Do you believe in reincarnation?

[Jolly1112]

Ever since I was a child, I remember getting a strong feeling whenever we drove past a corn field with images of a man with long blonde hair chasing me and me feeling panicked,

I've always put this down to past life (may sound silly) and that we are constantly reborn,
The only thing that puts me off this theory is whether we only come back as humans or other animals too,

What do they say? I find it quite fascinating.

My head says probably no life after death, my heart says otherwise. I also had a very odd meeting in a Spiritualist church. I still don't know what to make of it. And yes I know how fake mediums work, Derren Brown etc. There were things about my dad's death I had to check with my mum and they were accurate. I went in prepared to be sceptic and came out shaken. That said, I have not repeated the experience. Funnily enough, one of the things that was said was Don't get caught up thinking about the dead, focus on life and living that is the really important part.

When you say music was discovered not invented can you say more on this idea?

I am really fascinated by how early humans came by music and its something so ancient maybe (probably) pre-dating language development and maybe even playing a part.

Scientists are finding out some quite astounding things. I went down a genetics wormhole (academic wormhole, I work of a Uni library) and found an article describing how humans domesticated animals but also basically domesticated ourselves. At the edge of science there are some strange discoveries that may have been laughed at even decade before.

I am a fan of science. I wouldn't be sat here typing now if it wasn't for blood tests. Neither would DS be playing on his PS in the living room.

However, there are still many mysteries and for me that's part of what makes life rather wonderful.

Not all Buddhists believe in literal incarnation though.

DH has had quite an interest over the years and finds some Buddhist meditation practices helpful. He met a Tulku who apparently didn't think reincarnation was important - what mattered to him was his role in maintaining and passing on certain teachings - metaphorically embodying the spirit of his predecessors, as it were, rather than literally.

Not quite hell, as there is no concept of this in Hindu or Buddhist philosophies in general (they are vast bodies of thought, spanning vast geographies and times so contain very various belief systems).

More like coming back into an illusion. To 'wake up' and become enlightened and to not be reborn is considered to have entered into the ultimate truth of the universe and to leave behind the illusion (maya, involving both pleasure and inevitable suffering) behind. You have profoundly realised that it is not real and therefore you are free from it. In Buddhism there is a very deep state of meditation where you are both self and everything. And some states where ego and sense of self dissolves entirely into what is described as pure consciousness.

On a practical note, both philosophies suggest that while we are here, immersed with maya, we may as well make use of our time and help ourselves and others.

For myself, sometimes I feel so tired that I wold be happy to just fall asleep and have a good long rest, for the rest of eternity.

As Freddy Mercury once poignantly sang; 'who wants to live forever?'

Yes I believe in rebirth.

Academics do not dismiss the possibility outright, unlike some of the posters here.

They are just names though, they might all be the name of one being like I am mum to my kids, gran to their kids, auntie to my nieces and nephews. We don't have perfect knowledge do we. When I was a child I was told prayers are like smoke, they all go up.

Music is essentially mathematical in its nature. If you've studied musical theory this quickly becomes apparent. I find it difficult to explain because I'm not very clever so bear with me. Musical notes and their intervals and the form and structure of music is very regular and rule bound, like maths. Creativity is also apparent, but still needs to follow the rules in order to be pleasing to the ear. Of course you do get experimental music, but it usually sounds chaotic and discordant, although it does have its place I guess (mainly on Radio 3 🙉).

Music is also a universal language and the therapeutic effects of music on the human mind and body are the same as the effects which occur when the the mind and body are exposed to sound frequencies. Obviously, humans didn't invent sound frequencies as they occur naturally. Music is just organised sound frequencies produced by the voice or instruments put together in a certain way to produce a pleasing sound. Man discovered a way to produce these sounds and music was born and then developed.

I don't want to be too specific but think of a child telling you about the men coming and taking them away, the blood and seeing their "other" parents die. It isn't pleasant and I don't know where it comes from. The "memories" seem to fade as they get older, well that's what has happened with mine.

Almost forgot there was also stuff about choosing their new parents.

We never questioned them about it and neither encouraged or discouraged it.

They are just names though, they might all be the name of one being

Buddhism is non-theistic, so it's not compatible with that idea, and rather specifically seems to reject the concept of a Creator.

James Herbert wrote a book (fiction) called Fluke which deals with Reincarnation. It's a good read.

