Reincarnation & Karma
Past life regression work goes hand in hand with theories of reincarnation. This is a concept that has evoked a variety of reactions in the western world, from ridicule to condemnation – essentially fear-based reactions to something unfamiliar and misunderstood. Interestingly enough, although the public perception of reincarnation may still evoke jokes about Shirley McLaine hanging "Out on a Limb," millions have read her and other books on this subject. The public image doesn’t accurately reflect what people believe in private -- a recent Gallup poll showed that 27% of adult Americans admitted anonymously that they believed in reincarnation.
There really is nothing to fear from the concept of reincarnation. Today over half the world’s population espouses this belief -- for good reason. There is a great sense of serenity that comes from knowing that the deepest parts of ourselves will always exist, that we are much more that just our current physical bodies, and that we have many opportunities to master human existence and learn the lessons we are here to learn. For many people, the idea just makes sense.
Along with reincarnation, the topic of "karma" usually also comes up. Borrowed from Hinduism, the typical Westerner interprets karma as "predestination" -- everything is set before our birth, we have no real choice in how our lives unfold. In reality, karma is the good old concept of "what goes around, comes around." It refers to the continuity of soul experience, the fact that we will reap the consequences of both prior good works and prior unloving deeds. For example, if a lifetime has been spent with very negative, racist attitudes and actions, then we may have the opportunity to experience this from the other side of the fence in a subsequent life, as the member of a group who is discriminated against or even persecuted. An individual who commits suicide to escape from perceived difficulties, will undoubtedly have the opportunity to meet similar problems and situations more creatively in another lifetime. Although karma may contribute to the types of situations we may face, we have free will in each and every moment to choose our response – either through love and connection, or through negativity and fear. If we choose the latter, we will have opportunities to learn the lesson again.
Nevertheless, you do not have to believe in reincarnation or karmic justice for past life therapy to work for you! As long as you can hold an open mind to the experience, your belief system does not prevent you from being a good subject for this technique. I approach the material that comes up as a wonderfully powerful story or metaphor for whatever issues we’re exploring in your life. It is up to you to decide whether you wish to regard this material as a "real" past life, or something else. It does not matter as far as the effectiveness of the technique. I have been successful recovering past life memories with people from widely different spiritual traditions and belief systems.
