didymus said:
Taijasi, which book are you currently reading?
Didymus,
I'm reading several, including two right now by Dolores Cannon, dealing with reincarnation as explored from the perspective of a Past Life Regressionist. Cannon has written quite a few books on the subject, having done this for something like 30 years. The one that got me interested in her, is called
They Walked With Jesus, and it's still on order with Amazon.com - because it's grouped with the new Harry Potter DVD.

So, ironically, I still don't have it yet ... but I
did order five others of hers (!), and the two I've started are
Jesus and the Essenes, and
Keepers of the Garden.
Jesus and the Essenes is provided as an account of a client who discovered a past life
just prior to the time of Christ, in the Essene Community of
Qumran. Thus far, I am fascinated, and don't find it difficult to believe at all! I always approach accounts like this very carefully, but even if I see things that don't ring true, I'm not going to toss the baby out with the bathwater. Why should I? Probably there is still something of value, and yet,
anyone who really wants to know how the early life of Jesus went, should probably read this book. Or, of course, people who just want to stick to their Bibles ... can & should do so. I just find it helpful to see it from a
firsthand point of view, which is the perspective one gets when reading a Q&A session between Cannon and her clients, as she writes.
Some of what I've read so far is
amazing, and the very real, normal life that is presented is much more keeping with what one would expect, instead of glamorous, unbelievable exaggerations and fantasies. The perspective offered in
Jesus and the Essenes is that of
Suddi, and his accounts have been arranged out of the order given, and presented in a more chronological order, to make better sense. So far, the Essene Community has been described in detail, including much about what they believed and taught. Also, many things about the relationship (mostly
differences) between the Essenes, and the typical Jews/Jewish beliefs & practices of the times, have been presented. These people were
absolutely feared by both the Romans and the Jews, because they were regarded as possessing various secrets, and essentially as being a
threat to the established order.
That Jesus was
most certainly an Essene, or at least had studied (probably lived) at Qumran, and was
extremely familiar with their teachings, I increasingly have
no doubt. I haven't even gotten to that part of the book yet ... but Suddi
has spoken already of some of the prophecies regarding
the Messiah. The Essene perspective on all of this, is something I have always been curious about, and I fully expect this book to be
enormously helpful -
to me - in approaching this.

Highly recommended to anyone with a similar interest, and who has not already drawn his or her conclusions ... regarding this whole subject.
There is
one thing thus far - and really
only this one thing - which raised a
yellow flag for me ... even a bright orange one, actually. However, because I couldn't wait, and started another book by Cannon, I have already lowered that flag considerably, and I'm much more comfortable with the issue. I think I already posted it, and it's the notion, as presented in
Jesus & the Essenes, that her subject
had already recounted 20 different lives, before reaching the time of Christ. Cannon stated that had she stopped there, she would never have discovered the fascinating accounts of Suddi. But my challenge, is to believe that all 20 lives before Suddi, were accurate.
Normally, a Soul would only have had 3 to 5 actual incarnations in that time,
if that many. Perhaps 6 or 7
at the outside, in rare cases. I don't mean to sound so certain, but my findings are that we usually reincarnate in a loose cycle of maybe 7 or 800 years, or for many people, a much longer period, of well over 1000 years. Interruptions by violent death, and/or deaths during wartimes (which sweeps us into a very different karma, the karma of the
national entity), can bring us immediately back, and my own present life is a case in point. But besides that, I consider my own recent cycle of lives unusual, for various reasons that I think I understand. Still, it runs - 2 lives in 20th century (present included), 1 in 11th-12th century, 1 in 1st century AD, 1 in 1st century BC, 1 in 6th century BC, 1 in 14th century BC, etc. Now that's 7 lives in 3500 years, at least one being due to wartimes. Go figure.
A problem? No. Here's why. In Cannon's book,
Keepers of the Garden, she finds herself speaking to a previous incarnation of her client, after awhile ... which wasn't on this planet at all! And this is the subject of the entire rest of the book, although several such lives are covered, perhaps on several different worlds. The one I'm reading about now was supposedly 4th dimensional, or "astral," and for that reason, it's particularly fascinating. I've seldom read accounts of such a phase/dimension of living, and never one from
firsthand. This book, too, is amazing. I think it was the first of several which address the topic of non-earth-based Humanities, as learned about via Past Life Regressions, and the other four books are on my coffee table just waiting!
