Where in the World Did You Live in a Past Life?

By: Zoe Samuel
Estimated Completion Time
6 min
Where in the World Did You Live in a Past Life?
Image: beppeverge / Moment / Getty Images

About This Quiz

Modern life is a contradiction in many ways. We have more wealth than ever, yet we don't work shorter hours. We have better medicine, but we don't ensure everyone has access to it. We love our gadgets and modern conveniences, but lament the lost simplicity of a quieter, less hectic time.

How you respond to the vagaries of modern life is not always entirely within your control, of course — or at least, it can feel that way!

That's because you're not just dealing with your current set of experiences. You also carry the burden of all that your ancestors experienced, from political upheaval to rapid change to religious persecution and more. If you believe in reincarnation in a literal sense, this is because you are back on this Earth for anything from the first to the umpteenth time, and that means you have a lot of baggage to tote around with your soul! 

If you feel that it is a more metaphorical idea, we know that generational trauma is certainly measurable, and culture and epigenetics can carry it into the future. This is not a new concept after all — just as many Asian cultures embraced literal reincarnation, the Bible also notes that triumphs and tragedies often echo "unto the third and fourth generation."

Tell us what you carry with you from the past, and we'll figure out not just whether it's ancient or more recent, but also where it comes from! Let's get started!

Red cloak
Jacobs Stock Photography Ltd/DigitalVision/GettyImages
Which historical garment would you like to bring back from your past lives?
Cloaks
Tunics
Cravats
Fabulous headdresses

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Hourglass
xaviandrew / Pixabay
Change happens faster these days. How do you feel about the pace of it today?
I'm fine with it. Everything was awful before it happened.
It's a bit freaky to me!
I can deal with it.
I hate it.

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Time Wizard
selimaksan/E+/Getty Images
If you could go back to your past life with a trunk full of engineering, medical, and other books, what kind of technology would you "invent" first?
Proper sewage to end waterborne diseases
Modern farming methods to prevent famine
Proper vaccines to transform infant mortality
Weapons to defend my people

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Quiz. Are you an expert on Lawrence of Arabia
Horizon Pictures
Which banner would you tremble to see on the horizon?
Any banner at all
Persia
None!
Most European ones

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24 Princess Anne with troops
WO1 Peter Zajac via Wikimedia Commons
Which modern nation best reflects the political values of your time?
Probably Russia
America, sort of
China, in many ways
Various native tribal nations

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Sunken Garden in Butchart Gardens
Lijuan Guo Photography/Moment Open/Getty Images
Gardens have been around as long as civilization. How do you organize yours?
I mostly grow food in it.
Vertical, baby!
Lawn, flowerbeds, little patio area
More like a wilderness than a garden

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Boots
Pekic/E+/Getty Images
What sort of shoe appeals to you most?
A lace-up leather boot
An open-toed sandal
A nice brogue
A moccasin

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Police Sirens Emergency Vehicle Cover
Brad Thompson / Moment / Getty Images
Modern life is much louder than your past lives. Which modern noise annoys you the most?
Sirens
Planes
Anything that beeps
Cars

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White House
uschools/E+/Getty Images
How do you feel about the state of democracy, compared to your past lives?
Way better
More prevalent, which is bad — I don't like democracy!
Generally better, though trending the wrong way
It's actually weaker.

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Could You Have Survived the Black Plague? Hero
ManuelVelasco / E+ / Getty Images
Which element of your past life do you instinctively NOT miss at all?
Plague, constant invasions, and never knowing if my religion is the one that's in favor or the one you get burned to death for!
Rival empires who just show up and demand a fight
Non-existent labor protections, sometimes going as far as slavery
Being colonized a lot

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Thunderstorm
john finney photography/Moment/GettyImages
What sort of weather event instantly transports you back to your past life?
Anything that just randomly kills a bunch of people. My past life sucked.
Lovely sunny days!
Any time it's grey for weeks, I remember the Year Without a Summer.
Any time it's very cold, I remember the Little Ice Age.

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12- dead
RobVenDerMeijden/Pixabay
How do you think your past life likely ended?
Violence, plague or famine!
Probably around age 60 in surprisingly decent health, considering
Probably either before age 5 from cholera or after age 60 but in bad health
If not thanks to violence, then I was likely quite old and healthy.

