do any of you actually believe in Karma & Reincarnation? (Page 3 of 6)

I think this is the most important point to consider when contemplating the nature and reality of karma/reincarnation.

This is how I see these subjects.  Free will is the tie that binds these 2 concepts, they are inextricably linked.  Karma is cause and effect (in the most unbiased, non-judgemental way possible) and simply means "action".  Reincarnation is the effect and cause of karma.

Even though they are so tied for beings like us, I think that in higher densities karma could work itself out without the need for incarnation (being born and living in the material realms).

All things in Creation are based on the original distortion of free will which must necessarily come before any action (such as creating the universe).  Where there's a will, there's a way, so they say.  The existence of the Logos (or Love) is the result of that original free will, and the Logos itself uses free will to create light which naturally creates and illuminates the illusory material densities of 1-4 (aka in the human body, the torso).  It is here where reincarnation takes place and where the bulk of karma is processed, akin to the digestion of food in the torso.  I believe it was the C's who said that 5d represents a kind of waystation for the soul while traversing the material densities of 1-4.  This makes sense to me when considering that the 5th element is "akasha" (as in the akashic records), and in my own research I've seen akasha to be intimately related to free will. 

The akashic records are like a book that was written in the past, is re-written in the present, and has yet to be written in the future.  So in this model the first 4 densities would be analogous to the 4 elements that dwell within the 5th element of akasha (5d).  But of course this is only the microcosm within the macrocosm, like the womb of creation.  Ultimately free will as the primary force exists outside of the the 7 densities, acting as the force by which the densities are created in the first place.

In terms of the ascending octave (Mother->Father)  the lower material densities are the causal force and the higher spiritual densities are the effect.  Once past the necessity of reincarnation there is a chance to "be" more than "cause" after the bulk of material experience has been digested.  Why?  Be-Cause!    It is in these higher density dominant states of "being" that reincarnation no longer serves a purpose because the lessons to be gained by material existence (incarnation) have been learned and the higher spiritual lessons can take place. 

Although I'm using your quote to respond to, this isn't directly aimed at you Sam. 

To me there is no dark matrix or malicious suffersystem that we are helpless victims to.  To beings that are awakening, this concept can serve as a major stumbling block to the higher understanding of "love" for all of Creation that moves past this divisive viewpoint.  This system of reincarnation (finite life) and karma (action) are temporary in terms of evolution of the soul and are quite natural.  The active side of the  divine Mother is expressed as the lower material (matter=mater=mother) densities (1-4). So, to deride the material realms and their processes would be to disrespect the Mother, discounting one half of Creation and falling short of the objective of love. 

I'm not denying at all that there may be a sinister plot being unleashed by those entities that would seek to enslave rather then set free, but they are just as illusory as the material realms that they interfere with. Ultimately they are us and we are them, all playing roles for the sake of knowing ourselves.  There may be other 3d environments where there isn't as much negative influence and lessons are learned in an easier fashion, so why do we get picked on so much?  I think this has more to do with our specific spiritual potential and origins then an evil plan that goes away from the pure intention of the Creator. 

To answer the quote directly, "I" (we) created the material densities so that "WE" (I) could experience separation rather than the unity that is the cause and nature of all "things".  We are putting ourselves through such a scheme for a purpose, all is not for naught, so to speak.

So anyway, good news it that reincarnation is only a burden so long as we remain stubborn and fail to learn our lessons.  All of that changes when we realize the purpose of finite existence and begin to consciously process the weight of our souls instead of just going through the motions.  Karma is the means by which reincarnation operates.  It takes and gives us the catalyst and experience needed to grow our souls to the point that reincarnation is no longer needed.  All of this is based on our free will, which in the end IS the free will of the Creator.  As nexus originally pointed out (and lilmomma explained further), all of this operates regardless of our belief in it, and as we know belief is not truth, and truth itself, in the illusion of separation, is completely subjective.  The only actual truth is unity, everything else is only a distorted approach towards it. 

I'm not saying this to be different or to boost my own ego, but as the reasoning why I honestly don't believe that I have been around here that recently, though I don't doubt an ancient relationship to this local "school district" of ours.  I do think that my parents however are probably last life (or near it) Earth specific souls, which is why I chose them to bring me into this world and nurture my earth development.  "Anything less would be uncivilized"

The only way I can reason about this subject is based on my own feelings, knowledge, life history, and outside indicators.  Of course the following may not prove anything but they may are indicators  to show where I'm "coming from" at this point.

- I have always has an obsession with words and books to the point that my life has even followed themes of paper and book binding (father has worked in printing for all of my life, mother worked at a party supply store called "The Paper Factory", I worked for a printing company also (random temp placement) and my current job is in a bindery, the only place that wanted to hire me out of many resumes dropped off.  This to me is a symbolic pointer to a higher density ("location" of the Logos, aka Word) origin.

