by Rosemary Ann Guiley

BILL (A PSEUDONYM) is a college student in New England. A native of California born in 1968, he has since early childhood been fascinated by war and the military, and also has felt an affinity with the name “John.” It was neither his real first nor middle name, yet as a child he adopted it as a second middle name and called himself by it.

His family moved around the country while he was growing up, and in Texas, where he finished high school, Bill met a friend who introduced him to reincarnation, metaphysics and other topics of the New Age. Just before he entered college, Bill decided to undergo hypnotic regression as an exploration of himself. The night before, he and his friend meditated together as a way of preparing for it. (more…)

by Rosemary Ellen Guiley

Sex Change

Individuals who go through past-life regression often are surprised to find themselves as the opposite sex. Not all, but some, men have a much more difficult time accepting female lives than women do male lives—a reflection of a pervasive male view of women as inferior. In fact, in some cultures which believe in reincarnation, such as the Druse of Lebanon, men refuse to believe it is possible to reincarnate as women; it is simply unacceptable. In other cultures, such as Burma, it is considered punishment for a man to be reborn as a woman. (more…)

by Rosemary Ellen Guiley

In 1966, Helen Wambach, an American psychologist and clinical psychiatrist, visited a Quaker memorial in Holly, New Jersey, and suddenly found herself in an altered state of consciousness, and a feeling of being in another time and place came over her.

As I entered the small library room, I saw myself going automatically to the shelf of books and taking one down. I seemed to ‘know’ that this had been my book, and as I looked at the pages, a scene came before my inner eye. I was riding on a mule across a stubbled field, and this book was propped up on the saddle in front of me. The sun was hot on my back, and my clothes were scratchy. I could feel the horse moving under me while I sat in the saddle, deeply absorbed in reading the book propped before me. The book I was reading was a report of a minister’s experience of the between-life state while he was in a coma. I seemed to know the book’s contents before I turned the pages. (more…)

by Roger Woolger, Ph. D.

Very often, the portal into a past-life memory is a distressing event in our present life that awakens, or triggers, an older or deeper memory. In the prior examples explored here – Wendy’s story of the Indian raid, Cheryl’s fear from the Roman arena, Peter’s adolescent death wish – we saw how events in each of their lives had caused emotional chaos for many years. But we also saw how paying precise attention to the triggering situation in the present could open the door to the past. What follows is the story of a young woman who walked through just such a door. (more…)

by Michele Guzy, C.Ht.

INTRODUCTION

As increasing attention is focused on past lives, more people are becoming interested in exploring the issue for themselves, in finding out how to unlock their own past-life memories, as well as in learning what benefits to their relationships, outlooks, and professional lives might come from unearthing these memories.

Hopefully the following will assist in that process and it is always advisable to keep a journal or notebook handy as you go through the following to record your reactions so that it may be referred to later for reflection of possible patterns that may lead to unlocking the deadbolts of current conditions that are blocking progress or goals. (more…)

by Brian Weiss

Prior to my experiences with Catherine, I had never even heard of past-life regression therapy. This was not taught when I was at Yale Medical School, nor anywhere else, I was to learn.

I can still vividly remember the first time. I had instructed Catherine to travel backward in time, hoping to discover childhood traumas that had been repressed, or forgotten, and that I felt were causing her current symptoms of anxiety and depression.

She had already reached a deeply hypnotized state, which I had induced by gently relaxing her with my voice. Her concentration was focused on my instructions. (more…)

by Robert C. Smith

Let’s examine the role heredity and environment plays in our lives by looking at the relationship between these influences and the ones we bring with us from our previous incarnations. Thus far, our work has been based on the assumption that our interests and characteristics are strongly shaped by former lives. How, then, do we account for the effects of heredity and environment?

Modern genetics has shown pretty conclusively that we inherit through our genes not only our physical makeup, but many of our mental and psychological traits as well. If this is true, how can we say that past life influences, rather than simple genetics, have caused a person to be fat or thin, a mathematician rather than an artist, or whatever the case may be? (more…)

by Gina Cerminara

Love being a matter of the relationship of one unit of life to another, it is worth noting that in the Cayce data there is a basic proposition regarding human relationships. It can be stated as follows:

Souls who were closely related in one lifetime tend to meet in other lifetimes. If the relationship was one of love, the love persists; if one of enmity, the enmity must be overcome; if one of obligation, the obligation must be paid.

This is a plausible proposition, surely; for if we grant the continuity of life at all, and the operation of law governing it, it would seem likely that the powerful force of attraction between souls would have its own strong persistence; and wherever there has been hatred, deeds surely must have been done which require karmic rectification and hence a renewed association. Even in a love relationship there is usually a mixture of good and of bad; and all of us must have incurred debts therefore which we must pay, or deserved rewards which must be delivered. (more…)

by Robert C. Smith

We may have hunches about past lives. We may have theories about experiences in another time or place. Some of us may even have vivid past life dreams or flashes of waking recall. But what do such experiences really mean? Can they teach us anything about ourselves and how to live this life more fully? Unless we can answer yes to these questions, the study of past lives may be nothing more than an interesting past time, an indulgence of curiosity about ourselves that has little practical value.

