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Questions from an Open Mind

Where do I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going? These age-old questions are the link to the deepest yearnings in Man. There is an order to the universe and the surrounding world. There is purpose to life and an order to its seemingly disjointed string of events. Why? Why? The urge to understand and know Truth propels the reasoner to search for answers extensively both inwardly and outwardly.

I, too, have asked the question why. While living in London and taking a year-long intensive course in the Maria Montessori Method of Education I asked myself this question. While I was there, I met a young street poet named Peter. Peter had a collection of folk instruments among which was a beautifully handcrafted folk harp called a clarsech. I enjoyed spending time at Peter's flat working on assignments for my education course. We both enjoyed the freedom of going about our own business knowing that there was someone close by but without feeling obligated to entertain each other or getting distracted from our own goals.

One evening I was at Peter's apartment working on my projects. Now Peter was an avid soccer fan and this particular evening he announced he would be going down the street to watch a soccer game. I told him I would like to study in his living room while he was gone. I usually studied in a small room off the living room, but thought I would enjoy the change of scenery since the rest of the apartment would be empty. He said fine and in a short time was out the door.

The living room was where Peter kept his folk instruments. It was distracting to sit in the room with them, especially the beautiful harp. It rested in a dark corner of the room quiet yet alive with music ringing within its dark wooden frame. I looked up periodically at the harp as I worked, my attention moving back and forth from my notebook to the harp in the corner. It silently beckoned me to its side to touch its dark, wooden frame and stroke its silken strings.

Finally I laid my papers aside and approached the beautiful instrument. Sitting down behind it I pulled its wooden frame back against my right shoulder and lightly plucked its strings. How wonderful! Each touch was music! The progression of sounds made a tune and the accompanying strings wove a harmony around the melody line. As I played, my only thought was to discover how many tunes I could create. I looked up at the clock and to my surprise forty-five minutes had passed. I could hardly wait for Peter to return.

When he walked in the door I excitedly related to him what I had experienced. "I have to have a harp to take back to the States with me!" I exclaimed.

Within a few days Peter had located a harp maker who lived on the south side of London, the other side of London from where I lived. Together we went to his shop where I purchased a harp to take back to the United States. I loved my harp immediately as if it were a long lost friend. It seemed so delicate and vulnerable as I carried it back all the way across London. I had to transfer several times on the subways and buses to make the connections. How weary I was as we arrived at Peter's flat.

I wondered how I was going to get my harp back to the States. I would just have to take it on the plane as carry-on luggage. When I got to the airport I was told the harp was too big and I would have to check it as luggage. I worried about the harp all the way across the Atlantic Ocean like a mother worrying about her child on her first day of school.
When I was settled back home, I began to compose and arrange music on my harp. I did this by ear - something I had never done before. The music I created was unique, in a category by itself. My music was haunting, sometimes lush. The chord progressions I chose seemed almost otherworldly.

At that time I knew little about past lives but I asked, "Why?" Why was there a strange and comfortable familiarity with this instrument? Why did it seem so easy to arrange and compose music on it? Why was it that the music that came so easily seemed so different from any other music I had heard before?

Answers from Unexpected Places

Shortly after I returned to the United States I took a job teaching in a Montessori School. I also came across a brochure about the School of Metaphysics. I was looking for spiritual discipline. The brochure outlined such areas as concentration, meditation, healing, the power of the mind and Past Life Profiles from the Akashic level. Much of what I read made sense but the Past Life Profiles left me cold.

First of all, reincarnation was something that I hadn't seriously considered and I had never heard of the Akashic level before. I called and talked to the director of the school, asking her several questions about the classes and services offered by the school. One of these questions was about the Akashic Records.

She explained to me that the Akashic Records was a "place" within the inner levels of mind where everything that had ever been thought, said, or done in the physical world was recorded. To me, it was like a twilight zone between the spiritual and physical realms and this was where the information for Past Life Profiles was stored. Anyone knowing the right steps could tap into and draw out the information much like keying into a computer and requesting information to come forward. It all sounded pretty far out to me and I told her so.

She invited me to an open discussion coming up a few nights later and I decided to go. The topic was on psychic happenings, another area that seemed far out to me. What impressed me that evening were the people at the center; down-to-earth, straightforward, practical minded and most of all, relaxed. When I left that night I felt more peaceful than I had felt for a long time. I wanted to learn how to have that sense of peace too. I immediately enrolled in the classes, beginning the spiritual discipline that would aid me in building the peace of mind I wanted to attain.

The classes revolved around practical skills of the mind so very little was mentioned about reincarnation, Past Life Profiles, or the Akashic Records until it came time for my class profile after Lesson Eight. The student who at this point in the lessons has developed a certain amount of understanding through the mental exercises can respond to the information in the reading and make some productive changes. One afternoon, Brad, one of the school's teachers, approached me about my class reading. Lamely I muttered, "I don't think I'm ready for it."

