Could memories of “past lives” or past events actually be evidence of genetically-transferred ancestral “memories” rather than proof of reincarnation?

Is there an afterlife, or is there a life after life? Putting aside various religious beliefs about reincarnation, many scientists, physicians and laypersons have tried to take a scientific approach to the subject by studying people who claim to have remembrances of past lives. Many of these claims are made more credible by the person’s detailed memories of events, people and even languages that they could have never known under normal circumstances. Especially interesting are stories of young children who have remembrances of a past they could have never experienced in their current lives.

In his book, Twenty Cases Suggestive of Reincarnation, psychiatrist Dr. Ian Stevenson offers a typical example:

The case usually starts when a small child of two to four years of age begins talking to his parents or siblings of a life he led in another time and place. The child usually feels a considerable pull back toward the events of the life and he frequently importunes his parents to let him return to the community where he claims that he formerly lived. If the child makes enough particular statements about the previous life, the parents (usually reluctantly) begin inquiries about their accuracy. Often, indeed usually, such attempts at verification do not occur until several years after the child has begun to speak of the previous life. If some verification results, members of the two families visit each other and ask the child whether he recognizes places, objects, and people of his supposed previous existence.(Source: Wikipedia)

Those who do not believe in reincarnation consider any reincarnation case studies to be the result of either a hoax, a misinterpretation, a coincidence or even a mental disorder. Some have suggested these many be cases of some form of psychic transference – information that has been transmitted psychically from one person to another – or postcognition, the opposite of precognition, where someone has psychic visions about something that occurred in the past, long before their own birth.

One pseudo-scientific possibility is also worth considering when attempting to understand “reincarnation” case studies from a non-religious perspective, and that is “genetic memory.” While genetic memory is still on the fringe of modern science and has no reliable research to indicate it is a more than a hypothesis, even well-respected psychologists such as Carl Jung found the notion fascinating. Jung referred to it as the “collective unconscious.”

In his article titled “Ancestral” or “Genetic” Memory: Factory Installed Software (Source: Wisconsin Medical Society), Dr. Daniel Treffert, M.D. talks about cases of savants – people born with sever developmental difficulties who, without being taught, can “Instinctively” understand and apply rules of music, mathematics or art, to name a few examples. From where did this knowledge originate? We presume that knowledge of these disciplines must be taught and learned, yet even medical science acknowledges that savants are not charlatans or the products of charlatans.

Treffert quotes famed neurologist and researcher Dr. Wilder Penfield, who said “Animals particularly show evidence of what might be called racial memory.” In other words, Penfield acknowledged the existence of a form of memory that was not experiential. Certain complex animal behavior shows evidence of a form of “knowledge” that has been acquired not through experience but through an innate process that relates to their species.

Taking the notion of ancestral or genetic memory one step further, what it is humanly possible not only to tap into human knowledge transferred into our DNA from our biological ancestors, but to also access individual memories from our ancestors’ experiences? Could memories become encoded in DNA strands so that they can be passed on to our descendants? Treffert maintains that although some feel genetic memory in savants may just be the brain’s ability to access certain “templates of knowledge” common to all humanity, he has concluded that the knowledge of savants may have actually been inherited from their ancestors: “From my direct observations of prodigious savants, though, it seems to me they inherit actual knowledge itself, not just the templates or scaffolding or ‘rules’ on which they can so quickly build. Thus, for me, genetic memory is inherited knowledge.

Returning to cases of “reincarnation” where children or adults recall specific memories and details of lives they have never lived and, in many cases, places they have never been – we have to ask whether the assumption that this is a “past life regression” is implausible even if the details of the case are verified. Could the past lives these people are “remembering” be not their own lives but the lives of their ancestors? DNA databanks that have traced people’s racial ancestry have turned up surprising results— people with generations and generations of documented European ancestry, for example, have found that their DNA markers contain clear evidence of Asian or African ancestors. Thus, it may not be surprising if someone whose family has lived in America for generations has “memories” of another life in Asia, Africa or other continents.

