Deja Vu

I have a slew of strange little beliefs with seemingly little or no origin. Did I read it somewhere, did I piece it together or did I make it up? I can't be sure.

One of these beliefs involves the true nature of the phenomenon known as deja vu, translating literally to "seen before".

"We have all some experience of a feeling, that comes over us occasionally, of what we are saying and doing having been said and done before, in a remote time – of our having been surrounded, dim ages ago, by the same faces, objects, and circumstances – of our knowing perfectly what will be said next, as if we suddenly remember it!"

-Charles Dickens, Personal History of David Copperfield.

The scientific cats in their scientific coats explain deja vu as "an anomaly of memory" - it's your brain playing tricks on you, didn't you know?

"Hmm," I say. "Maybe."

But what kind of new age quack would I be if I didn't have an alternate theory?

Here goes..


Before we're born, we make a little road map of where we'd like to get to. We mark off the rest stops, the main attractions and we make notes about the people who we'll meet up with at various stops and we highlight the twists and turns. Only, because life on the other side is much more advanced than life here we don't have to write it all down, instead we can see it. I don't know if we see it in our minds' eye or if there's some kind of universal jumbotron - but we 'see' the journey we're about to make, before we make it.

It's like Tiger Woods 'seeing' his swing through before he steps up to the tee.

Okay, so we're all visualized and ready to go. We're born. And not everything will happen the way we 'saw it' - some of us might downright veer off, maybe take the wrong highway. But most of us just take little detours from the main path, I imagine.

Okay so back to "deja vu" - are you starting to see where I'm taking you with this theory? I imagine a "deja vu" to be exactly that - it's a moment in time you've already seen before, back when you were visualizing your road trip. Your memory isn't playing tricks on you - it's remembering something from a time before you were born into who you are now.

So whenever I catch myself in a deja vu moment, I take note of who I'm with, what's happening in my life at the moment and I relax knowing that whatever it is that I'm doing, I'm on the right track. Even if it's an insignificant pit stop. I'm where I need to be.

It's possible that it's a ridiculous theory - but it rings true for me. And might for you. See what you think next time you have a deja vu.

Spiritual Meme

I looked everywhere for a good Spiritual Meme, but there aren't really any. And since I was just dying to do one, I decided to make one up and tag everyone who reads this to copy and paste and put their own answers so we can share. Then, if you do it, please comment and let us know so we can check it out.

Astrological Sign?
Taurus with Sagittarius moon.

Chinese Astrological Sign?
Metal Rooster

What are you currently setting your intention on or praying for?
Spring! Just kidding... my intention is set on getting my proverbial ducks in a row and attracting the perfect house sometime this summer.

Who do you pray to?
I haven't ever really prayed, but I suppose when I need help or guidance I ask "The Universe".

Do you believe God created humans or humans evolved from primordial goo?
Ha ha. Both. I think it's all connected and that the Source, whatever we call it, is continually creating - and that evolution was part of this creative process. We are not the end of this process either.

What is your mantra?
If I'm being honest, it's probably "what's next?" because I'm always a million miles ahead of myself. But what I would want it to be is "love".

Do you believe in Sin?
I believe in free will - and I believe that although we come into our lives with best intentions, we get caught up in drama, or victimization, or anger or fear and we make bad choices. But I don't think we are punished for it in the hereafter. I think it's part of the learning process.

Do you believe in Evil?
I guess this goes hand in hand with the last question. I think there is a darkness out there that can envelop us if we let it in.  But I see a universal balance - if there is to be good, there likely has to be bad.

What do you do when you see 11:11?
I always either make a wish or give thanks when I can't think of a single thing to wish for because I have all I need.

Do you believe in Angels?
A couple years ago I might have scoffed and equated angels with UFOs. But lately I've been a little more mindful of dismissing something because of the label we've put on it. I believe in bodhisattvas (enlightened beings), and I suppose it would not be impossible for me to believe that there are higher energies, intelligent, guiding energies out there that some might deem to be 'angels'.

