Dear Readers,
Recently I stumbled upon a question from a reader that intrigued me : are we prisoners of the past?
Please give me your thoughts on that.
Love,
Paulo
Are we prisoners of the past?
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It is hard to let go of the past. Especially if it is a painful one. You try to forget but someone and something would always remind you of it. And then it will haunt you over and over again…So how will you let go of the past? It already marked in your mind…and in your whole being…
past does not define your future, this is a saying coming from a book that I read 2 years ago… It is a struggle to get over with your past esp. if its a traumatic experience. I am a prisoner of the past bec I wont let myself move on…thats the sad part…
I am a prisoner in the past bec. i decided to… I cant get over with my past that is why im still a prisoner..P
Acho que todos nos somos com certeza prisioneiros do passado , sendo assim nos tornamos prisioneiros do presente . Mas como virar o jogo ?
Ate que ponto teus prazeres se tornam pecado?
E oque acontece se aquela era sua unica saida ?
Falo de pecado porque a prisao , fica dentro da sua cabeca , e se chama culpa , consiencia pesada , medo por que foi isso que me ensinaram , que e errado , pecado e pronto.
Fugir ? de casa ? Da cidade ? Do Pais ? Ela acaba senpre me encontrando , sao memorias as barras que me apreendem . Ja tentei morrer , terapia entao nem se fala … Happy pills ? todas …
Se E loucura ?
Nao, e uma prisao de culpas, tristesas , sonhos destruidos , decepcoes ,amores perdidos , vicios da madrugada ,humilhacao.Aprendizado ? Nao , APRIZIONADO . Mas agora recomeco . Outro pais , novos amigos , vida nova . Mas nao se pode apagar oque se foi , oque se fez , oque se era e como era . Muitas camas ,memorias das madrugadas perdidas , perigosas ,purulentas na vida de uma menina pobre .
Mas continuo na prisao , prisao na minha propria consciencia.
Obrigada por me escutar .
Some people have stressed that we are bound to our past only as prisoners. Perhaps our past and present(which can be looked at as the most recent past) can imprison us but then they can also surely free us.
If you are free in the present then what question is there of being imprisoned by your past? And Everyone has an abundance of presents to prepare for and experience in order that they can feel free should they not feel so already.
yes, until we asked ourselves.
siamo il frutto del nostro passato, causa-effetto, fintanto che lo vogliamo. Quando decidiamo di liberarci da tutto ciò riusciamo a vivere presenti e al presente ogni giorno. Siamo e rimaniamo prigionieri del passato solo se lo vogliamo, ma è indispensabile lavorarci sopra per vivere nel presente liberi, leggeri, consapevoli e felici di aver scoperto noi stessi.Grazie Paulo per i tuoi splendidi libri e per il messaggio contenuti in essi. Grazie perchè hai rinforzato la mia speranza….. Roberta
ja det är vi. Vår barndom påverkar oss enormt hela livet och jag tror inte att en enda människa är hel från barndomen. Alice Miller var duktig på att belysa vikten av att ta itu med sin barndom i vuxen ålder och på så sätt bli hel. Sen är vi fast i traditioner och “hur det ska vara” och “vad som är normalt”, men det är en annan sak att diskutera. Välkomna in på min blogg! all kärlek till dig Paulo, love you!Kristina
yes, It means we are limited to our past experiences. And its true. most of time our life is governed by past experiences. In way our present is constraint by our past. Rememebr as a child with not past we had always been fully expressed goes on living live without judging anything no fear, not conrtraints, infinite possibilities. As we grow up we stopped believing in dreams and possibilities as we evaluate them with our past expeirecnes and resoining. thus living a life under constraints..
Prisoners of the past are those who decide to be prisoners, that is. I believe it is a matter of will power: some feel prisoners but if actually they want to move on the past they can. I’m not saying it is easy tho.
Of course the past (and childhood) make who we are today; but being a prisoner of it it’s a choice; in my opinion.
Two girlfriends of mine have been abused in the past; in very similar fashion. One today has no respect for her body and sleeps around; the other one can’t stand an human touch, why?
