Old Souls, New Souls, Wise Souls, You Souls

Have you ever heard someone being referred to as an "Old Soul"?  We hear these words so often in casual conversation that many of us don't really pause to ponder the true implications of that term.  What does that mean, to be an Old Soul?  Do our souls really have an age?  And, are some of us older than others?  What qualities do these so-called Old Souls possess?  Does being old also mean that we are wise?  What is the difference?

Typically, we refer to someone as being an "Old Soul" when we are looking to explain away certain behavior or qualities in someone that is unexplainable within the context of our current awareness of our existence.  Or simply put, someone who seems to be a bit "older" than they should be, based on their biological age.  Some of the best examples of this are found in young children, some of who can possess a skill or knowledge despite their inexperience and lack of accumulated years in their current lifetime.

This is apparent today in children who can paint, play music, speak foreign languages, and do mathematics, etc. with an advanced skill level at a very young age.  We refer to this phenomenon as 'child prodigies', and this is actually more common than we might think.  I recently read of a child who, at the age of 2, can correctly read a map of Europe, complete with the best routes to take topographically from one major city to another (but interestingly enough was not familiar with any of the borders that had changed since the early 1900's).  Mozart could both read and write music, and was also an accomplished keyboard and violin player before he was 5 years old.  Pablo Picasso's mother has said that his first word was "piz", or a shortened form of lapiz, which is Spanish for pencil.  His sketches as a toddler were detailed and showed a high level of skill and an innate understanding of form.  Most people would refer to these children as Old Souls, in an attempt to explain this phenomenon.

Other times, I have heard people refer to a recognizable quality of a person that might be considered an Old Soul that seems to reside in their face, or specifically in their eyes (I have previously established that the eyes are the "windows to the soul", and that gazing into a person's eyes is the best way to recognize someone on a soul level, which has nothing to do with your physical body).  One of my closest friends has a child who nearly everyone encounters him will remark jokingly that he seems to have the "eyes of a wise old man".  People refer to my friend's son as an Old Soul because of this quality in his eyes, and most of us are familiar with both children and adults (or even pets) who have this mysterious, knowing quality.

Some people tell me that they just innately know that they are Old Souls.  One of the most common reasons that I hear from my new clients for seeking an appointment with me is that they have just always felt that they were an Old Soul.  This hunch is often validated for them when they uncover past life memories that span many centuries.  They then have an opportunity to know what they had felt instinctively, that they had experience and knowledge inside of them that they did not accumulate in their current lifetime.  We are actually very self-aware creatures, even if it is subconsciously.

So, how do you get to be an Old Soul?  I am always somewhat amused when I hear people that I know to be reincarnation skeptics (or even complete non-believers) use that term, because to me the concept of an Old Soul directly implies that we have been here before.  Meaning, that if it were possible to be in actuality an Old Soul we would have to have lived many other lifetimes that came before our current life in a different body (but with the same soul).  Otherwise, how else could our souls ever possibly "age"?

Does this mean, then, that some of us are older than others?  On the surface, the answer to this question seems to be yes.  There does seem to be a reincarnation cycle that each of us are at a different point in, and there are definitely some who can remember past lives that do go back quite a bit further than others.  I have encountered clients in my own office who have remembered past lives going back to what seemed to be the Stone Age, or even the dawn of early man.

What we now call the Stone Age actually refers to a rather ambiguous period of time in human history that spans from roughly 3 million years ago until about 10,000 BC.  This is an enormous time gap in history that involved much more than what kind of tools and objects (made of stone, thus the name of the age) humans used.  We also know that there was art, spirituality and religion, and even complex social structures during this time period.  In fact, 99% of human history thus far took place during what we call the Stone Age.  So yes, on a certain level it is definitely possible to be an old, or even an ancient soul because humans have been around for a very, very long time.