Do you believe in God? If so, what does God look like to you?
I believe in an organized, intelligent field of energy that we are born of and return to when we die. I believe we can access this field through meditation and dreams. If I had to give it a "face" I'd say my version of god looks like a mandala of buzzing energies.

Is there an aspect of your religion/belief that you haven't made up your mind about?
There's a lot I'm still mulling over. Not sure what I think about these "new ages" ringing in with crystal kids and indigos and the lot. I certainly want to believe... but haven't had direct experiential proof yet.

Is there a religion that you don't follow, but deeply respect or admire?
I admire a lot of different religions. I admire the Buddhist path, the epicness of Hinduism, the personal power of Wicca, and I'm deeply drawn to the esoteric and mystical branches of Judaism and Christianity.

Who has inspired you the most on your spiritual path?
There have been so many contributors along the way, beautiful clear people who've shared their thoughts and listened to mine with open minds. In the last few years Wayne Dyer has notably been the source of many little epiphanies.

In your opinion, what is the worst mistake we make, as a species?
I know it's the standard response but I'd say getting caught up in material games. I love my iPod, don't get me wrong, but I think we use money and possessions to fill holes that we ought to fill with with love and learning.

What is something you would like to believe, but don't?
Heaven, the way it's depicted in movies.

Do you believe in soul mates?
Yes, but I think we have more than one and they're not always romantic connections. I have several good friends I consider soul mates because being around them makes my heart buzz with happy vibrations.

Reincarnation or heaven?
Reincarnation, or rejoining of the field, depending on your energy's goals.

Best "ah ha!" moment/epiphany?
When my good friend, who had passed away months earlier, contacted me through my dreams - it really was a big moment for me. I woke up knowing things I had only theorized about before.

Required spiritual reading?
2150 A.D. My dad had a beaten up paperback copy of it and lent it to me. It's the best of spiritual idealism and has a lot of great thinking in it. I think the Celestine Prophecy also helped me at the right time.

If you could pick, in your final moments, what would your last words be?
"See you soon. Love you."

Advice for a lost soul?
Follow your bliss. Trust yourself.

A song that encapsulates your beliefs?
"All You Need Is Love" by the Beatles.


TAG! Your turn. Copy and paste - can't wait to read.

Who were you?

Are you your great uncle reincarnated? No? Well I know someone who probably is his great uncle reincarnated. He was born with an inordinate amount of information about someone who had never existed in his life. His first experience of knowing this was when he first met his great aunt when he was young. She remarked at how much he resembled her late husband. And as she stroked his hair he began to tell her bits of information about this man he had never known. He described the street he lived on, strange oddities about his personality and nicknames that people used for him.

And, like many other children who talk about things that adults can't make sense of, he was promptly told to "stop it". He never spoke about such things again - but always remained drawn to pictures of his great uncle.

Can I say hands down that he is the reincarnation of that man? No, but I can say it sounds about right.

When my friend passed, I had a very nice chat with him via a very talented medium. He told me of his plans to reincarnate into the family he had just left. It validated the notion that we never really stray very far from family.

When I was young I had a very strong sense about some of my friends - like I had always known them. Like they were traveling with me.

And sure enough, I think we choose a lot of things about our rebirth - the wheres, hows and whos... I think we often reincarnate back into our 'circle' (as wide as that may be). I do not doubt that they are our circle on the other side as well. Like a (dare I say it) soul group of sorts.

How would that work? In that great big world - how would I recognize you from our last life together? Easy. Harmonics. (See my earlier post on this) From life to life you're probably singing the same tune - and a good friend would know that song from a mile away.

I was at a lovely family gathering yesterday, a celebration of my recent wedding... And as the old family photos got pulled out - grandparents who've passed, great aunts and uncles on the walls, I looked to the new baby in the room and wondered...

Here's a little laugh for those of you non-believers:

Eeny Meeny Miny...