Because one is prisoner of her past and the other isn’t.
On reste prisonnier si l’on decide ainsi; le passé nous forge en tant qu’individu mais de garder ces blessures, en tant que ‘prisonniers du passé’ est une question de volonté.
Peace
Kathleen
sorry, but i personally believe both these girlfriends of yours are prisoners of their past.
- the one who has lost respect for her body hasnt dealt with the abuse in her past
- similarly, the one who is is scared of human touch, is also a prisoner of her past.
Salut Kathleen,
Je me permets de te répondre et dire: I totally agree with you, it’s a matter of choice!
If there is a present, there must be a past from which the present has been formed. The same with you and me. The same rules for your reasoning and your inner world.
If we are all prisoners of the past, the one more, the one less, the other question would be is there a way to break out? Which leads me to another question should we break out, I mean it could be dangerous, or should we stay?
Mr. Friedrich Nietzsche wrote something on the impact that history has or can have on our cilization. I think some people might find some answers in his (untimely meditations).
The kind of action you take depends on your intention(what’s in your heart). If you commit action with the mind-frame of just getting away from the past then you need to think about that more closely at why you desire so much to change it because paradoxically it’s that very mind frame or intention(of just wanting to get away from the past) that prevents you from transcending your past.
Look at all your desires for example. Do you desire to live in a clean house? Of course you do only an insane person would choose a dirty house over a clean one. Therefore you’re house should be clean without regard to effort because you desired it. If you start to enact the proper discipline then you can really start getting what you want. And I’d say only by obtaining what you want can you start making good judgements about whether what you obtained was good and what you should obtain in the future, that’s the only way clarity or wisdom is gained.
In short yes many people commonly try to negate past experiences and therefore are “imprisoned” by their past experience. Most have us have very basic lessons to learn indeed. Purify your heart with work discipline and sacrifice(Honestly I know it can sound horrible but I think it’s the way to go) A pure heart is the most powerful weapon you can attain. I’m pretty sure of it.
it is wonderful to read this kind of “Blog of wisdom”. But, I have to recognize that I am still a prisoner of my past. The problem is that not always it is easy to start out everything again………
We are prisoners of all ciscourses ariund us. all discourses, from past and present and even future, dominate us. Past discourses are those that present thesmelves in tradition, culture, history, way of life etc. present discourses are our dependance to what exist now. and furure discourses are related to our ideals,hopes and so on. yes we are prisoners of all we live with. we are life prisoners.
we are not the prisoners of the past butwe are here in this plight due to our future.
Of course we are prisoners of the past!
It’s obvious! And those who claim we are not… they have many lessons to take!
First of all the past influence all the time our views.
And this, unfortunately from our childhood. You go to school, you learn, you meet your teachers who give you an idea of what world and live is. Your parents do the same.. and grand parents… Very quickly you find yourself with a big luggage of prejudices and ideas which are not your own.. So it needs some time to check it out and rewrite your position concerning what important really is in a lifetime.
Secondly, the history of humanity keeps us prisoners of the past. How? Look on the world today. Look on the condition of the woman and the role that she played throughout the centuries. It changed greatly during past decades but not everywhere and not sufficiently. As a young woman living in the beginning of this 21st century I can feel it even more than some of you guys!
We are prisoners of our past, of past of our family, our country, humanity. That is why it is hard to make a change.
But it’s worth it. So come on!! Change yourself! Change the world!
the past is the refuge of peoples who dont find their present and dont belive on their future
sometimes that seems the only way to survive but we should be strong
A prison gives me a sense of suffocation…I am 44 yrs old, a mother of three amazing daughters, I have a very interesting past, however I chose to look at it with a smile…I didnt always smile, I didnt smile when I was abused, didnt smile when the father of my children died, didnt smile when I found myself homeless….but I smile now…because I made it…I learned so many lessons that I hope I have the chance to learn many more….so “NO” I dont feel prisoner, but privileged of my past, painful as it was, I describe it as “interesting”….it didnt kill me but made me stronger…
Paulo, you are amazing…allow me to say it, I really believe it sir and I truly admire you
Thank you
I believe we are not the prisoners of the past if we truely believe past is past and we are ready to live in the present and for the future with hope and dignity.Our success may depend to some extend on our past that is by educating from the past defitly not repeating the past.It is hope that should drive our actions.It is moral that should drive our actions.It is goodness that should drive our moral.A universe of happiness withing us and surrounding us.It is only possible as it was said “Say Pay”.
