SKEPTICISM

Anyone conducting Past Life Regressions has probably had a client say, “How do I know that what I’ll experience will be real” and/or “Can you promise that I’ll be able to have a past life experience?” These are good questions that deserve a straight forward answer. My answers are simple: (1) Because of the forensic protocol that I use in conducting past life sessions, anything that we uncover will come directly from you. (2) Although people can, in fact lie in hypnosis if they choose to, if you honestly want the information discovered to be truthful, that will not be a concern. (3) No, I can’t promise you that you’ll have a past life experience for 2 reasons: (a) You may not have had a past life and (b) If you have any trepidations about visiting a past life I can’t force you to go to it even if you have had one. What I can tell you is that if you’ve had a past life or lives and if you’re willing to go there, I can help you uncover your past experience.

Let’s face it… It’s like believing in God. For the most part, people who believe in past lives will believe and people who think its bull crap will likely never believe, regardless of what you say or show them. My philosophy is to follow procedure to the letter to assure that, to the best of my ability, no false memories are created and then to apply that information therapeutically in a way where the subject can use it to improve the quality of his or her current life.

FORENSIC DIALOGUE

The biggest pitfall when doing any type of regression is the risk of creating false memories. Regression, done properly, must be done forensically. This means that all statements and questions must be delivered in a benign way and in a way where statements and questions are in no way leading or presumptuous. Let me provide examples of proper and improper delivery.

Let’s assume for this hypothetical situation that I was asked by the police to provide memory retrieval for someone who has witnessed a crime. We’ll assume that I have regressed the subject to the known date, place and approximate time that the subject is known to have witnessed the crime. [Note: Because in this circumstance the date and place would be factual, know information, I can state a date and place without corrupting the session.] Following, are examples of both improper and proper delivery in regard to the forensic use of statements and/or questions.

Improper:
Therapist: Where are you, inside or out?
Subject: Outside.
Therapist: Are you alone or with someone?
Subject: Alone.
Therapist: Is it day or is it night?
Subject: Its night.
Therapist: Where are you?
Subject: I’m in the parking lot of Wal-Mart.
Therapist: How many cars do you see?
Subject: 10

This delivery is improper because it is the therapist that suggested, by an affirmative statement, that the subject saw “cars”. The idea of cars was introduced by the therapist not the subject. There may or may not have actually been cars in the lot but now we will never know for sure if what the subject constructed was real, false memory, or a mix of the two.

Proper:
Therapist: Where are you, inside or out?
Subject: Outside.
Therapist: Are you alone or with someone?
Subject: Alone.
Therapist: Is it day or is it night?
Subject: Its night.
Therapist: Where are you?
Subject: I’m in the parking lot of Wal-Mart.
Therapist: Describe your surroundings?
Subject: There are cars, trees, a trash can…
Therapist: Tell me more about the cars. How many cars do you see?
Subject: 8
Therapist: Are any one of those cars of particular interest to you?
Subject: Yes, the blue Ford.

As you can see, using this model all information comes from the subject. This method dramatically reduces the risk of creating false memories.

GROUP REGRESSIONS: Yes/No

Some people conduct group regression sessions. If they choose to do so, I respect their right to disagree with me but personally, I do not do group regressions. In my opinion group regression, more often than not, will result in false memory syndrome. Regression done properly is a very personal project where the therapist must pace carefully with the subject. In a group session the operator will likely suggest that the subjects will drift back through time to a previous life. By virtue of that suggestion alone false memory is likely. A vivid dream or hallucination about a past time or even the same of being someone from that past time does not constitute an actual regression.

CREATING vs. REVEILING

Unfortunately there are hypnotists and hypnotherapists that if paid to provide a trip into a past life will provide one for the subject… whether it is really there or not. This may be, (1) because he or she (even with the best of intentions) is poorly schooled in how to do regression work or (2) because they don’t want to look like a fool, if after taking the person’s money, nothing happens (perhaps afraid that they won’t get paid at all). The problem with creating an experience is that, regression of any type should have therapeutic purpose and if the therapy begins under a false premise (false memory) it will be ineffective. Therapy based on false data will be about as useful as a screen door on a submarine.

I heard that a popular TV show was having someone do past life regression on the show. I originally tuned in the show because I was interested in seeing how that person worked. After watching the segment I was appalled at the lack of protocol used in administering the session. In fact, I was so disappointed that I purchased a transcript of the show to use as an example of what not to do. I won’t mention the name of the person doing the regression or the name of the show because it is not my purpose to insult someone simply because I disagree with their methodology, but I have no problem with sharing with you portions of the transcript so that you can make your own evaluation. Although what follows is an excerpt from a larger transcript I took painstaking effort to be sure that the context and content is not tainted. Nothing has been rearranged or taken out of context or order. The only changes are the deletion of names and a couple of non-essential background statements. As I said, I don’t want to cast dispersions on another practitioner. I simply disagree with this process and think that there is more than a substantial probability that this delivery will and did create false memories. Just for fun, I have inserted the transcript twice. Read “Transcript copy #1” and see if you can find and underline statements and/or questions that could result in false memories. Then read Transcript #2 where I have underlined statements and/or questions that could result in false memories. Compare your findings to mine. No cheating now… Do your underlining before looking at mine! I have also noted my opinion beneath each item underlined as to “why” I think each underlined statement is improper. See how many you catch. Perhaps you will find ones that could have missed!