Fluke amzn.eu/d/5vowUtG

Review -

It is the story of Fluke - a dog with a difference, who has vague puzzling memories of the time before he was a dog - of when he was a man. He doesn't have full memory of his previous life, just bits and pieces, but enough to realise that he once had a family and came to a violent end. We follow Fluke's adventures in life, from birth, his first unsuccessful home, an animal rescue centre, living as a street dog, right up to his final adventure when he decides to find his human family. We also meet his friends, including Rumbo the hard nosed street dog, Victoria the bitchy cat, a fox who lives up to a reputation of being sly, and the friendly badger who finally puts him in the picture regarding his past life.

From the description you could be forgiven for thinking it might be a bit like those old "Homeward Bound" dog and cat voyage type movies - but it is far less sugary and more gritty - it is about survival on the streets and although Fluke meets humans who are kind to him and feed him, he also comes up against some very very sinister characters indeed who basically destroy his trust - especially in little old ladies!

It is a fantastic read, and James Herbert has written it so well with such wonderful description that you really get the feeling that maybe he was once a dog in a previous life and is writing from memory. After reading it, you will never look at your dog in the same way again. Highly recommended.

Well OK not all but many religions might be referring to one Creator by different names. Obviously if they don't believe in one Creator that wouldn't apply.

A small example.

https://youtube.com/shorts/S8tl1bIV_Vw?si=ifG8ahVHNklRmOYO

The language of maths can explain the Universe.

Yes other cultures have varying rules in their musical notation. I think the Indian scale has seven notes for instance, but each type of music will follow the rules in a mathematical pattern.

I’m not sure but to quote Rodney Trotter:

”If there is such a thing as reincarnation, knowing my luck, I’ll come back as me!”

My son said this to me numerous times around 18-24 months. He said he was meant to go to someone else but asked to come to me instead.

He's 35 now and we've actually sometimes joked over the years that maybe he was my dad in our previous lives as I'm a bit reckless and he is super sensible and therefore always telling me I shouldn't be so reckless! 😂

At the same time, I had the shittest of childhoods and cannot fathom a single reason why I would have "chosen" it. It didn't make me stronger or teach me anything. It damn near ruined my life. Not one good thing came out of it.

So who knows? I don't think it's any more a ridiculous idea than "God" though. That to me really is a made up story! If someone told me either religion or reincarnation was a fact and I had to pick which one was, then I would go with reincarnation. Because that's less ridiculous to me than anything religious.

One of the craziest phenomenons is where someone is either having surgery or has arrested and they feel themselves leave their body and travel to another place - even outside the hospital -and observe things and listen to conversations, relay this information once they're conscious again and the information turns out to be accurate. There are hundreds of such accounts independently verified by the hospital staff, doctors, nurses etc.

@ManilowBarry

I don't particularly like dogs and no dog related story has ever moved me until I watched Fluke. I sobbed buckets!! 😭 Brilliant story.

I kind of do. A shamanic healer did some really insightful past life recollections based on two relationships I have that she didn’t know about… which exactly summed up the feelings I had about each one.

My DS is like a mini of my DM who died a few years before she was born. But also, really weird inexplicable things have happened that show me DM is still “around” in energy form or whatever that is.

Life is way stranger and more interconnected than I think we realise. I feel we’re def here to learn lessons and somehow progress

I read Fluke many years ago, but then started worrying about coming back as a battery chicken or an abused kitten or a worm 😭

@lawnseed I have read a few accounts like this. One where a woman had an out of body experience and could see an object on top of a tall cupboard in the operating theatre. You couldn't see it from normal perspective. When she came to, she described this and someone got a ladder/stool and had a look and she was right. She could never have known it was there. The medics were pretty baffled by it.

I used to work on a cancer ward doing admin - decades ago - and the (brilliant) nurses there would always open a window if someone died to 'let the soul out'.
I never asked them if they believed in souls or their inability to get through glass or whether it was just a ritual of last respect and care. Whichever, I found it very moving. A lot of people back then came in for their final stay. And the nurses made sure they got every care that could be given. It was quite humbling to work with them, though they also had a very wicked sense of fun and humour!

I believe it’s possible op, I dont subscribe to a certain religion but I believe in life after death, I think the consciousness moves on. This life is a test where we learn to love and suffer and overcome, then move on to the next thing. I think it’s Hindus that believe you keep coming back until you live the perfect life. There is definitely a point to us being here. There is a theory there is different realms and this is one of the lower ones and we work ourselves up. No one knows and it’s rude to scoff at other people , I’m quite open minded to all ideas. I think it’s quite fascinating.

@lawnseed wrong thread ?

When I was a child I actually found a copy in the street. I never read it..

My mum and dad are sure I lived before

I used to talk in great detail about another country that I had apparently lived and draw quite detailed pictures .
I knew things about that country that I had no reason to know about

Only til I was like 3/4 and I don't remember it

Freaks me out