The mention of "a past life, before the revolution" can be regarded as a metaphorical marker distinguishing two epochs, emphasizing that the sense of identity, personal values, and even the perception of reality were forged in a different, more stable, and meaningful world for the protagonist (or society).

Timeless Echoes Before the Revolution

The mention of "a past life, before the revolution" can be regarded as a metaphorical marker distinguishing two epochs, emphasizing that the sense of identity, personal values, and even the perception of reality were forged in a different, more stable, and meaningful world for the protagonist (or society). Such an image of the past evokes the impression that the previous life—with its established social structure, traditions, and spiritual guidelines—remains an ideal to which one inevitably longs to return or at least remember, despite the disruptive transformations brought by the revolution.

This sense of an enduring past is reflected in the lines where the author describes, "The past has not passed; this feeling has always appeared to me as clearer than clear, and in my earliest childhood even more convincingly than later. I sensed the viscous reality of the past and grew up with the impression that I was actually touching something from many centuries ago and entering into it with my soul. What truly captivated me in history—Egypt, Greece—stood apart from me not because of time, but as if separated by some kind of wall..." (source: link txt). Here, the past does not present itself as something remote or rendered insignificant but as a living substance that continues to influence a person’s inner world.

At the same time, a similar mechanism of memory and personal identity is traced in descriptions of cases where a person "recalls" events from a "previous life," demonstrating how deeply ingrained experiences associated with other times and states can be (source: link txt). Concerning the phrase "a past life, before the revolution," it allows one to infer that the revolution acts as a turning point after which not only the external reality changes, but also the inner stability, and cultural and moral reference points undergo transformation. What existed before the revolutionary upheaval is emphasized as lost, yet at times reappears in memory, serving as a reminder of more complete and meaningful origins.

Thus, the mention of "a past life, before the revolution" signifies a call to remember that the past—with all its ideals and established norms—continues to live within a person, serving as a measure of authenticity and an enduring connection to those times when the world appeared more complete and holistic. This creates a dramatic contrast with the modernized, revolutionary world, where many of the former values were lost or distorted.

Supporting citation(s):
"The past has not passed; this feeling has always appeared to me as clearer than clear, and in my earliest childhood even more convincingly than later. I sensed the viscous reality of the past and grew up with the impression that I was actually touching something from many centuries ago and entering into it with my soul. What truly captivated me in history—Egypt, Greece—stood apart from me not because of time, but as if separated by some kind of wall..." (source: link txt)

"It should be said that only in very few cases are there facts more substantial than uncertain and accidental 'evidence'—facts that could not be explained merely as the product of the imagination: a child is born with a mark on the neck and later 'remembers' that in a previous life they were hanged as a circus horse thief; a person has a fear of heights and then 'remembers' that in a past life they died in a fall..." (source: link txt)