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Do you believe in Reincarnation?

Alea_iacta_est

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This "unnerving" truth has been apparent to me for a long, long time.

How have you dealt with it?

By telling myself I've already done it, which is actually true. (I've, in this case, representing the Point of View)

It's been apparent to me for a long time as well; even when I had little thought of religious ideology, I had a fascination for the concept of reincarnation (in fact, due to me being raised in a secular household, I learned about Polytheistic myths and reincarnation before Monotheistic religions and modern constructs).
 
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ndovjtjcaqidthi

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By telling myself I've already done it, which is actually true. (I've, in this case, representing the point of view)

It's been apparent to me for a long time as well; even when I had little thought of religious ideology, I had a fascination for the concept of reincarnation (in fact, due to me being raised in a secular household, I learned about Polytheistic myths and reincarnation before Monotheistic religions and modern constructs).

I see we have similar backgrounds.

And yes, even though I am aware that I have been here countless times before, and that I have experienced a countless, countless number of experiences, and will forever continue to do so, it still troubles me deeply! Haha.

The greatest weight. -- What, if some day or night a demon were to steal after you into your loneliest loneliness and say to you: "This life as you now live it and have lived it, you will have to live once more and innumerable times more; and there will be nothing new in it, but every pain and every joy and every thought and sigh and everything unutterably small or great in your life will have to return to you, all in the same succession and sequence -- even this spider and this moonlight between the trees, and even this moment and I myself. The eternal hourglass of existence is turned upside down again and again, and you with it, speck of dust!" Would you not throw yourself down and gnash your teeth and curse the demon who spoke thus? Or have you once experienced a tremendous moment when you would have answered him: "You are a god and never have I heard anything more divine"


From Nietzsche's The Gay Science, §341
 

Ozones

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I think its a shame people don't believe in religion. Why bother living?

:dont:
 

Alea_iacta_est

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I see we have similar backgrounds.

And yes, even though I am aware that I have been here countless times before, and that I have experienced a countless, countless number of experiences, and will forever continue to do so, it still troubles me deeply! Haha.

The greatest weight. -- What, if some day or night a demon were to steal after you into your loneliest loneliness and say to you: "This life as you now live it and have lived it, you will have to live once more and innumerable times more; and there will be nothing new in it, but every pain and every joy and every thought and sigh and everything unutterably small or great in your life will have to return to you, all in the same succession and sequence -- even this spider and this moonlight between the trees, and even this moment and I myself. The eternal hourglass of existence is turned upside down again and again, and you with it, speck of dust!" Would you not throw yourself down and gnash your teeth and curse the demon who spoke thus? Or have you once experienced a tremendous moment when you would have answered him: "You are a god and never have I heard anything more divine"


From Nietzsche's The Gay Science, §341

It still troubles me deeply as well, but to know that we have already finished those lives already appeals to me in some way, as if it won't be so bad.

Curiously, I find myself fascinated that we would technically be the same entity. I will live your life at one point and you will live my life at some point, and we will cross paths with ourselves (which is truthfully one entity, the Point of View). For those not akin to the Point of View, it is the assertion that one literal point of view (reference frame, i.e. "I am the only one that is truly awake") is experienced at one time but paradoxically at the exact same time as the same Point of View reintegrating into existence from other entities due to the lack of time and its influence during the reintegration through the Nonexistence paradox. Essentially, the Point of View is the only conscious entity that can only be conscious at one specific time, but since it reintegrates back into existence in any point in time and space, the Point of View can interact with future/past/pseudo-present forms of the Point of View. The Point of View is the only conscious entity alive at one time, but the Point of View is ultimately ubiquitous in its solitude. (sorry for my tangent).

I like that Nietzsche paragraph very much.
 
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ndovjtjcaqidthi

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It still troubles me deeply as well, but to know that we have already finished those lives already appeals to me in some way, as if it won't be so bad.

Curiously, I find myself fascinated that we would technically be the same entity. I will live your life at one point and you will live my life at some point, and we will cross paths with ourselves (which is truthfully one entity, the Point of View). For those not akin to the Point of View, it is the assertion that one literal point of view (reference frame, i.e. "I am the only one that is truly awake") is experienced at one time but paradoxically at the exact same time as the same Point of View reintegrating into existence from other entities due to the lack of time and its influence during the reintegration through the Nonexistence paradox. Essentially, the Point of View is the only conscious entity that can only be conscious at one specific time, but since it reintegrates back into existence in any point in time and space, the Point of View can interact with future/past/pseudo-present forms of the Point of View. The Point of View is the only conscious entity alive at one time, but the Point of View is ultimately ubiquitous in its solitude. (sorry for my tangent).

I like that Nietzsche paragraph very much.

If you find a way out of this labyrinth, let me know, k? I'll do the same if I figure it out first. ;)
 

Doctor Cringelord

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[MENTION=20385]Alea_iacta_est[/MENTION] [MENTION=15318]Nights and Days[/MENTION]

This idea of experiencing existence ad infinitum...it's something I've been speculating on since I was a boy. I agree it can be depressing to fathom reliving the same life on repeat but...

