Why do we forget our past lives?

[JUPITERASC]

Originally Posted by retinoid

It is a big reason but why were they able to invade? Why did Italy have the Renaissance and still have stable governments that were able to rally under the Vatican if Rome disasterously collapsed and decimated italian culture a few hundred years before?.

Apparently few are aware of the true size and scale of the continent of Africa so I have attached an image sourced from http://www.economist.com/blogs/daily...ography?page=1

Originally Posted by retinoid

If it worked like that then it would be truly never ending. We have no idea.

Exactly... and IMO that's a sobering thought

[JUPITERASC]

Originally Posted by Prominent

Ah true.. Perhaps people concerned with past lives must be concerned with Time, and they don't yet know how to see it for what it is (which may be why they are bothered with their current lives and look towards lives that aren't there to escape their fears)..

interesting to consider Yablo's paradox in context with the idea of "beginningless time" in Buddhist philosphy

[Judy_AzVirgo]

Originally Posted by Sunny

JudyAzVirgo, thank you very much for sharing this. So I understood it, too, that children in this pre-school age don't need to explore these experiences, but they need to not forget it and to explore it in adult age. Therefore the reactions of the parents and mostly of the mother is so important. If they answered with superiority like : oh yes, children imagine so much .. and so on, then the child has good chance to lose this remember for ever.

So, JudyAzVirgo, you found a good hypnosis-therapist. Did you feel then liberated and very happy in living your full present time?

Sunny

Back in the 1950s, when I first had these impressions, people were just not into this kind of thing, and I'm sure many children in my age group forgot because they were told it's just a fantasy, just your imagination. Also, I notice that some people seem to have suppressed any memories earlier than school age, but a few of my memories go back to diaper days. (I've asked family members about certain things to verify dates more or less... such as a change of carpeting in my parents' home, and so on, because a toddler doesn't recall times/dates.)

I guess one explores it when one is ready to do so. For me, it was in my late 20s. I think the young man really just wanted to be acknowledged in some way, and maybe needed me to contemplate similarities and differences between us, so he kept pressing until I got in touch. Years ago, I told a friend about these experiences, and she later found an article about people (especially young people) who died during WWII and in the Holocaust who wanted to reincarnate quickly. So maybe my young man was one of a number of souls reincarnating during the early Baby Boom?

The hypnosis session was healing in a way, in part because it put his spirit at rest, more or less. After the one hypnosis session I was able to access several other lives on my own, a few girls/women and a few other men, over a period of several years; these other people for the most part led fairly simple lives and (thankfully) did not suffer more than is usual in life.

I do think that this extended experience helped explain a few things, and I could see themes running through these lives that are parallel to my own experiences. Seeing other lives on a very intimate level also seems to be helpful in understanding other people and what they are going through.

Haven't done any more of that exploration in recent years. It's actually pretty difficult to get bound up in someone else's life.

Astrologically, I think the source of all this is probably Moon opposite Neptune in the 12th house. Actually, Neptune in the 12th is part of a Kite formation, if one accepts Chiron as a viable point: Neptune in Libra sextile Chiron in Sag and sextile Venus/Pluto in Leo; Chiron and Venus/Pluto trine Moon, which opposes Neptune. So Neptune is a release point, if you're OK with the Kite formation.

[Judy_AzVirgo]

Originally Posted by JUPITERASC

Today, African culture is simply being obliterated with western beliefs. That's not 'education'!! Africans are not 'uneducated' simply because they cannot speak English. The average African speaks many languages.

There's more than western beliefs involved in the destruction of culture. This month, Islamic militants have been destroying parts of Timbuktu, which was an ancient center of Islamic learning. The militants have been instrumental in fomenting violence between religious groups in other African countries, as well.

I would agree, though, that concepts such as "education" and "progress" are too often defined in Western terms.

[JUPITERASC]

Originally Posted by Judy_AzVirgo

There's more than western beliefs involved in the destruction of culture. This month, Islamic militants have been destroying parts of Timbuktu, which was an ancient center of Islamic learning. The militants have been instrumental in fomenting violence between religious groups in other African countries, as well

I did make the following comment as well

Originally Posted by JUPITERASC

Simply BECAUSE Africa is wealthy beyond belief, rich in natural resources including gold, diamonds, oil, cocoa, coffee, tea, and minerals - there has for many centuries raged a battle between numerous invaders to control those resources and IMO fwiw THAT is the main cause of Africa's problems

I then focused on 'western influence' because fwiw IMO 'western influence' currently pervades most cultures. Obviously the west has itself been influenced historically by Greece and Rome as well as Africa and other nations.