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Land
Nazman Mizan / Moment / Getty Images
Land ownership has changed throughout history. What's your preferred modern model for it?
Nobody should be allowed to own land, it just causes wars.
Land should belong to those who have money to invest in it.
Land must always be enclosed to avoid the Tragedy of the Commons.
Land should be owned by the people in common.

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What Kind of Battle Buddy Are You?
Pexels by Pixabay
Which modern empire or superpower instinctively scares you a little, based on past life trauma?
The entire notion of a nation-state or empire existing at all horrifies me on a profound level.
China's Belt-and-Road initiative is a bit weird, as is Iran's regional ambition.
Russia's modern imperial ambitions are very upsetting but also weirdly ridiculous to me.
America's hegemony scares me witless.

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Which modern supranational structure do you think past life you would have approved of the most?
The EU is the best thing since sliced bread. Seventy years of peace, baby!
I'm actually quite suspicious of most of them.
The World Trade Organization is splendid! Free trade for everyone!
The UN is a fine notion! Rules that strong and weak alike have to obey.

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Jukebox
Wiki Commons by Davide Cavalli
Which music reminds of you of the distant past?
A lovely orchestral movement
Anything that isn't quite any modern genre
A naughty song about a politician
Acapella, percussive and with a repeated musical motif

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Ashford Castle
Wiki Commons by Ericci8996
When you go on vacation, what type of sites draw you in first?
Castles
Gardens
Cute little cottages or pubs
Prehistorical sites

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7 Large Cottage
[Tim Grist Photography] / [Moment] / Getty Images
What impulse from the past do you often find you must suppress?
I really feel like I have to flee sometimes.
I would like to conquer our neighbor who sucks.
I'd like to build a large empire.
I hate large cities and want to get rid of them.

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Early Steam Train
Thomas Janisch / Moment / Getty Images
Which form of transport is surely the most romantic?
A chariot
A barge on a river
A steam train
A canoe on a river

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BBQ Feast
LauriPatterson / E+ / Getty Images
What is your favorite way to get a meal?
Go to a restaurant
Grow it myself
Go to a farmer's market
Go to a friend's house

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Ireland
WikiCommons
Do you feel a strange affinity for a particular modern nation that you can't explain, but where you suspect your past self did NOT live?
I love Switzerland!
I love Jordan!
I love Ireland!
I love Canada!

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Colonial
Marje / E+ / Getty Images
What interior design aesthetic feels like coming home?
Cute little cottage
Minimalist and elegant
Lovely red brick house
Rustic and comfortable

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Girl studying languages
Geralt
How many languages is the minimum you feel you need to get by in the world?
At least five
At least two
Just one
At least six

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Books
Pexels by Pixabay
How do you like to learn about history?
Go to a lecture
Read about it, but in small pieces
Watch a documentary, funnily enough
See a performance of a historical show

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Medieval alchemist in his laboratory
aluxum/E+/Getty Images
Political realignments affect some places more often than others. Could you bear to live in a place that typically expects them frequently?
No. I can't do another one.
Yes, they are usually a good thing.
No, thanks. I like how things are.
I would not like too many of those.

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Can You Name the Country Where These Historic Events Took Place  1
The Great War
What character trait do you feel best reflects your past self's attitude to making war on neighbors?
I'm scared of everything.
I'm very optimistic.
I'm needlessly aggressive.
I can be a little paranoid.

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Viking Sword
Lorado/E+/Getty Images
When you have a dream from your past life, what are you usually doing?
Fleeing violence
Farming a beautiful valley
Going to a factory or hanging out in a pub
Hunting or singing

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What’s Your Zodiac Personality 1
FUTURE LIGHT / DigitalVision / Getty Images
What do you think your past self would like best about the life you live today?
My hometown has not been repeatedly conquered by a hostile power.
They'd be really into all the labor-saving gadgets.
They'd be absolutely nuts about the medicine and the deodorant.
They'd be really thrilled about how much food there is, and the variety of it.

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Inkwell with Desk
Pexels/Pixabay
Most modern writing means ink on paper, going horizontally. What other kinds of writing appeal to you?
I love musical notation.
I would enjoy carving on a stone tablet.
I do enjoy a bit of code, especially computer code.
Actually, I love the idea of memorizing vast chunks of ancient stories.

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Invitation Envelope
Pixabay by StockSnap
If your past self could warn you about one thing, what would it be?
Get vaccines. All of them.
Don't overextend yourself. Just do what you are capable of, and know who your friends are.
Not knowing what your government does overseas WILL come back to bite you personally.
Vote in every election.

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You Got: