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Do you get to choose?

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newstartonlife

New Member
I did a search and could not find any posts relating to this. Do you get to choose what life you want to be reincarnated into? (I'm guessing not because I can't imagine why someone would choose some of the lives that exist, but I'm curious.)
 
I have learned not to try and control things too much.. ie be careful what you ask for.. We can have tunnel vision when it comes to knowing what is best for ourselves.


I figure I will always need some direction from those wiser than I and we do meet these people in the bardo after death.. so I plan on being a better listener next time around.. and asking for some input.. :thumbsup:


soulfreindly
 
Thank you for your response but I think you misunderstood my question. I am wondering if it is possible for one to choose who they are reincarnated as after they die. I have a few people in mind who I might like to be reincarnated as.
 
Hi newstartonlife, welcome to the forum :)


I believe we do have a certain amount of input as to who we will reincarnate as, and what kind of life we will come back to, but I don't think it's a matter of choosing whichever kind of life takes our fancy, otherwise nearly everybody alive today would be leading an extravagant life, there would be no poverty, no suffering etc.


I think that after we die, we spend some time on the 'other side', maybe with our spirit guides, where together we look at the 'bigger picture', we review the life that we've just lived, together with all our lives prior to that, and then we determine what kind of life would next be of some benefit to our soul growth. I believe that is why, for example, some souls choose to be born into a life of poverty or abuse, because there are lessons to be learned from every situation, good or bad, it wouldn't make any sense for us to want that kind of life while in our human form.


Chris :)
 
Hello newstartonlife,


interesting question!


Doctor Michael Newton wrote two books about the period of time our soul spends in between two lives.


Apparently we do choose our next life, our next body, but a soul's choice is not as selfish as a person's choice in our material world.


In other words we choose our next life according to the lessons we still have to learn, the ones we haven't learned yet and other unfinished businesses.


All souls have a spiritual guide who helps them understanding the meaning of life and guides them through the growing process that takes place in between lives.


Apparently we tend to reincarnate within the same group of souls, but this is not necessarily our family.


I hope I offered you a possible view on the subject!


Oh, and if you're interested here are the books:


"Journey of souls" "Destiny of souls" by Michael Newton
 
choosing your new self


My son just recently passed away (2 weeks ago), he was only one. I am praying every day to God that he will see it fit to return my son in a body of a new baby. I really hope that the soul does have a little say over where they would like to go, because I would do anything to have my son's precious soul back to our family. If you get any good answers to your question, please let me know too. Because I am eager to find the answer to your question as well.
 
Hi newstartonlife,


The links and books that have been suggested above will be a wonderful read and well worth your time.


As far as I know, many cases of Past Life awareness by some children in the West seem to indicate that they have often chosen their parent or parents.


As indicated by ChrisR and purple in the above replies, some people, during their sojourns between lives, do have choices based on their karmic needs. However, their choices would be based upon the knowledge they have gained through many lifetimes. In such circumstances they are much more knowledgeable than they were in life; and they might choose either a difficult life, or one in which they would have the means to help other people. I would compare it to a student in college, who purposely chooses the kind and number of classes that might help them to graduate more quickly.


Some people feel that they will always have a choice, regardless of who they are; and others feel that some souls don't have any choice. Then there are those who believe that it is a choice solely based upon their past karma. Those who have abused their previous life must accept the karma that is given to them for the next life. In other words, if one abuses it, they loose it. For example, if someone liked to make fun of the handicapped, they might come back to the next life with a handicap.


All of this, of course, is conjecture on my part, based only on the many cases I've read about. Karma appears to be the keystone of reincarnation. Some souls know they must choose a difficult scenario, while other souls may choose to have either a difficult scenario or an easy one.


I personally have never read of someone choosing to go back in time to be Frederick the Great, or Mother Teresa. But, if there is no such thing as time in the next dimension; I would suppose that such a thing might be possible.


Who would you like to come back as?


-Nightrain
 
Thank you for all of your helpful and interesting responses! Wendy, I hope your baby returns to you.


Is this body, this life, the exclusive property of my soul, or might other souls relive it after I am done with it?
 
Personally, I do not believe that lives can be relived. Once the physical body is gone, it's gone. I don't believe that someone can go back in time and live a life as Abraham Lincoln. Are you concerned about another soul using your body?
 
I believe that you have "some" control of who your parents are and once you are born it is up to you how it turns out.
 
I believe that as well. I was actually having this discussion with my boyfriend last night, and he disagrees. He doesn't believe that we have any choice in the matter, that it is almost "random", if you will.


But I don't really believe in randomness, I guess, I always thought everything happens for a reason.


