Reincarnation: Karma Cup Anyone?
remembering the past
At the turn of the century, one of the strangest cases of reincarnation came to light through an English woman turned Egyptian archaeologist, Dorothy Eady. Not only was she able to recall remarkable details of a past life in Egypt as a priestess of Sety I, but she also provided amazing evidence through her uncanny ability to describe the layout of the temple site which was later validated through careful excavation. of the site. . [1. Cott, Jonathan (1989). Search for Omm Sety. New York: Warner Books. ISBN 0446390402]
Edgar Cayce, “The Sleeping Prophet,” was another turn-of-the-century individual who not only recounted personal details of reincarnations, but also instructed others on his own past life experiences. Given the name Sleeping Prophet, Cayce was well known for his ability to enter a deep trance in which he could then access the Akashik Records; a record room containing visual information about the life of every soul on earth. Many of the more modern, new-age Western theories of reincarnation owe their foundation to much of Cayce’s work. [2. Cerminara, Gina. Many Mansions: The Edgar Cayce Story on Reincarnation. orig. 1950, Signet Book, reissue edition 1990, ISBN 0-451-16817-8]
Jumping into the more modern scene is a Yale University-educated psychiatrist, Dr. Brian Weiss, who has reportedly performed regressions on more than 4,000 patients in an effort to help them recover past life experiences. Dr. Weiss has written seven books covering the subject of reincarnation and documenting the chronology of the experiences of various patients who not only regressed to previous lives but also had (spiritual) encounters between lives. To this day, Dr. Weiss still gives lectures and workshops designed to help facilitate a greater understanding of the subject of past life recollection. [3. Many Lives, Many Masters – ISBN 0671657860; Through Time into Healing – ISBN 0749918357; Only Love Is Real – ISBN 0749916206; Messages From the Masters – ISBN 0749921676; Same Soul, Many Bodies – ISBN 0749925418; Mirrors of Time; and Same Soul, Many Bodies: Discover The Healing Power Of Future Lives Through Progression Therapy – ISBN 0743264347.]
Find the past in the present
Exactly how does a person regress or remember a past life experience, and how do you know if it’s real or not? Although there are a number of regressive recall methods, the most important question of validity is the amount of information gained that leads to a greater understanding of our current circumstances and purpose in life. As fascinating as it may seem to remember a life as a famous or infamous person; Notoriety has its drawbacks. To have been a wealthy and profligate king in a previous life may mean that you would return as a poverty-stricken beggar in this one. As Karma would say, there is always a practical side to spirituality.
Karma comes from Sanskrit and means act, action or performance. The Indian religious concept of this action or deed is further clarified to represent a cycle of cause and effect. In other words, what you do will come back and visit you; or simply said, cosmic revenge through the lessons learned. Actually, revenge is a bit of a misnomer implying an act of revenge, which it isn’t. In terms of spirituality, revenge has nothing to do with the development process; rather it is growth through experiential contrasts of being. For everything there is a season and for that season its own meaning.
Whether it’s the Dahlia Lama or a simple peasant from an impoverished countryside, it’s all like fleeting moments of purpose heading towards a common goal. A young woman recalled during her regression having witnessed a hanging. When she was asked why it seemed important, she replied: “I chose that life so that I could experience being a witness to a hanging.” Oddly enough, yes, we do choose our circumstances, both triumphs and tribulations. As for the one he was being hung up on, perhaps she needed to learn the value of consequences in turn. Although he chose to be a villain in that life, his journey and its consequences were not without spiritual merit.
Sometimes, in our rush for personal recognition, we forget that the most important aspect of being is the life we have chosen and how we lead it. Having heroes is a wonderful part of life when we consider that the adulation of the moment is a reflection of the best that we have within us. For the sake of being a bit preachy about this, let’s just say that the best place to find clues to the past can be seen in the present.
Regression methods
One thing that really needs to be addressed at this point is that not everyone can or should look for past life evidence. There is an old saying that goes: “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” The same is true for regression, when you are ready it will be released. Some may walk through life with no clue of a past life, while others will know from a young age. It’s all about the right information at the right time that will enhance our greatest growth needs.
spontaneous recall: Several years ago, as I was sitting in my living room in a deep trance, an image appeared in my mind of a nun dressed in a habit. A little startled by this image, a voice came from inside telling me her name, where she lived, that she was considered a saint by the Catholic Church, and that she was me in a previous life. After a moment of deliberating how incredulous this all sounded, I went to the computer to look up the name and pedigree of the person I was given. To my surprise, there was a nun of that name from that country who was canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church.
This could be considered a form of spontaneous recollection that occurred during a trance or hypnotic state. Although most memories could be considered spontaneous, the term here refers to the lack of any external cues or instructions. When a spontaneous memory occurs, there are usually no apparent triggers leading to the new found perception. The only drawback to this form of regression is that the subject may very likely dismiss it as a form of fantasy or daydreaming.
Hypnotic regression: This method is a more formal and targeted approach that usually involves finding a trained hypnotherapist who specializes in past life regression. Contrary to general myths surrounding hypnosis, there is no danger and you maintain complete self control. The subconscious mind is very suggestible; however, you can never be forced to do something you wouldn’t otherwise do while fully awake and conscious.
Everyone, at one time or another, has fallen into some form of self-hypnosis, whether it’s while reading a book, listening to music, or driving a car down the road. Have you ever done something and then can’t remember exactly what you did? Driven from point A to point B only to realize you can’t remember part of the journey in between? These are all forms of self-hypnosis and although you were not directly aware of it, your subconscious mind was directing. We can even get hypnotized while reading a book or listening to a boring lecture (my favorite).
Being hypnotized by another person is essentially the same as self-hypnosis, except you have a tour guide to help you walk the path. This is not only much more efficient, but can also prove to be very helpful when trying to deal with more traumatic past life issues. As mentioned above, when driving from point A to point B, you may not be able to remember specific details in individual circumstances where assistance in the process could be very helpful.
Random associations: Of all the methods, this is probably the least efficient and reliable, although in some cases it can be an excellent help. Random associations are a lot like groping in the dark blindfolded. You might find a clue here and there, but for the most part you might not have the big picture. Essentially it is your conscious mind allowing your unconscious mind to send out hot and cold signals.
To start random associations, you might consider going to a library and browsing the history and/or geography sections to see if anything piques your interest. Start keeping a journal or a list of what does or doesn’t spark a little more research. Once you’ve narrowed down the general area of interest, start studying the historical timeline and see if there’s a particular time period of interest. Yes, this is a time consuming and tedious form of past life research, but it can produce amazing results for the heart patient. In fact, the very act of searching can itself lead to unforeseen revelations.
Conclusion
If you are interested in past life regression, there are likely valid reasons underlying the need for it. Most of the time it is something related to what you are facing in current life, something that can shed a new light on some unanswered questions. Religious beliefs are an important consideration when considering past life regression. What is more important, however, is your own personal need to find open and honest answers to those important unanswered questions that may be coming up.
There are many ways to retrieve past life information in a confidential and professional manner, as mentioned above. Also, there may be other methods not covered here that may be just as valid, such as seeing a psychic, visiting a museum, or simply attending lectures on the subject. As with any worthwhile journey, sometimes it’s not the goal that’s most important, but the process of getting there that yields the richest rewards.