Old Souls | INFJ Forum

Old Souls

Eventhorizon

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May 19, 2013
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I thought this idea deserves its own thread because I want to explore it more in depth. I really think, believe and feel there is an answer here. I feel so connected to what I have read on the subject, its almost as if in many ways it describes me to a "tee". Much the same way the MBTI shed light on some of my aspects, what I have read about old souls has done the same.

To start, I copied this from another website and brought it here.

by Gregg Prescott, M.S.

How can you tell if you are an old soul? Are there differences in traits or behaviors? What signs can I look for that can help me differentiate the difference?

Generally speaking, we are all old souls, but some of us have been here longer than others.

The word “old” is only relative to time. Because time is linear and our souls are eternal, 10,000 years would be the blink of an eye.

Dolores Cannon believes that we need to incarnate many, many times as inanimate objects, plants and animals before we can become human. Then, as humans, we still need to incarnate many, many times to learn all of the lessons we came here for. For example, according to Cannon, we all had to be an air molecule and a drop of water to learn what it’s like to work together as ONE.

So, how can you tell if you have an old soul?

You understand many of life’s deeper lessons.

For some people, it is hard to fathom that the soul of a child may be much older than the soul of his or her parents. For these particular people, this is a sign that their soul might be younger than yours. When you begin to understand why you keep incarnating to this 3rd dimensional reality, it becomes similar to the movie, Groundhog Day, where Phil wakes up each day to find out that it’s still February 2nd until he learns how to remove his ego and starts doing kind deeds for others.

Once you realize that time, space, energy and matter are 3rd dimensional products, the theory of time becomes irrelevant, thus the theory of how old your soul is also becomes irrelevant.

But for the sake of understanding how old your soul may be, we’ll continue!

Magic

You are in touch with your natural abilities or have an extreme interest in these abilities.

Some people are born with innate gifts, such as special healing abilities or psychic abilities. The truth is that we all possess these abilities, but an older soul is more in tune with how to access and implement these abilities in the name of humanity. If you don’t have any particular ability, but have a strong interest in them, this is simply your soul trying to recall these abilities that you may have had in a previous lifetime.

You become spiritually aware.

Everyone is pure consciousness, but many people have a difficult time understand what this means. Your soul is pure consciousness and love. It has a unique understanding of how the matrix is being played on this planet and understands that everything we do as a collective will help to facilitate the awakening of others.

You understand the importance forgiveness.

Some people are old souls who still have much to learn because they are trapped inside the box with their ideologies, are stubborn or have not learned the importance of forgiveness. By forgiving yourself and others, we can release any karma between these people.

You’re able to transcend ego.

It’s nearly impossible for anyone to completely transcend ego 100% of the time but simply being aware of our ego and how it plays against unity consciousness is a definite sign on an old soul. On the other side, there is no ego. During your life review, you will re-live your ego and will see how it affected others, as well as yourself. At this point in “time”, you will probably make a soul contract with the hopes of overcoming ego and atoning for whatever ego issues you had in your previous incarnation.

You’re able to transcend materialism.

Money and materialism are products of this 3rd dimensional reality and it’s easy to succumb to materialism, especially when it’s in your face through advertising, programming and peer pressure. An older soul realizes that money is non-existent on the other side and it generally takes away from who we truly are as spiritual beings. Those who are older souls will generally use money as a tool to either help facilitate their spiritual progression through spiritual retreats or by possibly creating a lavish feng shui home decorated with spiritual meaning versus the most luxurious furnishings. They may also use their money to help others who are less fortunate.

You are able to understand the concept that your body is a shell for your soul.

Before you were born, you not only chose your parents, you also chose your life situations and challenges that would help to facilitate your spiritual growth while atoning for any previous karma. The body that you are currently in is simply a vessel for your soul. Your name is what your soul currently refers itself as, but in previous lifetimes, you had many different names and you have lived many previous lives as either a male or a female. Your name and title are both associated with ego because ultimately, you are infinite consciousness and we are all on the same team.

You seem to have a special connection to eras long before you were born.

Did you ever watch an old movie or see some artwork from a specific era in time and have a connection to that era? Chances are, you lived a previous life during that time period and this is your cellular memory letting you know!

You have an understanding of what you need to do to complete your spiritual progression.

