Great thread everyone! I know I'll be looking over this one a few more times...and it's interesting,I've been doing some reading of my own lately(nothing new or earthshattering in itself), but kind of refreshing alot of information..and I love the way that after a lifetime(admittedly, only 32 yrs this time,lol) of gathering info from many sources,it never get's"old" for me, but more interesting still. Mr.Monroe being one of those authors I couldn't get enough of,though I need a refresher, working on it,typically I might read more than one book at a time,....glutton that I can be with things of this nature...

and there's that feeling that I get,when reading things that to me are my "truths"and who knows how that will progress and grow,exciting stuff indeed!...But,as I was saying,the things that really seem to reverberate in my very soul when I read them...like "Ah ha"moments,but more like,"Oh yeah",are the things I hold onto, and I am amazed at how now,my perception from ten years ago,let's say to now is so different in one way...all of a sudden,so many of the things that really jumped out at me...still do,but back then I'd think,"Wait,that contradicts this thing or that"...but now,I'm having this wonderful experience of finding that everything is compatible,at least with the things I picked up along the way as my favorite ideas and views.....okok...don't want to sprial into a small novel again

I won't even pretend to be able to give a definitive answer to anything..but I too, have had several experiences of simultaneous realities, in a way..and being able to carry on conversations with "selves"..hmmm going to have to think long and hard before going into that....b/c it's difficult to articulate it,esp.when I'm open to different possibilities or combinations of...but I do feel at least,that we do have much say about this,where we want to take our own journey and such...and many times I've said to myself,"What,?! did I come back too fast, or what is this??I surely wouldn't have 'chosen' to come back here,if I was sane anyway.....what did I do in a past life that I'm paying for...etc...etc"..but then,deep down inside,I have this sure feeling that I did choose to come back,and alot of reading I've done seems to support this...that once we are able to see things more clearly,we see we can speed up our evolution, for one thing, by choosing to come back here...and I believe anyway, that when I feel this(lifetime) is taking waaayyy too long, that on the other side, there is a much different sense of time as well...but...like everything,it's the nature of my personal reality, and dosen't have to fit in with anyone elses...I cannot help but think that it's a very good thing that someone would even ask themselves these things, and that energy in itself,will find you your own personal answers, and that's awesome...that's why I love this board, b/c I can kind of mull over thoughts with others that think of the same types of things..
One book I've been reading is a book on channeling and our guides...and it's a short,easy read,that also mentions our higher self as well...even saying some prefer to channel their higher self...though I'm not finished it yet,so won't say too much. Another concept I seem to keep stumbling on is the idea that some souls "split"and live lifetimes in different bodies(same spark or soul),to speed up or enrich our learning process, and however that might sound, I can see it, and it would actually explain alot to me personally..but not to digress too much..I always felt it must be my higher self, that "identifies" with the spiritual reading,and encourages my searching and reading about it...
Speaking of this very topic of splitting...and having been a psychology major and working in that field for several years and from certain life experiences (I remember hearing "psychology" literally meant,"study of the soul") I was always and still am fascinated with the topic of MPD or more recently known as DID(Multiple Personality disorder,or Dissociative Identity Disorder) and how that works......b/c of the way the more core personalities esp.seem to have their own personal way and energy about them....at least I have the hope that as long as I'm living,I'll always have something to learn, and search out info and ideas on....thanks for yet more interesting food for thought...