Brad laughed and exclaimed, "Now I've heard everything." With that remark I knew I was going to get my reading whether I wanted it or not, no matter what kind of excuse I could find. I had come to know that the teachers at the school would support me in my strengths but definitely not in my fears. I was resigned to the idea but reassured myself that I didn't have to believe in reincarnation as a result.

The day of my class reading arrived. I was met by my teacher, Merala Heins, as I entered the school. We chatted for a few moments in the kitchen and then a rather large man with a goatee sauntered into the room. My teacher introduced him as Dr. Jerry Rothermel, president of the School of Metaphysics. He announced that it wouldn't be long before we would be starting.

I walked into the living room. Seated on the couch was a delicate looking young woman, her blonde hair pulled back in a bun at the nape of her neck. She had settled in the middle of the couch, her hands relaxed in her lap, her eyes closed. Dr. Rothermel seated himself to her left. After speaking to her softly for a few minutes he said:

"You will search for the identity of the entity referred to as Pamela Elizabeth Stewart. You will relate a significant incarnation for this entity."

The Intuitive Reporter began speaking.

"This one is seen as female form. We see this to have been in an area now known as England. We see that this one had accepted a position at a very young age as that of governess and that this one would be taking care of another's children. We see that this one began to use much of this one's creativity and imagination, and began to establish many of the educational outlets for these children. We see that this was very impressive to the parents of the children, as well as to the others who saw the results of this. We see that there were contacts made in which this one was allowed a great amount of education but most of this was in a teaching capacity. We see that eventually this one was very much involved with the higher education of this time period. We see that this one dealt with many subjects for every day there was a need to create an interest in a particular subject which this one would use. We see that this was due to the creativity and the enthusiasm with which this one taught. We see also that there was a great ability which this one developed in relating what was in the knowledge to that of the physical life of the students, which made the subjects much more real and the students much more interested in the studies."

I had never met this Intuitive Reporter before. Yet she could "see" attributes about me that made so much sense and fit so well. In the present lifetime, I had taught a variety of subjects from cooking to swimming to English as a second language. Teaching had always come easily for me no matter what the subject. There was no way she could have known about me. I had not mentioned to my teacher or anyone at the school the many subjects I had taught during my life. Following the description of the past lifetime, the Intuitive Reporter offered how this information was significant to my life at this time.

"In the present time period there is a great need in regards to the many abilities which this one has. We see that there has not been a connection made within this one's life at the present time to see the abilities and to see them in action and the results which they will incur. We see that there is a great creativity which this one applies quite accurately to the physical. We see however that this understanding has not been brought to this one's attention and there has been an attitude established upon this one's part that self is starting from the very beginning. Would suggest to this one however that there is much knowledge to be drawn on of a practical nature as well as of an abstract nature in this one's previous understanding. Would suggest to this one that the purpose of the present time period for this one is not just to take information or to take from the situations on how to learn or how to apply the teaching concepts but there is much that this one has to give also and it is time, in order for this one to fulfill this purpose, to put this into activity. This is all." (929771CK)

The reading fit so well with my new job at the Montessori school. In spite of all the experience I had had in my life, teaching at the Montessori school seemed brand new. It seemed I had much to learn. What if I had actually been this teacher? If so, I knew more about teaching than I was giving myself credit. I could stop being so nervous about not knowing enough and trust my intuition about teaching.

After hearing the reading it was no longer important to argue about reincarnation as a fact. Arguing about the existence of reincarnation seemed like an intellectual mind game much like arguing about how many angels could dance on the head of a pin. It seemed trivial in comparison to the importance of using each day of life. What I learned from that reading in regards to reincarnation was the importance of time.

Each day - even each moment - is like a reincarnation. This moment is affected by how you've used the ones previous to it. How you use the present moment will have its effect on the ones to come. What you do with each moment of your life is important. You choose whether you're going to learn and change or do the same thing you've always done. With the first choice there is growth; with the second, limitation and stagnation.

Within your daily activities if you make a mistake you have the opportunity to correct it. If you're practicing a sport or a song on the piano you can practice it again until you become proficient at it. Your imagination is your resource to improve the quality of these attributes. If you don't like what you did yesterday you can do something different today. If you did like what you did yesterday you can do it again today and possibly reach a greater depth of understanding with it. Each day you can find out just how strong or courageous or tolerant or patient or persistent you have become. These individual choices determine how full of learning and growth your life is. And isn't this what life is all about? You are here to learn who you are as creators, what kind of creator you are and what kind of creator you can be.

