Enhance Your Writing and Your Life with Past Life Regression

by Melinda Rucker Haynes, M.Ed., CH
Copyright 2004 All Rights Reserved

He has Woody Allen's delivery and kind of looks like him too. But world renown psychiatrist Brian L. Weiss, M.D. isn't a comic genius--in this life, anyway. He's the dean of past life regression therapy.

Past Life Regression Therapy

Dr. Weiss has written several best-selling nonfiction books based upon his clinical practice. He has successfully treated thousands of clients with past life regression therapy, which he defines as the mental act of going back to an earlier time, whenever that time may be, in order to retrieve memories that may still be negatively influencing a patient's present life and that are probably the source of the patient's symptoms.

Regression hypnosis allows the mind to short-circuit conscious barriers to tap this information, including those barriers that prevent patients from consciously accessing their past lives.

Due to the proven efficacy and rising interest in past life regression therapy, Weiss reports that his appointment waiting list is limited to 5000 as he could never treat more than that in this lifetime. However, increasing numbers of people continue to contact his Miami-based Weiss Institute hopeful of scheduling private appointments for therapy and to explore their past lives. In order to serve those desiring consultations, Weiss instructs health care professionals in twice-yearly professional training courses at the Omega Institute in New York. After completing the training, one may qualify to join the Weiss Institute's international referral network.

I was privileged to take the training from Dr. Weiss at the Omega Institute. It was an amazing experience to meet him and enjoy his delightful Woody Allenesque sense of humor. Nearly 80 health care professionals from all over the world absorbed Weiss's scientific and theoretical lectures and watched him gently and compassionately demonstrate his techniques on volunteers.

Access to the Higher Self, the Subconscious

After reading Dr. Weiss's book Through Time into Healing, I was motivated to train as a certified hypnotherapist in1995. Since then I have been conducting past life regressions for writers and other creative people who wish to access their inner/higher selves, what I call their creative centres, which may also be thought of as the subconscious. Dr. Weiss explained (from Through Time into Healing) that the subconscious is:

1. The part of our mind that lies beneath ordinary consciousness, beneath the constant bombardment of thoughts, feelings, outside stimuli, and other assaults on our awareness.
2. The subconscious mind functions at a level deeper than our usual level of awareness. In the subconscious mind mental processes occur without our conscious perception of them. We experience moments of intuition, wisdom, and creativity when these subconscious processes flash into our conscious awareness.
3. The subconscious is not limited by our imposed boundaries of logic, space, and time. It can remember everything from any time. It can transmit creative solutions to our problems. It can transcend the ordinary to touch upon wisdom far beyond our everyday capabilities.

Is It Real or Is It My Imagination?

Every writer, poet, artist or musician--anyone engaged in authentic creating--has experienced hypnosis or intense focus that is an altered state of consciousness from which their inspiration and creativity flows. Yet most people who haven't been guided into hypnosis by a certified hypnotherapist or trained counselor don't realize that in hypnosis, your mind is always aware and observing. Weiss explained that this is why people who may be deeply hypnotized and actively involved in a childhood or past life sequence of memories are able to answer the therapist's questions, speak their current life language, know the geographical places they are seeing, and even know the year, which usually flashes before their inner eyes or just appears in their minds.

"The hypnotized or intensely focused mind, always retaining an awareness and a knowledge of the present, puts the childhood or past life memories in context. This is also the reason why a hypnotized patient, finding himself a peasant fighting in a medieval European war, for example, can recognize people from the past lifetime whom he knows in his current life. This is why he can speak modern English, compare the crude weapons of that time with those he might have seen or used in this lifetime, give dates and so on." His present-day mind is aware, watching, commenting--is this real or is it my imagination?

A Good Reason for a Writer to Explore Past Life Regression
Relaxation + Refreshment = Creative Flow

"I love to be hypnotized! It feels soooo good," says an author of paranormal and action/adventure romances. Since all hypnosis is self-hypnosis anyone can feel so good, feel relaxed and refreshed anytime they consciously choose to calm their chattering minds, focus on their deep breathing and imagine relaxation like a warm light sweeping over their bodies, releasing the tension. This does such great things for the body and for our peace of mind. It is from this feeling of focused relaxation that we can sense our subconscious, and if we allow ourselves to imagine/think from this creative centre or perspective, we can experience creative flow. We can also gain access to memories, emotions and resources that may help us understand and improve our present situations.

When writers experience past life regression, they can use their personal past life experience to help them create authentic characters with real emotional depth, accurate settings and unique plots in their books. Many writers whom I've guided into past lives have discovered unusual or previously unknown details of an era or location that some have later confirmed with research. Perhaps the most important benefit of regression is experiencing the genuine emotions in a past life memory that a writer may then convey with brilliant authority and impact that deeply affects any reader of her inspired work.

As to how I, a writer of paranormal romances, use my own past life regression experiences? I've experienced past lives as a writer, cleric, warrior, ship-wrecked sailor, pioneer woman, medieval serf, general, French noblewoman, French nursing sister/nun and many others. The emotions, plots and people I've encountered in my past life regressions all serve as guides or lessons for my present understanding of myself and my mission in this life. Through my hypnotherapy practice, research and regression experiences, I've been absolutely blown away by the continuing confirmation that each and every one of us is a magnificent spiritual being having an earth adventure. It is from that perspective that I'm trying to create a life any incarnation of me can learn from, just as I'm learning from past life triumphs and mistakes. And even if I'm a slow learner and still making mistakes in this life, I endeavor to create characters in my novels who may go through hell but do learn and are transformed by the choice to love, which in turn affects the reader in some positive way.

Hypnosis and past life regressions are excellent ways of exploring one's inner landscape and accessing the higher self. So are prayer, meditation, yoga and relaxed imagining. Find the right one for you and allow yourself to create an inspired life and work.

Melinda Rucker Haynes's Personal Time Travel© hypnotherapy practice is dedicated to inspiring writers and creatives to discover their inner resources and eliminate blocks that keep them from expressing their authentic creative gifts. Her critically-acclaimed paranormal romance THE ETERNAL TRUST saga is available in hardcovers and trade paperbacks from Five Star Publishing. 1-800-224-1244, Ext. 4 or Amazon.com. The third book, ESSENCE OF TRUST, is a May 2005 hardcover release.

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