As long as we relive the experience of senses we remain prisoners of the past. Once we forgo that experiences and willing to march forward seeking new fruitful experiences, then we can claim release from the past. Though hidden, past is not that easily erased. But, can we?
Creo que muchas veces si lo somos, estas en un pais nuevo con gente nueva, todo es nuevo, pero lo que llevas dentro sigue donde estabas.. y pasa el tiempo y sigues pensando en el ayer, muchas veces dejando de disfrutar lo que tienes delante tus ojos. Seguiremos siendo prisioneros del pasado hasta que podamos decir “Adios”, para encontrar un “Hola” .. lo lei en su facebook =)
…. where memories are saved, how beautiful it is and enjoyable to live memories…
Being captive is equiv to hoisting oneself by our own petard (hung up on oneself)…we must learn to live with ourself and our own decisions/reactions….it can bore a hole in ones soul like a cancer if not confronted….please allow me this cliche…but the truth does set you free and you know when its happening..its like being given the key to enlightenment..it good to do a bit of time…alot of self esteem was derived for me.
Per me l’unica libertà che abbiamo è che possiamo scegliere. E anche scegliere di non scegliere.
The price we pay for freedom is to receive the attacks of
the captives, and live the loneliness of always flying
higher than others.
However, after initial struggles, like a light that
lights up on time, the free ones receives the company
of those that, somehow, also want it for themselves.
I do not believe myself like a slave of my past or the past of my culture.
I like to believe that my soul exists outside of time, and in space I can use my free will with good sense.
I´m not talking about Thelema, because I don´t need to go against no egregore.
All the great human stories that speak of enlightened people have my respect.
To be free is to smile, despite being in a dark room,
in one long night, misunderstood, rejected, alone.
With the landscape and its mysteries as the true school,
only real friendship and company, even only in memories,
we will never trully be slaves or prisioners.
I´m not talking about Gnosticism, because Inner knowledge can not be labeled, and perhaps the greatest illusion of man is to think that he can pass on what he lives within himself.
Grimoires, hermetic texts, magic cards, all these
materials are only one thing: the attempt to pass
what in man and woman just happens naturally.
We are not slaves if we realize the beautiful magic within us and around us, wanting to teach the mysteries to everyone.
All the good feelings we can feel with our hearts, despite of anything: kindness, gratitude, inner peace, are gates to our minds to reach the heavens.
We will be free, even while behind bars, if our consiousness is clean.
no i’m not,but i come back to my past to be stronger than i was , and to learn how to
build may future in the right way .
thanks alot, your stories and sentences help me to chang my life.
no we are not. at least im not. i’ve learn to let go. although many times im guilty of looking back, wanting to relieve certain moments.but we must move on with our lives. i once read a quote that said
if i could sum up in three words what i have learned about life is that ,” it goes on.” that is what i think of when i want to go back to yesterday.i have to realize that yesterday is gone.that this is the present and the future. this moment is the one i should live.that way i can enjoy every second of today. remember to say ‘ i love you’, pray, give, receive, reflect, give thanks, respect, be honest, plan your dream vacation, have fun! life is full of fun. channel your inner child, laugh and mean it.
we humans are so full of bagages, memories, attachments,that hold us back. because of this it becomes complicated to live in the present, while wishing to go back and relive you best moments.
enjoy the passage of time. “the secret of life is enjoying the passage of time, their is nothing to it, any fool can do it…”
of course!
Algunas personas prefieren vivir de recuerdos,algunas mas que otras pero de ninguna manera somos prisioneros. Podemos ir hacia adelante cuando queramos, solo es cosa de desearlo.