The more I explored reincarnation as a day-to-day physical progression of learning, the more sense it made to me to apply this principle to its spiritual level. Each lifetime, as you learn through your physical experiences, you, as a soul, can add to your identity of who you are as a creator. You can discover just what you're made of as you face and respond to life. You can identify the height of integrity to which you are reaching, and you can admit as you experience what you create what kind of mental creator you are.

Assignments from the Soul

Just like you have the memory in your brain of the yesterdays leading to today, you also have a sense of the continuity of the steps in your learning from lifetime to lifetime. This is stored in the permanent memory of your soul called the subconscious mind. Most of you, however, are not consciously aware of the steps you have taken as a soul that have brought you where you are now in your own evolution. Most of you have forgotten how to access the information in the Akashic Record, the holder of your soul's past. Nor do you remember how to access your own subconscious mind, the holder of your understandings. These understandings are qualities such as courage, compassion, self-value and a sense of order, to name a few, that you have built through repeated purposeful action in previous lifetimes. They are now a permanent part of your identity.

You might think of your mind as a giant iceberg. Only the top of the iceberg appears above the surface of the water. This is the part of yourself that you can experience with your five senses. It is called your conscious mind, your physical body, and to some extent your emotions. Now look below the surface of the water and what do you see? The majority of the iceberg exists below the water's surface just as the majority of yourself exists "below" the surface of your own conscious existence. This vastness is your soul, your spirit, your essence. If you identify with the physical body only it would be like thinking that the tip of the iceberg is all of you that exists. What is real is only what the iceberg can see, feel, hear, taste, and smell. You as the tip of the iceberg identifies as incomplete and separate. The quest to understand who you are is to identify with the whole and reunite the iceberg once again.

Each lifetime you have the opportunity to explore a chosen facet of yourself to be united with it, or to make it part of your identity. In the beginning of evolution this completeness was more like a blueprint of your potential than the finished product. It takes the soul and the physical conscious identity working together to identify each part of the blueprint and then actualize it.

The actualization process begins with a belief - a belief that you are strong or organized in your thinking, for example. It is a belief in yourself that you can create something valuable in your life. By applying this belief in your daily life you have an experience that calls for the quality you believe you have. You discover just how strong or organized you really are. Then it becomes a knowing. You know through the experience that you are as strong, stronger or not as strong as you believed you were. If you believe you can be stronger you begin to imagine what you would do differently the next time a similar experience occurs in your life. This reasoning process gives you a place to grow and expand your identity toward your real potential. Each time you respond to a belief that you are valuable to humanity you are setting up a condition to learn something about yourself and unfold your identity - fulfill the blueprint, as it were. Evolution is this process of unfolding.

The soul needs the physical self in this process because knowing comes only through purposeful experience. These experiences do not "happen haphazardly". They are caused intentionally by yourself out of a need to identify and understand. Now this Self I am referring to is not the self that can be tasted, touched, seen, heard, or smelled. I'm not talking about the tip of the iceberg. I'm talking about your soul. Your soul knows what parts of the blueprint have been fulfilled and what parts are yet to be fulfilled. Your soul perceives the physical experiences as the means to fulfill this blueprint. Your soul draws you, the outer self, "mysteriously" to these places of learning. And your soul receives the understanding from the experience into itself as a permanent part of your identity. The outer self feeds the soul by learning from experiences.

Each lifetime it is the soul that chooses what physical conditions will offer the best opportunities to begin the learning process for that lifetime. Then it is up to the outer self to cooperate with this learning process by the choices it makes. How well are you living up to the learning your soul or inner Self has assigned to your physical or outer self? As the following excerpt reveals, fulfilling the soul's assignment is the key to happiness in our present life.

"We see at present time within this one there is a love that this one does have for structure and discipline. We see at those times when this one is devoting the mind and devoting the Self to some form of discipline that this one is very content, for this one does reach greater understandings and does produce what this one desires in her life. We see however there are times when this one does scatter the attention and does not pursue what is true to this one's desires and at those times when this one is turning away from what this one truly desires, this one does become very unhappy." 7269010LJF

When information concerning past lives is made known, you can enhance your ability to define who you are by adding to what has already been built within the Self. Notice how in the following reading examples there was a quality gained in a past life now being added to in this lifetime. The first is of a female who in a past life was raised in a poor family in the Middle East. There was much love in this family. She was taught as she grew up that she was beautiful, she had much love and she would always find blessings in whatever experiences were in her life. She perceived her hard work as a labor of love and a giving to God. She knew she would be rewarded in the afterlife. She was seen by others in her community as a source of freshness and joy and she passed these ideals on to her children. In that lifetime she learned about loving and giving unconditionally.

In this lifetime she is adding to this understanding because she is discovering that although she wants to give, there are those who do not want to receive from her. She is learning she need not gauge the value of her love by how others wish to receive. Rather her lesson is to continue to give freely, respecting those who do not wish to receive and seeking out those who are receptive to her love.

