Past Lives, Current Growth

Do you believe in past lives? Up until very recently, that subject has been avoided in our society, because discussing it would either get you mocked for believing in such nonsense or invite disdain from religious groups. The mere mention was enough to raise eyebrows or ignite harsh criticism. I remember how Shirley MacLaine's experiences provided such cocktail party humor back in the 1980's, yet even then I had a feeling that she was on to something.

About 10 years ago, I was given the book, Many Lives, Many Masters, by Dr. Brian Weiss, MD, a renowned psychiatrist then practicing in Miami, FL. Dr. Weiss had, in hypnosis work with a patient, stumbled upon what seemed to be past lives that she had experienced and was recalling very vividly, including fluently speaking foreign languages to which she had had no prior exposure. He was very intrigued by what seemed extremely real. But as a medical scientist, he had doubts that needed to be resolved, so he set out to investigate if any of the dates and facts that she had revealed during her hypnosis could be validated or proven. To his astonishment, specific instances that she had spoken of, and pertinent details that she could not have had knowledge of, were indeed provable. Dr. Weiss also noticed how this patient's emotional difficulties, for which she had been in years of therapy, started to dissolve as they delved into her past lives and made the correlation with her current problems. By simply revisting and seeing her repeated patterns, she could see what she was failing to learn and could change the behavior and dissolve recurring karma.

Although he was reluctant to "come out of the closet" with this information, fearing that his highly respected reputation in the medical community would be lost and his stature forever diminished, Dr. Weiss began perfecting and using this process of venturing into past lives for other patients, and became increasingly amazed at how quickly their problems resolved through past life regression and analysis. He became a pioneer for this type of therapy, in the medical community as well as the spiritual community, and is a multiple times best selling author with Hay House Publishing. His lectures are before packed audiences consisting of medical professionals as well as lay persons.

As I recall, much of the book talks about how we all have that ability to connect with our soul and our past, but we quickly forget it in this society that downplays it so strongly. Children often speak to spirit when they are young, as they remember the connection until they are told otherwise. Shortly after reading his book, my own young son, then about age 9, randomly said to me while we were driving to soccer practice, "Mommy, remember how before you're born they brainwash you before you come back?..." I was both astonished and mesmerized by this comment, and calmly asked him about what he meant. Apparently, he had heard the term "brainwash" and assumed that it meant cleaning your brain, because when I asked him to explain, he said, "You know, when they clean your brain so that you're ready to come back again to a new life." We had an open and free discussion about his thoughts and what he remembered, and I was careful to make sure that I did not say anything that would discourage him about the topic, as I knew that his recalling this at that point in time, when I had just read this book, was no accident. He was letting me know that it was very real, and that he was a special soul that could remember more than most and was connected more than most.

Denise Lynn, another Hay House author and spiritual teacher, has also done tremendous work in the area of past life regression and has witnessed physical illnesses, pain ailments, and emotional scars heal instantaneously in many subjects. Her story includes a spontenous opening to spiritual gifts after being victim of a violent attack that left her battered and near death. In that moment, she only saw her attacker in love and compassion, and in doing so, she was opened to tremendous gifts and has helped many on her journey.

What I find interesting about this topic is that it is so ignored by so much of society, and certainly so in most religious communities. And yet, to me, this is something we should celebrate and promote because it confirms the idea of eternal life! It may be ignored simply because it does not fit the tight boundaries of "heaven or hell" or the idea that you only get eternal life if you follow church rules, but what an incredible affirmation that we do indeed have eternal life!

Because of the spiritual experiences that I have had myself and those that I am honored to experience with others, I personally feel that we create our own hell in each experience by forgetting that life is eternal no matter what, by forgettnig that we are one with God and with each other, by forgetting to love and be loved unconditionally. That is the battle that creates our pain and our difficulties. It is the hell on earth that traps us in feelings of unworthiness... those feelings of imprisonment that we can't escape until we remember our goodness and perfection.

Just as most of the posts on this blog ask you to open your mind, this time I ask you to open your mind to the idea of past lives. There is much to gain from the knowledge and experiences there, as more and more evidence suggests. Work by Dr. Weiss, Denise Linn, and others in this area is remarkable.

Click here for Brian Weiss's site.
Click here for Denise Linn's site.

Note: In the Atlanta area, I can recommend Brad Dixon for hypnotherapy, including past life regression. (Brad also combines hypnotherapy with Reiki, with powerful results. This process has helped me very much in my own journey).
Click here for Brad's website/contact info.