If genetic memory as inherited memory can be proven, imagine how human beings could begin to tap into the lives of their ancestors. We would not be pleased with everything we could “remember,” but it could offer the human race an opportunity to appreciate how deeply we are all linked through the memories and experiences of our ancestors, and how we have a kind of immortality in the individual memories and collective knowledge we will pass on to our own descendants.

Rethinking Reincarnation by Garth Von Buchholz Copyright 2010

This past weekend I was sitting out on the after deck of my yacht sipping my coffee in the early morning before starting my day. I had been reading news articles on my iPhone, posting some to Facebook for others to comment on or read. Usually my dog or cat, or both, join me, but it has been too hot for them to sit out there for extended periods of time so today they were cloistered inside where it was cool and comfortable.

As I sat with my back to the rising sun reading more articles on my iPhone a lovely bird came to perch on the hand railing about ten feet from me. He/she was a fairly large bird with beautiful colorations and variations in its feathers. He had yellow talons or claws and a parrot-like beak. He was otherwise nothing like a parrot, but more like a bird of prey. His eyes were friendly and he was attentive to me without being fearsome, yet being this close to nature can be unsettling.

I spoke to the visiting bird calmly. He looked back at me as if he had understood every word I said. He/she stayed so long that I was beginning to get concerned that perhaps something was amiss with the bird itself. I expressed this concern to the bird in my same calm voice, asking he/she if something was wrong and if there was something he/she wanted me to do to help. He cocked his lovely head sideways a time or two and glanced at me across his downturned beak for a few moments longer. I kept telling the bird how beautiful it was and how special I felt that he had come to visit me. I searched my knowledge of birds in my mind for his exact type or species.

I felt so lucky to be close to such a magnificent wild creature. Surely his presence was a sign or a signal. I snapped a photograph with the camera feature on my iPhone and checked it to be sure it was clear because I did not want this moment to pass unrecorded. One problem was that I was farther away, and had no zoom feature, than I would have liked it to be for fear of scaring my new friend away. Again I inquired as to if my friend was ok. He stood a bit longer and then stepped backward and proceeded to execute the most exquisite cutaway dive that I’ve ever seen. He dropped down alongside the boat and then spread his wings and floated away. I was simply in awe!

I rushed inside and booted up my computer anxious to find out what my bird was. I siphoned through pictures of Eagles, Ospreys, and then finally got a hit with the photographs of the Peregrine Falcon. I compared the National Geographic pictures to the one I had taken and it was an exact match. I was stupefied and honored that this exquisite bird had landed on my boat and given me opportunity to be up close communing with nature. I also felt certain he intended to impart some important knowledge to me otherwise he would not have come.

I had read previously about power animals and spirit guides and wondered what this lore might reveal about my visiting Falcon. I pulled some searches for same and came back with a plethora of websites that offered a variety of opinions about what a Falcon may mean to a human life, especially as this was a strange place for the two of us to meet. I’ve compiled below much of that information for you to enjoy and learn from as well.

From the website www.manataka.org I found out about the connection that the Native American culture had to the various wilderness animals and how that connection translated into their everyday lives. They [The Native Americans] suggest there are four types of animal guides: messenger, shadow, journey, and life. The various lessons learned for our animal guides depend on which of the four types of guides they are.

Messenger guides come to us rather quickly and dispel their messages according to either warning or wake-up calls. They can appear in our dreams or awakened state.  Their messages are meant to help us with decisions in our personal lives. These messages can be positive or negative depending on the situation at hand.
Shadow guides come to us from a position of fear, our fear. They help us to learn the hard lessons in life, the things we do not want to repeat. Shadow guides are sometimes meant to test our mettle.

Journey guides come to us when we need to select which road in life to take. After a commitment is made the journey guide will help us follow that path and ensure that we do not get lost along the way.
Life guides are actually part of each of us. One person can have numerous life guides.  And there are times that one guide may be replaced with another over the duration of a lifetime.