TRANSCRIPT copy #1 (from a popular TV show)

OPERATOR: Let’s go farther back now, back into past lives. Be there. What’s happening to you?
SUBJECT: I’m just floating.
OPERATOR: When you’re floating, do you feel anything?
SUBJECT: I’m on a plane.
OPERATOR: What kind of plane is this?
SUBJECT: It’s an old plane.
OPERATOR: Kind of a fighter plane, or a military plane?
SUBJECT: (grunts)
OPERATOR: Where’s it going? I’m going to tap you on the forehead and count down from three to one. Three, two, one. More details about the plane, the old plane. It’s hurtling through the sky.
SUBJECT: It’s having troubles flying.
OPERATOR: What kind of troubles?
SUBJECT: Can’t stay level.
OPERATOR: It can’t. Something’s happened to it?
SUBJECT: Mm-hmm.
OPERATOR: What happened? Can you share
SUBJECT: Smoke.
OPERATOR: From the plane? Are there other planes?
SUBJECT: Other planes.
SUBJECT: I don’t want to die.
OPERATOR: No. I don’t want to die, either. How many people are in the plane?
SUBJECT: Me and him.
OPERATOR: Just two. Do you do the gun? Is that what you’re doing?
SUBJECT: I don’t know who’s who.
OPERATOR: No. Is it confusing?
SUBJECT: I don’t know who to shoot.
OPERATOR: No. It’s okay.
SUBJECT: So sometimes I don’t shoot.
OPERATOR: No. No. But your plane gets hit.
SUBJECT: Yeah.
OPERATOR: Yeah.
SUBJECT: It’s my fault.
OPERATOR: Because you didn’t shoot? So they shot you instead? Because “Subject” refuses to shoot his guns, his own plane crashes. I see his reluctance to kill others in this past life as the mark of an advanced soul. It’s okay. I’m going to take you to the end. You don’t survive this fall from the plane, do you?
SUBJECT: No.
OPERATOR: No. Let’s go to the end now. You don’t have to go through it. When I touch you on the forehead, the plane will be down. You will leave that body and you’ll feel so much better. Now, leave the body. You’re not the soldier anymore. Just float above it. You can look down. What happens next as you float there? You’re relieved. There’s no fear anymore. What happens now?
SUBJECT: I’m not afraid.
OPERATOR: You’re not afraid anymore. Do you feel lighter now?
SUBJECT: Yeah.
OPERATOR: No pain?
SUBJECT: No pain.

