As American author and pastor, Rick Warren rightly said: “We are products of the past, but we don’t have to be prisoners of it.” Did you know that a majority of problems that we face in everyday life are actually unresolved residues of our past? Although it may not be evident in most cases, it is true that both our physical and psychological issues might be either directly or indirectly related to incidents that we encountered at some point in our past.
Various forms of therapy such as psychoanalysis and cognitive behavioural therapy try to find solutions by getting to the root of the problem. These are the most common techniques that psychotherapists use during their sessions. One American psychiatrist Dr Brian Weiss, however, described a slightly different technique known as Past Life Regression Therapy (PLRT) in one of his first best-seller books Many Lives, Many Masters. Unlike common forms of therapy which analyse issues by going as far back as childhood, this technique uses hypnosis to go further back in time to resolve issues that individuals encountered during their past lifetimes. This is what makes PLRT so unique from other forms of therapy.
Dr Venu Murthy, a techie by profession and founder of a past life regression centre based in Bengaluru described how a series of incidents that took place in his personal and professional life culminated in a desire to learn the art of Past Life Regression Therapy and help the people around him. “I’ve seen the benefit of the therapy in my own case where it brought our families together,” he said. His wife Neha who had lost her brother at a young age had been suffering from severe trauma for several years and neither medication nor religious rituals could help dull the pain.
It was only when they met a restaurant owner who was also a part-time PLRT therapist, that they started to see some light in their lives. Neha claimed that undergoing the PLRT session had resolved 80% of her grief. The fact that she was now able to cope with her stress had also helped their families reunite. “When we change one life, we are actually impacting 22 lives around it,” said Dr Venu with a smile. In 2009, he met Dr Brian Weiss in person at a one-day workshop in Denver. Four years later, he also attended a training programme in New York, which he mentioned was the turning point in his life. Now if you’re wondering whether PLRT works the same for everyone, the simple answer is no. The manner in which the technique affects a person may vary, just like the practice of medicine where each patient responds differently to the same medication. Dr Venu pointed out that PLRT’s effect on a client depended on two factors. Firstly, the dexterity of the therapist and secondly, the mental preparation that the client had brought to the table. Hence, given these factors, it may not be possible for everyone to tap into their past lives through regression.
Moreover, just like any other practice, this technique too has its fair share of pros and cons. “One major pro is that sometimes you get to know the symptoms that you’re carrying without even realising it,” said Mehak Mansukhani, a now-certified PLRT practitioner who trained at Amarantos under Dr Venu.
“The con I think is that it honestly scares a lot of people. You happen to relive the tragedies that you’re supposed to heal and that is a little painful, but it is definitely worth it,” she added. Regressing somebody may also not be as glamorous as mentioned in the books.
“It is a very tiring process,” said Dr Venu while recalling the throbbing headache that he experienced while attempting to regress one of his co-students at Dr Brian’s session.
“For someone to be there, take control of his own mind and then try to help this other person take control of their mind is difficult,” he added.
However, he also emphasised that making your mind stronger before attempting to heal another person would make the process easier and more effective.
Over the years, PLRT has gained widespread popularity with centres opening up in various parts of the globe.
However, the technique has also faced numerous challenges. One research paper stated that PLRT wasn’t evidence-based. Dr Venu argued that his facility used ElectroEncephaloGraphy (EEG) to provide evidence-based healing through Past Life Regression Therapy.
“This is science and to benefit from this therapy, you don’t need to believe in reincarnation,” he said firmly. Despite the challenges, however, the technique hasn’t been considered harmful. Hence, if all else fails, maybe… just maybe, taking a trip down the past life memory lane could lead you to the answers!