Reincarnation

The notion of reincarnation is ancient and obscure, yet belief in it is prolific: it spans all continents and many societies and religions across known history and lives to this present day as a philosophy incurring varying degrees of acceptance.

The earliest evidence of reincarnation is in the Hindu Vedic scriptures from several hundred years BC, although the exact time period is not known (3). In the 1st Century, Druidic belief in it was recorded by Greek philosopher Stabo (13, 19), and in the 6th Century, Greek philosophers Plato and Pythagoras taught that the soul was immortal and goes through a series of births, deaths and re-births (19, 20).

As these cultures come from very different areas of the world, it is interesting to consider if the spread of this notion is likely to have arisen through cultural contact, or whether it happened independently through the meditations and Shamanic practices handed down through the generations, holding in reverence the energies of both Earthly and Spiritual dimensions. Certainly, as early cultures accepted and respected the cycles of life in the world around them, such as the seasons, the passing of days and nights and the phases of the moon, it was maybe no great stretch for them to believe that human existence was cyclical, too (13, 19).

Early Christians, including the Gnostics, also believed in reincarnation, but any reference to it (and other unwanted beliefs) were removed by the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, by destroying the relevant texts, and any belief in reincarnation was declared as heresy by the Council of Constantinople in 553 (19, 20, 34), presumably because the notion removed the threat of eternal hell and damnation (and, therefore, control of the people).

Because of the denial of reincarnation by the Church, it has for many years been frowned on or considered taboo amongst Christians (34), who retain only a belief in an afterlife through the resurrection. It is also vehemently denied by many Muslims, who likewise draw on the teachings of Islam in the Holy Quran (Koran) to refute the idea (23). Interestingly, though, there are those in both faiths who point to Christian and Islamic Scriptures to support the notion of reincarnation:

"The Koran itself seems quite clear: "And you were dead, and He brought you back to life. And He shall cause you to die, and shall bring you back to life, and in the end shall gather you unto Himself." (2:28) [22].

And there is clear implication of it in Matthew 11:14, when Jesus was asked if John the Baptist was Elijah returned, and again in John 9:2, when the apostles ask Jesus whether a blind man is blind because of a sin he committed or whether it was his parents' sin: they were, after all, Jewish and reincarnation was an accepted belief in traditional Judaism (10).

Of course, this might be the Old Testament reference to 'the sins of the father being visited upon the son' (Exodus 34:6-7), but in this context it could equally refer to the Eastern concept of atoning for a sin committed in a previous lifetime - 'karma'. Karma is a Sanskrit word meaning 'deed' or 'action', perhaps more commonly thought of in its consequential meaning of 'cause and effect' (9), although there appears to be no word for this concept in traditional Judaism (indeed, some Rabbis would dispute the existence of the concept itself) (7). It is also present in the Bible in other places (29, 33) where it necessarily seems connected with the idea of re-birth.

Despite being such a 'hot potato', the belief in reincarnation seems to have survived in almost all cultures across the world:

• Australia: The Aborigines believe that infants are their dead ancestors returned and that souls are continually reborn (19)
• China: Acknowledged in Taoism (28)
• Indian subcontinent: Central to Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, some sects of
• Islam, such as the Ghulat and the Druzes (10)
• Far East: Expectant mothers in Bali ask the village healers to communicate with their unborn child to discover what its purpose is in this life (30).
• North America: The Inuits of Alaska believe, like the Hindus, that humans can come back as animals (17, 19) and some Native American tribes, such as the Lakota, believe that both animals and humans reincarnate (17) and the Cherokees believed that the soul chooses a family which would help it to complete its cycle of learning (30).
• South America: Some Amazonian tribes are careful not to eat certain animals in the belief that they contain the souls of ancestors (19).
• Africa: The Yoruba and Edo of West Africa believe reincarnation happens within families (19).
• Middle East: The Hasidic and Orthodox Jews believe in reincarnation (10)

It appears that it's mostly Westerners, whether due to firm Christian or secular beliefs, who do not accept - in fact, are sometimes openly derisive of - the idea of reincarnation and the associated beliefs in past lives and near-death experiences. However, not only does there seem to be an increasing demand for the evidence of the continuation of life after death, with TV psychics and mediums like Colin Fry, Tony Stockwell and John Edward, but scientist Dr Gary Schwartz, in the US, has bravely put his head above the parapets to devise an objective, scientific experiment to measure the change in brain activity (and, of course, the number of 'hits') of well-known American mediums during a reading (15). The results revealed a consistent brainwave pattern across the mediums, indicating that something physiological (and repeatable and measurable, which is what a scientific experiment should be) was happening.

