KAJAMA.COM NEWSLETTER

by Diane Brandon

(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

"I don't want to be here again."

This is what I thought when I was born. I have never forgotten my awareness then or the perceptions I had—and I'm not the only one. There are people throughout the world who remember their thoughts at birth.

I call this the "Born Aware" phenomenon.

This phenomenon may seem strange; some people even consider it to be impossible. However, for those of us with these memories, it's not at all strange, and we didn't even consider that other people might think it was odd. After all, it's our norm.

I describe the Born Aware phenomenon in my book, Born Aware: Stories & Insights from Those Spiritually Aware Since Birth. Those of us spiritually aware since birth have always remembered what we thought at birth. We didn't need to recapture our awareness or memories after the fact through regression, hypnotherapy, or other methods.

Unusual, Yes, But Not Impossible
So, yes, it's unusual, but, as those of us with these memories know, it's far from impossible. It makes sense when we consider that our souls had awareness on the other side before we came into this lifetime. We carry into an incarnation on this planet the awareness we had then, which I call the Higher Soul Awareness. (There are exceptions to this, of course. Children who remember their last life are often still in the human persona from that last lifetime. This could be because many of them reincarnated so quickly that they didn't get into their Higher Soul Awareness on the other side. Ian Stevenson did extensive and groundbreaking research on children like this, and Erlendur Haraldsson and others have continued this research.)

Born Awares, however, came into the present life in their Higher Soul Awareness and thought and perceived accordingly, remembering these perceptions and thoughts. Some of us remember back to before birth (memories of being on the other side, of being in the womb, etc.). Our awareness at birth was quite clear and mature, not exactly what many people might expect a baby's awareness to be like.

This may prompt the question as to why everyone doesn't have these memories. And it's a great question. Some people may have awareness at birth, but amnesia then sets in. Pain can crowd out the Higher Soul Awareness and cause us to plummet into our human side. If your soul was already in your new body for the labor and delivery, you may have experienced pain during that process—and your spiritual awareness was likely obliterated and replaced by pain and a thrusting into your human side. Some Born Awares may not come into the new body (the baby's) until the birth itself and may have avoided any pain from the labor and delivery. I didn't come in until the birth had occurred, so my Higher Soul Awareness was intact. There are also instances of people being aware at birth, but not spiritually aware.

Different from Being Innately Spiritually Oriented
Because this phenomenon seems unusual and is relatively unknown, some people may mistake it for being somewhat aware or spiritually oriented, including those who have always felt spiritual in some way. However, it's a different phenomenon.

There are many people who have no birth memories and thus were not born aware, yet have always felt some sort of spiritual orientation or a hazy spiritual tug at themselves. They may not remember anything before the age of one or two, or even three. However, nonetheless they always felt a sense of "otherness" and that there was something more than this physical reality and that they didn't really belong here, even if they have no clear memory or idea of where they came from (on the other side). People like this are Innately Spiritually Oriented and they lift the level on this planet.

Their innate spiritual orientation may be a consistent pull, even though they may not have a conscious spiritual awareness until they are exposed to spiritual or religious material, which they then may absorb like a sponge. They may immediately feel a sort of kinship with such information and a strong sense of, "Yes, this is what I was feeling, but couldn't put into words." There are many, many Innately Spiritually Oriented people on this planet. They tend to be seekers and, at some point, find spiritual material that draws them like a magnet and which they subsequently seek out. They often want to be of service to others and help others and thus may work as teachers, healers, counselors, mediators, etc.

Those Innately Spiritually Oriented often have some of the attributes that Born Awares have in common, even if they don't have all of them. They are like gardeners on this planet, preparing the ground for light-filled energies and seeding more light and positive energy into it.

The Born Awares, on the other hand, have a conscious awareness from birth of spiritual matters and this remains intact for us. We were born with the mature, clear awareness of an adult, rather than an immature awareness. We not only know that this Earth is not our true home, but also feel like we're exiled, having to be here for some reason. The Born Awares among us long to be back home. I know that I didn't want to come here again. I have always longed to be back on the other side, which is my true home. This longing is so strong for us that some Born Awares as young children have contemplated suicide in order to go back home.

Advantages and Disadvantages
I hasten to add that being born aware is not all bad. Yes, we often don't like being here, and, yes, there are some definite, strong downsides (such as feeling different, feeling isolated, out of place, homesick, etc.). However, at the same time, our experience of being here is hugely enriched by our spiritual awareness. Our memories of the other side, no matter how vague or gauzy, feed us and inspire us. We tend to be naturally aware of spiritual agency in our lives, as well as spiritual purpose, along with other positive benefits. So being born aware is really a mixed bag. We're neither here nor there, with a foot in both worlds. In essence, we're like hybrids.

Given that this phenomenon is so different and unusual, why does it exist at all? Why are some people spiritually aware since birth?

