why are so few interested in this?

I've been interested in this field for close to 40 years now. Over the past decade or so there has been an explosion of quality data published and yet I find that almost nobody has more than the most superficial interest in it. I'm wondering if this is just my own experience or if other people notice the same thing.

I'd be curious to know what percentage of the population we are... I'm guess it's much lower than 1%.

Peter

Peter, are you referring to a lack of interest in reincarnation in general or in reincarnation as it pertains to notable/famous past lives?

I can speak for myself--because I was raised as a conservative Christian, I wasn't taught about reincarnation. In fact, reincarnation was considered a false belief--one only held by Pagans, Hindus, Buddhists, New Agers--those who followed "false" religions. Of course, now I know better, but I've only held my current beliefs for about 10 years now.

I really believe that the fact that Western European nations, including the U.S., are still primarily Judeo-Christian is the reason for the lack of interest. But I do believe that interest in reincarnation is on the upswing because of people like ourselves who are willing to express and talk about our beliefs.

I guess I'm talking about in general, but it carries over to interest in notable past lives. I've been studying and talking about this stuff for years and I never seem to meet anybody else who really cares one way or the other.

I think it's quite profound and my studies have definitely changed my life for the better yet for most people it just doesn't exist at all.

Tell me, if it's not too personal, how did you manage to overcome your childhood teaching. That isn't an easy thing in my experience.

No, it wasn't an easy thing especially considering that I got my bachelor's degree from a Southern Baptist university and I was married to a Southern Baptist minister for 18 years!

WOW! My story is a long and complicated one. I'll put it as simply as I can. I was always conflicted between what I experienced in my personal life, (memories of other lives--especially an 18th century one, feelings that I had been on the planet before, traveling to places in Europe that were very familiar to me although I had never been there before), and what Christian doctrine taught. I was also drawn, from a very young age, to the music of Mozart. And my whole life it seemed that I was obsessed with trying to "find" him. That obsession only grew more intense as I got older. Then one day I found him. Yes, I literally found him online. Again it's a long story that I won't go into here. But suffice it to say that it changed my life. The memories started rushing in like a flood and I remembered who I was, and that Mozart and I had a very close, intimate, and torrid love affair. (I was Nancy Storace, his original Susanna in "The Marriage of Figaro".) There was no denying it. My marriage, which was already on the rocks anyway, ended and to make a long story short, I am with "Mozart" now. We've been together for nearly 10 years.

I think that sounds *incredibly* sweet and romantic. I just love it when things work out for people. The field of love in particular, always seems to have so many left over land-mines scattered promiscuously about.

I think that I envy the clarity of direction you descibe. As I said, I've had a very persistent interest in the field for most of my adult life but when it comes to who I am, I seem to meander around and never know for sure. I just don't have enough memories to make it clear.

Over the years I've spent a great deal of time trying to figure out who I was. After some trial and error fiascos, I gradually worked out a process I call trying people on. As a result, I've been a number of famous people for a while before deciding they weren't likely the real me. It ends up being an educational role playing experience which is certainly worthwhile if not exactly on point.

Naturally, I tend to approach my theories about myself with a big grain of salt. I have a great imagination and a damaged ego so I tend to overly identify myself with hero types. I did it in a big way with Leonardo until I grew disenchanted with him. Then with Reubens, whom I still feel a very strong personal tie to, and etc. The last person I did this to in a big way was Thomas Jefferson. As it turned out, the person I actually recalled being met and admired Jefferson. I've tried on several Victorian Cardinals since then but it hasn't gone beyond educational role playing so far. I simply don't recognize myself in any of the characters I've been researching.

BTW, I appreciate knowing who you were. Coincidentally enough, my "notable" past life was in France at exactly the same time (died 1792 at age 42).

I'm interested in your "flood" of memories. I've never seemed to have any that I could identify as such at all. I'm still wondering why I don't. My intuition tells me it's for good reason, but I'm not too clear on what that is.