What do you think happens when you die? Do you think your body turns to dust, and the intelligent, creative identity that you were just ceases to be? Or maybe you believe that your soul lives on—only to spend all of eternity in those mysterious places called heaven and hell. Or perhaps there’s another alternative—one that could make a lot of sense!

The theory of reincarnation has been written about and explored for millennia and is widely accepted throughout the world—especially in the East, where it’s the basis of many religious beliefs. Yet those of us in the West have come rather late to the discussion. Although many people still tend to dismiss the idea out of hand, the trend is changing, and statistics now show that the concept of reincarnation has taken hold in the imagination of millions of Westerners.

If you’ve ever wondered about the possibility that you’ve been here before, take a moment to consider the following questions:

• Have you ever met someone whom you instantly felt you knew?
• Do you have a natural talent for something—perhaps in sports, language, or music—that was amazingly easy to pick up?
• Do you feel more like a parent than a partner to your spouse?
• Does it seem as though you keep running into the same old obstacles—or the same types of people—over and over again?
• Have you ever arrived at a place you’ve never been, yet you felt as though you knew it intimately?
• Have you ever had an immediate and unexplainable aversion to certain foods, places, or people?
• Do you have an addiction to a substance—or even a person—that seems impossible to shake?
• Have you ever felt instantly attracted to someone you just met?

If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, the reasons could be found in past-life experiences. Your sense of familiarity with a new acquaintance or place could be a subtle memory resonating in the recesses of your eternal consciousness. A personal talent may well be the current blossoming of a past-life skill. Deep feelings of irresistible attraction might indicate unbridled passion from a previous existence. And that difficult addiction could be sourced in patterns and problems from long, long ago.

Your soul is eternal. Your spirit doesn’t end; it merely transforms. It longs to experience life, to express itself, and to connect with other souls in the physical realm. Through these experiences, you form attachments. Relationships evolve, and personalities develop patterns of behavior and emotion.

In the never-ending consciousness that is your essence, the experiences from lifetime after lifetime tend to accumulate and create specific directions for your personal path. It becomes immensely helpful, then, to explore the past in order to understand the present and redirect your future. This process of self-discovery is endlessly interesting, and the information that comes up (both logistical and emotional) can be intensely revealing.

When you consider the science of energy and matter, the continuity of life just makes sense. We know that energy doesn’t just cease, and matter consistently transforms. If this is true on a cosmic level, why shouldn’t it be true for our individual identities and lives?

Reincarnation also explains a lot concerning the many unanswered questions we have. For example, it’s difficult to understand why some people seem to suffer more than others. Perhaps it’s not as random as many think—perhaps what we perceive as hardship is merely a return of energy, an opportunity to understand something unlearned in previous lifetimes. To some, unexplained suffering might seem to be the work of a capricious and uncaring God, but when we understand the subtle nuances of karmic energy and soul lessons, things start to become much more clear. And while I don’t believe that difficulty in this life is a form of karmic punishment, I do believe that current problems can refer back to historical issues.

Reincarnation could also explain all of the phenomena listed in the questions above: the sensation that you’ve known a recent acquaintance for a very long time; precocious talent—be it musical, artistic, mathematic, linguistic, or athletic; love at first sight, irresistible attraction, or the inability to let go of a romantic relationship; addictions; weight problems; phobias; birth defects; allergies; and sexual preferences. All of these things, although they may also have present-life explanations, are more thoroughly understood and make much more sense from an eternal point of view.

This past-life influence may also be a powerful, yet hidden, attraction factor. In recent years, people have been fascinated with the question of how and why they attract certain things to their lives, and lately they’re wondering what’s been blocking the way. While not every obstacle is based in karma, it’s been amazing for me to see how many individuals have been able to shift their present stuck circumstances by addressing issues from previous existences.