Why is that we dont we remember our past lives?

Answer 1

Because we are born due to our desires. Until we are pure, selfless and desireless, we can't remember our past lives. Krishna says in the gita that he is born again and again (see ch. 4) and he remembers all his births because he is not born from his own desire but only to help mankind.

find answers to other commonly asked questions about the gita and hinduism at http://www.gitananda.org/young-adults/young-adults.html click on the FAQ tabs.

Answer 2

I have been a Past Life Viewer, meaning I veiw or do past life readings, for several years now. I think that many of us actually do remember our past lives on a minimal level. This remembering is where Deja Vu comes from... you know those moments in time where you feel like you have seen something or been some place or met some person before?

I think that the ability to veiw or remember our pastlives is an ability that everyone has... however I do think that the human mind has a way of PROTECTING us from our own self at times.

Many of the lives I have viewed over the years are not that pretty. I have seen murders, rapes, and many things that are just as painful to remember. I think that each thing that has happened in our past lives, good and bad has helped shape the person we are today.

I don't think it is a matter of we don't remember, but that we have to reach the point where our spirits are strong enough to accept the memories. Once our spirit is mature enough, through many lives, it is then that we start getting glimpses of our past lives, when our soul becomes old and can truly handle all it has been through, then that is when even more of the past is revealed.

I hope this helps.

Warm Blessings

Answer 3

Just IMAGINE- if we remembered our past lives, it would not be conducive for what we want- and that is to enjoy. If we remembered how many times we had love, and thought it would last forever, it would dishearten us. If we remembered how many children we had, whom we loved so much, it would make us feel depressed.

Maha maya helps us to think that we are the controllers, and enjoyers, (this is called illusion). In this way we can believe that we have found "true love" etc etc.

Also when you change your karma drastically, you need a new life with a new fresh slate in order to enjoy or suffer the results of your particular karma.

The important thing that follows the soul through all our lives, is the impressions on the heart. Even though we dont' remember, we have impressions of the suffering and temmporary nature of this world, and it builds up to a point where even a new life will not make it any better for us. At this point, we turn to God fullheartedly, and God gives us the path and the way and much help.
You may have noticed that some people forget life lessons very easily, they go from one rotten relationship to another, make the ssame mistakes over and over etc etc.

This is because the impressions in the heart are not very deep.
Others, have an inclination from the beggining of their lives to remain Brahmacari, or renounced all their lives, and reject the temporary pleasures of this world..
Again I believe this is from the impressions we have in our hearts.


About forgetting, even in this very lifetime we forget, we cannot remember our childhood in full.
This is certainly no indication that we never had a childhood, and because we do not remember our past lives is not an indication that we don't have them.

Answer 4

Don't listen to all the other respondents. Yes, we DO have past lives, and reincarnation is part of the belief system of all the world's major religions EXCEPT Christianity. References to reincarnation, like many other facts, were deliberately left out of the Bible by order of kings and popes of long ago.
To answer your question, the reason why we don't remember past lives is because we have certain missions and lessons to learn in our current lives, and if we DID have memory of past lives we had, it would interfere with living our present lives. It's as simple as that. Our memories of our past lives have been deliberately hidden from us for this reason.
But after the Big Changes and First Open Contact, we will once again remember our past lives.

Answer 5

Generally you are correct, but sometimes when I am trying to connect with the spiritual, I can almost feel that I was once a bird, soaring in the skies. I think that I was once an eagle.

I do not feel this way all of the time; it is only in special moments when I am out it nature.

Answer 6

I don't know that I have any, but you seem to think so and it would be cool if you are right. What makes you think that anyone has had past lives?

Answer 7

It is somehow nature's arrangement and it gives us a so-called new start with new hopes. Also the hurdle of death to birth can be very traumatic and even painful and it is apparently nature's way to help us forget all that pain and suffering. Reincarnation is acknowledged as very real in the Bhagavad Gita.

Answer 8

It saves us from having the past weigh us down.

Forgetting is a blessing. The what we did in a past life does not really matter to the present one.

I remember some of my past lives...but it is usually pointless.

~ Eric Putkonen

Answer 9

There are some people who do. I think that the reason most of us don't is we have no reason to. What purpose would it serve to remember them? We learn from each life, so each life will be a different lesson.

Answer 10

For the lack of Meditation & our attraction to this new world. Before birth every one remember his 108 births but at the time of birth he forgets every thing i.e why the child cries at the time of birth for loosing his memory.