An Atlas for the Labyrinth

I recently listened to the book Labyrinth by Kate Mosse. I also watched the movie Cloud Atlas. Again, I find it fascinating how the more you are exposed to, the more you see the myriad of connections in this world and the more you contemplate the mysteries of life. Here are two different genres of art that I just happened to come upon at the same time. And they both focus on reincarnation. And they both got my brain going.

Of course, most people chalk it up to coincidence or that you subconsciously look for something once you are thinking about it. It could be true. But I like to the think that the forces of the universe drop bread crumbs for you on your path to enlightenment.

Labyrinth is the story of two women, from two very different times. Alais is the intelligent and independent daughter of a nobleman, living in Medieval France. Alice is an equally independent and intelligent English woman, working at an archaeological dig in modern day France. In the course of the book, Alice experiences memories that could not be her own and realizes that she is somehow connected to Alais. Ultimately, the book is about a quest for the Holy Grail and both women fight to protect its sacred secret from evil, power hungry women who seek to exploit its power.

Cloud Atlas is somewhat a labyrinth itself. It jumps between various times and places, from a ship in the Pacific Ocean in 1850, to a post apocalyptic island in the distant future. The tales and lives of the numerous characters are interwoven, serving to show “how the actions of individual lives impact one another in the past, present and future, as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero, and an act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution." 

The idea of reincarnation isn't a new one. While there is no definite date of origin, references to reincarnation are found in religious and philosophical writings of various ancient religions and societies, most notably Indian and Asian.  Some believe that whether or not we are reborn and who/what we are reborn as depends on who we are and what we do in prior lifetimes. Perhaps there is some purpose we must serve. Perhaps our cruelty and violations in one life require punishment and redemption in another. Whatever the case maybe, the soul continues on, shedding one body for another.

Still, others believe there is no individual 

permanent soul, rather one soul gives way to another. Birth, death, and rebirth - but of a different sort. The energy of a body is released into the universe to find another bodily form. And it isn't always into the body of the same gender, or even the same species.

I have always considered reincarnation to be a possibility. As I said before, I wonder if déjà-vu can be attributed to reincarnation. What about “memories” of a distant time and place or of people you don’t know? I know that I have felt as though I had been somewhere or known someone even though I couldn't have.

Sometimes, it’s my dreams that make me 

wonder. Where does my brain come up with houses, places, strangers, and stories that my dreams bring? Why am I sometimes someone else? Why am I sometimes a man? I guess that could just be the product of an overactive imagination. But what if it’s not? What if a previous me is trying to help me do what I need to do to make this life a good one.

I am not 100 percent sure of reincarnation. One thing I am sure of is karma. I believe there are consequences for each and every individual action. Each of us is capable of setting things into motion, good or bad, that we don’t even realize. What we did in the past, what we do now, can affect lives in the future. We are all connected and our lives, our stories are interwoven, just like Labryinth, just like Cloud Atlas. When we are cruel, when we seek to fulfill our basest desires at the cost of other’s happiness, when we commit evil, we dig our own karmic grave. The universe will find a way to make amends. On the other hand, when we are good and loving and giving, the universe will find a way to reward us. It often seems to take longer than we think it should, but perhaps it is only because we think in terms of moments, not lifetimes, not eternity.

So, could we be destined to live life after life, until we redeem ourselves? Could one life’s unfulfilled destinies be lived out by another? Are we making our way through some cosmic labyrinth, trying to find our way towards the ultimate freedom of our soul? Do clues from previous lives become part of a subconscious atlas we can use to guide us to the higher realm? 

And what about the people in our lives? Are we destined to connect? Will the souls of loved ones be reborn into bodies we will hold in the next life? Will they know us? Will we know them? Or will we just have "a feeling," a sort of hazy memory that we can't quite pull into focus? 

What do you think?