Do you think you chose your parents/your children chose you?

[Anela]

I'm reading a book about reincarnation, and children who remember a previous life as a member of the family - and there is no way they could know certain things that they come out with. I've been thinking about how my mother desperately wanted a child, and had no luck for a long time, but one day, she just had the feeling that she would have a little girl, and name her Angela Jane (that would be me). For a good part of my life, I've got along well with both parents, and can see why I would have chosen them. When I was a baby, there was a TV show on - a talk show - that my mother and an aunt were watching, and they were talking about reincarnation. My aunt caught sight of mum looking down at me, and she said, "You're wondering who she is. aren't you?"

 

The book talks about some souls seeming to have come back, so that a relationship could be worked out in another way, like a woman who lost her grandmother (who then came back as her daughter), or an abusive mum who came back as their daughter's little girl (apparently). I just find it fascinating.

[Eve]

I'm reading a book about reincarnation, and children who remember a previous life as a member of the family - and there is no way they could know certain things that they come out with. I've been thinking about how my mother desperately wanted a child, and had no luck for a long time, but one day, she just had the feeling that she would have a little girl, and name her Angela Jane (that would be me). For a good part of my life, I've got along well with both parents, and can see why I would have chosen them. When I was a baby, there was a TV show on - a talk show - that my mother and an aunt were watching, and they were talking about reincarnation. My aunt caught sight of mum looking down at me, and she said, "You're wondering who she is. aren't you?"

 

The book talks about some souls seeming to have come back, so that a relationship could be worked out in another way, like a woman who lost her grandmother (who then came back as her daughter), or an abusive mum who came back as their daughter's little girl (apparently). I just find it fascinating.

 

I have read some interesting books on the topic, which leave plenty of room to speculate... but I don't know the answers.

 

I can say that I knew exactly what I would call my girls! and we have a strong bond, such that if one of them is in pain I will feel it too. I call it my crap power as really, what use is that?

 

Hence, I do think there is some sort of spiritual bonding that is beyond the physical sphere... but generally I don't like reincarnation theories because I don't want to come back here.

 

My favourite brother and I have a standing joke that our hard headed sibling wanted to come back and that is the only reason why we are here, doing this ****... to watch over him, lol

 

Take care,

Eve x

[River Rain]

Hey Anela,

That's very interesting what you wrote...I read Tarot cards and I often do past life readings. I joke with my friends that the cards are "poor man's therapy" because I really learn a lot about myself, I use them for self-improvement.

 

What I'm getting at is that one question that always plagued me was why have I had such a rough life, abusive childhood, losing a baby, depression, burnout...I always thought I must have been a bad person in a past life or something. One of my readings brought that to light big time...so the idea of reincarnation as karmaic is something I'm open to believing.

[BetheButterfly]

I'm reading a book about reincarnation, and children who remember a previous life as a member of the family - and there is no way they could know certain things that they come out with. I've been thinking about how my mother desperately wanted a child, and had no luck for a long time, but one day, she just had the feeling that she would have a little girl, and name her Angela Jane (that would be me). For a good part of my life, I've got along well with both parents, and can see why I would have chosen them. When I was a baby, there was a TV show on - a talk show - that my mother and an aunt were watching, and they were talking about reincarnation. My aunt caught sight of mum looking down at me, and she said, "You're wondering who she is. aren't you?"

 

The book talks about some souls seeming to have come back, so that a relationship could be worked out in another way, like a woman who lost her grandmother (who then came back as her daughter), or an abusive mum who came back as their daughter's little girl (apparently). I just find it fascinating.

 

Hello Anela

 

The subject of reincarnation is fascinating to me. I don't know if it's true or not. I don't see concrete evidence of this idea in the Tanakh or Christian Bible, nor in my personal experience.

 

I wish that children could choose their parents though. One of the most horrible evils in the world is parents and people who hurt children. Words cannot describe how much I hate physical abuse, sexual abuse, and verbal abuse. If children could pick their parents, I am very sure they would not choose parents who hurt them.

 

I wish it were true though, that children picked their parents. I also wish that abuse did not exist.

[Anela]

Sorry, I'm not intentionally ignoring anyone. I keep getting distracted, but I've had this window open, meaning to reply.

