Reincarnation-Rubbish or a Possibility?

[Pachipro]

Thank you Mars Man for your reply, however, my head is still spinning from your well-presented scientific explanation. Facts are facts and I can't debate you on what is proven, inside-the-box, scientific fact based on present knowledge.

With this thread, I was hoping for a more "outside-the-box", layman's discussion on the possibility that a "soul" may exist or that "we" continue beyond the death of the shell of the physical body. Of course, present scientific explanation of some of the paranormal beliefs/experiences is warranted, expected, and encouraged.

I hope I am not going off-topic here, but I have never had an NDE, but I did experience a spontaneous OBE that I vividly remember to this day as if it happened a few minutes ago, and I will detail it a bit and encourage your feedback based on present knowledge of how the brain operates on whether it was my imagination, a brain disorder, a hallucination, or what-have-you.

Thirty-seven years ago I "experienced" one such event which sent me on my quest to learn more about this phenomena outside the box of conventional scientific knowledge.

It was early morning and I had just gone to bed after spending a night visiting with my sister and her husband. I was not drunk, but, in the interest of full disclosure, we did smoke a little marajuana which I know can alter the brains thinking and which modern science will jump on and blame it on.

It was near dawn and daylight was coming into the room. I was lying on my left side in a fetal position waiting for sleep. Suddenly, I began to experience images of my entire life up to the, then, present almost like they were photographs being presented before me. Then, without warning, I found myself hovering above the bed, in the room, looking down at my body.

My first thought was, "I'm dead, but what a great feeling this is". I made the motion of putting my hands in front of my face and realized I had none. In fact I realized I didn't even have a body. I was just, well, "there". I was floating around the room and thinking what a wonderful feeling this was. If this was death, I feel great, I thought. (I saw no "silver cord" attached to my body and my "soul" as I have read a lot about concerning spontaneous OBE's and what others have "witnessed").

I then thought that, since I'm "dead", I can go anywhere. I thought about going into my sisters room and suddenly I was there! I saw my sister sleeping with her husband, what they were wearing (or not wearing!)and how they were sleeping.

While I was "floating" in the room, I then thought I would "visit" my friends in Japan as I was on vacation from university. Suddenly, I was near the window when I felt a tug that "dragged" me back into my room. I tried to fight it, but to no avail. "I don't want to go back!", I thought. The "tug" was too strong. I drew closer and closer to my body until I was "one" with it, or re-entered it, or what have you, and then I opened my eyes.

"Wow!" I thought. "That was NO dream". I sat up trying to figure out what the hell had just happened. I pondered it for a while, laid back down and fell asleep while thinking about it.

After I woke up later on I explained to my sister what had happened and what I witnessed in their bedroom and they were just as shocked because it was just as I had "saw" it. My sister, being spiritual, mentioned OBE's, believed it and it sent me on my quest for answers to this day.

That was my one and only time I had ever experienced such a thing and I "know", or believe, it was NO dream!

Mars Man, based on your knowledge of the brain and consciousness, how would you explain such an experience? How could I know the details of how my sister and her husband slept and what they were were, or not, wearing? Was it an aberration of the brain? A dream? A hallucination? A side-effect of a past "diagnosed" grand mal epileptic seizure disorder I was told I had (which I will explain in another post and which I never believed I had) or what?

i am not religious by any means, but this "experience" is what led me to believe in the existence of a "soul" and that "we" don't "die" and to question "conventional" thinking that this is it and we die it's "lights out". I believe that our shell may grow old and cease to exist, but "I" don't and I have been searching for answers to this "experience" ever since.

 

[Mars Man]

Quite busy these days, in a number of ways, but please do let me get back. There are a few more questions I'd like to ask about the visual memory, and the inner speech event, as well as the 'knowledge of having a hand to move, but no face to be touched,' and so one. Just like with the studies of some who investigated reports of reincarnation claims, you did have access (as far as I can tell) to information. That fact alone, however, does not prove the concept of 'soul' because there is much more which refutes that old model.

I'll try to get back soon, and will keep in as lay a style as possible, while making every attempt to get the best understandings across. Again, however, it is true that you did not loose any major number of brain cells; your brain never even came close to dying.

 

[Pachipro]

Thanks MM. Looking forward to your insight when you have the time.

 

[krizalidq]

this thread has been deserted?

Hi Everyone,
I am new here. Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu....=)
It seems that this thread has been deserted for about 6 months since the last reply from our host?
Hopefully, my reply will revive it...XD
My answers to the thread's initial questions:
1. Do you believe it a possibility? Why or why not? (I believe in it)
A: Yes, because to look into the context from a non-scientific perspective, it explains how humans are related in the present (e.g. Why are you borned to the Family XXX, Why is he your best friend, Why is she your girl friend/ wife, Why is it instead of other dogs your dog, and etc.), and it's, IMO, affected by Karma, Fate, and Destiny. Sorry if it sounds to religious, just answering honestly....><
2. Do you believe that consciousness, or a "soul" if you will, or what makes you YOU, is made of energy and do you believe in the scientific notion that energy cannot be destroyed, it just takes another form? (I believe it to be so. I can't believe it would be "lights out" on death and if it were, I wouldn't know it anyway.)
A: Yes, very much do.
3. And, if consciousness is energy, would a clone or AI be just an automaton without one?
A: Not sure, still searching for answers myself.
IMO, all of us are still new in this world, there are still lots of facts/ truths that have yet to be discovered and I believe science is only a part of what the world is all about. Of course, people often wonder 'If it is really there or true, why have not I experienced/ seen it to prove its validity?', isn't it similar to situations like 'among 10 people in a group, why is there only one person who wins the lottery?'. Everyone is different, thus the same for the life and experiences everyone goes through (if you ask me, that would be due to luck, fate, destiny, or other aspects,kindly do not expect proofs from me lol).
Reincarnation is mentioned in religions (e.g. Buddhism, Hinduism, and etc.), there are relevant references too but of course they are non-scientific based. Perhaps, if one with more science-oriented way of thinking should understand from a non-scientific perspective since it is non-scientific by nature?
I believe it is apparent that science, currently, cannot explain those what we considered as Paranormal Phenomenon and those alike (concluding that they are hallucinations, delusions, illusions, occasional coincidences does not count...lol, to me, that's ignorant..><). Measuring energy and etc. with scientific devices is still considered as a scientific approach, that's why there are still so many gaps that lead to no where. You may get some clues but still leave you with confusions and doubts.
I know many intelligent people like Mars Man will be pouring me with very scientifically intelligent questions....lol. Not being sarcastic here though. I can tell you that just like our host here, I cannot answer them because we are thinking from different perspectives.
It is also because I am not an intelligent person and my purpose of replying here is just to serve as a suggestion to be more opened to non-scientific facts...=).
A cup full of water can never be further filled...XD

 

[Kaelus]

1.
I absolutely think it's possible. There's nothing concrete to suggest that it's not.

2.
I think Energy is pretty much all there is. I think consciousness is something that is developed over time. It's more of a consequence of energy being focused at a certain point and mutating into what we eventually in the modern world think of as a sense of Self.

3.
No. Again, it's energy, but it's mutation would not be shared. Identical twins may share similarities and even memories, but they themselves are never exactly the same.