Past Lives?

[Collective]

I probably would never have posted this. But this morning, unbidden, I had a second image of a possible past life.

First was when I was meditating a few years ago:

I got the visual image of a young boy, maybe 12 to 14 years of age. Standing in a forest, on a trail, or dirt road going through it. He (I?) was dressed in a typical medieval clothing of dark greens and browns. He had his back to me and was just standing there on this trail, perhaps 20 to 30 feet away from my point of perspective. Oh and he had shoulder length black hair. I also, a few seconds later, saw another scene, same boy. This time I (like I was now inside this boy) was looking down at manacles or something on my wrists, and I got the feeling I was either in a blacksmith's shop, or I was somehow related to a blacksmith or the trade of black smithing.

Second time this morning, meditating again:

I got this visual of a young girl, again perhaps 12 to 14 years of age, but for some reason I'd go with the 14 years. Wearing a long shoulder to ankle white gown/dress, unadorned apart from blue flowers or something similar dotted all over. Each 'flower' about the size of a child's fist.

This young girl had jet black hair and it too was shoulder length. I recall it was glossy shiny black, the shiniest I've seen on a person. This scene too place in a bright sunlit marble room, pretty much empty of anything else. It was definitely however in ancient Greece. I also got the impression that she was a slave of sorts, and that she was about to do some chore. She wasn't a badly treated slave, but I got the impression that, whilst not totally happy - she wasn't all that pleased with who/what she was. A serf.

Finally, a name came to me, Lyssia, or Lyssa, or Lycia. I did a search and apparently it's the name of a greek goddess of Insanity and rabies! I assume it could also therefore be a name for a girl living in Greece at that time.

I have no idea what to make of these. The first was a conscious effort to recall a past life - the second came totally unbidden. There seems to be a connection of slavery/serfdom though - wherein both characters had accepted their lot in life. Both are young teens, both have shoulder length black hair. I have short black hair.

Strange that if you ask me I'd say I don't believe in reincarnation, so I'm wondering why did the images (the 2nd at least) come up unbidden?

Any thoughts?

[notself]

I wonder why no one remembers past lives that are not related to the history that is part of their local culture. For example why does no one from Northern European decent ever remember being a child or adult from Africa or the Arctic area such as Siberia? There is nothing in the suttas that suggests that one is reborn only within a specific geographic area.

[David N. Snyder]

I wonder why no one remembers past lives that are not related to the history that is part of their local culture. For example why does no one from Northern European decent ever remember being a child or adult from Africa or the Arctic area such as Siberia? There is nothing in the suttas that suggests that one is reborn only within a specific geographic area.

Samsara is long, uncountable, innumerable, so it could be in one's own culture, region as well as those other places. But more likely and occurring much more often are the number of lives in non-human forms, especially among the animals, the fish of the seas, the birds in the sky, and insects too.

[notself]

Samsara is long, uncountable, innumerable, so it could be in one's own culture, region as well as those other places. But more likely and occurring much more often are the number of lives in non-human forms, especially among the animals, the fish of the seas, the birds in the sky, and insects too.

It would be so cool if someone would remember being a lion or tiger or bear. Oh my!

[IanAnd]

I probably would never have posted this. But this morning, unbidden, I had a second image of a possible past life....

Strange that if you ask me I'd say I don't believe in reincarnation, so I'm wondering why did the images (the 2nd at least) come up unbidden?

Any thoughts?

Not so strange when you consider that the "unconscious" mind if full of all sorts of thoughts and images (and, yes, perhaps some things from a possible past life that may be being remembered in the present life).

I would suggest that rather than concentrating your attention on the fascination of the past life "remembrance," that you attempt to piece together what those two experiences are telling your subconscious (and by implication your intuition) about what is happening in the present life-path. Uncovering the "seeming mystery" of the present based upon possible recollections of the past may lead to opening many doors of awareness to understanding one's present situation.

I found the comment you made in relation to your impression of these two phenomena to be endlessly interesting regarding the intersection of past history with present history: "There seems to be a connection of slavery/serfdom though - wherein both characters had accepted their lot in life." Rather than say any more, I'll let you contemplate that. Perhaps you will experience a breakthrough regarding what is presently occurring within the present world system and how the mind may be presently handling that subconscious recollection.

Consider the age-old saying that "those who fail to learn from the past are doomed to re-live it."

[Collective]

All I can think of, is that I am not entirely comfortable about my coming death (whenever that may be), but I'm pretty much resigned to it. Helpless to change its course. Tossed about with no purchase to allow escape.

I'm as happy as the next person with regards to my life. I live in a relatively peaceful location, surrounded by a loving family. I don't have a lot of money, but that's never been an issue for me. No, all I can think those images were relating to was the entrapment of death.

[Annapurna]

I wonder why no one remembers past lives that are not related to the history that is part of their local culture. For example why does no one from Northern European decent ever remember being a child or adult from Africa or the Arctic area such as Siberia? There is nothing in the suttas that suggests that one is reborn only within a specific geographic area.

I 'saw' a short episode, living as a Northern European in a Native American tribe...

I was their captive, but happy with my lot, since I fell in love with somebody who took me as his wife.

Unfortunately, he was betrothed to someone else who was overthrown for me.