Just by making it this far, you are more awakened than most people on this planet. You have an understanding of Universal laws and what is left to do on your soul contract. Even if you are not specifically sure of either, your higher self and spirit guides will continue lead you in the right direction.

You have a strong feeling that home isn’t Earth.

Did you ever look at a random area of the sky and star at an unknown star for no particular reason? Do you have a special connection with specific star systems such as the Pleiades or Orion’s Belt? Do wars and corruption make you feel uneasy, as if they didn’t exist where you originally came from? Are you one of the souls who volunteered to come here at this specific point in time to help with the Earth’s ascension? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then chances are, Earth is not your home planet.


You tend to be a loner.

The stigma on the word loner is often condescending, but those who are old souls are merely looking for other fragments of themselves and will often distance themselves from younger souls who need more incarnations into a 3rd dimensional planet. Older souls will seek out other like-mided people because there’s a comfort and familiarity with these types of people who will help to facilitate each others spiritual progression.

You have a rebellious nature.

Whether you rebel from religion, laws or anything else, this is a sign that your soul knows the only true laws… the Laws of the Universe. While you respect the reasoning and intention behind laws and religion, you might not be compelled to use these as absolute laws when you know there are a set of higher laws that are intended to facilitate our spiritual progressions.

You have a burning desire to attain truth and inner wisdom.

Many older souls can easily see through the lies we’ve been taught through religion, politics and through our educational facilities. While they realize they are all one with the universe, they also want the truth exposed to help other people’s awakening process. They also continue to seek knowledge in the spiritual, metaphysical and esoteric fields and will absorb this information much easier than anything they were taught in school.

You are not controlling of others.

Older souls are more accepting, not just of other people, but of circumstances as well. For example, while you don’t approve of the corruption within politics, you understand how the corruption will help to awaken other people to the truth. You respect the free will of others and are more likely to use tact than verbal demands of others. You tend to be more of a team player than anything else.

You sense a separation between yourself and the “real world”.

As you transcend ego and materialism, you find yourself living a different lifestyle. While this lifestyle is unique to your current incarnation, there also seems to be a familiarity of the direction you’re heading.

You are curious whether you’re an old soul or not.

Many young souls wouldn’t ask this question or much less be concerned about it. While many older souls aren’t concerned either, for different reasons, they simply “know” they’re old souls, but it’s nice to have affirmations that coincide with your spiritual progression.

There are many lessons we have learned throughout our lifetimes, all of which has culminated into this particular incarnation. All of your previous life incarnations are embedded into your cellular memory and can be recalled through past life regressions. Most of the people on this planet are old souls, yet many remain unawakened and still have a lot more to learn and will need several more incarnations to a 3rd dimensional planet.

Many of those who are awakened will probably move on to their next level of spiritual progression. It’s important to remember that this is not a race because in the end, we all win. Enjoy every millisecond in this incarnation because this may be the last time you’ll ever experience a 3rd dimensional reality!
 
For the sake of discussion, if you have time try to relay your experiences with what I have hashed out from the above article.

1. You understand many of life’s deeper lessons.
2. You are in touch with your natural abilities or have an extreme interest in these abilities.
3. You become spiritually aware..
4. You understand the importance forgiveness.
5. You’re able to transcend ego.
6. You’re able to transcend materialism.
7. You are able to understand the concept that your body is a shell for your soul.
8. You seem to have a special connection to eras long before you were born.
9. You have an understanding of what you need to do to complete your spiritual progression.
10. You have a strong feeling that home isn’t Earth.
11. You tend to be a loner.
12. You have a rebellious nature.
13. You have a burning desire to attain truth and inner wisdom.
14. You are not controlling of others.
15. You sense a separation between yourself and the “real world”.
16. You are curious whether you’re an old soul or not.
 
1. You understand many of life’s deeper lessons.
Im not sure about this one. I look at other people and wonder why they don’t know what I know. Why they treat others poorly etc. I think this is related.

2. You are in touch with your natural abilities or have an extreme interest in these abilities.
I am able to do things that others don’t believe. I don’t understand how or why, just that it is real. I accept it and am fascinated by it.

3. You become spiritually aware.
I am aware that my consciousness is more than what this world is. I am more than a sum of my parts.

4. You understand the importance forgiveness.
I do, however there are some people beyond forgiveness and I seem to focus on them a great deal. Liars, cheaters, manipulators all have a special place in my heart where I see them being brought to justice and being given exactly what they deserve.

5. You’re able to transcend ego.
Yes but for me to tout this would be my ego. :)

6. You’re able to transcend materialism.
I am coming closer to this than I ever thought possible on a daily basis. I have not fully transcended this but I am clearly on the path.

7. You are able to understand the concept that your body is a shell for your soul.
I did not think that this was that hard but I am surprised at how many people this idea still eludes.

8. You seem to have a special connection to eras long before you were born.
Hmmm…not so sure about this one. I think great things happened when the Declaration of Independence and Constitution was written, that mankind made bigger strides during that time than in all other points of history that came before. But special connection? Im not sure.

9. You have an understanding of what you need to do to complete your spiritual progression.
Yes. I know the things I need to work on. Im not sure if I instinctively know or if I have found out by learning since I started looking.

10. You have a strong feeling that home isn’t Earth.
This is a really interesting one to me. I have felt for a long while this earth is too “Small”. I love this place in some ways but it doesn’t feel like “home”. How odd.

11. You tend to be a loner.
Obviously.

12. You have a rebellious nature.
I respect only intelligence, common sense and truth. If a person doesn’t display this qualities I will dismiss them. Im sure this seems rebellious to some. I could care less who you are. Example, the current President tries to shake my hand and I just turn and walk away. He is just a man like everyone else as is the pope.

13. You have a burning desire to attain truth and inner wisdom.
Yes, to the point of almost obsession.

14. You are not controlling of others.
True.

15. You sense a separation between yourself and the “real world”.
Yes and this one worries me. I realize what this world is now all biased on scientific measure. This world is as real as our dreams, so what is “real?”

16. You are curious whether you’re an old soul or not.
Used to be, now I know.
 
This stuff is addictive to me! I love exploring the psyche and get to the core of things. I've always felt that the term "old soul" was a bit odd, but it makes sense in the way that Dr. Prescott puts it. For the sake of it, I'm going to go over each point and how I interpret them.

1. You understand many of life’s deeper lessons.

This is a tough one! I think I'm on the way. At the moment my thinking about it is that life teaches you according to the questions you ask. If you ask and seek out answers, there's mostly one to be found. Asking big questions can either enlighten or frustrate you. Sometimes both are needed to keep you interested in learning more. My personal enlightenment has mostly been the result of my neglected childhood and feeling alone. Therefore many of my questions have been about whether or not we are alone or if someone cares about us. Luckily I have been able to move on to more macro-sociological subjects these last few years, which has been very enlightening, too.

2. You are in touch with your natural abilities or have an extreme interest in these abilities.

I have recently been struggling with what my abilities were and how to approach them. When I recently found them, it was a frustrating discovery. "Of course that's my ability!", "It's all I ever think about!". I care deeply/extremely about what I care about, and if I'm not considerate enough, I can sometimes dominate conversations with people that don't care about my interests one bit. It's embarrassing.

3. You become spiritually aware..

I remember listening to The Beatles when I was very young, and looking at the vinyl album work with weird clothes and shout outs to Maharishi. There was this immense confusion and warmth in me when I saw how deeply they cared about this little weird Indian man. I think that I have been interested in religion ever since then. When I was 12 I asked my local preacher if Muslims went to Hell. He laughed and nodded. That marked my decade long absence from Christianity. Luckily I looked into all of the other world religions in this time, so I have been exposed to the essence of all of them. It was only last year that I decided to become a Quaker, and I love it. I know that everyone has the same experience with death. That's good enough. The main thing that I take out of Christianity is living your life after the standards that you wished everybody else followed. Since I started doing this, my self-esteem has gone through the roof. I can't recommend doing that enough, regardless of your religion or creed.

4. You understand the importance forgiveness.

Forgiveness was one of the things that almost broke my mind back in the day. "How can you forgive someone that is not sad for what they did?". The trick, for me at least, is to forgive that person in your mind and move on. Holding on to anger or sadness holds you down and doesn't travel to the parties that hurt you. So what's the point? Forgive and forget. The Talmud says "Live well, it is the best revenge". It still rings true today!

5. You’re able to transcend ego.

I love this point. It can be interpreted in so many ways! To me, transcending ego means that you are able to truly feel your actions done to somebody else, or somebody else's thoughts that differ from yours. It's easy to hate someone if you stay in your own head and only think with the experiences that you have had in the past. The real trick is to know why the other party doesn't agree with you. It could be because they come from a different place, they had a different upbringing, they never saw the terrible things you saw -- or it could be that they came form the exact same place you came from, but just came to a different conclusion.

When you start seeing the world that way, it's difficult to justify hate, wars and the terms "enemy" and "terrorism". We're all the same, we just came from different places with different opportunities and cultures.

6. You’re able to transcend materialism.

This is an important one. It's also tricky. I can be very materialistic, and I need a solid nest. Jesus spoke actively against materialism, he's a smart guy and had a lot of great things to say about it.

7. You are able to understand the concept that your body is a shell for your soul.

Mind vs. Body as the body-builders call it! The way I see it, if one of them don't work, the other one won't. Staying healthy in both areas is vital to staying above ground. Exercise and books!

8. You seem to have a special connection to eras long before you were born.

Oh yeah. I love history and connect to the conditions very easily. My heart and stomach hurt when I think about the second world war, the french revolution, the napoleonic wars, etc. etc. They hit home. Same with the lives of important historical figures. I love seeing the nuances. I went to a galla opening of some recently found Hitler paintings a few years back, and I really liked them! Hitler was a pretty good painter. There you go.

9. You have an understanding of what you need to do to complete your spiritual progression.

I have understood that my spiritual progression is an evolving organism that just keeps growing. The stronger it grows, the less capable I feel to make any judgments of anyone else, ever. It's a soothing evolution that can be very rapid or very slow moving at times.

10. You have a strong feeling that home isn’t Earth.

It might be. It might not be.

11. You tend to be a loner.

Absolutely. I like being around people, but people are generally not interested in the subjects that I am, so I usually prefer to stick to myself and think about what I want to talk about.

12. You have a rebellious nature.

A lot of people think that I do have a rebellious personality, but I don't agree with them. I respect the way things are, I just often have suggestions on how to make them better. I don't believe in breaking something down just for the sake of it. To be better we have to move slowly. It's not sexy-politics, I know, but ... Yeah.

13. You have a burning desire to attain truth and inner wisdom.

Oh, absolutely! We don't have that long on this Earth to find it, let's do it already!

14. You are not controlling of others.

I hate telling other people what to do with their lives. I just don't want to see them trying to control other peoples choices, that's all, really. It's like human rights - if there are no limits, they can fall in on each other.

15. You sense a separation between yourself and the “real world”.

Hmm. I'm not sure what this one means. Do you have a suggestion for an analysis of that one, Eventhorizon?

16. You are curious whether you’re an old soul or not.

I suppose so. It's not something that I would think about in philosophical terms, but it's a nice way to describe some one that is searching for understanding and harmony. It's like that The Who song "The Seeker" goes:

I looked under chairs
I looked under tables
I'm tryin to find the key
To fifty million fables

They call me the seeker
I been searchin low and high
I wont get to get what I'm after
Till the day I die

I asked bobby dylan
I asked the beatles
I asked timothy leary
But he couldn't help me either

They call me the seeker
I been searchin low and high
I wont get to get what I'm after
Till the day I die


[video=youtube;UAbzlj3nf4E]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAbzlj3nf4E[/video]
 
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1. You understand many of life’s deeper lessons. Absolutely. I can't necessarily explain why, but one of the first steps is by taking responsibility for your own actions.

2. You are in touch with your natural abilities or have an extreme interest in these abilities. I think the description above is a bit limited here. Being a "healer" doesn't necessarily mean that you have this ability to touch someone and poof they are healed. People can heal others through music and art, etc. I feel like my artwork has healing purposes. Either it is intended to help someone grieving the loss of a pet or to invoke positive feelings in the recipient (or myself.) This is the part of my art which inspires me.

3. You become spiritually aware.. I think spiritually aware equates to understanding how positive and negative forces work within you and around you.

4. You understand the importance forgiveness. I've learned that in times when it seems impossible to forgive b/c you won't get the satisfaction of getting an apology is counter-productive. Forgiveness can be given when you realize the situation taught you a lesson, when you accept that the universe works in mysterious ways in order to protect you from future events and remove you from toxic environments/relationships.

