How To See Past Lives & Why Its Important | Ajahn Brahm

Ajahn Brahm answers a question about how we can know about past lives.

[zacharding]

For as long as I could remember, I had this memory of being 3 or 4 and getting on a ship somewhere in Florida with my parents and sisters. It was called The Yarmouth and it was a small passenger ship, like a ferry, but I'm not sure where it was headed I remembered playing ball with one of my sisters -- bouncing the ball back and forth to each other -- on the wooden deck, and how the ship had a kind of elongated oval shape to it.

The most vivid memory of the trip, though, was of a fire that broke out in one of the staterooms. I remember waking up in the middle of the night, being rushed out of our cabin by my parents and seeing flames on one of the outside walls near the bow. That's about it, though. I don't remember much of anything after that.

Anyway, when I was in my mid-20s, my family and I were together at Thanksgiving and started talking about family vacations we had taken over the years. At some point, I asked where we went the time we sailed from Florida, when there was a fire on the ship. Everyone looked at me like I was crazy. No one knew what I was talking about. My parents said we had never traveled by ship anywhere, let alone one that had a fire on board. My sisters had no recollection of this mystery ship. I was shocked. Since no one had ever talked about it before then, I assumed the fire hadn't been that big a deal -- that there was a bit of excitement but that it was put out, everyone was OK and we continued on our trip. I insisted to them that we were on this ship, that it was called The Yarmouth and left from a port in Florida -- I remembered it like it happened yesterday. They said I must have dreamed it -- but it was unlike any dream I'd ever had. It was as real as the conversation I was having with them at that moment.

I was confused but figured if no one remembered it, I must have imagined it somehow. Maybe it was a dream, after all, or a vivid daydream of some sort. It was strange but I forgot about it until two years later when I was doing research for a magazine article I was writing on the Bermuda Triangle. I was going through a database of maritime disasters in that region, and something caught my eye -- the word "Yarmouth." I started reading about a ship called The Yarmouth Castle that was traveling between Miami and the Bahamas when it caught fire. The captain and crew bungled the emergency so badly that no alarm was sounded and no distress signal was sent. The ship ended up sinking -- with 88 passengers and 2 crew members either dying in the fire or drowning.

Here's the freaky part. The disaster took place on Nov. 12, 1965 -- exactly one year before I was born. That weirded me out a little, to say the least. So I thought maybe I had heard about it when I was little and conflated it with some dream I had.

But that didn't make sense. I not only had no memory of hearing about it, but also, why would I have been told about a horrific maritime disaster we had no connection to when I was 3 or 4 years old? And I know I hadn't heard about it later in life. It wasn't an especially well-known accident, and besides, I had never been interested in the ocean or ships or mishaps at sea. In fact, I knew virtually nothing about any maritime disaster other than the three most famous U.S.-related ones: The Titanic, the Lusitania and the Andrea Doria. I didn't know what to think -- for years, I KNEW I had been on that ship. Then m family tells me I wasn't and I don't know what to think -- and then I learn of this disaster.

So who knows? The whole thing is pretty strange. It's hardly ironclad evidence for reincarnation, but I can't explain it.

[B]

I can relate to a lot of what Ajahn Brahm is saying.
I had a reoccurring dream from age 2/3 until 18. It played out exactly the same way without change. As I got older I Began to be interested in modern military history. I soon came to realise the dream was of the WW2 Normandy landings, in particular the British sector.
Uniforms, equipment, landscape and even the weather down to the smallest detail was unbelievably accurate.
Unfortunately the whole dream was filled with fear, foreboding, anxiety and terror and ends with me being killed by an explosion.
If it wasn’t a past life vision it escapes me how an infants mind can produce something with such detail and historical accuracy.
I would also like to know why it was present in this life.
Also interesting to note is that the dreams stopped when I joined the army at 18.

But nonetheless I feel blessed to have experienced it.
Even though I haven’t had the dream in over 12 years I can still recall it very clearly like it was yesterday.

[caseyw]

As a child around 3 years old I recounted in detail to my mother and babysitter my past life. We were in a burger king drive-through. According to them the story went on for about a half hour and was a very tragic tale. Death by beating by my own father. Keep in mind at this age I did not yet encounter the concepts of abuse, death. I also explained the region where I lived with my sister which was in Indiana in the boonies. All of these concepts were previously unknown to me. I have no memory of this currently but this is the story. It is far more detailed but thought I would share this interesting tidbit.

[kdvine]

May I have as many lives as it takes to save all beings from suffering. No matter how inexhaustible the delusions may seem, however endless the Buddha Way may be. ❤

[karaeidsvik]

I have past life memories, but am not committed to thinking they are real. However, most important, helpful, and meaningful things are Unreal. Stories, beliefs, and culture are valuable and only held in the mind. If I can use this ability to see myself in the past as an entirely different person in a different culture, so I become more changeable and compassionate.

