--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And only the enlightened can recall their…" description: "\"And only the enlightened can recall their former lives; for the rest of us, the memories of past existences are but glints of light, twinges of longing..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22b/peter-matthiessen-5795_bird_and-only-the-enlightened-can-recall-thei_1690193.jpg" --- # And only the enlightened can recall their former lives… ![“And only the enlightened can recall their former lives; for the rest of us, the memories of past existences are but glints of light, twinges of longing, passing shadows, disturbingly familiar, that are gone before they can be grasped, like the passage of that silver bird on Dhaulagiri.” quote by Peter Matthiessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22b/peter-matthiessen-5795_bird_and-only-the-enlightened-can-recall-thei_1690193.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22b/peter-matthiessen-5795_bird_and-only-the-enlightened-can-recall-thei_1690193.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22b/peter-matthiessen-5795_bird_and-only-the-enlightened-can-recall-thei_1690193.jpg) > “And only the enlightened can recall their former lives; for the rest of us, the memories of past existences are but glints of light, twinges of longing, passing shadows, disturbingly familiar, that are gone before they can be grasped, like the passage of that silver bird on Dhaulagiri.” [Peter Matthiessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-matthiessen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage suggests that only enlightened individuals can recall past lives, while most experience fleeting, elusive memories. **In simple terms:** Only the enlightened recall past lives; others get brief glimpses. Key Takeaway Seek deeper awareness to access hidden memories. Themes spirituality memory enlightenment Mood mystical contemplative Type philosophical poetic When to use this quote - meditation retreats - dream analysis - philosophical discussions - creative writing Key Concepts reincarnation nostalgia transcendence Questions to Reflect On - What does “enlightened” mean to you? - Can fleeting memories be trusted? A Different Perspective The claim may be unverified and culturally specific. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bird/) [Enlightened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enlightened/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Familiar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/familiar/) [Former](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/former/) [Gone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gone/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Longing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/longing/) [Longing Passing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/longing-passing-1047254/) [Memories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memories/) [Memories of past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memories-of-past/) [Memories Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memories-past/) [Memory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memory/) [Nostalgia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nostalgia/) [Passages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passages/) [Passing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passing/) [Passings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passings/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Past Existences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-existences-1047253/) [Shadow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shadow/) [Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silver/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“Memories of past. 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