The beneath-the-surface answer to the question as to whether some of of us are older than others is a little more complicated.  If it is truly possible to be "older" than another soul (and also implying a hierarchy of some sort), than that would have to mean that there is a specific point in time in which we began this process of incarnating.  When were our souls born then?  And how soon after our soul's "birth" do we begin incarnating?  And are there ever any New Souls?  This is where this question gets tricky, and yes, more than a little deep.

My clients have told me under hypnosis (again, some of the wisest spiritual teachers I have ever encountered) that there is no beginning and no end to this process.  I have also been told (again, by my clients in trance state) that our reincarnation process, if we were to draw it, would look less like a straight line moving ahead in time and more like a circle.  No beginning and no end would also mean no real age, and perhaps some humble pie for those of us who might be feeling smug about having been around longer than others.  So, then the better answer as to whether or not some of us have older souls than others is probably no.  We are just at different points in our circle, rather than ahead or behind anyone else.  There are no Old Souls nor any New Souls.  There are only just souls.

If there is no beginning then, how is it possible that the earth is only about 4.5 billion years old and humans (meaning any creature within the homo genus) have only existed on earth for about 2.5 million years?  I don't know the specific answer to this question, but what I do know is that the universe is a very, very large place.  Perhaps it is even an infinitely large place, and that the infinite nature of our soul's journey works in a similar way and that we can have experiences in other forms, realms and dimensions.  (For those of you who are paying attention, yes I did just imply that we could possibly be reincarnated on other planets and as other life forms.)  Once you begin to question and expand your own definition of 'life', you might discover that there are limitless opportunities for our existence.

So, does being old then also mean that we are wise?  Not a chance.  In the same way that age does not guarantee wisdom within the context of one lifetime, we do not gather wisdom simply from time served.  We can only truly grow wise by experience, but more specifically the experiences that we actually learn from.  Just because we have experienced something does not guarantee that we learned from it, or even changed the way that we do, view or teach it.  To me, this is what makes a wise person so.  But, being older, (or rather, at a different point in this cycle) does certainly mean that we have had more opportunities in this particular realm to have gotten this whole life on earth thing down pat.

One man that I was working with recently began to chuckle during his regression when he suddenly realized that he was a "stubborn old soul" (his term), and then proceeded to chastise himself for it.  When I asked him what that meant, he told me that some of the older souls sometimes start to feel like they are too advanced to really apply themselves to learning the lessons that they are presented with in their lifetimes.  He said that this "know it all" attitude was holding him back from truly gaining the wisdom that he could from the myriad of life experiences specific to his current existence.  Acknowledging that we can always grow more, and maintaining a certain humility and a willingness to learn seems to be necessary in this process.

So then, what is the real difference between an Old Soul (or rather, just A Soul) and a Wise Soul?  It seems to me that it comes down to just how well we apply ourselves.  Perhaps it is all in our approach, are we here just putting in our time?  Or, are we maximizing each opportunity that we are presented with to further our growth and development?  This shift in our perception could make all of the difference as we proceed through this life, as well as the next.   Becoming wise is the goal here, age is simply irrelevant.  And, to quote my grandmother:  "I don't care if I'm old, as long as I'm wise."  Well said.

The Reality of Soul Mates

Soul mates.  The mention of that term, for most of us, elicits an image of love at first sight.  Usually, when we think of two people as being "soul mates", it is in a romantic context in which a couple comes together to "complete" each other.  Many of us also believe that by finding your soul mate, you will be blissfully partnered with your "other half" in an intensely passionate relationship.  This concept has been deeply imbedded in our collective psyche and supported by ancient and modern fairytales and legends.  But what is the reality of soul mates?  What, or rather, who are they?  And more importantly, how on earth will we ever find them?

In attempt to tackle this incredibly complex topic, I am first going to start by attempting to define, or rather redefine soul mates.  Because I am operating from the viewpoint of being somewhat of a past life specialist, I am going to give my particular definition of a soul mate as a person that you encounter in this life that you have known before in a past life.

