Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Déjà Vu All Over Again

When I was a little girl, I did not want to go to bed during the long summer evenings. I wanted to stay outdoors and play with the older kids, who were usually allowed to stay outside until the sun set around 10:00. I wanted to be where the action was. I didn't always fall asleep right away, and I would lie there in my bed and remember things.

One of the things I remembered was being a child during another time, living in a great house made of granite stones. The house had endless hallways and chambers, which were lit by candles in wrought iron wall sconces. On the walls were huge hunting tapestries, and I remembered walking through the halls, looking at the tapestries. The tapestries were large and covered most of the walls, and there were intricate details and beautiful rich colors.

I grew up in a small town on Vancouver Island, and I can assure you, there were no great stone castles and no hunting tapestries. But I remembered them, in detail. And I remembered walking slowly through the hallways, studying the art work in the tapestries, thinking how beautiful they were next to the large stones in the granite walls, lit by the candlelight from the sconces.

When I researched hunting tapestries, this is what I found: In the early 1500s hunting scenes were very popular with the aristocracy. This popularity led to 'verdure' tapestries of lush landscapes, which in turn developed into romanticized pastoral designs, which reflected increasing Italian influences.

A few years ago the Vancouver Art Gallery held an exhibit of hunting tapestries, and I went to see it. As I went through the exhibit, I had a feeling of being at home. These tapestries were identical to the ones from my childhood memories. They were familiar to me, but the exhibit at the Art Gallery was the first time in my life I had ever seen a real hunting tapestry.

How does something like that happen? Do we in fact have past lives that we slowly forget in this one? I can't explain it, but to this day I have vivid memories of walking through the granite hallways, looking at the tapestries, lit by the flickering candlelight from the wall scones next to them.

39 comments:

Dr.John said...

Wow! A memory of an event that didn't happen. That is different.

Country Girl said...

You've lived before, Jo. It sure seems that way! These are beautiful, too.

Lady Love said...

Very very interesting. I have so many deja vus, so many strange memories sometimes. It's hard to tell people: "Hey, I'm not crazy".

I am loving reading your blog. It's good to know that other people feel the same way I do about the supernatural.

Love

Michelle

♥ Kathy said...

When I was growing up we went for a visit to a home in Mississippi that had been in the people's family since before the civil war. As we drove up to the house my mother had a vivid memory of having lived in the house, down to specific details. When we went in the house everything was just as she said it would be even though we'd never been there. I love your story Jo! Thank you for sharing it.

Cyth said...

Your blog is so very interesting to me. You are definitely connected to the universe and it to you. Have you read The Divine Matrix ? You might also be interested in the Seth books. Both talk of other realities, in their own "language" ( English -one with a scientific take, the other, a bit different )

Devil's Advocate said...

of course, in a déjà vu, the details are very clear and you know you saw the same details last time too. at times it just startles you, but it's fun :)

Anonymous said...

I've wondered that sometimes myself. How very interesting. Sometimes I feel as though I am an old soul, born in the wrong era.

Donnetta said...

What beautiful tapestries. I love them. I have one handing in my living room. Oh, not an antique and so beautiful--but pretty and I like it. Seems to add more texture to the room when you mix it up with conventional prints, paintings, whatever.

Interesting story, too! D

Dixie said...

I think as most of get older, we become skeptical of things that fall into the "unknown" category. When we are children, we are not inhibited by what people think, or by how things are suppose to be.

Einstein said "We still do not know one thousandth of one percent of what nature has revealed to us."
I have to agree with him. All things are possible with God.

Thanks for sharing an unusual story, one that gives us food for thought.

Tess Kincaid said...

I like to think it's the DNA of our ancestors speaking.

Avril Fleur said...

I definitely believe in "past" lives but I don't necessarily think they are in the past. I believe that time is an artificial construct designed so that human minds can comprehend events in a logical sequence. But I believe that we are living each and every event in our lives and lives in other "dimensions" simultaneously, and they sometimes leak into one another. Who knows what the truth really is? It's fun to speculate though! :)

Emily said...

