Special Sub-Topic: Karma and Reincarnation Authored by: superferd Sub-topic of: The Unexplained

Which of these sayings is closely related to the term "Karma"?

all of them (What comes around goes around, People reap what they sow, For every action, there is a reaction). In layman's terms, karma is basically cause and effect. Once you act upon something, there will be a reaction. It does not have to be immediate as we live in a world ruled by time and the consequences or rewards of an action can happen at a later date. Karma is a Sanskrit word, which is derived from Hinduism. "Karma and Reincarnation" by Elizabeth Claire Prophet was used as a source for this question.

Most modern day religions do not accept the doctrine of reincarnation. What is the Number 1 reason for this?

It does away with the notions of heaven and hell. The notion of going to heaven or hell is a way to continue following the rules of any given religion, so you can be rewarded or punished eternally in the afterlife. Reincarnation, by definition, would give you multiple, if not an infinite amount of chances for your soul to accomplish its greatest mission... a communion with God. However, it does do away with the choices people make as our free will can build up negative karma that can be played out during many lifetimes. This may be hard for people to believe but there are definite passages in the Bible that can be interpreted to show that Jesus and the Buddha were advocates for reincarnation. For the purposes of political correctness, I will leave out the quotes. "Heaven" and "Hell" can exist, but are mindsets only and can be lived out here on Earth. It is up to each of us since we have free will. "Conversations with God" by Neale Donald Walshe was used as a source for this question.

It is easier for adults than it is for small children to recount episodes of prior incarnations?

False. Many children have the ability to remember things that happened to them in a past life and since they have not yet been taught by society that things like "imaginary friends" (ability to see spirits) and that there is only one lifetime. Young children often remember or know things that they cannot possibly have incorporated as knowledge yet in this lifetime. In addition, they are only recently born, so they may still have memories of where they were before their birth. "Life after Life" by Raymond Moody was used as a source for this question.

According to New Age theories, we make pacts with other souls before birth to help remind us what our purpose is here on this planet in our current incarnation. Some of these people may inflict harm on you emotionally or physically. Can these be examples of "Soul Mates"?

Yes. A soul mate has become a very trendy word and is used by many magazines and movies to describe the one person that can complete you. However, there are prevalent theories that we have many soul mates and the greatest one of all is the one that "pushes our buttons the most". This is so we can learn how not to be treated or how not to behave. Many times, our greatest teachers are the people that we cannot stand at all. Soul Mates can range from a romantic lover to an abusive spouse and much more. The terminology for your other half in spiritual terms is "Twin Flame". "Twin Flames and Soul Mates" by Elizabeth Claire Prophet was used as a source for this question.

Paying back someone in this lifetime for something that you may have done to that individual in a prior life is known as what?

Karmic Debt. Another reason that our souls continue to choose minds and bodies and come back to the Earth plane is because we need to balance our karma. There is good karma and bad karma. Our souls, to be in ultimate communion with God, need to have balanced karma and we may choose a life of suffering or a life of hedonism (or anything in between) to attempt to pay off karmic debts or help others pay off theirs. Karmic debt may not be a great term, because it is more like attempting to achieve balance than to "right" a "wrong" as those are only value judgments. "Conversations with God" by Neale Donald Walsh was used as a source for this question.

Do you have to see a psychic or medium to be able to access the memory of your past lives?

n. All humans have what is known is the "Sixth Sense". This is the idea of "knowing". Some individuals are much more in tune with their sense and therefore can help others remember past lives. However, with effort and belief, anyone can do this alone. Hypnosis and meditation are good ways of getting in touch with your soul or your "higher self" and remembering what occurred in past lives. There are many books out on this subject for people to learn how to use their sense. Knowing what happened in past lives might explain particular problems you have in relationships, financial situations, dependency, as well as many other issues that you want to tackle. It is similar to talking to a therapist about your childhood to find out why you may behave in a certain way. "Conversations With God: Book 3" was used as a source for this question. The author is Neale Donald Walshe.

One way to transmute your karma is to cleanse oneself through a particular flame (or an energy of The Holy Spirit). What color is this flame?

Violet. All humans have some form of "karmic clutter". In the art of Feng Shui it is believed we can pass through the purest of the fractals of white light to clear up many misunderstood messages of karmic baggage that is carried around. When a rainbow appears, the final color is violet (ROYGBIV). Being aware of what purpose you decided to incarnate for and why things are the way that they are for you is to attempt to burn your karma through this violet light (figuratively). "Karma and Reincarnation" by Elizabeth Claire Prophet was used a source for this question.

If you incarnated for a particular reason and passed away without accomplishing that mission, would God penalize you, according to modern day New Age thinking?

No. In modern day "New Age" thinking, God has no judgment whatsoever. He gave humans free will and it is our job to "remember our purpose". In effect, we get amnesia when we come down the birth canal. That is another example of why soul mates come in to your life and why you come into theirs. It has been suggested as well that you choose your parents and siblings as well to help you on your journey. If you do not accomplish your purpose, then you can reincarnate again. Some books I have read state that it gets more difficult each time and you may choose more difficult lifestyles such as being handicapped or choosing to live in a Third World nation. This is only one theory, however. "Conversations with God" by Neale Donald Walshe was used as a source for this question.

A phenomenon of a group of souls reincarnating together for a purpose is known by which term?

Group Karma. Many times souls travel in groups and attempt to make changes for what they have done in the past (in essence, they all shared the same karmic debt). Edgar Cayce, otherwise known as the Sleeping Prophet, stated many times in trancelike states that the people of the lost continent of Atlantis reincarnated in large numbers as Americans before he passed away in 1945. The people of Atlantis supposedly had their technology outgrow their knowledge and the abuse of power ended their civilization. Is America a second chance to make this right or are we repeating history? I guess that time will tell. "The Edgar Cayce Companion" by B. Ernest Frejer was used as a source for this question.

There is a room that lies on an ethereal plane that supposedly stores all the records of everything that has happened, everything that is happening, and everything that will happen including every possible variance for everything that would have happened if every human made a different choice every time they made a choice. It is an infinite number to us. What is the name of this room?

The Akashic Records. This is a theorem today, but this is supposedly how Edgar Cayce was able to get his information when he did past life reviews for people. The only way for living humans to gain access is through an out-of-body experience or projected thought It is a complicated theory for the human mind to grasp because it does away with the notion of time. It states that everything that ever happened, is happening, will happen, and could have happened is all going on right now. There is no such thing as yesterday, tomorrow, last year, or even five seconds ago. Life is pre-determined by destiny, but we also have the free will to choose anything we want due to free will. It seems like a paradox, but we have an infinite amount of played out choices to make (and most people are not aware of this), so every experience will be new to us. It also suggests that there are an infinite number of you and I as well as everyone else that are living in a parallel universe that you could have chosen had you made a decision differently. "You Can Remember Your Past Lives" by Robert C. Smith was used as a source for this question.