The second example comes from a reading of a female who lived a past life in Italy in the 1500's. In this past life she used music as a way to draw her family together during times of hardship and conflict. She took a deep responsibility for the harmony in the family and in so doing became personally involved with their lives. She developed a great knack for listening and offering counsel to others.

In this lifetime she possesses a concern for other people and uses the listening and counseling skills developed in that lifetime. She is learning to relate what she gives to others to her own growth.

"Would suggest that to cause there to be growth and awareness in the Self is to cause there to be an elevation of this one's availability and this one's service that can be given to other people." 928901BGO

These are two good examples of how we can add to both our learning and identity from one lifetime to the next.

Reading the Records

A Past Life Profile is a valuable resource of information. In the School of Metaphysics, as part of the course work in the advanced series, students are given the keys to going into the subconscious mind at will, tapping into the Akashic Record and drawing forth desired information about their own past lives or the past lives of others. This information is also made available to anyone who desires it through the service of a Past Life Profile given by a trained Intuitive Reporter and Conductor.

The past life brought forth in a Past Life Profile is one significant to the needs of the person requesting it. The intuitive report reveals information about a past life that relates to the present conditions and circumstances of that individual. This type of intuitive report addresses the question: what thoughts are affecting current conditions in relation to the process of learning and soul growth. Was there a quality developed such as courage or compassion that could be drawn on now or developed further? A female who was a healer in China in the 1200's is now being told to evaluate the abilities and talents from previous lifetimes so she can offer them to others. Another female who learned about self- control, self-discipline, maintaining a sense of peace and calm, and of identifying her own source of being in her lifetime in China in 500 A.D., is now being told to use that self-control and self-discipline in order to learn to focus on the quality of serenity.

Was there learning avoided in a past life that now is being faced again? A Past Life Profile offers much more than a means to satisfy curiosity or inflate the ego. It serves to stimulate the ego to act from the perspective of the information revealed.

In a past life, a female was born into a family in Italy in the 1700's. Her brothers and sisters were quite a bit older so she was raised like an only child. During that lifetime she was very creative in the fields of singing, dance, drawing and painting. She spent much time alone pursuing these interests and isolating herself from others. In this lifetime she once again deals with a sense of isolation in her need to associate with others. It was suggested that:

"In order for this one to understand and to love this one's own self and to create the identity that this one wants this will involve association with others for it is in association with others that this one does truly understand what this one has to give and what causes this one to be unique." 725909LJF

Because the Past Life Profiles relate to the present situations in a person's life it relates to the karma of the individual. Karma is a Sanskrit word meaning "to do" or action. Karma relates to the cause and effect action of the universe. This means any action will produce certain results. The action referred to here is not just physical action but more significantly mental action or intention. To illustrate, here are two situations. In the first Joe is gagging on some food and John wants to save him. He administers the Heimlich maneuver to unlodge the food in his throat. In the second situation John is angry at Joe and wants to hurt him. He comes up behind him and grabs him in the middle to knock the breath out of him. The physical action is the same but the mental action is different. In the first situation John wants to help Joe; in the second, he wants to hurt him. The mental action or intention is what causes the karma and it is relieved through understanding.

Karma is an educative process. It is one of the best methods you have of gauging where you are in your spiritual growth. Here is an example of how karma works in a physical sense. Let's say you are going to bake a cake and you know how much flour, sugar, eggs, baking powder, and vanilla to add but you don't know how much salt to add. You add the salt you think will work. When you eat the cake you find it needs more salt. You have just experienced karma because you have experienced the results of what you caused. You recognize the amount of salt is out of balance with the other ingredients. The next time you make a cake you have the opportunity to correct the amount of salt. When you have learned the right amount of salt to add to the cake, by again experiencing what you cause, you have relieved your karma. The amount of salt is in proportion or in balance with the other ingredients in the cake and you can reproduce a delicious cake every time.

Here is an example of karma in a intuitive report where the individual is learning about being true to inner desires. The individual, a female in this lifetime, was a male in New England. Her name in that lifetime was Benjamin Edward Montague. As a young boy he experienced love and concern from his parents which gave him a sense of security. However, his parents sent him away to a boarding school because it offered him a greater education than the school in the area where he lived. The teachers within this school emphasized discipline but without a sense of love or concern. Benjamin had difficulty learning under these conditions. He counted the days when the school year would end so he could return home.

His parents would not listen to his desires to change schools and Benjamin was afraid to be too insistent or to voice his desires. Benjamin responded to this condition by establishing the attitude of life being hard and having to fight to enjoy or really use a situation. On top of this Benjamin became a lawyer, a profession he cared very little about. He would much rather have been a doctor or veterinarian. He did well at his profession even though he found the work boring and did not care to be around the criminal element.