I do know a psychic, and most of what she told me ended up being true. But what I found interesting was one of her comments about my past life (she didn't tell me too much, because it was up to me to figure it out). She said that because of the great poverty I had lived in before, I had "chosen" a life of more affluence in this life.


Which, considering the knowledge I have of my most recent life, makes sense.


I also believe in the idea of choosing one's parents, especially if there is something that needs to be worked out from previous lives. That is why I suspect I have the same mother in this life, and my most recent past life.
 
I believe that choosing your next life is a team effort between yourself and God. When you are in spirit form and not tied to the physical pleasures of this world, it is probably easier to see what the best path is for your spiritual growth.


Why wouldn't more souls choose affluent lives? They may be counterproductive for what it is you are trying to achieve spiritually. I doubt there is much to be learned in luxury. Those who have competed in sports knows that you learn much more in defeat than you do in victory.
 
You make a very interesting point, TS. The thought occurred to me that choosing a life full of comfort, fame and fortune might be something that some people might need to work through. Everybody tends to want fame and fortune, but I think few of us realize what a responsibility and burden such things would carry with them. It's likely that virtuous but tortured souls may choose a comfortable life as a needed break. But, consider what happens to lottery winners when everyone finds out about one's good fortune. I've heard of relatives and friends having the most incredible expectations, when there is suddenly more than enough money for just one family. Needy people would constantly be on their doorstep expecting help of some kind. And relatives would often begin to actually plot against them and each other to get close to that lucky person. Fame and fortune can make one a prisoner in their own home. Think of all the employees one would need for financial and physical protection, correspondence, legal, medical and general advice. One would have to choose employees, advisors and contractors very carefully, or else everything could be lost in a New York minute.


I don't think that I've ever outwardly rejected money or personal popularity; but I do remember having serious concerns about not wanting to have too much, because I know that I'm overly generous, and would have put my sons on the wrong path. It would have also enabled them to have much more dangerous boy-toys that would likely have gotten them killed. They take enough chances now as it is without adding airplanes, speed boats, and racing cars. I also tend to shy away from anything that would attract attention, in spite of the fact that I have utterly failed to do so a few times too many. For one thing, the phone never stops ringing; and there are always "friends", extended family members, and strangers who are secretly full of spite and resentment, and would do anything to seize control or take it all away. There have been times that I just wanted to be alone in an Arizona Desert looking for minerals with only a dog and a horse for company. Having great power and resources scares the living daylights out of me, because I would be forced toward violence in order to protect those things, as well as one's family.


A philosophy professor once posed an interesting question, "What would you want to be in a next life?" The answer came to some students quickly, but others became dumbfounded trying to decide, because there were so many drawbacks to everything they considered. I also remember a comedy film, a few years ago, based on the premise that the principle character could choose to be whatever he wanted to be. He went from experience to experience finding himself in terrible circumstances each time, until he learned to accept who he really was.


I think it's possible to learn some valuable lessons on any path, whether comfortable or not. I also suspect that we learn many of our lessons vicariously by watching other people in their struggles. Perhaps the only real rest and comfort one can find will likely be between lives.


-Nightrain
 
Truthseeker said:
Personally, I do not believe that lives can be relived. Once the physical body is gone, it's gone. I don't believe that someone can go back in time and live a life as Abraham Lincoln. Are you concerned about another soul using your body?
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No, I want to put my soul in other people's bodies. To be fair, it is for human reasons but still.

PrivateTucker said:
That is why I suspect I have the same mother in this life, and my most recent past life.
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So you have a sibling who you believe shares the same soul as you?

Nightrain1 said:
...
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This is true... I used to think death would bring an end to one's suffering but ever since I found out about reincarnation and all of the evidence of it it seems that suffering is completely inescapable no matter what. :(
 
So you have a sibling who you believe shares the same soul as you?


I guess I wasn't clear- what I meant to say was that my mother in this life was also my mother in my past life.
 
I think it's odd to assume a life of fame and wealth would be easy and there would be nothing to learn. On the contrary, I think there would in most cases be loads to learn for the Essence. Besides there would still be relationships with other people, and I think those are probably the most trying battlefields for our spiritual progress.


Living in poverty certainly has its challenges, but if a lifetime is focused on survival, I think there is little space for "higher" philosophy, which is a luxury we most Westerners have. I believe there are lessons to every lifetime, but they can be different depending on the surroundings and conditions to them.


I don't think wealth has much to do in deciding what kind of life would be "easy", but probably you would need to have enough for not having to worry daily about your income. Other than that I think physical and mental health along with emotional balance, and lasting, loving relationships would be some of the key fragments to an "easy" lifetime.


