Saturday, February 21, 2009

Past Life Regression as a Therapy

Synopsis;
This article is about the therapeutic use of Past Life Regression, a definition of what a Past Life Regression is and how experiencing a Past Life can help you understand yourself better, as taught by Dr. Brian Weiss.

Before reading about Past Life Regressions, it would be helpful to have a working definition of what a PLR is. The following definition is by Florence Wagner McClain of the Llewellyn Encyclopedia http://www.llewellynencyclopedia.com/article/169 and I find to be quite accurate.


"Past life regression is just remembering.
Stored in your subconscious mind are the memories of all of your experiences since you became a soul with the awareness of your individuality. Regression is reaching into those memory banks to recapture the events of past lifetimes.

It isn't so very different from trying to remember events that took place during your early childhood. At first, the memories may be dim and few, but each event remembered sparks another memory and another until it becomes easy.

In one way, you might compare it to an information storage system that has had little or no use for a long period of time. Some of the file drawers are stuck, or rusty. There are a few cobwebs here and there. Dust is thick and fills the air making it difficult to see. Some of the light bulbs have burned out, and the file clerk has taken an extended vacation.

But-a little attention here and there, putting the system on notice that you intend to make extensive use of it, and everything slowly begins to shift into gear. Shortly the system is running efficiently, retrieving the memories and information you request.

There are many ways to get the attention of your 'file clerk,' or gain access to your subconscious. Nearly everyone has experienced a form of spontaneous regression. For example, have you ever met someone for the first time, but felt an immediate kinship as if you were old and intimate friends? You probably were friends in some past lifetime, and the presence of that soul caused your subconscious to produce the proper emotion for that far-past relationship.

Perhaps you have traveled to some strange place only to find that it is familiar to you-you have a feeling of being at home. No doubt it was home to you sometime in the past. These are not uncommon experiences.

Very young children often have fairly clear memories of past lives. Sometimes these memories take the form of daydreams or are acted out in play. Occasionally past life memories are the basis for some of the fears of childhood. The child who is afraid of water may have memories of having drowned in another lifetime. The child who is afraid of the dark or can't bear to be in a confined area may have, at least, the emotional memories of the POW who was kept in the dark or confined in a small cage. Children usually forget past life memories rather quickly as they approach school age.

Some individuals have gained a certain amount of access to their subconscious through the practice of meditation. Probably the most familiar method of gaining access to the subconscious is through conventional hypnosis under the guidance of a trained Hypnotherapist".




Now, with a good definition you can imagine how the knowledge of a past life can affect your present life. If you are new to the concept of Past Lives (PL’s), I am going to confine this article to the basics of the concept. In future articles and workshops, I plan on developing a more detailed explanation of how PL’s can be a very useful therapy.

To be open to and explore the subject of PL’s, we need to make an assumption. You do not have to believe in PL’s, but you should be at least open to the possibility of reincarnation. Reincarnation is the bedrock for the belief in Past Life Regressions (PLR’s), so for the sake of argument, let’s assume that reincarnation is real. Your soul is immortal and uses the physical world as a school to learn, grow, evolve and assist others in their growth.

During a PLR, I will hypnotize you to visualize yourself going back in time, first, to a happy childhood memory.
Then, through the use of regressions we will go back to an earlier time in your life and finally I will have you sense yourself in your mother’s womb.
Next, with the permission of your higher self, we will go back to a place and earlier time that your soul was in another body.
There you experience various significant events in that life, which are affecting your life, now. You will experience your death in that life, which may sound scary, but is really enlightening because it proves to you, that death, is not as permanent as you may have first thought.
After your “death” in that life, your soul goes into “the light”, where you visit with the souls of family that has passed.

Past Life Regression Therapy (PLRT) is the therapeutic use of a past life regression to determine what experiences your soul had in that past life, which is now affecting your current life.
You gain insight as to why certain unexplained thoughts, fears, angers, etc. had bothered you, which suddenly, now make sense.
The therapeutic use of PLR was perfected by Dr. Brian Weiss (www.brianweiss.com) among others; PLRT has helped thousands of people with issues in their current life that could not be helped by more traditional therapeutic techniques.

I had the pleasure and honor to be taught by Dr. Brian Weiss in a week long Past Life Regression Workshop and Advanced PLR workshops that included “Future Life Progression”
(I will be writing and having workshops on that in the future).
At this PLR Workshop there were 150 therapists, doctors, hypnotherapists, teachers from all over the world to learn the PLRT techniques as taught by Dr. Weiss.
As you can imagine there were many, many questions posed to Brian and he answered them all in the loving nurturing way that is so his manner.

I will list some of the more popular questions and give the answers Brian gave.

Do I have to be “Very Deep” in hypnosis to have a PLR?
Not really. If you understand that issues from past lives can affect your current life, then those memories must be very close to the surface, readily accessible, even in a light trance.

How do I know it is a “real” past life experience and not my imagination?
This is a very good question. Therapeutically speaking, if the person has a better life; better able to function in society, with less stress and a better understanding of who he is and the purpose of his life… If he is better able to cope, in general, from the information he receives from a past life…Does it matter if it real or imagination? Of course it didn’t matter…And as Dr. Weiss said… But it IS real!”

How do you know PLRT is real?
I know from experience. As always, I will state that my belief in PLR, along with everything else on my website is my opinion. However, if you want to discuss the subject of real vs. imagination, contact me or enter a question unto this blog.

Can “Bad things” happen from a PLR, like in the movie “Stir of Echo’s”?
PLR is safe and enlightening. The only contraindications for any PLR or regression therapy are in the case of serious mental or emotional conditions. A person should NOT participate in PLR, regression work or hypnosis if they have been diagnosed by a medical practitioner as clinically depressed, bi-polar, manic/depression, etc.

