This is what I gathered so far and myself believe as being true. Feel free to discuss etc.
* Our 'soul' (ie. our true self) is independent from our physical bodies and can exist without it.
* Reincarnation happens. In fact, many people (souls) have reincarnated into physical lives many, many times already, like 80, 100 or more life-times
is possible.
* In the 'afterlife' (better: 'In-Between' life) we have close ties to and live in groups with certain other souls, whose roles can be described as
masters, soul-mates, guardians, teachers etc.
* We meet those other souls from our groups in our various lives, although not necessarily. For example, it could be that we live one life where we
don't come across one soul-mate while in another we do.
* We choose our role and fate in future physical lives for the MOST parts beforehand. It is like a big stage-play which is carefully planned in the
"between life". This also includes the role of our guides/teachers/soul mates who then incarnate together with us in the physical life and appear at
one stage in a life.
* Above I said "for the MOST" part since we do indeed lay out a general plan in advance, however we DO have free will. Outcomes in lives can still be
changed and influenced, regardless. This is actually part of the plan.
* We incarnate in many lives for what some people call "karma" or "karmic debt", in more simpler words it's simply "to learn".
* Even "bad" lives are chosen in advance, for a reason. A soul could choose a life where it is born and dies 30 days later as a small child due to a
disease. A soul might choose a life where terrible things will happen or a life with extreme hardships such as handicaps etc. A soul, of course, can
also choose a life filled with richness and happiness. However, for the purpose of learning, souls are often choosing (yes, voluntarily) very
difficult lives.
* We meet up with our close-knot of guides/soul mates and teachers and so on through various lives. They can have different roles. For example, in one
life one of our group members incarnated as a person who will, at some point, murder us. The same soul, in another life, could come into our life
again, but his time as abusive husband. The same souls, say, our mothers, fathers, other relatives could have other roles in other lives but they will
always have some important relationship/meaning even if their particular roles might change. A soul in one life could be our father, in the next our
brother or some other influential person. And yes, genders can change as well.
* Meeting our soul-mate(s) is not necessarily always all peace and happiness. In a similar way as above, it can be we come across our soul-mate in a
life, marry etc. however it then turns out ugly and divorce and similar things. All part of the learning experience. The entire game is also planned
in advance with an uncertain outcome, part of the test. Sometimes, a teacher/guide could even have the task do us harm in the physical life, mentally,
physically, throw obstacles in the way as part of the learning process.
* We re-incarnate until our soul is mature enough. If we are mature enough and learned all relevant lessons, we become masters/guides in the afterlife
and don't need/require to reincarnate again. However, we have the option if we would wish so, but it would be pointless.
* Souls can have various stages of maturity. Some might just have started reincarnating, some might be very old, went through 1000s of lives. (The
number of lives lived is NOT an indicator for maturity).
* There is a "creator" or however you want to call it, God. We are actually part of it.
* We don't just incarnate on Earth, we can incarnate on other planets and other "planes" of existence This can also be chosen in advance and of course
there can be major differences. Incarnating into a physical body on Earth is seen as an "interesting challenge" where our physicality provides
pleasures but also hardships. So it's really a trade-off, obviously a good place to learn.
* Children often remember the "Between Lives" up to approx. 5 or 6 years of age, they remember the group of souls they are usually "hanging out with"
in the BL and can remember various previous lives, however this memory fades. We have this amnesia of the Between Lives and true self since it would
defy the purpose of learning here.
* Animals have souls too, however don't have advanced abilities like we have in the BL. For example their souls cannot take on the appearance of the
animal they were when they died, at least not on their own. We have this ability, in fact can appear as whoever we wish in the "Between Life". Most of
the time, in the BL, we choose the appearance we mostly associate with our "self". The need to "appear" as a human shape in the BL might decrease
later on since there seem to be stages of the BL where it's not seen as necessary anymore to appear in human form. Then we might be oval shapes of
light, our "true" form as souls when we don't choose to appear as another shape.
* The BL (Between Life) serves as staging area to prepare for the lessons in "life", but also serves education, cleansing, rest etc.
* The time in the BL varies, some might reincarnate pretty soon after one life ended, some might spend some more time in the BL.
* Suicides, although not seen as "negative" in a sense are seen as a inconvenience since it meant the "easy way out" and not having gone through with
the lesson of the chosen life. The result is that most of the time, a same or similar task will have to be repeated all over again in a new life. So
basically, it's a wasted life and the soul might regret that he/she ended the life prematurely.
* Judgement, in a sense what is "bad" or "good" does not exist whatsoever in the "Between Life". All is viewed upon in terms of learning and
achievements for whatever learning goals one has set, but NEVER in a judging way.
* I am not 100% certain on that yet, but it seems that we can choose different times to re-incarnate which are not within our own, earthly time-frame.
Means, it is possible to reincarnate in whatever time we wish, what we call our "past" etc. "Time" as we know it doesn't have a meaning in the stage
where we can choose to reincarnate, between and before lives. In fact, we can look at our own lives and time on Earth and can fast forward and rewind
them and choose to "enter" at any time. We can (possibly) also enter/continue at any stage of a life and "correct" events which already "happened" and
alter the outcome through our actions.
* Our "soul" is not the sole "inhibitor" of our bodies, but it's more like a symbiosis of the "primitive" human mind and the "higher self". We choose
this partnership usually 3-5 months after a human life has been conceived, several months before birth, in the womb. There might be occasions where a
soul inhibits a body later on too.
* We can choose the character traits, appearance and all life circumstances of our (next) physical life in advance. To me it seems like that basic
things are already pre-set, for example that one child will be born into a rich family etc..etc..and then we can choose this body if we think that the
factors of this body/life are beneficial for the lesson we intend to learn in a particular life.
edit on 14-6-2013 by flexy123 because: (no reason given)