Past lives
Last weekend I visited my friend's class at the Dallas Hypnosis Training Institute. They learned about (and practiced) past-life regressions. If you're not familiar with that, it's where people (via hypnosis) re-visit memories from previous lives. That brings up a couple obvious questions. Have people really lived previous lives? And if not, where do these 'memories' come from?
I really don't know the answers to these questions. It's probably not possible to know for sure. But it's interesting to think about. Could it be that what the Bible describes as "hell" is what other people would call "reincarnation"? The two concepts seem to have a lot in common.
posted by Matt @ 11:31 PM
17 Comments:
Legitimate hypnotists don't dabble in "past life regression" or "repressed memories" as these are inevitably false memories, i.e. confabulations. Such dangerous practices were highlighted in the 80's with the whole satanic-cult-ritual-child-abuse scandals that resulted in the false prosecution of many people, e.g. see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satanic_ritual_abuse#Hypnosis_and_false_memories
The McMartin case was the most significant example of false memories, in this case not even brought out by hypnosis!
http://www.religioustolerance.org/ra_mcmar.htm
I think that in order to believe in past life regression, one must first believe in reincarnation.
I think for someone to say what "legitimate hypnotists" do is going too far... especially if that someone will not even post their name. I also highly doubt that this anonymous person is a hypnotist themselves. Just my opinion though...
I am not trying to convince anyone, and if you do not believe in it.. that's fine, but maybe it helps some people to heal, and even if it's not "real" memories, so what? Shouldn't everyone be as healthy as possible?
Here's my take on anonymous' comment: The purpose of hypnotherapy is to help people with problems that they have. If dealing with these 'memories' helps them, it doesn't really matter whether they're from past lives or just a part of their mind acting as a defense mechanism or whatever. So whether they're really past lives or not, I still think it's a good/helpful thing to do.
I happen to know a few very legitimate hypnotherapists. One is studying and plans to do this kind of thing (i.e., past-life regression) and another (teacher and professional) gets requests for it but doesn't advertise that she does it. But again, the important part is that it can help people. I personally know someone who has been helped by it.
Thank you for coming to visit, it was much enjoyed. I know from first hand experience that past life regression does work and has helped people, so it doesn’t matter if it is real or not. I feel that past lives cannot really be proven to the acceptance of society, but I do feel it can be proven to a certain extent, if one of the past lives could be validated. As far as past lives being a defense mechanism here is my argument against that. If almost everyone that is able to go deep enough into hypnosis, why would most people be able to do a past life? Does that mean that every one uses that as a defense mechanism? A lot of children are able to recall past lives even with out going into hypnosis, so if that were true at what age do we start building that as a defense mechanism. A lot of people speak different languages, that they don’t know or couldn’t possibly know, is this part of the defense mechanism? I am just trying to bring questions to mind that I feel makes the defense mechanism theory less plausible , or will make you think about it. It is defiantly ok to not believe in it, or to be skeptical. It cannot be undeniably proven, but I feel I can make some pretty good arguments for it. Defiantly do the research before you commit to a belief. I just posted a very interesting blog on myspace.com regarding my beliefs on Hell. I do believe the dark entities don’t get to enter heaven and just come right back to Earth.
I don't see where past-life regressions, reincarnation, etc.. fit into such Christian beliefs such as heaven and hell. Most clergy and priests lump such things into the occult, which they claim are deceptions by satan, and highly discourage such experiments. I knew a highly educated Jesuit Priest who helped out with the Exorcist filming...due to some personal experiences, he was incredibly pointed in his warnings against dabbling in such things.
Finally, I'm no hypontherapist, but I think encouraging false memories, *even* if they are helpful, is a slippery slope of self-delusion. If believing false memories helps someone, they need a psychologist, not a hypnotherapist.
If you believe so firmly in this and feel you can support it, then why do you not support it with a name? I am Christian, and I believe that we incarnate here to learn and better ourselves for God. I cannot see how learning about past experiences can possibly be grouped into "occult" practices. Finally, if you actually do research on it, you are not "encouraging" false memories, it is actually something that is client led. Meaning that the person under hypnosis sees these things without being told what they are seeing. So the person sees this on their own, they are not made to see it. I am not trying to convert anyone. Your beliefs are your own and you are entitled to them. I am simply countering your semi-hateful comments that you do not even feel strongly enough in to own up to them.