Yo prefiero la nostalgia de vez en cuando, cuando el vacio deja regresar momentos maravillosos.
:0) Beihjinos
Yes, we are prisioners of the past. We will act according with our good or bad experiences from the past. You can use your experiences from today, until tomorrow, even after a seconds later=past. You can get experiences from the future (msgic balls.. ja.ja). El presente te hace libre, haces lo q ya pensaste en el pasado o dejas de hacer hoy lo q quieres porque aun no conoces el resultado, ni construyes el camino (te hace libre, tu escoges actuar o no). Me gusta el futuro porque te hace sonar, aunque sonar te hara querer mas de lo q tienes hoy y de lo que tuviste ayer. mas amor, prosperidad… el futuro paeciera ser el piloto de tu vida. Si solo supieramos la clave para vivir exclusivamente el presente, nuestros dias serian verdaderamente especiales.
If we let ourselves be a prisoner of our past, then definitely we are.
Our pasts will served as our reminders in our life that whatever it is, gave us the reason to move on in what we do. These pasts will also be a learning to us.
no estamos prisianeros del pasado estamos sobre nuestro pasado estamos en una torre hacia el cielo donde cada ladrillo es una a una de las desiciones de nuestro pasado, claro q suele haber gente q se queda atada a algo que fue y que aunque ya no volvera siguen aferrados a ese pensamiento, aun cuando hemos cometido errores son los que nos tienen hoy en dia donde estamos, ademas todo tiene solucion.
Past is a part of our memory, our experience …what about those decisions we took in the past which caused what we are now!!! What about the wrong choices we made when we live with now!! I do believe is that our presence is a consequence of the past so whether we agree or not we are prisoners of the past…you are a prisoner when you lose your freedom…same when you took different decisions shaped you in the way you are today when you can’t go back to change those decisions then you are a prisoner….
Sandra, me ha gustado muchisimo tu mensaje. Ma has hecho pensar y tienes toda la razon.
Yes I am .
And becuase of it I am not able to fully live in the present.
Not everone is. There is a story of ISIS being traped in a Spining mill by set the killer of Osiris her huband.
She the great goddess who knew the inifferable name of a (creator god)even her had to learn to work her way out .
This is from a book by a lady name Normadi Eillis.
Anyway as above so below.
But she triumpthed in the end and so can we.
I knopw in my case that learing to feel and be in the moment and realizing that the past has done all it can to me that is not my leting it is my next real step and that is my key.
After that the door is ope just as it always was.
my opinion,based on my personal experiences,says that we face life defining moments in our life & these moments carry on wid us,in our passive memory,making us the prisoners of past…..but at the same time i would like to say dat we have to overcome those things in order to have a stable present n secure future……
the past itself , good or bad is a prison .
when you freeze yourself to a specific past state of mind , you let go of your present surroundings making you loosen your grip on the future.
Think about the past the way you think about breathing . you never think about it, but it helps you survive
caro Paulo, un tempo il passato mi accompagnava durante le mie giornate.Dopo ho compreso che dovevo lasciarmelo alle spalle ,per vivere.Non ho mai smesso di amare.L’amore mi ha permesso di stupirmi sempre.Ora vivo il presente,del passato conservo il bello e quanto mi ha fatto crescere…Il futuro se guardato con gli occhi di ieri,mi permette di credere che oggi mentre ti scrivo sono gia’ nel futuro.Ragion per cui presente e futuro sono la stessa cosa….Questo mi rende meno superficiale….con affetto Eleonora..grazie di esistere
We are prisoners of past as much as we believe we are prisoners, Paulo. Past frames us in a certain way, carves us in someway but we are not its complete prisoners. When the soul attains its harmony with the light. There is no past no present no future..there is just being …
Diti Vyas, India
Not if we are wise enough to seek truth.
To ask this question is to suggest the past has been tough. I am still prisoner because I still fear my abuser, but I fear less so than yesterday and Much less so than 5 years ago. As I become more aware, my past loses its grip.
One must never forget that we have choices in all that we do.