TRANSCRIPT copy #2 (from a popular TV show) – With my underlines and comments

OPERATOR: Let’s go farther back now, back into past lives. Be there. What’s happening to you?
(The implied suggestion is that there were in fact past lives that the subject could now go to, when in fact that is an unknown.)
SUBJECT: I’m just floating.
OPERATOR: When you’re floating, do you feel anything?
SUBJECT: I’m on a plane.
OPERATOR: What kind of plane is this?
SUBJECT: It’s an old plane.
OPERATOR: Kind of a fighter plane, or a military plane?
(Why did the operator interject fighter or military plane? This statement could cause the entire rest of the experience to be tainted or even completely constructed through false memory)
SUBJECT: (grunts)
OPERATOR: Where’s it going? I’m going to tap you on the forehead and count down from three to one. Three, two, one. More details about the plane, the old plane. It’s hurtling through the sky.
(Why plant the idea that the plane is “Hurtling” through the sky. That could in fact have negative implications. The statement about” troubles” (below) might not have existed without the statement about hurdling through the sky. The statement, “What’s going on” was sufficient. The rest should come from the subject.)
SUBJECT: It’s having troubles flying.
OPERATOR: What kind of troubles?
SUBJECT: Can’t stay level.
OPERATOR: It can’t. Something’s happened to it?
(If we assume that the session is not already so completely corrupted that the information is useless and we were to continue… Why interject the idea that something happened to the plane. Perhaps there was a storm or something else occurred. If something happened to the plane then that information should come from the subject.)
SUBJECT: Mm-hmm.
OPERATOR: What happened? Can you share
SUBJECT: Smoke.
OPERATOR: From the plane? Are there other planes?
(Stating “From the plane”, implies and could immediately create the visualization that the smoke was coming from the plane when in fact it may have another source. / Look around. What else do you see, would be more appropriate. “Are there other planes?” Again, the question “Are there other planes” could actually create the other planes as part of the experience.)
SUBJECT: Other planes.
SUBJECT: I don’t want to die.
OPERATOR: No. I don’t want to die, either. How many people are in the plane?
(How many people are in the plane implies that there are other people in the plane, again possibly creating that hallucination or memory.)
SUBJECT: Me and him.
OPERATOR: Just two. Do you do the gun? Is that what you’re doing?
(“Do you do the gun?” The subject didn’t say anything about a gun and “Is that what you’re doing?” could easily put the gun in the subject’s hand.)
SUBJECT: I don’t know who’s who.
OPERATOR: No. Is it confusing?
(The subject never said specifically that he was confused… He might, however, feel that way after the statement implying confusion was interjected.)
SUBJECT: I don’t know who to shoot.
(IMPORTANT NOTE: Shooting may never have come into the picture but for the suggestions putting a gun in the subject’s hand.)
OPERATOR: No. It’s okay.
SUBJECT: So sometimes I don’t shoot.
OPERATOR: No. No. But your plane gets hit.
(“No. No. But your plane gets hit.” That couldn’t possibly create a false memory… Ya Think?)
SUBJECT: Yeah.
OPERATOR: Yeah.
SUBJECT: It’s my fault.
OPERATOR: Because you didn’t shoot? So they shot you instead? Because “Subject” refuses to shoot his guns, his own plane crashes. I see his reluctance to kill others in this past life as the mark of an advanced soul. It’s okay. I’m going to take you to the end. You don’t survive this fall from the plane, do you?
(This entire dialogue is from the operator and likely acts to script the entire experience for the subject. As well, the operator speaks in part to the audience describing his (operator’s) perception of what is going on. Obviously the subject hears those statements and is influenced by them.)
SUBJECT: No.
OPERATOR: No. Let’s go to the end now. You don’t have to go through it. When I touch you on the forehead, the plane will be down. You will leave that body and you’ll feel so much better. Now, leave the body. You’re not the soldier anymore. Just float above it. You can look down. What happens next as you float there? You’re relieved. There’s no fear anymore. What happens now?
(The plane going down (if it went down) and how it went down needs to come from the subject. As well, whether or not the subject leaves his body, feels better, or is a soldier should come from the subject not the operator.)
SUBJECT: I’m not afraid.
OPERATOR: You’re not afraid anymore. Do you feel lighter now?
(Do you feel lighter could very well plant that idea. Why not just say, “Tell me what you are experiencing”)
SUBJECT: Yeah.
OPERATOR: No pain?
(Why not just say, “Tell me how you feel”)
SUBJECT: No pain.

Obviously, the vast majority of the information in this regression was generated by the operator, not the subject and is likely false memory. I see no way that any of the information gathered would be useful in a therapeutic sense. In my opinion the entire regression, although possibly intriguing to the untrained audience/observer, would be of no therapeutic or factual value.

DO’S and DON’TS

BIG DON’T:
Prior to hypnosis DON’T tell them that they are going to visit a past life. That in itself is a waking hypnotic suggestion that could cause the development of false memory syndrome. While inducing hypnosis or when beginning the regression never state that they are going back in time to a previous life. That is, in itself, a hypnotic suggestion easily capable of causing false memory syndrome.

DO:
You can state that the subconscious mind is not bound by time or distance. You can ask them to go back in time to the most significant event in his or her “existence” either recently or even before birth that caused them to take on X,Y or Z (X, Y or Z = whatever therapeutically they are looking to accomplish with the therapy, through regression, e.g.: overcoming a fear or phobia etc.). Once regressed to that point, if he or she is still experiencing their current life you can ask them to go back even further to another important time or place even prior to this. Then keep doing more of the same. [Note: If you are working therapeutically to eradicate a particular fear or phobia for example, you may not want to go back any farther. You have probably arrived at the event that caused the problem.]

Don’t:
Don’t buy into the subject’s preconceived idea of a possible past life (e.g.: I’ve always felt a connection to the sea so I think I was a sailor in a past life).

Do:
Encourage them to let go of preconceived ideas and welcome whatever (if anything) comes out of the session.

Don’t:
Don’t use a person’s name in any regression until you have asked them their name, not while in hypnosis and/or not while regressed. This is true even if you are doing time regression and not actually looking to accomplish a past life regression as your subject may have regressed to a past life without your knowledge. If he or she has already regressed, unknown to you, and you use his or her current name in addressing that person, you will likely snap them back to the present by mentioning their current name.

Do:
Ask questions like: Are you mail or female? How old are you? What is your name?

FAIR AND HONEST

If you adhere to the following idea you will serve your clients well… If someone comes to you for a past life regression your responsibility is to explore the “possibility” that he or she has had a past life without the preconceived notion that the subject has or hasn’t had a previous life experience. You can then use information obtained from that session to help your client in accomplishing his or her goals. It is not your responsibility to assure that he or she will in fact experience a past life. If you start with the idea that you’re going to take the client to a past life, and that is your agenda, you will likely create false memories. If your agenda is to honestly help your client find the knowledge to improve the quality of their life and to better understand him or her self, then, if a past life experience occurs it will likely be honest and true.

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