Releasement of a Non-Human Entity: Case Report – Louise Ireland-Frey (Is.12)
by Louise Ireland-Frey, M.D., C.C.Ht. No stranger to members of APRT or the readers of JRT, Dr. Ireland-Frey is a physician, well schooled in the rigors of scientific research. It is, therefore, doubly interesting for a person of her background and training to undertake an exploration of this topic. In a recent letter to the Editor, she addressed this, writing, “The trouble—and the fascination—is that the farther we go into the metaphysical and mystical realms, the more questions we come face to face with and the more shaky some of our firm old theories become.” She expects some skepticism. So do we. One of the purposes of JRT is to present new ideas and alternative approaches to inform and, hopefully, stimulate our readers. Introduction It is not surprising that even among members of such a group as the APRT, acquainted with mystical and metaphysical ideas and methods, the subject of
The Healing Qualities of Past-Life Integration – Sharon Barbell (Is.12)
by Sharon Barbell, B.A., M.M. This article proposes the use of a technique called the “Integration Process” to help the client to become actively involved in his/her own resolution and healing. It is characterized as a method based upon traditional principles for use when a traditional regression does not completely resolve problems or remove negative barriers hindering one’s present-life situation. It provides interactive and immediate solutions, helping the client to feel independent and capable of reaching his/her goal(s). The process is described step-by-step, so that interested professionals could replicate it. During my first several years of conducting past-life regressions, it seemed to me that something was lacking in the basic regression technique. While difficult to identify, it seemed to center on the process of transformation, or true healing. I naturally understood the assimilation process and thought (as most regressionists probably do) when the conscious-unconscious bridge is crossed and understanding takes
Soul Retrieval – Janet Cunningham (Is.12)
by Janet Cunningham, M.S. Practitioners of past-life therapy and research often report a perceived empathic bond with their clients during their sessions. It is not all that unusual for a therapist to report knowing what a client was experiencing before s/he actually described it verbally. Nor is it unusual for a client to report feeling the presence of the therapist during the past-life experience. In this article, the author presents an interesting extension of this, in that she felt obliged to enter into the client’s experience. The description of what occurred leaves us with perhaps more questions than answers. Past-life therapy has broadened over the years as a result of the pioneers (APRT members and researchers at the forefront of the field) who have been open-minded and willing to learn from clients. As a result we are, hopefully, less likely to make quick judgments about what a past-life regression may
The Spirit of Transformation in Past Lives – Marilyn Gordon (Is.12)
by Marilyn Gordon, C.C.Ht. This article combines transformational healing with past-life therapy. It puts forward a three-step process for experiencing, releasing, and transforming the root causes of human predicaments, with particular application to the root causes found in past-lives. The author discusses the principles of this approach, highlights various techniques, and gives examples from cases. I recently saw a film called “Baraka,” the Sufi word for “blessing”. In frame after frame, I saw images of the wonderful and terrible aspects of human existence, juxtaposed with the prayers of those who pray everywhere—the Sufi Dervishes, the Hebrews, Christians, the tribes of Africa and Native America. I saw massive traffic jams and huge inhumane factories processing live chickens, as well as Auschwitz and battlefields and subways. And everyone everywhere was in some kind of trance. Everyone everywhere had a hypnotized look—hypnotized into their various cultural trances and customs and practices. And everyone
Past Lives Therapy as an Aspect of Shamanism – Brad Steiger (Is.12)
by Brad Steiger Since childhood I have been challenged by the idea that we have lived before on this or other worlds. One of my early articles, “How Many People Are You?” (Exploring the Unknown, February, 1963) led to my first book-length exploration of past lives, The Enigma of Reincarnation (Ace, 1967). By 1968 I was ready to begin personally exploring cases suggestive of reincarnation through individual regressions, but at that time my sole motivation was to prove that such phenomena existed. I sought to obtain solid documentation that would satisfy the most rigorous skeptic that the human soul might indeed express itself in more than one incarnation during the process of spiritual evolution. But while extensive in-field research did produce birth certificates, death certificates, land grants, deeds and real estate transfers for many of the personalities who spoke through our regressed subjects, the rigorous skeptics remained unconvinced. I discovered
