Llewellyn's Little Book of Life Between Lives, by The Newton Institute

• LLEWELLYN’S

•

Little Book of

life between lives

•

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T

he authors of this book—Dr. Ann J. Clark, Karen Joy, Marilyn Hargreaves, and Dr. Joanne Selinske— are members of the Newton Institute Research Committee.

They are each trained and certified in hypnotherapy, past life regression, and Life Between Lives hypnotherapy. Each author is involved in Life Between Lives practice. Any inquiries can be directed to research@newtoninstitute.org.

The Newton Institute For Life Between Lives Hypnotherapy®

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• LLEWELLYN’S Little Book of

•

life between lives •

• THE NEWTON INSTITUTE LLEWELLYN PUBLICATIONS wo odb u r y, m i nn e so t a

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Llewellyn's Little Book of Life Between Lives © 2018 by The Newton Institute (Dr. Ann J. Clark, Karen Joy, Marilyn Hargreaves, Dr. Joanne Selinske). All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever, including Internet usage, without written permission from Llewellyn Publications, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. first edition

First Printing, 2018 Based on book design by Rebecca Zins Cover cartouche by Freepik Cover design by Lisa Novak

Llewellyn Publications is a registered trademark of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data (Pending) ISBN: 978-0-7387-5395-9 Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd. does not participate in, endorse, or have any authority or responsibility concerning private business transactions between our authors and the public.

All mail addressed to the author is forwarded, but the publisher cannot, unless specifically instructed by the author, give out an address or phone number.

Any Internet references contained in this work are current at publication time, but the publisher cannot guarantee that a specific location will continue to be maintained. Please refer to the publisher’s website for links to authors’ websites and other sources.

The information in this book is not meant to diagnose, treat, prescribe, or substitute consultation with a licensed healthcare professional.

Note:

Llewellyn Publications A Division of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd. 2143 Wooddale Drive Woodbury, MN 55125-2989 www.llewellyn.com Printed in China

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Contents

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Exercises vi Foreword vii Introduction 1

1: The Basics 13 2: Past Life Regression 33 3: Into Your Life Between Lives 85 4: Guides 119 5: Soul Groupings 137 6: The Council of Elders 157 7: The Library 177 8: Life Selection 189 9: Travelers and Visitors 209 10: Soul Development and Specializations 233 11: The Impact of LBL Hypnotherapy 255 Conclusion 273 Bibliography 274 Resources 275 About the Authors 278

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Exercises 1: Believer and Skeptic Exploration........................................................... 27 2: Self-Hypnosis Process...........................................................................28 3: Past Life Exploration...............................................................................83 4: Your Life Between Lives Questions..................................................... 114 5: Creating Your Cast of Characters....................................................... 114 6: "Who Are You?" Meditation...................................................................115 7: Your Spiritual Guide...............................................................................135 8: Who's in My Soul Group?.................................................................... 154 9: Difficult Relationships.......................................................................... 154 10: Your Soul Groups.................................................................................155 11: Answers through Intuition....................................................................174 12: Exploring the Library........................................................................... 186 13: Your Book of Life..................................................................................187 14: Why Your Body?..................................................................................207 15: Exploring Other Worlds..................................................................... 230 16: A World of Your Creation.................................................................. 230 17: Visitor to Earth......................................................................................231 18: Are You a Specialist?...........................................................................252 19: The Oneness........................................................................................270

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foreword

I

n my last conversation with Michael Newton, in midSeptember 2016, he humbly articulated what I believe to be his legacy to the world. Already moving toward the transition that would take place soon afterward, he said this: “We have something to offer people, in terms of personal meaning, that they can’t find elsewhere.”

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At that time, I wrote it on a sticky note and taped it to my computer so that every day his parting words could speak to me.

This is what a legacy looks like. It is a simple phrase, a mantra, something that seeps into your heart and mind. It nourishes your soul and provides a lifetime of dedicated purpose toward something far more than yourself.

On occasion, a group will come together to share a purpose, which ultimately makes it greater and more powerful, and a source of inspiration for those involved.