Sometimes this soul mate relationship is characterized by a feeling of familiarity or an instant connection upon meeting that is unexplainable.  It could be a person that you have known your entire life.  But, it could also be the person that you walked by on the street that caused you to feel a strange sensation as you passed them.  Anyone that we knew before in any way is a soul mate under my definition.

If you can, think about all of the people that you have met in the years that you have been on earth so far in this incarnation.  If you are at all like me, that is more than likely a rather long list of individuals.  I have moved around quite a bit in my life and currently reside in a large metropolitan area, but even those of us who have spent their whole lives in a rural and less populated place have encountered many other human beings in various capacities.  Now imagine that you have lived many, many other lifetimes in which you have met various family members, friends, co-workers, enemies, frenemies, etc.  That is quite a large number of potential soul mates.

And yes, you read that correctly, I included enemies on that list (frenemies might well be a 21st century phenomenon, so maybe we can safely disregard that expression).  What that means, under my proposed definition of the term, is that we have lots and lots of soul mates of all different types.  The person who you love with tremendous intensity, the person that you just can't stand, and everyone else (who more than likely falls somewhere in between) can be a soul mate.

There seem to be several categories that our various soul mates seem to fall into that can help us to further define who they are and what their presence might mean in our lives.  Because I am attempting broad strokes in a topic fraught with subtlety, they will be broken down into three different types:  karmic soul mates, soul family mates and twin souls.

Karmic soul mates are more than likely the majority of the soul mates that we will encounter in our lifetime.  These are the individuals that we have a "karmic debt" to somehow, by the choices that we have made in the past pertaining to them.  (Please refer to my previous article on this specific topic for additional clarification.)  Or, perhaps they have one to us.  It is also possible to have a debt equally to each other that has accumulated over many lifetimes in our dealings with each other.

The reason we have met this person, this karmic soul mate, is to challenge ourselves to work this karma out with each other.  I have been told (by my clients under hypnosis, who are my greatest teachers) that we choose the specific challenges that we plan to tackle in a lifetime before we are born.  Therefore, when you meet a karmic soul mate, it is a mutually fated event.  Every single circumstance in each of your lives has led you to the moment of your encounter because making different choices this time around is absolutely vital for both of your growth and development.

This is often not nearly as ominous as it sounds, as sometimes a karmic debt can be paid in a matter of seconds in a chance encounter on the street.  Other times we spend an entire lifetime, or even many lifetimes, with this person working on making better (more loving) choices with each other.

Karmic mates are the soul mates that will force us to do the most work on ourselves.  They will make us confront the deepest, darkest, hidden corners of ourselves.  We will, through our dealings with our karmic soul mates, face our fears, true motivations and innermost desires.  These particular soul mates give us an opportunity to better ourselves spiritually, by confronting situations that will be unpleasant or difficult.  The challenge here is to change the way that we act or react to these people in our lives.  The additional test comes from the fact that these people change roles and dynamics with us over the course of lifetimes to present these lessons in different ways.

The type of relationship that we are in with our karmic soul mate seems to provide some insight into the nature of the karmic debt, or rather how deep rooted the conflict might be or how far it might go back.  The nature of the challenge is somewhat different if your karmic soul mate is your parent versus your neighbor down the street.  More than likely, someone that you were born into a family with will force you to confront the nature of the relationship more readily than you would have to with someone that you can more easily evict from your life.

If we have left these various life encounters with others in a way that we (or they) still regret, we will probably encounter them again.  Hopefully this encounter takes place in this life, because if it is in the next one, it will probably be a relationship of a deeper sort that will force us to work it out.  What that means is that the ex-girlfriend that you treated badly before dumping her ten years ago could possibly come back as your mother in the next life.  But then, you will have the full advantage of proximity and intimacy as you work on coming to terms with your  true and inner feelings for her, as well as what she makes you feel deep down inside about yourself. 

There are the karmic soul mate relationships that we are more deeply entrenched into, due to proximity and circumstance that provide these opportunities for mutual forgiveness and growth on a much deeper level.  These interactions give us the chance to "fast track" this learning process as we seek (usually subconsciously) to lighten our heavy karmic load that we are bringing with us from one life to the next.