Peace and Hairgrease
M.C
we are.
if we do not hold to our past, there shall be no future and what ensues is a state wherein we live the moment incapable of action and thought (going too far here :))
i know we all long for this to happen but its beyond the comprehension of rationality to be discussed.
our existence is realised by being bound by our past and thereby creating a future .. otherwise i believe we are one w the universe
love
Giri
I am only a prisoner of my past because my mother will not let me forget the person I once was. My life changed abruptly in 2006 when my fiance died, since his death I gained weight and withdrew from the world. All my mother talks about is how i used to be thin, as if that defined who I was.
My life has gone a direction I never imagined, but I am happy and content knowing I had experienced a great love in my life. My past does not define me, it has made me exactly who I am and I embrace all versions of me. I just wish she would.
hey dear…..its sad that has happnd wid u in d past…
but never mind i m givin u an advice free of cost…..
life is d name of movin on…..leavin ur past behind..evry1 has a past but we have to lead a stable present na…listen to ur mother…..in ma opinion she is very right as runnin away n withdrawin from world is not is expected of us……have heart n take ma words…
LIVE LIFE KING SIZE…..
maybe i am too a prisoner of my past, it hunts me whenever i seen someone who have hurt and who has been a constant reminder of that feeling..i am on struggle to live the present, i want to change the course of my life but dont know where to start,dont have the guts to do it myself cause i know i can hurt someone dear to me.
o passado so nos prende a sentimentos de tristeza,falamos claro do passado em epocas felizes,mas na maioria da vezes citamos o passado como algo triste em nossas vidas,portanto acredito que o passado nao pode ser apagado,mas podemos sim mudar nossa postura diante de nossos problemas,porque o passado ja fez o que tinha de fazer
DEIXOU ENSINAMENTOS e isso e algo louvavel mesmo que tenha sido um terrivel sofrimento,acredito que so existe uma maneira de crescer e evoluir com a aprendizagem de nossos erros,portanto o passado passa a ser louvavel,afinal,somamos nossos conhecimentos amargos a busca de nunca mas viver novamente o periodo do passado.
Somos os martires de nossas vidas muitas vezes e temos que saber se queremos andar para frente ou lamentar o que nao foi,se a escolha for andar para frente,devemos sim esquecer o passado e fazer por onde conquistar o presente.
I believe that we all are somewhat the prisoner of our own past, and it can both help and hurt us. We all have good and bad moment in our life, when we are relaxing usually we think back about the happy things that happen to us in the past. But when everything didn’t go the way that we wanted, all of the wrong doing came back and haunt our thought and we became the prisoner of our own past and it doesn’t go away easily either.
I use to live each moment of my life as i live in the past .I mean that giving an example if im talking with people that I know I behave as usual without thinking that now is the present and they might change something .For example the way they talk or they look or move in that moment .Im living the present as is the past with the expirences from the past .I have the script unconsciously .The thing is that the love dies just beacuse I am programed like this.And then the boredom it takes the place .Then I want to be free or on my own and to work on this just beacuse im unhappy .But i never really work im going on like this.I would like that to be able to get to know my unconscious and controle it .
el pasado es lo que me enseño a ser como soy, negarlo, olvidarlo, seria negarme a mi misma soy el resultado de un pasado de enseñanzas que solo me sirve para vivir mejor el presente.
Sim de certa forma somos prisioneiros do passado se deixarmos que ele fique vivo no presente e interfira em nossos futuros atos, e eu passei por isso.
Tive um passado muito conturbado aos 14 anos mim envolvi com drogas e passei a usá las dais um ano mais tarde minha família descobriu e mim internaram contra minha vontade sem ao menos procurarem saber o que se passava comigo sai do internamento e mim deparei com o preconceito da minha família e dos vizinhos , passaram 6 anos depois e ainda eu mim sentia preso a tudo aquilo pois tudo que eu fazia para o meu bem estar e minha melhora pessoal não era reconhecida e eu era sempre visto como mesma pessoa pelos meus parentes principalmente já estava limpo não usava mais drogas mais mesmo assim a angustia de esta buscando melhora e reconhecimento nesse sentido e profissional também sempre tentativas fracassadas foi ai que resolvi mim afastar completamente de todos eu já era depressivo e o afastamento só fez aumentar a depressão.
passei 3 anos sem ver minha família nem ao menos eles sabiam que eu estava vivo e eu estava tão machucado que assim preferia que fosse.