Historically, Africa has been invaded for tens of centuries by a series of nations greedy for its vast and plentiful resources... the list of nations plundering Africa includes Russia as well as China and obviously USA and Europe.

Furthermore, IMO given the historical enmity that exists between USA, Russia and China then obviously Africa is now one gigantic battleground in the tug-of-war to control those vast resources.

Originally Posted by Judy_AzVirgo

I would agree, though, that concepts such as "education" and "progress" are too often defined in Western terms.

Exactly.

It's worth considering whether remembering our past lives could assist in ameliorating the situation

[paneagle7]

Commonly, people discuss these issues using past experience and problems, wanting to inform so that countries or people will act differently. such might be this oddity - they say all cultures come from african origins, so it is only the former africans trying to take back what they had, that is the reborn africans. same might be said for lost atlanteans, now alive today, trying to get back control of the world. still, we are not going to accept reincarnated souls in the purely physical sense as a reasoning for actions or liability. so it is best to let go of the past. or release its hold on us, and think in present, and in principle both.

I prefer to look at consciousness and principles, not to try to point out the differences from the past, or between cultures, but rather to look at themes such as karma, and understand them, so in the present will act in the most positive and best for all concerned, to avoid karma producing actions or behaviorial or national intentions that fit better with a future good. understanding karmic laws makes sense, and is tied to reincarnation as a spiritual principle of life. If all realize they have lived before, and the law of karma has propelled them into current circumstance, they would think to act quite more in line with due diligence.

the law is good equal good, and what goes around comes around, and in astrology terms, they say as above so below. Now I find it is even more as within, so without. this law is that as we are in spirit, and within ourselves, so will we be without. as we belief, so it will come to pass. or the law of what you expect, will persist.

so how do we live in these many laws. the lead is a key term 'ethics'. what is spiritual remains spiritual, and what is physical, is dealt with physically. but the principles work on both levels, in specific to that level. we are both soul, spiritual, and also the human. In astrology, this is that the planets are 1x harmonic act on the physical, but the harmonics are also here, and can be used, such as 60x harmonics, to make sense both to our inner self, and to the outer self, the body and physical person. so we are individuals with spiritual qualities, but also human, this of two levels I mention here in the chart. even so we are really more than just these two, and also a composite, of all we have been before, and of what we will be too.

we use aspects, progressions, et all, which are not strictly accurate in experiential terms, unlike the planets in their courses, yet we use them both, because there is an actuality to them, a place of timing and space measures we can define, even if not a real actuality. for example, jupiter rises in a chart at birth is a correct approximate that the person will be positive, yet we may see the progression of this jupiter to 2nd house, as the person begins to earn money or make special purchases or wealth gained.

of course there is also the jupiter could be excess or fortune, so we cannot predict just on that one factor. so we need to find the specific aspects being most accurate, and the best principles also to live by. we must make choices. this is the free will in the world of karma. some may accept karma, others deny it, and others do not care, while the karma wheel continues. those who would be free know they need also be responsible. then they see the connections, and make better choices.

[paneagle7]

to the question counter question; why do we want to remember past lives? - they say to know who we were, is to know who we are now. I have heard "we are best we have ever been", right now. There is good reason to know our roots, and also to release the hold of past karma and negative binds.

So we look to the supposition we are reincarnations, also means the natal chart could be the map of those lifetimes. This composite map is what I think it really is. My examples; first i have jupiter in 8th and pluto in 12th, and sun in 4th, suggesting much past life and important set of experiences, a host of information afforded me, plus an openness to discovery of past. It seems wise to listen to one with such a chart configuration as well. If we also by regressison (reverse progression) or transits, can align with past times, we discover the time and space.