For more information look at my website www.HYP4LIFE.com
More interesting sites

Carol Bowman's website;
http://www.childpastlives.org/

Webliography.
http://www.llewellynencyclopedia.com/article/169
www.brianweiss.com

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Group Hypnosis and Telephone Psychics... Buyers Beware

Synopsis;

This article is about the concerns everyone should have when deciding to participate in a group hypnosis workshop or seeking a psychic. There are links to online reports of misrepresentations by unscrupulous hypnosis and psychic practitioners. How everyone should keep a healthy skepticism and the best method of finding a hypnosis or metaphysical practitioner that is right for you.

All hypnosis is good for you.
A very strong statement, but one I stand behind.
No hypnotist, no matter how gifted, experienced or deceitful can make you do something that goes against your better judgment.
Even if you saw your best friend, making a fool of him or herself during a hypnosis stage show, you should know that they would be that goofy in the right situation and the hypnosis just let them let their hair down a little quicker.
Stage hypnosis is a double edged sword.
On one hand it demonstrates how powerful hypnosis is and at the same time it frightens away many people from taking advantage of a very beneficial therapeutic technique.
During a hypnosis session (group or individual) you will feel relaxed and your body will totally de-stress, your blood pressure will be reduced, time will fade away with your stress.
Sounds good, huh?
That’s ‘cause it is good.

Speaking in general, group hypnosis during a seminar or workshop can help people quit smoking or lose weight but, can never be as effective as a private session.
The reasons are many and obvious.
During group hypnosis, the hypnotist must adjust his technique for the average participant. Some will be deeper than others and so their hypnotic experience will be better,
while other participants will never experience hypnosis at all.

There are however, many benefits to attending a hypnosis workshop.
They are an inexpensive way to experience hypnosis
and understand what it feels like to be in hypnosis.

If you are in the 10 percent of the population that are extremely good hypnotic subjects,
you may walk out of the workshop and be perfectly happy and satisfied with the results.
Perhaps you will never smoke again or begin to control eating urges and
in general, most group hypnosis workshops are happy with a 10 % success rate.
I am not.
That is why my group hypnosis workshops are 4-5 hours long.
The reason why my group sessions are so long is because,
I want all participants to have the best shot at a great experience.
The workshops that I am doing now are,
"Smoking Cessation",
“Introduction to Hypnosis”,
“Past Life Regression”,
“Stress Management” and
“Hypnosis and Meditation”
In each group workshop, I will conduct at least three hypnosis experiences,
each one progressively more deeper than the previous one.
The reason is I want you to have a thouough experience
and not question if you were hypnotized.
The more often you experience hypnosis,
the deeper you go and your questioning if, in fact, you were hypnotized
becomes a moot point.
I want to feel comfortable that when you leave my workshop,
you will be satisfied, although I still admit,
group hypnosis can never be as effective as a private session.

There is a big difference between cynics and skeptics (I used to be a cynic)
no matter what proof you had,
if I didn’t believe in what you were “selling”,
I wasn't buying.
Period.

It didn’t matter if the proof was beyond doubt,
I was a non-believer and nothing would or could change my mind.
If that sounds like you, and nothing will change your mind,
you are not allowing a lot of joy and amazement into your life.
Consider challenging your disbelief,
you may be pleasantly surprised at the results of letting your
disbeliening guard down a little.

I am now a skeptic. I now will accept that anything as possible,
but I hold off, true belief until I am completely convinced.
Those things in life that I do not believe in,
I still allow myself the option of changing my mind,
should stronger proof come along.
I think I am a healthier person now than before.
I consider myself a “healthy” skeptic.

As in all professions, there are practitioners who are honest,
professional and totally reputable, but unfortunately,
there are those that are not
and give their profession a bad name.
With hypnosis (other than the types of group hypnosis seminars cited below)
there are hypnotists that are better than others,
but an extremely small percentage are fraudulent.

Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the field of Psychic/Mediumship.
The few fraudulent psychics have terribly besmirched
the reputation of practioners of this age old art and ability.
But in this case you MUST keep your healthy skepticism on high,
because in this field,
where people are so open and vulnerable,
the possibility of being a victim is higher than when looking for a hypnotherapist.
I suggest reading my blog article titled, “Metaphysicality”.

Here are a few articles from the internet about some, less than honest hypnosis smoking cessation and weight management programs and call in psychics.
You should always remember to thoroughly investigate any group hypnosis program, hypnocounselor/hypnotherapist or psychic.
Advertising in newspapers, radio and TV is fine,
but remember that word of mouth and referrals
are always the best way to find a reputable practitioner.
Ask for referrals and always, always keep your healthy skepticism!

*********************************************************************************

New Jersey Company That Markets Hypnosis Seminars for Smoking Cessation and Weight Loss Agrees to Settle FTC Charges
http://www.casewatch.org/ftc/news/1994/gorayeb.shtml


Florida Company That Markets Hypnosis Seminars for Smoking Cessation and Weight Loss Agrees to Settle FTC Charges
http://www.casewatch.org/ftc/news/1994/aihc.shtml


BBB of Texas report on fraud in hypnosis seminar
http://us.bbb.org/WWWRoot/SitePage.aspx?site=113&id=1869d6a9-82aa-49a1-8419-40a8251fa916&art=2934


IHI Settles FTC Charges over Stop-Smoking, Weight-Loss Claims
http://www.casewatch.org/ftc/news/1994/ihi-clinics.shtml


Lawsuits mount over “Miss Cleo”
http://www.slate.com/id/2063700/