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Is it to late to remember?

V

Veritee

New Member
First of all, I want to say how wonderful it is to have found out about this website. It is so great to be able to share and read other people's experiences.

I was not raised in any specific religion, But as long as i can remember, i have known how death was not such a "big deal"
and "knew" that reincarnation was the next step.(In my oppinion that is...) I always was facinated about learing about other people's accounts and i read a lot about whatever i could find that was related to them. But, unfortunately I never had a memory or experience like that. Since i know it possible to TRY to remember or nearly force memories out of your subconcious, i admit out of curiosity and perhaps jalousy, that i tried but without success.
My question is, Is it wrong to try to remember things that maybe arn't always meant to be remembered? Should one go looking for those memories. I understand that maybe the reason things are so is because there might be something traumatic that could affect this life in a negative way, in one of my past lives or that for some reason i am blocking them away in my subconcious...

BUT, there is always this curious part of me that wishes i had access to them...
Does anyone else feel that way?

Always,
Elle
 
Think now

Is it wrong to try to remember things that maybe arn't always meant to be remembered?
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No, but the pertinent question is: is it helpful or unhelpful to remember past lives? The answer could cut either way depending on what you find and how you are then able to deal with it. If you are a cautious person, it is probably not a good idea to find such information especially if you are also not sure if you will be able to handle it with poise. Ultimately, the answer would depend on how strong your curiosity is. Personally, I don't care to know my past. I don't see pressing need of such knowledge. It is better to be focussed on the present.
 
Sri Ramana

Sri Ramana, The Sage of Arunachala, observed that past lives were of the same nature as the ego-based current life but pointed out that both categories of ego-construct were false and therefore unreal and unworthy of attention in relation to the infinite certitude and desirability of the Self, the Supreme Consciousness. He therefore questioned why anyone would bother with the past lives let alone the current life when it must be realized that the Truth dealt in neither. Ramana is reported to have said:
“Why bother about previous births? Find out first if now you have been born.”

However, that may be, I think it is a worthwhile endeavor to look for past lives because when one succeeds in finding them that experience is in itself sufficient to convince one that the self must extend beyond the grave into eternity and indeed beyond time. At least that was the approach I took here. Ramana however, obtained transcendence at a very young age and never looked back, so to speak. Indeed he had no reason to lever himself up through contemplation of the meaning involved with “past lives”. For my part, the path exactly lay through recollection of past-lives.
Regards
 
My question is, Is it wrong to try to remember things that maybe arn't always meant to be remembered? Should one go looking for those memories.
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From what I remember, I've gone through quite a few traumatic experiences from my pastlives, eg, killed by a tidalwave, sent into a Medieval battle, being interned in a medical sanitarium, etc. And although they were difficult events, they really don't pose any problems for me in this current lifetime, in otherwords I can still sleep well at night. I know they happened, but I don't really dwell on it...remembering pastlife memories is kinda like remembering any ordinary memory. For example, if you had an accident as a child, experienced a death in the familiy, or went through a stressful period 10 years ago; it's something that you experienced, but don't really think about it because it was a longtime ago. It's the exact samething with pastlife memories. If anything, discovered something from another lifetime might either 'comfort or reveal' a bit about who you are.
 
passed on

Rastislav,
Ramana has "passed on". He also is said to have achieved enlightenment at a very early age and outside any tradition (you can see the details on the official Ramana website). It also appeared that he spent a considerable amount of his life in samahdi and so in a way he was barely in the Earthly Plane. However, be that as it may, he was widely held to be "fully realised" and made many interesting observations. There is quite a bit of direct material on the web.
Regards
 
Thank you for all your advice

I ask myself why i want to conciously remember so much, curiosity and perhaps just as another experience or soemthign shallow... Really the real issue for me is :
How do i remember? Every dream that might be somehting is so vague and it is rapidly discarted by my mind. I want to remember, i want to confirm my "gut feeling" (like my all time memory of drowning.) But HOW???
It is like i won't let myself. Besides hypnosis, are there any efficient ways of having concious memories???

