Past Life Regression and Child abuse

Few of us get out of childhood without some trauma, no matter how loving our caretakers were. It may have been an accident, an animal attack, or witnessing a trauma like war or abuse. It could, as we know, be a trusted adult who acts incredibly selfish and irresponsibly towards a vulnerable child.

When a trauma occurs the young child makes a decision that, at the time may be a useful survival strategy, and later becomes a part of his or her unconscious operating system. The trauma event is long over but the early decision still operates in the adult's life creating difficulty.

All childhood abuse leaves emotional scars in the mind and these play out through ones life in a multitude of ways. Low confidence, aggression, relationship troubles, sexual problems, self-sabotage, guilt, anxiety, depression… all are common symptoms one may experience as a result of abuse as a child.

When the child experiences the abuse, it is like an “emotion overload”, and when the subconscious mind just cannot cope at that moment, it uses a process called “repression” to protect the child from being emotionally overwhelmed. The downside of this process is that emotions become “trapped” back there, and cause problems and symptoms in ones present day life.

Memories of abuse as a child are often repressed through the very mechanism, which enables the child to survive the horror - dissociation. He or she gets through the betrayal, the physical assault, the pain and the helplessness by mentally separating from the body. It seems as though the abuse is happening to someone else.

Sometimes this dissociation can be so effective that all conscious memory of the abuse is lost. Sometimes memories surface later, in adulthood. Often as flashbacks or nightmares.

All childhood abuse leaves deep scars, affecting your beliefs about yourself for the rest of your life. And even though the abuse may have happened a long time ago, it may still be affecting your life today. Many abuse victims admit to having low confidence, exhibiting higher than normal levels of aggression, having relationship difficulties, experiencing sexual problems, indulging in self-sabotage or even self-harm, harboring guilty feelings, and feeling generally anxious.

Individuals are imprisoned on the ‘evidence’ provided by memories that come back in dreams and flashbacks. What type of impact can repressed memories have on someone's overall life? 

"Unconscious behavior and unexpressed emotion from repressed memories can create uncomfortable patterns in ones life. These patterns tend to keep reappearing and create difficulties, like addictions and their consequences. It may also show up as a strong reaction to a situation, a sudden eruption of anger, or obsessive thinking. As in the case of young children who have been subjected to sexual abuse will exhibit symptoms of increased autonomic arousal in their later life which can be recognized when they:

·         experiences sleep disturbances which can magnify symptoms and can encourage psychoactive substance abuse

·         becomes irritable or prone to explosive outbursts of fear, panic or anger particularly when the original trauma is recollected or re-enacted

·         experiences difficulty in concentrating or remembering

·         is continually hyper vigilant and employs survivalist tactics or victimization mechanisms of relevance to the original trauma

·         exhibits an exaggerated startle response and increased hypersensitivity.

Past Life Regression Therapy addresses these problems by going to the root cause which either occurred in a previous life or in an earlier part of this life memory of which has since been repressed.

Past Life Regresssion through the ages

The belief of Reincarnation and Past Life has existed for centuries in various civilizations and faiths .Oral traditions and written legends around the world make it evident that reincarnation has been an integral part of human worldviews from the early days of civilization. 

Carl Gustav Jung (1875 – 1961) wrote ‘My life often seemed to me like a story that has no beginning and no end.  I had the feeling that I was a historical fragment, an excerpt for which the preceding and succeeding text was missing.  I could well imagine that I might have lived in former centuries and there encountered questions I was not yet able to answer; that I had been born again because I had not fulfilled the task given to me.’

In Tibetan Buddhism’s Bardo Thodol or Book of the Dead which was said to have been  written  by Padma-Sambhava, an Indian mystic who introduced Buddhism to Tibet in the 8th century, it is stated that a soul passes through many nonphysical worlds before reincarnation on earth.

The main difference between Hinduism and Buddhism is that Buddhism feels there is no permanent soul, just a pulsating subconscious that goes from life to life learning lessons until enlightenment is reached. In Buddhism, there exist three fires of craving, ill will, and ignorance which cause rebirth. To achieve nirvana these fires must be extinguished. Hinduism on the other hand believes in a permanent soul.

Spain was a great center of philosophy, and Solomon ibn Gabirol  שלמה בן יהודה אבן גבירול or Avicebron(1021 – 1058), a Spanish Jew, brought Plato's teachings (who believed in a soul) to the European thought.

 In Egypt, transmigration was the accepted mechanism of reincarnation. After a person died, he or she would reincarnate as an animal for as long as 3000 years until purified. Only then, would he or she return to the human form. The Books of Hermes states "From one soul of the Universe are all souls derived. The soul passes from form to form".

