Travel the World Without Leaving Your Home!

The Scoop on Reincarnation

by Pamela Mortimer

OK, everyone who hasn’t seen “Dead Again” at least twice, raise your hand. I was fortunate enough to get a copy (CHEAP) from a local video store when they were going out of business a couple of years ago. And yes, I have watched it a number of times. Maybe it wears a little thin after the fifth or sixth time (no disrespect to Brannagh), but the plot is still good and fresh. Or at least it was when the movie was released. I was intrigued. I bet you were, too.

No kids, this isn’t a movie review, this is Reincarnation 101. My slant on it, that is. It happens to be one of my favorite topics. It’s likely that if you see me at a party and I’m tucked away in some corner, talking quietly and gesturing wildly, the topic is reincarnation or one of a similar nature. And when I meet “one of my kind”, I tend to know it a right away. And that, my friends, is how this article came to be. I was (delightfully) ambushed at a friendly gathering. But enough of the babble, let’s get down to business.

I can’t say that there was ever a day when I woke up and said to myself, “Gee, I think I’ve lived before!” Rather, I have always been aware of certain gifts I possess and the segue into discovering my past lives was a natural one for me. Yes, I grew up in an “inhabited” home (they hate it when I say “haunted”) and spirits were as common as Monday night leftovers. You never knew what was going to happen at my house. So reincarnation was an easy step for me. I had often experienced what was known as deja vu, the newbie explanation for experiencing something again, as if by coincidence. I never believed in coincidence. And as I got older, I knew that not only had I experienced these things before, but that I was someone else, somewhere else, when it happened. But how to prove it?

I did what most people do. I went to the library and read a slew of books on the subject. If they had it, I read it. And I learned a lot. Finally, I settled on a method to discover the truth. I am not going to go into step by step instructions, but I can tell you that I have found two standard ways to find out who you were.

The first, and probably most common, is Regression Therapy. I remember trying it once and found that I was too impatient to go back, back, back, through my current life and into the one before it. Personally speaking, I found it takes a great deal of concentration and meditative skills. Some therapists who practice this technique ask you to choose a certain age and in each lifetime you see, you are that age. I have one friend who tried this method and part way through was unhappy with the result of that particular age. Many have had great success with this method. I prefer another technique.

This technique is known as Ascension Therapy. You start out the same way, with a deep meditative state. (Learning to meditate isn’t mandatory but certainly recommended.) Every person has their own preferences on when and where they do this type of therapy. I prefer it to be as quiet as possible and at a time when I am not too stressed or tired. If I am too stressed, I cannot concentrate and if I am too tired I am unable to really focus. Or worse yet, I fall asleep. So, after I choose my preferred time, I start by deciding where I want to go. One of my favorite things to do is to pick a person I know and try to find them. This is a lot of fun for me. After I decide who or what I want to see, I leave my body. This is known as Astral Projection. I take myself up, up, up into the air, visualizing everything as I go along. Then, just like a metaphysical Mary Poppins with her umbrella, I sort of “drop into” a past life. I learned this technique from a cassette tape I bought years ago and have found it to be very effective. The tape will guide you along through certain stages of each life, finding names, dates, people, places, and karma that have affected you. After becoming acquainted with the technique, I preferred to abandon the tapes in favor of a longer, less structured journey. The tape was great for an introductory trip, but I wanted details! Boy, did I get what I asked for...

I am sure there are a lot of questions you have, dear reader, so let me try to address some of them for you.

How do I know what I see isn’t purely my imagination?

Ah, this one is tough. I had doubts at first. I saw a lot of things that confused me and needed explanation. Eventually, you will just know if it’s right or not. Things will start to make a lot of sense. If you try it for a while and still have no answers, try this test. Find someone who is willing to do the same technique and search for the same life. (It’s much easier than you think and most likely a person close to you in this life has been with you before.) Then, after each of you has completed the therapy (separately) and written detailed notes, compare. It might take you a little while, but if you happen to have all the exact same details, you’ll be a believer.

