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How Are You Sure We Don't Become Nothing

G

GalaxyDreamer90

Senior Member
My grandma passed away when I was only 3 and because of that I constantly felt lonely growing up. I still find myself feeling lonely from time to time. When I was a teenager I learned about reincarnation in school and since then have been fascinated by the idea of coming back to life in another body in another place and time and hope to meet the reincarnation of my grandma. However, I worry sometimes that this belief is all in my head and that actually when we die we become nothing. How can be sure there is such a thing as reincarnation?
 
Hi Galaxy,

No one can convince you of anything you are determined to disbelieve. However, assuming you aren't, you should make a reasoned decision based on the evidence and your own intuition. At this point, we are basically in the same stage of things in terms of "exploring" reincarnation and the afterlife that the Old World was when the New World was discovered. There were no cameras and no way to see it for yourself without going there. So, you typically had to take the word of others who had been there and, to some degree or another, explored what was there.

I.e., the best evidence available is the testimony of those who have ventured beyond death or otherwise have knowledge. First, reports of the afterlife from people who have died and returned have been around for millennia. They are even more available now with the frequency and cataloging of NDE reports. Second, you have the reports of those who have had OOBE type experiences. Third, you have the uniform witness of all of the world's religions and mystics. Fourth, you have the witness of those who have had serious and solid regression experiences and recovered their memories. Fifth, you have the spontaneous memories of young children--this source has been extensively verified by Ian Stevenson and others associated with him at the University of Virginia.

So, you are not without resources. However, it is ultimately up to you what you choose to believe. So, you'll just have to study the evidence and make up your own mind.

Cordially,
S&S
 
Hey GalaxyDreamer,

Ajahn Brahm (you can look him up if you wish) has been asked repeatedly this specific question in his "sessions", "lectures", "gatherings" or whatever one wants to call them. He says it's very easy to find out but I won't quote him on the method :D

Seriously now, I think these "beliefs" come from within. For me at least, I always knew it, like I was born thinking this way. It was and still is the most natural thing - everything in nature goes in cycles, why should we differ? You are born, grow up, do stuff, die, reborn. That's the process, your "lifetime" is the process and it's not "You", just like your body is just the vehicle and not "You".

Speaking of beliefs, Sadhguru (you can also look him up) says though, "Believers come in groups, Seeker is always lonely". So I guess one should always seek. Look outside, seek inside - that's where the answers come from.

Don't know if I answered in a helpful manner but in a nutshell, that's all I've got on the issue :)

Take care of yourself!
 
Hi,

I had a very difficult time thinking reincarnation could be real but there was really no other way to explain the past lives I had memories off. I think I fought it extra hard because I had no wish/desire to have been someone else, not the people who's memories I had with me or more like not wanting to have been through what they been through or felt like (depression) what these people felt. The entire experience of this first happening frighten me.

I still think it sounds like a fairy tale with heaven, too good to be true but I want to believe it exists.

People always told me that there was no such thing as ghosts, well I have had enough of paranormal activities around me all my life to seriously doubt their comments, also it/they were drawn to me for some reason. I know there is more to life than what meets the eye. If our soul survives death then the next step to consider reincarnation as a possibility is not so far off either. I do think reincarnation is a absolutely brilliant teaching device.

After researching I have found the proves for reincarnation almost overwhelming, I had no idea it was so well researched, documented and especially when it came to kids.
 
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Being sure of anything is impossible. How can you be sure that the world and other people exist and you are not just making them up? how can you be sure that your actual life is not some sort of dream where you will wake up someday? and leaving solipsism aside, how can you be sure that past life memories are your memories and not some sort of information provided by a ghost or whatever you want to call it? or how about a walk-in? or why not just accessing some information because it's on your same vibrational level? I don't really believe in any of these things and I don't wish to discuss them, they are just examples to prove my point that you cannot be 100% sure of anything in life. So it's a matter of committing to whatever you think or feel makes most sense and go with it. Life and reality are uncertain and you have to learn how to live with that uncertainty the best you can.
 