"We see that this one built understandings of consistency and follow through on just about whatever he decided to do. We see that this one did also build an understanding of love in this one's family but this did not extend to the rest of the life."

The karma that was left unfulfilled dealt with learning the difference between unselfishness in giving and sacrifice.

"We see in the present time that this one has difficulty making choices in the life direction that are based around this one's own fulfillment or the meeting of this one's needs. We see that this one makes choices where this one puts the self in very difficult situations and does not know why other than this one thinks this is what this one should do. We see that there is a need to recognize that when the greatest love does occur within this one is when this one makes the choices in this one's life based upon this one's desires and fulfilling those desires. It is important for this one to learn the difference between this one fulfilling this one's desires and falling into a rut of selfishness that causes stagnation, for distinguishing this is important for this one's development of this one's own trust and to really live the life fully and as respectfully as this one needs to do." 616903CSR

What this individual realized from the intuitive report was to pursue desires, to trust the inner authority and feel comfortable with it. To fulfill the inner desires, serving other people is necessary so that both the Self and others benefit. This was the "missing link" in understanding that could now be applied. Real change or understanding comes through experience and practice.

Paying Karmic Debts

Although karmic experiences most often involve other people the karmic debt is always to yourself. Remember it is the intention behind the action that actually sets up the karma. That intention is yours and no one else's. No one "does anything to you". They do stimulate and influence you, but you have the free will to respond to their influence in whatever manner you choose. In one intuitive report it was suggested that:

"When this one does experience reactions to others in this one's environment that this one identify what ways of thinking or acting are stimulating this one's anger or other reactions. For we do see that these others are mirrors for this one of qualities that are out of balance within this one's own Self. Would suggest from this point that this one then determine how this one would want to cause these to change." 116918LJF

It is through coming to terms with your attitude and changing your response, until it is comfortable, to one producing growth that you are able to pay off this debt. When asked about karma with other people in a intuitive report, the Intuitive Reporter replied:

"Would suggest to this one that in terms of this one's indebtedness, that this is in regards to her own growth and development. The response to the roles that other people play are according to this one's choices and that of others in terms of accelerating or retarding this one's growth and progression." 99903BGO

Through your own choices you can actually speed up or slow down your soul growth. The best way to speed up soul growth is in giving. The best way to slow down soul growth is in holding back from giving. Here is an example of how an individual's dream was dashed in a former life and how he holds back from giving this lifetime. The intuitive report revealed that in the previous life the man had been an architect in England. He had a dream to build a decorative and powerful sculpture to be placed at the gate of his city and provide inspiration to those who passed. So precious and valuable was this dream that he was overly hesitant to communicate it to others for fear of being ridiculed. Yet this dream continued to be a driving force within him.

Eventually he met a wealthy man to whom he revealed his secret dream. This man supported him so much that he became his benefactor and agreed to front the cost of the building of this structure. The architect drew up the plans for the statue. Builders were sought out and contracted. But even as beautiful as the structure was and with the full support and respect of the benefactor, the builders thought it was a waste of time, money, and resources. Their opposition stopped the construction from taking place. The man's fear of his most precious dream being rejected had in fact come to pass. He was so disappointed he felt he had no reason to continue living. As a result his liver began to degenerate and after a time he died of a liver disease.

From this past life, the karma that still needs to be brought into balance or understood is the sense of vulnerability that ideas or dreams can be invalidated by what other people think or say.

"We see within this one there are great dreams and ideals that this one holds within the self and these give this one much drive and enthusiasm in this one's daily life. We see once again for this one to be very closed in this one's communication for this one is always afraid someone will take away from this one's self what this one does think and what this one holds dear to the Self. Would suggest to this one for this one to be very visionary, very clear and very brilliant in the expression of this one's thoughts. We do see this one to have much ability to be charismatic. Would suggest for this one to bring these visions closer to home by incorporating the idea that the individuals that are in this one's life at the present period of time are those who are compatible with this one's desires. Would suggest to this one to cease protecting the Self from others but to welcome them into this one's mind, into this one's heart." 517907LJF

Karma will continue to exist as long as this man holds to the idea that others will take from him, as long as his intention is to protect rather than seek earnestly those who will receive what he has to give. Those not wishing to receive do not invalidate what he offers. Believing in his dreams and finding those who will receive will be this individual's first step in relieving his karma.

