What is a Samskara?

Samskaras are imprints left in the psyche by emotionally-charged experiences.

The general principle

• "You have a car accident at a particular place. Then, for a long while, each time you drive past that place you feel uneasy; a wave of fear arises. You may even feel uncomfortable just by thinking of the episode. The traumatic imprint left in your mind after the accident is called a samskara. The malaise that subsequently appears each time you drive past the place is called a reactional emotion, or more simply an emotion." (Sagan, Samuel, Regression, Past-Life Therapy for Here-and-Now Freedom 1.1)
  

• "Samskaras are the tracks left in the mind by previous traumatic experiences. Roughly speaking, samskaras are the 'scars' of the mind. (The association samskara-scar is easy to remember...) Samskaras can therefore be regarded as imprints or scars in the astral body."

Main points and mechanisms

The more intensely charged a samskara, the stronger its propensity to encapsulate.

This term originated from Hindu philosophy, and in particular the teachings of masters of Vedanta.

Awakening the Third Eye
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Samuel Sagan

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