Elsewhere, in ancient Greece, Orpheus (Ὀρφεύς) the founder of Greek theology was used by both  Pythagoras and Plato as a source for their own philosophies. Pythagoras (582-507BC) stated and recalled many memories of his soul's incarnations (in Troy etc.). Plato (427-347 BC) stated every soul is immortal. In every succession of life & death you will do and suffer what like fitly may suffer at the hands of like.

The Roman poet Ennius introduced Karma to the Romans. In his "Annals", he tells how Homer appeared to him in a dream and told him their two bodies had the same soul. Virgil (70-19 BC) in the Aeneid says, "All souls return again into living bodies".

According to these teachings all human souls have a common origin from Adam Kadmon. Adam's original sin brought higher and lower souls into confusion. As a result every soul passes through a series of incarnations before returning to God. Ancient Jews believed that Moses was the reincarnation of Abel, the Son of Adam. The Messiah was the reincarnation of Adam himself, who had already come a second time as David.

 

Past Life Regression and Bhagavad Gita

Past Life Regression Therapy is based on the principles of cause and effect also known as the law of Reincarnation / Karma. An action that has been set in motion at a specific time in the past resulting in a corresponding effect on a person’s present emotional, physical, mental or spiritual well being, at this moment. This cause may be a past desire, past promise, past talent, past thought, past feeling, past vow, past emotion, past decision, past evasion or past traumatic experience.

As very appropriately quoted in the Gita, the soul of a person is immortal and through the process of Past Life Regression one can tap into these memories of his/her soul’s experience in different lives before the present. As the present is the sum total of the past, the Law of Karma or Reincarnation allows you to re-live and release the issues by awareness and realization with the help of Past Life Regression.

Past live regression therapy also incorporates Age Regression which is a time travel technique that makes one travel backwards in time in the present lifetime to unravel hidden powers and uncover and release blockages created to embrace a fulfilling and beautiful life ahead.

In the Bhagavad Gita 4:5, Lord Krishna told Arjun “Many, many births both you and I have passed. I can remember all of them, but you cannot, O subduer of the enemy!”

This life is a University where we come to learn our lessons & evolve spiritually. Until and unless we evolve spiritually we can neither be happy nor can we transcend the cycle of birth & death.

The soul has lived many lives. This life is one page or one life of the endless life’s our soul has lived. Our real self is ‘Atman’, the supreme consciousness. Only when we know our true self, can we be free from this vicious circle of birth & death.

Each soul, by his own choice, passes through many earthly sojourns and is given a chance to develop spiritually. In the process, mistakes may also be made, and actions may be taken that move us farther away from God; but in each lifetime we are also free to act so as to make up for those errors.

It is through our actions that we create many of our own rewards and punishments. Of course, it is up to us to alter or redirect our lives at any time. It is through various experiences that we grow and develop. All experiences are for our good and sometimes it takes what we would consider a negative experience to help develop our spirits. We chose many of our weaknesses and difficult situations in our lives so that we could grow. We were very willing, even anxious, as spirits to accept all of our ailments, illness, and accidents on earth, to help better ourselves spiritually. Our most sever challenges will one day reveal themselves to be our greatest teachers. Grief is growth. Soul cleansing can come through illness. We should not consider ourselves to be the unfortunate victims of the circumstances we are in. Some of us have come to earth to unite in a cause to change certain things, some to strengthen a course already set and to pave the way for those who may follow. Some come to earth for a short time, living only hours or days after birth.

Each lifetime is another opportunity to move the transmigration of our soul forward through the accumulation of positive Karma. We must strive over onward through many cycles until we achieve sufficient perfection to rejoin God. It is the law, for no imperfect thing will ever have the opportunity to become a part of Godhead.

According to the Bhagavad-Gita, Lord Krishna said man's real self or soul is immortal and independent of the body, it neither kills nor is killed. It is indestructible, imperishable and inaccessible to the sufferings, which afflict the body. Eternal, omnipresent, fixed, immovable, everlasting is the human soul. “He is not slain when the body is slain”. Bhagavad Gita (2:20)

As laying aside worn-out garments, a man takes on other new ones, so laying aside worn out bodies, the embodied (soul) enters into other new ones. Rebirth is under the control of karma or "actions" and salvation is through ultimate release from the round of rebirths. All creatures are composed of two distinct elements, namely soul and body. The body including what are called "psychic" elements, is material; is subject to evolution, devolution and changes of all sorts; and consists of a blend of various elements or qualities. The material body, upon other material bodies or substances performs all action. The soul neither acts nor is affected by action. It has only contemplative powers.