A reaction or non-productive attitude has its source in the inner Self needing to understand a particular quality or a truth. It is the way of thinking that is repeated from lifetime to lifetime until it is changed that produces the karma. When the attitude is changed it indicates the individual has matured to a new level of understanding. When one woman asked about her abandonment by her family during this lifetime and how it related to the past, the Intuitive Reporter responded:

"These are attitudes that this one has created concerning this one's own worth in relationship to other individuals. Would suggest to this one it is not situations and circumstances in the past that have caused the present attitudes; it is this one's desire for understanding that produced this one's creating the attitudes that this one does hold." 1169112LJF

There have been intuitive reports done when the most significant lifetime was of a well-known and historically recorded individual. Even in these intuitive reports there is karma to be brought into balance. A female in New Orleans received a intuitive report when she had been a famous musician in Europe, however, the name of the musician was not forthcoming. Perhaps knowing the name would have distracted this person from the present-day learning available. Another woman in Columbia, Missouri received a Past Life Profile when she had been the famed explorer Marco Polo. Throughout the present lifetime she had traveled extensively throughout the world, much like Marco Polo had done in his day. The significance for her was to follow through on what she had started and complete the things left undone in her life. In another instance a male in Norman, Oklahoma had been an English philosopher, Thomas Reid, in a past life. This lifetime was recent enough that he could find a listing in the encyclopedia. As he researched this historical figure, he was amazed by the corresponding information in the intuitive report and in written history.

Dé jà Vu

As I continued building mental discipline in metaphysics classes, the idea of karma and reincarnation from the standpoint of soul growth made more and more sense to me. It made sense that we would have more than one lifetime to complete all the learning and realize the potential of the Whole Self. It also made sense that each type of physical condition in life, whether living affluently or in poverty, in a healthy body or a disabled one and so on, would offer some type of learning for the soul.

I also began to get answers to some of the questions I had asked myself concerning my harp. It made sense that a fascination or familiarity with a particular time period or country was a good indication there had been a lifetime there.

One of my students received a Past Life Profile when he had been a Greek warrior. Even though he had not fully accepted reincarnation, he had always held a fascination with Greece especially of the time period of his intuitive report. This fascination was the beginning of the verification of reincarnation for him in his own mind. A special talent or knack, like a craft or an art, is an indication that it has been done before in another lifetime and a certain amount of proficiency been developed. An artist in the present time learned from a Past Life Profile she had a great skill in creating art and different kinds of pottery in India in the 1700's. A student going to chiropractic school learned she had been a healer in China in the 1200's.

Also in developing my intuition and associating with those of like minds in the School of Metaphysics, my peers and I would often have "glimpses" of past lives. When I was playing my harp, one of my friends had a past life memory of my playing my harp in Greece. I had remembered a past life in early Greece when I had been a courtesan and had entertained many people with my music and dance.

Another friend related a past life memory of our being in a temple in Egypt. I asked her about it because I also had a memory of a past life when I lived at the Temple Beautiful and worked with musical tones and their effects on people and objects. She described a large, white, airy room, partitioned and decorated with soft gauze-like cloth that rippled and swayed in the wind of the open air. The gauze-like partitions diffused the sunlight outside. What she described fit the memory I had of the temple exactly! Music and dance were a large part of my study and research at the temple. The music I produced at that time had a haunting, otherworldly quality, much like the quality of music I now produced with my harp.

Another one of my classmates received a Past Life Profile when she had been a Canadian Indian in northwestern Ontario in the eleventh century. Years before she had joined the classes, she had actually left her comfortable suburban life as a housewife and moved to northwestern Ontario to homestead. She lived out in the wilderness fifty miles from the nearest town and sixteen miles from the nearest road. She had no electricity, no running water, no flush toilets, no radio or T.V. But as rugged as her existence was she adapted easily, even feeling comfortable and at home. She didn't know why she felt so comfortable until years later when she received the Past Life Profile.

Each of us is unique. The identity we have built through the understandings gained is our process of discovering who we are as mental creators. We have proceeded according to our own choices. The soul has chosen to incarn into a certain physical condition in order to add an understanding to the Whole Self. The soul uses race, sex, nationality, physical features, parents and country as a means of stimulating this kind of learning. Being born into a pleasant situation is no more a reward than being born into an unpleasant situation a punishment for something done in the past. Both are offerings of something to learn. In fact, the learning from a challenging situation is often apparent because of the qualities utilized to respond with a sense of dignity. In either case it is how you use the life's situations that cause the growth.

What could be learned by being born into a wealthy family or a poor family? In one situation a female was born into a wealthy family in China to offer her a place to progress spiritually.

"We see this one actually believed that this one's own self-sacrifice and this one's own self-discipline would benefit and cause those around the self to evolve. We see that this one actually believed that in this one's own self-discipline, it would cause the commoners around the Self to evolve. And this was done for them, rather than for this one's own self-gratification. We see that the understandings built in that lifetime were primarily of self-control, self-discipline, of maintaining a sense of peace and calm, and of identifying this one's own source of being." 616904CSR

By the same token, a male was born into a family of nobility in France and dealt with a sense of value within himself. He ran away from the opportunity to use his situation and learn about value and thus did not add any growth to his soul.