5. You’re able to transcend ego. There are varying degrees of self-absorption, but I believe I'm on the right path.

6. You’re able to transcend materialism. Absolutely.

7. You are able to understand the concept that your body is a shell for your soul. Understood.

8. You seem to have a special connection to eras long before you were born. In learning about the hardships during certain eras, I have always been thankful to be born in this era. At the same time, I feel I can empathize with previous generations. When I researched my genealogy, I would do my best to understand the environment of my ancestors and the challenges they faced and not help but feel emotionally connected to them.

9. You have an understanding of what you need to do to complete your spiritual progression.Yes.

10. You have a strong feeling that home isn’t Earth. Don't know.

11. You tend to be a loner.Of course.

12. You have a rebellious nature.In my own way yes.

13. You have a burning desire to attain truth and inner wisdom.Yes.

14. You are not controlling of others. I am not. I like to watch the behavior of others and then decide for myself the next course of action. I don't like to influence others so they will "change" for me ... I see it no differently than giving a criminal info they need to be successful in court. People are what they are.

15. You sense a separation between yourself and the “real world”. Separation from material yes, but I feel connected to my environment.

16. You are curious whether you’re an old soul or not. I am curious about past lives, but not curious if I am an old soul. I consider myself quite wise regardless.




Aren't these all the same qualifications of being a star-child? LOL
 
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1. You understand many of life’s deeper lessons.
2. You are in touch with your natural abilities or have an extreme interest in these abilities.
3. You become spiritually aware..
4. You understand the importance forgiveness.
5. You’re able to transcend ego.
6. You’re able to transcend materialism.
7. You are able to understand the concept that your body is a shell for your soul.
8. You seem to have a special connection to eras long before you were born.
9. You have an understanding of what you need to do to complete your spiritual progression.
10. You have a strong feeling that home isn’t Earth.
11. You tend to be a loner.
12. You have a rebellious nature.
13. You have a burning desire to attain truth and inner wisdom.
14. You are not controlling of others.
15. You sense a separation between yourself and the “real world”.
16. You are curious whether you’re an old soul or not.


I would have never thought I was an old soul until about 3 years ago...something happened in me that changed how I view the world, and how I see the strength in myself. Since then, I would say I've been growing spiritually ever since. I went to a psychic once, and she told me I was an old soul, that I had so much knowledge that I could tap into if I just tried. I've often thought about that, and how I do seem to have an innate sense of emotions from people.

1. I like to think as I get older I understand life's lessons. I seem to be able to contemplate them more than others.
2. Yes. I am very interested in my potential and how my potential can be expanded.
3. I think I become spiritually aware, when I let myself go, I most certainly do.
4. Yes. But I also understand the journey to forgiveness.
5. I will always work on this.
6. Yes.
7. Yes. I know my mind and body are one, but separate. They exist together and apart all at the same time.
8. Yes. Eras and places.
9. Yes. And I feel much more happy when I'm on the path of my spiritual progression.
10. I don't know about this.
11. I am a loner.
12. I have a rebellious nature in some regards- mostly to oppression.
13. Yes.
14. I would like to think I'm not controlling.
15. Most certainly. 100%.
16. Yes- but I feel like I know I am.
 
I don't try to put anyone off hee, but in this I will take the critic side.
I think the article is full of contradictions, which are pretty obvious if one looks carefuly. Most of the points are made to sound "deep" and are completly out of context, and the author doesn't give any explanations of what the points really mean.
Take for example 6.You’re able to transcend materialism.
How is defined materialism?
How is defined transcendence?
What is the context of transcending materialism? What is the underlying nature of the system which makes possible these? Why is karma assumed to be reality?
 
[MENTION=9401]LucyJr[/MENTION] theres no way of measuring an old soul. Its just an idea, a way to put observations into words. I have always felt older than my years and wondered at it. Cor me its just a way to explore and find out if there are other people in the world who feel the same.
 
[MENTION=9401]LucyJr[/MENTION] theres no way of measuring an old soul. Its just an idea, a way to put observations into words. I have always felt older than my years and wondered at it. Cor me its just a way to explore and find out if there are other people in the world who feel the same.
Sure, but these kinds of hypotethical explanations only do bad in my opinion.
From a purely psychological perspective, it works as a placebo. People say "Ah, here it is. I knew it. I'm a old soul." And they rest heavily on that assumption.
But the truthiness of the existence of "old souls" can be just a explanation for some intuitive psychological feelings of superiority, nothing more.

