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Validations

Ailish

Administrator Emerita
validation
1: the act of validating; finding or testing the truth of something 2: the cognitive process of establishing a valid proof

In general, validation is the process of checking if something satisfies a certain criterion. Also, it implies being able to testify that a solution or process is correct or compliant with set standards or rules.

I have no desire to "prove" the existence of past life recall to the fanatical skeptic, since I feel the literature on the subject is replete with such proof. I have been thinking more about the many people today who are interested in experiencing past life memories for themselves. Most of them come here wanting to know if their memories are real.

There are a number of indications, according to researchers, that a past life memory, whether spontaneously recalled or found under hypnosis, is an accurate recollection. First, there are the emotions evoked by the experience. These powerful feelings can be an indication that a past life memory is accurate.

Other validations occur when individuals have automatic, unthinking responses during their sessions that are historically correct -- and can be verified by research. While such historical proof may be beyond the reach of many people – and historically speaking, accurate records are hard to find before a certain time period -- it is not difficult to examine such things as clothing, architecture, diet, and technology to find historical parallels.

Another type of validation of past life memories occurs when we meet people who have shared our past life experiences and remembers them the way we do. ;)

We are all responsible for using common sense when delving into past lives. The point is....if you are looking at the life honestly -- you are focused on the perspective, not on romanticizing it.

It’s definitely a balance thing, imo. It's about believing in yourself -- and your memories, but also it's about not letting go completely of all skepticism. When a past life seems questionable, question it. Places, names, cultural clues are easily verifiable with a little work and determination.

I am curious – and wondering how all of you feel about validating your past life memories? What do you do personally to validate your memories? How much verifiable evidence do you need before accepting your memories as truth?


Ailish :)
 
What a wonderful thread. Many of us, in our rush to be able to have our beliefs proven, probably accept less than solid evidence as proof positive. I may be as guilty as anyone in this. I've only had bits and pieces of several disjointed vivid dreams, and a few Flashes, which I've always called Imprinting.

I like to think/believe that I know myself well enough that I can tell when a dream or memory is mere entertainment, and when it might well be real. Since I've meditated for close to 40 years, I like to think I have the "experience" needed to know one way or another. But the reality is that we'll never have 100% proof, which makes careful validation all the more important. So again, thanks for a needed reminder to all of us that wishful thinking isn't enough. I for one will keep better journal notes, and look closer at the "evidence".

John
 
Thank you Ailish for starting an interesting thread! :thumbsup:

I agree with John that it's pretty easy to know inside yourself when something you've seen/remembered is real, not a fantasy. But for this you have to have a critical way of thinking by nature. It's good to be open, but if you're a very trusting and open person, then you should look for other validation than just your own feelings.

I find it quite easy to trust my PL dreams, because they are so different from regular dreams and I'm not in charge of them so to speak. I've learned to trust a lot of things I see in regression/meditation, too, but sometimes I doubt whether I'm making myself to see things I've assumed beforehand for example.

And in any case I always want to have validation if it's possible. Like the things Ailish mentioned: historical facts, clothing, architecture etc. Another great thing is sharing memories with someone else. It's very convincing for me.

I don't need proof of reincarnation per se and I'm not very interested in explaining my personal experiences to a skeptic. But having a nature of a researcher and loving history there are not many things I enjoy better than following the leads I've got in a dream or meditation to find out whether they really are possible.

To answer your last question, Aili, I think to be really sure of a past life of mine I should be able to find the persons with the names I remember that have lived in a place I remember. There are not many past lives I've had that I remember with this much detail and I haven't got that much proof of any of them. But if I've got validations both from history and from someone I've shared a life with, I'm pretty sure it all did happen. If I "just" remember and most things seem to fit the general atmosphere in that era and culture, it's still enough for me to think it's very much possible those memories are real (if I have "that feeling" and strong emotions thinking about that life).

It's possible my intuition has sometimes been wrong when I've thought I've had a certain kind of life, but so far none of the "strong" memories have proved false.