Professionalism and Spiritualism in Past-Life Therapy: A Call for Witch-Doctors – Hans TenDam (Is.12)
by Drs. Hans TenDam Where battles rage forever, eternal treasures are to be found. Where colleagues are worlds apart, interesting and valuable bridges can be built. Between professionalism and spiritualism is an everlasting tension, as there should be. When such tensions manifest themselves in, so to speak, the same family, we live in what the Chinese call “interesting times.” To understand the tension between professionalism and spiritualism we need to understand the tension between intellect and intuition. Our intellect is like a plodding housewife, doing things step by step, in an orderly and well-known and above all reliable fashion. Our intuition is more like a femme fatale, leading us straight to the top experience of being right at the stroke of lightning. Even the follies of intellect are dull, while the follies of the intuition at least make for great living. In my mind there is no doubt that the
Past-Life Therapy: Clinical or Spiritual? – Thelma B. Freedman (Is.12)
by Thelma B. Freedman, M.A. The question has been asked, is past-life therapy primarily a clinical or a spiritual experience? Before this can be discussed, some definition of the word “spiritual” must be established. My Webster’s gives three relevant definitions: 1) of the spirit or soul; 2) of, or consisting of, spirit; not corporeal; and, 3) religious; sacred. As for the word “spirit” itself, one definition is “a supernatural being, as a ghost, angel, etc.” None of these definitions is very satisfactory, because there are words in them that could stand some defining, too; but I’ll use them as general guidelines. As for the word “clinical,” Webster’s is quite medical in its definition; I’ll use the broader and more common idea of treatment and help for people with problems either physical or psychological. The most important point, to me, is that these definitions of spirit and spiritual all lean heavily
PLT: A Multi-Modal Therapy – Paul Hansen (Is.12)
by Paul Hansen, B.A., M.Div., Ph.D. Over the years there has been much discussion about the basic philosophy of Past-life Therapy, what it is and what it should or can be. Is Past-life Therapy a therapeutic modality, a spiritual discipline, some combination of these or something else? Some of APRT’s senior members, Ron Jue, Roger Woolger, Hazel Denning, and Winafred Lucas have done much to help shape the philosophy of APRT and its members at this time. Certainly, Dr. Lucas’ monumental work in her two volume Regression Therapy: A Handbook For Professionals will provide a substantial foundation for Past-life Therapy for many years to come. I wish to join the long line of those who congratulate her on her work. Having served seven years on the Board of Directors of APRT and four years as chairperson of APRT’s Training Committee, it is my perception that Past-life Therapy becomes highly individualized
Past-Life Therapy Research Project – Part II – Rabia Clark (Is.12)
by Rabia Clark, M.A. This article is a continuation of an article on page 97 of the December 1993 issue of The Journal of Regression Therapy. It gives additional findings from Rabia Clark’s research project on past-life therapy as it is practiced today. Just what is past-life therapy? Is it a legitimate therapeutic technique–or is it more allied to spiritual healing? And, if it is a part of the psychological therapies, how can it be integrated into the “mainstream?” How can the spiritual views of the field be integrated with the more traditional cathartic methods? How has past-life therapy been researched so far? Early studies on past-life therapy (PLT) were focused on the idea of proving the validity of reincarnation (Chet Snow and Helen Wambach’s studies (1989) are among these early efforts). Hazel Denning explored using past-life therapy to resolve guilt issues (1984, 1988). Winafred Lucas published several reports about
Past-Life Report: Therapy in the Treatment of Multiple Personality Disorders by Kardecist Healers In Brazil – Stanley Krippner (Is.12)
by Stanley Krippner, Ph.D. Dr. Krippner originally presented this topic as the keynote speaker during the banquet at the October, 1993 convention of the Association for Past-Life Research and Therapy in San Francisco. The importance and scope of his address were such that we asked him to share his comments, observations, and research with our readers. The emergence of past-life report therapy is one of many harbingers of what many philosophers have called the “postmodern age.” “Modernism” or “modernity” holds that the methods of “objective” natural science will reveal “the external world” and lead to unanimity of belief regarding “natural laws” and their implications. However, this glowing vision has never been actualized. The search for “objective” methods has revealed that the observer is an inevitable part of what is being observed, and that each set of researchers constructs what they are looking for in a way that influences what they
Past-Life Therapy: What is it?- Russel C. Davis (Is.12)