A FANTASTIC STORY related to using the past life methods I mentioned -
Begin using the planet position on asc or mc and axis points can provide keys to place. My pluto to MC is in Italy Germany around 12 degrees east longitude and by scorpio rising as well. I had a dream about being involved in the carthiginian war of italians vs. north africans. I also have felt I was stabbed in the back side. Leo rules the back, pluto represents death. But I have also had a sense of being tied by the ankles, that is having been bound. This sense went a way some years ago, but I did believe it was a past life. I also have a close saturn square uranus(ankles).

I have also had a vision of being involved in Jesus time, being there when he passed through in the street with the cross. It was very real, as were the tears shed in sensing this. My moon is on the descendent in the middle east, near Israel. I am not jewish, so this is not the direct intepretation. But there is some association to the two places in the astro-cartography. Was it in the same life? I do not know. The disciple Peter was killed and hung by his feet or ankles in Rome. The connection makes me think I was related to both places and events, and this suspected by jupiter in 8th house and pluto in 12th kinds of past experience, religious and traveling both being involved. Just because the church has Peter as a saint, does not mean he really was one. He was a man, like Jesus, and both are also like us, spiritual beings. Some move on, which I think takes the resurrection as meaning. Other return for more lives.

My moon in the 10th in gemini suggests public speaking, preaching or teaching. One has to make ones own associations. This life I was named after peter marshall, a famous pastor. and he worked in washington DC. This corresponds to the 77 degree longitude, which is also 17 degree gemini in the zodiac. My sol degree 60th harmonic is 17 gemini, and sol astrology is my 'invention' for the millenium and celestial zodiac methods. Moon rules by cancer to the 11th house (Astrologer and messenger). Now perhaps there is no reason to assume any of this is the reality, because it is fantastic. I no longer am Christian, although I am sure I was more than once. About the 14th century as a monk, for one.

By the associations to places and events, we can surmise our own life purposes or release the negative in the past, knowing some purpose for Soul was experienced, to identify with such experiences, and understand them, especially with compassion. I understand matrydom to some extent, and a host of other learned spiritual qualities, like compassion, so very important. If anything else, we can know that the past experiences of our human soul are real, and many varied experiences have occured, in good and bad, harmony and loss, grace or mundane living as they might be. We learn that this world is not the end, which is really a good thing to know. Death is a doorway, and soul is eternal. Fear not for your past or your future.

[Judy_AzVirgo]

Originally Posted by JUPITERASC

It's worth considering whether remembering our past lives could assist in ameliorating the situation

Since our origin was in Africa, many of us surely have past lives that were played out there. And even if not, I have to think that many lives in our individual and collective past were plagued by hunger, poverty, also invasion and subjugation by outsiders... these things have been fairly constant in history.

But I doubt if an awareness of past lives makes it much easier to identify with, and have compassion for, other people. Those traits are inside us all, if we allow their expression, but can be warped or limited by the values we grow up with in this life. And, I think there are some incidents in life that we just never get used to, regardless of one's knowledge or experience of the past. Death, for instance; the death of a friend or family member never gets any easier to endure, at least for me. (And I've probably dealt with more deaths than the average American, though of course not nearly as many as some people in the medical field or, say, Hospice workers.) The deaths of a few, or thousands, diminishes every one of us.

In any event, I don't see how a knowledge of past lives would help ameliorate any conditions in Africa. What is an individual really able to do? China, radical Islam, Western corporations, manufacturers and sellers of automatic weapons -- how do we stop them? We can't just throw money at people, but neither can we all go to Africa, or to Haiti, to Native reservations, and so on, and expect to be of any real benefit there. So.... do we pray for them? Sign petitions? That's not much. What would you suggest?

I'm not trying to be critical here, just ruminating.

[paneagle7]

Originally Posted by Judy_AzVirgo

Since our origin was in Africa, many of us surely have past lives that were played out there. And even if not, I have to think that many lives in our individual and collective past were plagued by hunger, poverty, also invasion and subjugation by outsiders... these things have been fairly constant in history.

But I doubt if an awareness of past lives makes it much easier to identify with, and have compassion for, other people.

In any event, I don't see how a knowledge of past lives would help ameliorate any conditions in Africa. What is an individual really able to do? China, radical Islam, Western corporations, manufacturers and sellers of automatic weapons -- how do we stop them? We can't just throw money at people, but neither can we all go to Africa, or to Haiti, to Native reservations, and so on, and expect to be of any real benefit there. So.... do we pray for them? Sign petitions? That's not much. What would you suggest?.