Na fase adulta sempre correndo atrás dos meus sonhos e objetivos tive muitas decepções a maioria das tentativas frustradas e isso consequentemente juntamente com as lembranças do passado adolescente foi mim amargurando e mim transformando em uma pessoa totalmente pessimista sem piedade e inplacavel com tudo e todos confesso que cheguei a beira da loucura varias tentativas de suicídio por achar que sou um imprestável que fui repudiado e de fato fui por todos que amei um dia.
Hoje não nego que ainda tenho dificuldade em mim livrar não do passado por que desse mim livrei foram 11 longos anos fazendo por onde mim visem de outra forma e melhorando a cada dia meu eu interior adquirindo respeito e confiança nas novas massas que ali eu frequentava mais não mim livrei ainda da dor da ferida que toda vez que mim vem uma singela lembrança um comentário a depender de como eu seja abordado ainda doí sim.
Mais hoje não vivo em função do meu passado negro e mórbido embora assim como qual quer vivência nos aprendemos o que a de melhor e consequentemente o que a de pior e isso gera marcas profundas como se fosse eu e outra pessoa dentro de mim mais sempre luto para não deixar esse fato mim abalar e mim modificar afinal o passado só interfere no presente se as pessoas não fazerem nada para impedir isso.
Mais confesso que de uns anos pra cá as minhas derrotas recentes e experiências de vidas estão vindo em forma de traumas novamente já tive diferenças crises de depressão por causa disso e luto todos os dias pra que a historia não se repita novamente.
Ass: Clodomiro Yang
I can only speak of my own experience. I find that I have spent most of my life (31 years old) living in the past. Past victories, past experiences and mostly past mistakes. I can very easily slip into this pattern of thinking if I don’t stop myself and make a conscious decision to let go of it all. I was raised Catholic and was raised to feel guilty and to feel that I should be punished for bad decisions that I made. I also struggle with the idea of karma. Reaping what I have sown. Am I bound to have experiences come back to haunt to me if I made bad decisions 5 years ago? I struggle with this dilemna all the time. I only hope the mental anguish I have experienced is my karma.
At this point in my life I try to live in the now and learn from my past.
Love all your work Paulo! xoxo
Past, an integral part of our lives , a dominent ,in some cases.The question ” Are we the prisoner of past”, partially ,yes. Past represents recorded moments of our lives,experiences,exposure and thoughts and this has a great impact on human mind, its defines the border lines for the future. It goes beyound doubt that past effects your present and future life but the main point is whether its effect is overlaping or you are just driving the strenght from it. If there is a dendecy in an individual to live in the fancies of past, it may be a case of being a prisoner of the past.
“We live in our minds ,it connects us sometimes to the past and sometimes tells us the unknown world of future”.
I think many of us are and for a long time I was…I know I often come back to the past because in a strange way things, events, memories can repeat themselves. Our past can determine our future… The key is to stop and realise that I control the moment and can make it change – its not all about maktub…..Its that split second of a moment when the penny drops and we realise we’ve been here before….
I guess that most of the time we think in terms of the past ..we try to simulate our future & measure it with our past experience and hence we find out that our future is nothing more that our past with minor modification ..
So we are prisoners unless we think of the past as if it happened and no need to re-create it again though “past experience” decisions making..
We should think regardless the past (not completely); as same road leads to same destination..
the PAST should not be our only decision making criteria ..
The past helps us understand what needs to get rid of, but that is contrary to carry with them, as experience. It helps not to make mistakes in the future, but it carries the danger of being in his paws. Persistent failure, wrong signals to the information, and we can to make more mistakes, though I think the world is so arranged that more than they should not work.
And yet we are prisoners in the future) and our past determines our future.
Bravo Elena .This is the truth .
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