How many people in your family "believe"

Well, I'm not sure my mum believes in reincarnation in the strict sense, but she seems to be open to the idea. When I told her about my past life, she didn't laugh at me or anything, just said that it explains a connection between a ship in that last life and me that she has sensed for a long time. She is Lutheran Church Missouri Synod so for her even being tolerant enough to listen and consider is a big step.

Even as a preschooler, I felt like an outsider--as if I didn't belong with the people, ideas, and environment around me. I had some vague idea of where I "should" be, and that wasn't it. And I was very annoyed at having to be a kid! In the atmosphere of religiosity and conservatism of my childhood home, I was definitely an odd little person. Needless to say, I was the only one who believed in anything unorthodox. Looking back on it, I think the difference between my relatives and me was that I wasn't afraid of or in denial about my feelings.

No one who is still alive in my family deeply believes. My Nana did but she's been gone 10 years now. My Mom is undecided I think. She has said when I have mentioned my past memories that she always thought I was born a "ready made personality". I was me right from the start (that must have been hard work for her!). My Mom has also said that she thinks my cat may have been reborn as the cat next door to where they have a house in France. He looks the same, has some of my cat's strange obssessions and appears to have latched onto my parents for no apparent reason. He is usually waiting for them when they arrive.

Four people besides me "believe" in reincarnation; my brother and several of his children and grandchildren. They believe because of their religion; Krishna Consciousness. I "believe" because of my study of metaphysics and the work of Dr. Stephenson. My brother could never convince me of reincarnation's reality based solely upon his religion; it was only when I began to study the science behind it that I accepted it. Later, I bought him some books by Stephenson and he was amazed that a scientist from the Western world had found so many cases!

Simply a few friends.

Would anyone else care to vote? I think the results so far have been really interesting -- and I'd love to see a broader representation of members....



Ailish

Hei!

I voted for "Various members...", although they are not THAT many. My father is a strong believer, has been for a long time already, but not for his whole life. He knows some of his previous lives and is very interested in the subject. I have only one sister and she believes. Perhaps in a more passive way, but believes, however. My mother so does not...
Then there is one uncle and some cousins of my father who do believe, and many many members who don't. At all.
I don't have a family of my own, yet, and the stronger my own experiences and opinions get, the harder I find the idea of marrying someone who wouldn't believe my strange stories at all.

I wonder -- in the past five years - if people have noticed a change in the acceptance of reincarnation within your family.

My father has certainly changed a lot towards spirituality. I think my mother has influenced him a lot with her beliefs (me, my mother and maternal grandparents have strong beliefs in spiritual and esoteric stuff), but I also think that his own parents mortality has changed a few things.


I know he is a member of the Danish People's Church (the state religion) now (he hasn't been a member for 40 years), he has told me of supernatural experiences, which he has always rejected and once I was talking to my mother about past lives he listened with interest instead of leaving the room.

My family doesn't change at all in their beliefs , but I never responded to this in the first place. Most of my family are fundamentalist Christian and do not believe in reincarnation at all. I do have an uncle who has believed in past lives for longer than I've been alive, but I'm not particularly close to him. Unfortunately, the subject isn't discussed openly in my family.

I don't know if there's been a change in my family, as many family members and relatives have "always" been pretty open-minded, but it was nice to find out last weekend that my uncle's wife believes in reincarnation.


She told me about some paranormal experiences already when I was a child, but I didn't know she believes in past lives, too. It was interesting to listen to her, as she's not very well educated and has never read any books or other texts about reincarnation, but had experienced/realised many things that are talked about here and in the books of this topic on her own. :thumbsup:


Karoliina

I just realised I never voted in this thread :laugh:


Basically in my family, noone except me. Both in my nuclear family (my parents and brother) and my 'new' family, i.e. hubby and his family. There's really noone here that I can talk to about it, and I'm pretty sure they don't even know that I have the beliefs that I have : angel

My fiance believes. My dad's open, but not really convinced. He was interested enough to read 2 books- Only Love is Real and Return From Heaven. My mom and rest of family is strict Catholic. My dad is, too, but he's more open minded. My friends don't believe, either- at least none that I've mentioned anything about it to have given me any indication. Though, living in a predominantly Catholic town (Catholic, Jewish or "other" is the viewpoint here) I tread lightly when attempting to find a kindred spirit. This is part of the reason I was so willing to go far afield to a hypnotherapist- I figured it might be my only chance of speaking to someone else who believes face to face!

