Back to the future

Past life regression i s a mind therapy that takes you back in ti me to help imp rove your future. Thane Plus t akes you on this ride into your soul

Gayatri Sarangl

With the surge of spiritualism and alternative forms of healing, past life regression has become a trend of sorts in the city and across the world. There are references to it in Buddhism, Jainism as Well as Hinduism. However, there are some fundamental differences in the techniques referred to in ancient texts and the form it has taken today.

Simply put, past life regression is a process of healing based on the underlying principle of reincarnation. Each individual has three body levels physical, astral and causal. When we have unresolved issues in any of the lives we are born into, the causal body carries these forward into the next physical manifestation of the body. For instance, any regrets or unfulfilled desires you may have in one life will lead you a manifestation in another life where you will once again face similar circumstances.

This cycle continues life after life until you are at peace with yourself and this matter. Past life regression aims at doing just that –helping you identify and resolve those problems that are beyond logical reasoning in this lifetime.

There are two ways of doing this. The first is what ancient scriptures refer to, where you are in full control and regress into past lives through natural meditation. This is known as past life recall. However, it requires a lot of patience, skill and dedication to be slip into a meditation so deep as to permit this, which is why a non-self-mediated form - past life regression-has come into play. Here, the meditation is a form of deep hypnosis under someone else's guidance, where you are first made to relax by using deep breathing techniques, taken back into your consciousness by counting backwards and suddenly a 'new' world opens up in front of you. This is state of alert attentive' relaxation, which is devoid of dreams.

Though the technique used in the two methods is different, both recall and regression work on the same principle. "They are therapeutic in every sense," says Bharati Nirmal of the TAO Spiritual Centre in Thane. "Crystallised emotions create energy traps, forming knots in our consciousness," she explains. By regressing to the starting point when these knots were first created, one can 'relieve by reliving' the experience that led to it. All the compartments in your mind open up one after another as you relive your past experiences and emotions. Each emotion is stored in the body in a different way and as you regress, you will feel different sensations associated with the emotions, such as burning, cooling, itching, etc.

Many times people who have undergone regression sessions cannot help but question if what they saw was merely a figment of their imaginations.

"When consciousness is pure, it is the death of the mind. To prevent this, the mind will create these doubts. When you experience it, you will know it is happening within you. You will feel it, not see it," rationalises Nirmal. She goes on to explain the importance of accepting all that you see only as a witness, as trying to analyse or interfere with the experience stops the process altogether.

Past life regression is made to sound like an easy alternative to counseling these days, as it helps you resolve conflicts at a much deeper level. However, Prem Nirmal of the TAO Centre explains why regression should be used only as a last resort.

"When normal counseling does not work, and there are problems which do not make logical sense with the experiences the individual has had in this lifetime, then and only then should he/she consider past life regression," he says. He feels that regression has become more of a fashionable thing to do for people, who opt for it without fully understanding the dangers involved in the process.

As regression gives a wider view of situations, it is better than merely taking medication. But there is always the possibility of getting stuck in a certain lifetime, of questioning.

Whether the life you are experiencing is real or the one you are in, and to bring you back to your current state, it is essential for your guide to be able to control the situation.

Leaving the dangers aside, if you do opt for past life regression, there is but one thing you must remember, feels Nirmal. "The story doesn't matter, the behaviour pattern behind it is what matters. Implementation of the understanding you derive from this pattern is very essential or regression will not help you," he concludes.

gayatri.sarang@timesgroup.com
(With inputs from Nasser Lalljee)

THINGS TO REMEMBER Consider past life regression only if you have a specific issue that needs to be resolved Regression should be used as a last resort, when all other therapies such as counseling fail There is always the risk of getting stuck in a past lifetime, which can create imbalance not only in this life, but can also be carried forwards to successive lives Do not try regression cassettes available in the market unless you have complete control over yourself An intense desire is essential, as shallow curiosity will prevent you from regressing Only 10% of all those try regression ever actually regress into a past lifetime Past life recall is preferred to regression, which is brought about through simple meditation