Us new-agers are like recovering alcoholics. We're pretty adamant about the whole 'taking responsibility for your life thing' - you know, not playing victim to your life.

So while we're at it, let's take responsibility for being born to our parents. Just for fun... See what happens.

Okay, so we choose our parents before we're born, rather than being the product of random DNA colliding and creating consciousness...

Consciousness in fact recycles itself intelligently...

Still with me?

Okay, so what are the implications if in fact you had your pick of a million (billion?) sets of parents... And you picked them out of the crowd?

So no matter how dysfunctional our parents were, we couldn't really blame them for our lot in life anymore, could we?

Okay, so one we stop blaming our parents and realize that WE chose this life, for some reason unknown to us... What then?

Well if we're all still trying to enlighten ourselves, to grow as people and energies, then maybe it's a good time to take a good candid look at our parents and take stock of what we've learned from them. What morals/values did we acquire through them? How did their struggles affect us either positively or negatively - how did we grow from them. Or did we?

And if you're a parent yourself? Feel free to shift the blame. When your little kid starts yelling at you for not buying him that toy he wants or for not letting him eat the whole cake on his eighth birthday, you can say "yeah well you chose me!"

How do you like them apples?

What Goes Around...

I stumbled upon a fascinating blog entry by a die-hard atheist about the "problems" that would arise if we were to prove that reincarnation were true. The article is appropriately named "The Evil of Reincarnation".

He asks some compelling questions - and I'd love to complete the mental task of answering them (if only for myself).

But... Herein lies my pickle.

In a way, I actually can't even attempt to answer this because the blogger and I operate with completely different assumptions about the nature and purpose of the 'thing that reincarnates' ie. The spirit or soul or energy, or whatever we "new agers" are calling it these days.

Here's one of his questions:

"If Hitler came back to this world just after his death in the form of a newborn baby, should that baby be persecuted for his past life crimes against humanity?"

Here's my attempt at answering this:

Hitler was no doubt an evil force - a cold, calculated murderer who led an awful life. I have no doubt that he has probably already reincarnated. But as someone who believes in karma, I believe there would be no need to persecute that "baby".

By way of his or her new (karma-influenced) life, that "baby" would likely be persecuted in far worse ways than death, electrocution or any form of corporeal punishment. In fact, that child would be worthy of great compassion, rather than more punishment. That child would have no recollection of their acts from that past life - only the knowledge that their current life was filled with misfortune and heartache.

To reincarnate is not to just transfer your personality into a new body. We are seldom absolute reflections of our true selves.

Most of us, in fact, are so cut off and removed from our pure nature that we retain very little of our true identity. Our personalities are largely shaped by our experiences in the world, and only partly true to our real selves. No doubt, Hitler forgot his divine nature early on. I know this because those of us who remember our divine nature and connection to one another would never be able to take another's life, let alone wipe out millions of our soul mates.

Question 2:

"And what of the rich man? How could he claim his wealth and property in his next life?"

My response:

I laughed out loud at this one. That's like quitting your job or being forced into retirement and then approaching your old boss for a raise. It's not your job anymore! You're not entitled. I don't care how long you were in that job, or how hard you worked to get where you were when you left, it's just not yours anymore.

As much as we might take up an identity for a bit - when we reincarnate we're just not that person anymore. Sure we're made of the same bits, have most of the same ingredients, but it's a whole new flavour. Nothing should pass over to the reincarnated (I guess unless you're the Dalai Lama - then you get all your stuff back when you come back).

The other thing is - wealth just doesn't matter. I mean, maybe it matters to you in this lifetime, but it's just a tool to enable you to experience one aspect of life, to learn specific lessons. The next life you might not desire wealth or need it to accomplish what you're coming to accomplish.

Besides - if we were entitled to our previous life's fortune - I imagine there would be riots of 'imposter Bill Gates incarnates' fighting to the death for what they were 'entitled to'. Might make for some entertaining TV though.