Archives: JRT Articles

Research in a Strange New Field: The Potluck Principle – Thelma B. Freedman (Is.10)

by Thelma B. Freedman, M.A.

Shortly before closing this issue of the Journal, I asked Thelma to share with our readership her thoughts and wisdom on this vital topic. The need to encourage research looms so importantly in my own thinking, that it also became the topic of the Editor’s Page. (Did you take the time to read it?) In a manner so typical of her, Thelma drew from her knowledge and experience, and penned the following. I am not sure whether it is most appropriately called an article, an encouraging lesson, a set of instructions, or an admonishment. Perhaps all four. First and foremost, it presents the reader with thoughtfully prepared and practical advice. Her style is … Read the rest

1 December 1992

Critical Skills for Past-Life Therapy – Paul A. Hansen (Is.10)

by Paul A. Hansen, Ph.D.

This article addresses two of the most significant problems observed in training therapists to do Past-Life Therapy. While these appear to be unique to Past-Life Therapy, they are really two skills very basic to all modes of therapy. The problems are:

 a) “Leading” clients and not staying with them.

 b) Taking the clients out of their experience.

 Dr. Hansen’s article addresses several basic issues. For the less experienced PL therapist, the information is vital, and for those with years of practice, a healthy review and reminder.

 

Staying with the Client

One of the commonly made assumptions by the beginning therapist, and sometimes experienced ones, is that it is the therapist’s job to fix … Read the rest

1 December 1992

The Weighing of the Heart and Other Hells: Guilt and Fear as Inhibitors in the Process of Transition – Winafred B. Lucas (Is.6)

by Winafred B. Lucas, Ph.D.

In a recent stay in Egypt I deepened my understanding of the nature of entity attachments. Our group of 23, under the leadership of Dr. Brugh Joy, was spending a week riding camels across the Sinai and climbing mountains there. During a particularly steep climb, in which a fixed rope was used to assist the ascent, the rope broke and the person on it, Mark, fell some distance, scraping rocks on the way down and landing on his left ankle in a shallow pool. Several of the men carried him back to where the camels had been left, where the group, many of whom were healers, succeeded in reducing the inflammation. However, the possibility … Read the rest

1 November 1988

Overcoming Resistance to a Past-Life Scene – Garrett Oppenheim (Is.6)

by Garrett Oppenheim, Ph.D.

One of my most challenging cases of resistance was that of a young man of executive fiber who appeared to be well motivated, and whose regressions were both vivid and interesting. However, these regressions seemed to have nothing to do with his presenting problem, which was a profound fear of speaking in front of an audience. We worked under pressure because he had allowed only a few weeks to deal with this problem before giving an important talk which, if successful, would clinch a promotion to a higher executive position in his company.

My patient, Monty, had regressed to lifetimes as a prostitute in Algeria, a farmer in southern England, and a caveman in some … Read the rest

1 November 1988

The Navajo Mountain Way Myth as a Metaphor for Past-Life Experience – Kathleen Jenks (Is.6)

by Kathleen Jenks, M.A.

The Mountain Chant is a Navajo ceremony collected and translated in 1883-1884 by Washington Matthews, an army doctor stationed at Fort Wingate, New Mexico. The origin of the myth itself is unclear, but the resulting ceremony, based upon the requirement for specific items of ceremonial paraphernalia, can be dated at least as far back as the 1700’s. The ceremony can be celebrated only in the winter when rattlesnakes and bears are hibernating; it is sung to treat mental disturbances or uneasiness, which are considered “bear sickness,” and also fainting spells, as well as kidney and stomach problems attributed to a variety of mountain animals such as bears, snakes, weasels, and porcupines.

The myth begins in … Read the rest

1 November 1988

The Origin of the Victim Role in Past-Life Guilt – Dree K. Miller (Is.6)

by Dree K. Miller, Ph.D.

It is commonplace for therapists to hear the variety of ways in which their clients are victims. Some clients are victims of child abuse or dysfunctional family backgrounds. Some are victims of abusive relationships with mates, friends, employers, family. Others are the victims of circumstances, never being able to succeed in school, find and hold a job, or have even an adequate living environment. Occasionally there seem to be those who are just “victims of life.” Or could it be that they are the victims of past life? Within the context of past-life therapy the concept of victimization shifts from an external experience to an internal design. Being a victim is no longer a … Read the rest

1 November 1988

The Application of the Psychosynthesis Technique of Forgiveness to Past-Life Therapy – Nanette de Fuentes (Is.6)

by Nanette de Fuentes, Ph.D.

The technique of embracing forgiveness for oneself is built upon a thorough understanding of guilt. Guilt is a pervasive emotion which when unresolved, can impair one’s psychological and spiritual growth. It is classically defined as “self-reproach and feelings of culpability” or “deserving of blame.”

The various schools of psychological thought view the etiology and purpose of guilt in different ways. From a psychodynamic viewpoint, neurotic guilt emerges from an overly punitive or overly developed superego, from the constrictions of which therapy should be able to free one. This viewpoint contrasts with Reality Therapy, wherein guilt is seen as a valid reaction to a real transgression. Existentialists, on the other hand, view guilt not as … Read the rest

1 November 1988

Separation From The Source As An Initiator of Guilt – Ernest Pecci – Joanne Walsh (Is.6)

by Ernest Pecci, M.D. and Joanne Walsh

The complexity of a human being is amazing, regardless of the fairly simple life he or she may seem to be leading. We cannot judge by a person’s behavior what is happening in his consciousness. Each of us has traveled a long time and our bodies and personal selves represent the sum of our defenses, of our self-judgments, and of the complexities of human existence.

Joanne came to me six years ago. At that time she was a pale, frail housewife with low adrenal gland energy who seemed to have a relatively simple life as a compulsive mother taking care of her children. She had always resisted help from anyone, but her … Read the rest

1 November 1988

Guilt: Facilitator and Inhibitor in the Growth of the Soul – Hazel Denning (Is.6)

by Hazel Denning, Ph.D.

A sense of guilt underlies a large percentage of life’s problems. Guilt is the emotional feeling one has when any act has been committed which leaves a sense that the individual has done something “wrong” or “bad.” This feeling is accompanied by a conscious or unconscious belief that some kind of punishment is deserved and inevitable. In conformity with the law of attraction, the guilty person consistently attracts experiences that serve as a form of punishment, seldom recognizing, however, that the painful events are of his own making.

In any analysis of guilt, it is important to recognize that it contains both positive and negative aspects. The importance of balance in all of the life … Read the rest

1 November 1988

Therapist Safety and Protection in Past-Life Therapy – David Hammerman (Is.9)

by David Hammerman, Ph.D.

To take care of oneself is both prudent and vital. As the author of this article so rightly points out, therapists tend to be so attentive to the needs of our clients that they sometimes fail to practice appropriate measures to adequately protect themselves. The author, a licensed psychologist, has developed an interesting technique for therapists to use.

While much work has been done in hypnotherapy around safety and protection for the client, little has been done around safety and protection for the therapist. There has been recent clinical attention paid to spirits attaching themselves to people and the depossession work that was required to release them (Ireland-Frey, 1986). The following report illustrates the need … Read the rest

1 December 1991