I said just me, but actually, one of my cousins considered the possibility at one point. And another cousin is open to it. Honestly, multiple cousins might believe in it for all I know. However, cousins were not on the list. None of my uncles, aunts, parents, nor grandparents ever believed to my knowledge. The one sibling I am in contact with doesn't believe, nor does my other older sibling whom I've not seen in some time. At least she didn't when we last spoke. I don't know about my younger sibling, but she is being raised by two people who will teach her it is not true, and who will stress the importance of not believing it.


Some of my cousins who don't believe in it like to engage in fantasy play about "what if" and we've analyzed their birthmarks and traits, etc. for fun, but they don't take it seriously. Most of the people I know, and the vast majority of my kin folk that I talk to- and many that I don't talk to (if not the vast majority of them)- are not open to the possibility. However, I'm not completely alone. I have had and do have friends who believe, but even the majority of them do not.


I did not believe as a kid. I had a dream that I was someone else and that I died, but I am still not sure that I believe that old dream. It stuck with me, but at the time, reincarnation never crossed my mind. My family was STRONGLY against such beliefs, and we were taught to be afraid of questioning. Plus, I didn't really remember living before, and my relatives and friends at that time, had never claimed they did, either.


I guess part of the reason I am open to it and they are not, is because they are so afraid to question what they are taught, that they never do. They were told questioning is dangerous. That it can condemn one to the most horrible of fates......and that one top of that punishment, everyone will also flip out on you, if you ever admit you questioned, and you'll have problems in this life and in the afterlife. So, don't question. I was afraid to question, too, but eventually I did. I am open to almost any afterlife possibilities, including reincarnation. I think there is some evidence for reincarnation, but I don't know what happens after this. I just find reincarnation a fascinating possibility, and I really want to discuss it with other open minded people.

Hey Cloacina and a warm welcome to the forum


It's wonderful that you have started questioning and search for other possibilities. I strongly believe that there is not just one truth Feel free to jump into any discussion and don't hesitate to ask questions. I don't know if you use this phrase in English, but in Danish we say: "There are no silly questions, only silly answers." :thumbsup:

Good thread to be brought back up. I voted on this eons ago, and the answer remains the same- no one else, just me.

Hi There!


Well...I am the only member in my family that even cares to indulge in the reality of reincarnation but my father is considered to have some psychic ability.


Fortunately, I have some good friends that I can speak with the possibility but they tend to be a bit afraid of my "ability" to see past lives... so to speak. Helena

Thanks for the welcome Sunniva. We do say something like that in English, though commonly the word we use is stupid or dumb, but silly is close enough! By the way, I believe some of my ancesters were Danish.


Hi Helena! I think it's great that you have this gift! Perhaps your friends are afraid to know who they were or what they have done before? Or perhaps they are afraid you will see them in a negative light in a past life? Some people would rather the past stay buried, I guess. I'm curious to know who I might have been, but there are somethings I'd rather not know, as well.

My sister is really the only one besides me. My mother and my other younger sister are afraid to even discuss anything they feel goes against what the Bible or Church says, but I do love to tell them the things Zachary says just to see what they'll say. My husband does seem open to the idea, and I do think he believes too.

I am so thankful some one made a thread on this topic. I'm only 17 so I still live with my parents. Fun fun fun! None of my family believes in reincarnation. Everyone either is strictly Christian or to put it bluntly, doesn't give a rip!