When that purpose contributes to the evolution of humanity, we are supported by an energy that comes from an unseen—and often unacknowledged—spiritual landscape in another dimension. It is something that science may never be able to measure, prove, or research with the existing paradigms of our day, although those of us who do this work need no such proof. Our lived experiences of this incredible spiritual phenomenon are validated every day, soul by soul, as we guide people through the spiritual realm, awakening recognition of their immortal identity.

This book has been made possible by the man who brought the concept of life between lives (LBL) into the public eye. These pages share Michael Newton’s work, his foreword viii

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findings, his legacy, and some of the incredible stories that he has enabled, as others carry on the work he started.

At the time of writing, we have over two hundred highly trained practitioners in forty countries offering LBL journeys into the spiritual realm. This means that at any time of day or night at least one person somewhere in the world is experiencing this incredible phenomenon.

What sort of world would we live in if everyone on the planet had met their own soul, understood the deeper purpose of their life, and was part of the awakening of humanity?

During an LBL session you come to know, without a shadow of a doubt, that this lifetime is simply one chapter in a very long book reflecting the lineage of your soul.

This awareness is both humbling and fulfilling. Realizing you are part of a greater plan for humanity expands the soul beyond knowing.

These are changing times. The exploration of new mindsets, of new meaning, and of new purpose for all that we are has reached a critical point. It is time for us to awaken to a greater understanding of our place in the universe.

At the Newton Institute this is a core part of our mission, which is beyond doctrine, religion, or even philosophy.We simply offer the opportunity to awaken at the level of your soul. In this materialistic world, we are inclined to foreword ix

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seek external answers to the big questions and seek fulfilment outside ourselves, although we already have everything we need within us. It was Carl Jung who said, “Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.” His words offer a loving validation of the work we offer.

We are striving, like many others, to help humanity awaken, one soul at a time. The efforts of our cadre of Newton Institute members have extended Michael’s thousands of LBL sessions to tens of thousands.

Perhaps you are curious, wondering about your soul’s journey. If so, this book will assist you. As you read these pages with your human eyes, allow your soul to awaken.

After all, as many have said, the eyes are the window to the soul.

This book is a testimony to one man’s courage, vision, and life’s work, which has already rippled to millions around the world.

We continue what Michael started, sharing this legacy with those who are ready.

—Peter Smith President, The Newton Institute, May 2017

foreword x

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introduction

W

hat happens after we die? This question has intrigued humanity for centuries. Ancient writings and most religions promise an afterlife, but mainstream science maintains that death is the end and there is nothing more. At least, that has been the prevailing view until recently. Four related trends are beginning to change that view.

First, the public interest in near-death experiences (NDEs) has caught the attention of researchers. Previously,

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the point at which the heart and brain ceased to function was thought to be the end of consciousness, but recent studies have shown this not to be the case. Modern scientific technology has led to the study of consciousness and the possibility of life continuing after death.

Second, psychic mediums, demonstrating their ability to contact and communicate with deceased loved ones, have become popular in books and TV shows. Researchers are also investigating the possibility of communicating with the dead.

Third, the science that explains the nature of reality is in disarray. Theoretical physicists do not agree on the nature of our physical reality, and the theories supported by their mathematical calculations raise numerous questions about our understanding of reality.

Fourth, many people are interested in the possibility of reincarnation. Reincarnation assumes the existence of a soul independent from the body. At death, the soul leaves the body and is reborn in a new body to begin a new life. A vast proportion of the world’s population believes in reincarnation and it is an important part of some religions, such as Hinduism and Buddhism.

Researchers have investigated the cases of thousands of children who remember past lives, proposing no plausiintroduction 2

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ble explanation other than the possibility that we survive death to be born again.

Past life regression, a technique that uses hypnosis to help people remember past lives, is now popular worldwide. Those undergoing this regression often remember people, places, and events with an accuracy that cannot be explained from their present life experience or knowledge.

Dr. Michael Newton was a traditional counseling psychologist and master hypnotherapist. He was neither religious nor spiritual and did not believe in an afterlife. He had no interest in past lives until the early 1970s, when he worked with a young man who was experiencing chronic pain. When Dr. Newton asked him to describe his pain, the young man saw himself being stabbed. With further exploration, he accessed memories of living a former life as a soldier who was killed with a bayonet. Remembering this past life eliminated his pain.

