Why we cannot remember our past lives?

Exploring Theravāda's connections to other paths - what can we learn from other traditions, religions and philosophies?
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form
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Why we cannot remember our past lives?

Post by form »

Could it be due to psychological protective mechanism? Cos we can't handle the truth?
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confusedlayman
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Re: Why we cannot remember our past lives?

Post by confusedlayman »

We can but we need strong concentration
I may be slow learner but im at least learning...
coconut
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Re: Why we cannot remember our past lives?

Post by coconut »

form wrote: Sat Dec 26, 2020 6:15 am Could it be due to psychological protective mechanism? Cos we can't handle the truth?
Because your mind is polluted and is overly stimulated and distracted by present life layman thoughts.


See the sutta "the panner".
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Aloka
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Re: Why we cannot remember our past lives?

Post by Aloka »

.

"Some Problems with Believing in Rebirth." by Jayarava:

Excerpt:

It’s not just karma that transfers from life to life. Many people find anecdotes relating to
memories from past lives compelling evidence for past lives. There are even attempts at
scientific studies involving young children with apparent memories of former lives.
However, the anecdotes don’t stand up to scrutiny. And the children are below school
age. Testimony gathered from such young children is deeply suspect at best, and the
methodologies I have seen in publications leave me doubting the whole enterprise. However,
much worse from our point of view, this “scientific” evidence for rebirth points to a strong
form of continuity more consistent with atman than with anatman. The child is inevitably the
very same person reborn, which is problematic for us to say the least, but good news for
Hindus.

But let us grant for a moment that some adults might have developed the psychic power
of recalling memories from a previous life in a manner consistent with Buddhist doctrines. A
great deal of research has been done on memory in recent years. Memories are tightly
correlated with parts of the brain. Short-term memory in one place, long-term memory in
another, and so on. We know a great deal about how brain injuries disrupt the processes of
making, storing and retrieving memories.

When Alzheimer’s disease progressively destroys the brain, memory processes are
gradually degraded until no coherent memories can be stored or retrieved and the whole
personality breaks down. Short-term memory typically worsens with age, and as 80% of the
Order are over 40, I’m sure most of us have personal experience of this to some extent. One
of the things we can be fairly confident of is that when the brain dies all memories stored in it
are lost.

So one of the main problems for anyone who believes in rebirth in the 21st century is
explaining how memories of past lives can possibly be preserved outside the healthy living
brain. How are they preserved? Where they are preserved? And how do we regain access to
them through psychic powers?

(continues at the link)
http://www.jayarava.org/texts/Some-Prob ... ebirth.pdf
and various other articles regarding rebirth, afterlife & past lives:

http://jayarava.blogspot.com/p/afterlife.html


.
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Assaji
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Re: Why we cannot remember our past lives?

Post by Assaji »

form wrote: Sat Dec 26, 2020 6:15 am Could it be due to psychological protective mechanism? Cos we can't handle the truth?
Yes, indeed. Too much pain and uncomfortable things there.

This is IMHO also the reason why people vehemently oppose the very possibility of rebirth.
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Aloka
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Re: Why we cannot remember our past lives?

Post by Aloka »

Assaji wrote: Sat Dec 26, 2020 1:05 pm
form wrote: Sat Dec 26, 2020 6:15 am Could it be due to psychological protective mechanism? Cos we can't handle the truth?
Yes, indeed. Too much pain and uncomfortable things there.

This is IMHO also the reason why people vehemently oppose the very possibility of rebirth.
Its also likely that people who are agnostic or find it difficult to accept rebirth get fed up with trying to explain their views to fundamentalists who don't want to accept that another rational viewpoint is even possible.

....but then all religions appear to have rampant fundamentalists who want to crush any approach different to theirs, which is rather sad really, but there you go, its the nature of life on planet Earth!


:alien:

.
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cappuccino
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Re: Why we cannot remember our past lives?

Post by cappuccino »

form wrote: Sat Dec 26, 2020 6:15 am Could it be due to a psychological protective mechanism?
Rather due to lack of concentration


Yet memory itself is very good
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DooDoot
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Re: Why we cannot remember our past lives?

Post by DooDoot »

Assaji wrote: Sat Dec 26, 2020 1:05 pm ....
Possibly because its merely an idea born from mistranslations of words such as "nivāsa" and "jātiya".
form wrote: Sat Dec 26, 2020 6:15 am Could it be due to psychological protective mechanism? Cos we can't handle the truth?
The practise of pubbenivāsānussati is described in SN 22.79.
There is always an official executioner. If you try to take his place, It is like trying to be a master carpenter and cutting wood. If you try to cut wood like a master carpenter, you will only hurt your hand.

https://soundcloud.com/doodoot/paticcasamuppada
https://soundcloud.com/doodoot/anapanasati
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Re: Why we cannot remember our past lives?

Post by cappuccino »

DooDoot wrote: Sat Dec 26, 2020 8:47 pm Possibly because its merely an idea born from mistranslations of words
Saṃsāra
form
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Re: Why we cannot remember our past lives?

Post by form »

Assaji wrote: Sat Dec 26, 2020 1:05 pm
form wrote: Sat Dec 26, 2020 6:15 am Could it be due to psychological protective mechanism? Cos we can't handle the truth?
Yes, indeed. Too much pain and uncomfortable things there.

This is IMHO also the reason why people vehemently oppose the very possibility of rebirth.
I read from somewhere that one can become crazy or mentally disturbed if they see their past lives when they are not ready.
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Ceisiwr
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Re: Why we cannot remember our past lives?

Post by Ceisiwr »

Aloka wrote: Sat Dec 26, 2020 3:55 pm
....but then all religions appear to have rampant fundamentalists who want to crush any approach different to theirs, which is rather sad really, but there you go, its the nature of life on planet Earth!
You get them everywhere. “Imagine no religion” If only we could have a rationalist and non-religious society...
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“Knowing that this body is just like foam,
understanding it has the nature of a mirage,
cutting off Māra’s flower-tipped arrows,
one should go beyond the King of Death’s sight.”
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Re: Why we cannot remember our past lives?

Post by JohnK »

form wrote: Sat Dec 26, 2020 6:15 am ...
Maybe because we were so intoxicated we blacked out! :toast:
Those who grasp at perceptions & views wander the internet creating friction. [based on Sn4:9,v.847]
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Mr Man
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Re: Why we cannot remember our past lives?

Post by Mr Man »

form wrote: Sat Dec 26, 2020 6:15 am Could it be due to psychological protective mechanism? Cos we can't handle the truth?
I think it's because we don't properly understand rebirth.
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Ceisiwr
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Re: Why we cannot remember our past lives?

Post by Ceisiwr »

Mr Man wrote: Sat Dec 26, 2020 10:42 pm
form wrote: Sat Dec 26, 2020 6:15 am Could it be due to psychological protective mechanism? Cos we can't handle the truth?
I think it's because we don't properly understand rebirth.
What do you mean?
“Knowing that this body is just like foam,
understanding it has the nature of a mirage,
cutting off Māra’s flower-tipped arrows,
one should go beyond the King of Death’s sight.”
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