DJ, I think the same way. I don't think that we come back to earth as humans more than once, but I do believe that our DNA is imprinted with the experiences and especially emotional experiences of our ancestors. So that when we think we're experiencing a past life, it may be a sort of collective unconscious from our ancestral DNA pool which culminates in us (and will continue to build with each new generation).

I also believe that our loved ones aren't entirely gone from us when they die. I think they're available to us whenever we need them, but that we have to use our spiritual eyes and ears to see...as you say, through dreams, ideas and inspirations - "God-incidences" so to speak.

I've had some interesting experiences lately in regard to my brother. I don't know if it's considered to be in-topic, but it's sort of relevant. This happens so many times, I can't believe it's just coincidence. I'll see someone in the distance whose walk, mannerisms or body features are EXACTLY the same as my brother's. Not everything is exact, but one visible aspect will be so exact that it takes my breath away. Then the person turns and looks STRAIGHT AT ME, in the eyes, then moves away. Yesterday it happened in the grocery store. From the side angle, his face was the same shape, the same glasses, the guy was even chewing the inside of his mouth just like Gary always used to do. Even hubby saw him and was taken aback. Then the guy turned and looked me in the eye, then wandered off. So bizarre, but each episode actually makes my heart jump for joy, because I'm willing to believe in the possibility that Gary's using these moments to remind me that he's not very far away and is everywhere and in everything around me. It brings great comfort.

Hi Deborah

Great to meet you and to hear your description of your experiences. I totally *get* what you mean about "feeling" it...because that is exactly what happened with/to me during my experiences. In fact, that has been something I've been learning to deal with, manage and understand ever since my first experience with being hypnotized. My practitioner kept saying to "see" a golden globe of light and I couldn't, I simply couldn't. It wasn't until she changed the wording to "feel" the light that I could go forward. And that pattern has stayed the same ever since.

In fact, when I was attending a transformational coaching program a few years ago, the faciltiator was doing a guided meditation and I was struggling, really, struggling, to follow along. It was until I remembered my "feel" gene that I was able to move forward and have a wonderful experience. I shared this approach with some others in the group and it totally changed their experience. Now, when I do guided meditation with folks, I use all the sensory words I can think of to find the one that connects with them so they have can a great experience.

I no longer have someone who I do past life regressions with although I do have a person with whom I have done, and will do again, soul retrievals. If you would like her contact information, send me a Private Message (PM) and I'll get you that information. Something else you might be interested in is something called The Reconnection (www.thereconnection.com). I went through the process a few weeks ago and have felt many shifts happening...although describing them is a royal PITA 'cuz it is, again, a "feel" thing for me! And this is coming from someone who loves to talk and express and learn about new ideas and modalities and opportunities through the spoken word!

And thank you for the kind words about my YouTube recording...how kind of you!

Interesting thoughts and ideas...all. I DEFINITELY agree there is more to the spiritual realm than we can possibly begin to understand or comprehend. I use the term "past lives" to describe the memories I have AND I'm fully aware it may not be truth with a capital "T"...it may only be, as I say, "the world according to Jerilynne!".

I also believe in the possibility of collective memories or information passed to us through our DNA...in fact, a few months ago, I attended a presentation by an engineer turned spiritual seeker and teacher. It was quite fascinating, especially when he started talking about what he called genetic memory.

He brought up a passage in the Bible (I'm sure I don't have it exactly right, so I hope those of you who have deep Biblical knowledge will forgive me poor attempt at writing the phrase). He was discussing the verse regarding "...and the sins of the fathers shall be visited on the sons yeah until 4 generations.

He then discussed the genetic studies that have been done, saying that our DNA carries the imprint of 4 previous generations.

It was an interesting discussion and got me to thinking a lot about this. As I said, I am no Biblical scholar nor do I profess to know this stuff in depth. It was one of those "get Jerilynne thinking" things!

So much to learn ... and I enjoy it all! I don't know that any of us have the final, perfect, in His terms, answer since everything we hear is filtered through our own experiences and own knowledge and our own preconceptions of what life is, and isn't.

Which is why I soooooo enjoy conversing with people from so many backgrounds, cultures, belief systems and family structures. I learn something new every time!

MamaRed....sooo happy to hear that you too had to "feel" rather than "see"...I was under the impression that was pretty uncommon....although afterwards, it seemed to be totally in line with how I have "known" and obtained certain knowledge/information throughout my life.

I did send you a PM requesting the info on soul retrieval and am going to the Reconnection site now....thanks!

Hi Deborah...yup, I'm doing a "me too" on this one...smile. I understand it isn't necessarily the most common, although I seem to be around a lot of folks who are that way...Law of Attraction at work (at least that is my take on it). For years, I was the "odd one out" and I got some coaching on a different way to approach things. When I did, many of the old group fell away...no angst, no nastiness, just fell away. Once I let go of the old, I began attracting an amazing group of people who shared my, admittedly eclectic, belief system and I am no longer the odd one out!

In the last few years, I've learned that what you describe is the same for me...I have been an intuitive and empath and gained my knowledge by so much of the unseen transmissions (body language if you will) that we all have. It has been a challenging road since many times I couldn't understand why I knew what I knew...I knew it and I questioned it because I couldn't explain it and yet, time and time again, what I felt turned out to be true. Quite a bizarre journey in many ways.