Determining which of these four your guide is, is the first step in understanding the message. This website suggests that you learn all you can about the subtle nuances of that particular animals life: i.e., where it lives, how it hunts, etc.  By studying up on your animal guide you can better understand the messages he/she means to impart and their reason for being in your life. Another important thing to know is that the animal guides select the people and not vice versa, so you cannot conjure up what is to be paired with you.

Since it was pretty obvious to me that this Peregrine Falcon was my animal guide I learned that he/she came to me in order that I might search for new ideas or take a broader position on a certain topic I’ve been contemplating, or perhaps because I need a fresh perspective on things. Another possible reason for his/her visit is to suggest that I take my time coming to a decision and not act too rashly, but instead, make decisions with patience and deliberate action. He or she could also be telling me to act as a role model in my life, but realize that I require freedom and stimulation.

From the website www.shamaniclinks.net I found that our power animals can also be trying to draw our attention to something in particular. The Native Americans believed that we, as humans, should always be thankful and give thanks for these various spirit guides for being part of our lives. They can offer us protection, lessons to life’s difficult questions, and wisdom. I am thankful that my Peregrine Falcon came into my life.

WWW.shamanicjourney.com did not have the Falcon listed as a spirit guide or power animal, but offered his sister species the Eagle instead. To which they said: presence of the Eagle means we, humans, may be seeking the higher truths in life and he/she is here to guide the way or to perhaps show us the bigger picture in the whole scheme of thing. It is also likely that they are here to help us balance intuition with creation or dedication toward knowledge and hard work that cannot be attained by mere intellect alone, but only with combination of spirit. He [the Eagle] asks us to pay attention to our spoken and written words, and to their tone, which is reflected in our receiver’s actions and words.

In addition, the Eagle invites us to look at our past and present so that we can effectively develop a path toward our future. He/she may wish to help us let go of past problems and difficulties, and to look toward our futures with open minds and hearts.For instance: Are there things in our past that have been holding us back from realizing our true potential? If so, we need to act with courage to realize our strengths, overcome our fears, trust in our abilities, and take control of opportunities as they manifest in our lives. These life lessons can move us from unfamiliar territory into places where we can soar. The Eagle also signifies freeing ourselves from attachments, and moving forward without judgment, but with genuine encouragement and kindness toward all things in life. The presence of the Eagle wishes for us to get in touch with our true emotions so that we are better able to connect with our spirituality and psychic abilities.

I have a lot to chew on in these references to my visiting Falcon and all that he means for me to learn and understand. I hope I have taught you some new and interesting ways of looking at the natural wonderments in life through the eyes of our spirit guides and power animals. The lessons they impart are practical, critical, and necessary if we ever want to become more than we are.

References: www.shamanicjourney.com, www.shamanlinks.net, www.manataka.org

For more information about me please visit my personal web site www.michellemalsbury.com. Thank you for taking the time to read my article and please feel free to leave a comment for me on my website.

I had lived in Key West, Florida for a number of years before I decided to purchase my first home. I had been yard saleing with my dear, and now departed, friend Connie Portner. We did this early each Saturday morning. We were about mid-way through our list when we drove past a sweet little Victorian house on the corner of United Street and Reynolds Street. 1302.  I saw a for sale sign hanging on the fence and asked Connie to please stop the car, I just had to look at this house. Something about this house was inviting me in. She did and we rang the bell.

A hulking man with a jovial disposition came bounding down the stairs to let us in. The remainder of his group, another man and two women, welcomed us like they had known us their entire lives. They quickly handed out Mimosa’s or Bloody Mary’s of which they had already been imbibing. We partook. They were two couples from New York City. The men were firefighters on vacation. They showed us around the grounds and inside the house, we chatted quite a while, and said they loved staying here. An hour or so later Connie and I finally left.

