Studies on the Effectiveness and Client Satisfaction in Past-life or Reincarnation Therapy.
by Ronald Vand Der Maesen (The Netherlands)
Introduction
Over the last 30 years, there has been growing interest in reincarnation or past-life therapy in the Western world, particularly among individuals who adopt a holistic orientation towards health. This perspective emphasises the interconnectedness of body, mind, and spirit in the maintenance of well-being (Astin, 1998).
Past-life therapy is a form of psychotherapy that may be classified within the field of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). The therapy is based on the assumption that current psychological, psychosomatic, or chronic physical problems may originate in traumatic experiences associated with so-called former lives, or with prenatal and perinatal conditions.
According to past-life therapy theory, unresolved traumatic experiences may continue to influence the individual in the present life. The therapeutic process involves guiding the client towards the original event believed to underlie the current symptoms. Traumatic experiences are understood as situations involving overwhelming fear, threat, shock, or dissociation. Because these experiences are not fully processed or integrated psychologically, they may remain unresolved within the unconscious.
Within the theoretical framework of past-life therapy, these unresolved experiences are believed to persist symbolically or energetically across incarnations. By reliving and emotionally processing the original experience, the client may reduce dissociation, integrate the previously unresolved material, and consequently experience relief from present-day symptoms.
In his dissertation, the author presents the results of twelve years of treatment outcome studies conducted among various populations in the Netherlands and Suriname, a former Dutch colony in northern South America.
After a thirty-five-year career in the insurance industry, the author became interested in past-life therapy through contact with practitioners associated with the School for Reincarnation Therapy in the Netherlands (SRN). The positive treatment results reported by these practitioners, together with their desire for broader recognition within healthcare systems, led to the initiation of treatment outcome studies.
These studies gained further relevance within the broader international growth of CAM therapies and the increasing public interest in holistic healthcare approaches in countries such as the United States (Astin, 1998; Eisenberg, Davis, Ettner et al., 1998; Konefal, 2002).
A number of psychotherapists and researchers have also expressed interest in alternative therapeutic approaches (Kelsey, 1973; Cladder, 1983; Edelstein, 1984; Dethlefsen, 1987; Weiss, 1988; Moody, 1989; Grof & Bennet, 1990; Neimann & Goldman, 1994; Weiss, 1997).
In its Traditional Medicine Strategy for 2003–2005, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated its objective to assist countries in developing policies regarding the evaluation and regulation of CAM therapies, while also strengthening the evidence base concerning their safety and effectiveness (Smolkin, 2005).
Research by Unützer, Klap, Sturm et al. (2000) estimated that approximately 16.5% of respondents in the United States utilised CAM therapies. In the Netherlands, Becker, De Hart, and Mens (1997) reported that 16% of the Dutch population surveyed had used alternative medicine, with expectations that CAM use would continue to increase.
For many decades, psychotherapy has included ongoing debate regarding the relative effectiveness of different therapeutic approaches (compare Luborsky, Rosenthal, Diguer et al., 2002, with Hunsley & Giulio, 2002). One generally accepted view is that therapeutic effectiveness is influenced significantly by so-called non-specific factors, including the therapeutic relationship, empathy, attention, and emotional support.
At the same time, each psychotherapeutic approach maintains its own theoretical framework and practical methodology (Van Kalmthout & Van der Staak, 1994).
Against this background, the development of CAM therapies, together with questions regarding the identity and effectiveness of past-life therapy, provided justification for treatment outcome studies.
In 1991, the author began research with a satisfaction study involving 400 former clients of past-life therapists in the Netherlands. In 1995, as part of a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology, the author conducted a treatment outcome study among clients with Gilles de la Tourette syndrome. In 1997 and 1998, a further study examined the effects of past-life therapy among individuals experiencing auditory hallucinations. Finally, in 2002–2003, a treatment outcome study was conducted in Suriname among members of the general population treated by therapists trained in past-life therapy.
The studies involving people hearing voices and the Suriname population are presented as the principal studies in the dissertation because they utilised a two-group randomised controlled trial (RCT) design. This methodology allowed comparison between a treatment condition and a control condition in which no therapy was initially provided.
The dissertation addresses two central questions:
- Is past-life therapy beneficial for individuals with psychological, psychosomatic, and chronic physical problems?
- Does past-life therapy contain specific techniques that distinguish it from other forms of psychotherapy?