Judy, Well and thoughtful. Thank you.

- I think past lives makes us understand and allow more compassion for the process of life and death. Sudden deaths and unnatural lives are another matter. The financial invasion of countries is something all are noticing, experiencing, and often allowing to lose track of good purposes
that it could serve.

- There are many who do go to Africa and make a difference, like Matt Damon and his water project. This does not mean we need to. My spiritual group has made great inroads into Africa recently, (not Christianity), but has not directly pinpointed the continent or any one people at all. It seems the Africans are making expansion of this spiritual pathway on their own. Amazing people they are.

- we can do something in our own world, on our own improvement, and our own awareness - such as past lives, karma, reincarnation, for one, and our own spiritual upliftment will lift others and the rest of the world, everywhere. One drop in the lake will wave out and cross the entire lake.

I think it far better to be neutral about world events, and love what we can love, usually those closest to us, while the rest gets a more generic universal love. Expanding these two within us is a good daily exercise. Some people say do one thing each day without thought of return. If all did or lived like that, the universal 'improvement' would come quite naturally. I think in some ways it already is, and we may be reaching a '100th monkey', that is a quantum apex, in the coming years. Maybe it just doesnt look so bright in the darkness before the dawn.

p.s - We dont need to save africa, any more than africans need to save us. There own conditions and evolution is theirs, just as our soul is in us.

[retinoid]

Originally Posted by paneagle7

J

p.s - We dont need to save africa, any more than africans need to save us. There own conditions and evolution is theirs, just as our soul is in us.

I agree with you on this.

[JUPITERASC]

Originally Posted by Judy_AzVirgo

....But I doubt if an awareness of past lives makes it much easier to identify with, and have compassion for, other people...

Perhaps.

However, awareness of past lives may cause one to ponder on the implications of possible rebirth in war torn, famine racked, enslaved nations

Originally Posted by Judy_AzVirgo

In any event, I don't see how a knowledge of past lives would help ameliorate any conditions in Africa

fwiw, some ruminations.....

Just as a wood is composed of many individual trees, so nations are formed of individuals. If every individual had compassion for all other people – not solely people in Africa or any Third World nation – then fwiw IMO it is likely that a nation formed of individuals such as these would collectively act for the benefit of all others.


Just ruminating...

Originally Posted by Judy_AzVirgo

What is an individual really able to do? China, radical Islam, Western corporations, manufacturers and sellers of automatic weapons -- how do we stop them? We can't just throw money at people, but neither can we all go to Africa, or to Haiti, to Native reservations, and so on, and expect to be of any real benefit there. So.... do we pray for them? Sign petitions? That's not much. What would you suggest?

I'm not trying to be critical here, just ruminating

Exactly. I appreciate your comments. An individual can only do what an individual can do.

HOWEVER, groups of individuals acting in concert can do far more. i.e. There are existing groups of individuals with members all over the world who continually act to ameliorate tough situations not only in Africa and Third World nations but also in Europe, Russia, Australia, in fact all over the planet

[paneagle7]

Originally Posted by retinoid

I agree with you on this.

AND TO ADD....If we do realize we do not wish to be reborn into this world, because of its 'tough' nature, we would also find the knowledge of reincarnation and karma leads us to a higher goal, spiritual liberation, and the soul or self realization. Naturally enough I think, this is a better purpose for learning spiritually, as well as Astrologically, if it assists at all.

In addition, we would like to think universal awareness will assist in future to build the world based on the more equanimity of being, not so much culturally bound and religious dependent, for example, and that humanity of compassion can evolve - perhaps this is the Aquarian ideal after all, as the Olympics is supposed to demonstrate, universal sportsmanship, and balanced economy, among other things.

[JUPITERASC]

Moog, you asked "Why do we forget our past lives?"

I'm no expert so fwiw some of us forget past lives because of our karma and then obviously IMO some of us remember past lives because of our karma

[retinoid]

Originally Posted by paneagle7

AND TO ADD....If we do realize we do not wish to be reborn into this world, because of its 'tough' nature, we would also find the knowledge of reincarnation and karma leads us to a higher goal, spiritual liberation, and the soul or self realization. Naturally enough I think, this is a better purpose for learning spiritually, as well as Astrologically, if it assists at all.

