Dear Miriam,
In the September issue of Cosmopolitan, there was an article titled “Have you lived before?”, in which Denise Lanctot (the author) suggested that an answer to a current crisis may lie in a past life, and that exploring that past life may bring a resolution to that crisis. Do you believe in past lives?
Sincerely,
Lisa R.

Dear Lisa,

The growing phenomenon of exploring the past, as well as its overwhelming success in helping people resolve “unfinished dramas of the soul” are well-researched and documented facts. The importance of exploring past lives is that they hold the key to unlock doors that have kept the person a prisoner of painful choices and emotions. It is believed that these long-ago experiences influence the choices, feelings, and behavior that limit a person from reaching their full potential in this lifetime. By unlocking the doors of the past, a person can benefit during their current life in many ways. It is a common belief now that there are no accidents, the cause of all problems that we face can be discovered in our past – significant experiences in this lifetime that may have their roots in others that came before. Here are just a few problems that I have witnessed to correspond to a past life:

Depression and fatigue: past memories of unfinished grieving, loss, and separation

Phobias and fears: unresolved traumas, death by fire, water, etc.

Eating disorders, manifesting as obesity or just the inability to maintain weight: memories of deprivation or starvation

Difficulties in relationships: different “distribution of power” in which sex roles were reversed

Chronic physical problems (sometimes with detectable psychological cause, sometimes without). Past life therapy often relieves chronic pain conditions and headaches.

Financial insecurity

Sexual difficulties

Accidents

All these things can be traced to past life traumas and relieved in therapy. In 1980, psychotherapists and researches who were interested in Time Altering Therapies even created an association for past life research and related therapies. We have our annual conventions, with a wide range of very interesting workshops and lectures.

Finally, do I believe in past lives? Well, as a psychotherapist, I am concerned with helping my clients better themselves and release their issues. I tell my clients that it really does not matter whether they believe in past life or not, for time altering therapies to be effective. The beneficial emotional and physical results are produced through these therapies. Do you believe in past life as a literal or symbolic phenomenon? I believe Dr. Roger Woolger said it best:

“Some days, I believe in past life, some days I think about it as a metaphor. But it works! Past life therapy works real life miracles in my current life, and this is the reason I use it.”

Love,
Miriam

P.S – Personally, in my opinion, I believe past lives are more than just metaphors.