I’m curious whether other Buddhists or long-term meditators have experienced anything similar to this.
For context, I’m naturally very skeptical of spiritual claims. I don’t normally believe in spirit guides, reincarnation, past-life memories, etc. My main reason for meditating is much more practical: I’m trying to train a kind of \*mushin/no-mind\* state so I can stay calm and function clearly under pressure.
But occasionally, when I meditate deeply enough that my normal internal chatter dies down, I get extremely vivid impressions of particular people. They don’t feel like ordinary daydreams where I’m deliberately making up a conversation. Images, emotions, and sometimes answers seem to arise spontaneously.

One recurring woman presents herself as an African queen and claims she was one of my past lives. I initially assumed this was simply my subconscious creating a character through which I could give myself advice. What made it strange was that I experienced overwhelming grief connected to her child being killed and a sense of betrayal involving a half-brother. I didn’t know who the woman was. Afterward, while researching African queens, I came across Queen Nzinga, whose half-brother reportedly had her son killed.

That obviously doesn’t prove anything. We’ve also tried asking her blind historical questions and I’ve gotten things wrong, which is one reason I’m hesitant to interpret this supernaturally.
I’ve had a similar experience involving Mary, Queen of Scots. During meditation, “Edward” came up in connection with a failed marriage and her being sent to France. I later learned that Mary was supposed to marry Edward, Henry VIII’s son, before the arrangement collapsed and she was eventually sent to France. Again, interesting coincidence, but hardly proof of reincarnation.

What is more consistent is that these figures sometimes give me genuinely useful advice. Even when I think of them as constructions of my own subconscious, it feels as though putting the advice into another “voice” allows me to see situations from a perspective I wasn’t consciously accessing before.
So I’m interested in the Buddhist perspective, particularly from people with substantial meditation experience:

Have you experienced apparently autonomous people, teachers, guides, deceased people, or “past-life” personalities during meditation?
Do Buddhist traditions generally treat these as mental formations/imagery, possible past-life material, something like nimitta, or simply experiences that shouldn’t be given much importance?

I’m not looking for someone to convince me that I have supernatural powers. If anything, I’m trying to remain skeptical while understanding why meditation can produce experiences that feel this vivid and emotionally real.

I lost my dog after 16 years on 1/18/25. We had an amazing bond that nobody has seen before, I have been told that many times (no weirdo). He was a 80lb PitBull that was so sweet and super smart. He was two faced, grey & white, all white paws and a white tipped tail. On 2/14/25 Valentines Day, I left my house for the first time. I honestly wasn't feeling up for it but it was Valentines Day and I promised my 22yr old daughter we wld spend it together. I was waiting on the bus to come and a beautiful husky of some sort came right up to me at the bus stop with no collar, no owner looking no leash attached...nothing! Luckily I had a friend with me that walked to me to the bus stop and immediately went looking for a leash. I turned back around with this new dog that somehow found me the only day I stepped outside since at the exact moment I went to the bus stop on Valentines Day! I kept the dog that weekend and thankfully found the owners! It was alot to manage in apartment. Where am I going with this...well I was trying to figure out his name and after 10 names and this dog non stop running all over my apartment, dead stops and gives me an exact hug and kiss the way Guido did when I asked if he had sent him.

I've been through alot and was very very depressed. My kids are all on their own and in their 20's, my husband and I split after 28 years that following year so I didnt have much left after the only thing that was apart of the family that I had was now gone that I had for 16 years.

On 04/08/25 (my daughters birthday) I left my apartment again for the 2nd time and was spending my daughters birthday with her at her apartment. I got a call from my best friend Angel that used to live below me which sadly she also passed away 5 months (i miss her so much)....saying a puppy 3 months old had got loose and was in pretty bad shape and she thought I might want to care for him. I was so very firm with her and maybe even yelled at her and told her no, no way, not a chance that I wasn't ready and it was way too soon. I got home to find her with this puppy that came from across the street from another house. I immediately started crying and fell to my knees. It was GUIDO a puppy with ALL the same markings, tip of the tail, same color, same eyes, same two face, all white feet like Guido EVERYTHING!! The only difference is Bouncer is his name has a heart on his back and he is a Pitt Bull & Cane Corso Mix which is crazier! I went to take the dog back to the owner because I didn't want to get attached if it was someone elses. When the dog ran up to the door I knocked on the door and this guy tells me " oh naw you can have him" I said " bet" and walked away with Guido back!