Often, I believe that I am a old man at heart. The fact that in reality I am a young woman, just seems to be a sardonic joke from the universe. Call me the real-life Benjamin Button, if you will.
Recently, I have been reading F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Beautiful And The Damned, in which one manic character had an obsession with stating how 'old' someones soul is. Oddly, this stood out to me, and felt quite relatable. In the words of Fitzgerald, I was an "old soul".
Trailing through a brilliant website today call The Open Mind, dedicated to spiritual matters, I came across a recent article of how to tell if you are an 'old soul'. Clear in writing were all of my previous thoughts on how an old soul was strikingly different from a young soul, and the certain characteristics of it. As assumed, many people admitted to having come across an 'old soul' before, or being one themselves. In summary of the article, an 'old soul' was characterised as being one who: rejected material matters, was often spiritually inclined, hungered knowledge and thought a lot, was solitary and could not relate to people of their age, and ultimately, just felt old.
This provided some conformation that I wasn't completely bonkers in my contemplation of an ageing soul. There's still some aspect of sense in what I think. Some.
(http://www.the-open-mind.com/9-signs-youre-an-old-soul/)
Unfortunately, there is no plastic surgeon who can put on a few years to the soul. So how does it work? This is the idea I have been playing with in recent times; how does a soul age?
The ideas of the Afterlife in Hinduism could help support this theory of an ageing soul. The soul is seen as being part of the jiva, the limited being, and reincarnates; though the soul itself remains immortal. Death becomes simply a resting period for the jiva to think its next course of action, before beginning itself next phase of life. The soul is continually born again in a new body, each time learning new lessons from each life. Once a soul has been liberated - free from all earthly desires and impurities - it is able to return to God. In parallel to Hinduism, Buddhism also teaches a similar lesson of reincarnation.
In the past I found it quite peculiar to listen to people discuss the possibility of 'past lives', yet upon contemplation, it seems like a fair possibility. As am sure with many others, I have also felt as though I have had more life experience then I actually have. But perhaps, I have; just not in this life. As memories are stored within the brain, a bodily organ which is lost with the body upon its death, this is why memories from past lives are lost. However, the feelings of experience and moral lessons remain with us - for these have touched our soul, the immortal being.
Many people I have met within my life have appeared to be so 'young'. Even though their earthly years surpass mine, and they may have faced incredible life challenges, they still appear to 'young'. Likewise, at a young age children can often appear wise far beyond their years, and almost weary in their state - old. This theory of souls being re-born would help to explain this apparent oddity.
How old is your soul?
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