Thus began Dr. Newton’s experimentation, regressing clients back in time before their last birth on earth.

Although he was skeptical at first, he soon realized he had stumbled upon an amazing discovery. Under hypnosis, his clients not only could visit past lives, they could also visit the afterlife, the place they went between their lives.

His breakthrough came three years later when working introduction 3

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with a middle-aged woman who was particularly receptive to hypnosis. After visiting a past life, she talked of her feelings of loneliness and isolation. Dr. Newton gave her a simple command to go to the origin of those feelings. She suddenly slipped into a different level of awareness, entering what seemed to be a spiritual realm. In this realm she found people who were familiar, describing them as her “soul family.” She began to cry, full of joy at this reunion. She realized that missing them was the reason for her loneliness.

During the next thirty-five years, Dr. Newton drew upon thousands of case studies to map this spiritual realm.

He described it as the home of souls or “life between lives,” the place to which our spirit returns after our life on earth.

In this soul home we decide when to reincarnate and what we intend to learn by doing so. Dr. Newton, through this work, developed a methodology known as Life Between Lives (LBL) hypnotherapy, enabling clients to access this realm and explore it fully. He also shifted from his skeptical beginnings, developing a deep spirituality, sensing and appreciating the great order of the universe.

Past life regression tells us where we have been, and this understanding is interesting and useful. However, LBL hypnotherapy is profoundly informative and healing. introduction 4

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By visiting our life between lives, we are given a unique opportunity: to know our true selves, experiencing the sense of purpose and unity that comes when we return to our soul home.

Dr. Newton’s work is described in his four books, Journey of Souls (1994), Destiny of Souls (2001), Life Between Lives (2004), and Memories of the Afterlife (2010). He began training other skilled hypnotherapists to conduct LBL sessions in 2001, forming an organization to carry on the work that he had started. This early organization evolved into the Newton Institute in 2005. By 2015 the Newton Institute had grown to over two hundred members offering LBL sessions in forty countries and in twenty-three different languages. The Newton Institute estimated that by 2017 over forty thousand LBL sessions had been conducted since its formation.

LBL hypnotherapists, initially trained by Dr. Newton, took on the task of training and certifying future generations of LBL practitioners. With established practice protocols, certification standards, and a code of ethics for Life Between Lives practitioners, accredited training is now offered around the globe. To locate a therapist in your area, please see the resources section. introduction 5

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In 2014 the Newton Institute created a research department to build upon the important exploratory work established by Dr. Newton’s research design. The Newton Institute Research Department applies rigorous methodology to extend knowledge of the afterlife, consciousness, and the healing potential of life between lives. The latest information and research findings are now reported in the Newton Institute’s online journal Stories of the Afterlife.

Dr. Michael Newton made his transition to the afterlife in September 2016. Ann Clark, the Newton Institute’s research director, made her last visit to Dr. Newton in October 2015. At the time, Dr. Newton discussed future research directions and the impact that LBL practice can have on our planet, sharing his vision of the Newton Institute’s mission: To bring a spiritual philosophy to the world, free of religious doctrine, which is unique to each person seeking our help through hypnotherapy. To do this, we help individuals uncover their soul mind and see their own history and purpose, thereby empowering them with wisdom in their lives.

The Newton Institute is a legacy to his work, carrying his techniques and methodology into the future.

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This book builds upon Dr. Newton’s legacy, including information that the Newton Institute has learned by conducting LBL sessions across multiple cultures, religions, and far-ranging geographic areas.

We discuss the questions that often weigh heavily on the hearts of those seeking an LBL experience: • What is the purpose of life and, specifically, the purpose of my own life?

• What lessons am I to learn in this lifetime?

• How can I break this pattern of behavior that causes me pain?

• What are my relationships, particularly the challenging ones, trying to teach me?

• Why can’t I heal my emotional wounds?

• What awaits me or a loved one after death?

• Why is life so hard? What is the point of all of this suffering?

As you read the stories in this book, you will gain an understanding of this extraordinary experience by vicariously visiting our clients’ past lives and lives between lives.

