Pastlife Confessions

[Twilight]

Hello there, is there a priest that deals with pastlives?

 

[argonne1918]

What do you think would happen if you asked a Catholic priest if he believes in reincarnation? If he said yes he would probably be ex-communicated. And I don't think Buddhist priests or monks hear confession.

 

[Mere Dreamer]

Aren't we connected directly to the source of life? If it is confession, then speaking from the soul is all that is needed, I think. We are always surrounded by witnesses.

 

[Owl]

Interestingly I've been thinking lately about the meaning of confession. I'm trying to see the general principles behind catholicism since I think the differences between religions exist because people stay at the superficial layer. Confession exists add a way to improve yourself, maybe as a sort of new year resolution. You truly feel bad about something and you would like to change it, you would like to act different because you realize it's damaging either for yourself or for society. However, you have to communicate your resolution in order to give it more strenght. The whole church atmosphere also contributes, and if you are humble and sincere even better. I think that what the church consider sins are just guidelines to help you tell between"right" and "wrong".After all religions also exist to keep people for killing each other and make life in society possible. Therefore I don't think you need somebody specialized in past life confessions, you just need to tell someone sincerely and humbly what you think you did wrong and what you would like to change.

 

[Phthalo]

Past lives aren't a part of Catholic doctrine so I don't think that's something a priest can help you with. I'm not sure why you feel the need to do this, specifically, but perhaps you can find an alternative that may help. You could try to seek out someone who specializes in past lives and who can help you sort out the way you feel.

 

[Twilight]

I have been reminded for quite some time of a man in a past life or incarnate realm named Simon the Antichrist, I feel torn because I'm now experiencing a fatherly connection with Lucifer, I've never experience this before and I'm quite active in the Catholic faith. I just can't ignore this anymore emotionally, the Lord is my savior for goodness sake yet again can evil change for the better good?


My guides have been trying to comfort me but propaganda is not helping >_< I'm quite scared to say the least, It's almost like a sin has crushed me out of nowhere

 

[Mere Dreamer]

Twilight, Antichrist and Lucifer (while they may also have true individuality) are strong spiritual symbols of "challenging God" ...


It is quite possible that your subconscious is attempting to force you to face some flaws you've noticed in the common structures of your chosen faith, and may not actually be trying to draw you into alignment with "all things evil" ... and anyone of traditional faith would find this a fearful thing until they realize God is present in the questions, too.


I went through some pretty shocking experiences before I came to the realization that no truth can be broken (even by me Hah! ego much?) So now it's a lot easier for my subconscious to communicate with me when some false belief is preventing me from moving forward. And I'm willing to toss everything (ask questions honestly) and trust that reality will fall back on me. For a while I was convinced I belonged in a looney bin, though.


Hopefully this alternate perspective will help you process your experience in a new way. Obviously, I can only guess what you're going through.

 

[BriarRose]

You haven't committed a sin, Twilight, dear heart, and Lucifer, if he still exists, is no one's "father". Like Dreamer said, he is a symbol of rebellion against God. When I was a teenager, some "dim" Sunday School teacher told me that there was one sin that God found unforgivable, but omitted to say what it was. I walked around for years, wondering if I had, or would, accidentally commit it! For a while, when I felt close to God, a really bad thought would snap into my head - basically, an abomination of some kind. I'm still here, and about the same combination of good and evil that everyone else is. I am your friend, BriarRose, and not "bad", and neither are you. I don't mean to down-play your fear - it is real, even if the cause for it isn't. If it gets to be too much, you need to talk to a professional councilor, but probably not a priest, or a minister.

 

[Phthalo]

I have been reminded for quite some time of a man in a past life or incarnate realm named Simon the Antichrist, I feel torn because I'm now experiencing a fatherly connection with Lucifer, I've never experience this before and I'm quite active in the Catholic faith. I just can't ignore this anymore emotionally, the Lord is my savior for goodness sake yet again can evil change for the better good?
My guides have been trying to comfort me but propaganda is not helping >_< I'm quite scared to say the least, It's almost like a sin has crushed me out of nowhere

I don't see this as necessarily being bad. I know that Luciferianism is a belief system some people have. I'm by no means an expert on it but I've known a few people who were into it and they were very nice people, there wasn't anything particularly bad about their belief system either (it's also different from Satanism as far as I know, they didn't appreciate the two being lumped up together). You could try to do some reading on it, if nothing else just to have the information to decide if it's for you or not. I can help you find solid online resources, there's a blog online that seems pretty good and regularly writes about common misconceptions but I can't remember the address right now and don't know if it would be against the rules to link it here even if I did.