Karoliina
 
Karoliina said:
I don't think wealth has much to do in deciding what kind of life would be "easy"
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You're right, it's not fair to assume that everyone who is financially secure has an "easy" life. If a person runs a business (or several), they would certainly have a lot more responsibility than the average person. There are challenges that rise up in life no matter what income bracket you're in. Obviously wealth can make it easier to overcome certain obsticles. What I was getting at before was - why wouldn't people always choose easy lifetimes (assuming "easy" included having all your financial needs met)? Because I have a hard time imagining much being learned from "easy."
The more I think about it, aside from the family we are born into, and certain extreme conditions like being handicapped or ill, is there any such thing as chosing an "easy" or "hard" life. Life is life. It will never be perfect because people are imperfect. The challenges I've had in my life are not unique, and most of them are the result of choices I've made, not because it's a "hard" life. Over the long run, I don't think my life is any easier or harder than most of the people I come in contact with. They've got their headaches in life, I've got mine.


Anyone else have thoughts on this?
 
newstartonlife said:
No, I want to put my soul in other people's bodies. To be fair, it is for human reasons but still.
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This is my personal opinion:


Things don't work like that. Your human body is yours for this lifetime and someone else's human body is theirs for the duration of their lifetime. You don't have rights or access to another's human body ever.


When you are born, your consciousness will enter into a new uninhabited body and become so fully integrated into that body that, for all intents and purposes, you and the human body are the same thing. How else can it be? It is the normal and healthy acceptance of that idea that makes us productive in this lifetime.


The people that I have watched pass on to the next life have left this one with nothing. The only thing they took with them is the love of others, for that is what transcends our earthly existence. Love means everything, material wealth means nothing.


When you return to this world in your next incarnation, you will be starting a new life and probably not remembering the old one. If you do have memories of a previous life, they will not do you much good - you will still have to forge ahead as if you had never lived before. Everything will seem brand new to you and that is a good thing.
 
Truthseeker,


I got what you meant, and I didn't mean to aim my post directly at you. :) It just reminded me of several earlier discussions, where famous or wealthy lives have been deemed easy, dull and even "useless" from a soul's point of view, and lives, where one struggles to survive, somehow noble.


Karoliina
 
Forgive me for a little off-topic digression. I suddenly realized that I might have appeared to challenge or correct someone's contribution to this Forum. Please trust that nothing of the kind is ever intended, and my only desire is to add something of possible value. If anyone ever feels that they are being challenged or put on the spot, please don't take it that way. And, for the record, I won't find anyone else's comments as a personal criticism -- especially, if it helps to correct or refine whatever I've written. It is understood that this Forum, like anything, is a work in progress, and that debating is never intended to be anything other than helpful. No one here should feel the need to say, "Oops! I meant to say that!." or "Sorry! I didn't think of that.". Don't apologize for anything; unless, of course, someone goes berzerk and starts shooting people.


-Nightrain
 
Truthseeker said:
Personally, I do not believe that lives can be relived. Once the physical body is gone, it's gone. I don't believe that someone can go back in time and live a life as Abraham Lincoln. Are you concerned about another soul using your body?
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You know, I think I read somewhere in a Sylvia Browne (probably not the most reliable person in the world about the afterlife, but, anyway) book, that once one the other side, she believed that one could look up a particular person, say Abraham Lincoln, and view their life from that person's perspective. However, you wouldn't be able to make different or new choice decisions that happened in that life, because it [that particular life] was already done and over with.


Just a thought..
 
Lessons to be Learned


As many have mentioned on this particular thread, I too believe that each new life we live has a purpose - a focus or lesson of sorts we are to learn as part of our soul's journey.


What I'm wondering is what people think those lessons might be? I guess I'm asking if you think there is some standard - a curriculum, so to speak of essential skills for the soul. Probably that sounds a bit humorous, but I don't intend it to.


I really wonder - are there unlimited lessons to be learned by the soul, some souls requiring more lessons than others? Or are we all working on the same basic ones, though we may be at different stages of the 'soul work'?


Any thoughts? q6gif
 
Hi hadley.


Like you, I believe that our lives have a purpose and further, that we have a life plan or destiny to accomplish - if we can.


These are just my own personal opinions:


I am of two minds on the subject of lessons because sometimes I don't think that there are any lessons to be learned and then sometimes I think that the lesson is to learn to love what has been created - people, nature, everything ... and mostly that is where I am now.


As old as the universe is, wouldn't you think that we would have learned our lessons by now? Maybe we are slow learners. What I personally believe is that we are preparing the Earth for the next generation so that they may build upon our achievements and experience - the next generation being ourselves essentially. If we, the human race, had not spent so much of our Earthly time in war and violence we would undoubtedly be an adventurous space faring people by now and then we would have an entirely new and more advanced set of lessons to learn but what those lessons would be, I have no idea. I don't think that we have been able to get past preschool yet.