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We are grateful to the generous clients who agreed to allow us to use their cases. Names have been changed to protect their identities, and transcripts have been edited for clarity. Although the cases have been carefully chosen as useful examples of the journey, you need to understand that each soul’s journey into their life between lives is unique, and each person has their own distinctive way of interpreting their experience. We have discovered wide variations in the way people take in information and what they receive during the experience.We make only one guarantee to each person undertaking a LBL experience: you will receive what you need!

Each individual has a unique history and specific personal needs; thus, each journey is different. However, as you progress through the book, you will gain a detailed sense of what it is like to undertake such a journey.

You will see how current life and previous life issues can be healed, how emotions can be discharged, and how much lighter life can feel. As the learning is integrated, you will understand how the journey continues after a session.

As you read through the book, you will have an opportunity to understand the nature of your eternal identity.

Your earth journey becomes easier when you have an expanded perspective of your place in the universe. introduction 8

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The ultimate security is knowing that, at the end of your life, a home filled with everlasting unconditional love awaits you. With this knowledge, you understand that you are never completely alone.Your fear of death shatters and you come alive with the truth of your immortality, free to fully experience life and take on its challenges.

With this new perspective, you observe people who still believe that nothing exists beyond their current life.

Many are overly attached to the physical world, indulging in excessive consumption, competition, drama, addictions, or unhealthy relationships. They may be seeking fulfillment, but they are looking in the wrong places. As you become more aware of your true self, your understanding of these people grows. You learn to treat them with honesty and compassion.

In your individual quest for knowledge and mastery, you know you have a role to play in the evolution of higher consciousness. Knowing your place in the larger scheme, your patience and commitment to your path are enhanced.

You no longer wonder about the seemingly random quality of life nor feel overwhelmed by the suffering of others. You know the physical and spirit worlds are guided by order, wisdom, and purpose that emanates from a higher consciousness. introduction 9

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This book is a travel guide that will show you some wonders of past lives and the places you can visit in your life between lives. From the cases presented here, you will discover what it is like to die and progress into the afterlife.

At the end of each chapter, you will find exercises designed to enhance your journey and make it as real as possible. Some exercises give you a direct experience of several concepts in the book. Others provide opportunities for self-discovery and the chance to examine your feelings, experiences, thoughts, beliefs, and ideas. A few are designed to make contact with a higher wisdom that can answer your questions and help develop your intuition.

In the first chapter, you are given the basics needed for your journey.You discover the evidence for the existence of past lives and life between lives. You are also given important information on hypnosis, your passport into these remarkable realms. In chapter 2, through a number of interesting cases, you discover what it is like to experience a past life regression. In chapter 3 you are introduced to the preparation needed for an LBL session.

You follow along as people in the cases die, passing over in various ways. Chapter 4 introduces you to spiritual guides, explaining their roles in our lives. In chapter 5 you meet groups of souls who incarnate together. introduction 10

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• In your individual quest for knowledge and mastery, you know you have a role to play in the evolution of higher consciousness. Knowing your place in the larger scheme, your patience and commitment to your path are enhanced.

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You find out what it is like to meet loved ones on the other side. Wise, loving beings known as the Council of Elders make an appearance in chapter 6, where you identify their role in your soul’s journey. In chapter 7 you visit the place known as the library, which stores your “Book of Life.” In chapter 8 you discover how the elements for a new incarnation are selected, including your body.You meet souls who travel to and from other planets and places in chapter 9. In chapter 10 you learn about soul development and some of the specialized jobs souls do. Chapter 11 reveals the impact of an LBL experience and the power of connecting with All That Is. We finish off by suggesting further steps you can take to gather more information about life between lives.

At the end of each chapter, we have included exercises designed to help you connect more deeply to the LBL experience. We include questions for contemplation and guided meditations.

Now that you have your itinerary for this journey into life between lives, let’s begin…

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Chapter One the basics

H

ere we will discuss some basics of the regression experience. First, we look at evidence for the existence of past lives and life between lives. This material is designed to open your mind, helping you trust the process as you proceed on your journey. Next, you are given information on hypnosis, the passport that accesses past lives and life between lives. Understanding these basics is important so you feel comfortable and confident when journeying into the extraordinary places you have long

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since forgotten. To know if something is real or not, you need two sorts of data: your own experience and evidence from reliable sources. External data combined with your experience and intuitive knowledge gives you confidence in your ability to assess what is true and what isn’t.