When I try to visualize time, I don't look at it as a solid line from beginning to end (I imagine this is how most people envision it), nor do I see it as an unending circular cycle (the hindu time), but rather as spherical. Picture a vast orb slowly rotating and that is how I like to envision time. Reincarnation might work in this model.

I also think there is a possibility that there are infinite universes occupying that same sphere--Infinite "timelines" arising out of every possible scenario. The number of them that exist is unfathomable. Every so often they converge and/or intersect. These infinite "timelines" cycle across the orb or sphere, repeating, intersecting, spawning new time lines, so while we may be doomed to repeat the unpleasant aspects of our existence, there will always be new possibilities. Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combination, to steal from Star Trek.

See also the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Parallels" in which Lt. Worf finds himself randomly shifting from one timeline to another.
 

OptoGypsy

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Every individual does lives an infinite timelines but we don't necessarily remember each timeline so each time we live here feels like a fresh new experience. Leaving us with the option of living life to the fullest and to leave our reincarnation with an awesome identity and stream of memories
 

Alea_iacta_est

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[MENTION=20385]Alea_iacta_est[/MENTION] [MENTION=15318]Nights and Days[/MENTION]

This idea of experiencing existence ad infinitum...it's something I've been speculating on since I was a boy. I agree it can be depressing to fathom reliving the same life on repeat but...

When I try to visualize time, I don't look at it as a solid line from beginning to end (I imagine this is how most people envision it), nor do I see it as an unending circular cycle (the hindu time), but rather as spherical. Picture a vast orb slowly rotating and that is how I like to envision time. Reincarnation might work in this model.

I also think there is a possibility that there are infinite universes occupying that same sphere--Infinite "timelines" arising out of every possible scenario. The number of them that exist is unfathomable. Every so often they converge and/or intersect. These infinite "timelines" cycle across the orb or sphere, repeating, intersecting, spawning new time lines, so while we may be doomed to repeat the unpleasant aspects of our existence, there will always be new possibilities. Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combination, to steal from Star Trek.

See also the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Parallels" in which Lt. Worf finds himself randomly shifting from one timeline to another.

Interesting that you view time as a sphere, for I still view time as a linear dimensional aspect, but it possess branches into several different parallel universes, and since there is no beginning and no end, it would be ubiquitous in its occupation of abstract reality (you just gave me an epiphany good sir, thank you, I was working this out in my head as I was writing it). Due to the fact that time exists (or at least decay) and is observable, and we make the assumption that this subset's existence had no beginning nor end, then there would be no center for this sphere and no beginning or end point for this line that might explain time, rather, time would be an infinite body sort of like an ocean that never ends, with no epicenter as well due to the fact that there was no beginning point. Due to the nature of the sphere and its equal covering of space everywhere, time would be spherical but paradoxically have no true radii as there is no center point. How intriguing, I'm going to be attempting to disseminate this further in my mind.
 

Doctor Cringelord

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Interesting that you view time as a sphere, for I still view time as a linear dimensional aspect, but it possess branches into several different parallel universes, and since there is no beginning and no end, it would be ubiquitous in its occupation of abstract reality (you just gave me an epiphany good sir, thank you, I was working this out in my head as I was writing it). Due to the fact that time exists (or at least decay) and is observable, and we make the assumption that this subset's existence had no beginning nor end, then there would be no center for this sphere and no beginning or end point for this line that might explain time, rather, time would be an infinite body sort of like an ocean that never ends, with no epicenter as well due to the fact that there was no beginning point. Due to the nature of the sphere and its equal covering of space everywhere, time would be spherical but paradoxically have no true radii as there is no center point. How intriguing, I'm going to be attempting to disseminate this further in my mind.

interesting. I really like the endless ocean metaphor.
 
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Infinite Bubble

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that's exactly what I think, too :)

Glad you think that as well. However, my perspective has changed somewhat since then.

To me, the concept of reincarnation is rendered moot by the idea of a boundless multiverse.
 

kyuuei

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I wish it existed--and I sort of hope it does. It's much more romantic that way--to stay here, and go through life all over again in a completely different way, and all that.

Currently I believe in a more dismal perspective: that we only live once in this shape, and our energy is transferred into the earth to be used at the whim of it--mostly as decomposed matter, food, etc. etc. Which is pretty hippy in its own sense.
 

Scott N Denver

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Yes.

For some of the things I deal with and some of the circles I run in various details on this topic, particularly past life karma and associated subtle energies, are par for the course and somewhat, rather, or very frequent.
 

prplchknz

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I feel like it has to be true, how can we have this many humans and each one have different souls?
 

whitelion

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I wish it existed--and I sort of hope it does. It's much more romantic that way--to stay here, and go through life all over again in a completely different way, and all that.

It wouldn't always be romantic, you could suffer a lot in your next life ...
 
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