Any action, good or bad, must normally have its effect in continued existence for the doer. According to the Bhagavad Gita, this is due not to the action as such, but due to desire underlying the action.

 

 

Case #6 Migraine and Past Life regression

The word Migraine is derived from the Greek word ἡμικρανία (hemikrania)  which means "pain on one side of the head" - ἡμι- (hemi-) "half" and κρανίον (kranion) "skull".

Medical professionals are still baffled by what causes migraines in the first place often attributing it to stress or even genetics. With tests and MRI scans usually coming back negative and medication only providing moderate relief, conventional treatments rely on lifestyle changes and pills yet many patients still struggle with the symptoms. 

For many years it was thought that these headaches were the result of a dilation of the blood vessels, caused by stress and tension. Present-day research now tends to favor alternative explanations. In some cases the emotional circumstances of the patient's life, past and present can influence the situation. Old memories or unresolved trauma can surface. Migraine headaches that stem from a past lifetime will cease to exist once the trauma is identified and resolved or removed through past life regression therapy.

Sushma* came to me with a case of extreme migraine which she had been suffering for the past 20 years.

On undergoing past life regression, she found herself in the year 1656 as a soldier on board a Spanish ship engaged in battle with the English. During the course of the battle he gets hit on the head and subsequently succumbs to his injuries and dies.

* Name changed to protect patient confidentiality

Journey of the soul to Moksha

Past life regression has its foundations in the belief of reincarnation, and consequently in the 'Law of Karma'. This is a theory which states that a soul is on a journey to merge with what is termed as  'Universal Consciousness' or 'Supreme Power'. On this journey, the soul takes on a physical form in a body, so that it can learn certain lessons along the way, and naturally, meets and encounters other souls on different stages of their cosmic journey. It interacts with these souls to create 'Karma'. This journey entangles the soul into the consequences of the actions and keeps bringing it back to interact with the same and different souls, again and again. Naturally, this means that the soul has to take on a physical form, again. Thus begins an unending cycle. The soul has to eventually understand that this cycle is endless, unless it breaks away totally and  merges into the Universe, never to be caught up in this cycle again. When this happens, the soul can then say to have attained 'Moksha' or 'Becomes Enlightened'. This theory also states that there are those evolved souls who choose once again to come back in a physical body so that they may guide others towards this knowledge. These bodies are termed as 'Enlightened Leaders' or 'Bodhisattvas'.

Case #5 - PLR and Pteromerhanophobia

Pteromerhanophobia  or fear of flying may be a distinct phobia in itself, or it may be an indirect combination of one or more other phobias related to flying, such as claustrophobia (a fear of enclosed spaces) oracrophobia (a fear of heights). It may have other causes as well, such as agoraphobia (especially the type that has to do with fear of open spaces). It is a symptom rather than a disease, and different causes may bring it about in different individuals.


The fear receives more attention than most other phobias because air travel is often difficult for people to avoid.  A fear of flying may prevent a person from going on vacations or visiting family and friends, and it can cripple the career of a businessperson by preventing them from traveling on work-related business.


The fear of flying may be created by various other phobias and fears: 
* fear of crashing which most likely result in death.
* a fear of closed in spaces (claustrophobia), such as that of an aircraft cabin
* a fear of heights (acrophobia)
* a feeling of not being in control
* fear of vomiting, motion sickness can make the person vomit, thus making flying hard.
* fear of having panic attacks in certain places, where escape would be difficult and/or embarrassing (agoraphobia)
* fear of hijacking or terrorism
* fear of turbulence
* fear of flying over water or night flying


A previous traumatizing experience with air travel or somehow connected to flying can also trigger a fear of flying. 


Rahul* a 13 year old young man was brought to me by his parents due to his fear of travelling in an aircraft. As the family was bases in U.S. and travelled to India at least once a year to look up  the aging elders, this travel initially was done by sedating Rahul, but as he started growing up was becoming a difficult proposition.


On being regressed, Rahul found himself in Europe in the year 1934 as a successful businessman, who used to travel a lot all  over Europe. During the course of one of these travels, he had to take a flight from London to Paris for concluding a business deal. However, the flight never reached Paris and crashed into the sea taking him and the other passengers down with it.


His parents subsequently a couple of months later called me to tell that Rahul now seemed to have got over his fear and could now travel by air without any problem.


*  Name changed to protect patient’s identity. 

