reincarnationcafe

[busybee83]

So, I have fought with myself for over a decade about how I must surely be wrong about who I think I am. I am no one special. But if my mind is to be believed, I used to sell out stadiums. How can this be? Yet I have these clear little moments which could belong to no one else.

So how is it, then, that I read of people who seem to latch onto one identity and then discard it when they discover they're wrong? I have only had one other supposed FPL, which I quickly discovered was more of an attachment to that person at the time. We were contemporaries. I related to the guy at the time. But this other one, there have been more clues and incidents than I care to recall. I have been very conflicted over it; surely I must be making it up or simply mistaken. But on a deep level I am certain.... which also on another level makes me certain I am insane.

But my question is this: How is it possible to not know? I know, and wish I didn't. If one was a famous person, who is still famous, does not every single mention of this person reach out and grab you by the throat? Sometimes it seems like I can't escape my former self. So how is it that the more common experience seems to be that of searching in the dark? Is this really how anyone finds a past life? I think of it as a string, wound through the immense inner space that is my mind. All I have to do is trace the string backwards to see where I have been. On the other hand, I have always been a bit of a record-keeper.
Maybe those who don't have direct recollections are less obsessed with keeping records?

[Zetascair20086]

But my question is this: How is it possible to not know? I know, and wish I didn't. If one was a famous person, who is still famous, does not every single mention of this person reach out and grab you by the throat? Sometimes it seems like I can't escape my former self. So how is it that the more common experience seems to be that of searching in the dark? Is this really how anyone finds a past life? I think of it as a string, wound through the immense inner space that is my mind. All I have to do is trace the string backwards to see where I have been. On the other hand, I have always been a bit of a record-keeper.
Maybe those who don't have direct recollections are less obsessed with keeping records?

Well I'm about as obsessed with record keeping as anyone you'll ever find, but I don't feel it affects my recollection beyond helping me keep track of my memories. It does seem odd you could not know who you were, but many people don't even know themselves fully in their current lives. With all kinds of identity conflicts, multiple personalities etc. our reality is confusing even without reincarnation. Fortunately my FPLs aren't ones that are ever mentioned, well anywhere hardly, so I rarely even think about them anymore. It does seem strange that you could see a picture, video etc. of a past self and not recognize yourself, but not all are aware of things buried deep in their subconscious.

For what it's worth I did feel recognition quickly when seeing pictures of, or refferences to, my past selves. I didn't know right away these people matched my memories, but just seeing them caught my eye right away enough for me to want to read their bios. I remember the earliest one I ever saw, but the last one to be acknowledged, in a book. I saw a picture of him and my first reaction was "wow, that guy really looks like me!" At the time I hadn't thought of past lives much so I never went beyond that. But I always remembered that guy and recognized him right away hearing of him again years later. It took me awhile before I came to any past life realizations. The stronger reaction was when I found my last life. I knew the name and identified the person but had no picture. When I finally got the book with her picture in it I just stared at it for so long and immediately saw my own face in hers. For me that was the strongest and most immediate recognition I ever had.