If you think about it, starting from one supposition, a entire system of philosophy can be created, which nevertheless, makes complete sense, and is no contradictory internaly. But on the objective reality, can one explain if that is really true? I think not.
 
Sure, but these kinds of hypotethical explanations only do bad in my opinion.
From a purely psychological perspective, it works as a placebo. People say "Ah, here it is. I knew it. I'm a old soul." And they rest heavily on that assumption.
But the truthiness of the existence of "old souls" can be just a explanation for some intuitive psychological feelings of superiority, nothing more.

If you think about it, starting from one supposition, a entire system of philosophy can be created, which nevertheless, makes complete sense, and is no contradictory internaly. But on the objective reality, can one explain if that is really true? I think not.
Interesting to hear you say that. Especially that you are concerned with what is "true".

You make good points. I think you are looking past the simple idea of dialog though. People talking about something that at least currently has no clear definition. Do you forgo discussion until you know all facts there are about something or do you find facts partially through discussion?
 
Interesting to hear you say that. Especially that you are concerned with what is "true".

And interesting to hear you saying this. Is it because I'm a religious person?

You make good points. I think you are looking past the simple idea of dialog though. People talking about something that at least currently has no clear definition. Do you forgo discussion until you know all facts there are about something or do you find facts partially through discussion?
If the discussion is about facts, yes, I find facts through discussion.
If it isn't, of course I don't take facts that are inexistent out of the discussion.
 
And interesting to hear you saying this. Is it because I'm a religious person?


If the discussion is about facts, yes, I find facts through discussion.
If it isn't, of course I don't take facts that are inexistent out of the discussion.

My point is nothing posted here is claiming to be "what is". It is a discussion about observation of certain aspects and experiences people have had or may have had in their lives.
 
1. You understand many of life’s deeper lessons.
On my way... Still so young.

2. You are in touch with your natural abilities or have an extreme interest in these abilities.
My mom is Reiki healer (only hobby) and I have seen how it really works! I want to learn healing someday, tarot cards etc.

3. You become spiritually aware..
Progressing... But huge change happened to me after the many years of deep depression.

4. You understand the importance forgiveness.
I have forgiven the boys who bullied me for 10 years and destroyed my life. Sad but true. :(

5. You’re able to transcend ego.
Yes, sometimes.

6. You’re able to transcend materialism.
Yes, I hate how this planet is full of trash. It makes me sick!

7. You are able to understand the concept that your body is a shell for your soul.
Yes.

8. You seem to have a special connection to eras long before you were born.
There's something about ancient Egypt, ancient Greece and Atlantis.

9. You have an understanding of what you need to do to complete your spiritual progression.
Progressing...

10. You have a strong feeling that home isn’t Earth.
Always, I have felt this from the age of 5. Never fitting anywhere.

11. You tend to be a loner.
Yes.

12. You have a rebellious nature.
Sometimes, but usually I'm a good girl, lol.

13. You have a burning desire to attain truth and inner wisdom.
Yes. I want to learn so many things but never enough time.

14. You are not controlling of others.
I hope I'm not?

15. You sense a separation between yourself and the “real world”.
Always.

16. You are curious whether you’re an old soul or not.
Many times. I would love to know more about past lives and why I am here today. And why I have been suffering so much?
 
I don't try to put anyone off hee, but in this I will take the critic side.
I think the article is full of contradictions, which are pretty obvious if one looks carefuly. Most of the points are made to sound "deep" and are completly out of context, and the author doesn't give any explanations of what the points really mean.
Take for example 6.You’re able to transcend materialism.
How is defined materialism?
How is defined transcendence?
What is the context of transcending materialism? What is the underlying nature of the system which makes possible these? Why is karma assumed to be reality?

To transcend materialism in my view would not mean necessarily giving up all material possessions, but they become unimportant to you...you don’t really have a desire to buy or obtain more and more “things”.
To “transcend” means to rise above it...to move past it...for it to become unimportant.
 