Owl said:
I don't really believe in any of these things and I don't wish to discuss them, they are just examples to prove my point that you cannot be 100% sure of anything in life.
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Why do I find it a little awkward posting something in a discussion forum while stating that you don't want to discuss about it..
 
Kalos said:
Why do I find it a little awkward posting something in a discussion forum while stating that you don't want to discuss about it..
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I don't know, why do you? Maybe you didn't understand my post? My statement is that we cannot be sure of anything so we should accept what makes most sense to us. Being that this is a reincarnation forum and most of those topics I mention are against the forum rules and I don't really believe in them anyway: walk ins, ghost communication or something I just made up about picking up memories based on vibrations, are not topics that I wish to discuss any further since they were merely examples to provide alternative explanations to past life memories. However, it was never my intention to deviate the conversation with nonsensical discussion about them, hence my statement of not wanting to discuss them.
 
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Owl said:
how can you be sure that past life memories are your memories and not some sort of information provided by a ghost or whatever you want to call it? or how about a walk-in? or why not just accessing some information because it's on your same vibrational level?
Click to expand...

I've addressed this or similar question many times (not necessarily on this forum).

The main point is that reincarnation is not just about accessing information. We can go to a library, read a book, or find something online. That is information.

But reincarnation is about being. The state of being.

I don't think anyone can even describe or define what that means, to be. But to compare it with information is to try to equate things of completely different types.

As such it isn't a valid criticism, it is in fact a meaningless one.
 
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Speedwell said:
The main point is that reincarnation is not just about accessing information. We can go to a library, read a book, or find something online. That is information.

But reincarnation is about being. The state of being.
Click to expand...

You are correct, it is indeed more than just information. I mentioned information earlier because that's so far the only thing that can be verified and is possible of contrast with other hypothesis. Reincarnation also involves feelings and being (or should I say "become"?, in the Aristotelian sense that the further along we go the more we just become what we always were). In a way there are no surprises. But anyway, those things are personal and the only other option I can think of right now to contrast it with, is psychosis. I suppose we could be psychotic or have a schyzotypal personality (not that I belive we do, but you get my point, I think). In summary, yes, it is more than information, but we still need to commit to an uncertain belief.
 
Interesting. I think, well at least for me, it is important that I should address to it as a belief. This means that the concept of reincarnation doesn't become a doctrine.
 
GalaxyDreamer90 said:
My grandma passed away when I was only 3 and because of that I constantly felt lonely growing up. I still find myself feeling lonely from time to time. When I was a teenager I learned about reincarnation in school and since then have been fascinated by the idea of coming back to life in another body in another place and time and hope to meet the reincarnation of my grandma. However, I worry sometimes that this belief is all in my head and that actually when we die we become nothing. How can be sure there is such a thing as reincarnation?
Click to expand...

GalaxyDreamer90,
It's ok to doubt yourself on issues like this. It means you are really searching for the answers from within yourself. And that's a good thing. After all the whole reason we are all here is so that the soul may know itself by it's own experience. As the physical plane is where we grow and unfold the most. Before I had my NDE years ago I never believed in reincarnation either as I was raised Baptist as a child. I did not believe what the church taught me. So I left at 13yrs old. For awhile I became an agnostic for a few years. But some how something inside me knew that there was so much more to existences than just this physical reality. Yet I did not know how to put it into words back then. However after I had my NDE all that changed for me as I realized that I had lived before as does everyone else as the soul is eternal. As I experienced for a brief moment cosmic consciousness during the NDE. And within that moment everything made senses to me. Since then I have had on again off again OBE's. Which I suspect was brought on by the NDE. When I do have them they are usually triggered by a lucid dream. When I realized I am dreaming it all then turns into a conscious OBE from there on.

However what you are asking is a personal inner journey only you can take no one else. You can listen to others who have had their experiences that helped them realize their true nature as soul. However in order for it to be real to you; you must have your own inner experience. How that will come about is up to you.