- strong resonance with the "wanderer" archetype originally offered by Ra and developed by L/L Research.  Life long foreign relation to material life, social inability, disagreement to many foods/environments, etc.

- a couple of intuitive/sensitive people I'm close to mentioning the same thing.  One was actually originally scared of telling me her intuitive hunch of my lack of reincarnation since it might scare me. Apparently she has only seen this non-earth origin with one other person in her 33 years.

- the only motivation I have in this life is to understand the nature of the Creator and its Creation, everything else (including survival!) is seemingly trivial.

-all current personal lessons and themes seem to point to necessity of integrating material with spiritual identity, distance and thus obsession with matter and feminine qualities, fascination with the veil or matrix

-physical/mental/emotional androgyny

So I actually feel kinda bummed out that I don't have any past-life memories/experiences and that any past lives I did have would be so far removed as to have no place in our current historical paradigms.  Must be nice!

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BTW, SamIAm, if you're not familiar with the man already, I recommend the book "Many Mansions:  Edgar Cayce on Reincarnation" (among other similar works on him as well).  IMO, Cayce's work is one of the best relatively modern examples of the reality of past lives, the "akashic records", and the interplay between the two.

Oh, and Mongoose......tell me WHY?!?  (I want it THAT way)

Karma:  For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Reincarnation:  If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.

On the subject of past lives, I can remember a few "memories"  via dreams and intuition that can explain the other lives I have lived.
I can remember an occuring dream when I was younger of having a large piece of stone falling on top of  me and would wake up, screaming and crying. I cried so hard that I had murmurs and couldn't even talk for almost an hour to explained what happened in my dream to my mother. Then the dreams got more stranger and I would dream of large objects just falling on top of me - wall units, walls, megolithic stones, huge waves. These dreams would happen about once a month where my mom just had enough of it, held me and said a prayer and it stopped since.

Fast foward to 2007, while NR was down for a week, I went to my local Barnes and Noble and did my usual browsing like I often do. I picked up the book "The Convoluted Universes: Book One" by Dolores Cannon. It was a great read, didn't read the whole thing, but I saw a chapter about Atlantis and read the accounts of those who were being regressed. As I turned the pages, the lives about these Atlanteans got even more darker, yet I kept reading. Usually when I read a book, I don't really get to the point where I wanted to burst into tears, but something tugged at me inside and I felt like my world was crumbling a bit because for some reason, it hit home with me. I got so emotionally invested with that chapter that I had to leave the store to get some fresh air. I had trouble breathing and was my mind was bugging out. The next day, I went back to finish that chapter and the other chapters that followed, still feeling like crap, but I knew I had to finish it in order to make some sense of that whole situation of me leaving like a madman. 

What I think and feel is that my dreams that I had when I was younger probably related to what I read in Cannon's book. It was as if I was there, alive in the flesh and my current body just felt very nervous, twitchy and anxious. It was very strange.

Also, I think if we have a certain geographic preference that we love, but never been may relate to a past life. I know the South is one of them and I can just vividly imagine how it was to be a slave back in the 1800's and it felt naturally for me to just envision myself like that, coupled with my past infascination about the history of the civil war, the reconstruction period and the hot landscape down there. Though today, I have no interest in moving there or visiting it, I just "know" how it is to be there, if that makes any sense.

Hi Lyra,

i know where you're coming from with that.  I'm not offended.  I know i do the same thing a fair bit on other posts [i s'pose you noticed]. I just feel that so often a simple question is not so simple, especially when people have such different ideas about the basic elements of any question.

As you can see on this thread there are great differences/misunderstandings about what karma and reincarnation are.  There is also a lot of doubt based on half formed concepts and unanswered questions being asked by some posters on the basics of these concepts.  That's why i so often try to contribute my understanding of the philosophical basis of the essential questions... so that, if accepted, it can help to form a basic template for the subject being discussed.

If not accepted thats fine too.  It then allows the participants to hone our perceptions of what the realities are and what the general misconceptions are in relation to the topic.  I know my posts are pretty long too.  What can i say.

I usually feel the need to explain myself properly because i've seen a lot of misunderstanding between people on NR.  And i've seen a lot more words wasted between people just trying to clear up people's misunderstandings of each other.

But i understand your frustrations when your looking for specifics. I have discovered a fair bit about my past in the last few months.  Like you i am still trying to process it and can't say much now.

And Pictus... you're God's own.  So are you lyra.  Love you all.

