What Is Past Life Therapy? A Simple Introduction

Past Life Therapy, sometimes called Past Life Regression Therapy, is a form of complementary therapy that explores the possibility that some of our emotions, fears, experiences or behaviour patterns may have a connection to something beyond our present life.

You may be wondering, “How can someone remember a life they have never lived?” This is where Past Life Therapy becomes interesting.

During a session, a trained practitioner may use relaxation and hypnosis to help a person enter a deeply relaxed and focused state. The client is then gently guided to explore whatever comes into their awareness. This might be an image, a feeling, a person, a place, a situation or what appears to be a memory from another time.

It is important to understand that Past Life Therapy does not mean that the therapist is proving that someone has lived a previous life. Experiences during regression can have many possible explanations. Some people may understand them as memories from a past life because they believe in reincarnation. Others may see them as symbolic, imaginative or connected to their subconscious mind.

There is currently no conclusive way of proving that every experience during regression is an actual memory from a previous lifetime. For this reason, a responsible practitioner should never tell a client, “This definitely happened to you in a past life.”

Instead, the experience can be explored gently and without judgement.

Why might someone have Past Life Therapy?

People may be curious about Past Life Therapy for many different reasons. Someone might experience a fear that they cannot explain, recurring dreams, a strong emotional reaction to a particular situation, or patterns in relationships that they find difficult to understand.

A person may also simply be curious and want to explore what happens during a regression.

The purpose does not necessarily have to be finding out who you were in another lifetime. Sometimes the more useful question is:

“What can this experience teach me about myself today?”

For example, a person might experience a regression in which they see themselves in a particular place and feel a very strong emotion. Whether that experience represents an actual past life, a symbolic story created by the mind, or something else entirely, exploring the emotion may help the person understand something about their present life.

What happens during a session?

A Past Life Therapy session normally begins with a consultation. The practitioner talks to the client about why they have come for the session and discusses any relevant health, medication or previous treatment information.

The client is then guided through relaxation. Hypnosis is not about losing control or being controlled by someone else. It is more like entering a very relaxed and focused state of awareness.

Many of us experience similar states naturally. For example, you might become so absorbed in a film, book or daydream that you temporarily lose awareness of what is happening around you.

During regression, the practitioner gently guides the client while allowing the client to describe what they are experiencing.

The questions should be open and neutral.

For example, if a client says:

“I can see a large cat.”

The practitioner might ask:

“Can you describe the cat?”

They might ask about its size, colour or surroundings.

They should not say:

“Is it a leopard?”

because suggesting an answer could influence what the client sees or remembers.

This is one of the most important responsibilities of the practitioner.

Is everything experienced during regression a real memory?

Not necessarily.

This is something I believe anyone considering Past Life Therapy should understand.

The human mind is complex, and experiences during hypnosis can be influenced by imagination, expectations, emotions, memories and suggestion. A person may experience something that feels incredibly real without there being a way to prove that it happened historically.

This does not necessarily make the experience meaningless.

Sometimes the meaning and emotions connected to the experience can be more important than proving exactly where it came from.

Keeping the client safe

Past Life Therapy should always be approached responsibly.

A practitioner should know their own limitations and should not attempt to treat medical or serious psychological conditions outside their training and qualifications. Where appropriate, a client should be encouraged to speak to a doctor or suitably qualified mental-health professional.

Strong emotions can sometimes arise during regression. A client may become upset, frightened or overwhelmed. The practitioner should provide reassurance and help the client remain grounded rather than deliberately making the emotional experience stronger.

Professional boundaries are also extremely important. A practitioner can be warm, compassionate and supportive while still maintaining a professional therapeutic relationship.

My understanding of Past Life Therapy

My understanding of Past Life Therapy is that it is best viewed as a guided exploration.

It is not about telling someone who they were, what happened to them or insisting that reincarnation is a fact. Instead, it gives a person an opportunity to explore their own inner experiences and consider whether those experiences have any meaning for their life today.

Whether someone views regression spiritually, psychologically, symbolically or simply as an interesting experience is a personal choice.

For me, the most important thing is that the client feels safe, respected and free to explore without being told what they should believe.

Past Life Therapy can be a fascinating journey into the mind and imagination. Whatever interpretation a person places upon their experience, the opportunity to learn more about themselves can be valuable.

The question does not always have to be:

“Was this really my past life?”

Sometimes it can simply be:

“What is this experience trying to tell me about myself today?”