Why Do Some People Remember Their Past Lives?

It’s natural to wonder why, if reincarnation exists, only a few people remember their past lives. Why don’t others have similar memories?

Answering this question requires a detailed explanation.

According to esoteric teachings, humans possess four bodies:

1. The Physical Body: This is the flesh and blood body we are familiar with (Corps physique = Rupâ).
2. The Etheric Body: Often called the “aura” or “vital body,” it’s a subtle energy field that surrounds and interpenetrates the physical body (Double éthérique = Linga – Sharira).
3. The Astral Body: This is the seat of emotions, desires, and lower mental faculties (Corps astral = Kama).
4. The Mental Body: In Buddhism, this is associated with the “manas” or mind consciousness. It’s responsible for higher thought processes, reasoning, and intuition (Corps mental inférieur = Manas inférieur).

It’s important to understand that our experiences, even those long past, leave imprints that allow us to remember them. The seat of memory is not solely in the brain, as many believe, but also within these other subtle bodies (etheric, astral, and mental). Experiments have shown that through hypnosis, individuals can access memories from past lives. This suggests that memories are stored within the astral body.

With each reincarnation, all four bodies are renewed. If the old bodies dissolve, how can one remember past lives? Plato suggested that before rebirth, souls drink from the river Lethe, causing them to forget their past, similar to the Vietnamese saying about eating “forgetful porridge.” This is a metaphorical explanation.

Sometimes, the soul quickly reincarnates after leaving the physical and etheric bodies, retaining the astral and mental bodies from the previous life. This allows for the recall of past-life memories upon rebirth, as illustrated in the stories we’ve discussed.

As mentioned earlier, with each reincarnation, the four old bodies dissolve and are replaced by new ones. However, memories are not entirely lost; they retreat into the soul, like seeds of reincarnation (atomes permanents). Souls at lower levels of evolution cannot recall past experiences, learning, or knowledge. As they evolve, they may experience vague memories, as seen in child prodigies. Sometimes, we gain profound insights without conscious reasoning or learning, which could be attributed to accessing knowledge and experiences from past lives. This is known as intuition.

This aligns with the Confucian saying: “Sages are born with innate knowledge, without the need for learning” (Thánh nhân sanh nhi tri chi).