January 6th, 2022
Co-authored by Dr. Holly Holmes-Meredith and Bill Yarborough.
Do you ever ponder engaging in past life regression therapy? If so, what possibilities spring to mind? Will you recall being a wealthy business magnate in nineteenth-century America or a dirt-poor serf in medieval Europe? Will you have been a well-known historical figure or—more likely—an obscure person forgotten by history? Maybe you’ll remember all the above—along with many other previous lives.
But past life regression does not necessarily mean you’ve actually lived previous lives. There are many working theories of what might be happening when people experience a past life in hypnotherapy. Whatever the theory, the interesting part is that past life regression work can provide therapeutic benefits going beyond the novelty of recalling a past life. Here are some theories explaining past lives:
With various theories explaining past life memories, it is clear you do not have to believe in reincarnation, or even in past lives, to engage in past-life therapy and gain benefits in this lifetime.
Past life regression has proven effective for many kinds of issues that people work through in therapy: phobias, feeling stuck in patterns, relationship issues, questions of life purpose, grief and loss, death and dying, physical issues and illness.
The following examples show how past life regression provides therapeutic benefits. To maintain anonymity, we’ve changed certain details.
Holly worked with a woman who was the only one in her family who never went into the ocean during their Hawaiian vacations because of a deathly fear of the water. During a past life regression, she remembered she was drowned as a witch during the Middle Ages. After the regression, she realized her fear had nothing to do with her current life and was able to overcome it.
Bill knew a young woman who was always the life of the party and unable to slow down. During a past life regression, Bill recalled a past life where both the woman and he were monks living a cerebral life divorced from the outside world. He suspected the woman’s present choices were influenced by the maxim, “been there, done that, try something new!” As it turned out, she, too, had independently recalled the life of a monk and started to bring more balance into her life. Another interesting aspect of regression work is that we tend to have “traveled” in previous lives with people we’re connected to in this life.
These examples hint at spiritual effects from past life regression, particularly when you recall multiple past lives. As you reflect on various lives, you may see how the actions taken in one life can have a cause and effect on another life—that you sow what you reap. Such a broader perspective can create an awareness that you’re creating lessons for yourself through different lives to provide opportunities for spiritual growth. You may come to see that you are not just your body, or an individual preoccupied with your own wellbeing, but comprehend something greater—a sense of oneness and understanding that life is for loving, learning, and conscious evolution.
In line with biology and physics are the following additional past life regression theories which can also lead to an expanded world view and a feeling of connectedness:
If you are interested in experiencing a past life regression, you can choose a self-guided process available on CDs—although the skill and guidance of a well-trained regression therapist are recommended.
The International Board for Regression Therapy’s website at IBRT.org lists good choices for regression therapists. A well-trained regression therapist uses non-directive language and asks open-ended questions to ensure the client is generating their own past life content uninfluenced by the therapist.
If you have questions or comments, please reach out to us via the contact information on our websites: Holly@hypnotherapytraining.com or Bill@billyarborough.com on his contact page.
By Dr. Holly Holmes-Meredith, D. Min., MFT, Board Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist and Bill Yarborough, CHT, and Certified EFT Practitioner.
Below is the link to the December 2021 Diablo Gazette. Our Emotional Health column is on page 13.
Categories: Emotional Health Articles, past life, past life regression, past life regression therapy, past lives