From the first moment I walked into the courtyard this house hugged me. And I mean like a real hug in the physical sense and all!  I felt like I was home, really home perhaps for the first time in my whole life. Connie and I discussed this on the way back to where I was then living. She dropped me where I promptly told my boyfriend that I had found the house I thought I wanted to buy. Naturally, he was taken aback, but indulged me. I phoned the realtor, Lorraine Smith, whose name was on the sign and scheduled a showing the coming week for me to bring Pat along to see the house that Connie and I had already previewed. I told her that if he liked it as much as I did I intended to write a contract on it. She was elated.

A day or so later we previewed the house and signed a contract. I was so happy, so content. That was my very first home purchase and perhaps the home I loved most. During the time that I lived in this house I would awaken at irregular intervals during the night throughout the years to a house filled with ghostly revelry. I would occasionally look out from my bedroom or walk through the living room to the kitchen for a glass of water and see my ghost friends having an enthralling discussion over cocktails or tea. Many times there was a butler who wandered around the crowd with a silver tray to collect or disburse drinks or condiments. He was medium height with receding silver hair and most officious. He wore all black and white gloves and stood erect as he moved soundlessly about the crowded room. Most of the time my ghosts were attired as if from turn of the century, late 1890’s to early to mid 1900’s.

The women wore long ornately decorated or embroidered dresses that that went from the floor to their neck, sometimes with long sheer sleeves and other times just capped over the shoulder. Ruffles and lace peeked out from the necklines and hemlines. Once in a while a lovely broach was visible about the necklines of their flowing gowns as I walked through the room in awe. The men were sometimes clothed in full military regalia with medals and shoulder boards, tall boots and pantaloons. At other times they wore dress attire in line with the ladies only of masculine design. At no time did they ever pay me any attention, but continued as if I was not at all a factor in the grand scheme of things. Sometimes there was music being played in the background. It was either from the harpsichord or clavier, or cello and harp. It was a bit tinny, but nice, in fitting with their period of dress. The men spoke with authority about things that had been occurring during the time they were dressed in accordance with. They never interacted with me, but I sure wish they would have. We merely coexisted and shared the living space.

I owned that house for a number of years and those ghosts were always part of my life. They did not materialize each night or even each month, but instead irregularly. I never asked them to come or go and neither did they me. They added a lot of ambiance and taught me that ghosts or spirits are nothing to be fearful of, at least mine were not ghoulish or menacing, or haughty or rude. I was humbled that they chose to inhabit my house along with me and made my time living there all the more pleasant.

For more about Michelle Malsbury please visit her personal web site www.michellemalsbury.com. Thank you for taking the time to read her article and please feel free to leave a comment for her on her website.

Where do you go if you are an atheist or agnostic for spiritual advice? Friends, family, strangers, bartenders, pets, and/or maybe the occasional psychic? Maybe all of the above? Hey I am just asking, not judging. (wink)

There have been times in my life when I just wanted a little direction or maybe I was heading in a certain direction and did not know if it was the right direction. At any rate I sought some metaphysical advice and you can too.

Don’t know what metaphysical advice is? Well it can come from just about anyone who has a spiritual connection to life, spirit, aura, or light. These people can range from clairvoyants to palm readers or tarot card readers to psychics and sages or voodoo priests. What sets them apart from our regular friends or family is that they possess a variety of skills for seeing into our past, present, or future. And don’t laugh. I am serious.

I don’t know about the rest of you, but over the years I have spent a lot of money and time seeking out psychic authorities. I might add largely to no avail because most of them were frauds. Before you get all jumpy on me realize that not every person who hangs out a sign has any psychic ability. As a matter of fact, the most reliable ones don’t have to advertise or toot their own horn because word of mouth brings people to them. Seriously!

Back in the 1990’s I was living in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and a neighbor of mine introduced me to their houseguest. Her name was Irene. She was charming and she had a cute accent. She had grown up in Hungary and had moved and lived around the world. She was not a young woman nor was she old, not that age enters into talent in this regard. She and I struck up a nice conversation and in the course of that conversation she told me that she was a palm reader, tarot card reader, psychic, intuit, and past life specialist. I was intrigued and wanted to know more.

