Who Do You Think You Are?
An Interactive Journey Through
Your Past Lives and into Your Best Future
Visit the link below to download the full version of this book:
https://medipdf.com/product/who-do-you-think-you-are-an-interactive-journey-thro
ugh-your-past-lives-and-into-your-best-future/
Click Download Now
For Skyler and Jesse, my two greatest teachers
contents
Introduction
How to Use This Book
SECTION I
HONOR THE PAST
Chapter 1
You Are Not Your Name
Chapter 2
You Are Not Your Looks
Chapter 3
You Are Not Your Race or Ethnicity
Chapter 4
You Are Not Your Gender or Sexuality
SECTION II
LIVE YOUR PRESENT
Chapter 5
You Are Not Your Thoughts or Beliefs
Chapter 6
You Are Not Your Relationships or Roles
Chapter 7
You Are Not Your Suffering
Chapter 8
You Are Not Your “Story”
SECTION III
CREATE THE FUTURE
Chapter 9
The Cycles of Birth and Death
Chapter 10
Changing Your Point of View
Chapter 11
You Are a Soul; Your Purpose Is Love
Chapter 12
It’s Not Who You Are, but Who You Can Become
Acknowledgments
introduction
W
reincarnation.
e have all been here before.
What I mean is, we have all lived in other forms, other
bodies, other places, and other times. Yes, I am talking about
Reincarnation—the concept that we all have a past that took place in
other lifetimes—is something I have come to believe in. I didn’t grow up
with this idea. In fact, I was raised in a tradition that completely shunned
such notions.
But I came to reincarnation the most powerful way: through my own
experience.
Past lives can be remembered and experienced. I have recalled my own
past lives, and the details have revealed that I have been different races,
ethnicities, religions, and even genders than I am today.
Over the years, I have also helped guide thousands of individuals into
the experience of their past. I have worked with people of all backgrounds
and beliefs, and many elements to the journey of the soul through its
lifetimes seem to be universal or, dare I say, human.
Our past lives are not ancient, ethereal, or far away, with nothing to do
with now. Rather, they are a part of us. In fact, our past lives make up
exactly who we are today. They live inside our unconscious mind,
impacting our choices, preferences, and emotional states. They create our
fears. They rule our negative thought patterns and the formation of our
limiting belief systems.
Uncovering your past lives is a matter of learning how to navigate the
often-stormy waters of the mind. Your past lives are there, right under the
surface. Accessing them is only a matter of knowing where to look.
This book will act as a guide to locating those past lives, and to finding
the memories of who you were before.
But then what? After you learn the story of your own past, how do you
apply that knowledge to your life here, the one you are living right now?
Although history is interesting, I believe that what matters most is this
life, right now, and the future we are creating. If we have already grown old
and wise many times, how can we use that wisdom to navigate our lives
today?
This book will show you how to use your past lives as a tool to discover
your true identity, the one that has nothing to do with the body you are in
right now or the life you are currently living. This new identity, as a soul
and not a body, can help you find peace in the present moment, change how
you look at yourself and others, and construct a new future for yourself that
is free of your past.
You read that right.
You are creating the future. I want you to know that what lies ahead has
not yet been determined. It is true that certain things will happen, or are
“meant to be,” but the path ahead of you has not been forged. You are
actively creating this future with each and every thought, word, and action.
It is my belief that there is no such thing as fate but, instead, a principle
called destiny.
Fate is something we can look at only in hindsight, but destiny requires
action. Destiny also contains a spiritual dimension. We hear phrases like
“stepping into your destiny,” which means a courage is gathered or a faith is
found in order to take that leap. It means an action is taken that represents
another step forward in your evolution, toward your purpose.
This is not just your life’s purpose, by the way. Your destiny is your
soul’s purpose. By clearing anything from your past that is holding you
back, and understanding more about who you truly are, you can step into
this divine purpose and the future that reflects your highest destiny. This
future will reflect your newfound wisdom, healing, and understanding and
bring you all the happiness, love, and joy you could ever possibly find in
this lifetime.
