Past lives.

Past life regression.

Past life regression is a spirit and parapsychology concept which long and lengthy investigations have explored.  The actual primary notion of it being a technique that uses hypnosis which then enables an individual to recover what practitioners believe are memories of past lives.  The memories could be incarnations of previous lives and are often given by someone in accordance with the name, date and explicit information which were important for them whilst they lived that earlier form of being. Past life regression is typically undertaken in pursuit of a spiritual or spirit enhanced experience, or in a psychotherapeutic vein.  It is an integral part of many cultures.  Not only studied as cause root in a lot of spirit theories but also as a main source for some of the ailments both minor and major as with variations ranging from confidence loss to difficulties of a more physical sort or even giving up smoking, all types of inconvenience which can distress or afflict people.  The past life principle adheres to beliefs about reincarnation, and those repressed memories of past lives.

There have been a vast number who have investigated case studies of past lives.  A 1976 study found that about 40% of hypnosis subjects described new identities and used different names when given a suggestion to regress past their knowledge of what they knew today. Many spiritual figures have invested in finding more medical answers to ailments with individuals still continuing to turn one foot in with no real cause to do so but after submitting to a light hypnotic condition began to relay the life in which they previously suffered with a foot injury. In previous years a series of experiments undertaken were used to better look into the particular aspects of past lives and examined the nature of what past life memories meant to individuals. Descriptions of past lives were found to be not solely surface but extremely elaborate, with vivid, detailed descriptions of events, people and even habits. Subjects who reported having memories of past lives exhibited high levels of linguistic skills which sometimes went beyond simple depictions of former personalities.

The technique which is used during past life regression involves the subject answering a series of questions while relaxed and remaining in a hypnotized state.  The aim is to reveal identity and events of alleged past lives, the result is usually outstanding and can provide links to why a person acts in the way that they do. A method similar to that used in recovered memory therapy and one that similarly highlights the part that spirit have through this type of process is that when the individual recounts these events from the past they come with on occasion linguistic speech and dialect specific to eras.

Mythologies, cultures and ideas.

In ancient Indian prose and literature, the Upanishads mention about past-life regression, but the Yoga Sutras of Patañjali discuss the concept in greater detail to what was believed. Writing during the 2nd century BC, the Hindu scholar Patañjali discussed the idea of the soul becoming burdened with an accumulation of visual impressions as part of the karma from previous lives.  This concern being involved with lives and actions connection to one another.  Patañjali called the process of past-life regression prati-prasav literally to mean “reverse birthing”, and saw it as addressing current problems through memories of past lives.  There are spiritualists who use the idea somewhat alike as they can find the cause for someone’s habitual addictions or complaints through a problem exhibited in past phases.  Some types of yoga continue to use prati-prasav as a practice.

In the religious mythology of China there is the deity Meng Po, also known as the “Lady of Forgetfullness”, prevents the souls from remembering their past lives: she gives them a bittersweet drink that erases all memories before they climb the wheel of reincarnation.  Thus once more the main process of past lives is buried into the cultural psyche.

Modern era and contemporaries.

Contemporary spiritual notion does have a place for past lives.  In the modern era, it was the works of Madame Blavatsky, co-founder and originator of the Theosophical Society, which brought it a new found popularity, especially in the West. French educator Allan Kardec also researched into past life regression in The Spirits Book and Heaven and Hell. Past life regression therapy was first looked into but has been developed since the 1950s by psychologists, psychiatrists and mediums who want to understand what and exactly by what means this theory can affect the ongoing decisions and behaviour patterns. The belief gained credibility because some of the advocates possess legitimate backgrounds in investigative theory and practical demonstration.  

History and Technique

Past-life regression practitioners use hypnosis as a method to entice individuals from the lives they live today and in order to allow for a moment to remember past times.  The suggestion to promote recall in their patients, using a series of questions designed to elicit statements and memories about the past life’s history and identity. Some practitioners also use bridging techniques from a client’s current-life problem to bring “past-life stories” to someone’s conscious awareness. Practitioners believe that unresolved issues from alleged past lives may be the cause of their patients’ conditions.  

Chinese numerologists use the Buddhist and Taoist text the Three Lives Book to describe details of past lives. Teachers of Eastern religion claim to be able to use certain siddhi or abhijna abilities to regress other’s lives.

Sources of past life.

There is a lot to be said about in regards to the role that past life therapy can have in a spiritual domain.  Spirit has on many occasions spoken on what they believe to be the main attributes and perspectives on past lives.  There are spirits who have firm views on this and spirit who state they have themselves been party to discussions about how in depth this system can be and what effect it has on that of the levels of spirit.  Undoubtedly this is a theory which provides a lot of feeling, response and must evoke multitudes of awareness and keen desire to find the layers of the past and what this might mean for the lives of people who live again but with only partial links to the person they once were.