Whenever I meet someone new, and they find out I am a hypnotist, a few topics of conversation come up time and time again. Most commonly it’s weight loss and stopping smoking, but one of the others that comes up regularly is Past Life Regression, or PLR to use the industry jargon.

Whilst I was initially somewhat sceptical, I have always been interested in the idea of PLR . Having read extensively on the subject I couldn’t resist when an opportunity recently came up to try out some PLR with a couple of willing volunteers.

But I’m getting ahead of myself…

Once PLR has come up in conversation there are a few other related questions that always come up too, so before I go any further I will attempt to answer these other questions.

Is Past Life Regression Real?

That’s a tricky one to answer without sounding like a slippery politician, because it largely depends what you mean by ‘real’, but I will try.

If you are asking ‘is there such a thing as reincarnation?’ or ‘have I really had multiple lives’ then the answer is that unfortunately there is no concrete proof either way. There is a lot of evidence on both sides of the argument, but you must decide for yourself what you believe to be true.

If you are asking whether PLR participants are having a real experience (as opposed to playing along or just making it up) then undoubtedly I would have to say ‘Yes, they are having a real experience.’

The degree to which participants go through PLR as a full colour/sound/sensory immersion experience varies, but it can be very vivid and utterly convincingly realistic for many.

Do I Have To Believe In PLR To Experience It?

As with the previous question, it depends exactly what you mean by ‘believe’, but in general the answer is no.

Many people believe that PLR is a dissociated (and therefore safe) means for the subconscious to express itself. By using metaphor the subconscious can explore difficult ideas that are too complex, painful or scary to experience as anything more literal.

Many people claim to have spontaneous recovery from a whole host of difficulties after a PLR experience which included some context or scenario that was metaphorically similar to a pre-existing problem they had.

Is this an example of Past Life Healing or is it the subconscious using metaphor for self-healing? I would be keen to see more evidence before making up my mind either way.

Many others believe PLR is just an interesting fantasy experience, which works just as well for me.

In short, it doesn’t really matter what you believe about PLR . If you’re interested in it there is no reason not to experience it and make up your own mind.

What If I Had A Traumatic Experience In A Past Life?

Many practitioners will include suggestions that a subject will only experience things they are ready to experience. Some will go as far as to say that anything unpleasant will be difficult or impossible to recall.

A good PLR practitioner will always build in a degree of dissociation from the experience. This way anything traumatic is tempered and the subject never feels too uncomfortable.

Suggestions are also given that they won’t bring any unwanted emotions back with them, and that the memory afterwards will be like that of watching a fascinating and engrossing movie.

Most hypnotists (me included) also create an escape route to a safe place, or an exit from trance altogether, as a part of their standard practice of hypnosis. This way the client can always end a traumatic experience immediately and without issue.

In short, traumatic experiences during PLR are not a problem as long as the practitioner is knowledgeable and diligent.

Is There Any REAL Evidence?

Many people have attempted to tie in details revealed during a PLR with records that exist of provably real people and their lives. Some of this evidence is quite compelling, but as yet I haven’t seen anything I would call incontrovertible proof and sceptics make some pretty compelling counter arguments.

I’m still on the fence about it but I welcome the opportunity to see any evidence others may have. I also relish the ongoing opportunity to gather evidence myself, which I am very keen to do objectively and with an open mind.

How Can I Experience My Past Lives?

There are many ways that people claim to induce PLR experiences, both for themselves and for others. Google can point you towards countless ways to do it, although I can’t vouch for the efficacy of any particular method except my own.

If you’re reading this on my website (and you probably are) then you will know I am a hypnotist. As such, my method is to hypnotise the subject and induce the experience within a hypnotic trance. Please feel free to call me to discuss it further.

… an opportunity recently came up to try out some PLR

It was during one of these inevitable conversations I mentioned before, which was in a bar and started something like this: –

Jon : “what do you do?”
Me : “I’m a Hypnotist”
Jon : “That’s interesting, do you believe in Past Life Regression?”
Me : “Well that depends on what you mean by ‘believe in’”
Jon : “Well, is it real?”

And so it went on. Eventually, having explained the situation to the best of my ability, and fielded questions from Jon and several others in the group, Jon and another person said they were keen to experience a Past Life Regression for themselves. I arranged a time the following week to have a session with each of them in turn.

During each session I attempted to ask probing but non-leading questions about the details given by my volunteers, and have been researching to find sources for corroboration.

The exact details of these sessions are beyond the scope of this article but I hope to make them available in due course. It is fair to say, however, that each was an interesting session with lots to explore and discuss.

Since then a growing number of people have expressed an interest in having a PLR session with me and I am now offering this as a standard part of my hypnosis service.

Please contact me on 07967 473691 if you are interested in exploring your past lives.