I also want to be clear that in my current life as a white woman living in
a major urban center within a white supremacist society, I would never lay
claim to someone else’s identity in the here and now. One goal of past lives
work is to increase our empathy by unearthing our shared human identity,
which means being open to hearing the experiences of others, even when it
is painful. Listen. Hold space. Stay sensitive; stay compassionate.
We can all work together to change the future for the collective, too, in
our communities, in our countries, and across the planet. Discovering your
true identity by way of understanding your past lives can help make a shift
that will bring about a new future for all of humanity.
May this book be of service to you, to your families, to all the lives you
touch, and to all beings everywhere.
With love,
Michelle Brock
how to use this book
M y intention in writing this book is to give you, my dear reader, a
chance to experience your past lives—but first I want to share
some important things to know about this process:
Everyone experiences past-life memories in their own way.
You may see yourself quite clearly in vivid detail, or you may perceive
only quick impressions.
Some people do not “see” anything but have an inner “knowing” or
feeling of what is occurring.
Others describe the experience as though someone is telling them what
is happening or narrating a scene.
It is necessary to focus on all of your senses while doing any past-life
exercise because you may be surprised which are specific to you.
Strong emotions, smells, sounds, temperature differences, and textures
are all part of the experience.
It is not uncommon for someone who is discovering a past life for the
first time to feel as if all or part of the experience may have been
imagined.
Sometimes a person will question the source of the material, believing
that it may have come from a movie they have seen or some other place
or event.
It is crucial to know that the subconscious mind often works with
symbols, a phenomenon that we are most familiar with through our
dreams.
Remember to keep an open mind and to not actively analyze your
experience while you’re in it.
You will get more out of the process if you give yourself over as it
unfolds. There will be plenty of time for analysis and interpretation
afterward.
Certain memories or images experienced during past-life regression
may represent traumatic events, which can evoke intense emotional
reactions or distress.
These emotionally charged images are often useful for facilitating
insight, understanding, and healing, but nonetheless, they can be
emotionally troubling.
Uncovering past-life memories is not something that should be entered
into lightly and should be done by someone who is grounded and ready
to deal with any issues that may arise. Ideally, you are someone who
has a healthy sense of self from this life and are not struggling with any
mental health conditions or symptoms that could inadvertently become
exacerbated through this process. If in doubt, please consult a qualified
professional before embarking on this journey.
Accessing past-life memories is an entirely voluntary experience.
If at any time the experience becomes too uncomfortable or you feel
unwilling to proceed, you may simply open your eyes and the process
will stop.
Many people do not experience memories from their past lives right
away; it takes practice over time. If this is true for you, do not be
discouraged! Walk away and try again another time.
Many factors can influence a person’s ability to experience past-life
memories, including individual capacity for relaxation and imagination;
being tired, hungry, or distracted; or putting too much pressure on
themselves to have the experience.
I encourage you to relax as much as you can and don’t be hard on
yourself if it doesn’t happen the first time.
Keep trying, and allow this process to unfold in its own way and time.
SECTION I
Honor the Past
one
YOU ARE NOT YOUR NAME
I magine you are attending an enormous conference, held in a gigantic
room like a hotel ballroom, and hundreds of people are lined up to enter.
As you get to the door, you see a table with a bunch of markers and
name tags that read, “Hello: My Name Is ___________.”
Before you enter the room full of strangers, you write your name on a
tag, allowing you to identify yourself to potential friends or colleagues
without having to say a word. How relieved are you that you can wear that
name tag? How glad are you that you can easily read the names of the
others at this conference before you begin a conversation?
By writing down your name, you have claimed your identity and
displayed it, giving yourself a human presence among the crowd.
Our name is the first way we create an identity. It begins at birth, or
even before, while our parents are imagining us and who we might become.
In many ways, the process of thinking of a name for an unborn baby makes
it real—the fact that you are about to create and raise a human being.