Just try to get past stereotypes. There have been many times before when I've been curious about religions and beliefs very different from my own. I ended up reading about them, if anything else that just made me see they weren't for me (not that they were bad, just not things I could believe in or be committed to), and I got to learn more about the world and other points of view than my own.


I can understand why this would be disturbing to you if you already have a religion that you're happy with and if at first glance it seems to clash with the one you're drawn to. Research might help you at least calm that curiosity you feel and be more able to reason with yourself. It may also help if you can find a priest who is open-minded (I think that the less open-minded ones would make a storm in a teacup over this) and tell him you've been feeling drawn to another belief system. How much detail (which belief system it is, why you're drawn to it, and so on) you choose to go into is up to you, but perhaps having someone to talk to who is open-minded but has the same beliefs as you could help you feel more assured.


I don't think you're sinning, for what it's worth. Even in a more narrow-minded perspective, if anything else you're doing your best to resist. In a more open-minded perspective, being curious about different beliefs is not a sin and there's nothing wrong with it.


If you're feeling very conflicted, I also think speaking to a therapist or counsellor (like BriarRose said) might work well, since they can help you sort out how you feel.

 

[Mere Dreamer]

I'd add that challenging God isn't a bad thing. It's a bit like a kid wrestling with a kind pro-wrestler.... You learn some really good moves, and he'll teach you to be the best you can be.


I didn't figure this out until I learned not to be afraid of God, though. "Love casts out fear." and "God IS love." (that is: patient, kind, good, honest, of good report, inclusive, gentle, supportive, protective, accepting, one who gives good gifts, source of the light, etc.)


To quote the Bible, "[God is] with you always." and "Fear not for [God is] with you." You can't exist separate from him ... because he is the framework of existence.


The worst thing that happens to inner darkness when light shines on it ... is that it becomes exposed so it can be seen and then what is seen becomes full of the light and can transform into a source of light.


You are asking for wisdom and that request will not be rejected ... fear not. So, yes, wrestle with God ... and do not fear this presence. There is a reward for such requests, though you may find that your perspective on the world goes through a massive shift in the process. Truth exists everywhere, and it will be found by those who seek it.


*laugh* These are the thoughts that helped me through my transition from fear into hope. Hopefully they make sense to you, also.

 

[Twilight]

Twilight, Antichrist and Lucifer (while they may also have true individuality) are strong spiritual symbols of "challenging God" ...
It is quite possible that your subconscious is attempting to force you to face some flaws you've noticed in the common structures of your chosen faith, and may not actually be trying to draw you into alignment with "all things evil" ... and anyone of traditional faith would find this a fearful thing until they realize God is present in the questions, too.


I went through some pretty shocking experiences before I came to the realization that no truth can be broken (even by me Hah! ego much?) So now it's a lot easier for my subconscious to communicate with me when some false belief is preventing me from moving forward. And I'm willing to toss everything (ask questions honestly) and trust that reality will fall back on me. For a while I was convinced I belonged in a looney bin, though.


Hopefully this alternate perspective will help you process your experience in a new way. Obviously, I can only guess what you're going through.

I'd add that challenging God isn't a bad thing. It's a bit like a kid wrestling with a kind pro-wrestler.... You learn some really good moves, and he'll teach you to be the best you can be.
I didn't figure this out until I learned not to be afraid of God, though. "Love casts out fear." and "God IS love." (that is: patient, kind, good, honest, of good report, inclusive, gentle, supportive, protective, accepting, one who gives good gifts, source of the light, etc.)


To quote the Bible, "[God is] with you always." and "Fear not for [God is] with you." You can't exist separate from him ... because he is the framework of existence.


The worst thing that happens to inner darkness when light shines on it ... is that it becomes exposed so it can be seen and then what is seen becomes full of the light and can transform into a source of light.


You are asking for wisdom and that request will not be rejected ... fear not. So, yes, wrestle with God ... and do not fear this presence. There is a reward for such requests, though you may find that your perspective on the world goes through a massive shift in the process. Truth exists everywhere, and it will be found by those who seek it.


