What is past life regression?
Past life regression is a therapeutic technique that uses hypnosis to explore experiences that may be interpreted as past lives or incarnations. Based on the theory that your reactions and the way you respond to problems can be influenced by previous experiences, past life regression is a holistic therapy that works with a person as a whole – not only the body and mind but your emotions and spirit, too.
Hypnotherapist Liz Vincent explains more about past life regression in this short video.
Some conventional talk therapies focus on the present. If you're experiencing an issue that doesn't seem to have an obvious cause, you may be interested in exploring it from a different perspective. Practitioners may use regression hypnotherapy to explore emotions, imagery and experiences that arise during hypnosis.
What techniques are used in past life regression?
There is a common misconception that practitioners ‘perform’ hypnotherapy on a client – but this is far from true. Past life regression, as well as other types of hypnotherapy, is an active therapy, whereby the client fully participates in the process.
It is often claimed to be a full sensory experience. You will not only visualise situations, but you may be able to hear sounds as if you were in the room, as well as recall specific smells.
Practitioners of regression therapy use hypnosis to help their clients relax and encourage them to open their minds. Other techniques, such as suggestion, can help promote recall, and specific questions are designed to elicit statements and memories of the client’s past lives.
What is quantum healing hypnosis technique (QHHT)?
QHHT derives from past life regression, but the approach is more spiritual. It was developed by Dolores Cannon, who furthered the past life regression technique. As well as looking into past lives, QHHT aims to connect the client with their 'Higher Self', 'God', or 'Super-Conscious' – terms used within QHHT to describe a higher or spiritual aspect of the self.
According to QHHT, it is not the hypnotist selecting the client's past experiences, but rather the client's 'Higher Self'. Practitioners believe this guides the client towards experiences that may be relevant to their questions or concerns. Your hypnotherapist will guide you through this journey, helping you to explore the experiences that arise during the session.
QHHT is a technique used for many reasons. It is particularly popular for people:
- looking to understand their life's purpose
- wanting to gain clarity
- hoping to access their inner wisdom
- looking to explore a specific fear (for example, fear of death or dying)
- trying to reconnect with the 'real them'.
Learn more about QHHT in QHHT: The gold standard of past life regression.
What is past life regression hypnotherapy used for?
Some people try past life regression simply out of curiosity about who they may have been in a past life. But for many, it’s a path to personal growth and healing. To get the most out of your session, it is important to have a specific ‘intention’. This is something you hope to gain, understand, or fix.
While you might wish to remain open to whatever you experience during your past-life regression session, it is generally thought that having an intention provides better context for understanding and processing the experience.
Focusing on this intention, a practitioner may guide you to explore experiences that you associate with the issue. This could include:
- relationship issues (including inexplicable attraction or aversion to someone)
- vivid dreams or recurring nightmares
- fears that have no apparent cause
- déjà vu experiences
- feeling stuck in life
- having a string of bad luck.
During regression, practitioners may encourage you to explore connections between experiences that arise and issues in your current life. Some people feel that exploring these experiences helps them make connections they hadn't considered before, perhaps offering a different perspective or a sense of internal peace.
It would be understandable to expect that past life regression might focus on negative events and emotions, in order to explore the root cause of a problem. However, this is not necessarily the case. Practitioners will try to focus on the positive aspects of regression, rather than solely focusing on traumatic memories. For some people, this exploration may form part of a wider journey of personal growth.
What happens in a past life regression session?
Past life regression therapists will vary in how they choose to conduct sessions, including how long each session will last and the time dedicated to the regression aspect of the session itself. Your hypnotherapist will likely start by asking you some questions about your present life and the issues you hope to resolve. Together, you may explore recurring patterns or experiences that could be connected to the issues you want to focus on.
Having discussed the areas you're most interested in exploring, you and your hypnotherapist can agree on an intention for the session. This can help to guide the focus of your past life regression experience. Your hypnotherapist will then guide you through relaxation steps to help you become deeply relaxed. This relaxed state may help you explore memories, thoughts, images or experiences that arise during the session, which some people may interpret as relating to this lifetime or to past lives.
There is no way of knowing for sure what you will experience during regression therapy, as everyone experiences it differently. Not everyone will experience what they interpret as a past life. Some people report seeing glimpses of several past lives, while others may explore one in more detail. Others may experience memories, images or emotions relating to their current life.
The important thing to remember is that you are a unique individual with a unique history, so your experience of past life regression therapy will be equally unique.
It is normal to feel unsure about where your memories or experiences have come from, or to wonder how to interpret them. Experiences during regression can feel vivid or meaningful, but this does not necessarily mean they are accurate memories. Hypnosis and suggestion can influence recall, so experiences arising during a session should be approached with care.
Frequently asked questions about past life regression
How long is a past life regression session?
The length of each session and the number of sessions you may need can vary from person to person. This is something you can discuss with your hypnotherapist before beginning your sessions.
Typically, hypnotherapy sessions last around 50 minutes to an hour, though some people may offer shorter or longer sessions.
How do you feel after a past life regression session?
Everyone responds differently after a past life regression session. Some people report feeling lighter or gaining a new perspective on thoughts, feelings or issues in their current life. For others, it may take time to reflect on and make sense of what came up during the session.
Is past life regression right for me?
Past life regression can be used to help people of any age, gender, ethnicity, culture, or personal beliefs. It can help explore a wide range of issues and worries; however, as with many types of complementary therapy, it is not for everyone. It works best for those who approach it with a specific intention and come with an open mind.
Past life regression is often associated with reincarnation and spiritual beliefs, and people may understand or interpret their experiences in different ways. Research into past life regression is limited, and there are different views about how experiences that arise during hypnosis should be understood. For some people, the experience may be personally or spiritually meaningful, regardless of how they choose to interpret it.
Past life regression hypnotherapy is also used by some people as a way of exploring spirituality. For some, exploring the idea of themselves as a soul across different lifetimes can form part of a wider spiritual journey or offer a different perspective on themselves and their experiences.
Ready to explore past life regression?
Past life regression uses hypnosis to help you explore memories, images and experiences that may feel connected to a past life. Whether you're curious about past lives, looking for a different perspective on something in your life or interested in exploring the practice from a spiritual perspective, working with a hypnotherapist can give you a supported space to explore what comes up.
Use our advanced search to find a past life regression hypnotherapist online or in person near you.
