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'.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
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.
Monday, February 13, 2012
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.