This is true whether a baby is planned or unplanned. A child is born into
this life and given a name. Even though we have lived many times before,
our name is often what first gives us our humanity. Because you have lived
before, in past lives, you have had different names in other times, in other
places, and in other bodies. And when you died, you left behind that name,
along with that body, to continue on with your journey into your next life.
But when you were alive in that past life, your name was the way you
connected to your own sense of self, or your identity, just as it is now.
Names reflect background and culture and the way parents and family want
their children to be seen. They are often a direct line to your ancestors,
perhaps once belonging to a beloved grandparent, aunt, or other family
member, chosen to be revered in this new child. Some people even have the
same name as their father or grandfather and are referred to as “junior” or
“the third.”
Different cultures around the world have unique traditions around
names. In China, it is the custom to have the surname (or family name)
come first, before the given name of the individual. In Spain and Latin
America, babies are often given two surnames, one from the father and one
from the mother. This practice ensures that the mother’s family’s name will
continue to live on in the child (and makes for some very long names!).
Many names contain a reference to a specific culture, helping maintain
an identity within a tribe, group, or ethnicity. In South Africa, the Zulu often
give a child a name that represents the circumstances around when or where
they were born, such as the place of birth, what was happening in the tribe
or family at that time, or the day of the week. These Zulu names can include
the intentions or wishes the parents have for the child, their life, and their
expected place in the community.
Names often hold definitions or meanings, and many expectant parents
spend time poring over baby name books, looking for just the right one to
set the tone for the life of their child.
Think for a moment about how you got your name, if you know the
story. If you don’t know it and have a parent or family member whom you
can ask, I encourage you to have that conversation.
What was the inspiration for your name? What is the meaning of your
name?
Take a minute to think about your own feelings in connection to your
name. Do you like your name? Can you easily identify with it? It is not
uncommon for people to either change their name to something they feel is
more in alignment with who they are, or use a middle name or a nickname
instead. Ask yourself if your name represents who you are, right now, in
your current lifetime.
Naming a child after a positive association—an idea that can translate
into feelings of positivity about themselves or their path in life—is
something nearly every culture on Earth does. I named both of my children
based on my own positive associations with their monikers and chose
names with meanings that I felt would set them both on a path toward
happiness and success.
JOURNAL TIME
As you work through this book, consider keeping a journal to record your thoughts. This
journal can be in whatever form you’re most comfortable using—handwriting in a
notebook, typing in a word-processing file, or recording observations in your phone’s
Notes or Voice Memos app, for example.
Ask yourself:
What does your name mean? (If you don’t know, you can look it up!)
Do you identify with your name and its meaning? How? And how not?
Why did your parents choose to give you that particular name?
How do you feel your name has influenced your journey through your life so far?
Is there anything about your name you would change or add to?
Many names come from nature, inspired by flowers, trees, and herbs.
Others are chosen because they describe desirable qualities, such as
strength, integrity, or faith, with the wish that the child will take on those
characteristics.
In many religious traditions, parents choose a name that represents a
saint or religious figure in the hopes that the child will emulate them and
even receive their guidance and protection. This is why names like Mary,
Joseph, Joshua, Moses, Jesus, and Mohammed are so common.
Names are often considered sacred, and the act of giving a child a name
is sometimes marked by a ceremony or ritual. In Jewish tradition, a baby is
given a Hebrew name in a formal ceremony attended by family and friends.
The belief around this ceremony is that the baby’s soul is not fully attached
to the body until the name is given. Only then does that child’s soul commit
to that body to live its life. The name represents the life the child’s parents
intend for them. For boys, this naming ceremony is performed eight days
after birth; for girls, there is no specified time, but it is usually done in the
first weeks of life.
Islamic tradition has a sacred naming tradition, too, usually performed
on the seventh day of life. In Japan, baby naming also happens on the
seventh day, when the father writes the name and date of birth on a piece of
paper and posts it for everyone to see. In the Gambia and Senegal, naming
is celebrated with a big feast, during which the spiritual leader or tribal
elder repeatedly whispers the name into the baby’s ear. This takes place the
eighth day after birth.