You might already be convinced of the reality of past lives and an afterlife or your life between lives. But if you are unsure, you will want to look at reliable sources of research that demonstrate consistency in their data. One early research project into the afterlife was conducted

by Dr. Helen Wambach. In the 1960s she undertook a decade-long study in which she hypnotized hundreds of people. While in trances, they went back to the moment in their previous lifetime when major decisions for their current lifetime were made. This project followed earlier research during which people were taken into their past lives. Some described obscure artifacts later validated by archaeologists as being from the time given.

In the evidence for past lives and life between lives that we present, the researchers found consistent patterns in the data they collected. We'll explore these three areas in particular:

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• Dr. Michael Newton’s research into life between lives • Dr. Stevenson’s work on reincarnation • The research into NDEs

Life Between Lives Research Dr. Michael Newton conducted thousands of LBL sessions, painstakingly looking for patterns that were common to his many clients. He asked questions, listened to the answers, and found great consistency in his clients’ reports of the afterlife, across ethnic and cultural groups. The Newton Institute continues his work now, finding the same consistency while looking for further patterns of information that give us a deeper understanding of life between lives.

Although each session is unique, you will find the cases we present generally align with the “places” and experiences that Dr. Newton compiled. These you will discover as you proceed on your journey through this book.

Reincarnation Research In 1967 Professor Ian Stevenson resigned as the chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Virginia, creating a new department devoted to researching extrasensory phenomena. The Department of Perceptual Studies is a chapter one 15

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unique facility in our material world and has now conducted fifty years of research. So, what did they find?

Dr. Stevenson and associates investigated over 2,500 cases of children who remembered living previous lives.

They found that the children • came from every continent on earth except Antarctica; • were very young; • described living previous lives that were recent and ordinary, often giving details that were independently corroborated; • showed behaviors and emotions that matched the stories they told of the past life; • suffered violent or sudden deaths in 70 percent of cases; and • had, in some cases, birthmarks or birth defects that matched the wounds reported in the violent deaths at the end of their past life.

On the last point, some children were even born missing fingers or ears that reflected the trauma of death in the past life. In eighteen cases, Dr. Stevenson found birthmarks that matched the entry and exit wounds of bullets.

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Autopsy photos, when available, confirmed the children’s reports.

In 1975 Dr. Stevenson’s work was published in the 234th issue of the reputable Journal of the American Medical Association, in an article titled “Cases of the Reincarnation Type” by Lester S. King. In it, he says: In regard to reincarnation, he has painstakingly and unemotionally collected a detailed series of cases from India, cases in which the evidence is difficult to explain on any other grounds. He has placed on record a large amount of data that cannot be ignored.

Unfortunately, Dr. Stevenson’s findings were largely ignored. Given the cases came from India, where there is a strong cultural belief in reincarnation, critics suggested that this influenced the children’s reports. Continued research has shattered that view. Now many cases have been investigated from North American families who had no belief in reincarnation.

Dr. Stevenson died in 2007. Dr. Jim Tucker and his fellow researchers continue investigating cases.

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Near-Death Experience Research The Department of Perceptual Studies at the University of Virginia​is now the premier center for scientific research into near-death studies. ​The research, has been guided by Dr. Bruce Greyson, building​on the earlier work of people such as Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, Raymond Moody, Kenneth Ring, and the International Association for Near-Death Studies.You have probably heard of neardeath experiences (NDEs), which occur when people die and return with a memory of a life after death. The experiences reported by those people who have had an NDE include the following: • an awareness of being dead • seeing their body from above • having a sense of timelessness, moving upwards, or being in a tunnel or darkness • experiencing extraordinarily vivid colors, sounds, or visions • encountering and communicating with “Beings of Light” or a bright light • feeling unconditional love, peace, joy, oneness, or cosmic unity

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• experiencing a life review • receiving clarity and understanding about their life and the nature of the universe • being sent back or suddenly finding they are back with their body • a change in beliefs, attitudes, and values after the NDE People’s reports were the same regardless of their culture. Any cultural differences were demonstrated by the metaphors people used to describe their experience.