These are important points, about how a draw - or aversion - to particular regions, time periods, cultures, etc. can often times be red flag indicators of having experienced that in other incarnations.   The aversion thing is just as important and tends to get overlooked I think, since people typically focus on that which feels good...not bad.   But the bad is just as important, especially when there's no logical explanation for it.

For instance when my brother was little, four years old, he had these Playmobile toys I think they were called, a cowboy and Indian set.  But instead of playing "Cowboys and Indians" which apparently meant nothing to him, he had no issues with Indians, he played "kill the Germans!"  I'll never forget that, I was about 11, sitting on the floor with him with his cowboys and Indians, as he calmly and serenely pretended the Indians were German instead, making them the target.  That's not natural.  You're not just born into this life naturally disliking certain groups of people at such a young age, acting like you have major beef with them, to the point where it's completely personal, and especially when "germans" were never talked about in our household.  We didn't grow up hearing disaparaging comments about various groups, so there was no logical explanation for his mindset.  Later when our mom hooked up/married our neighbor from three houses down named Ray, in SoCal, it was a huge affront to Joe that she would have chosen someone who was of German descent.  He got into a fight once with Ray's son Steve, and punched Steve out, yelling about him being a German.  Like, that was his biggest flaw.  "You're German!!!"   He was 12 at the time.    Again, not natural.   !!

Anyway.  For me, I've felt that one of my past lives was in England - but that I didn't enjoy it.  I've always been able to do a good British accent and once I get going with it it's hard to stop and I've always had this icky feeling towards England whenever I'd see pics of it or read about it, just something deep down on a personal level, I mean, it always felt to me like I'd been there but didn't have a very good time.   Then recently when watching the movie "Children of Men" which takes place in England, those scenes that took place in the English country house.........WOW.   TOTALLY familiar to me, immediately struck a nerve with me.   The way the whole scenary looked, I knew I'd experienced that before.    I pendulum dowsed it afterwards and got a huge YES to me living in England.  But, it's a pendulum, so, I take it with a grain of salt. 

As a kid, age 9, while reading one of the Little House on the Prairie books, book 2 i think it was, "The Long Winter," I had a very adverse reaction to the scenes where Laura and her mom and sisters were left behind in their log cabin going hungry while their Pa was trying to find food.   I got really psychosomatically ill in my stomach and couldn't eat anything for three days afterwards. I remember not being able to eat my dinner, and being at school, my insides still all sick and weird and messed up feeling.   It was such a strange feeling with my insides, I can't even describe it, really strange feeling.  I've never experienced it since.   And I never was able to finish the book because of that, and didn't read any more in the series.  Interestingly, without knowing that story, Tom once theorized (based on intuitive hunches and other indicators) that there was a good chance I'd probably starved to death in one, or even more of my past lives.  Thought that was interesting because he didn't know about my experience when reading the book.

Oh yeah, and then in 5th grade we had to put on these little plays or something in our class, I think about history stuff, and it was just in my head to do a play about the Oregon Trail.  About being pioneers on the trail trying to get to the West.......but specifically the moment where they've reached the end destination after the long and perilous journey, and can see it on the horizon, right there...... 

Oh, the drama!   I was only 10 too, what a riot.  But again, where does that come from?  Years later while living in Oregon I made the 100 mile trip out to Astoria from Portland and saw that there was a Historical Society building in the middle of town.  I parked and went to go look, as I really like history stuff.   Turns out it was more or less a museum consisting of many things from the pioneer days of the Oregon trail.  Astoria was the end of the line for many people, and the historical society had many relics from the pioneers - clothes, dishes, personal belongings, photographs, diairies, all sorts of stuff.  I think it's highway 30 or whatever which runs east to west that is literally lying right on top of the old Oregon trail.  I don't know, seems a bit interestng to me if indeed I had a past life during that time period as a pioneer that maybe in this life things were coming full circle with it all.    I've always wondered why I wound up in Oregon for 4 months, always felt there was something bigger going on behind all that.  You don't just wind up living any old place.  Not for me anyway.   So maybe I didn't originally make it to the end of the line, and my four month stint in Oregon was my opportunity to put that to rest.  Maybe my 5th grade play was a holdover of what I'd wished had happened.   And I've always liked roadtrips in this present life and have a sense of adventure and nomadic daringness...so who knows.  It would all totally fit, let's just put it that way.

Then, there's my last immediate life before this one.  The one that's completely overlapped this one, the persona that my psychic friend told me is "all up in my grill."     That's a whole other ball of yarn.  Proto mentioned an affinity for the whole south thing.....tell me about it.  !!  My LORD.   I was born and raised in the northeast but the holdovers from my last life in the deep south were STRONG.

I can't recall past lives. But I'm not averse to the possibility.  How quickly I pick something up, or the attraction I have to (?).... certainly allows one to wonder.