What are the Akashic records?
The Akashic records are said to be an invisible “memory of the universe” in which every event from the birth of the universe to the present, and even the future, as well as each person’s thoughts and feelings, is recorded. “Akashic” comes from the Sanskrit “akasha,” meaning the space or ether that is the source of all things in Indian philosophy.
It is said that by “accessing” the Akashic records through special abilities or meditation, one can learn about past lives, the future and the truth of the world.
Who started it? Theosophy and Steiner
The idea came to be discussed in Theosophy, founded in the late 19th century by Helena P. Blavatsky and others. In the early 20th century, the thinker Rudolf Steiner published writings he called the “Akashic Chronicle,” claiming to have spiritually read the history of the lost continents of Atlantis and Lemuria.
Then the American “sleeping prophet” Edgar Cayce is said to have read the Akashic records in a trance and spoken about people’s illnesses and past lives, which helped spread the term around the world.
Is there really a way to access them?
Even today there are many books and courses claiming that one can access the Akashic records through meditation or “readings.” However, there is no scientific evidence that the Akashic records exist, and no way to verify what is said to have been read. It is best enjoyed as a concept from esoteric and spiritual thought. Be careful of expensive courses and “past-life readings.”
Influence on fiction
The idea of “a place where everything in the universe is recorded” is also popular in manga, anime and games, and has become a motif in many works as an all-knowing archive or the memory of the world.