The most intense, and therefore possibly fraught with the heaviest karma, is when we have a romantic relationship with this type of soul mate.  Dating, or even marrying our karmic soul mates can be one of the most difficult of the soul mate encounters.  Yet, upon resolving karma properly with them can be an incredibly liberating experience that can lead to tremendous spiritual growth.

Some karmic soul mate relationships, however, are short term by nature.  The annoying woman at the supermarket, the car salesman who ripped you off, the waitress that spilled coffee in your lap, and even your boss at Burger King when you were 17 (a real one of mine) are all potential karmic soul mates.  These are, more than likely, not incredibly deep-rooted or ancient beefs and probably can be worked out relatively quickly.  By working on being conscious of how kind and loving you are to others around you, you may be inadvertently resolving karma on a daily basis with multiple soul mates.  These situations are also very difficult to master, however, as we tend to not focus as much on the people that we might perceive as less "important" or "relevant".

The second types that we encounter, soul family mates, are the closest people around us.  They are here so that we can help each other on our long and arduous journey through many lifetimes.  They are the people that we have little trouble relating to, and are generally characterized by being loving, accepting and peaceful.  This is not to say that we have completely conflict-free relationships with them, but they are generally easier and more naturally loving than karmic mates.

If you are wondering who these people are in your life, just close your eyes and think of those with whom you feel the closest connection.  Most of us have a sibling that we are particularly close with, a specific parent that you feel understands you on a deep level, a very special grandparent, a friend that has been there through thick and thin, a certain cousin that always makes you smile, etc.  These are your soul family mates.

Soul family mates also change roles with us over the course of different lifetimes.  In one life they might be incarnated as your brother and in the next they will come back as your son, but your feelings for each other will probably not change much.  These roles can change gender also, and I do often find instances of a same sex sibling or parent being a former spouse, etc.  This is the type of soul mate that makes for the strongest, most loving, and supportive partnerships and marriages.

Although we can accrue karma with this type of soul mate, they are generally those that we have more of a clean slate with than karmic soul mates.  They are quite possibly former karmic mates that we have gotten very close with as we spent many lifetimes working together to progress spiritually, as it is hard to say where and how these soul relationships originated.  However our relationship started, we are very close to these people who are here to support us as we struggle through the many challenges that come with life in physical form.  They are a gift, and should be regarded as such, as they are our "family" on the other side.

The real beauty of these relationships lies in the fact that we make mutual pacts, or promises to find each other and be together.  We do this present an opportunity, a new path, or a lesson that will provide the experiences necessary to learn and accomplish what it is that we have set out to do in this life.  Many of our encounters with a soul family mate, whether it was a brief meeting or a lifelong relationship, we will reflect on years later as what was needed, when it was needed in order to get to where we are today.

The third type of soul mate is the twin soul.  This is the closest we can get to the stereotype of a "romantic" soul mate (I have already established that we can and do have romantic relationships with soul mates of all types), in that this is literally our other half.  It is called our "twin" because we originate from the same source and have split in half in order to compliment each other.

I am unsure as to how and why this split occurs (I have only been told that it does), but when I use the wisdom that surrounds us in nature, it does seem to make sense.  The act of creation, which is happening constantly in all living things, involves the act of a cell dividing into two equal halves.  We can see this same act happening on a micro, as well as a macro level continuously as all life forms grow, change and evolve.  Therefore, I don't find it hard to believe that our souls would also take part in this process.

It is our twin soul that inspires the fairy tales, being that one person who will "complete" us.  Nearly every culture on earth, both ancient and modern, has references to this concept in story and symbolism.  The yin and the yang is one of the best examples of this, which is a symbol that mirrors this cell division process, and also represents counterpart and balance.  This symbol also represents male and female, as well as a joining of soul mates.

