# Past lives?  ATTN: psychics, or anyone with knowledge of the supernatural.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/past-lives-attn-psychics-or-anyone-with-knowledge-of-the-supernatural/124335>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [August 17, 2002, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/past-lives-attn-psychics-or-anyone-with-knowledge-of-the-supernatural/124335 "2002-08-17T14:04:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\
**Post date:** [August 19, 2002, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/past-lives-attn-psychics-or-anyone-with-knowledge-of-the-supernatural/124335/21 "2002-08-19T05:56:36Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by robertliguori \*  
> **Is there a past soul check-in? I’d bet money that if every person was regressed, we’d get some odd population distributions, and who knows how many monarchs.**

Well, that’s not really fair. Past-life regression is a Western idea and, IMHO, a pretty dumb one. You don’t need to believe in past life regression to believe in reincarnation, much like you don’t have to believe in guardian angels and succubi to be Christian.

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**Author:** ![Foggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foggy/32/1082_2.png) [@Foggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foggy)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2002, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/past-lives-attn-psychics-or-anyone-with-knowledge-of-the-supernatural/124335/22 "2002-08-20T02:27:30Z")

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I would jokingly say that I was proof of reincarnation because my soul was too tired for just one lifetime. I don’t believe in reincarnation or much of anything for that matter. I see death as a release, oblivion, sweet nothingness.

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**Author:** ![kingpengvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9dc877/32.png) [@kingpengvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kingpengvin)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2002, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/past-lives-attn-psychics-or-anyone-with-knowledge-of-the-supernatural/124335/23 "2002-08-20T13:12:44Z")

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For any of this to work you’re all presupposing the existence of a soul.

Problem is that you need proof of an existence of a soul.

Would have me believe a soul is an independent entity that flutters from old body to new one? Where did it come from in the first place? What creates it or generates it? Where does it reside in the living body? Is there a soul organ?

Do all creatures possess a soul? If so (as pointed out earlier) Where are the new souls coming from to handle the growing population? If it is all living things then the problem gets worse.  
If you think there are a lot of people imagine how many mini souls exit in the insect world. 6 Billion is peanuts.

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**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2002, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/past-lives-attn-psychics-or-anyone-with-knowledge-of-the-supernatural/124335/24 "2002-08-20T13:22:25Z")

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I think past lives are, for the most part, a result of memory regression. While in a relaxed (hypnotic) state the mind can easily be manipulated into believing things it otherwise would need a lot of evidence for.

In the 80’s memory regression was responsible for the upsurge/hysteria involved in demonic possession. Memory experts were unconsciously implanting loads of memories pertaining to satanic groups.

In the late 80’s, early 90’s, memory regression was responsible for “alien abduction” claims. People would go into a shrink’s office (john mack did this) and the shrink would (probably unconsciously) implant memories of space aliens coming to abduct them.

In the late 90’s, memory regression was responsible for the surge in child molestation claims. Typically the claim would be something to the effect of, I was regressed to the age of 2 years old and I remember my parents touching me.

In otherwords, if you don’t have the memory before the regression, the person who regressed you is probably responsible for the “new” memory.  
If anyone is interested in this information, a good place to start is Michael Shermer’s book “why people believe wierd things”.

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