How will I recognize people in my past life?

You will be able to recognize them just as you would today. It’s rather simple. They may not look the same physically, although many carry similar features from life to life. Recognizing a soul is like seeing a person on the street and knowing that person is your friend, through certain mannerisms, feelings and traits. Trust your gut.

Will I see anything that will totally freak me out?

It’s very rare that people see anything traumatic. Participants are taught to view everything as an observer, much like watching a movie. Your subconscious is so protective that if you do come upon something that might be troubling, you will not allow yourself to see it. You will “trip” out of it by waking up from the hypnotic state or simply falling asleep. I had to give up on one particular life because as hard as I tried, I couldn’t see what happened to me. I suspected the outcome, but was not permitted to view it.

Will I see myself die?

With the method I use, yes. Personally, I like to know what happened. However, it’s not necessarily a given. I have seen it happen and it has never been upsetting to me. It’s a natural transition. If it bothers you, don’t go there.

Can past lives cause phobias in this life?

Most definitely. I discovered my fear of heights was in part due to an untimely death in Scotland. After I discovered that, the phobia decreased rapidly. My fear of water comes from a time when I had drowned. Discovering these things can free you from some phobias.

Was I somebody famous in a past life?

Probably not. There is only one Cleopatra running around out there. Sure, someone had to be Mark Twain, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. This doesn’t mean your lives weren’t equally exciting as that of a famous person.

What if I never wake up?

It can’t happen. This is a self induced hypnotic state. Sleep lite. You will wake up when the tape is over, or if flying solo, you will wake up when you want to wake up. Simple as that.

Do you ever see people in this life you’ve known before?

Oh yes. Tons of them. This is a great life for me in finding people with who I am associated. I have seen my grandmother, my parents, friends, lovers, and enemies. They’re all in there. And believe me, it answers a lot of questions about your relationships with people. Someone may not overlook the fact that you forgot to return his chariot.

Have you ever been any place you’ve lived before?

Yes, I have. I was traveling through rural countryside in England and was suddenly overcome with great emotion. I knew I was very close to a place I had lived long ago. I struggled not to weep openly. I was very disappointed that I could not pursue the exact location of my former homestead. But I have plans to go back and find it again. I have also seen several other places I have lived and died. It’s a very moving, and somewhat disturbing, experience.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this metaphysical primer and will pursue your own journey. I’ll close by telling one of my favorite reincarnation stories.

I was fortunate enough to attend a performance of a talented concert pianist a couple of years ago. I went with a friend and we chose the standard seats for such an occasion, in the center, about a third of the way back. The pianist was wonderful, blessing us with Beethoven and many other pieces by various composers. I was in a great phase at the time, very in tune with all around me. Yet I found myself a million miles above the concert, drifting off. Then it happened. The light shifted and a spotlight shone directly on the pianist. I was taken aback at how much this man resembled an old friend, someone named David. I was so awestruck, I may have even gasped at the likeness. The way he played, his features, the music, even my location seemed so uncanny I couldn’t bear it. I must have been sitting there, gaping and mumbling to myself for at least a half an hour or more, stunned at how much this man looked like David. It made me realize that I missed David so much it was painful. When the pianist took a brief intermission, I sat there, speechless. Suddenly, when the lights came up, I snapped to reality. WHO IS DAVID??? I pondered this for a little while. When he began performing again, I saw flashes of David performing on stage. I saw myself, sitting in almost exactly the same seats at a different concert hall, long ago, watching him practice. I saw myself at his performances, a full house surrounding me, including my spouse (someone I know in this life). I also saw us as children, then adults. I was thrilled! I met the pianist after the concert just to make sure he really wasn’t David. He wasn’t, but I’d never forgiven myself if I’d let him go without knowing for sure. I haven’t seen David since then, but I feel it’s going to be time to look for him again soon. If you see David on the street, tell him I miss him.