Past Life Regression: Is It Real?
By Lauren Archer
Whether or not you believe in reincarnation, the therapeutic process
known as Past Life Regression is an amazingly useful tool for personal growth
and self-awareness.
Many of you have asked for my opinion on this topic, so here it is, in a
nutshell.
The images that one's inner mind conjures up during a regression can be viewed
and interpreted
in a
number of ways, depending on your philosophical orientation.
Let's explore some possibilities, including but not
limited to the following:
Past-Life Regression: Possible Explanations
* Some say that the memories are just a rearrangement of mental
imagery from books, movies, fantasies
and stories. If this is true,
we can still interpret the way our mind has
rearranged the story, especially
our role in it, to provide insight,
inspiration, and greater perspective.
* Another way of
perceiving this phenomenon is that past life regression
sessions allow us a way of accessing global memory patterns in the
"race mind"
or the "Akashic Records." In this case, we identify the
particular relevance to the individual
experiencing these memories,
and explore interpretations.
* Past
life memories may even be ancestral memory patterns
that are stored within the DNA in our cells, and
transferred
via genetics to the brain (although many regressions
reveal completely different ancestral heritages so this theory
doesn't hold much water).
* One can't overlook the possibility that past life
regression memories
are simple hallucinations. If that is the
case, these images can still be
extremely useful because they can be therapeutically analyzed in
much the same way as dream interpretation,
that is, using
story and symbols to understand deeper levels
of personality
and their relevance to one's current life's
journey.
* Some people relate metaphors or archetypal images, which may reveal
or represent lost or hidden aspects of the
self. Many psychological
theories embrace the concept that aspects of
our personalities
undergo processes of change, can be abandoned
or lost, repressed,
or wounded. The other side of this is when we
over-identify with a
psychological archetype (such as the good
provider or the perfect
mother). Images from past life regression
sessions can help one's
psyche integrate and understand different
aspects of self, allowing
one to experience a fuller range of potential
in their daily life.
* And of course, past life memories may
be actual memories of other lives,
lived in other times and/or other
dimensions. These may be interpreted
as completely accurate
and factual, or, like other memories, we must take
into consideration that our memory can be somewhat skewed based
on psychological interpretation or psychosocial filters. It's also important
to consider that the Earth plane may not be
the only source of other lives,
and that the concept of time as we experience
is likely very limited.
* We must also consider possibilities like parallel
realities, astral travel,
multi-dimensional time, future travel, and
other realms of existence.
A Different Quality of Experience
Many people who have experienced past life regression
memories have
reported a distinct difference in the quality
of their experience. Whereas
daydreams, hallucinations, and other memories may be
diffused, fuzzy,
or subtle, there are consistent reports that past
life regression memories
are vivid, tactile, and filled with rich sensations.
More often than not, the memories trigger strong
emotions as well,
because the human psyche is more deeply impressed
with strong
emotional imagery than with the mundane states of
consciousness
most common in day-to-day life. Therefore, people
tend to remember
moments of significance, so that they can retrieve
insights gained from
their past experience and relate it to their present
situation.
Belief Isn't Required
In light of all of these viable possibilities, it
becomes clear that you don't
need to "believe" in past life regression to gain
valuable benefits from
a session or series of sessions. Whatever your belief system,
you can
experience emotional healing, greater awareness,
wisdom and insight,
release of past patterns, and even more benefits
through the process
of past life regression therapy.
To schedule a
private session, contact Lauren at 425-881-7082.
For further reading:
Exploring Past Lives, by Mary Lee LaBay
Life After Life, by Raymond Moody
Many Lives, Many Masters, by Brian Weiss
The Afterlife Experiments, by Gary Schwartz