[interestingfamilyorigin]

Hi Ajahn Brahm i just found your video and it's good to finally find someone/other people who also know about reincarnation i've tried to find videos on the subject for a while now and finally found one thank you Ajahn Brahm . I've always had a strong attachment/connection with a previous life and in this life from a very early age i was always weary of this life time family I was always telling/demanding/pleading for this life time family to take me back to my own country my fortified village i told them that i miss mom, dad and friends (people of my village) and that they are missing me i told them that i was my mom and dads only child their son I described our weaponry our culture our clothes the village i live in that we grow our food keep livestock getting wood to build and for fire wood we go fishing, hunting taking only what we need when i was out anywhere with this life time family i was always trying to sneak away from them I was a natural doing things the old ways without being tort I spoke in my sleep in a language that they don't know until one day i was asleep corwed up in an armchair in the corner of the livingroom when i woke up this life time mother and this life time older brother was moaning about it in a horrible nasty way but the grandmother ended up snapping at the mother and told her that i was speaking Ukraine (rus) the he grandmother knew snippets of the language the grandmother come over and put her arms around it didn't change how the rest of the family was towards me or me towards them but i loved the grandmother as she was a very nice carring woman.as a young boy i wasn't into TV games consoles I hated anything like that and i found it very strange that they nor anyone else i met didn't have an open fire i was always an outdoorsy kid building thing's etc. I've always had and always will have my religious beliefs of reincarnation and a lot more than one earth planets etc turned out the grandmother had/has the same beliefs no one knew she had/has the same beliefs until that day other than me, the grandmother on the mothers side and the grandfather on the farther's side the family aren't a religious family at all. I still talk in my sleep I've been informed by people of this they always tell me with a strange confused look on their face they tell me that i was speaking in a language they don't know and that i actually sound like a young boy when i talk in my sleep and not always a happy young boy I've not told any of them about my past life memorys in sleep or of my very strong connections to my past life as a young boy in this life time.. one day i want to have lad with woodlands Or Ideally a reasonable sized island where i can build an old style fortified Cossack village and live their in peace and maybe even build a community with others who have a connection with that way of life or anyone who just wants to live the way of old. From an early age I've never felt the modern world is my life and still haven't got used to the modern day world i find the modern day world a horrible world to live.. Godbless you myself and all the other good decent people

[jillianellis]

I have experienced past lives spontaneously before. The last time was experiencing a suicide, so I’m grateful for the encouragement to let go of that and not tense up against having those experiences again.

[lazitazen]

I love this Man ❤ what a fantastic Teacher! ❤ Thank you so much

[donnadevillez]

I have had the re-experince.lately remembering 15 years ago, , actually being there . Freaky experience.

[davegrant]

I am now 81 year old and I believe that I had a past life. I was a member of the Irish Republic Army, it was 1919 and I was shot in the chest by an English soldier. It may not be true but I suspect that it is. I have no proof but only a thought.

[kaustabpaul]

When i tried to discover myself without anyone's suggestion only, I started trying to recall memories of each 1 yr by 1 yr back.. and the oldest memory I can remember is playing with a toy in my grandpa's home at 3/4 yrs... Man !!! all prev memories are erased !!!

[maduwickrama]

as a Buddhist I strongly believe reincarnation. the diversity among people in world is as a result of what they had done in their previous lives. karma play a major role in our lives. namo buddhaya! !!

[Erieswitchcraft]

I am living my 6th life. I do a lot of spiritual work, spells, and dream work and hypnosis. Reincarnation is real.

[aum]

In my past life I must have been a goldfish or some very simple creature cause I remember nothing 😂🐠

[malachimatthews]

I had some memories of people I have never seen

[RickJames-nmev]

"Reincarnation is fact"
Yes 😎

[truthseeker]

Can you Bible punchers have a little respect for the fact that this is a Buddhist channel presumably intended to help those who wish to understand the Buddha Dharma - not have your beliefs thrust down their throats? You'll never find a Buddhist proselytizing to a non-Buddhist unless they specifically ask to hear about Dharma. If you are incapable of emptying your cup you will remain in ignorance - why not open yourselves up to another possibility? Thank you

[crippys]

when i was 8 i or younger. i got the same dream 3+ and then i lost my parents and i also had a dog, and later at 11 i also got the same dream again. it was in the egypt and i was running away from something or i tried to get out from the pyramid. could this possibly mean something?

[naveensharma]

I were a monkey king in my previous life in mountains of Himalaya. My commander betrayed me and I was killed by enemy group.I still have memories of that time.

[LoneStarGemini]

Peace and Blessings, Everyone.🕯🙏💙🌹🇺🇸✨🖖