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The concept of past lives, or reincarnation has played an important role throughout history. The word reincarnation taken apart means re (again) carnation (in the form of body or flesh). Belief in multiple physical lifetimes is included in several religious doctrines, has been made public by celebrities and has been adopted as a form of therapy to explain our current problems by referencing our past life challenges.
The ancient scripture included in the Tibetan Book of Dead is devoted to helping a person end one life and cross over to the next. In many eastern religions, the idea of Karma or in more colloquial terms “what goes around comes around” is the golden rule that keeps behavior in line, cautioning that even if you get away with wrongdoing in this life, you will be held accountable in the next carnation. This is demonstrated in the cruelest sense in the caste system in India where those who are poor and ill are considered “untouchable” and deserving of their plight due to sins in a former lifetime. In many other cultures, however, poverty and suffering are considered “money in the bank” for a better plight the next time around.
Reincarnation was the generally accepted philosophy prior to Christianity, where reincarnation was replaced for some with the belief that Christ has atoned for our sins and we can go straight to heaven without having to bear multiple lifetimes. Regardless of the popularity of Christian thought, notable scientist and author, Benjamin Franklin, had a keen interest in reincarnation, along with other visionaries of his time.
There is much disagreement as to what form we take in each lifetime. Some theories say we can be as low as an insect (that’s why stepping on them is bad form, it could be a relative). Others say the lifetimes are human. Still others, such as Scientologists believe that we come from an extraterrestrial zone and are really another evolving life form known as “thetans”.
Whatever the form, the concept of coming back experienced a western revival during the twentieth century. Edgar Cayce, founder of ARE, the Association for Research and Enlightenment, claims to have remembered many lives in a trance state. Many consider Mr. Cayce a modern day prophet and his written work extensively covers the subject of rebirth. Actress Shirley McLaine received much notoriety (and some ridicule) for “coming out” with several books chronicling her search and discovery of her past lives.
Many therapists are incorporating past life regression hypnosis and therapy to help people understand their present challenges by resolving issues further back than childhood. This therapy usually consists of guided hypnosis to regress back to the former lifetime. Some claim this to be helpful, while some feel that people will “fabricate” past life data because they are being asked to do so by the hypnotist. Skeptics claim that too many people tend to remember a spectacular lifetime as a notable figure and few claim to remember being a chimney sweep or coal miner. This is an exaggeration of the well-known tale where an ego driven person pays a charlatan to be told that they were once Napoleon.
An important concept when considering past lives is the concept of “soul mates”, two spirits that will interact in some fashion life after life. This concept has been used to explain premature intimacy based on that feeling that you have known a virtual stranger “forever”.
The cosmic jury is still out on whether reincarnation is a fact or a handy device to give answers to life’s most nagging questions such as why some of us have it so good or so bad in this life. The supporting facts include that most of the eastern culture and many westerners believe in this theory and that it is has gained ground if anything in modern times. Doubt does occur because although there are many documented cases, most people do not remember a past life. True believers explain that the memory is wiped clean by the trauma of rebirth and that carting our past lives around like baggage from life to would be too burdensome and traumatizing for the average person. Remembering past lives are for the most enlightened sort, not something to be taken lightly, according to many experts in the field. Nevertheless, self help books and tapes abound to help us travel back in time and a favorite quip in our modern times is to allude to having remembered, done it or seen it “in a former life.”
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