Past life exploration through regressions by deep meditation, and either self or therapeutic hypnosis, is typically how we discover the journeys our spirits have taken prior to this lifetime.  Although this is not for everyone, many people are able to find explanations and connections to circumstances during their present life.  Sometimes they may even find relief from fears or phobias that have roots in a past-life and carried over to the present.

Suggested Links:

Reincarnation: It's Meaning and Consequences

The Reincarnation FAQ

Reincarnation, Karma and Past Lives  An article by Benj Creme.

Recommended Reading:

  Jenny Cockell.  Across Time and Death: A Mother's Search for Her Past Life
       Children.  1994. Simon & Schuster.  Author Jenny Cockell details accounts of 
       memories from a past life and her search for the children she had left behind 
       after her death.

  Raymond A. Moody, Jr. MD with Paul Perry.  Coming Back: A Psychiatrist
       Explores Past-Life Journeys. 1990. Bantam. New York.  Past-life    
       experiences, healing properties and self-exploration. Includes an excellent
       self-hypnosis script.

  James Van Praagh.  Reaching to Heaven: A Spiritual Journey Through Life and 
       Death. 1999. Dutton. New York.  A comforting guide for those seeking  
       answers to death related questions and a good resource for those entering  
       a spiritual path.

  Michael Talbot.  Your Past Lives:  A Reincarnation Handbook.  1987. Harmony.
       Several suggestions and information for discovering your past lives.  Includes
       various methods so that you may find one most personally suitable.

  Brian L. Weiss.  Many Lives, Many Masters. 1988. Simon & Schuster. 
       A therapist's first exploration of a patient's past lives.