tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post8234026220501396163..comments2024-03-28T21:32:26.550+00:00Comments on Bruce Charlton's Notions: Why is reincarnation so rare?Bruce Charltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09615189090601688535noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-46756018880452054672016-11-09T04:23:17.619+00:002016-11-09T04:23:17.619+00:00@pyrrhus - The future? Tell us more!
Shades of E...@pyrrhus - The future? Tell us more!<br /><br />Shades of Edgar Rice Burroughs' "Moon" trilogy, in which a man of the 20th century relates the fate of the earth in the 21st and beyond as seen by a couple of his future incarnations (who are also descendants of his).360 Decreeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04379887088965313654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-22280378761431855442016-11-06T23:55:02.934+00:002016-11-06T23:55:02.934+00:00I agree with much of the spiritual discussion, but...I agree with much of the spiritual discussion, but having hypnotized and regressed a number of people to more than one past (and in one case, future) life, I must accept that reincarnation is the norm, and that we typically experience many lives for purposes of learning and soul development.pyrrhushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06150605108788285274noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-67687353373043937532016-11-06T16:56:26.299+00:002016-11-06T16:56:26.299+00:00@Sean - That is more or less what I think too. I t...@Sean - That is more or less what I think too. I think we were 'placed' in specific mortal lives, according to need. <br /><br />As for how common reincarnation is - I would guess that the recyling reebooting second-chance type of reincarnation may not allow for memories of the past life; I suppose the previous mortal life experience might be wiped clean and start afresh. I'm not sure why I think this is likely, but it seems so. Bruce Charltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09615189090601688535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-45476957697525418832016-11-06T16:52:41.405+00:002016-11-06T16:52:41.405+00:00@WIlliam - This is how it seems to me with my assu...@WIlliam - This is how it seems to me with my assumptions, and it seems to make sense of the things I currently regard as important. <br /><br />As Ive said before, I think that some of the highly spiritual people who believe in reincarnation by direct intuition (such as yourself, Rudolf Steiner, William Arkle) are likely to be among that minority of people who are reincarnated to be teachers, prophets etc - they know (from memories) that they themselves are reincarnated, but may be wrong about most other people. <br /><br />Also, I think it likely that some people have been present on earth and among people of the past, earlier in their lives when spirit children of God - and some memories of reincarnation may derive from this. <br /><br />In other words, they recall past 'lives', but they were not incarnated during those lives. Bruce Charltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09615189090601688535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-24217612515293868222016-11-06T15:33:13.316+00:002016-11-06T15:33:13.316+00:00If one purpose of reincarnation, if it happens at ...If one purpose of reincarnation, if it happens at all, is to reinsert the person into mortality in order to experience something essential to further progression that they missed the first time then reincarnation may not be so rare after all. Millions are killed by human initiated action (war, murder, carelessness, stupidity) and often while quite young. It would seem to me likely that many of these were removed from mortality without gaining needed experience and so sending them through again would follow logically. Add to this the many millions aborted without even getting the chance to take a breath let alone gain any experience. <br /><br />Then again it may be that for many of us a relatively brief experience of mortality is all that is needed. Someone like me may need decades to learn needed lessons and others may only need a few minutes. I have often speculated that this might be the case. Add to this those of us who come into this life with bodies so damaged or deformed as to make the gaining of any but a very narrow field of experience impossible. People suffering from mental retardation used to be called "innocents" long ago and even today it is recognized in law that if one is unable to determine right from wrong one cannot be held responsible for criminal actions. Perhaps these people need only a relatively few lessons and then to experience death and they are done.Sean Corynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-46197695820923561802016-11-06T14:56:48.387+00:002016-11-06T14:56:48.387+00:00I'm glad you went into a bit more detail about...I'm glad you went into a bit more detail about what constitutes the body since I also was puzzled about your reference to the same body.<br /><br />As for the post itself I can only say, Bruce, that you’ve put the matter sufficiently eloquently to make me question my belief in reincarnation as the normal tool of spiritual evolution for all people. Might it not be possible that different groups of people progress in different ways? That could explain why some people are so drawn to this doctrine while others feel equally strongly that it is incorrect.<br /><br />Regarding a heavenly body, I think that pure spirit must have a form of some kind if it is individualised so I would distinguish between the physical body which, being physical, is secondary to the spiritual element, and the ascended body which is a pure expression of the spirit as an individual soul and in some way bound to it in an indissoluble union which does not mean it cannot change and develop. It can and will but always in a way that is faithful to its unique pattern. <br />William Wildbloodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13231219533755925897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-66713171662803155672016-11-06T13:45:06.538+00:002016-11-06T13:45:06.538+00:00@ted - "My only question is for those that do...@ted - "My only question is for those that do reincarnate, how can it be the same mortal body. "<br /><br />I suspect our understanding is blocked by modern science (biology or physics) - and that people in the past did not have a problem in understanding in what sense we are resurrected - and in rare instance reincarnated - with the same body. <br /><br />Clearly it isn't the exact same molecules, because these have turned over many times during life (as well as being involved in other entities at other times); but it is the same 'form' (which does *not* mean identical in appearance, since appearance changes through life). <br /><br />I don't know that philosophers have ever come-up with a satisfactory definition (beyond 'form') of what it is that stays the same when so much changes - but whatever that identity is concerning the body, then *that* is what remains the same through resurrection and reincarnation. Bruce Charltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09615189090601688535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-14161546120538351942016-11-06T13:26:41.439+00:002016-11-06T13:26:41.439+00:00I've been thinking on the same lines lately. I...I've been thinking on the same lines lately. It appears we have a subtle body that we take with us when we leave mortal life. And although I have been drawn to the eastern (particularly Buddhimsm) takes on reincarnation, I recently found out that even "Enlightened" beings are still attached to their body. There is a phenomena in Buddhism known as Rainbow Body (which are accomplished by esoteric practices) where a dying person can dissolve their body. There was a Catholic Priest, Francis Tiso, who recently <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Rainbow-Body-Resurrection-Attainment-Dissolution/dp/1583947957/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478438361&sr=8-1&keywords=rainbow+body" rel="nofollow">published a book</a> on this and claims that Jesus may have learned these practices to accomplish the Resurrection. But it is rare even in Buddhism. My only question is for those that do reincarnate, how can it be the same mortal body. Even in cases where the evidence is strong for people that have lived past lives, it appears their form body was unique albeit similar.tedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07354048695798015131noreply@blogger.com