I responded to your PM (thanks) and would happily refer you to my Reconnection practitioner. However, it is a series of sessions combined to equal a Reconnection and 3/4 of the series must be done in person. Darn...she is a great person and I'm betting you would like her a bunch!

Ahhhhhh....Mama Red....I appreciate hearing of your experiences which are similar to mine....and how over time your "knowledge" was confirmed...somehow, I knew to hold the knowledge in the back of my mind and not to respond or react immediately based on what was initially given but over time, the knowledge/understanding was confirmed in a variety of ways and I learned to discern subtleties in the information. I even think the evalution of my belief system which I began after taking some Philosphy courses several years back was not only healthy but added another level of discernment.

I wanted to add a little comment about the "Law of Attraction"...I believe in that as well...however, my current felings of isolation have shaken me quite a bit. In all my life I have never been without friends and despite much time, energy and effort for the first 2-3 years of living in Arkansas, I have not been able to develop these. I spent a year or so feeling angry about it and periodically, I have the energy to try again...I have explored and attempted relationships with my neighbors...with ppl in the small nearby town and in the two closest larger towns..(finding BWS is the result of my most recent "expanded" attempt).

I was single for over 20 years and was not lonely during that time because of my kids AND my friends...now, I have a husband I believe is my one true soul mate but I need and want friends as well....and it just hasn't happened! Recently, I have attempted to look at myself to see if something has changed about ME that is creating the difficulty and I don't think so.

There is no way I would willingly choose to go back to my former life of friends over the marriage I have...but I just don't understand why it hasn't happened...I think it's likely a combination of the result of rural living and of being a "newcomer"....anyway...just sharing....this is my primary troubling issue these days.

Hi Deborah

Interesting to hear you say this...I've noticed a trend among a lot of the women of our age group...they seem to be cocooning a bit (for however long that is for each individual), then coming out of it and being a similar place as you are.

As for the Law of Attraction at work, my studies in recent years have led me to combine my focus on both Law of Attraction and the Law of Resonance. Not something I find easy to discuss in the written word (no offense intended...I happen to process verbally). A good portion of my friendships take place by phone and on this forum...I'll admit I didn't make much of an effort to find new friends when I moved from Indianapolis to Chicago...guess I was in the cocooning phase myself then.

I wish I had a nice pat answer to this one...and I don't, blast it! Other than to say it may be that those in your immediate vicinity, for the moment at least, aren't the best match for where you are in your journey. Also, are you, by any chance, holding on to some script or story (not meant in a mean way at all!) about friendships? Kinda thinking out loud on screen at the moment.

The other thing that I didn't, originally, consider when I was doing my shifting, changing and studies was the "collective consciousness" of those around me. I find I need to pay attention to that a bit more than I originally thought.

Hmmmm...Mama Red...interesting question: could I be "holding on to some script or story about friendships"...could you elaborate on that a bit? I'd like to explore that as a possiblity but not sure what it means!!

this is kind of crazy, but when i was in graduate school, i did a past life regression and i think it was dr. weiss himself. but can't remember for sure.

anyway, i was raised in a traditional religion that taught heaven and hell, but as a teen, i started investigating myself (have always been a spiritual seeker) and found that i believed in past lives. it just made the most sense to me of all of the possibilities i had heard thus far).

i also resonate with the people here (mama and deborah) who feel, as opposed to see. i have had problems with visualization exercises . . . i don't always see . . . sometimes i do, but i always get info in words or feelings. not everyone is visual. it must be a dominant way of experiencing, though, because most people who do any kind of visualization exercises usually ask you to envision this or that or note what you see.

i have also done shamanic journeying . . . and have had all kinds of experiences.

i also think we pick our parents and wonder what i was thinking in the case of one of my parents!!!

interesting thread.

Hi Deborah

In my experience, and in my coaching practice, I look for the underlying belief systems around specific "stories" or scripts or circumstances. The reason I say it is harder for me to do in writing is because I listen for the energetic of the words when someone talks to me. So, I'll do my best to describe with an example, hoping that is OK and might provide a bit of insight for you.

During the last few years, I've had many say to me that I'm a "healer"...I couldn't fathom why I got terribly sick to my stomach when that was said and why I tended to run the other way from anyone saying any such thing. As time as gone on, I've realized that one of the Belief Systems (BS)I have is that those that put themselves out there to be a healer get killed or tortured or some such thing and I didn't want to do that (again, in my belief system).

Another one I've had is that friends are a "weight" on my shoulders because most of my friends in my early years were leaning on my strength and constantly draining my energy away. I didn't understand it, felt it happening and felt I HAD to do it that way. Friends, the way I had my story, were to be taken care of, lifted up, carried and then put down. As soon as I needed something they ran away because they were no longer "receiving". So, in my script, friends became something that were a drain on me and not to be trusted. However, it wasn't them, it was me and what I was attracting because of my underlying BS.

I also believed I HAD to be the one doing the carrying and shouldering of burdens because it was the only way I had known. And even when I started finding friends who were giving and caring and would help me when needed, I didn't know how to receive...I equated that with weakness. So those friends kept "running away" because they got tired of trying to help and me not letting them.

The more I look at what my underlying BS, the more I learn about what I wasn't aware of before!

I hope this example helps a little bit. If not, let me know and I'll try again! I have made no attempt to say what your beliefs might be...just that I know there is something. Whether it has been your time to cocoon and regroup a bit and now you're ready or it is something else.