Many years later, people were asked again about their NDEs. Their reports were the same as before, even when twenty-five years had passed.

The researchers used a special scale to measure the validity of past-life experiences. People were asked to do three separate things: imagine a scene, remember a true experience, and recall their NDE. The results showed the NDE was rated by these people as the most factual, scoring even higher accuracy than the true experience.

Neuroscientists reject these findings, claiming the NDE is just a distortion created by the physiology of the brain when the person is dying. No physiological research has validated these theories. Research conducted by cardiac surgeon Sam Parnia ​and others, colloquially called

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the Aware Study, suggests that our consciousness survives death. Neuroscientists have developed criteria that define the physical conditions needed for conscious experience.

When the criteria are not met, the person is dead. One person in the Aware Study described what was happening during the time he was dead. This was confirmed by the resuscitating team. Others have accurately described events when they were perceived as dead, reporting the conversations of doctors, nurses, emergency workers, and relatives.

Recent Experience of the Newton Institute While the scientific community still generally ignores or discounts the research related to past-​life regression, we find the results of their research most interesting. While some question the validity of accessing past lives through hypnosis, some of our clients have verified the details of their past-life regression. The research approach embodied in Dr. Wambach’s research provides evidence for the validity of utilizing hypnosis to access past lives.

We have found some similarities between the reports of our clients and those of the children in Dr. Stevenson’s research. Both our clients and the children generally report past lives that are ordinary, express emotions and behaviors congruent with their descriptions of the past chapter one 20

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life, and some experience a violent death at the end of the past life. Our clients are usually convinced of the validity of their past life because it explains certain behaviors, patterns, emotional reactions, and sensations they have noticed in their current life. Our clients often remark that the past life helps make sense of their current life experiences and challenges. The intensity of the emotions they felt during their regression and the healing they experience after the session further validate their experience.

In regard to our clients’ reports of their LBL experiences, we have noticed many consistencies between their reports and the NDE experiences researched by Dr. Bruce Greyson, Dr. Janice Miner Holden, and others. During the LBL experience, like people having an NDE, our clients experience many of the following experiences: • ​looking down and seeing their body below​ them • h​ aving an altered sense of time and moving up and away from body​ • e​ ncountering beautiful visions, music, and brilliant colors

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• c​ oming into contact​with "Beings of Light," who often turn out to be their spiritual guides • e​ xperiencing​a sense of "oneness," harmony, and peace • h​ aving a review of the past life in which they experienced their death​ • g​ aining a new perspective on their current life challenges and the nature of the universe​ After their LBL experience, the life changes reported by our clients are also consistent with the reports of people having a NDE. These include a positive change in outlook; a heightened sense of purpose; an increased clarity of thought and intuition; deeper self-understanding; less fear of death; less interest in material possessions, personal status, or competition with others; an increased focus on family and relationships; more compassion for themselves and others; and a desire to help others.

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• Observing profound changes in our clients, we cannot deny the validity of the LBL experience.

We know there is more than the physical. We also know that you have to come to your own personal understanding of the nature of the universe.

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The discussion of evidence presented here is worth considering. We have observed that the journey into past lives and life between lives runs smoothly when you trust your intuition and are confident in the process. You don’t have to look outside of yourself to discover who you really are. Much information and direct experience is available when you journey into your inner worlds.

Your Passport To journey into your past lives and life between lives, you need a passport. When you come with us, we provide you with a specialized passport: hypnosis. To get the most out of your passport, you need to know how to use it. Your passport gives you safe passage through the places you visit, with your hypnotherapist as your personal guide.

In earlier times, hypnosis was thought to be magical and mystical, but it is not as mystical as you might think.