It will be interesting to hear what others have to say.
 
Stardis,


Thank you for sharing your thoughts. You mention "as old as the universe is" and I wonder about that. In terms of time, I think what we in this life know of time is probably very different from other existences. I mean, there are stories of people who experience near death experiences and in what is only a few minutes of 'earthly' time, a multitude of things can happen to them. So, the time thing is still a mystery in my mind.


Sometimes I think that the purpose of reincarnation is for our soul/spirit to become one with all others. When we can all align with one another - for the right reasons - that will be heaven. Of course, I haven't figured out exactly how that all will work itself out :freak:, in that sense we're certainly still in preschool. Sometimes a person comes along in the world and I sense that it is a soul who is near to that heavenly existence. The trick is all of us getting there together.


Interesting stuff, thanks again.


hadley
 
newstartonlife said:
I did a search and could not find any posts relating to this. Do you get to choose what life you want to be reincarnated into? (I'm guessing not because I can't imagine why someone would choose some of the lives that exist, but I'm curious.)
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Among the Inuit it is very common for elderly people who are approaching death to proclaim to the family who they will be born as next time around. They will say something like "I will be born as a son to (name of some family member). Look for this scar on my arm."


Very often the child predicted will be born with a birth mark where the past life scar had been, and it is quite common for those children to claim recall of incidents from the past life.


So apparently it's not only possible to choose, it's possible to choose your next life even before you've finished this one.


As with so many things in this field it seems that what you can do is strongly influenced by what you believe you can do.
 
purple said:
Apparently we do choose our next life, our next body, but a soul's choice is not as selfish as a person's choice in our material world.
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This is a topic that was brought up after my NDE. I found it very hard to convey the meaning in a parable sense because most 'mind's' were geared toward the 'human thought' process as opposed the 'knowing' of the soul. (Dancing to the shadows on the cave wall.)


I spoke to my friends just to get an impression of their 'thought' process and where their minds were at in understanding. So, I used theoretical parables. At the time I was into listening to vinyl LP records. The kind with two sides. (Twin concept or A and B side for balance.) I held up a record and told them that each 'track' represented a 'human life.' The groves in between represented the 'in between' when the 'human soul' was silent from the world. (Death.)


I told them the 'identity' of the soul would be the band name. (In this case - Pink Floyd.)


The identity of the theme or album was the 'spirit.' (In this case, "Dark Side of the Moon.")


I then told them the individual human life from physical birth to death was the name of the song. (As an example - "Time.")


I told them the 'soul' created the lives in accordance with the harmony of all of creation including our Creators. It was like a symphony of vibrations that fit together with all others.


I told my friends that all 'souls' and their identities were created at one time. All the souls were created in perfect harmony with Creation. The songs we played on each track were done by the "Masters" who knew how to orchestrate the lives not for individual purposes as much as for the entire scope of Creation.


I equated the 'needle' to the stereo as 'time' itself. Time is defined as 'objects in motion.' Once the record was playing and object put into motion you couldn't stop it and change the order of the songs without changing 'time' itself. Once the album side was put on the turntable and spun - the songs (lives) would play out as intended by the soul from the conception of Creation. The soul was our Master(Teacher) and we (as humans) were it's students.


The whole concept I was trying to discuss with my friends was,


"Are we masters over or souls - or are we (as humans) students of the soul?"


I told my friends that according the 'gnosis' revealed to me in my mystical out of body experience human life only existed in the shadow of time and it was an illusion. Going by the parable I had expressed to them, I told them it was possible that the life we are now living - could have been lived a thousand times before. In infinity and eternity - there is no amount of numbers that can equate the actual number of years our 'souls' have been in existence. There are no such numbers on the other side because time and years do not exist as we understand them here. There is existence but it isn't measured by time.


The song remains the same each and every time. Just as we listen to an album over and over again - the souls of humanity like to listen to the symphony it has created over and over again.


On a human level - this may not make sense to some minds caught up in the human thought process. To the 'soul' itself - it makes perfect sense.


When it comes to a shadow caste upon the 'ground' or material matter, does the shadow control the movement, or is there a body (spirit) causing the movement. Once the "spirit body" is removed, and the 'shadow' ceases to exist, does the 'shadow' choose it's next appearance - or does the 'light' (soul) and the 'spiritual body' (spirit) cause the next appearance of the shadow that incarnates into the world of man?


shadow-dance-with-me-on-friendship-day-3.jpg



Food for thought.


DK
 
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