other lifetimes
the case for reincarnation

The idea of reincarnation is commonly accepted in eastern based religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, but not so in the west. Although Christianity is ambiguous about this, and many of the teachings of Jesus seems to support it, the Church has always taught that we have but one life. As a result this has become a kind of norm for most people in the western hemisphere. However, it wasn’t always the case. The father of western philosophy, Plato, speaks of reincarnation, or the transmigration of souls as it was known, as did Pythagoras and others.

Rebirthing theory allows for this notion too. This goes back to the birth trauma and our most negative thought, or personal lie. Many believe we bring this in with us from a previous carnation, and indeed plenty of experienced rebirthers claim to have had vivid memories of other lifetimes while breathing. Therefore, conscious connected breathing not only can evoke birth memories, and womb memories, it can even bring to the surface memories going back further still, from other lifetimes. Considering the breath can gain us access to the contents of the full mind (which is not just the brain), this is in no way extraordinary.

It must be stressed that rebirthers, when speaking of this, always address the term as ‘other lives’, not past lives, and this is proper. Past lives implies that carnations other than the present one must be located in the ‘past’. This suggests that metaphysical reality is designed in a linear fashion, and is bound to earth notions of time and space. Clearly this is not the case. Indeed there is no reason why the memory should not be that of a future life, or one in a parallel universe. Terms such as past and future are relative and born from the dualist mind set.

Again, some caution is needed. Remember, it’s too easy to superimpose stuff from the present life onto what you deem to be a former one. The crucial point is that we came here to resolve unfinished issues, whether these be from other existences or from some deep unknown region of the soul, and the dynamic needed to do that will be the birth process itself. Therefore, there is no huge imperative to go tearing off looking for the solution in some putative other lifetime. It will be there in the birth script, in the personal lie. It will be there for us to work with in this lifetime.

As I stated earlier don’t be tunnel-visioned in your approach to rebirthing. As with birth memories, if you approach it expecting to discover who you were in another life then you’ll probably be disappointed. Also, because of the mind’s amazing ability to invent things, the question has to be asked if the person is not inventing these memories. I don’t mean in a fraudulent way, but actually believing them to be true because something in them wants to believe that. Refusal to face events in one’s present life can lead to the creation of a fantasy myth about a previous existence. And again, as I also said earlier, there is no injunction on you to believe any of this to reap the enormous benefits that the breath affords.

On the other hand I don’t want to dismiss the notion either. I personally believe we’ve all lived many lives, and I find waking up in a new body no more bizarre than waking up in a new day. It’s still the one life, just different perspectives. However, I find chasing after these elusive lives slightly questionable. Why are you interested? Why do you want to know ‘who you were?’ If we have another agenda going on, i.e. escaping from the present, then it doesn’t serve us. However, if memories come to you of being in a different body, naturally, then please do not suppress them. Allow that to come up too, but always remember, ‘you are as God created you’.

Sometimes this gets confused with physical immortality, which the early rebirthers also spoke of. This basically says that when one becomes truly awake, or ‘ascends’ there will be no need for further incarnations. The choice then is ours how we wish to leave what we call ‘the world’, and if we want to bring our bodies along with us.

I think the important thing to hold in mind when speaking of other lives, longevity, or whatever, is that we are all immortal beings, anyway, that’s our real nature. To be otherwise is to be different from that which created you. Being mortal is a bit like getting one over God. It’s just arrogance. But if you think you are separate from your Source then the logical conclusion is that death is inevitable. I just think to talk about ‘physical immortality’ muddies the waters somewhat. You came here to explore the possibilities of limit, so that having seen through its illusory state, you can enjoy your true nature of limitlessness all the more.

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