The Mystery Of Past Life Memories

Reincarnation and past lives continue to captivate the metaphysical community, while skeptics believe it’s mumbo-jumbo. As a certified hypnotherapist who does past live regression work, I am a strong believer in past lives. Based on my experience, I have no doubt that past life phenomena are real. However, what I am not entirely certain of is its true nature and origins.

For example, if I do a past life regression with a client and she recalls the execution of Joan of Arc in 1431, does that mean she was actually present at that event? If so, who was she at that time? Was she the subject, an observer, or an agent. In other words, was she Joan of Arc herself, one of the crowd, or the executioner, clergy, or the British soldier who gave Joan the impromptu crucifix for her to hold?

There is growing evidence in the science of epigenetic inheritance that our genes may have imprinted ancestral patterns, specifically due to the effects of trauma. Researchers have not only found that events in someone’s lifetime can change the way their DNA is expressed, but this change can potentially be passed on to future generations. Evidence for this has been found linked to traumatic events like famines, wars and genocides.

It is therefore possible that my regression client is not seeing events from her own past life, but instead an imprint from her ancestry. It could be that she did not experience the event herself, but that she is merely consciously recalling an unconscious imprint of a traumatic event one of her ancestors had experienced.

Interestingly, most past life memories tend to be of violent deaths. Young children between two to five years old especially seem to remember such past life deaths. Some also have recurring dreams of the tragic events. There have been many cases reported where further investigation confirmed the historic facts of the child’s unusual memories.

Reincarnation, at least as I conceive it, does not nullify what we know about evolution and genetics. It suggests, however, that there may be two streams of evolution – the biological one and a personal one – and that during terrestrial lives these streams may interact ~ Ian Stevenson

A leading clinical researcher in this field was psychiatrist Ian Stevenson, also known as “an emperor in parapsychology.” He also proposed the interesting hypothesis that birthmarks are an intersecting point of biology and reincarnation. According to Stevenson’s research a birthmark could be evidence of a fatal wound in a former lifetime.

People also experience other spontaneous phenomena that suggest the existence of past lives. A common experience is déjà vu, or the sense that you have been somewhere before or experienced a situation before. Another common phenomenon is having an irrational fear or phobia. A person may be exceedingly afraid of drowning, without even having had a negative experience with water.

There have also been accounts of people spontaneously being able to speak or understand foreign languages that they had never been exposed to before in this lifetime. Some people also have an inexplicable infatuation, or even obsession, with a specific time, historic event, country, or culture for no apparent reason.

Children who remember their past lives offer the most compelling evidence yet for reincarnation. When adults listen-really listen to what the children are trying to say, their own understanding of spirit and of children are changed forever ~ Carol Bowman

Past lives continue to captivate our imagination. It is an intriguing and mysterious aspect of human existence. Believers see it as a way to explain the unexplained. It also offers a path to healing, spiritual growth and soul evolution, and a way to find greater meaning and purpose in our lives. I have seen much evidence of all of this in my own practice.

I encourage you to explore your past life possibilities, but always keep an open mind. My recommendation is also to not allow your personal understanding of your past lives to keep you stuck, or hold you hostage in this lifetime. And, if you have an unusual experience, memory, or dream that you suspect may be related to a past life, especially if it results in anxiety or fear, then find a reputable professional to assist you in working through it.