Parapsychology research such as this, whilst conducted in around 30 countries worldwide, is not viewed seriously by mainstream scientists who vigorously dispute its status as a science, saying that any apparent successes must have been the result of flaws in the experiment, rather than demonstrating conclusive evidence (11).

However, the world of quantum physics also seems to put mainstream science in a spin, because of its theory that (amongst other things) a single photon of light can be in two places at once and a wave can become a particle (or vice versa) simply because the observer wishes it to be so (6). This quite amazing fact has quantum physics upholding the notion that human consciousness affects the world around us, that there are parallel universes, that everything is interconnected and made of energy (6) which, as physicist James Joule observed, can neither be created nor destroyed, but simply changed from one form into another, like ice transforms into water, which in turn transforms into steam, then back into water and even back into ice. If that is so, could human beings (which are also made of energy) change from one form of energy into another...and back again?

Interestingly, all that quantum physics postulates is more or less what the ancient Hindus first said (12) - and so we come, most appropriately, full circle.

Regardless of the derision and disbelief that reincarnation still engenders (1), there is a significant (and growing) number of people who do believe, although this may well be a 'private belief', i.e. something they might hold to, but they would rather not let the neighbours know (31). Furthermore, popular Western culture is replete with films and books with reincarnation as a central tenet, for example On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (1970), What Dreams May Come (1998) and Birth (2004) [Films]; and Through The Third Eye (2), Labyrinth (16) and Thread: The Reincarnation of Anne Boleyn (5).

There are, as well, many non-fiction books and articles, also written by highly-educated, intelligent people on this and related subjects, such as Dr Michael Newton in Destiny of Souls (18), Dr Brian Weiss in Many Lives, Many Masters (32), Dr Kenneth Ring & Dr Raymond Moody (who have concentrated on near-death experiences) (8, 21), and Dr Ian Stevenson, the latter doing extensive research into cases of reincarnation involving young children (24, 25). He cites examples where at very early ages, children declared knowing 'another mother' or saying that they 'didn't belong there'. When examined further, the child (accurately in most cases) relates stories of when they were here before and sometimes how they died. Upon investigation, their descriptions (often uncannily accurate) matchedvthe places and people many miles away that they could never have known about. Sceptics say they must have overheard adults' conversations about neighbouring towns but often the adults had never been to those places, either.

One such sceptic, journalist Tom Shroder, accompanied Dr Stevenson during his fieldwork to assess his work from a scientific perspective and changed from sceptic to a believer as he encountered concrete evidence he could not discount. His journey is detailed in his book Lost Souls (24). Another sceptic-turned-believer is Robert Snow, a captain in the Homicide Division of the Indianapolis Police Department in America, who was dared by a friend to have a past-life regression. During the regression, he experiences life as an obscure artist in the early 1900s, revealing many details that he was later able to verify through extensive research. Prior to the regression, Robert Snow was extremely sceptical about anything paranormal; after, he (albeit reluctantly) became a convert (4, 26).

If your interest has now been piqued, there are many sources available for you to research the subject for yourself. The Internet has access to many books, films and useful websites, such as Carol Hubbard's Reincarnation Truth (14) and Kenneth Ring's Near Death Experiences and the Afterlife (8), which also considers much more around the topic (not forgetting the other websites on the reference list). There are also quite a few thought-provoking documentaries on this subject which can easily be purchased. Alternatively, there are documentaries on YouTube, including the experiment with the mediums (15, 27), which make for interesting viewing – just type in 'Reincarnation', 'Near-Death Experiences' or 'Past Lives'. But be warned....once you watch one, they can be very addictive.

If you would like a Past Life Regression or attend a workshop on Past Life Regression and Spiritual Regression, please visit my website www.careytherapy.co.uk for more details.