Karoliina
 
At this point, I don't feel the need for any kind of validation at all. I just seem to know within myself that the dreams are past life related and I take it for truth.
However, it doesn't really matter to me whether they are actually past lives (even though I believe they are). The fact remains that the dreams are different so it must be something I'm supposed to take notice of. So, I pay attention and it doesn't really matter what the dreams are as long as I'm paying attention.
I also haven't had a lot of memories or any memories with enough detail that they could be researched, so I don't really know what I'd do or how I'd feel with memories like that.
Vicky
 
HI Aili,

One of the things I have learned over the years, is that beliefs are based on experiential reality. They have validity to the 'believer'. Reincarnation is a 'belief' that the soul returns, life time after life time, and although I have found many people who have experienced memories during regressions, dreams and or visions - it remains 'valid' only for the person who has had the experience.

It is difficult to express things that cannot be "seen" by others. Past life experiences are one of those things.

For me, validation is very important. But not to the point of proving it to anyone else - but me. ;) I love research. I also have been blessed with many different kinds of experiences. When I look at the experiences objectively and research ancient texts and modern physics - not to mention new research in the paranormal; I get a bigger picture about my reality, who I am - and more importantly - why I am .

Past life dreams, spontaneous experiences, meditations, shared experiences, out of body experiences, visions, - all play a part in the bigger picture. So for me - it isn't JUST validating past life experiences; it's about the integration of all of these experiences in order to better understand the implications that past life recall carries with it.
 
Awesome replies, everyone! :D

I'll have to admit -- that when I was really young "validating" my experiences was never that important to me. I felt very much -- that what I saw, was good enough.

I've been having memories since I was a small child -- and like you, John, feel confident in my ability to make the distinction between past life and ordinary dreams -- or to clearly understand the information I receive in meditations.

I can pinpoint the moment "validations" became important to me -- I received what to me is -- real validation -- in the form of the journal my grandma had kept when I was younger. Much of it corresponded to the memories I was experiencing/had experienced at that point in time.

After that initial taste of validation -- I was hooked. Now I like to find out everything I can -- especially about the lives that are historically more difficult to research. I like a good challenge. : angel

Like the rest of you, I feel that my memories are good enough for me, and I certainly don't have to "prove" anything to anyone -- but what an amazing feeling when you get something right...and the proof is right in front of you. :D

I also have Deborah to thank for my fairly newfound interest in ancient texts and quantum science -- in relation to reincarnation and knowing my true self. It's all coming together in a very interesting way. ;) Definitely check out the books she's recommended -- they're phenomenal.

Aili
 
Always happy to share with you Ailish. :D

You are very lucky to have a grandma that kept a journal about what you said as a child. What an awesome form of validation. It shows how important keeping journals is - not only to the parents - but also the child who will grow up someday. :)

Does anyone else have thoughts about validating their past life memories?
 
Validation is everything...

It is very easy to: be sure of something, to have an instinct, a "gut feeling", or to use your intuition; and to still be wrong!

Similarly, it is not unusual to bring up an old dusty memory from your current lifetime and to be incorrect about many things of which you're certain. And since memories of past lifes are inherently harder to access than those (after about age 3) in one's present lifetime, it is perhaps even more likely that important details will be missed or inaccurate. For these reasons alone, it is important to validate anything that can be from a past life. The lessons learned from past lives, both about the individual, and about how life itself works, are too important to be trusted exclusively to a mere sense of "it feels right".

"Skeptic" is an adjective with which I would proudly describe myself. We are the filter that prevents unproven theories from being universally accepted as facts. Yes, there are people in the skeptic movement who use the term to mean automatic disbelief rather than searching for proof, but they are just as guilty of an intellectual shortfall as are the "true believers" -- since they are willing to disbelieve based on faith.

I have been fortuneate enough to have clear, verifiable reincarnative memories. These have allowed me to bypass the question of "if" and move forward to "how", "where", "what" and perhaps even "why" reincarnation is. However my personal experiences are only a single datum, and are not of scientific value unless taken as part of a body of evidence. For this reason, it is useful to collect and study verfiable cases and to look for patterns that can show reincarnation in a scientifically valid way. Only then will the process of reincarnation garner the serious scientific study that is needed for us all to understand it better.

...Rod
 
Some good advice there Rod. While we all have to judge for ourselves, it's never a good idea to jump to conclusions without some degree of validation. Too often wishful thinking can influence a gut instinct.

John
 
Does anyone else have anything to add regarding how they feel about validating their past life memories? What do you do personally to validate your memories? How much verifiable evidence do you need before accepting your memories as truth?