"We see this one to be raised with the idea that this one was eventually to take over the position that this one's father had and we see this to be a position with the government. We see this one personally to think that this one was not capable of living up to the grandness and the reputation and the kind of honor that this one's family had. We see for this one to spend a period of time in hiding where this one did travel and did hide this one's identity and did pretend to be a peasant where this one did not have to live up to the types of expectations that this one had had." 7259010LJF

Upon entering a new physical lifetime, the soul can choose the physical form that will accelerate learning. For instance, the soul will choose to be born into a male body for the opportunity to learn how to be aggressive. Being born into a female body gives the soul the opportunity to learn how to be receptive.

"We see this one to be utilizing the male form at that time to cultivate a certain type of aggressive expression. We see this one to be very conscious of this desire to do so." 622791SMB

A young woman asked why she had chosen to incarn in a female body this lifetime. The answer was very enlightening to her:

"There is a desire on this one's part to understand the process of creation. We do see that this one has practiced initiating action but that in regards to the commitment of the completing and receiving what has been initiated that there is learning that this one desires. It would be in regards to this quality of understanding that this one made this choice." 116919LJF

Being born into a particular country or a particular race affords the soul unique conditions in which to respond. One individual asked why he had been born in Iran. The answer revealed a particular quality that this country offered him, one that would stimulate him to bring out understandings of a poetic nature in the early part of his life.

"We see for this to primarily revolve around a love of beauty and the recognition of the beauty in thought and the recognition of the beauty in poetry, the recognition of poetry in life and the ability to view life as a poem or as a rhythmic movement. We see that this type of beauty is recognized only when there is the disciplining of attention and the disciplining of the ability to visualize not only outer things but inner things and how the inner things connect through their outer manifestations providing a link between the inner rhythm of what produces life and outer movement." 616907CSR

A female asked why she had been born in England in this lifetime and why she had been adopted. The answer included the need for particular astrological influences as well as early cultural training for her learning. The intuitive report went on to say the birth condition did not matter, the parentage did not matter, as long as she had the conditions for building independence and self-reliance. This is an example of how the soul will choose the best conditions to learn the lessons that are most important. In this case the physical parents were immaterial as long as the opportunity for learning existed.

Another female asked why she had chosen to be born in the United States this lifetime. The Intuitive Reporter related that this country offered freedoms and therefore the opportunity for her to choose. The soul in choosing certain physical situations sets up a mental condition for learning. The soul makes these choices in regards to the growth of the Self.

In a past lifetime in France, I was born into a body that was deformed. A portion of the right arm was missing and the pelvic area had not been developed, making it difficult to stand erect or walk. My soul chose to be born into this physical condition for a particular reason. I asked about this reason in my intuitive report. The reply was:

"....to consider that to deal with and confront the situations that occurred as a result of this selection was a great opportunity to find strength within the Self." 10781GAD

When the soul chooses a difficult situation for the physical being, it offers an opportunity to build such qualities as strength or courage within the Self. How else will the individual know these qualities unless he faces a situation where he can exhibit and use them?

Possibility Thinking

This Past Life Profile offered a universe, as it seemed, of facets about myself - areas to build, develop and cause to mature. In that particular past life, my family learned to accept my deformity but the community didn't. Early in life I had developed an image of myself as deficient and ugly. I also had great intuitive abilities and often had visions adding to the isolation and fear of myself and my family from the community.

My religious devotion was important to me. I would sometimes envision spirits of a religious nature that were highly revered. On two occasions during mass the congregation witnessed the presence of a light around me. Because the community was superstitious they reacted to me as a combination of demon and saint. It was not until the priests in the church announced that this translucence was from a spiritual source that I became accepted by the community. I even experienced some notoriety at this time as people desired counseling.

During that time I took my attention away from my inner development and onto the popularity I was experiencing. I depended heavily upon attention and approval from outside influences for my sense of individuality and security. So much so that when the attention from the community had receded I experienced a sense of instability and confusion. I died shortly thereafter from a respiratory problem. The significance to that lifetime is as follows.

"We see in the present lifetime this one has carried through and is dealing, in a conscious and unconscious fashion, with many of the attitudes which were part of her innate self during that previous time period. We see this one to have the image within herself and to have had this since early childhood of extreme plainness and unacceptability through her expression in the physical sense. We see this one has attempted and has utilized many ways to compensate for this feeling. We see this one so far has not successfully released herself from this visual image of herself. We see this one also to again have the tendency to place and identify the self through reactions and external situations. We see this one to depend to a great degree upon external situations as a measurement of her own place and her own individual self. We see this one to deal often with an inner sense of isolation which has no basis in fact, or is not produced in actuality by the situations and the conditions of the life. We see this one to suffer from this sense of isolation and to have difficulty breaking through the wall and the barrier which it presents to herself. Would suggest to this one to recognize that the conditions of the physical existence are those which have been brought to the self as aids and supplements, that these cannot and should not be relied solely upon as a measurement of success or existence. Would suggest to this one to recognize that there is and will continue to be an innate, sustaining movement of existence and progression which is not eliminated nor obliterated completely at any given time. Therefore this one need not be concerned to sustain that externally nor to create it or to initiate it for it is already initiated, but rather to observe it, to know it and to complement it with that which is in the physical situation." 10781GAD

It was as though the Intuitive Reporter had reached inside and touched the deepest parts of my Self. She had touched the part of me that lives within four glass walls and watches the world going by outside - the me that wishes to reach through that wall and give, fulfilling the deep desire to share and be a part of someone else's life. And in the giving I would not have to fear rejection or loss.