So, what would it be like to be with this soul mate?  This is the most intense connection that we can possibly have with another human being.  I have been told that we are not supposed to be with our twin soul until we have reached a very high level of spiritual mastery.  We achieve this high level by working out karma and learning lessons from the myriad of other soul mates that we have.  Being with our twin is like looking into a mirror that reflects back every time little thing that bothers us about ourselves (even subconsciously).  Not a pretty sight for most of us, especially coming right back at you from your significant other.

We do, however, occasionally encounter our twin souls as we progress through lifetimes.  I have been told that we are like magnets to our twin, and that if you are both currently incarnated, then you will definitely meet at some point in your life.  This is why our twin will usually be on the other side when we are here, acting as a spirit guide for us.

When we do meet this type of soul mate, most of the time we d not stay with then very long and are often tragically separated.  This is where the stories like Romeo & Juliet and Tristan & Isolde come from.  It is interesting to note that because these infamous lovers would have reflected each other's flaws, they probably would have had little success sustaining a long marriage with kids, two careers and mortgage payments after the initial flush of passion subsided.

But yet, we have a deep-rooted longing for this type of connection.  I believe that this longing is there to urge us to progress, as we work toward a higher level of spiritual mastery and therefore, our twin soul.  Supposedly, when we can handle being with our twin, it is the most blissful union that can occur in human form.  And, I think that the reason that we do encounter them here and there over different lifetimes is to remember exactly what it is that we are working for.  The twin soul connection is love in its' purest and most spiritual form, and transcends any romantic notion than we could ever try to assign to it.

So, how will we ever find these soul mates?  We find our soul mates as we work to uncover our true selves, which is an eternal being who is learning how to better give and receive love.  By becoming the best version of ourselves that we can be, we will draw soul mates to us that reflect where we are in our own spiritual progression.  That means then, that we need to spend our time working on ourselves, rather than looking for a soul mate.  Shakespeare said it best, "to thine ownself be true".  Then the soul mate will find us.

When I am doing a past life regression, upon encountering another person, I will always ask them to look into the other person's eyes and tell me if they recognize them.  They say that the eyes are the "windows of the soul", and somehow by peering deeply into someone's eyes we can see who it is that they truly are.  This is how our soul mates recognize us, on the soul level, which has nothing to do with physical appearance or other circumstances.

We will be drawn to the people and situations that will help us to attain the highest possible level of growth in this lifetime.  This is true of the long awaited, loving and kind future spouse with whom we have a deep and meaningful connection, as well as the soul mate who appears in our life to deliver a tough lesson that we need to learn.  They are all an important part of the big picture, which is our journey together through many lifetimes.

We are also constantly encountering other souls for the first time as we traverse our path through this life.  These are our future soul mates, and our circle expands ever outward as we accumulate experiences that we have in the course of our existence.  These future soul mates also need our help and our love, and we equally need theirs.  In that regard then, we are all soul mates.  And we are all engaged in the process of learning to love each other more fully, as well as teaching each other to more fully love ourselves.    

Embracing Your Past Life Self

One of the most common fears that I encounter in my work doing past life regressions is the idea that one will discover that they were a "terrible person" in a previous incarnation.  The concept that you might not like yourself or the things that you might have done in a past life can indeed become a real hindrance to fully opening up to this process.  Often, people are afraid that they will find out about some evil past deed which having done will make them a horrible human being.  In order to address this issue, we must examine the purpose that our past lives play in our current lives.

What is it all for?  If we do come back again and again to live different lifetimes in different bodies, what is the reason?  Is it a random occurrence, in which we find the first available womb to jump back into after we depart our bodies at death?  Or is there a pattern or a design to which specific lives and circumstances we choose?  My experience has led me to believe that there is a plan or a "big picture" for our lifetimes, and that we seek the situations that will give us the best learning opportunities.  Simply put, I believe that we are here to learn.

We can then compare this world that we live in to a large, elaborate and highly complex school for personal and spiritual growth.  Each and every individual and circumstance that we encounter over the course of a lifetime is a chance for a lesson, and we seem to be graded on a pass-fail basis.  This does not mean that we ever "fail" at life, it simply means that the choices we make on a daily basis are either correct (loving and compassionate) or not.  And if we don't make the best choices, they will be presented to us once more in a different incarnation over and over until we do.