The following sections provide a summary of the methods and results of the four treatment outcome studies.
You can also see the general outline on table 1.
Table 1.
Treatment Outcome Study on Past-Life Therapy in Suriname
Between 2002 and 2003, a treatment outcome study on past-life therapy was conducted in Suriname.
Eleven past-life therapists participated in the study, including one psychiatrist and ten paraprofessional therapists. All but one participant was female. The therapists had been practising past-life therapy for approximately four years.
Seventy-five clients between the ages of 17 and 71 participated in the study. Approximately 82% were female. Participants presented with both psychiatric and non-psychiatric complaints.
Clients were randomly assigned either to a treatment condition or to a control condition involving a waiting period of one month. The treatment protocol consisted of four weekly individual sessions.
Participants presented with symptoms including:
- anxiety,
- depression,
- relationship problems,
- and chronic physical complaints.
Before and after treatment, participants completed the Symptom Checklist SCL-90 (Derogatis, Rickels & Rock, 1976; translated by Arrindell & Ettema, 1986, 2003). Semi-structured interviews were also conducted by medical students in Paramaribo, the capital of Suriname.
A follow-up study was conducted six months after treatment.
Of the original 75 participants:
- 13 were excluded because of incomplete questionnaires or additional therapy during the study period,
- 13 withdrew before treatment began,
- and 8 discontinued therapy prematurely.
The final analysis therefore included 41 participants:
- 24 in the treatment condition,
- and 17 in the control condition.
Statistical analysis using the Mann–Whitney test demonstrated a highly significant result in favour of treatment (p = .001).
A Cohen’s d effect size of 1.16 was calculated.
The average SCL-90 score for participants in the treatment condition decreased from 187 (SD 71) before treatment to 113 (SD 23) after treatment. By contrast, participants in the control condition showed only a small reduction during the waiting period.
At six-month follow-up:
- 38% of participants reported complete disappearance of their initial complaints,
- 56% reported significant reduction of symptoms,
- 74% reported being very satisfied with both therapy and therapist,
- and the average satisfaction score was 8.7 out of 10.
Approximately 60% of participants reported experiences interpreted as past-life material during therapy.
See table 2.
Table 2.
Treatment Outcome Study on Past-Life Therapy for People Hearing Voices
A second study examined the effects of past-life therapy among individuals experiencing auditory hallucinations.
Fifty-four participants took part in the study:
- 37 females aged 12–77,
- and 17 males aged 15–63.
Of these participants, 44 (79%) were currently receiving psychiatric treatment, primarily for schizophrenia or related disorders.
Participants were randomly assigned either to a treatment condition or to a control condition.
Twenty-five paraprofessional therapists trained at the School for Reincarnation Therapy in the Netherlands conducted the treatment sessions.
Participants in the treatment condition received twelve therapy sessions following intake.
As in the Suriname study, all participants completed the SCL-90 before and after treatment or waiting period. Participants were also interviewed after treatment by a psychiatrist responsible for diagnostic evaluation.
Participant dropout rates were relatively high:
- seven participants in the treatment condition withdrew before therapy began,
- seven others discontinued treatment,
- ten participants in the control condition withdrew before treatment,
- and three later discontinued.
The final analysis therefore included:
- 13 participants in the treatment condition,
- and 14 in the control condition.
Statistical analysis again demonstrated a highly significant difference in favour of treatment (p = .001).
A Cohen’s d effect size of 1.40 was calculated.
Average SCL-90 scores in the treatment condition decreased from 217 (SD 53) before treatment to 169 (SD 52) after treatment.
Six months after completion of treatment:
- four participants reported no longer hearing voices,
- fourteen participants reported substantial reduction in distress related to the voices,
- and twenty-one participants reported additional psychological benefits.
The average satisfaction score was 7.8 out of 10 as you can see in table 3.
Table 3
The results suggest that past-life therapy may help certain psychiatric clients improve self-esteem, reduce distress associated with auditory hallucinations, and enhance coping abilities.
Only a minority of participants (16%) reported experiences interpreted as past-life memories.
Therapists involved in the study observed that maintaining a respectful and non-pathologizing attitude towards participants’ interpretations of their experiences was particularly important for establishing a therapeutic relationship.
Study on Client Satisfaction with Past-Life Therapy
A third study examined treatment satisfaction among former clients of past-life therapists in the Netherlands.
