The questions, “are souls reborn and if so, how many times do we reincarnate?” are old ones that are revisited by every generation. You may have feelings or memories that make you sense you lived during another time but cannot verify the inclinations. Whether souls are reborn and the number of times they reincarnate is worthy of discussion but should be analyzed in two parts.
Are Souls Reborn
The area about souls being reborn is the first topic of discussion because there are clues that have developed over time that it could be true. Our vernacular opens the door for debate because it addresses the possibility of our souls returning to live again in another body. There are words with distinct definitions that indicate the soul does return.
We use the terms déjà vu, karma, kismet, and past lives. Old souls, wise beyond your years, and being “deep” are terms that indicate that a person has knowledge from another time or place. One explanation for this knowledge it that it came from a past life.
The philosophers of antiquity debated the nature of the soul. Socrates believed in the “cycling” of the soul and Plato contended the soul returns with his theory of “recollection”. Aristotle was different because he claimed that the soul lives with the body and continues once the body no longer sustains it.
Aristotle made the claim that all living beings have a soul because it is the life force of the body, but he does not agree with Plato’s idea of recollection. He maintained his theory of “abstraction” which agrees that the human soul is immortal but that it does not return. It was widely held that Aristotle was wrong for centuries.
The Romans used the term “apriori” to describe the soul existing before life in the physical body and remembering what it learned from past experiences. They used the term “aposterori” meaning that the soul must have empirical knowledge in order to learn. The body and soul are created and live one life together, but the soul continues after the body can no longer support the soul.
St. Thomas Aquinas studied the great philosophers of antiquity and sided with Aristotle popularizing realization and skepticism. It was his work that elevated his ideas of Aristotle and made them mainstream thought. The battle, however, between idealism and realism persists giving both concepts credibility.
Unexplained Memories
The term Déjà Vu is an old one and it relates to a sudden memory of an incident that you feel happened prior to the time you experienced it. This experience is one that causes you to pause and wonder where that memory came from and why it presented itself when it did. It is just one clue that you may experience that is not related to your current life.
Karma and Kismet
The terms Karma and Kismet are terms used to indicate the payment of an act in this life for something that was done in a previous life. Karma can be created in your current life by doing something that is deemed to be inappropriate or causing harm to another. It generally means that one day you will be held into account for the deed that you committed.
Kismet is about fate and indicates that you were destined to a particular end due to something in your past. This phenomenon can either be negative or positive. Your destiny can refer to obstacles that simply were unsurmountable in this life or it can mean unusual good fortune that you were due by fate.
Déjà vu, Karma, and Kismet are part of our vernacular because the events they refer to cannot occur unless a soul is reborn. A soul’s rebirth or return offers an explanation as to why circumstances can exist with someone when a situation in current life is totally unrelated to the present day. There are no apparent reasons why a consequence has happened to someone when it does not appear warranted.
Past Lives, Old Souls, and Wise Beyond Your Years
A past life is a term that is used to describe feelings of being older than you are or wise beyond your years. Memories of an era in the past come back to you, especially when a lesson presents itself that you need to address. The life lessons that you encounter in this lifetime may be recycled from a previous time and a memory may assist you in dealing with it.
You may have birthmarks that relate to a past life experience. Unusual marks on your body are said to be clues that your soul has returned. These marks may even be evidence of a wound you receive that took your life previously.
The idea of past lives has been revived in recent years with many psychologists exploring the possibility with therapeutic techniques. Their work is proving valuable because it is assisting people with finding peace and resolution. Past life therapy is becoming less and less taboo because of the success that it has provided the multitude of people it has helped.
How Many Times Do We Reincarnate
The second part of our discussion involves the number of times you reincarnate, and the answer is simply, it depends. The reason this response is required is because of the belief that the soul is created to reach a perfect state. It is unknown the number of times that a soul reincarnates because each soul is unique and there are several lessons that it must learn before it reaches perfection.
Our first discussion about the soul being reborn can assist us in answering the second question. Karma and Kismet are indications of lessons that must be completed or need addressing. They are leftovers of prior lifetimes that did not fully account for the lessons that were presented at that time. These lessons are considered “fated” and reoccur until they are sufficiently fulfilled.
You may have had an experience where a person came into your life and there was a strong attraction only to lose that attraction after a period. The experience may be good while it lasts or can turn out to be difficult depending on the circumstances. Whether the time together was good or bad the relationship ends with you growing from the encounter.
This example may complete the lessons you needed to learn from your experience with a person who comes and goes in your life. They learned lessons as well and there is no need to bring that person back into your life after the relationship is over. The fated relationship, the karma, or kismet has been satisfied.
Traumatic Events
Serious issues such as murder, suicide, and hateful behavior are thought to be reasons to return to the physical world. These actions create Karma and when there is this type of behavior in one life there is a need to correct the actions in future life. You are given another chance to correct a bad decision and return to a path of achieving perfection.
It is thought that lessons are harder to learn after such traumatic events in one life because they are carried over into the next. You have freedom of choice to make decisions and a responsibility to make good choices in your life so you will not have to repeat a lesson again.
Fears addressed
Other traumatic events such as fear of water, snakes, heights, or other phobias are often addressed with reincarnation. These issues cause grief for those afflicted with them and sometimes acknowledgment of a past life event relating to a fear or phobia in this life is recalled. This recollection can be a valuable tool in learning a lesson and healing from the trauma.
Returning to the physical world because of a phobia means it is an impediment to your soul’s growth. It is not a bad thing but a wake-up call to address the issue and to get it solved. You do need to be careful that you do not force learning the lesson because it can backfire creating karma and the need to do it all over again!
Reincarnation into the Same Family
This is another controversial topic because it is believed that we travel within soul groups. Our souls are reborn around others who we have known in the past. You may reincarnate in another position within your family than the one you occupy at in your current life. In other words, if you are the daughter in this life, you may return as the mother next time.
Gender is another area that can change in the event your soul returns for another physical life. A past life regression or memories that you recount can be evidence that you experienced living as another gender. You may need to experience the perspective of another gender to assist you in reaching your soul’s perfect state.
Do You Reincarnate and If So, How Many Times
There is some evidence of reincarnation but no certainty that you will reincarnate so the answer to the question is maybe! The philosophers of antiquity and health professionals today have explored the possibility, but nothing has been conclusive on the issue or about the number of times you may return. Skeptics will claim your phantom memories are just your imagination.
The good news is that people are living longer today and karma from past lives can be solved while living in the physical world. You may make mistakes and tragic events may happen in this life, but the karma they cause will be easier to overcome in the future if you live your best life. Live your life to the fullest and the Universe will reward you with joy, fulfillment, peace, and happiness.
John Cappello, M. B. A., Psychic Medium, Speaker, and Author of Metaphysical books. For more information go to johncappello.com.
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