Allowed to Be Born Aware
I strongly feel that those of us who have been spiritually aware since birth have been allowed to be this way—not just for our own experience, but also for what this phenomenon can show and teach others. This may be why we have been allowed to be this way (and we have indeed been allowed to be this way). What further illustrates this is that many of us born aware tend to feel that we're here on assignment.

Inherent Lessons
This phenomenon has inherent lessons for others. If you've ever doubted that there's another side or afterlife, or if you've ever felt down and worried about what might happen after you die, the Born Aware phenomenon can allow you to feel relief. I guarantee you that there's an afterlife. The other side is beautiful and so much nicer and more enjoyable than being here. There are many different things that we do on the other side, and it's all beneficial. There's beauty and love and purpose there. We don't feel down there. Instead, we feel inspired and loved and uplifted.

This is just one of lessons that the Born Aware phenomenon can teach us. One thing that most of us spiritually aware since birth tend to know is that there is purpose to everything that happens on this planet, the bad as well as the good. Most of us, born aware or not, tend to know that good things will often come out of difficult experiences. If you think of your own life and some of the difficult and painful experiences you have had, you will usually be able to see—in retrospect—some of the good that came out of those unpleasant experiences. You may have had new insights. You may have strengthened in some way. You may have gained more compassion. You may have had something new to then teach others. You learned—through experience—that good can come out of bad experiences. Being aware of universal purpose can help to take the pain out of some negative events. Those of us born aware innately know that everything has purpose. We tend to look for what the higher purpose is whenever we hear of difficult events on this planet, especially when there are mass negative events. We know implicitly that something good will come out of them in some way.

Whenever we hear of a terrible event, whether a huge earthquake or terrorism, those of us spiritually aware since birth automatically shift into our Higher Soul Awareness and look at the event from a higher spiritual perspective in order to chew on what its higher purpose is.

The Higher Soul Awareness
Which brings us back to the Higher Soul Awareness itself. It's vastly different from our human persona. It perceives from a higher perspective. It transcends our human side and is not weighed down or contaminated by the problematic aspects of our human side (our fears, our wants, our self-interests, our mindsets, our beliefs, our cultural conditioning, etc.), which can blind us from perceiving objectively. The Higher Soul Awareness takes us back to our soul's awareness on the other side (even if it's not completely intact) and allows us to view things from a higher and more expansive spiritual point of view.

The Higher Soul Awareness models objectivity, as well as a higher spiritual perspective. It's certainly one aspect of the Born Aware phenomenon that others can learn from, and it brings us many benefits. We can also learn how to groom the Higher Soul Awareness (which I share in Born Aware).

Everyone and Everything Is Connected
Another reason why some of us have been allowed to have these memories may be that we were born with the innate awareness that everyone and everything is connected. We remember this from the other side, so it's not just a cognitive awareness, but a memory. We tend less to see differences and tend, instead, to see kindred spirits. We view others and everything as connected to us. Our hearts are open to others—not just humans, but also animals and plants and nature. We love re-experiencing that beautiful oneness through an open heart connection to others while we're here. It reminds us of that soul-inspiring and delightful inter-connection we had on the other side. Having the awareness that everything and everyone are truly connected is an important insight, one that the world could benefit from. This awareness can serve as an excellent counter-balance to all the division and prejudice and condemnation we see in our world. We truly are all connected, in a loving, positive, mutually supportive way.

So why are some people Born Awares? It's not just for our own benefit. (And remember that there are downsides to being this way.) It's also the way we are supposed to be—at least in this lifetime—because there is purpose to it, not just for our own experience, but also for the lessons implicit in it for others.

Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2017. All rights reserved.

I have a hypothetical question for you. If a person was suffering because everything in their life had become emotionally unbearable and their future seemed hopeless and devoid of happiness and opportunity, would they be condemned to suffer in the afterlife if they chose to check out before their time?

A.

Susyn:

Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem, so it's important to note that.

Contrary to most religious ideas about suicide, I feel there are no accidents in the Universe. If a person chooses to take their life for whatever reason, a greater plan must be unfolding. Though I personally do not believe in making such a choice, there are all sorts of positions I have never been in.

I know people who have attempted suicide unsuccessfully when things looked hopeless for them. Months or years later, they are all grateful that they failed. Life is an ever-evolving process; no matter how grim life may seem at one point, it invariably improves.

I have also known people who appeared to have taken their own life accidentally or who perhaps changed their mind at the last minute after it was too late. Then there are carefully planned out, deliberate suicides. In those cases where the suicide attempt was successful, the transition into the spirit world seems to be similar to other death experiences.

When someone is considering suicide, it' usually because some aspect of their life is not working. For example, they may feel lonely or abused, or they may be suffering from money troubles, a broken heart, or a life-threatening illness. Committing suicide might eliminate the financial or health issues they are facing, but the emotional aspects of their depression will carry over into the afterlife.