I was drowned by her.

As a child, I sobbed horribly whenever my mother wanted to wash my hair.

Feeling hands on my scalp, and seeing water made me panick and feel unspeakable sorrow.
She was discouraged, saying she worried about the neighbors thinking she is trying to "kill"me.

She said: That's what it sounds like.

So I tried to pull myself together and just silently sob into the towel I got for my eyes, but I was so upset, I had the hick-ups from sobbing...

After seeing this episode, I thought:

Aha....that's why.

Perhaps I saw a past life, perhaps not....but it made instant sense to me.

It also helps to understand your life better.

[pink_trike]

I've wondered why nobody remembers being an aging salesman in Bismark, South Dakota, a factory worker in Barcelona, or a janitor in Kiev. Always the exotic past lives, never the excruciatingly mundane.

[Annapurna]

I can't confirm that all people report exotic lives.

A friend has been recently "led back". He saw an average family, and he died in a fire from the smoke.

In this life, he has had countless lung and bronchial problems...coincidence? Who knows. Who are we to say?

[Vardali]

It might not be the place here, but when I read stuff like this I am wondering how this transmission of "experience" is supposed to happen?
If there is not-self, how can a "past self" be seen, instead of some fluid and evasive imprint which I can sort of fathom at least?

Obviously I have never had any such experience, so I am speaking from pure ignorance, of course.

The only "impression" I have had regarding potential past lives, is that I have - and always had - a strong inclination towards English. I always used to joke that I must have been a Brit in my past lifes. English is my language of choice. But that would be an inclination, not a personalized "self" image. Anything more explicit than I find hard to imagine.

[Ben]

Hi Vardali, Collective and all

Obviously I have never had any such experience, so I am speaking from pure ignorance, of course.

In the past I have had similar experiences to Collective. Perhaps as the result of my practice I tend to view those experiences through the prism of objective awareness. As a result, I don't consider those experiences to have any inherent meaning or be anything other than the manifestations of coalescing mental phenomena, and not necessarily an artefact of past lives.
And of course I can only speak for myself.
metta

Ben

[pink_trike]

I agree with Ben. The mind is a funny thing...we can't pretend that we understand the "extraordinary " things that appear in the mind stream. I once ingested a substance that caused the mind to serve up the experience of flying my house above the town I lived in for about an hour, with Gumby and Pokey as my co-pilots. I experienced this in "real time" with complete "real time" detail...meaning as if the experience was 100% real just like your experience of reading this wherever you are - smells, sounds, expansive space, etc...Gumby and I had a very intelligent conversation about the intricacies of "reality"...he did most of the talking. This experience was as "real" as any experience I've had in what we consider "reality", but I don't claim that I was once reborn as a house pilot in Gumby and Pokey Land. Neither do I claim that I once lived in medieval Ireland, though in a trance state I once wandered around in a forest outside of Belfast after a gruesome battle, corpses everywhere. This mind has traveled to the most incredible places...just last night "I" was in Paris having a blast. THe mind knows no boundaries underneath those that have been conditioned. We can entertain ourselves for hours with speculation about past lives. More interesting to me is looking closely at the mind process that arrives at the conclusion that we somehow know what these experiences are, and also how these experiences could possibly be at all relevant to now - other than showing us that the mind can generate any ol' anything for us to coo, giggle, and clap at like children visiting the monkey house.

[Collective]

Personally I don't see anything grandious in being just another slave in a society that had slaves by the hundreds of thousands

I mean, at least I didn't say I was Hitler!

[JoanOfArc]

Dearest faithful,

In my past life, I was Helen of Troy.

[Kare]

In my present life I am not quite sure who I am. Maybe I'll find out later ...

[alan]

I've wondered why nobody remembers being an aging salesman in Bismark, South Dakota, a factory worker in Barcelona, or a janitor in Kiev. Always the exotic past lives, never the excruciatingly mundane.

HaHa! Good point.

[Naga]

It would be so cool if someone would remember being a lion or tiger or bear. Oh my!

That would be horrible--to remember causing the deaths of so many other creatures in the grip of your own jaws.

[Paññāsikhara]

I wonder why no one remembers past lives that are not related to the history that is part of their local culture. For example why does no one from Northern European decent ever remember being a child or adult from Africa or the Arctic area such as Siberia? There is nothing in the suttas that suggests that one is reborn only within a specific geographic area.

My guess would be, that the way the mind works, it is more likely to remember / recall phenomena that are similar to the present conditions.
eg. when in the living room of your parents house, you will be more likely to recall events that have happened in that living room, or that house. You will be less likely to recall events from another house.
Likewise for recollections as a human, as opposed to some other form.

And, by the way, reading through various data about recalled past lives, there are plenty of people recalling lives from other places. See Edgar Casey, for instance.

[notself]

Well then how about a goat or a cow or a deer?

[Paññāsikhara]

I've wondered why nobody remembers being an aging salesman in Bismark, South Dakota, a factory worker in Barcelona, or a janitor in Kiev. Always the exotic past lives, never the excruciatingly mundane.

I've seen quite a few stories of claimed past lives that are very mundane.
Maybe the exotic ones get more air time, etc. make a deeper impression (to the modern person).
Even the OP claims are quite boring - serf / slave.