Past Life Regression and Freud

The word regression means to go back to or to return to something. If you were a student of statistics, you would know that a regression equation shows the probability of the occurrence of a future event based upon past behavior.  Past Life Regression is a trans-disciplinary field related to hypnosis but not dependent upon it. Actually, Past-Life Regression Therapy is the retrospection of the soul's journey. It is a reflection (or several reflections) on the past that can bring meaning to present life activities and can indicate a vision for the future. The history of every soul is stored in the unconscious mind. Gaining access to that record, at least to the section related to the present, could prove to be quite significant in understanding the root cause of certain behavior. The recall of such events, along with insights from the current perspective, can have a direct and profound impact on the desire to improve one's well-being.

 Past Life Regression was first used by Dr. Pierre Janet in Paris in the 1890's. Dr. Janet collaborated with Sigmund Freud, experimenting with past life regression as a therapeutic tool. Subsequently, for sixty years the subject was taboo, till an American hypnotherapist called Morey Bernstein brought the therapy back to life in 1960’s when he published "The Search For Bridie Murphy,” an account of one of his clients who went back over two hundred years -to when she was an Irishwoman called Bridie Murphy.

 About the same time Arnall Bloxham, an English hypnotherapist of high repute, collaborated with the BBC in making a Television program of a housewife called Jane Evans, who was regressed, live on screen, back to a life as a twelfth century Jewess called Rachel who lived in York in 1189 in the reign of the bad King John. Live on television, she recalled how she was the wife of a wealthy moneylender called Joseph. In great detail she described how she and her family and other members of the Jewish community were hounded by a mob led by a nobleman called Richard Malebisse to whom her husband had lent money and who had refused to repay. They and their two children tried to take refuge in York Castle but were ejected by the constable of the castle, and eventually found their way to a crypt of a church just outside the gates of York. It was here that the family was put to death by the sword.

 Freud believed that behavior has a cause which usually is hidden from the conscious mind. He wrote, "Amnesia lies at the base of all neurotic symptoms. Our goal is to reveal the forgotten memories through yet to be learned methods." One of Freud’s yet to be learned" methods seems to be that of Past Life Regression Therapy. Over the years, it has followed the general procedure of experimentation which led to research which, in turn, led to application. Today, Past Life Regression Therapy has become a therapeutic tool employed by many people to enhance the quality of life.

Addiction and Past Life Regression Therapy ...cont.

Addiction is a compulsion that makes an individual yield to addictive causes unmindful of the hazardous consequences. There are no specific causes of any addiction aside from use of a substance or activity, and there is also no way to predict who will become dependent on use.  Any substance or activity that has the capacity to be pleasurable can provide the conditions for addiction, as all addictions impact various neural circuits of the brain, including those related to reward, motivation, and memory.

Our addiction theories and policies are woefully outdated. Research shows that there are no demon drugs. Nor are addicts innately defective. Nature has supplied us all with the ability to become hooked—and we all engage in addictive behaviors to some degree.

Millions of people are "hooked," not only on heroin, morphine, amphetamines, tranquilizers, and cocaine, but also nicotine, caffeine, sugar, steroids, work, theft, gambling, exercise, and even love and sex, despite every kind of addiction treatment from psychosurgery, psychoanalysis, psychedelics, and self-help to acupuncture, group confrontation, family therapy, hypnosis, meditation, education and tough love.

Scientists have learned that every animal, from the ancient hagfish to reptiles, rodents, and humans, share the same basic pleasure and "reward" circuits in the brain, circuits that all turn on when in contact with addictive substances or during pleasurable acts such as eating or orgasm One conclusion from this evidence is that addictive behaviors are normal, a natural part of our "wiring." If they weren't, or if they were rare, nature would not have let the capacity to be addicted evolve, survive, and stick around in every living creature.

Our brains didn't develop opiate receptors to tempt us with heroin addiction. The coca plant didn't develop cocaine to produce what we call crack addicts. This plant doesn't care two hoots about our brain. But heroin and cocaine addiction certainly tell us a great deal about how brains work. And how they work is that if you taste or experience something that you like, that feels good, you're reinforced to do that again. Basic drives, for food, sex, and pleasure, activate reward centers in the brain. They're part of human nature.

One of the methods of curing a person from addiction is Past Life Regression Therapy, leading to the question as to what transpires during Past Life Regression Therapy ? And how does this help.

When the person is taken into one of his/her past lives by the therapist, the subconscious mind begins to pour out the deepest emotions, wounds and sorrow of that particular life. This pour out in itself is considered a big step in rehabilitation because grief shared is grief halved. It is found by research that more than 10 percent of the addictions are because of moments of sorrow in the child hood whose causes could be very trivial. Once those trivial causes are treated through Past Life Regression Therapy, the addict can easily do away with addiction. Reliving events of the past can also give the subconscious mind a better picture of the sequence of events. Any misconceptions could also be cleared because of this pour out.