Past-life regression: a tool, not a toy

In the hands of a trained practitioner, past-life regression can be an effective tool for bringing about self-knowledge and change, while offering an enjoyable experience.

by Gwen Farrell — 

As events on the global stage become more unstable and frightening, many people are becoming aware of a new energy consciousness emerging and growing. In response, more people are seeking to explore themselves and their lives through past-life regression (PLR). In the hands of a trained practitioner, PLR can be an effective tool for bringing about self-knowledge and change, while offering an enjoyable experience.

But done simply for recreation or as a parlor trick, PLR can be confusing, unsettling, and a waste of time and money. It sounds so easy — simply pop a CD into the player, sit down in a comfortable chair, drift off into a hypnotic trance and zap, you are automatically transported to a past life in ancient Egypt, a Civil War battlefield, married to someone who is now your daughter or to any one of countless fantasies.

PLR can seem like magic, but it is not; nor is it a mental photo album that you simply pick up and flip through, as though looking at photographs of people you once were. The human mind is very complex, and exploring its back roads is more complicated than that.

If you are interested in experiencing a past life through PLR, here are some things to keep in mind. First, a PLR session should be conducted one-on-one by someone with training and experience in hypnotherapy and PLR technique, and not with a mass-produced CD or DVD. A qualified therapist will discuss the process with you and make sure you are comfortable throughout the experience.

Second, most people require two to three sessions in order to have a satisfying past-life experience. Like a physical skill, PLR requires practice. The more you do it, the easier it becomes and the more meaningful your experiences are.

Third, most people were not Cleopatra or Elvis or Jesus Christ in a past life. But whoever you were was a person who lived and loved, had value and dignity, and has something to teach you now. So if you decide to try PLR, seek out a qualified therapist, approach your session with an open mind, and be willing to embrace the life that was and is uniquely yours.

Gwen Farrell is a certified hypnotherapist in general practice with Southwest HypnoTherapy Group in Phoenix. 602-954-0962, activateyourmind@aol.com or www.swhtg.com.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 29, Number 4, Aug/Sept 2010.