likewise it is unkind in the extreme to attempt to "down preach" the religious zealot. They cannot understand and such attempts just cause them pain.

Most advanced humans on earth live quiet lives in isolation. There is no necessary correlation between spiritual age and temporal position. Thus we find often that leaders in countries are apt to behave poorly. This works out to benefit us all in the end though.

The average person need not know about reincarnation. The information would be misused. Better not to know. There is a story that comes form ancient China where a person could legally promise to repay a debt in a future lifetime. No mature human would even consider such a thing. Better that we don't know. But some of us do know (about the universe of spirit) otherwise why would this website be here?

Souls are born, not in perfection, but in innocence. The begin their long journey in bodies on planets. Some come here and are humans. Very seldom do souls change planets because of great differences that would cause problems, getting in the way of learning. We live a thousand or more lifetimes on Earth. We all live as male, female, fat, skinny, ugly, good looking, rich, poor, gay, straight, tall, short, sick, healthy and as members of all the racial groups. By the time this is finished we've learned all the Earth can teach us. The acquisition of wisdom is the goal beyond which the "salvation and resurrection" of the Christian occurs.

Religions exist for the purpose of assisting us on our paths. The Bible of Christianity is written entirely in metaphors. The entire work is in parable form. In scripture are meanings within meanings within meanings. The Bible speaks clearly of the higher truths but the immature minds see these references and do not understand them. They choose instead to promote superficial meanings. This is good. Remember that religions are designed for immature souls. It would be inappropriate for advanced humans to attempt to correct them. Remember that new souls are coming to Earth all the time and these need the kind of guidance that only religions can provide.

You mention "soul plans" in your post. They exist. We all plan our lifetimes in advance. We select the type of body and the setting in which we will live in accordance with what we want to learn. The religious person will say that God does this but it is we who live our lives. God is the ultimate source but how are we to grow if we don't play an active part in our own lives? Where will wisdom come from if we can't participate in our own destinies? So, yes, we make plans for each life. What are our weaknesses right now? Are we quick to anger for instance? Then it is likely that this inclination is what we are attempting to overcome. Are we grossly ugly and fat? Perhaps we need to learn humility and have chosen to do it the hard way. Does a baby die in the crib? What acceptance lessons might the grieving parents learn? Are we judged unfairly and sent to prison for crimes we did not commit? Maybe we had unresolved violence issues in past lifetimes that were never finished. All this is possible.

Religions exist to make things easier for us. Better it is to be presented with a set of beliefs and rules than to sink or swim in the higher truths that sometimes would be so devastating. Religions are like safety valves. That they are superficially incorrect or incomplete is OK. A greater purpose is served.

One last thing is for us to realize that it is not our place to run around trying to "teach the world". The one who does this forgets that most of the world does not need to hear great truths. Most of the world needs what religions have to offer.

I was raised a Christian. I believe too much to be one now. No matter. I still enjoy the occasional visit to a church (I go to them all in turns) to experience what others around me have to share. Do we think in terms of acceptance? Most of us at least entertain the idea. Make it so then. Accept the fact that humanity is diverse, of all spiritual ages and that "the needs of the many seldom dovetail with the needs of the one". (Mr. Spock of Star Trek.)

As for "ah ha moments" that you mention. There are some of these every day it seems. Good that you put it that way. It's real.

A very BIG ah ha moment is the realization of the fact that not all souls are the same age and experience and that, further, religions do not account for this in their teachings.

One last thing. Christianity teaches us that we were created in perfection and that later we "fell" and are now sinful. This is incorrect. The doctrine of Original Sin is false. We were born in innocence and coming to Earth from the spirit worlds (Eden) was the plan all along. Remember the serpent in the garden? The snake is the almost universal primitive symbol of the Earth. Thus the snake in the garden signifies the necessary pull of the Earth to Adam and Eve. (everything is in metaphors) What the serpent said to Adam and Eve is irrelevant. The fact of it's presence at that moment is not. We had to come here to learn. Simply being created and living a stagnant, un-dynamic existence (through obedience) in heaven would be pointless. The reason the truth of this is not stated clearly in the first place is because if it were there would be no motivation through guilt and fear for us to make an attempt to advance. In the beginning we had no wisdom so we needed it's distant cousin, fear. We should not judge religions too harshly for this deception. It was necessary. Religions do not hide truth. The great souls who dictated scripture to prophets chose to "color" truth in terms that would be suitable for early, immature, man. Religions were then formed around and based upon these.