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Past Lives: Have I Been Here Before?
The evidence that we experience many lives is mounting.
I have always found the idea of rebirth or reincarnation a fascinating idea. Rather hopeful, in fact. Yet, for hundreds of years following the rise of Christianity the idea was denounced. Well, they would, wouldn’t they? According to Christian doctrine we have just the one life on which we will be judged, come the big day. Not much to look forward to, then. The pre-Christian pagans believed in many lives. The more the merrier. It is surmised that the pagan Celtic warriors fought with such savage abandonment because of their belief they would return in another life and so death held no fear. ‘Come and get us yer bastards and I’ll see yer for another round.’
The Eastern religions, such as Hinduism and Buddhism, are founded on the belief of rebirth and reincarnation respectively. The Hindus believe that when the material body dies the soul is reincarnated in another body. Buddhists prefer the term rebirth as a distinction to Hindu belief. They do not believe in an actual soul but rather an ever flowing and changing stream of consciousness that survives death to be reborn. Like a lighted candle transferring its flame to another candle.
In more recent years there has been a renewed interest in the idea that our consciousness survives death and…