[amaysngrace]

What I'm getting at is that one question that always plagued me was why have I had such a rough life, abusive childhood, losing a baby, depression, burnout...I always thought I must have been a bad person in a past life or something. One of my readings brought that to light big time...so the idea of reincarnation as karmaic is something I'm open to believing.

 

Can you share what you learned, if Anela doesn't mind?

[Anela]

Can you share what you learned, if Anela doesn't mind?

 

I don't mind. I was going to talk about tarot, too. And I love to hear others' experiences.

[River Rain]

Can you share what you learned, if Anela doesn't mind?

 

I'd love to!

 

I've done two past lives readings for myself, and had one done years before I learned the Tarot myself.

 

When I got it done, the interpretation was that I was a male warrior in the middle ages who basically raped and pillaged during times of war. Sounds so horrible doesn't it?

 

When I did my first past life reading on my own, I got the same idea, but I was pretty inexperienced, but the theme was war, a male soldier, violence and horses. The time frame was 14 centuries, thus my interpretation of the middle ages.

 

I thought maybe that the very first reading I got done for me would have somehow influenced my own interpretation, so I did another one about 6 months later.

 

Same thing. Brutish male solider, this time the time card was 13 centuries, war and violence, strong theme of violence towards women and more horses.

 

It really unsettled me because I've had similar experiences of violence and of being repressed I suppose is the close enough word I can think of.

 

I don't know that I believe in past lives, but it's interesting to think about the Karma effect. And I'm pretty open to believing in new ideas, as I'm agnostic.

[amaysngrace]

I'd love to!

 

I don't know that I believe in past lives, but it's interesting to think about the Karma effect. And I'm pretty open to believing in new ideas, as I'm agnostic.

 

Thank you and thank you Anela.

 

So does that clear it up and in the next life, since you've suffered already, will that one will be good?

 

It kind of seems unfair that we have to pay for someone else's bad behavior though. Did you find out what's great about that?

[River Rain]

Thank you and thank you Anela.

 

So does that clear it up and in the next life, since you've suffered already, will that one will be good?

 

It kind of seems unfair that we have to pay for someone else's bad behavior though. Did you find out what's great about that?

 

If Karma is in effect, I should have quite the wonderful life next time around!

 

I think even now, we always pay for someone else's bad behaviour...I mean, look at kids who are abused, they pay for their parents' bad behaviour later on in life when they develop issues and mental health disorders, or even bad addictions.

 

I don't think there's anything great about it to be honest. I like the idea of Karma in this life though. Like I would assume that my parents would have suffered something for their behaviour in this lifetime. If it were profiting from someone's good behaviour, I'd have no problem with that!

[amaysngrace]

Thank you RiverRain although I was kind of hoping for an explanation on what a great honor it is to be sexually abused.

 

I could have chosen my parents. It's possible and the only reason I'd say that is because if I had a choice I would definitely choose them.

 

But why would a soul choose a crappy parent? I don't understand that.

[River Rain]

Thank you RiverRain although I was kind of hoping for an explanation on what a great honor it is to be sexually abused.

 

I could have chosen my parents. It's possible and the only reason I'd say that is because if I had a choice I would definitely choose them.

 

But why would a soul choose a crappy parent? I don't understand that.

 

Oh gosh, no great honour, I have no explanation for that, nor why the soul would choose such a parent or even a violent existence. That's just over my head existentially-speaking, my brain says ouch.

 

Hmmm...just thought of something. A tortured soul?

Edited November 8, 2012 by River Rain

[amaysngrace]

Hmmm...just thought of something. A tortured soul?

 

Could be. I blocked it from my mind for a really long time but after I flashedback for a week I finally slept and and had an incredible dream about a voice telling me about becoming whole when you seek understanding.

 

But I've always been in touch spiritually. I know that I have a strong energy field. I had an imaginary friend whom I'm sure was my brother in Heaven. And my last BF and I had the same dream the same night. Lights go out all the time when I go past them. Stuff like that.

 

And I can go on overload if I'm in a crowd and pick up other people's energy because I'm sensitive to that.

 

Does any of this sound familiar to you?

[River Rain]

Could be. I blocked it from my mind for a really long time but after I flashedback for a week I finally slept and and had an incredible dream about a voice telling me about becoming whole when you seek understanding.

