Who Were You In A Previous Life–Writing Exercise

Do you believe in reincarnation? Perhaps not. After all, there’s no real evidence that once we leave this life we’ll be reborn into another, either for better or for worse, depending on what we do here and now.

But whether you believe in reincarnation or not the following exercise can be used to throw some light onwho you are in this very life.

Write about your previous life

The story can be any length. Just let your mind ‘remember’ who you were before your present existence.

Who were you, for example in 1805? Depending on the history you know of your country and culture you will probably identify with a character you may have read about.

I once knew a man who was sure he had been Ramses II. All well and good (and who could dispute the claim?) but consider the implications of placing yourself in a particularly exalted incarnation. The Karmic fallout from the actions of most of our more illustrious historical figures really doesn’t bear thinking about.

Some writers play it safer by choosing significant but ordinary characters, such as governesses or clergymen. Whatever direction you decide to take with this exercise, remember it is just that – an exercise. The character and situation you choose will be revealing. Writing in the first person will help to stimulate your imagination. For example:

I am a nineteenth century archaeologist. I have a great ambition to travel to parts of the world that are just blank places on the map. I want to explore the Silk Road and to look for the buried cities of lost civilizations. I need to gather an expedition together for this purpose, but I have little money and I haven’t managed to convince the Geographical Society that they should fund my research. I’m hoping to find a rich sponsor, someone who believes as I do, that the past has great secrets still to be uncovered. There is a wealth of knowledge buried deep beneath the sands. If I can get there I’ll show the world what it has lost.

This ‘earlier incarnation’ of the writer shows a great desire for knowledge and a need to explore the hidden mysteries of life. There are also links here to the ‘hero’ archetype, about to embark on a quest. The need to find a sponsor might indicate the hopes for new connections with power and influence.

Writing in this way provides us with a valuable insight into our hidden desires, concerns and hopes forthe future. By recreating ourselves as characters in a fantasy we also have the opportunity to recognise our true goals and to work towards achieving them.