Why Do I Remember Dying?

If you are reading this, obviously my title caught your attention, so I'm going to try and make this short and sweet.

I remember my past lives. Not in a lot of detail, but I remember battle, some of my children, my home, my clothing, sometimes even small things like what it was like to ride a horse drawn carriage as normal transportation.

I remember people discriminating others, the Salem witch trials, dancing in Scotland, watching my family die... Although I can't remember any dates.

But the strangest thing is I remember my deaths.

I do mean my actual deaths, and always remember it vividly, to a disturbing point.

The first time this happened I was lying in my bed, relaxed, thinking about nothing in particular, when I suddenly didn't see what was in front of me.

I was wearing a dress, and a thin sweater. The clothing was like a rough fabric, like they had a few hundred years ago, and I was severely under dressed for the weather.

I was standing on ice, and I heard a crack then I fell through.

I struggled, trying to get back out, but I was pulled down.

I tried desperately, flailing my arms around trying to swim. I kicked furiously, but the cold rendered me practically immobile.

My lungs burned from lack of air, and the fear that had overtook me was unbelievable.

Finally, for a split second, I was calm, and then everything went black.

Even though it was black, I felt my heart stutter and then stop.

Then I saw my ceiling, and I was shaking, expecting to be on ice, or under it.

I've died from burning, drowning, freezing, disease, murder, freak accidents, you could name it and I've probably died that way.

The only similarity with each life is I generally had the same personality, I kept some features like my eyes, and I never lived to be old.

Some would say old is thirty, well to me that's young.

I never lived past 50, maybe 60.

And I've never died of old age either.

So here's my question; Why do I remember these things?

Two; How can I figure out what year my life is based in?

Three; Can I learn skills from my lives?

If anyone can tell me anything, intense appreciation would be an understatement to how grateful I'd feel.