 

But I've always been in touch spiritually. I know that I have a strong energy field. I had an imaginary friend whom I'm sure was my brother in Heaven. And my last BF and I had the same dream the same night. Lights go out all the time when I go past them. Stuff like that.

 

And I can go on overload if I'm in a crowd and pick up other people's energy because I'm sensitive to that.

 

Does any of this sound familiar to you?

 

I've always been spiritual, but never really intuitive or as perceptive as you seem to be...it's interesting. I do pick up on people's energies definitely, and my gut instinct is usually spot on. I always chalked it up to me being very sensitive.

 

I do believe that people can be energy magnets and also read others' energies, whether they want to or not. After I had my burnout and spending tons of money and time on therapy, I actually went to a psychic healer who could basically tell me my life story without me uttering a word, just from reading my aura. She actually helped me quite a bit, was more in tune with my spirit. I learned from that to be open to pretty much anything, as long as it's positive. By positive I mean I don't subscribe to theories of evil and doom.

[amaysngrace]

I've always been spiritual, but never really intuitive or as perceptive as you seem to be...it's interesting. I do pick up on people's energies definitely, and my gut instinct is usually spot on. I always chalked it up to me being very sensitive.

 

I do believe that people can be energy magnets and also read others' energies, whether they want to or not. After I had my burnout and spending tons of money and time on therapy, I actually went to a psychic healer who could basically tell me my life story without me uttering a word, just from reading my aura. She actually helped me quite a bit, was more in tune with my spirit. I learned from that to be open to pretty much anything, as long as it's positive. By positive I mean I don't subscribe to theories of evil and doom.

 

That's very interesting. Maybe there is a correlation between suffering and enlightenment. I went to a reiki healer before and she was aware of me looking away before I even remembered my past. She got that from my energy.

 

Is your aura and your energy the same thing?

 

I have very good instinct now but it's something that I needed to learn to listen to, having been burned before by trusting that man.

[River Rain]

That's very interesting. Maybe there is a correlation between suffering and enlightenment. I went to a reiki healer before and she was aware of me looking away before I even remembered my past. She got that from my energy.

 

Is your aura and your energy the same thing?

 

I have very good instinct now but it's something that I needed to learn to listen to, having been burned before by trusting that man.

 

I didn't listen to my instinct either with the ex, I listened to his phony explanations, but all along it was right on. I learned a hard lesson that way.

 

Yes, many people will say your aura is your energy field. Lots of people can see it as a colour that surrounds you. The woman I went to see also did Reiki and something called Body Talk on me, which helped me so much. She believed the aura was an extension of the chakras, thus when she saw certain colours more vividly than others, there was a surge in that particular chakra, and that's how she worked on me. I just think it's so fascinating.

 

Anela, still okay with how this thread is going?

[Anela]

I will be back later, to read through this properly. I didn't mean to just leave it.

 

I'm just rereading another book that reminded me of this. I started the thread at the time, because my aunt B. was here, and we were close when I was small (she's the one who gave me one of my oldest and most often used nicknames), and when we moved to England, I had her convinced that mum let me have ketchup sandwiches (which sounds gross to me now, and Mum didn't like me to have them at the time).

 

In the book I was reading when I started this thread, someone mentioned ketchup sandwiches being the favourite snack of a friend of theirs - a little girl who had supposedly reincarnated, and recognized her old friend, they both grew up in the Depression era. I just found that interesting.

[GorillaTheater]

I can't speak to reincarnation, but I think the questions posed in the title of this thread, and the implication that the answer to either question could be "yes", falls apart when you consider the severe abuse suffered by some children, sometimes to the point of death. "Choice" in those instances seems pretty ghastly to me.

[venusianx13]

It has been taught to me through my formal study of Buddhism that every single living being has, at one time, been our mother. Reconnecting with someone in a more recent past life is likely, as you are still closely karmically intertwined. We all are, in fact, but conditions change.

[skydiveaddict]

It has been taught to me through my formal study of Buddhism that every single living being has, at one time, been our mother. Reconnecting with someone in a more recent past life is likely, as you are still closely karmically intertwined. We all are, in fact, but conditions change.

 

And all this time I thought is was just biology.