From: milsom@ntb.ch (Paul Milsom)
Subject: Re: Heaven (was Re: July 4, 1992 - Global Spiritual Independence Day)
Keywords: Heaven
Reply-To: milsom@ntb.ch (Paul Milsom)
Organization: Neu-Technikum Buchs 
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 14:16:36 GMT


Free Radical (RA) asks about reincarnation:

		> Paul - which people acknowledge this, and do they have any 		
		> scientific basis for doing so?

The people I was referring to are the ones who are what I would have to call 
"spiritual" in the western world. There are others, non-spiritual, here too. 
There are also apparently several hundreds of millions of believers in 
reincarnation in places like India, Tibet, Japan and other countries (Hindus, 
Buddhists, Jains). Some rogue Christian churches also still accept this 
doctrine, and indeed it was accepted Christian belief until about the 5th 
Century, when it was edited from the bible after the decision of a Council. 
(They missed two bits.) 

		> do they have any scientific basis?

Not that I know of. Is there any for ETs? I have personally spoken to several 
people who have had regression into past lives. They were all very credible. 
Not sensational at all. My nearest experience was as follows: I met a lady 
about three years ago who seemed *incredibly* familiar although I knew I had 
never met her before. It really was a strange feeling, especially as I felt I 
was somehow regarding her as much younger than she was (she was actually 
about 35, but "felt" like about 16, I can't describe it any better). Being 
rather careful, I didn't want to "impose" upon her by saying things like 
"Don't I know you from somewhere..", (and anyway, I'm very happily married!) 
I was wondering if I should try to talk to her when she came up to *me* and 
said she felt just like I've described above. I met her again in Findhorn 
about a year ago. She'd just returned from the USA and said she'd done a 
regression there, and I had been her father in a past life. She told me all 
the details. But as soon as she said I had been her father, I recognised that 
funny feeling that I'd had - the father feeling. Of course this may all be 
considered circumstantial, but (as they say) it's different when it happens 
to you.

I personally don't think that regression per se helps much in one's spiritual 
development, but it does seem to be an interesting occupation for some people.
I believe there's a wealth of literature on it. By the way, reincarnation is 
often associated with the idea of karma. I do not hold with this teaching. 
Karma is a typical earthly explanation for reincarnation, but it carries with 
it all the hangups of the ego. Karma is like hell. Power over people (or 
here, souls). Don't believe it. 

We had a discussion a few weeks ago in the group as to whether aliens have 
souls. Also in one abduction book, some of the abductees seemed to have been 
abducted in a kind of out of body experience. I think W. Strieber had this 
experience too.

I have digressed. In fact, this letter has become so long, I have decided to 
put it on the net - hope you don't mind.

					Cheers,   Paul.


Paul Milsom
milsom@ntb.ch
Neu-Technikum Buchs Switzerland
Xref: sparky talk.religion.newage:4488 alt.alien.visitors:7070 sci.skeptic:17221