In addition, we would like to think universal awareness will assist in future to build the world based on the more equanimity of being, not so much culturally bound and religious dependent, for example, and that humanity of compassion can evolve - perhaps this is the Aquarian ideal after all, as the Olympics is supposed to demonstrate, universal sportsmanship, and balanced economy, among other things.

Self realization and all that jazz isn't worth reliving a million lives. It is a noble goal, but in my opinion I find the definition of learning and growing exhausting. I would rather just get sucked up into the sun or something

[Sunny]

AND TO ADD....If we do realize we do not wish to be reborn into this world, because of its 'tough' nature, we would also find the knowledge of reincarnation and karma leads us to a higher goal, spiritual liberation, and the soul or self realization.

Here, we are just speculating, because simply to wish to be not reborn cannot be realized by the only knowledge, I think. The realized persons, as we call them, obtain this result by many many years and even many lifes of practice. And when they are so advanced, very often they wish exactly this, to be reborn in this world only being guided by the desire to help others to find their happiness and the cause of happiness.

[retinoid]

Originally Posted by Sunny

Here, we are just speculating, because simply to wish to be not reborn cannot be realized by the only knowledge, I think. The realized persons, as we call them, obtain this result by many many years and even many lifes of practice. And when they are so advanced, very often they wish exactly this, to be reborn in this world only being guided by the desire to help others to find their happiness and the cause of happiness.

Sunny I think we just don't know. Some souls may be motivated to do this while other souls may not. It is just like, who is a better person-the person who spends their life volunteering for the people who are blind or the person who spends their life creating new nerves in labs in order to bring sight back (for money)? We all have MOTIVATIONS...not everyone is going to be an enlightened Buddhist-like master, but that doesn't necessarily make them any 'less'...it just makes them different and thank god not everyone is a buddhist monk!

[JUPITERASC]

Originally Posted by Sunny

Here, we are just speculating, because simply to wish to be not reborn cannot be realized by the only knowledge, I think

fwiw I agree Sunny BECAUSE since evidently past as well as future lives result from 'karmas' aka 'actions' THEREFORE just 'wishing' to avoid rebirth is IMO on a par with wishing to win a jackpot at Las Vegas or on any State Lottery

Originally Posted by Sunny

The realized persons, as we call them, obtain this result by many many years and even many lifes of practice. And when they are so advanced, very often they wish exactly this, to be reborn in this world only being guided by the desire to help others...

Furthermore we have no idea who these realized persons are... a despised apparent beggar could be one such..

Originally Posted by Sunny

...to find their happiness and the cause of happiness.

I agree because IMO we all crave happiness, so it is important to create the causes of happiness

[LeoCassandra]

Answering the question: because I would go insane if I knew that in my past life i was Hitler or that my mother was my lover( in my PS).

[JUPITERASC]

Originally Posted by LeoCassandra

Answering the question: because I would go insane if I knew that in my past life i was Hitler or that my mother was my lover( in my PS).

Exactly.

SO it is said that those who CAN remember their past lives can do so only because they have cultivated over many lifetimes, the ability to remember all those past lives with equanimity

[FarEastUranus]

[QUOTE=JUPITERASC;405826]fwiw - An Ancient Buddhist Teaching that is common knowledge amongst Buddhists/those who follow Buddhist principles advises:

(1) "If you want to know what kind of a life you led in your past life - and/or lives - then look at your present life”

(2) “If you want to know what kind of a life - and/or lives - you will have in your next life then look at your present life."


fwiw IMO the teaching is based on the idea of 'karma'

btw remember that 'karma' = 'action' and is neither reward nor punishment but simply means that - when the right conditions occur - then any act made with intention delivers a result in line with that intention. [/QUOTEJ

Reincarnation was a very ancient idea, and was present in Hinduism, as well as Jainism, a cousin of Buddhism.

We are incarnated to this universe again and again, sometimes male, sometimes female, sometimes homosexual, sometimes heterosexual, sometimes rich, sometimes poor... so that our souls can experience all facettes of the worldly, material existence. However, in India, it is also believed that if you are a gifted musician, you have spent many lifetimes honing that skill and affinity.