References and bibliography

1. Carroll, R Reincarnation (accessed 14 March 2012)
2. Boston, L (2011) Through the Third Eye (Third Eye Trilogy) Lynn Boston Books: eBooks
3. Dasa, K Reincarnation - science or superstition? (accessed 09 March, 2012)
4. Evidence of a past life (reincarnation) (accessed 12 March 2012)
5. Gavin, N (2002) Threads: the Reincarnation of Anne Boleyn Infinity Publishing
6. Higgo, J (1999) A Lazy Layman's Guide to Quantum Physics (accessed 12 March 2012)
7. http://www.jewishvaluesonline.org/345
8. http://www.near-death.com/experiences/experts03.html
9. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karma
10. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reincarnation#Reincarnation_in_the_West
11. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parapsychology
12. http://www.wisdomworld.org/setting/physics.html
13. Huathe, The Druids, (accessed 09 March 2012)
14. Hubbard, C (accessed 09 March 2012)
15. Life Afterlife (accessed March 2012)
16. Mosse, K (2007) Labyrinth Berkley Trade
17. Mills, A & Slobodin, R (eds) (1994) Amerindian Rebirth: Reincarnation beliefs amongst North American Indians and Innuits (Google Books)
18. Newton, M (2009) Destiny of Souls Llewellyn Publications : USA
19. Reincarnation (accessed 09 March 2012)
20. Reincarnation, Re-embodiment (no author evident) (2012)
21. Ring, K Near-death Experiences and the Afterlife (accessed 14 March 2012)
22. Shahin, S Reincarnation in Islam (accessed 10 March 2012)
23. Shahzad, K Does the Quran Support the Reincarnation Theory? (accessed 10th March 2012)
24. Shroder, T (1999) Lost Souls Shuster and Shuster: New York
25. Stevenson, I (1988) Twenty Cases Suggestive of Reincarnation (2nd ed) University of Virginia Press: USA
26. Snow, R (1999) Looking for Carroll Beckwith: The True stories of a Detective's Search for his Past St Martin's Press: USA
27. Tucker, J Evidence of Reincarnation – Dr Jim Tucker – Children's Memories of Previous Lives (accessed 13 March 2012)
28. Valea, Ernest (2012): Comparative Religion – Reincarnation in World Religions
29. Valea, Ernest (2012): Comparative Religion – Reincarnation in World Religions
30. Von Ward, P (2008) The Reincarnation Experiment: Observations on reincarnation beliefs in history (accessed 10 March 2012)
31. Walter, T & Waterhouse, H: A Very Private Belief: Reincarnation in Contemporary England in Sociology of Religion (1999) 60:2 p187-197
32. Weiss, B (1994) Many Lives, Many Masters Piatkus Books : USA
33. Williams, K Christian Reincarnation, The Long-forgotten Doctrine (accessed 12 March 2012)

Important information about a Regression Therapy session

If you are considering having regression therapy, there are a few things it might be important for you to take into account before booking a session:

1. The initial consultation

It is important that you feel relaxed working with me, so I strongly advise a consultation session (one hour) so you can get to know me a little and it give us a chance to talk about any concerns or questions you may have. It is important to address these or any fears beforehand or they may stop you from going into a past life.

We will also have a little practice at going into trance, so you will know what it is like. Even if you have been hypnotized in the past, you may never have worked with me before, so this session is important. It will also help you decide on whether you would like to proceed with a full session or not.

2. Booking a regression session

3. Deposit

Based on previous experiences of taking bookings for clients who just don’t turn up for their session, I require a 50% deposit, in advance, which is non-refundable if you cancel your session within 1 week of the date of the session.

4. The interview

I will conduct an interview at the beginning of our regression session, which will take 1.5-2 hours, depending on what you have to tell me. This is part of the overall session and is very important as the discussion provides insights and helps you get in touch with the emotional content of your history, which helps engage the right hemisphere of the brain, which in turn helps you gain access to a past life.

I have been asked why I don’t send out a questionnaire, to save time (and, therefore, money). I used to do this, but I found that it saves very little time and we would still need to go over it in detail, because much comes out in the discussion that people don’t want to write about. Filling in a questionnaire also does not really engage the right hemisphere of your brain. This part of the session CANNOT be missed out or overlooked.

5. Other blocks to a past life experience

Current life situations. If you have situations in your present life that need to be addressed from a point in your present life, that is what you will experience, because a past life would not be available for you at that moment. However, we will address the current life problem instead.

‘In control’, analytical/left-brained people: If you are someone who likes to be in control or you are quite analytical/left-brained, you might find it difficult to ‘go with the flow’ and accept the first image or feeling you get, as you may question it or ignore it as ‘a figment of your imagination’ and not tell me about it and so might stop you from experiencing the session. I will do my best to help you get past this block, but you are ultimately in control – whether consciously or not – and I will not be able to over-ride it. In this eventuality, we will close the session early and I will charge you a reduced fee.

Not for you at this time: Another block is something neither of us can know beforehand and that is if a past life experience is not in your best interest at the time of your session. If this is the case, the Universe will not allow you to experience it. In this event, I will give you some healing and we will close the session early. In this eventuality, I will charge you a reduced fee.

Please note that I am not in charge of the session

I am only the facilitator and will do my utmost for you. However, I have no control over any blocks so, if you are not prepared for this, it can lead to a lot of disappointment if the outcome does not match your expectations of what you think you will experience.

6. Access to your Higher Consciousness

7. Your expectations and responsibilities

Much of the success of a regression session depends upon your expectations and taking responsibility for your own healing. To help illustrate this more, please watch this You Tube clip of a regression therapist reading from Dolores Cannon’s ‘The Convoluted Universe, Book Four’, in which Dolores writes about the client’s role in his/her own therapy.

