When people die, is it true that they have a next life? Why do they forget their previous life?

Answer 1

This can be a touchy subject. Despite the fact that I am an atheist, I do have spiritual beliefs, and one of them is reincarnation. I meditate regularly, and from this has come my personal philosophy on the subject. What follows is my opinion only. If you find it helpful, great. If not, that's fine too. Hopefully someone will.

Our body and mind are merely the vehicles that carry us through each incarnation. The mind operates on two levels: the conscious level and the subconscious level. The conscious level is where we interact with the outside world. It is the realm of experience. The subconscious level is where the mind interfaces with the immortal part of ourselves which some would call our soul.

During life, the conscious principle dominates, and we accumulate many experiences, all of which have something to teach us. Until we learn the lesson of an experience, it stays with us in the form of a memory.

The subconscious deals mainly with these memories. It operates below the level of consciousness. Most of us are so involved in day-to-day life that we are not even aware of its function... but it is indeed active. The role of the subconscious is to "translate" the experiences in our memory into their ultimate spiritual meaning and to transmit this to the immortal soul. Once the lesson of an experience is truly internalized in this way, the memory of that experience is no longer needed, and so it is lost - both consciously and subconsciously. This is why we forget distant experiences: they no longer have a lesson to teach us.

After death, we enter another state of existence, one that some Buddhists call the bardo. In this state, the roles of the conscious and subconscious reverse. The subconscious principle becomes dominant, processing the experiences of our life and internalizing their meanings. The conscious mind takes a back seat, and new experiences pretty much cease (obviously, since we literally lose our senses at death.)

In both life and death, the soul percieves the unconscious mind as a storehouse of unknown wisdom. When this storehouse is empty, the soul percieves that there is nothing else to learn. So, in the bardo state, as these memories are processed and forgotten, we feel a surge of great knowledge and power, as if we know and understand all there is to know.

But, until we truly realize our enlightened nature, that feeling of universal knowledge is accompanied by a great emptiness - a craving for MORE. It is our desire to fill that emptiness that leads to rebirth. At that time, we return to a new life, but since our memories have all been processed, they are mostly gone. The soul enters a body, and the conscious and subconscious gradually reverse their roles again. (Sometimes, a truly enlightened soul enters a body by choice rather than by chance, seeking to guide more people to enlightenment. For such individuals, there is perfect communication between the soul, the subconscious, and the consciousness - they may recall previous life experiences.)

One other thing I should mention. The subconscious mind works both ways. It not only translates experience into wisdom, but - if we are in tune with the subconscious - it also translates wisdom back into experience. This is the source of the deja-vu experience: a certain situation reminds us at the soul level of a lesson already learned, so the soul "feeds back" that lesson to the subconsious, which is then played out in experience, almost simultaneously. The familiarity of the situation isn't from the exact circumstances, but rather from the specific theme it shares in common with the lesson already learned. Usually the purpose is to convey that wisdom to other people who still need it.

Sorry for the long-winded answer, but thanks for asking the question.

Answer 2

A child is distracted by all that he discovers. Toddlers are god-like from the start. They point and people lift them as if flying. They have tantrums when those under them do not fulfill their wishes, his people must suffer his wrath. Then the child grows and his people no long fulfill his wishes without asking. The more he grows the more he forgets where he came from. The child grows away from God, the man grows toward God.

Some people forget, others retain memory.
Your past affects your future whether you know it or not.

http://www.near-death.com/
http://www.near-death.com/experiences/research01.html
http://www.near-death.com/experiences/research35.html

Answer 3

My tradition believes in reincarnation. We believe that we are born again and again until we are ready to reunite with God. The reason we don't remember is because we go unconscious between lives. The personality of this life fades away and then we get a new personality and body for our soul each time.

Answer 4

I do believe in reincarnation, and that we do carry memories from one life to another. Some people have phobias that are carry overs from a past life. If you were killed in a past life from a fall, you could have a morbid fear of heights, If you were killed by a snake...well you know. Past life regressions can elevate these fears.

Answer 5

i'm specific you're a gorgeous female that it can be a shame for the international to lose. do no longer kill your self. i understand the way plenty you're hurting, yet once you incredibly love him you will prefer him to be satisfied too. If he loves somebody else, won't he be thrilled together with her? in case you kill your self, won't this harm him? won't he blame himself? attempt to be satisfied in the understanding that he's doing nicely and powerful.

Answer 6

Flux,
According to the Bible, the rich man wanted to go back to warn his brothers of what was to come. Thus, there is memory after we have died. We will go to a place and await the Judgement of CHRIST. Have a great week.
Thanks,
Eds


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Answer 7

No past life. No future life. Only this life. Enjoy.

Answer 8

Not everyone does.

Love and blessings Don

Answer 9

Are you asking a Christian?

GOD bless