She had touched the part of me that tries to establish a sense of Self according to what others think. In truth, I had ended up losing myself in the process rather than building any image of my Self.

She had touched the part of me that reaches to be close to the creative, motivating force of the Universe, our Mental Father. The Intuitive Reporter had captured what could be within my Self with either its fullness and richness or its loneliness and emptiness.

There were so many parallels between that lifetime and this lifetime. I had experienced so often a sense of plainness and unacceptability. I had done many things to compensate for that feeling. As a child and a teenager I had strived to make good grades and be "the perfect girl" for my parents. I had made sure I was well-groomed and presentable to others. I had been active in my church and school through various clubs and organizations, scholastic and social. Yet inside I considered myself not good enough, always second best.

I had been afraid of being a bother to others so I would sacrifice my own need to avoid what I considered might take away from someone else's needs.

And then there was the strong parallel to know my God and to be close to my Maker. As a child I had wondered about the magnitude of God's love, if he cared about every hair on my head! During my life I had searched for the spiritual through my religious upbringing in my church, through the practice of Zen Buddhism in Japan and now through the study and discipline of the spirit in the School of Metaphysics. It had been a motivating force and focal point in my life.

From this profile I began to believe I was beautiful. Somewhere I had been missing that part by adopting an image of myself as plain and unacceptable. I didn't have to work so hard at being acceptable. I already was. All that was needed was to discover and embrace it.

I had begun to see how I could build an image of being beautiful and acceptable as a young adult. How I wanted to be beautiful! But I wasn't. I thought of women who had beautiful faces but were not beautiful. I thought of women who were considered plain looking but who radiated a beauty that went beyond the physical appearance.

"If this is so," I thought, "then that means if I cultivate the inner beauty I can actually become more beautiful the older I get!" I began to imagine what it would be like to bring out inner beauty. It was a delight to imagine that I could possibly cause myself to become beautiful.

This Past Life Profile was bringing out a possibility - the possibility of causing a change in my way of thinking that could bring about a change in my Self and my life. By getting a chance to look inside I felt closer to my Self and more integrated with the parts that were inside - the parts that were lonely and the parts that were beautiful.

By responding to the information and suggestions in the profile, I was removing misconceptions about my Self as unacceptable and isolated, learning that other people wanted to be close to me just as much as I wanted to be close to them. I made a point of speaking to people in my office or at the bus stop on my way to work as a way to reach out to them and discovered how easy it was to make friends. I was gradually recognizing my importance in the scheme of things and that I always had me to give in any situation. During an evaluation at my job, my boss commented on how much the morale in the office had improved since I had started working there and how I had taken a potentially strained situation between my Self and another employee and changed it for the better. I had a growing sense of contentment as I reached out to others. I was, in fact, causing my own evolution.

From lifetime to lifetime evolution occurs by fulfilling the desires of what we have to give and what we have to learn. When our choices benefit not only ourselves but others as well, then we are well on our way to progressing to the next stage of our spiritual development.

The Past Life Profiles are an essential aid and basic prerequisite in the evolution of the spirit of Mankind toward understanding and fulfilling his highest potential. In order to do this, all must honestly face themselves, seeing real strengths and utilizing them to continually greater degrees as well as creating awareness and understandings in the blind spots of the Soul. All must release the inclination to hold back on their dreams. All must give, thus benefiting humanity while fulfilling the individual desires of the soul. Truly both go hand in hand, for in holding back what is being restricted is growth. Giving causes growth to the Whole Self. All must realize that they are not isolated islands but an important part of something greater than any one individually. And all must trust their inner knowing and give from that part of themselves. We are the ones. Let us move forward.

A graduate of Texas Christian University, Montessori Training, and the College of Metaphysics, Dr. Pam Blosser is establishing herself as a unifying force in the field of youth education. A mentor for young (Camp Niangua) and old (faculty member and Interfaith minister), her varied experience and willingness to serve others is remarkable. Dr. Pam lives with her husband Paul on the College of Metaphysics campus.

reprinted from Uncommon Knowledge, copyright 1997, SOM. 

©2002 SOM

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