by Russel C. Davis, Ph.D. Did you ever have to take one of those frustratingly annoying classes in college in which you were required to write a paper detailing a process in such a way that any reader could follow your directions successfully without any prior knowledge? The illustration comes from attempting to translate something which is clear in your mind to something which will be equally clear in the mind of your audience. It’s sort of like trying to explain to a sales clerk a particular shade of orange you want for your patio furniture or telling a friend exactly where it itches on your back. We can see it in our minds and we know what we mean. It’s just a little hard to describe sometimes. We are called The Journal of Regression Therapy. In publishing each issue our primary goal is to present our readers with a
Recovery of Adult Female Incest Survivors: A Psychospiritual Perspective – Barbara Sinor (Is.16)
Barbara Sinor, Ph.D. Dr. Sinor’s research clearly demonstrates the value of incorporating transpersonal/psychospiritual modalities into treatment plans for adult female survivors of incest. She presented this study in narrative form in the APRT Newsletter, 18 (2), Spring, 1998. Here we offer some of the “nuts and bolts.” This research was designed to determine whether adult female incest survivors who utilized transpersonal/psychospiritual counseling interventions, including past-life therapy, during their recovery process felt them to be advantageous to their healing. The primary goal of the research was to present a measurable use-effective perspective to the therapeutic community at large of the benefits of psychospiritual treatment modalities for this population. It was the researcher’s hypothesis that the findings would indicate positive benefits from utilizing psychospiritual methods of counseling and/or spiritually-based self-help methods during the recovery process. Questionnaires were mailed to 355 female volunteers who identified themselves as survivors of incest; 40% (141) were
EXPERIENCES. What is the Nature of Parallel Lives? – Isa Gucciardi (Is.15)
In this article, Isa Gucciardi tells us of her strange personal encounter with what may have been a parallel universe. Isa Gucciardi, M.A., C.Ht. There has been much discussion of the possibility of parallel lives, but this concept appears to be poorly – and variously – understood by the different investigators who have looked into the matter. There are some past-life researchers who hold that “past” lives are really occurring in the present at different dimensions of reality. Quantum physics supports the idea that time as a linear concept is just a way of talking about reality and proposes that all time is present now. Some transpersonal psychologists venture so far as to say that multiple personality disorder-type manifestations are really past/parallel life “bleed throughs.” That is to say, when a person begins to exhibit personality structures vastly different from the commonly held one, the new or different personality structure
EXPERIENCES. Past-Life Therapy: A Personal Perspective – Thomas G. Shafer (Is.15)
In this article, Thomas G. Shafer describes the confusing mixture of dreams, memory distortion, and past lives he encountered in his search for the truth. Thomas G. Shafer, M.D. I began individual therapy with Mrs. Peggy Moore-Osteen after the death of my father in early 1985. My initial complaints were depression, panic-like episodes, and nightmares. I had suffered from recurrent bouts of depression since my late teens; these had no clear precipitants and lasted a few weeks to about a month. I tolerated antidepressant medication poorly due to cardiac arrhythmias. This was felt by my internist to be related to mild Mitral Valve Prolapse. Additionally, I had suffered since my mid-teens from prolonged sieges of recurrent panic episodes characterized mainly by tachycardia, shortness of breath and an intense fear of suddenly dying. These episodes could occur spontaneously but were also reliably precipitated by being completely by myself or driving down
PLT: Illumination and Transformation – George Schwimmer (Is.12)
by George Schwimmer, Ph.D. From my first knowledge of past-life therapy (PLT) it became clear to me that there were two basic approaches to PLT: the metaphysical (or “spiritual It) and the clinical. The metaphysical view of past lives has been around for thousands of years, of course, and in this country it predated the clinical view by at least forty years. I have no idea who the first clinician to use past-life recall was. What I do know is that past lives were brought to public view in the U.S. first by Edgar Cayce, then by A. R. Martin, then by Morey Bernstein, then by Dick Sutphen, and a host of lay writers. Although a few past-life therapists date the start of their work back to the sixties and even late fifties, the first books to be published by American therapists – Morris Netherton and Edith Fiore – were
Past-Life Therapy Research Project – Rabia Clark (Is.11)