Other people that we encounter, and the every day situations that we find ourselves in are how these choices are cleverly presented to us.  This is called "karma".  This term is one that we often hear being thrown around at yoga class and we often see it in the New Age section at the bookstore.  Sometimes, this term is used with the words "bad" and "good" placed directly in front of it.  For many, this implies that doing something kind or generous will give us "good karma", which will earn us a reward in the next life for being such a wonderful person.  On the other hand, "bad karma" is something that we fear, and there is an underlying threat of punishment for our "bad" behavior.

Translated from Sanskrit, karma literally means "action".  This literal translation makes karma somewhat different from the common conception of it being something that you get in either a good or bad way.  Karma is a deed, or an action.  To me, this term also implies "to act".  By this definition then, karma can also be a verb, meaning to do something, to be active, or to take action.  Karma is not only what we do, but also the act of doing it.

Naturally there is good, or right action as well as bad, or wrong action.  What makes an action right or wrong?  By how loving, compassionate and kind this action is.  Our every action has an impact (I also believe that words and thoughts have a similar power), and can work to either help or harm others or ourselves.  I know what you're thinking, each and every single action, word and thought is way too much to think about.  Don't worry, we're in school, remember?  We are learning to be more loving beings and what is important is that we are dedicated to giving it our best effort.

We are presented with the option to make loving choices or not nearly every minute of every day.  Most of us are so absorbed in our daily routines that we hardly notice these situations as they appear, sometimes in the form of the breathless, harried individual making a mad dash to the elevator giving you a pleading look as you stand inside.  Although it is truly difficult to know whether or not holding the door for them is going to benefit them (they might need to miss it so they can experience an important encounter on the next one), being kind, caring and polite whenever you can is definitely more loving than being rude, callous and unkind. 

The term "action" from our karma definition to me also implies a "reaction".  It is equally important how we respond to the actions of others.  If someone blatantly steals the taxi you were about to get into out of the pouring rain, you then have a choice.  You can shake your fist at them, pepper them with all kinds of colorful curses and kick the soaking wet curb to show your indignation.  Or, you can take a deep breath, shake your head at how incredibly rude that person was, and then proceed to hail another.  You would have to find another taxi or an alternate means of transportation anyway, unless you wanted to spend the entire day standing on the street corner in the rain.  But, you can choose to do it without raising your blood pressure and ruining your whole day by getting angry.  You might never know if your kinder choice made a difference in the other person's life, but you will quickly become aware of the fact that it does in yours.

This action and reaction stuff sounds simple and easy, but we all know that it is extremely difficult to practice.  And, you needn't be a math genius to figure that the greater the number of people and situations that you encounter in a single day, the greater the number of these choices.  This fact is precisely why city living is substantially more spiritually challenging than living a more rural existence.  Those of us who live in urban areas are inundated with encounters with our fellow human beings everywhere we go, and we cannot make choices for them.  We can only choose for ourselves.

So, that all said, we need to brace ourselves somewhat for what kind of mistakes we might have made in our past lives.  Most of us have studied enough history to know that there have been some pretty awful things that people have done to one another over the course of human existence.  Murder, torture, rape, enslavement and even genocide are just a few examples of the horrific side of our history.  These same things unfortunately still happen today.

What is the role that we ourselves have played in all of this?  Before we can be completely compassionate and enlightened beings who only make loving choices, we must first deal with our issues of power, greed, lust and anger.  Understanding that these darker issues are part of human experience can change how we approach the process of uncovering our past lives.  Even the most enlightened of us still struggle with these issues and more in some form or another.