Several Native American traditions view names as fluid, able to be
changed at any time. This is an acknowledgment of the idea that a person’s
name is an embodiment of their potential, or the trajectory of their journey,
which can change as a person grows and evolves. For example, if a tribal
member overcomes something difficult or achieves something great, they
may earn a new name that describes this new version of themselves. This
tradition inspires each individual to look toward who they are becoming in
the future, rather than bearing the name of an ancestor and carrying the
weight of the past. I love this idea because we are all continually evolving
and growing.
REVISIONIST HISTORY
In many cultures, it is customary to change one’s name, at least in part, after a
significant life event, reflecting the idea that certain situations can alter the nature or
character of an individual. For example, many people change their names after getting
married, going through a divorce, or being widowed. Or it may be after coming of age,
experiencing a rite of passage, or completing an achievement in one’s life.
In certain Jewish communities, if someone becomes very ill, the family might
change their name, hoping that doing so will inspire the person’s condition to
improve. In China, a child’s name is sometimes changed to improve their luck in
life.
What are some of the pivotal moments in your life so far that have transformed
you in some profound way? What (if any) new name would you give yourself
connected to this turning point? How does this new name reflect the person you
have become after this event?
I have heard many people share special stories about how they chose a
name for their child. These accounts include seeing or encountering
something unique and unexpected, such as an animal or a stone. One
mother, while on a walk in the woods, found what she thought was glass but
later proved to be a piece of amber. She considered that a special moment
because it seemed like something she was meant to find. When her daughter
was born, she named her Amber.
I’ve also heard stories from expectant parents who claim that they
received their child’s name in a dream. Many cultures believe that when a
woman is pregnant, particularly when the time of birth is near, the veil
between the physical world and the world of spirit is thin. A mother-to-be
may be able to touch other dimensions of reality and, therefore, is more
open to receiving messages from divine sources, including being “gifted” a
name.
We assign names to our loved ones as terms of endearment, or ways we
show affection to those with whom we are close. Nicknames that come
about after an event, a shared memory, or even an inside joke solidify and
maintain strong bonds between people. I have several nicknames for both of
my children, ones that usually make them laugh or feel loved when I use
them. Terms like honey, baby, darling, dear, or love are usually reserved for
the closest people to you. (I don’t recommend addressing a stranger as
“Hey, baby.”)
My point is that names, and how we use them, matter. Our names are
how we connect to ourselves and interact with each other. A name is much
more than what you are called.
Your name is a source of personal empowerment. It is how you identify
yourself. It is the “I am” answer to the question “Who are you?” Even
though our existence does not begin or end in this life, and we have many
lifetimes in many different forms, your name in this life is how you relate to
your sense of self right now.
Most people enjoy hearing their name because it makes them feel seen,
recognized, and validated. This is why successful salespeople and customer
service professionals understand the power of using someone’s name. It
allows that person to feel as if they are being approached as a human being
and not a number, case file, or demographic.
It works the other way, too. If you mispronounce or forget someone’s
name, that is the fastest way to make them feel as if you don’t care about
them. In fact, a tactic used throughout history to strip away a person’s
strength and connection to their humanity has been to take away their name.
During chattel slavery in the United States, one of the largest crimes against
humanity in all of history, many enslaved Africans and African Americans
were recorded only by their gender and age in order to dehumanize them.
Slave ledgers, which were the official records of the people an owner
enslaved, generally did not include the person’s given name, just age and
gender or perhaps the last name of their enslaver. As a result, it is nearly
impossible for African Americans to trace their ancestry to any time before
the Civil War. By omitting their names, slave traders and owners found it
easier not to see the enslaved as human beings with feelings, hopes, wishes,
and dreams.
This dehumanization also happens when you force someone to change
their name, such as when Christian names were forced upon Native
American children who had been taken from their families, well into the
twentieth century. During the Holocaust, inmates at certain death camps
were assigned numbers and not called by their names. When a person is
made nameless, it is easier to pretend they aren’t worthy of the same
humanity as one whose name we know and speak. In fact, many memorials
are simple but powerful lists of names, such as the Vietnam Veterans