Aili
 
Ailish said:
Does anyone else have anything to add regarding how they feel about validating their past life memories? What do you do personally to validate your memories? How much verifiable evidence do you need before accepting your memories as truth?

In my case, I started from the premise that I wasn't who I remembered being. And I set out to prove it.

Every memory, of whatever type, meant a trip back to the history books, documentaries, and other evidence. Some of them I couldn't validate with a historical record-like the farewell conversation with Gudrun. In cases where I couldn't sort out which parade or which inspection, I could only measure their consistency with historical records.

The memory triggered by the picture, that I posted about yesterday, is clearly validated-I have a picture of that moment that is entirely consistent with the sensations and the emotions which appear in the photo.

When I got to the point where I accepted that reincarnation happens and got my memories back, I developed more confidence in the memories of the type I was already familiar with, primarily audio-visual, emotional, and knowledge.

I had one surface yesterday, only the second bit of xenoglossy, ever. That's new, so that has to be validated because I don't know how xenoglossy works.

I was wondering what the corporatespeak euphemism in German was for what I have recently started referring to as "the Organization". And the word, "Gemeinschaft" popped into my head.

I don't speak German, and haven't been able to learn it (I have had a major mental block against the language so that I couldn't pronounce it correctly, or even parse it into words when people speak it, the people at work might as well be speaking Klingon). I looked it up in a colleague's German/English dictionary, and found that it is the German word for 'organization', see also "team" and "community".

What I haven't validated is whether or not it was euphemism that was used internally to refer to the Organization, or if the query just returned a direct translation of the word itself.

That's going to take some digging. If it checks out, I'll have more confidence in those type of language memories. If it doesn't...I've already accepted that it was the direct translation of the word itself, and that the mental block against the language is thinning. It would be handy to have a built in English/German dictionary.

Phoenix
 
That's pretty interesting, Phoenix. I've had that type of thing happen (with German). One of the movies or documentaries I was watching (for the life of me, I can't remember what it was now, as it's been awhile and *lots* have passed my eyes since then) had someone writing (in German) on a chalk board. I told my husband: "that means such and such" ... I then realized after a couple seconds that I had no idea how I knew that and looked at him and he was just staring at me like this: :confused: so I just responded with: :eek: *L* It happens -- though I wish it would pull entirely because I'd love to be able to read/research some of the websites in Deutsche.
 
MoonDansyr said:
I wish it would pull entirely because I'd love to be able to read/research some of the websites in Deutsche.

I just hope mine doesn't happen at the wrong time. Everyone at work knows I don't speak German.


Phoenix
 
Validation isn’t important to me but I have always felt excitement when I was able to validate PLs – if only to myself. What is validation to myself would not be considered validation to the world at large.

My example on this is when I was eight years old. I was in the backyard braiding clover into necklaces and bracelets. The present faded out and I was viewing a meadow with purplish mountains beyond. There was a collection of wagons - a wagon train, only not the pretty Conestoga wagons in the movies. It was pretty ragged. I found myself sitting in the meadow braiding something. People were shouting my name – Bob. I looked up and saw a herd of horses galloping toward me in a thunder of hooves. I tried to stand up to run, but I couldn’t move fast enough. Then I was up above looking down at the horses running over my body. No pain – just astonishment. Then I was back again in my own backyard.

In 1969 my husband and I took a car trip from Arizona to the Glacier National Park in Montana. Our route took us on a road leading to Missoula. The road led around a meadow and there were purplish mountains in the background. I had a funny déjà vu feeling. It all came flooding back. I understood things about my present lifetime. For instance, my father in this lifetime was also my father then. I realized why in this lifetime he insisted I wear good sturdy shoes - big clunky shoes when I had always wanted penny loafers. By the time we reached Montana in the wagon train life, the children had outgrown and outworn their shoes.

I feel my past life flashback (or vision) when I was eight years old had been validated well enough for my own use.
 
Hi Taylor,

Thank you for sharing! I really enjoyed reading about your memories and personal validations.

I hope you'll share some more of your memories with us. :D



Aili
 
Hi all,


I just wanted to share a few validations I got in the last few days while reading a book on Ancient Egypt. One of those I already wrote about here (post 13).

I remember a second life in Egypt, in a later period I guess. In this life I was a male. I wrote some memories of that life here.