The only thing I can suggested is keeping a dream journal and record if you can any dreams you may have once you are awake. Because if you don't they will fade quickly. I used to keep one and what I found was that there is a pattern to your dreams and a connection to the physical world. As your inner reality (dreaming ect.. and outer reality are actually tied together. As our consciousness is multidimensional by nature. There are also classes you can take to learn conscious OBEs. Yes they do have them. However most people in the west don't have the patience's to practice the techniques they offer as our culture wants instance results. And like everything else this takes time to become conscious of leaving the body. We do this naturally every night as dreaming is really (in my opinion a OBE) however one in which we are not aware of being out of the body because we are to focused on what we are doing at the moment while in the fourth dimension. So if we can learn to link the two states of consciousness where there is no brake in awareness then one realizes there is no death. There is only a transition or shift from one reality or dimension to the next. At death the body is dropped and goes back to the elements of the earth and consciousness goes inward taking its experience with it while in life and centers itself within the astral body where we continue our existences on the fourth dimension of our universe. However most people never realize this their whole life. In my opinion they go to cradle to grave never knowing who they truly are as soul. So reincarnation is the process of how consciousness (the soul if you will) evolves and grows over time.

So its up to you to find a way that will work for you to discover the eternal nature of yourself as soul.

Good luck my friend and pleasant travels.

Love and peace P.
 
Polaris8 said:
GalaxyDreamer90,
It's ok to doubt yourself on issues like this. It means you are really searching for the answers from within yourself. And that's a good thing. After all the whole reason we are all here is so that the soul may know itself by it's own experience. As the physical plane is where we grow and unfold the most. Before I had my NDE years ago I never believed in reincarnation either as I was raised Baptist as a child. I did not believe what the church taught me. So I left at 13yrs old. For awhile I became an agnostic for a few years. But some how something inside me knew that there was so much more to existences than just this physical reality. Yet I did not know how to put it into words back then. However after I had my NDE all that changed for me as I realized that I had lived before as does everyone else as the soul is eternal. As I experienced for a brief moment cosmic consciousness during the NDE. And within that moment everything made senses to me. Since then I have had on again off again OBE's. Which I suspect was brought on by the NDE. When I do have them they are usually triggered by a lucid dream. When I realized I am dreaming it all then turns into a conscious OBE from there on.

However what you are asking is a personal inner journey only you can take no one else. You can listen to others who have had their experiences that helped them realize their true nature as soul. However in order for it to be real to you; you must have your own inner experience. How that will come about is up to you.

The only thing I can suggested is keeping a dream journal and record if you can any dreams you may have once you are awake. Because if you don't they will fade quickly. I used to keep one and what I found was that there is a pattern to your dreams and a connection to the physical world. As your inner reality (dreaming ect.. and outer reality are actually tied together. As our consciousness is multidimensional by nature. There are also classes you can take to learn conscious OBEs. Yes they do have them. However most people in the west don't have the patience's to practice the techniques they offer as our culture wants instance results. And like everything else this takes time to become conscious of leaving the body. We do this naturally every night as dreaming is really (in my opinion a OBE) however one in which we are not aware of being out of the body because we are to focused on what we are doing at the moment while in the fourth dimension. So if we can learn to link the two states of consciousness where there is no brake in awareness then one realizes there is no death. There is only a transition or shift from one reality or dimension to the next. At death the body is dropped and goes back to the elements of the earth and consciousness goes inward taking its experience with it while in life and centers itself within the astral body where we continue our existences on the fourth dimension of our universe. However most people never realize this their whole life. In my opinion they go to cradle to grave never knowing who they truly are as soul. So reincarnation is the process of how consciousness (the soul if you will) evolves and grows over time.

So its up to you to find a way that will work for you to discover the eternal nature of yourself as soul.

Good luck my friend and pleasant travels.

Love and peace P.
Click to expand...

What is a NDE OBE?
 
Ebeth199 said:
What is a NDE OBE?
Click to expand...
Ebeth199,

A NDE is a near death Experiences.
A OBE is a out of body experience which is far different than just dreaming.

Both of these events you can look up on google for more info on the subjects.

Also both of these events are nothing new as they have been both experienced by millions of people around the world for centuries in human history.

Hope this helps.

P.
 
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