We are not born as "blank slates" and I have observed my newborn nephew up to 10 days old, and how ancient and wise he looked, full of wrinkles, moving his head very slowly as the Ancient Turtle from Kungfu Panda, eyes twinkling with history and wisdom, and then after a month or so, all of that mystic energy is lost, and he's a "normal" boy now.

It is said that we are brought to the world with universal, unconditional love, but after only a brief time on earth, we get a sensory overload and shut our emotional and spiritual channels down in an attempt to survive. This, is the original trauma, so to speak. The biggest challenge, it appears to me, is to maintain the vibrations of unconditional love in a physical universe, and that is what we have all come here to learn.

Past lives are not as important as what you do in this life, because you can only make things happen on this physical plane, this life, this day, this hour.

[JUPITERASC]

Originally Posted by FarEastUranus

....Past lives are not as important as what you do in this life, because you can only make things happen on this physical plane, this life, this day, this hour.

Exactly.

Important to remember though that once upon a time that 'past life' was 'this life'... and at some stage 'this life' becomes 'a past life'


"....And know that when you take the time you'll change the future..." Jonathan Orchard http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jO1TcckJBGw

[FarEastUranus]

Originally Posted by Moog

Another way to say it would be 'why is there so much suffering, rather than not so much'

Suffering is one of the four noble truths, a fact of material, physical life. Life, death, sickness, wanting something that we don't have, getting something we don't want...

The true cause of suffering is lack of understanding. It comes from ego-identification, believing that you are your body, your mind, your parents, your country, your marriage, your children, your lover, your home... But in fact, there's a ever-flowing stream of consciousness, a well-being that permeates through all the fleeting moments of worldly pleasure and suffering.

It is said that when Gautama finally reached buddhahood after years of painful searching, thousands of his past lives flashed before his eyes. We could understand it as racial memory, or the identification with universal suffering, the compassion of the Bodhisattva. The rest of his life was spent diligently helping people to see the truth that he saw.

(A Bodhisattva is a buddha who has achieved enlightenment and is finally free of the cycles of reincarnation; only his infinite compassion makes him decide to re-incarnate into the world. Some argue that the Dalai Lama is one exemple. He has stated that he will continue re-incarnating until his role is no longer necessary. Jesus certainly fits the definition. When you become "enlightened", all your channels are open and you can feel the love as well as the suffering of the whole world, and you "remember" everything, incl. your past lives, but also lives in between lives.)

[FarEastUranus]

As to past-life therapies, I have done several with a Greek friend for fun. He offered sessions for free as his father paid for everybody's lessons in London as a family vacation gift (wish I had a dad who did that for me, RIP dad).

I regressed into a very futuristic wasteland, rubber tyres and all, and another time, it was more a tropical Southeast Asian holy mountain landscape with a wise old man, very tranquil.

So yeah, it's a big and thriving business. Just use your judgment as you would when you go to an astrologer. Any therapy can be therapeutic. Not all therapy will bring equal results for everybody.

[FarEastUranus]

As to past-life therapies, I have done several with a Greek friend for fun. He offered sessions for free as his father paid for everybody's lessons in London as a family vacation gift (wish I had a dad who did that for me, RIP dad).

I regressed into a spaceship landing on a very futuristic wasteland, rubber tires and all, and another time, it was more a tropical Southeast Asian holy mountain landscape with a wise old man, very tranquil.

So yeah, it's a big and thriving business. Just use your judgment as you would when you go to an astrologer. Any therapy can be therapeutic. Not all therapy will bring equal results for everybody.

[paneagle7]

Originally Posted by LeoCassandra

Answering the question: because I would go insane if I knew that in my past life i was Hitler or that my mother was my lover( in my PS).

Cassandra, you would suspect your were Hitler, if you had been. You may indeed have been among family members you know now, in different guises. But often it is quite similar to relation we have now. Grandparents are a likely crossover, for example. Some Souls realize this family bond or bondage, and so choose to break free of it consciously in this life, thus those who move willfully out of family circles.

No worries to who we were. Yes, we may hide from past lives due to trauma, but only those we need to deal with are part of our present package. So, the statements made about respecting who you are now, because it is both the best you have been so far, and to see who you were, see how you are now.

The chart can be used to demonstrably point out past lives. see my other post on this method.