I encourage anonymous comments here and I don't have a problem with them. I thank "anonymous" for the comment and I don't see it as "semi-hateful". As most people who read this probably know, what the clergy/priests say doesn't really have any effect on what I believe. I disagree mostly because of the fact that I NEVER agree with any kind of "slippery slope" type argument. They are a logical fallacy. I think reincarnation might be compatible with Biblical Christianity (of which I am a believer), but it might be a stretch. I don't know. That's why I'm studying it.
If you encourage anonymous comments, then I retract that statement. However, I do not take back the feeling that telling me that I need a psycologist is "semi-hateful." As I said before... I am not trying to convert anyone.. I believe that everyone must do their research and come to their own conclusions. I just didn't think it was right to suggest that someone who may believe in such things that are actually accepted by such a large crowd has a problem with their sanity. I feel that I am perfectly sane and I take offense to someone suggesting that I am not. I am finished now.
Jamie - I see what you're saying, but I don't think that's what "anonymous" had in mind. If someone has memories that are a defense mechanism for some kind of trauma, and that it's related to a problem that they currently have in their life, I think it's fair to say that a psychologist might be helpful. That doesn't at all mean the person is insane. I would just disagree that they wouldn't also benefit from a hypnotist. That's why I think putting those together (hypnotherapy) is a great way to go. If he/she meant it in the way you described, I'm totally with you. But until I know for sure what was intended, I'll give him/her the benefit of the doubt.
Im all for seeing a psychologist if you have a mental problem. I actually think the combination of hypnosis and psychology is the ideal situation. I guess I just took offense to "anonymous" discrediting my husband, and that put me on the defensive. I am too supportive of him to stand idly by when I think he is being insulted. :) I do agree with you that we should just give someone the benefit of the doubt until they clarify their intentions. Thank you.
My point is that there is danger in leading someone to believe that "recovered" or "repressed" memories are actually real. Whether it be through past-life regressions or other means, there are consequences for believing confabulations. In some people it *may* be helpful, while for someone with borderline personality disorder, it may be detrimental. Past-life regression is fine if the patient understands that such things are akin to dream interpretation; however, if you are feeding upon a person's delusions you may be contributing to a problem rather than helping. If someone, as a hypnotherapist, has the training to differentiate between when their methods may help rather than hurt a patient, that is great. But hypnothereapy has a jumble of associations and trainings without the typical uniformity of an established medical association; obviously, that has come about from the slow acceptance of some of hypnotherapy's proven benefits, but it also results from a conflict between what some psychologists consider an uncontrolled experiment on a patient and what some consider therapy. A good expose of the conflict is at:
http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/internet/personalitystudies/regression.cfm
Okay... a mentally "healthy" person and someone with borderline personality disorder or any other MAJOR disorder should never be treated the same way. In fact, the law prohibits hypnotherapists from treating those with such severe disorders. That is a completely different ballgame, and it simply cannot be compared to normal mental health. When I discussed the benefits previously, I was not even considering past-life regression on such severe cases.
Are you such a self-aggrandizing douchebag that you put up a public blog to talk about your so-called achievements and then beg for people to respond and when their responses are not to your liking you delete them? You sir are a pathetic fraud! Raaaamooone, euthanize this phony!
Ramone - I only delete comments that contain inappropriate language. There are young people who read this blog and I try to keep it clean, inclduing the comments. You're free to disagree with me or say I'm stupid or whatever you'd like to say, as long as you keep the language clean.
My god, you sir are a disgrace to science - you must not have a skeptical bone in your body! As a man of science you take not only the fictitious story of Jesus at face value but also these phony-baloney past life regressions. Raaaamooone, get this bag of douche a subscription to the Skeptical Inquirer.
Ramone - read carefully. I never said I took past life regressions at face value. I said they're interesting and bring up some questions that I can't answer. I can't say they're exactly what they claim to be, and I can't say they're "phony-baloney". I just don't know enough about the subject.
As for the story of Jesus - I believe it because of the evidence that supports it. But what you consider the "face value" of it is probably not what I believe. On this blog I've never really written what I believe about Jesus or why, but maybe I will some time.
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