When a loved one dies naturally or according to fate, everyone involved is touched with deep sadness and a sense of loss, including the person who has crossed over. The same of course holds true for those who choose to take their own lives.

The feeling of being in heaven or hell can occur whether we have left this world or not. As one of my favorite sayings goes, Religion is for people who are afraid of going to hell; spirituality is for those who have already been there. When someone feels desperate enough to take their own life, they are experiencing a type of hell. Since hell can be experienced here as well as beyond, changing states is clearly not the answer.

I do not believe that a person who chooses to take their own life suffers extra pain, though I do believe that we take our troubles with us to the other side, where we continue to work on them. Because working through these issues is easier to do on the earth plane, I encourage people to remember that suicide is not a way to escape life's troubles. No matter what struggles one is walking through, there are higher spiritual purposes and gifts hidden in the process. If we choose to check out early, we will miss the opportunities the Universe has in store for us next.

*****

Oceania:

The fact that you're asking about suicide suggests that it's on your mind. If you personally feel suicidal, I urge you to seek medical attention immediately. If you are asking on behalf of a loved one, then please encourage them to do so.

If you or your loved one are not ready to seek in-person help, call the Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or visit www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org for more information. You can self-soothe in the moment with a butterfly hug: Hug yourself and alternately squeeze your upper arms in a gentle rhythm while envisioning a safe place and affirming that all is well in this instant of time.

Thoughts of suicide are a symptom of depression, which can be treated with medication and psychotherapy. This is why suicide is called a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Depression is like looking out a dirty window and mistakenly believing the world to be dark. Seeking help washes the window.

As a therapist, I regularly witness extreme suffering, and there have been times when I personally wished to exit a world that seemed so cruel. What kept me here was the thought that by staying alive, I could do some good. As poet Emily Dickinson wrote, If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain.

I believe in a benevolent higher power, so I don't think anyone is condemned to suffer in the afterlife for any reason. However, those who drop out of Learning to Endure Suffering class (Life-On-Earth 101) may have to repeat it.

People consider suicide because they don't think they can endure suffering, but it can be endured by feeling it consciously and expressing it to a loving listener. Suffering gets easier with practice; enduring difficulties makes us stronger and raises our self-esteem.

Suicide is something you can always do LATER. By postponing it, you grant yourself time to learn new coping mechanisms. Unexpected solutions can appear if we stay open to possibilities and humbly ask for help.

Cognitive Therapy, in which irrational thoughts are challenged, is the most effective type of therapy for depression. Dr. David Burns wrote a book about it called Feeling Good. Examples of distorted thoughts are overgeneralization (seeing a single occurrence as a pattern,) mental filters (dwelling on a negative detail while ignoring positives), and catastrophizing (exaggerating the significance of an event).

I remind suicidal people that they WILL die eventually; death IS on the way! Remembering our mortality can provide relief and give us permission to make the most of our temporary visit to Earth.

Astrea:

Many times in life we hear, "You will always have what you NEED, but not necessarily what you WANT." Your spirit must have needed to experience the feeling of leaving your human body, and the suggestion in the next chapter of Sylvia Brown's book was all it took to get you there.

Even though you hadn't read it yet, your SOUL recognized the title of that chapter as something it had been seeking, and your soul, knowing that you had that reference to read after your experience, got with it and out you went!

While I don't usually recommend her books, Sylvia Brown has a wide reaching and powerful effect on lots of people. A Gemini like you would be able to relate easily to her writing and put it to good use. Synchronicity - you gotta love it!

I like your description of "getting caught." That's exactly what it feels like, isn't it? One minute you're free and hovering above the room, and the next minute, ZAP! back down into your corporeal form you go!

As a little kid, I loved that "feeling of return." With practice, most of the time we can control that event, but sometimes, when our physical ears hear a distracting noise or something else occurs to knock us back into reality, back we go. With practice you will be able to control your return better.

I find it interesting that you were visiting your mother-in-law and not someone in your own genetic family. Evidently, you and your husband got married for reasons that are even deeper than love. His family's interest in "psychic stuff" will nurture your children in such matters and help them to grow into their own abilities.

You'll never have to be concerned that when your daughter visits them, she'll be discouraged from exploring her own psychic life and power. My parents encouraged me to develop my psychic senses in a time when it wasn't nice to even discuss such things in public. Heck, it's STILL not considered a great topic at the dinner table in some families!

Your kids will get to talk about it ALL and ask questions and read and study. This is going to give them such an edge in life! Talk with your husband about how you want to present this to your kiddos, so that you are united in your approach and ready to tell them their experiences are all natural and okay.

A word or two of warning: Geminis often have difficulty staying grounded in REAL LIFE. Don't get so strung out on your ASTRAL life that you neglect what you're doing here on Earth.

You are at the beginning of a long journey to learn where your power really lies. Try to be patient with this process and take your time.