We find ourselves crossing over a passage with the equinoxes. Whether in the northern or southern hemispheres of this planet we can find a direct link with the passage of one season to the next, new beginnings (spring) or endings (autumn). Within these passages we can find a direct link with those who have gone before us, ancestral wisdoms, connections, and we, too, with each passing season contributing into this field of quantum energy, also referred to as a “thinning of the veil’ between worlds, (the other side), the invisible and visible worlds, dimensions, planes of existence, etc. While much of this has been kept to the metaphysical, quantum science, supernatural, mystical, or spiritual realm there are now more integrated theories giving way to our connections and what is believed to be linked with our cellular memories. Our dear community collaborator, blog contributor, PureEsperanza board member, Reiki master and mentor, Roman Vaynshtok shares his Peace and Balance blog with our global community this month. May it inspire you in the reflective moments of yet, another season, its passage in your Life, and that of the collective consciousness on this planet.
Inherited or ancestral memories have fascinated people for a long time, especially philosophers, cognitive neuroscientists, psychologists, and genetics. Inherited memories include collective, genetic, and cell memories. Theoretically, every living organism has them. They all imply the transmission of knowledge well beyond our instincts. It is incredible how monarch butterflies make a 2,500-mile journey from Canada to Mexico yearly, where they spend the winter and back. It takes a few generations of butterflies to complete this journey. Ancestral memories allowed them to know the routes they never learned. Only this idea can explain how some people report visions of places or events in our history that only their ancestors could witness or blind from birth people could know and describe things they never saw.
Only ancestral memories can explain when very young children without any training could play complex music, create art, or show extraordinary abilities in math or languages. These memories rise to the surface when we experience extreme situations; often, we mistakenly see them as intuition. Ancestral memories could explain why, unexpectedly, we have strong emotional responses during some movies or theatrical science without any personal experiences or connections to them. Another example is when people awaken after a coma, remember a foreign language they had never heard before, or recall another person’s life experiences.
Collective Unconsciousness
Carl Jung coined the phrase “collective unconsciousness,” nowadays, researchers often use names like shared or social memory. The phrase collective memory is not the memory of a collective but that of an individual member who was a part of a social group. He saw collective unconsciousness as memories containing knowledge that every person is born with. Carl Jung also assumes the collective unconscious is responsible for our deep-seated beliefs, thoughts, and life-and-death instincts. Though we may not know what experiences or images lie in our collective unconscious, it is the thought that the psyche can tap into it in moments of crisis.
Genetic Memory
Charles Darvin and Jean-Baptiste Lamarck first introduced this idea. The latest experiments with animals proved that memories can be embedded in second and third generations. More widely known examples of genetic memories in humans are represented in descendants of holocaust survivors or Dutch famine. It is the ability of the body to remember things that could increase the chances of surviving in extreme situations. The concept of genetic memory refers to placing some markers in our genetic code that can be passed from one generation to the next.
Cellular Memory
Cellular memory refers to the ability of cells to retain information about their state or identity through multiple cell divisions. This is critical for maintaining the identity and function of different cell types in multicellular organisms.
Conclusion
In summary, genetic and cellular memories are fundamental to the continuity and functionality of life. They involve complex and interrelated mechanisms that ensure the stable transmission of information within individual organisms and across generations. This information is essential for organisms’ proper function and ability to adapt to changing environments. This idea is reflected in the science of epigenetics, which studies how parents’ experiences or environmental exposures can affect the gene expression of their offspring, potentially across multiple generations. Some studies make connections between rapid environmental changes and a rise in chronic and mental/emotional illnesses.
When we perform a Reiki session (and other energy medicine practices) and enter the state of flow, we establish connections with universal consciousness, which I also see as collective consciousness. This collective consciousness allows us to access the knowledge collected by the generations before us.