by Rabia Clark Rabia Clark has already made many important contributions to our field and to our association. Now, in pursuit of her doctorate, she has undertaken an extensive study of past-life therapists which, when completed, will provide us with significant insight into contemporary PLT practices as well as the underlying theoretical assumptions of its practitioners. The first phase of that undertaking—the preparation, distribution, and collection of a data questionnaire—has now been completed. While the data is still being processed and evaluated, we have asked her to prepare for this issue a brief preliminary report of what has been accomplished to date. What now follows is her response to that request: in essence, a brief summary of her first impressions of some of the data collected. She presents us with a delightfully informal “tease” of the full report to come. What is Past-Life Therapy as it is practiced today and
Past-Life Induced Anorexia: A Case Study – Alfred Hoffmann (Is.11)
by Alfred Hoffmann, Ed.D. Dr Hoffmann presents the reader with a successful case history addressing the possible relationship of present day anorexia nervosa (and possibly bulimia) when triggered by a subconscious past-life remembrance of a catastrophic previous life related happening. There are possible indicators that anorexia nervosa can be related to a phobic food aversion fear. Decades ago very little was known of either the origin, the critical onset, or the psychological undergirdings of anorexia. It was thought to be an esoteric rarity mentioned in small print or in footnotes in the medical texts. The media has sometimes portrayed anorexia as only an adolescent fad, and at other times as a very mysterious killer. The word “anorexia” means loss of appetite. However, loss of appetite is not central to anorexia nervosa. The most obvious characteristic seems to be an obsession with body weight. Putting on weight seems to be the
Quantum Physics and its Application to Past-Life Regression and Future Life Progression Hypnotherapy – Bruce Goldberg (Is.11)
by Bruce Goldberg, D.D.S., M.S. Time: is it linear or simultaneous? Is there a past, present, and future, as has been accepted by traditional thought? Does Quantum Physics suggest that perhaps the very concepts of time and space need to be reexamined and redefined? Dr. Goldberg, author, practitioner, and lecturer, places before our readers some thoughts and ideas on this controversial subject. Throughout this article I will be referring to the work of Fred Alan Wolf, a quantum physicist. Although other physicists with specialties in quantum mechanics will be mentioned, most of my references will be to Wolf’s work. While Wolf doesn’t speak for all quantum physicists, I find his theories and conclusions particularly applicable to my work with hypnotic regression and progression. According to Wolf (1981), quantum physics may explain regression and progression by means of a series of equations illustrating a space-time continuum in which all time is
The Role of Neurological Differences in Facilitating Past-Life Experiences – David Ritchey (Is.11)
by David Ritchey, Ph.D. In this paper, it is argued that a difference in neurological structuring, labeled “anomalous cerebral dominance” by neurologist Norman Geschwind, facilitates the experiencing of alternate states of consciousness and of other lives. It is suggested that all of reality, including the human brain, is organized holographically and that what quantum physicist David Bohm speaks of as the “implicate order” is the source of other-life experiences. Both this article and the Goldberg article which follows present some innovative theories linking the experiencing of past lives with the speculations of quantum physics. Introduction Alternate states of consciousness (ASC’s) play a significant role in the experiencing of past lives, whether those experiences occur deliberately in the structured environment of a therapist’s office or spontaneously in everyday life. When past-life “flashbacks” do occur spontaneously, they can be quite unsettling and are often regarded as one of what Stanislav Grof (1989)
The New Age, The Mythic, and Legitimization of Regression/Releasement Therapy – Carl Silver (Is.11)
by Carl Silver, Ph.D. Belief systems and theories, together with empirical data, are foundation stones upon which thought leads to knowledge and understanding. Within the therapeutic setting, “beliefs” may be more important to achieving an outcome than “science.” Dr. Silver directs his thoughts towards an interesting and provocative exploration of this topic. My readings in the area of past-life regression therapy et al reveal occasional reference to altered states and their relation to the mythic, but always as tangential to some other focus rather than as a central theme. I propose that a grasp of the following two conclusions are central to eventual acceptance of this therapy into the mainstream of psychotherapeutic intervention: A personal mythology and its requisite belief system is essential not only to healing but to its maintenance. Regression therapy et al contributes richly to creation of a personal mythology in a society that provides little in