Anyway, what Cannon finds, after learning from her client about 6 or 7 supposed incarnations upon
Earth, is that the being she's speaking with (the Soul, essentially, though focussed through the incarnation on another planet - which allows a
much clearer communication from the true entity,
as a Soul, from spiritual levels ... ) ... this being, only incarnated on Earth
once, in its present lifetime. Now this is confusing! What were these other 6 or so lives then??? And thus, the chapter I've just read, is on
`imprints.' I have never encountered an idea quite as developed as this one, on the topic of reincarnation, for many years since first reading about it ... but it squares perfectly with all I've read and come to understand about the Akashic Records. In short, for beings of
other Humanities, who come to our planet for the next stages of their spiritual development (something I've finally accepted, and
God knows why I should ever have even questioned it, or doubted!) ... for such entities, a
sudden immersal into our world, via direct incarnation - would be
devastating. As this being put it, the
extreme shock upon their astral body, and inner mechanism (mind), would result in a paralysis, maybe even death. To witness the violence, the hate, the anger, the war, and the many things
that are in several ways unique to our - uh, "special" planet - would, mmmm, just kill them. A part of me weeps to read this, a part of me is very sad, and I know it to be true, I have always known it. But we will make it. I hope.
So in order to give the incoming entity a
context, and help it adapt prior to incarnation,
imprints from other lives are made available. It could be just a few, it could be that literally hundreds, or thousands are needed. Just depends (presumably on degree of evolution, but that hasn't been stated in that way). And such imprints, are the sum-total, the spiritual accomlishments, or the redeeming, important experiences, of all souls upon our planet. Supposedly, it is even possible for
hundreds of different souls to share a given, single imprint, if such was important enough, and helpful for us. And to the entity with the imprint, there is no way to distinguish between that imprint and a life "actually lived."
A fascinating idea, and one that
makes perfect sense to me!!! 
For example, a being that was coming in and needed experience as some type of leader, might require imprints from various kings, tribal leaders, even a leader of a gang of thieves, if it had to reach far enough back. This fits with the notion of the Rays, as a thread found on the Esoteric board, where Ray 1 is that of Power, and of politicians. If it were a Ray 6 Soul, that entity would perhaps need imprints from several lives as devotees, or martyrs, even saints, and religious leaders. It just varies. But the imprints help the being adapt and prepare for the
rather challenging incarnation(s) which it is about to undertake upon this planet. And there is even reference to a "special type of spirits" which assist with the choosing of imprints, and the use of them by souls coming in. This is
exactly what esoteric teachings indicate by the term
Lipika Lords, or Lords of Karma. [Look up
Lipika in
this glossary for more info, and also
akasa - the very
last part of the definition - if interested.]
So much more is said, in that one chapter, and in the rest of the book. It, too, I highly recommend, if folks are open to these ideas. The chapters prior to this one, have described
in much detail, and to my great interest, what life is like on two different planets outside of our system. One is in the Sirian System, another ... I forget. Both, are capable of Interstellar travel, and are on "trade routes" that cross our Galaxy - and others. The importance of
mining is stressed, and of the trading of medicines that are synthesized from plants found on various planets.
War, as physical conflict, is
unknown to these civlizations. They are far, far past that point in their evolution. Many books like this may exist, and I
do believe that we should approach the whole idea with a healthy dose of skepticism. Having done so, I am so far
convinced that Cannon's books are useful, probably fairly accurate, and quite possibly
exactly what they appear. It's already changing how I regard the whole topic of Past Life Regression, although much more could be said about the pupose, usefulness, pros and cons, of PLR. I hope to learn more from a friend of mine, who is doing it. We could certainly discuss this, from a very
practical viewpoint, since I think it is quite important relevant to the topic of Reincarnation ...
Love & Light,
andrew