Hi! I saw your blog as I was browsing the Blogs of Note, not something I normally do, and I found this quite interesting! You say you're not a writer, but your writing style is very good! Captures attention right away. I've enjoyed reading some of the posts. And I'm not sure about past lives...I always say anything is possible though! I have Deja Vu all the time, but never like that! Great story!

Patsy said...

Jo....... for not the first time, you have set me to thinking and then to writing a response. It is at THINGS HAVE CHANGED.

http://lornacheyenne.blogspot.com/

Part of your magic is that you open my eyes.

Lorna

Anonymous said...

I love that things like this happen to you! There's a similarity to your story about the Pope. I don't have memories, but I do dream about the same people and the same house quite often. It is a house I am sure I have never visited, full of a "family" I've never met. Great story, lovely photos.
*Grr* Couldn't get my password to work, so I'll leave this as a post from anonymous.
Lovely Prism

the walking man said...

I like Willows explanation as one easier to comprehend to me than the recurring soul.

Your post though took me back to the Detroit Institute of Art and the Great Hall there. Until one sees, there is no comprehension just how large (huge) the tapestries are.

KathyB. said...

I love viewing pictures of old, old tapestries and the needlework and weaving involved in them, not to mention the intricate art unto itself of creating the pigments and dyes to color the tapestries...well, beyond my talent to describe. As far as Deja-vu, I have often enough had it, but do not understand it.....interesting responses .

nomore said...

Sweet memories can reach to the sky...can communicate with the god....I think....

Pan's Island said...

Hi There,
I came across your blog from the Blogs of Note page - I'm new to blogger and this is how I'm learning about it. Anyway, I loved this post, it reminding me of some of my recurring dreams but also of this interview with an internationally renowned physicist by the name of Michio Kaku. He talks about the plausability of parallel universes and how these universes can exist in our very own living rooms (so to speak) and how they're sort of vibrating - maybe these memories you have are the result of the vibrations of another universe matching the tone of this one, perhaps you're experiencing a parallel you's memories. It's an interesting thought anyways, I talk about it a little bit on my blog. Anywho - look forward to reading more of your blog.
Cheers!

VioletSky said...

I liken this to when someone visits, or moves to, another country or town that is totally different from anything they have ever known, yet they feel immediately "at home' in this new environment.

If we can have a 'throwback' in genetic appearances to our ancestors, why not a 'throwback' to genetic memories?

Pauline said...

I have a rather renowned author friend who believes we carry the DNA of ALL our ancestors (and you can go back only as far as 70th cousin before you begin to be related to everyone in the world) so perhaps you are experiencing an ancestral memory!

Miss Feona said...

That is sort of strange, but when you over-analyse some things, it can make it seem like everything is connected somehow.
I sort of believe in past lives, but there is a chance that you just happened to dream about it when you were a little kid.
I often have dreams where someone is either trying to kill me, or they're hacking my body apart...it could be that if there is such thing as a past life I was murdered, or I could have severe anxiety(which I do). There are endless possibilities to things when you have a really good think about them.

Catrina said...

I have had this happen to me. I can remember being three or four, taking one look at my sister's new purple bike and saying "that was mine in another life time." To this day I can remember the look my mom shot me. Perhaps it was the home of your childhood, just not this childhood. (I know mine was a silly bike and not tapestries from the 1500's, but hey... I can still relate!!)

Monpraon Sukroongreung said...

Your blog is very nice with interesting contents and cute layout!

I also love the pictures your posted the how you wrote about them.

What template do you use? I like the cute little motif on the post heading.

Will come back again. I love it.

Mary Ellen said...

You know, that's an interesting question, which I ask myself often. Although I'm a Roman Catholic and very close to my faith, I never rule out things like this because unless we pass away, we'll never know. Just because it's not in the Bible, doesn't mean it was discussed at one time or another with Jesus..not to mention, interpretation of the Bible is so controversial.

