TG desire as past-life memory?

[EunuchAusTX (imported)]

I know the possible cause(s) of transgenderism get talked about a lot on this site. I was wondering if anyone had given any thought to the possibility that subconscious memories of a past life as the opposite gender could lead to the feeling that one has been born the wrong gender or in the wrong body. Of course, if you don't believe in reincarnation then the point is probably moot, but for those who do (or aren't sure)--any thoughts?

[twaddler (imported)]

My mom suggested that to me a couple of years back. Though I'm not really into that sort of groovy stuff.

[punkypink (imported)]

I know the possible cause(s) of transgenderism get talked about a lot on this site. I was wondering if anyone had given any thought to the possibility that subconscious memories of a past life as the opposite gender could lead to the feeling that one has been born the wrong gender or in the wrong body. Of course, if you don't believe in reincarnation then the point is probably moot, but for those who do (or aren't sure)--any thoughts?

This is a very common buddhist view of transgenderism. There is also the added suggestion that the inability to "forget" the previous gender is a punishment for bad karma in the past life.

Such "causes" are speculative at best, and while I am not really pro or anti such views, I prefer to focus on the biological causes because that is what would help our acceptance as equal human beings more.

[graylayer02 (imported)]

Meh, no weirder than "God made me this way because he has a crazy sense of humor." No less weird either.

[transward (imported)]

Meh, no weirder than "God made me this way because he has a crazy sense of humor." No less weird either.

I don't know. After surviving this recent election shitstorm, "God made the world

this way because he has a crazy sense of humor."

explains things better than any other theory I've run into.

Transward

[punkypink (imported)]

Well to be fair, God probably made people like us to test the goodness of the rest of humankind. And it would appear that humankind is failing miserably.

[Caith721 (imported)]

Well to be fair, God probably made people like us to test the goodness of the rest of humankind. And it would appear that humankind is failing miserably.

I often think God created me this way (physically too masculine and mentally too feminine) to wonder and think and then discuss gender and love, hopefully expanding people's understanding and appreciation of much more than simply "either/or". Within any single portion of the GLBT population, there exists more diversity than "either/or" allows.

Failing to recognize and understand that spectrum of diversity is a terrible stumbling block in the further growth of human intelligence. I also completely agree with your assessment of humankind.

[punkypink (imported)]

I often think God created me this way (physically too masculine and mentally too feminine) to wonder and think and then discuss gender and love, hopefully expanding people's understanding and appreciation of much more than simply "either/or". Within any single portion of the GLBT population, there exists more diversity than "either/or" allows.

Failing to recognize and understand that spectrum of diversity is a terrible stumbling block in the further growth of human intelligence. I also completely agree with your assessment of humankind.

Hear hear!

I've found it genuinely perplexing that gender identity does not seem to be understood despite it actually being a very simple thing.

It can be more than adequately represented by a venn diagram.

Imagine a big circle. This represents all people. Inside the circle there are 2 big intersecting ovals that take up most of, but not all of the space in the circle. They represent the majority of male and female genders. The space outside the ovals, within the circle, are all the individual identities that do not fall into either gender. The intersection between the ovals are where the people who feel like they belong to both genders are.

A simple venn diagram, it explains gender so clearly, and includes everyone. What do you reckon?

[Caith721 (imported)]

A Venn diagram is the perfect representation, but the data/knowledge to accurately draw that representation is missing, precisely because the majority refuse to accept anything that is not "either/or". It's a terrible Catch-22 that has only in the last 20 years begun to VERY slowly get better. It's horrible to think the Stonewall riots occurred in 1959, and public awareness of the gay population still required another 40+ years to become the least bit mainstream.

My point in mentioning the spectrum and diversity was specifically to remind people there is an enormous amount of human diversity

in any single portion of the GLBT population.

Consider the many different kinds of gay men you personally have known, seen, or read about. Then consider all the different types of lesbian women. Finally, think about the HUGE spectrum of bisexual and transgender/transsexual people. With that much diversity in a smaller section of the world's human population, the simple notion of "either/or" seems so ridiculously short-sighted and completely defunct, much like blood-letting for disease (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood-letting) or stoning for witchcraft. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoning)

[georg_germany (imported)]

As a strong believer in reincarnation I think it is possible. The biological explanations don't exclude this.

George