So You Want to Talk to GhostsNeed to summon a spirit? Set up your Ouija board, light some candles, and follow these guides to get chatting with parties who have shuffled off this mortal coil and onto the next.
Do you ever feel out of place, or like you’re re-living the same situation? If so, you may be recalling past lives. Reincarnation is an intriguing spiritual idea that allows someone to have a second, or third, chance to correct the mistakes they made during their first life but, until recently, it wasn’t thought to be scientifically possible. Researchers have begun seriously considering the possibilities of past-life regression, and while there’s no solid proof that everyone is reincarnated, there are stories - and quite a bit of data - to back up the idea that some people are predisposed to remembering their past lives.
The most important step on the journey to remembering your past lives is to keep an open mind. Even if you’re skeptical about the concept of reincarnation, you should be accepting of the idea that there are a myriad of unexplainable phenomena in the universe. If you’ve always had the suspicion that you've been reborn but don't know how to tell if you've had a past life, this list walks you through all the ways that you can verify your previous incarnation. Even if you don’t think you lived a previous life, these tips on how to learn about your past self might unlock something in your brain.
The biggest sign of having past lives is remembering things that haven't happened to you. According to Jim B. Tucker, an associate psychiatry professor at the UVA Medical Center’s Division of Perceptual Studies, most past life memories occur within children between the ages of two and six years old, but memories of the past can appear to anyone.
An example provided by Tucker is that of Ryan Hammons, a child who would wake up in the middle of the night remembering that he had children, but not being able to recall their names. He even remembered working with a man named "George," who turned out to be George Raft, a mostly forgotten film star from the 1930s and 1940s.
Once you've identified your unusual memories, your next step should be to study past life research. Researchers like Brian Weiss - author of Many Lives, Many Masters - have delved into past life trauma and the spontaneous recall that's associated with having a previous life. Reading experts' work can help you determine whether you simply have a vivid imagination, or whether you're experiencing actual past life regressions.
One possible sign of having lived a previous life is the preternatural gift of intellectual or artistic pursuits. The researchers at the Institute for the Integration of Science, Intuition and Spirit (IISIS) believe that child prodigies are a direct result of reincarnation, and the soul downloading "information and talent" into a young mind and body.
For an example, consider the case of artist Paul Gauguin and a man named Peter Teekamp. According to IISIS, Teekamp was able to recreate Gauguin's sketches without knowledge of his past life's artistic pursuits. If you feel as if you were just born with certain gifts, researching your past life isn't a bad idea.
A phrase that you come across regularly while researching past life regression is "old soul." This term refers to the stage in a soul's development where the soul is attempting to complete its journey through its spiritual narrative, and end the cycle of reincarnation before becoming one with the universe.
If, during your research, you determine that you're an old soul, you may discover that you've lived multiple past lives.
Memories of your past life will likely pop up in your dreams. It's a good idea to keep a dream journal to record those memories, even if they're simply flashes, so you can piece together your previous self.
Past life experts agree that a record of your previous life exists within your mind, and that your dreams can be analyzed for clues. If you notice the same motifs popping up in your dreams over and over again, you may be uncovering hints to who you were in another life.
If you plan on taking your past life regression into your own hands, then you should develop your psychic abilities. How do you do that? The members of the Aetherius Society, an organization dedicated to the teachings of advanced extraterrestrial intelligences, believes you have to "practice selfless service to others," and engage in pursuits like yoga and dynamic prayer. Once you begin to hone your natural powers of intuition, you'll be able to recognize your own past lives.
