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    Born Again, Many Times!

    Finding myself to exist in the world, I believe I shall, in some shape or other, always exist.
    Benjamin Franklin

                The annual spring break vacation was typical in the sense that the restlessness of the backseat drivers weighed heavily on my patience.  The smell of snacks, drinks and other odors coupled with the constant bickering of the siblings made me crazy.  The traffic on the Dan Ryan Expressway was unbelievably heavy and at times the car would come to a complete stop.  If only the noise from the rear of the car would ebb and flow with the traffic, at least that would provide some periods of relief.  It was at that moment, the younger child asked for quiet.  And his countenance changed from a tired, unruly passenger to one transfixed on something beyond the car and the present.  And what happened next was not typical of a spring break vacation.

                The four year old spoke to us, to someone, or to himself as he described living as an adult in Chicago.  Staring through the passenger window, he repeatedly said he had been here before and that he had worn a suit, a Sunday suit, the kind the pastor wears.  He said his work was performed in an office in a large building where things were made.  And his office was at the top of the stairs and had windows so that he could watch the ones who did dirty-work.  The cars were plain and black.  And it was a time when a lot people stood on line to get food and many went to bed hungry.  He remembered going to the movies and watching monkeys fly and listening to a song about a rainbow.  For several minutes he quoted detail that was beyond his knowledge.  At times he would sit silently staring, not at anything in particular, just staring as if he saw a world beyond the obvious.  His blank stare turned into a slight smile as he turned and resumed his playful banter with his older brother, and never mentioned that collection of memories again.

                Taking exit number 52A onto the West Congress Parkway and then to South Michigan Avenue, traffic once again came to a standstill.  Anxious to get the family to the Field Museum of Natural History, my attention was drawn to an old Volvo Sedan.  The weather that is characteristic of Chicago winters had obviously taken its toll.  The tired car was worn and rusted and it seemed the dozens of bumper stickers had a more practical use of holding it together rather than communicating opinion and prejudice.  There was one that stood out.  And it spoke volumes as it simply stated:  Born Again?   Many Times!  And under that in smaller text was:  Reincarnation Is Having A Comeback!  I looked to the back seat at the four year old and thought the unthinkable; did he have a previous life?

    ***

    The scientific community still marginalizes most work that even hints at realities beyond our own.  This marginalization manifests itself as prejudice, a blatant intolerance that has no limits because belief in the possibility of multiple lives would compromise traditional tenets of Western society.  The knowledge and realization that if one does not get it right in this life, that one will have an opportunity in the next, opens the doors of possibilities for the individual, and closes the doors for those who want ultimate control. 

                Western religions that place an emphasis on a single-life opportunity has leverage in dictating prescribed standards of conduct and eternal consequences of actions.  The presumed guardianship of the soul by these organizations would fall by the wayside if the parishioners were suddenly made knowledgeable that sinning may not damn one to perdition’s flames.  The absence of a final judgment before God without the alternatives of reward or punishment renders the authority of religion impotent.  So, at the worst, reincarnation may simply mandate the repeating of an opportunity to re-live what one does not get right the first time.  All in all, surrendering control to the individual is not the stuff of which pious bureaucracy is made.

                Governmental concerns regarding a populace that believes in multiple lives would also cause problems.  Those individuals that seemingly have made a mess of their lives could be tempted to opt for an early transition to hopefully fare better in the next life.  Poor health, dismal finances, tortured relationships; all could be reasons for quitting.  Disingenuous individuals could use this exit strategy for personal gratification, that is, to inflict recourse on whom and whatever they deem deserving.  And the civil authorities would then be left to mend the broken and encourage the disheartened. 

                These fears cloud the understanding of what ancient cultures have known and respected.  While there is no judgment in what one believes – it is what it is; there is, however, a given presumption that each person seeks a level of understanding to facilitate growth in one’s lives.  It could be said that those who make the decision to transition because of circumstance, are only following their life’s destiny.  And judgments made by religious groups, governmental agencies, or by individuals is a part of the same prejudice that affects research into this subject.

                Clinging to a control mindset of which mainstream science, religion and politics currently holds creates risks in becoming what is best described by George Orwell:

    …smelly little orthodoxies...contending for our souls! 

    There are however cultures, groups and individuals that are far more intuitive and knowledgeable than the so called experts.  Everyone, for the most part, has heard of the concept of reincarnation.  And, even in America, one of three individuals believes in past and future lives; many of whom are Christians and defy their church’s tenets in doing so. 

     

    www.vongoodwin.com

    • 16 October 2011
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    Von Goodwin is a business consultant, personal coach, and author of books and articles revealing the role of the individual in creation. Since 1985 he has worked with thousands of individuals throughout the US and the Caribbean to rediscover ancient wisdom to enrich their personal lives.

  • About Von Goodwin

    Von Goodwin is a business consultant, personal coach, and author of books and articles revealing the role of the individual in creation. Since 1985 he has worked with thousands of individuals throughout the US and the Caribbean to rediscover ancient wisdom to enrich their personal lives.

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