More than 400 clients with non-psychiatric complaints were treated in 1992 by 32 past-life therapists.
Of these, 393 clients were asked to complete a questionnaire concerning:
- intake procedures,
- quality of treatment,
- therapeutic relationship,
- and perceived treatment outcome.
The response rate was 85%.
A total of 327 questionnaires were suitable for analysis.
On a five-point satisfaction scale:
- average ratings ranged between 4.3 and 4.8.
At six-month follow-up:
- 58% of respondents reported complete disappearance or substantial reduction of symptoms.
The average overall appreciation score was 7.7 out of 10.
Most respondents reported experiencing one or more past-life episodes during therapy and perceived these experiences as related to their current symptoms. See table 4.
Table 4
Treatment Outcome Study on Past-Life Therapy for Tourette Syndrome
A fourth study examined past-life therapy among clients diagnosed with Gilles de la Tourette syndrome.
Twenty-one clients participated:
- 17 males,
- and 4 females.
Participants were randomly assigned either to a treatment group or to a waiting-list control group.
Five participants withdrew before therapy began, while five others discontinued treatment.
The final analysis therefore included 11 participants who completed therapy.
One year after treatment:
- motor tics showed an average reduction of 46%,
- and vocal tics showed an average reduction of 48%.
Participants reported high satisfaction with treatment, with an average appreciation score of 8.9 out of 10.
According to the therapists involved, attention to prenatal experiences, maternal emotional states during pregnancy, and broader psychological dynamics appeared particularly relevant in the treatment process.
Discussion
The studies presented in this dissertation are treatment outcome studies comparing therapy with no therapy rather than comparisons between different psychotherapeutic approaches.
In both the hearing voices study and the Suriname study, statistical analysis using the Mann–Whitney test demonstrated highly significant results favouring treatment (p = .001).
The calculated effect sizes:
- 1.40 for the hearing voices study,
- and 1.16 for the Suriname study,
compare favourably with effect sizes reported in meta-analyses of other psychotherapeutic approaches.
It should also be noted that many participants entering past-life therapy had previously undergone conventional psychotherapy.
The first central question in the dissertation asked whether past-life therapy may benefit individuals with psychological, psychosomatic, and chronic physical problems.
Based on the results presented, the answer appears cautiously affirmative for two main reasons:
- Statistical analysis demonstrated significant differences favouring treatment conditions.
- Many participants reported substantial symptom reduction and high levels of satisfaction.
The second central question concerned whether past-life therapy contains techniques that distinguish it from other forms of psychotherapy.
The author notes that answering this question fully would require process research examining how therapy works, rather than only whether it is effective.
The studies presented here primarily address treatment outcomes rather than therapeutic mechanisms.
Past-life therapists argue that the therapy appeals to individuals seeking a holistic approach more consistent with their personal beliefs and philosophical orientation towards life and health.
Given the growing public interest in complementary and alternative approaches, further research into the efficacy and therapeutic processes of past-life therapy appears warranted.
Biography: Ronald van der Maesen worked in the insurance sector until the age of 56 in the Netherlands, Indonesia, the Netherlands Antilles, and Suriname. He later trained as a reincarnation therapist and subsequently studied Clinical Psychology at the University of Amsterdam, graduating at the age of 63. In 1998, he introduced reincarnation therapy training in Suriname and later conducted six full training programmes for past-life therapists. He carried out research into treatment satisfaction and therapeutic outcomes among former clients of reincarnation therapy, based on the model of the study Clients about the RIAGG.
He completed doctoral-level examinations in Clinical Psychology with research focusing on the effects of reincarnation therapy among clients with Gilles de la Tourette syndrome. He later conducted research examining the effects of reincarnation therapy among individuals experiencing auditory hallucinations. In 2002, The Handbook of Reincarnation Therapy, co-authored with Bontenbal, was published by De Tijdstroom (Utrecht). That same year, he initiated research in Suriname examining the effectiveness of reincarnation therapy delivered by paraprofessionals whom he had trained in 1998.
In 2003, under his initiative and under the auspices of the School for Reincarnation Therapy Netherlands, a specialised training programme in reincarnation therapy for psychiatrists and psychotherapists was launched. From January to December 2005, he also taught a foundational course in reincarnation therapy in Curaçao.