I have myself made some terrible choices in my past lives.  Remembering myself as someone who has taken another human life (please don't judge me for the mistakes that I made in the Stone Age) was overwhelming to say the least.  In my current incarnation I am a person who has an incredible amount of respect for life in all its' forms.  I am a vegetarian, a tree hugger, an insect rescuer, and am devoted to causes that work to diminish suffering wherever it is found.  It is certainly good news that I have managed to evolve from being a murderer into a significantly more loving person over the course of many lifetimes (I am somewhat of a slow learner).  Now I can focus on the myriad of other issues that I am still struggling with.

So, why do we need to know all of this?  If we have all done terrible things in our past lives, what would be the point of bringing all of that up?  Isn't it better left alone, and let the past stay in the past?  Perhaps, except that the point of all of this is to learn and evolve.  The better we can understand where we have been, the more we can learn from our past mistakes in hopes of not repeating them.  When we find the courage to confront the darkest parts of our past, we can work on evolving consciously and thoughtfully into more loving and enlightened beings.

As we uncover our past life stories, we can begin to know who we are on a deeper level that includes those dark inner parts that only we know even exist.  By embracing our past life selves and accepting them as a more youthful and inexperienced version of who we have become today, we are becoming more compassionate and loving to ourselves.  Surely, you wouldn't judge yourself for not knowing Algebra in Kindergarten.  And it's nice to see just how far you've come. 

Past Life Regression and Hypnosis: Debunked, Demystified and Plainly Described

"What is a past life regression?"  That is by far my most frequently asked question.  Quite simply, past life regression is the process of uncovering memories that can't be attributed to an experience that has occurred in this lifetime.  Or, even simpler:  you remember your own past lives.  That's right.  How do you do that?  This is accomplished through a process called hypnosis.  Now you're scared, right?  Hypnosis has gathered itself a rather unsavory reputation in our culture, thanks to media portrayal of "mind control" or individuals "going to sleep".  The truth is, the actual experience of hypnosis is nothing like the Hollywood version.  I was quite surprised by how it felt the first time I was hypnotized, and nearly all of my clients express that it was not at all like they thought it would be.  

Hypnosis is a state of focused concentration that can be reached by relaxing enough to tune into our subconscious mind and gain access to the wealth of information stored in there, including our unconscious memories.  Contrary to popular belief, you cannot be controlled in any way while under hypnosis or hypnotized against your will.  I once sat on a plane next to a man who asked me to stop gesturing with my hands when I talked, because he did not want to be hypnotized.  This was hilarious to me, and my active imagination immediately began to fantasize about having the ability to wave my hands like a Jedi Master so the world would do my bidding.  Nice thought, but simply not reality.  That particular man's desire to not be hypnotized is exactly the reason that I could have never accomplished it, regardless of what I did or how much I waved my hands around (I do admit that I possess this often-annoying habit of talking with my hands).  Hypnosis is a completely voluntary experience.  This is probably not good news for some of you who have participated in "stage" hypnosis.  I promise you that if you quacked like a duck or ate an onion thinking it was an apple in front of hundreds of people, you did so because you wanted to; at least on some level.

We have all experienced hypnosis.  In fact, we unknowingly move in and out of different states of hypnosis consistently throughout the day.  Anyone who has ever been really engrossed in a TV show, behind the wheel of a car not realizing the light has changed, or glanced at the clock and were shocked to discover that indeed a whole hour had passed, has experienced light hypnosis.  When you use hypnosis for past life regression, a trained (and hopefully skilled) hypnotist guides you to a very deep state of relaxation and watches you closely for certain body cues that let them know when you are relaxed enough to tap into these memories.  This relaxation level varies from person to person, and for a past life regression I don't really want my clients to go too deep.  Someone who is deeply under and blissed out on my couch might have an amazing experience in their own head, but I simply can't guide you through it if you can't talk and interact with me.  That said a medium level usually does suffice for my purposes.

There are a variety of techniques with fancy names for inducing hypnosis; the effectiveness of each varies for each individual based on several factors including personality.  Ascertaining which to use for each client is somewhat of an art form and is, for most of us hypnotists, a largely intuitive process.  Regardless of the technique used, the end result is a very calm, relaxed, peaceful person that is actively conversing with their subconscious mind.  This hypnotized person is constantly aware of what they are experiencing, as the conscious mind does not ever disappear at any point in the process.  