*laugh* These are the thoughts that helped me through my transition from fear into hope. Hopefully they make sense to you, also.

It's all cool, this sounds quite interesting and I wonder if there is a meditation that focuses in the incarnate realm. I'm quite curious to see where this block is in.

 

[Twilight]

You haven't committed a sin, Twilight, dear heart, and Lucifer, if he still exists, is no one's "father". Like Dreamer said, he is a symbol of rebellion against God.

Thank you so much for the reassurance, a lot of weight was out of my shoulders when I read that. In this life I have no reason to rebel against the Lord, I'm guessing it might be deception who knows for now. However I'm quite curious if it is because of my battery execution incident in 1664, those were some parinoing times. :/

When I was a teenager, some "dim" Sunday School teacher told me that there was one sin that God found unforgivable, but omitted to say what it was. I walked around for years, wondering if I had, or would, accidentally commit it! For a while, when I felt close to God, a really bad thought would snap into my head - basically, an abomination of some kind. I'm still here, and about the same combination of good and evil that everyone else is. I am your friend, BriarRose, and not "bad", and neither are you. I don't mean to down-play your fear - it is real, even if the cause for it isn't. If it gets to be too much, you need to talk to a professional councilor, but probably not a priest, or a minister.

It's totally cool , I appreciate all you do

 

[deborah]

Have you ever read any of Elaine Pagel's books? Fascinating reads - all of them. She has researched and written extensively about the Gnostic Gospels and the correlations between them and the Bible. Her research is fascinating. For example, in her book Beyond Belief she explains the word Heresy. It originally meant freedom of choice. The Gnostic's were a fascinating group.


I hope you enjoy the forum and I look forward to reading more of your posts.


Pagels, Elaine

1. Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas
   
2. The Gnostic Gospels
   
3. The Origin of Satan: How Christians Demonized Jews, Pagans, and Heretics
   
4. Adam, Eve, and the Serpent: Sex and Politics in Early Christianity
   
5. The Gnostic Paul: Gnostic Exegesis of the Pauline Letters

Something to throw in the mix...Hell and Satan to most people implies "bad or evil. " However Satan is a Hebrew word. It is spelled in Hebrew, seen-tayt-noon. In colloquial Hebrew it means the adversary or accuser as well as its English meaning.


Each of its three letters is also a "word." They each in turn have meaning.


According to the Qabala, seen represents a movement -- a universal or cosmic motion-one that underlies the movement of all things in the universe. It is pictured by Qabalists as the "breath of God" returning from the material plane back to the infinity of God.


Tayt represents a primitive cellular structure. It could be a living cell, a memory "engram," a neural circuit, or any other analogy representing a basic structure exhibiting the cell-like behavior we understand. It is a feminine concept that tends to enclose energy repeating itself, as a bird builds a nest for egg laying. It is a self-referring concept, one that continues to build itself in its own image.


Finally, noon stands for a high principle operating within the cosmos. This is the principle of cosmic indeterminism.


In the book The Eagle's Quest the following is suggested ---

Imagine if Satan represents the cells of our living selves held between the freeing movement of God's breath and the fearful possibility that anything can happen to it. As a result the cell tends to persist in living fear of life-death.
Fred Allan Wolf points out that the vision of a bursting cell and the laser light beam entering it is a quite accurate description of the "action of the cosmic Satan."


It literally disrupts the stasis of the cell, producing doubt and uncertainty. But this was not necessarily,' to be feared or prevented. Without the process of Satan entering the cell, no learning takes place. Nothing new can happen. We would be doomed to repeat all that we do.

Puts an interesting twist on Hell with Satan as ruler. Hummmm repeat all that we do. I think that is what a lot of humanity does.

 

[Twilight]

Have you ever read any of Elaine Pagel's books? Fascinating reads - all of them. She has researched and written extensively about the Gnostic Gospels and the correlations between them and the Bible. Her research is fascinating. For example, in her book Beyond Belief she explains the word Heresy. It originally meant freedom of choice. The Gnostic's were a fascinating group.
I hope you enjoy the forum and I look forward to reading more of your posts.