Is this in the sense of theosophy or buddhism or hinduism in which people are reincarnated or engage in the transmigration of the soul upon being deceased? Does karma or time and number of incarnations dictate if you are an "old soul"?

There are many of the list of positive traits which are associated with being an "old soul" which are listed there which atheistic but spiritual writers such as Erich Fromm would have taken for the maturation of a personality free of the distortions which social character or social structure generally demand of people or unconscious ignorance of the same.
 
Is this in the sense of theosophy or buddhism or hinduism in which people are reincarnated or engage in the transmigration of the soul upon being deceased? Does karma or time and number of incarnations dictate if you are an "old soul"?

There are many of the list of positive traits which are associated with being an "old soul" which are listed there which atheistic but spiritual writers such as Erich Fromm would have taken for the maturation of a personality free of the distortions which social character or social structure generally demand of people or unconscious ignorance of the same.

I think a lot of people define an 'old soul' in relation to reincarnation. I'm not sure I believe in reincarnation, maybe, probably not.

The second part of your post is how I personally think of 'old souls'. I see them as people that are more mature and enlightened than most people. Individuals who are able to see things more clearly and not be trapped by the meaningless in life.

I have always been more mature than most and when I first heard of the idea of the 'old soul' it resonated with me, but there are so many interpretations of what an 'old soul' is that it can difficult to take what is written about it seriously, along the same lines as the soulmate idea and its different interpretations.

That said, here goes, let's explore how I relate to this interpretation:

1. You understand many of life’s deeper lessons.

Oh yes. I know how to learn the lessons that life teaches and have had many opportunities to learn, and to connect the dots between the different lessons.

2. You are in touch with your natural abilities or have an extreme interest in these abilities.

Yes, for the most part.

3. You become spiritually aware..

Always have been.

4. You understand the importance forgiveness.

I seem to be made to forgive. I can't hold on to anger or hurt or any negative feelings towards anybody.

5. You’re able to transcend ego.

At times. Emotions are my downfall.

6. You’re able to transcend materialism.

Always to a certain degree, but really beginning to understand this more...things are just things. I learned that getting rid of something that belonged to my mother is not getting rid of part of my mother, it's just something she used to own, nothing more, nothing less. Also, material things can really drag you down and stop you from moving forward.

7. You are able to understand the concept that your body is a shell for your soul.

Yes. Everybody is a lost soul trapped in a body.

8. You seem to have a special connection to eras long before you were born.

I have always felt that I was born at the wrong time. The current lifestyle that people have does not resemble anything that I want for myself.

9. You have an understanding of what you need to do to complete your spiritual progression.

Maybe...still working on that.

10. You have a strong feeling that home isn’t Earth.

The number one search in my life has been to find 'Home'. Every time I am upset or uncomfortable the first thing that pops into my head is 'I want to go home', even if I am at my current home when I am feeling like that. I am looking for a place that feels like home.

11. You tend to be a loner.

Yes, but prefer to be with people I love and care about.

12. You have a rebellious nature.

Not really. I am driven to make things better and if it takes going against the grain I will do that but overall I'm not rebellious.

13. You have a burning desire to attain truth and inner wisdom.

Very much so

14. You are not controlling of others.

I dislike controlling others but do try to guide people gently sometime.

15. You sense a separation between yourself and the “real world”.

Yes

16. You are curious whether you’re an old soul or not.

I'm curious about everything so yes.
 
Since birth, I was very quiet. My mother often wondered why, so she took me to some spiritual therapist.

It turns out that while my mother was mourning the death of her grandfather - who she was very close to - I was also mourning along with her, inside the womb. So, when I exited the womb, I was a solemn baby; I had cried and loved and experienced so much before I was even born, that I became what people call "old soul."

Also, I was a bodhisattva in a past life, and I continue my journey to enlightenment in this new form. :m096:
 
There is this idea that people who think about things more, tend to feel older. An example would be one person who sees an apple and thinks, Oh an apple. While another person sees the apple, thinks the same but goes on to think, where did it come from, who brought it, what does it taste like etc... If you play a scenario out in your head a thousand different ways, you may feel as if you have lived longer because in some ways, you have.
 
I have been thinking about this- do you think experiencing an instant connection with someone, or people, is related to the age of your soul?
 
I actually have many souls, but only a couple run active nowdays.

Some are old, some are really old, and some are really young. And crazy.