One of the biggest obstacles to overcome in a hypnosis session is a person's natural tendency to actively interpret the information coming forward rather than allowing it to flow unhindered.  The fact that we are "aware" while under hypnosis is exactly what makes it so compelling and potentially life changing, as we have the ability to retain and instantly integrate this subconscious material, which is often incredibly profound to the individual experiencing it.  Most people remember everything that was said and done while they were under hypnosis.  Those who don't often find that the missing information surfaces over the course of the next few days, either through dreams, deja-vu sensations, or rather spontaneously.

Another common fear that people have is that they cannot be hypnotized.  It is true that an individual's natural capacity for that type of relaxation does vary, but the overwhelming majority of us can.  Those who don't have an experience the first time often just need to practice.  The way that you practice being a better hypnosis subject is to meditate.  For those of you rolling your eyes, I would like to inform you that we are once again dealing with a largely misunderstood term.  Meditation is the act of closing your eyes (or not, if you prefer), breathing deeply and trying the very best you can to quiet the incessant chatter taking place in most of our heads.  Meditation is a personal practice that has nothing to do with belonging to any particular culture or religious denomination.  It has only to do with You (your self) and You (your inner self), and finding a way to introduce them to one another.

There are many different ways to meditate.  Experimenting with different poses, times of day and locations are the best ways to find what works for you.  Meditating in a group can be a powerful experience, as being in the presence of others gathered together for the same purpose magnifies the effect exponentially.  Many beginners find a group beneficial, but you don't need one to get started.

Some people find it useful to chant a word or phrase that they find pleasant to help them to focus, which is called a mantra.  This mantra can be anything at all, use your imagination and find your own.  Just make certain that it will be a phrase that serves to enhance your relaxation, otherwise it will only become a distraction and a hindrance.  If you don't speak Sanskrit, then you might find that it feels awkward to use it in your meditation practice.  Or maybe this beautiful and poetic language rolls easily off of your tongue and using it becomes a source of inspiration.  Some of my personal favorite mantras are "relax", "let it go", "be here now" and "calm is good".  A mantra can work well as a foil for our usual inner dialogue, which we are working to escape from; that voice in our head reminding us to buy dog food, recounting an unpleasant dialogue with our boss, or wondering when that cute guy you met last week is going to call.  A mantra is not necessary, however.

What is most important is that your meditation practice feels comfortable and natural for you; otherwise you will not enjoy it.  You can sit, lie down, cook, take a shower, stand on your head, or do anything at all that you find conducive to quieting your own mind.  This meditative state is extremely pleasant (this is your best "happy place"), and over time you will begin to realize that you are experiencing what I call the "real you".

This meditative state that I have been describing is nearly identical to what you experience under hypnosis.  Practicing this will help you reach a trance state more rapidly and ensure better results over time for your hypnosis sessions.  Incorporating a meditation practice into your life will also provide you with a myriad of physical and mental benefits; including an enhanced ability to focus, a more robust immune system and a better night's sleep.

And now we have only to address the rather large elephant in the room.  Past lives?  Really!?  I believe so.  But, I also think that it is important for each of us as individuals to seek out our own beliefs.  Truth can be an extremely personal concept, and what is true for me might not necessarily be true for you.  I have done many past life regressions under hypnosis, and I believe that the memories from these incredible experiences do indeed belong to me.  The intense emotions involved with these memories feel genuine; and the sights, smells, sounds, tastes and other sensations I have experienced have all been incredibly vivid.  The people, places and situations I have remembered while under hypnosis all speak to me, and I feel that what I have learned about myself has been invaluable to my current lifetime.  I truly believe that who I am is the sum of my existence.  This is my own found, unique and individual truth.  What seems to matter the most in this, or any life is our commitment to this on-going search; for without knowing our own truth, we can never really know ourselves.