But suppose, on the other hand, that the study of past lives is actually a look into the inner workings of the universe we live in, a glimpse into the purpose and orderliness of life. If this is so, then this investigation is a very important avenue to the answer to two of the most important questions mankind has ever asked: Why is life the way it is, and why am I the way I am? (more…)

by Nancy C. Pohle & Ellen L. Selover

The following story provides an intriguing and complex illustration of many of the elements of past life memories, influences, and inclinations which have been discussed. It emphasizes the notion that the information becomes available as we have need of it and as we can apply it practically in our lives. Recognizing the source of strong emotional impulses and discovering relationships and karmic patterns that have traversed the limits of time are all part of this experience.

Lisette’s experience spans ten years, from her first spontaneous insight to the reconciliation of deep emotional pain and release of limiting beliefs. It began as an intuitive flashback so emotionally charged that she decided to seek additional guidance through meditation, dreams, past life regressions, and even a professional psychic. Over time, enough clues emerged that Lisette was able to formulate a clear message that she could apply to her life in helpful ways. (more…)

by Robert C. Smith

Have you ever stepped outside on a warm spring night and found that the balmy air and the light fragrance of early blossoms awakened feelings almost too deep to describe? Or maybe you’ve had the experience of hearing a particular song from the past come on the radio, and all of a sudden that song transports you to another time and place. You not only remember what you were doing when you first heard the song, but you can even remember what you were thinking and feel what you were feeling then.

The sounds, sights, and smells around us—they are such powerful influences on our memories and emotions, and so individual in their effects on us. The same song can bring a happy memory for one person and a painful recollection for another. One person might feel a restless sense of adventure at the sound of a train whistle in the night, while another feels lonely desolation. Even the most common, everyday experiences can produce very different feelings in different people. For example, when you hear a telephone ring, do you experience anticipation? Annoyance? Some other reaction? Or maybe nothing at all? What is it about the sounds, sights, and smells around us that brings forth such a variety of responses from people? Is it something in these perceptions themselves that causes us to react differently from one another, or is it something in us? (more…)

by Nancy C. Pohle & Ellen L. Selover

Enhancing Sensitivity to Past Life Influences

Answering the following questions can prompt an enhanced awareness of past life influences:

• To which countries and cultures do you feel an attraction or repulsion? What styles of furniture, architecture, clothing, and so on do you like? If the furnishing and accessories in your home or workplace reflect an interest in particular cultures, it is likely they are pertinent to a previous incarnation and are having an impact on your present circumstances.
• Do any nationalities or cultures come to mind when you meet a new person? If so, you both may be influenced by shared experiences from a previous lifetime. The dominant characteristics of that culture might give you clues about relating to that individual, based on remembered patterns and tendencies.
• What types of music, art, literature, and food do you most enjoy? Pursuing artistic endeavors is an excellent way to evoke past life talents and memories.
• What patterns do you see in the hobbies and activities you choose? Are there pastimes you share with others? This is a good way to determine the nature of any past life connections you may share.

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by Nancy C. Pohle & Ellen L. Selover

Reincarnation is the theory that, as souls, we each experience many lifetimes for the purpose of developing spiritually and becoming true co-creators with God. Some cultures and religious traditions teach the transmigration of souls; that is, that a soul can incarnate as human, animal, or even insect. However, in the model of reincarnation which Cayce embraced, the souls of humans, animals, and other creatures are totally different, with separate purposes and environments in which to seek perfection. If this is an accurate interpretation of the human soul’s appearances in the earth, then, potentially, we have all experienced numerous lives throughout human history, through diverse cultures, within all races, as both male and female, in every type of economic, social, and political circumstance. We may have experienced every religious conviction, devoted ourselves to a life of service or to amassing material wealth, raised families, lived a celibate life, and fought, killed, or died for our convictions. We may have experienced peace in an idyllic setting, felt the thrill of adventure and discovery, developed a gift or talent, or all of these. (more…)

by Rosemary Ellen Guiley

Just before we are reborn, the veil of forgetfulness descends to block our remembrance of our past lives. We come into life with a karmic history and a purpose, yet we have conscious access to neither. According to Eastern doctrine, forgetfulness is a blessing and enables the soul to make a fresh start in each incarnation. Otherwise, life would be made extremely complicated and confusing, perhaps even paralyzing. Nonetheless, we catch glimpses of the past in certain moments. Fragments and fleeting impressions and feelings bubble to the surface, only to be passed off as imagination in many instances. In some cases, a person may be swept into an incredible vision that unfolds before their eyes. There are many ways to experience past lives spontaneously: (more…)