Irene and I set a date for the following week and she gave me some instructions for what to do, or better yet what not to do, prior to our appointment.  For instance, she asked me not to drink alcohol for two to three days before our scheduled time to meet. She asked me to exercise and get plenty of rest. She asked me to concentrate on what I really wanted to know or obtain from our gathering. I did as she asked because I really wanted to give our meeting the best chance to succeed.
We met the following week. I think it was either a Tuesday or Wednesday. We had seen each other casually in our yards because we were, and are, both avid animal lovers and I had two dogs at that time: BoJean and AbuChez. One a Border Collie and one a Australian Cattle dog. Irene fell in love with my Abu, who was just a puppy at that time and totally adorable, so much so that she asked if she could use that name for her next pet. Of course I said yes!

Ok, about our meeting. If memory serves me we did the palm reading first. During the palm reading she revealed many things that nobody in my family was aware of at that time, but would later prove to be true. For instance, she told me that I had some issues with my mother and that my mother was gravely ill. She asked me to make amends because her time would be very short. I was perplexed because I had spoken to my mother with regularity for years and did not believe that she was ill or surely I would have known. I asked if it could possibly be my father because we were estranged at that time. She said maybe, but her senses told her it was my mother. We spoke about occupations and life paths. She told me that I would write four of five books and would make a name for myself in this industry. She told me much more. Too much to write about here, but you’ve got the gist of our conversation on palm reading.

Next she did a tarot reading and explained in detail things that had gone on in my life with regard to love and career. She asked me to shuffle and lay out the cards so they would be filled with my aura. She asked me to concentrate on my questions as I selected the cards to use in this reading. Here again she stated that I liked what I was doing now occupationally speaking, which was brokering commodities for a very unscrupulous man. She stressed that it would not last and that I should plan for the next phase of my life. Love was/is a sticky subject and at that time I was head over heels with a man who was not going to last in our relationship, but that is another topic entirely. She reiterated that I should write as she stated in our palm reading.

The final thing she did for me was a past life regression. We held hands across a small table, closed our eyes for a few moments, and brought our psychic energy together to see into my past. She told me that I had been a high diver in one life living in Greece and had fallen to my death because I had broken my neck on a particularly difficult dive. Hence, the pain I feel in my neck now. She told me that I had been a princess or queen and was a very fair ruler, but also enjoyed the finer things in life that accompany that life of privilege. She told me that I had been a dancer and singer in a club in Havana and was friendly with Ernest Hemmingway. (Mind you I am a horrible singer and not much better with dance.) As a matter of fact she told me that he (Hemmingway) died the same year I was born (ok, 1961. Are you satisfied?) and I was supposed to rank up with him in writing books because his spirit now filled my soul. Thus the push to write and write I do.

Anyway, to sum things up let me say that this meeting was in February or March and in April my mother called me to tell me that she had inoperable lung cancer that it had metastasized to her brain and that her time was indeed very short. She died three short months later. While I did not think about Irene’s prediction at that moment it did hit me later when I was able to better absorb this dire news and think straight. She was right! The man I was in a relationship with at that time and I have long since parted ways. And I’ve written five or six books, two of which are published (Three Years With Adonis and The Swindler isbn 978-0-9844219-4-7, both are now available on www.amazon.com), two screenplays, and over four hundred articles published over the internet. So I am writing, but still waiting for the fame or recognition to catch up. Perhaps if each of you reading this article purchases one copy of my new book I can be further along the path of fame. (wink, nudge)

The upshot of this article is to inform you. And perhaps also entertain. I do not want you rushing out to the lady in your neighborhood that has a sign hanging out front of her home stating she is a psychic or palm reader, but instead to seek the sage advice of service providers who can hook you up with the real thing. I do not know for sure, but I bet if you contact the Bliss-Parsons Institute you can inquire as to a qualified metaphysical person who can treat you right and ensure that you are following your life path.

For more information about me please visit my personal web site www.michellemalsbury.com. Thank you for taking the time to read my article and please feel free to leave a comment for me on my website.