We can't rule out the many many experiences that others have had, just like yours. The eastern religions, such as Buddism, has a strong belief in past lives.

If you have been re-incarnated, it's interesting to know that you may have come from an aristocratic family. Maybe that explains your love of art and your ability to write so beautifully?

Joss Albért said...

Deja Vu such as this is best enjoyed without explanation - just another beautiful stitch in Life's Rich Tapestry (!).

Your blog is such a relaxing read, it is nice to have found it.

Joss

Russell said...

I liked the Walking Man's comment - you never know how huge those tapestries are until you actually see them.

This past year I was in a mansion in Des Moines called Salisbury House - it was built from the same blue prints as the one in England.

There are tapestries in the great hall and they are HUGE!

Interesting post and I have no doubt you have lived before and will live again. But, I hope you will enjoy the current life as much as possible!!

Anonymous said...

I've had similar experiences before, i just chalked it up to drinking.

Three Mad Dogs and English Woman said...

I often go to different places that I have never been to before and just know that I have been there before - or something happens and I think I have done this before - so I am really with you on the whole deja vu experience !!

loubirdp said...

Hi Jo I really like your blog. I am very new at this and hope you will look at mine sometime and maybe give me some pointers. I am Linda Pillar and I am not sure if you look for that name in particular or you look for I am the artist loulyart.
I am inspired by your blog and will return. Many blessing to you.

Anonymous said...

There is another possible explanation for these deja vu/past life experiences: it is plausible that the brain does a double take and actually recognises it on the second intake via vision...

Carolyn said...

I love your story and it only reinforces my own 'lying awakeness' as a child - hoping that I wouldn't come back as a boy next time or as someone with no home! I'm sure these were not dreams and I know that my parents would certainly not have put those ideas into my head. It was just this certainty that I would have another 'go' at life that faded as I grew older. But why was I so sure when I was so young? Perhaps because I was only a little distance from a previous life. I find the whole subject so fascinating. Thank you for relating your encounter.

Andrew G. said...

It's always interesting to see where the alternate realities in your consciousness can take you. I can definitely connect to your story.

Nancy said...

I think we do have momentary glimpses of past lives. I feel very comfortable reading and studying American Indian literature. It is almost a physical reaction. I am also obsessed with the Tudor era in England. I have often had "feelings" of being some sort of maid in a castle.

Kum Chini said...

Hi, this is Sanjukta from Kolkata, India. Got to your blog through Blogs of Note. You have some of the loveliest paintings to your collection. Even the earlier ones are beautiful. Although I am not an art connoisseur, but as a layman I loved viewing your collection of paintings. And, your blog is a very nice, refined and neat one.

Firefly the Travel Guy said...

Don't let anybody tell you that there is no such thing as Deja Vu. I often have experiences where I feel that I have been there before or have done it in the past.

Anonymous said...

This is such an interesting post! I hope we do have past lives. And...future lives. I've messed up my current one so terribly, I'd like to have another chance to get it right. :-)

kenju said...

I began studying reincarnation back in the 60's and I definitely believe in it. What you had in the museum is a soul memory, just like the ones I had in Rome at the Colisseum and in the Forum. I expected to have the same feeling in Mexico at Chichen Itza, but I didn't. I must have had a past life at some other Mayan site.

SweetPeaSurry said...

I think it's fascinating when people can remember past lives and such. Really, what a coup on nature!

I love those old tapestries, and I also love my self a good historical read as well.

bright blessings!

Edward Yablonsky said...

I have heard of these recalls from dreams and cannot entirely explain it. It could be spiritual influences from other worlds working through the mind. That is possible. Reincarnation? I have heard the souls of others could bond with yours and always for a purpose though unknown to us the experiencers. Sometimes the reasons are revealed to us piecemeal, sometimes never. We know so little of the outworkings of spiritual phenomena ,always learning, and this intermittent journey is for learning and growth.