There was a very interesting moment within the family though. On Mother's Day my mom took my 9 year old brother and me vo our grandparents house for dinner. (My aunt Billie and I cooked ourselves) Our other aunt, Angiv, just watched the 6 little kids until it was time to eat.


We older people (the adults and me) sat at the table chatting when Billie mentioned that her son Jacob had told her something very disturbing. He said that when he turns 14 he would be severely burned and have lifelong scars.





Mom and the others waved it off as a nightmare, but I told Billie that it was possible (this child is 6 years old so they are allegedly more prone to paranormal incidents) that he had had a vision. Everyone but Billie, his own MOTHER, strongly reprimanded me for even thinking such a thing. Billie actualy said it could be just that. I think she could be my first accepting relative though I have yet to truly talk it over with her.


So that easily shows how strongly my family is against any of this community's beliefs. I choose to believe my own way though because I have my own proof! :laugh:

No one in my family. . .


But the various family cats have not been directly interviewed, on this matter.

Maxine said:

No one in my family. . .
But the various family cats have not been directly interviewed, on this matter.

Click to expand...

Maxine....it's a well-known fact that all cats have 9 lives so I'm sure at least some will answer in the affirmative!


Angelcat

Also Riverspirit.. Your brother could be having a bleed over from a past life. The way our subconcious works we may { particularly when young and more open } believe that what happened to us at a certain age in a past life will be the same for this life. This is why sometimes we can be triggered at a certain age all of a sudden to something from a past life { usually a tragic experience} and may have a flashback. He could be having that flashback to being burned in a previous life.


Maybe you could think of some inocuous { ie the other family members would not clue in to your intent } question to ask your brother to see if he recalls a past life with the fear of being burned..I shall think about this too to see if I come up with anything..

Thanks for that advice soulfriendly.


Alot of my friends talk about psychics and such so I guess I was being narrowminded. If such is the case then I really do want to help my cousin get over it. It scared him a lot, though I can't blame him when he is so young.


I spoke to his mother and asked if he has had any other 'issues" like this. She said that he had sleepwalked one night and as she followed him he was murmuring something she couldnt quite here and then out of no where he slammed against a wall. I don't mean he ran face first into it. She said that he had ended up with his back against the wall and his head held high as if some one had hold of his throat keeping him there. Though he was asleep she saw a great fear in his eyes. Like he KNEW something bad was going to happen to him.


Just another random occurence but I thought you could let me know if it seems to have a connection. If you believe we are getting too off topic on this thread I could start one on Children's Past Lifes. Just a thought!


Thanks again for your help

Oops yes I had forgotten that we had digressed from the topic subject.. Please start another thread.. see you there

Angelcat said:

Maxine....it's a well-known fact that all cats have 9 lives so I'm sure at least some will answer in the affirmative!
Angelcat

Click to expand...

Well Angelcat,


I have seen some of them use up those lives fast!


I am dealing with a barn load of ferals right now and I have a main road crosser in the pack. I call him Cam. 'Kamakazi',he has a badly broken tail. Old injury. I do wonder why?!


There is a great short film, very obscure 'The Cat Came Back'. A difficult cat that reincarnates 9 times on a hapless owner.


There is also a poem, I wish I could recall, all of, it is funny, if sad, about a cat that tries to commit suicide. The last two lines are:


She ran under the wheels of 8 automobiles,


Under the 9th one, she died.

No one else in my family believes in this that I know of. Reincarnation obviously isn't recognized by Catholics. I have ADD and my dad doesn't even believe in that let alone past lives. My mom is a strict Catholic. I'm sure she would think this is heresy. I'm glad I found this forum because I definately feel like I am on an island.

Do any new members want to vote and/or add their thoughts to the discussion?

Many are suspicious, but no one knows for sure.


-Nightrain

Me, my mother and a few friends believe. My father thinks it's all rubbish, my brother is very 'scientific' and my little brother is simply too small to discuss believes or supernatural things with us.