Pagels, Elaine

1. Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas
   
2. The Gnostic Gospels
   
3. The Origin of Satan: How Christians Demonized Jews, Pagans, and Heretics
   
4. Adam, Eve, and the Serpent: Sex and Politics in Early Christianity
   
5. The Gnostic Paul: Gnostic Exegesis of the Pauline Letters

Something to throw in the mix...Hell and Satan to most people implies "bad or evil. " However Satan is a Hebrew word. It is spelled in Hebrew, seen-tayt-noon. In colloquial Hebrew it means the adversary or accuser as well as its English meaning.


Each of its three letters is also a "word." They each in turn have meaning.


According to the Qabala, seen represents a movement -- a universal or cosmic motion-one that underlies the movement of all things in the universe. It is pictured by Qabalists as the "breath of God" returning from the material plane back to the infinity of God.


Tayt represents a primitive cellular structure. It could be a living cell, a memory "engram," a neural circuit, or any other analogy representing a basic structure exhibiting the cell-like behavior we understand. It is a feminine concept that tends to enclose energy repeating itself, as a bird builds a nest for egg laying. It is a self-referring concept, one that continues to build itself in its own image.


Finally, noon stands for a high principle operating within the cosmos. This is the principle of cosmic indeterminism.


In the book The Eagle's Quest the following is suggested ---


Puts an interesting twist on Hell with Satan as ruler. Hummmm repeat all that we do. I think that is what a lot of humanity does.

Sounds like quite an interesting read, I'm still going though a set of library cds but I'll be sure to look for the books

 

[kmatjhwy]

Now Deborah, like you I have had an avid interest in the Gnostics. Now Joseph Campbell in his 'Power of Myth' and other writings of his mentions quite abit about the gnostics also. Yes indeed the Gnostics were an interesting group. Now myself would like to read some of Elaine Pagel's books.

 

[Totoro]

Twilight,


What was your original intent for asking? Did you want to talk to someone? Of a particular faith?


To be honest twilight, I don't think that past lives are any different from current ones and that you can receive help through normal channels, such as traditional counselling.


Faith based may be a bit more of a challenge; but if you find the right person, who knows.

 

[Twilight]

Twilight,
What was your original intent for asking? Did you want to talk to someone? Of a particular faith?


To be honest twilight, I don't think that past lives are any different from current ones and that you can receive help through normal channels, such as traditional counselling.


Faith based may be a bit more of a challenge; but if you find the right person, who knows.

My parents have been arguing against a counselor unfortunately but instead they are thinking of sending me to adult social group. Unfortunately it seems that my low self esteem maybe severing me from reality. Although my unofficial girlfriend seems to fit the bill as the right person but it'll take a couple of years before she can get involved in such matters; mostly because of college and age but I hope things get better


I was originally going to see if I could get an explanation for this whole Anti-Christ issue. For the longest time my subconscious has been calling me a Christ and recently Anti-Christ has showed up.

 

[BriarRose]

Do you think you are being severed from reality? Is the kind of group your parents want you to join a support group? One of my children is your age - it's important for the young person to give feedback, and I know your parents must be sensitive to that. Being around other people with similar situations is good - that is why we are all here!

 

[Twilight]

Do you think you are being severed from reality? Is the kind of group your parents want you to join a support group? One of my children is your age - it's important for the young person to give feedback, and I know your parents must be sensitive to that. Being around other people with similar situations is good - that is why we are all here!

Idk, I don't know for sure anymore. I'm not quite sure however I get to talk with other Autistic Adults, walk around and have snacks.

 

[BriarRose]

That sounds like fun - especially the snacks. I go anywhere for snacks.

 

[Mere Dreamer]

*laughing* The snacks sound good, and the opportunity to befriend new people is always interesting also. I wish you well, Twilight.


Just remember, what we learn from how others see us is always about them in combination with who we are. I have learned a lot about myself from others, but it isn't always what they thought I needed to learn.

 

[Twilight]

That sounds like fun - especially the snacks. I go anywhere for snacks.

*laughing* The snacks sound good, and the opportunity to befriend new people is always interesting also. I wish you well, Twilight.
Just remember, what we learn from how others see us is always about them in combination with who we are. I have learned a lot about myself from others, but it isn't always what they thought I needed to learn.

LOL Thanks ^_^ I guess it would be a good opportunity to set my mind off the past