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Shirley MacLaine's Cosmic Truth: "Nothing Ever Dies"

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Shirley MacLaine first rose to stardom as a film and television actress before becoming known as a vocal proponent of her New Age views on spirituality. In 1986, Shirley appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show to discuss her book Out on a Limb, which tells the story of her personal pursuit of spiritual enlightenment.

During the taping, Shirley spoke with a caller who had recently lost her 20-month-old son. The grieving mother sympathized with Shirley's views on reincarnation, and couldn't shake the feeling that her son would return to her and her husband. "Is this ordinary to feel this way?" the caller asked Shirley.

"It's your heartfelt feeling, so it's your truth," Shirley said.

In the brief conversation that ensued, Shirley explained why she believed that "nothing ever dies," and asserted that all our experiences, good and bad, teach us something important.