Now, in this book I am reading, there was a description of a wab (reader). This was the lowest category of priests, and their clothing was somewhat different from that of the real priests. The wab was a part-time priest, who usually served about a month per year. While the other priests wore leopard or panter skins, a wab wore some kind of sash, which I think might be the 'tunica' I was describing - the feeling of a V-shaped collar and the wide armholes (if it was a sjerp, it probably only covered the chest, and left the back naked, and that is why I had this feeling of wide armholes).
I now believe the episode I described in my original post, could have been an initiation to become a full time priest, which might have scared me, maybe I didn't feel quite worthy?

I remember also a scene where I was 'polishing' the statue of the goddess Hathor.
In the book I read that 3 times a day the statue of the god or goddess was cleaned - by the priest -of the oils and ointments etc that were put on it in a ritual that was performed 3 times a day - in the morning, at midday, and in the evening, before the god 'went to sleep again'.

Further information I found on the internet :
It appears that all members of the priesthood began with the level of Wab (w'b) (Watterson 1998.78), a term meaning "pure" (Collier 1998.153). The Wab (Wabet (w'bt) for priestesses (Shafer 1997.11)) were concerned with the cleanliness of the ritual area and items. Beyond physical purity, as a contemporary temple we feel that the Wab and Wabet control the psychic purity of the temple as well. As such one of the first things a Wab or Wabet is taught are rituals of protection, cleansing and consecration. In ancient times the Wab generally were not allowed in the inner sanctuary (Wilkinson 2000.91). Rather the training of a Wab or Wabet began with performing many of the lesser ritual functions of the temple (Shafer 1997.11). However, with experience the Wab and Wabet were elevated to higher positions (Wilkinson 2000.91, Watterson 1998.78-79). The next step for the Wab or Wabet would be elevation to the position of Great Wab/et (w'b ‘3), or Senior Wab (Lesko 1999.242, Shafer 1997.11). These people led the other Wab in their ritual duties (Shafer 1997.11). The Wab level appears to have been a preparatory level of the priesthood used for the training of the higher ranks
(http://www.hwt-hrw.com/page6.php).

Priests were required to wear white linen garb and sandals. Wool was considered as unclean and could not be worn as it came from live beings and could transfer impurity/uncleanliness. It seems that the priesthood had dressed in the same way since the earliest times, in some instances with specific details added, showing what function they filled. As examples : Sem-priests (funerary priests) could be defined by the panther skin they wore, and in early Dynasties (Dyn 3) they even wore a side-lock-of-youth.Lector priests wore a sash across their chests, and the High Priest at Mennefer (Memphis) had a specially formed collar and a side lock.

(( no longer available ))

For me those were nice validations of my memories:)

Eevee
 
Nice validations, indeed, Eevee. :thumbsup:

I saw once in an Ancient Egyptian PL flash two men that I knew were of high rank. They had dark skin and they wore white garments, but I think it was more like a toga but tighter, tied around the other shoulder. I was still a young boy and wore something of orange colour.

At least viciers wore that kind of clothing (the men did) in Ancient Egypt, I found out later. It's been a while and I can't remember which kingdom or period it was, but it's somewhere in my notes... :rolleyes:

Karolina
 
Those are some wonderful validations, Eevee! :thumbsup:

Thanks for sharing!


Aili
 
This thread has brought up some interesting thoughts for me. I have never really sought validation for my dreams and intuitions. I have always been around people who do not believe in such things. I have learned to keep my mouth shut so I don't appear "weird" or "crazy" because I believe things people around me do not even consider possible.

I still have never researched any of my memories to see if any of them can be verified historically. I think I am afraid to "make them real" because it would confirm that I am weird, or in other people's eyes it may just "confirm" that I was making it up because I had researched it to make it sound real. But if it turned out that I couldn't confirm anything, I would be crazy.

Some time ago, I shared a dream I had that took place in the era of silent movies but also involved a motorcycle. Someone else here looked it up and discovered that those two could have gone together, even though I had discounted it because I thought motorcycles were more recent. It hadn't occured to me that I could have looked it up myself.

In a way, these dreams feel like they are a part of me. In another way, I just don't want to know. :confused:
 
Hi traveler,

I think I am afraid to "make them real" because it would confirm that I am weird, or in other people's eyes it may just "confirm" that I was making it up because I had researched it to make it sound real. But if it turned out that I couldn't confirm anything, I would be crazy.

Imo -- validation is a personal thing. It's not something that has to be shared with anyone. It's something you do for yourself -- if you choose. ;) What other people have to say -- doesn't really matter. There are always going to be people who listen and believe you -- and those that are skeptical. All that matters -- is that your experiences are yours and what you take from them and learn from them helps you to grow.

Validating my experiences is also something that I've done only after gathering lots of information from dreams and meditations. I personally prefer to have a large base of information to work with before I start searching -- so I know that I wasn't influenced by anything other than what I know.

You will know when -- and if -- validating your experiences becomes important to you.

Best of luck,
Aili
 
Eevee - thank you for sharing such great experiences with us.
I now believe the episode I described in my original post, could have been an initiation to become a full time priest, which might have scared me, maybe I didn't feel quite worthy?
Eevee, you are worthy - in many ways. Specifically from the heart. ;)
 
Thank you, Deborah, for your kind words.


(((((Deborah)))))

Love,


Eevee
 
I am not a new member; I am a member that rarely posts. :rolleyes: Regardless, I agree with what the previous members have said, especially Karoliina and Phoenix.
 
Something that has always "validated" my memories, other than just the actual feeling of reality of my memories, is on many occasions i have remembered exact dates. meaning day, month, weekday, and year. of which always corrosponds with an actual date. They have occurred from viewing calendars, and even a newspaper on one occasion. Although i dont need validation, its still nice to see something as real as a date be proven.
 
I'm never going to know for certain, at least in this life, so I consider validation a bit of a fool's errand (for me). For me, studying reincarnation is exploring possibilities, but I don't want it to degenerate into a dogma. So I'm not seeking proof.


I have my deep convictions, that there is something more. What, I know not.


Lonewolf
 
Deborah said:
HI Aili,
One of the things I have learned over the years, is that beliefs are based on experiential reality. .
I like that Deborah --- ie "experiential reality" .


That is how I see validation. I can know something through a memory but it is that finer spiritual thing that most people will not experience as reality until they actually embrace it themselves. For I cannot explain my healing through past life therapy myself.


And in that experience I would include the important times of reaching out and finding validation through sharing . It is not just the knowing but also the actions and directions taken. I have found these times of listening to my heart as well as my mind as a necessary part of my journey .. It brings me closer to those people in my past through giving direction to our future karma.


I need to remain open to what God has planned for me, not let my way get blocked by karmic road blocks , ie my perceptions as well as others based on experiences in the past.


SOulfriendly
 
For new members - my original question still stands:

What do you do personally to validate your memories? How much verifiable evidence do you need before accepting your memories as truth?
Hope to hear from you :)
 
For me validation doesn't involve other people believing me. I do believe I have one validated past life memory and I personally believe I was this person. However, it's not something that I want to share with anyone else--I share my memories, but not my identity from that time. Being validated (to myself) is pretty important to me. I like to know that my memories have solid facts behind them and honestly, I really love to research things, so it does give me that opportunity. I don't, however, think that validation is necessary for everybody. It's such an individual things and I think that for some people, it's not necessary whatsoever--they know their memories are true regardless of anything else.
 
Sarque,


I am in complete agreement with your comment.


I think knowing in your own mind/soul is ALL that matters.


It is good that SOME people feel compelled to 'go public'. Though frankly I feel Dr Ian Stevenson's work is SO utterly conclusive that if people do not accept that as proof, that reincarnation is a reality, they never will.


Like you, I will share my memories, but not my identity, in a public space. Not, as you said to me in a PM, this life, OR past life. I am just not comfortable with that.


I think it is very much an individual thing. How up front anyone cares to be about either a verified p/l or who they are now, this life, in public, especially on the net.


Maxine
 
For me personally, validation is just the 'icing on the cake'. Like others before me have said, it's the 'knowing' inside that really matters. For me, verifying a past life memory with facts is a hobby, a bit like geneology, some people like to trace their ancestry, it takes a lot of hard work and patience, you already know that they existed, but curiosity compels you to find out who they were, ultimately there's little point to it all other than to satisfy your own interest, but you can still gain a great deal of personal satisfaction when you see the facts in front of you in black and white. But if you fail to find any evidence at all, although disappointing, it doesn't really matter, because you still 'know', whether it be geneology or reincarnation..... that person existed :)
 
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