Thank you again
Elle
 
not a clue

Dear Rastislav,
Yes, perhaps, but then did your English teacher teach reincarnation or self-enlightenment? If he did not he would not have had any use for such a construct I imagine.
I have grown quite suspicious of anyone who has achieved enlightenment. Sounds like the person is not well adjusted here on this plane and is trying to escape.

Again, perhaps, but then Ramana was able to reach this point with comparatively little of the stress faced by most. He was only 16 or so when he elected to meditate on the question “who or what is it that dies”? – a question I suppose most of us have tackled quite apart from the necessity to adjust(?) to this plane. You may care to psychologically pass an opinion on one of the principle observations made after he eventually agreed to talk and record some of his conclusions:

The world and the mind arise and set together as one; but of the two the world owes its appearance to the mind alone; That alone is real in which this inseparable pair, the world and the mind, rises and sets: that reality is the one infinite Consciousness, which neither rises or sets

Now I might be wrong, but this does not seem to me to be an escape. On the contrary it has the appearance of an explanation but it is one that leads to the comprehension that the “escape” is actually to be in the world. Well adjusted to this plane so to speak.

This is so very close to what you are suggesting except he goes another step stating that the whole construct of physical existence springs forth from identification with the thought (proposition) “I am the body”. He terms this thought “false” (along with the ego and the world it engenders including other beings) as opposed to that which is real, the source of all, the Self.

To continue along your line, I take the word “enlightenment" to mean only the act of remembering this connection and that is all. Once obtained one sees we are not in the world but the world is in us. Blaze of glory no, riveting yes.:)

Not a clue? I have a suggestion, it is a test, ...... a
self-(imposed)-test so to speak. Remember?
Regards
 
Rastislav,
I do not believe Ramana used the word “enlightened” in respect of himself. He was apparently far beyond.

At all stages of experience of this material plane it has been said that at least one person at any time must remember his/her connection to the absolute and “be it”. For if this were not the case the whole construct must degrade and at the limit vanish, be withdrawn into the Absolute. From what I have read of Ramana’s works to date, it appears to me that he was indeed one such portal, pillar or “dreamer”. And while I agree that one can find works from many wise people, far seeing but in a way curiously “capped”, it seems somehow that this did not apply to Ramana.

I wonder about the identity of the fundamental avatar of today’s world for I am sure there must be one such.
Regards
 
Originally posted by Veritee
I ask myself why i want to conciously remember so much...
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I think it is like the adage, "when the pupil is ready the teacher will appear". Something needs to come out, and your subconscious mind thinks you are ready for it, now.


Really the real issue for me is :
How do i remember? Every dream that might be somehting is so vague and it is rapidly discarted by my mind...Besides hypnosis, are there any efficient ways of having concious memories???
Click to expand...

Meditation works. It's a form of self-hypnosis. It takes practice to work that muscle, though. You might want to try a past life regression tape at first. They employ a form of hynosis, also.

This will be an interesting and enlightening journey for you.
 
Thank you asetneferankh,

I absolutely know what you meen about the adage, i expect that that is the way it is going to be for me as it is for so many others. Being only human, my curiosity and present knowledge about past lives drive me to seek more than what "could be needed eventually....

Actually, meditation was never very successfull for me, but i suppose it requires more practice and faith than i am willing to give it. I know it would help me a lot, but i think somewhere, subconciously i am telling myself "it won't work for me". Just another one of my mental blocks, just like the memories i guess.
That is why i feel so strongly that something or some part of me wants to avoid the memories...

Thank you for helping me, not meaning that the debate about Ramana and the issue of enlightenment was not considerably interesting.....

Love, Always,
Elle
 
There is another thing,
I am unable to visualize, when i close my eyes i see only darkness. I KNOW what things look like but i cannot see them.
So mediation is even harder in my case. By faith, i meant that i think deep inside i do not believe it will work even though i believe in it and i know it would help me if i could. I seriously believe i am trying to keep myself away form my deeply burried memories.................

Love, Elle
 
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