Although there is no guarantee of having a past life experience, you will ALWAYS get the session that you need, if not the one you want. If you would like to book a session, please call me on 07929 198968.

What happens in a Regression Therapy session?

If you decide to go ahead, then we will book an afternoon to do the regression in. On the day, I will start by taking a detailed history, which will allow me to ask more questions and gain a better understanding of your issues. I will then use my skills to put you into a trance state and take you back to the most appropriate time to deal with your problem, whether that is your most recent past or a past life.
Sometimes, healing comes just out of understanding where your problem originated. Sometimes, it comes from redressing the balance whilst in trance by using the therapeutic techniques I have been taught. Whatever, I will aim to help you get the most out of your session, including getting answers from your Higher Consciousness.

After the session, there will be time for a debrief – and a welcome cup of tea!

Between Lives session

One of the big questions in life is what happens when we die? Where do our souls go to? What happens to them in that place? These are just some of the questions that have preoccupied Man since the beginning.

In a between lives – otherwise known as Spiritual Regression – session, you can again experience your soul’s journey from one of your previous incarnations into the Spirit Realm, to find out why you’ve chosen the life you’re living now, everything from choosing your family and friends to choosing which life lessons you wanted to work on and have brought with you into your current life, so you can have a clearer understanding of why certain things have happened or why certain individuals in your life relate to you the way they do.

Between Lives is actually all about the life you’re living now. Find out more about what makes you tick from a deeper more spiritual perspective.

How will a Between Lives session help me?

Think about your life so far. Has everything that has happened to you made sense? Do you wonder about the decisions you have made? Do you have any relationship problems in your life, or have you had relationships which have left you hurt and confused? Do you feel that you have not fulfilled your potential? Do you wonder why the doors of opportunity keep slamming in your face or do you wish you had done things differently?

A Between Lives session can address all these issues and more. Once you are in the Spirit Realm, with all the people you need to meet, you can ask them any questions you have always wanted to know the answers to – questions about the relationships you have in this life, about events that perhaps haven’t worked out for you, about where you are going and why you chose the situation you were born into – including why you chose the body you now have! Above all, you can even ask about your soul’s purpose for this life. Hopefully, you will get all your questions answered.

What happens in a Between Lives session?

Unlike with a Past Life Regression, a Between Lives Regression takes place over two sessions, as both are long sessions. Between Lives also necessitates the use of hypnosis to a deep level of trance. Once in a deep hypnotic trance, you will be guided briefly through your most recent past life (the one before your current life) and up into the Spirit Realms. There, you may meet your Spirit Guide, meet the people from your current life and the Higher Beings from Spirit who have your very best interests at heart.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I be need to be hypnotised?

Is Regression Therapy based on religion?

Is Regression Therapy based on the occult?

No. The word ‘occult’ simply means ‘hidden’, although over the years it has come to be associated with black magic, devil worship and other scary stuff! In Regression Therapy, the only ‘hidden’ things are the memories that you may have hidden away from yourself or have just forgotten, and which you can uncover to help you understand yourself and what may be happening for you and why.

There’s no evidence…why should I believe it?

We all have choices and you can, of course, choose not to even think about it as a possibility, much less come for a session. However, there was a time when people thought the world was flat…that there were no such things as microbes…that the sun revolved around the Earth…and that an object cannot be in two places at once. Eventually, science proved a round and orbiting planet, the existence of otherwise invisible organisms and, more recently, quantum physicists have proved that a particle can and does indeed appear in two places at once.

In time, perhaps, science will prove the validity of past lives. In the meantime, the experience of past life regression and the learning you get from it may offer its own validation, through the healing it brings.

Is the Past Life Regression session recorded?

I record the sessions for my own records and can email you the file. However you are most welcome to bring a digital voice recorder or other recording equipment if you wish. Please bear in mind that the session could last up to 3 hours – maybe longer, if you have a lot of questions – so please ensure you allow enough time, both in terms of the session and the space on your recording equipment!

Can non-believers try it?

Will I be making it all up?

Will all my questions be answered?

Many questions will be answered, but perhaps not all of them. This is usually because knowing the answers to some questions might influence an action that might be necessary for your growth. For example, if your question was whether you should marry your partner and you were advised that it would not be a happy marriage, you may then think twice about it and, in so doing, not have the children that you would have had, and so not have the experience of being a parent to those particular children in that particular marriage, which might have taught you something very valuable. As ever, the Universe may not give you what you want – but it will always give you what you need.

Useful Resources

• Spiritual Regression Therapy Association
• Past Life Regression Academy
• Dolores Cannon