Berserk2
|
I will be mostly lurking for a few months, but thought I'd post an experience that is relevant to DocM's thread.
Back in my grad student days, I was having a drink in a bar near Harvard Square and engaged a gal in conversation who ran the Day Care Center for the Harvard School of Education. I had just read Robert Monroe's "Journeys Out of the Body" and was interested to hear whether the little children under her charge had any unusual paranormal experiences. I was awestruck by what she shared.
One bright little boy (3 years old!) commented on nap time. He said, "You know, during naptime all these kids fly around outsisde their bodies. I know that I'm doing this, but they don't." This gal asked the toddler, "Why don't they know they're flying around the room?" He replied, "Well, it's like a little mousy doesn't know that he's a mouse!" I was astounded that a 3-year old could deduce that primitive animals are not self-conscious in the way we are. The woman was curious to know if this toddler's revelations were in any way shaped by his parents' influence. But when he discreetly asked them, they were outraged: "No! And you'd better not be putting these silly New Age beliefs into my son's head!' She rightly concluded, "OK, the boy isn't deriving these insights from his parents."
Then the toddler said something more relevant to Matthew's thread; he told the woman: "You have a birthday tomorrow, don't you?" She replied, "Yes, but how did you know?" He replied, "Well, when I was in heaven before I was born, I was told the birthdays of the people who would be in my early life. He then listed some of the birthdays of his relatives.
This suggests not only the preexistence of the soul, but some sort of coordinated planning that involves the well-timed births of important people in this youngster's life. I don't believe in astrology, but I do concede that this toddler's experience might be used in astrological apologetics. And if there is no prebirth planning, how else can we explain Mozart's ability to compose a sophisticated piano concerto at age 5?
The Bible teaches the doctrine of the soul's preexistence, but not reincarnation. The wording of Jeremiah's prophetic call is relevant here: "The word of the Lord came to me, saying, "Before I formed you in the womb, I KNEW YOU, before you were born, I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations (Jeremiah 1:5)."" The wording here seems to be claiming more than predistination; it seems to imply a preexistent soul involved in pre-brith planning.
The nature vs. nurture debate is unresolved, but is crucial to any discussion of pre-birth destiny or karma. So it is appropriate that Matthew initiate a post on this subject here.
Don
|