Articles

Select an Article:
Article Topic:	Personal Growth: Purpose Personal Growth: Path Personal Growth: Manifesting Personal Growth: Tools for Change Philosophy of Change and Growth: Aligning with Reality Philosophy of Change and Growth: Values Philosophy of Change and Growth: Virtues Philosophy of Change and Growth: Concepts and Misconceptions Looking into the Future: Astrology Looking into the Future: Tarot Looking into the Future: Pendulum Looking into the Future: Inituitive Senses Spiritual Phenomenon: Past Life Regression Spiritual Phenomenon: Spirit Guide Commmunication Spiritual Phenomenon: Transpersonal Journeys Spiritual Phenomenon: Dreams Life Adventures: Travel and Experience Life Adventures: Travel Opportunities Life Adventures: Commentary
Article Name:

Personal Growth: Purpose

Upholding Disbelief

By Mary Lee LaBay, Ph.D.

In an article entitled Disbelief Despite the Evidence in the December-February issue of Shift magazine, from the Institute of Noetic Sciences, author David Fontana discusses why people in the West continue to dispute that there is survival after physical death. His research showed that the acceptance of this concept "has to struggle against four influential groups that, for different reasons, find it challenges their own interests and beliefs and represents a threat to their status and authority."

These groups are established science, parapsychology, established religions, and the general public.

While this may seem to be a surprising list, each group has its personal concerns. For instance, scientists are not generally aware that evidence of reincarnation exists. They typically are busy enough with their own focus of study, that they don't have the time to branch out and seriously look at reincarnation as a topic of research.

The inclusion of parapsychologists came as a surprise to me, until Fontana explained that "The great majority of parapsychologists are still influenced by the fear that fieldwork research into mediumship, apparitions, and other spontaneous survival-related phenomena risks hindering the scientific acceptance that parapsychology has so painstakingly sought to achieve." Ah, yes, I get it now. They too have to walk the line to maintain their own credibility in the matters that they are promoting.

Established religion came as little surprise, although they all seem to hold forth that there is a heaven, hell, nirvana, bardos, or other place that the spirit goes to after death, which indicates a type of survival of the experience. However, they do have a stake in keeping a tight hold on the accessibility to information about that "everlasting life", and therefore would not benefit from acknowledging that we may hold such informtion in our memories.

The fourth group, the general public, do not so much oppose the concept as resist it. They would prefer to put the responsibility of proving such phenomenon in the hands of the first three groups, and typically would just rather not have to think about their own mortality anyway.

While a typical response that I get, when people learn that I facilitate past life regression, is that they have so much to worry about in this life, and enough baggage to handle from the present experiences, that they don't need to add to it by thinking of other lifetimes. In my clinical and personal experiences, I find that by exploring other lifetimes, we each may discover that some of the experiences from the past are at the root of the issues that we deal with today. At the same time, we can draw strength, courage, and perspective from our past experiences that will lend a treasure of wisdom and knowledge that can be instantly useful in the present moment.

For more information about Shift magazine and the Institute for Noetic Sciences, visit www.shiftinaction.com.

» Back to Top

©1999-2010 Mary Lee LaBay. All rights reserved.