In fact, you enter a hypnotic trance every day, which can be described as a highly focused state. Without realizing it, you enter a trance state when you are watching a compelling movie, reading a riveting book, or even driving home along a familiar route. Perhaps you have found yourself pulling up at home without being able to specifically recall landmarks you must have passed on the way. chapter one 24

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This sensation is the result of being in a light trance. You pass through a trance state (hypnagogic) every day, once while falling asleep, and again when waking in the morning. During hypnagogic sleep, you often receive insight into situations and solutions to problems.

Have you ever seen a stage hypnotist? Perhaps you’ve seen them on TV, rather than on a stage. If so, you might feel uncomfortable with the idea of being hypnotized.

However, therapeutic hypnosis is very different from stage hypnosis. Stage hypnotists focus on entertaining their audience. They choose their subjects carefully, selecting people who are outgoing and laid-back, enjoy being the center of attention, and, most importantly, are willing to play along. This choice is important because even the most talented hypnotist cannot make you do anything that you truly don’t want to do. In contrast, therapeutic hypnotists focus solely on the health and well-being of the individual client.

One particular hypnotic method is regression. A regression is a form of hypnosis used to regress you back in time.

In this context the word regress means “to revert back to an earlier state or form.” Regression is a safe and effective way of transporting you back into the past. chapter one 25

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What is this transportation like?

Your practitioner helps you relax until you feel safe and comfortable. Once you feel settled and secure, you have no need for self-protection. The attention you normally give to staying safe in the world is redirected inwards.

Your practitioner addresses any concerns, enhancing your ability to trust and go with the flow. While your body and conscious mind are relaxed and almost asleep, your inner awareness is alert and ready to see or sense images in other dimensions.

Once you are fully relaxed and trusting, you are on your way.You leave the present world behind.Your therapist takes you on a trip back in time, through your childhood and into a past life, before you transition into your life between lives.

During regression, you might wonder if the experience is real. This is a common intrusive thought. Trust is the antidote to intrusive thoughts. You develop trust through personal experience, knowledge, and wisdom.

Being aware of the evidence for reincarnation and life between lives helps build trust, which is an important quality to take with you on your journey.

You now have reliable evidence of the existence of past lives and of the place we call life between lives. You chapter one 26

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also know that the key to accessing these exotic places is hypnosis, and the form of hypnosis used by skilled practitioners is safe, comfortable, and reliable. The next step in your journey is the exploration of past lives.

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exercise 1

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Believer and Skeptic Exploration Whether you realize it or not, you have some beliefs about what happens when we die. Here is an opportunity to explore some issues discussed in this chapter. Contemplate the following questions from two different perspectives—the skeptic and the believer—one after the other.

Record your answers in a journal.

• What do you believe happens to us after we die?

• What are your thoughts about near-death experiences?

• Do you know anyone who has had a neardeath experience? If so, what did the person report and how did you feel about it?

• Do you believe we have past lives? Why or why not?

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• Have you read about or seen children who remember a past life? If so, what are your thoughts about their stated experience?

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exercise 2

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Self-Hypnosis Process Hypnosis is your passport to a deeper state of consciousness. This simple self-hypnosis technique allows you to induce a state of deep trance. Although it seems complicated at first, it is actually quite simple. It is worthwhile to make the effort to learn this technique because when you are familiar with it you can use it in many situations.

You can use it to program your brain to do whatever you wish—to wake up at a specific time, to sleep easily, or to succeed at a sport or at work. You can also use it to receive intuitive answers to your questions.

step 1: memorize The key to this technique is remembering the pattern of this three-by-three process.You will be using these three senses: • your visual sense • your auditory sense • your kinesthetic (feeling) sense

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At first, using each sense, focus on something external, something you actually see, hear, or feel outside and around you. What is important is that you say what you see. When you are focused externally, say it out loud.

After doing that three times for each sense, shift to an internal focus, using your three internal senses to focus your attention on things you imagine. Now say what you see to yourself. Through this process we suggest you stick to positive or neutral scenes and feelings. Memorize the pattern of this process before moving to the next step.

step 2: set up Before you can employ the three-by-three process you have memorized, there are three things you need to decide: • Where you want to be when you are in the trance. A comfortable chair or couch in a quiet place is a good choice.

• The time you want to spend in the trance.

Choose the amount of time (e.g., twenty minutes) or the actual time you want to awaken.

• What you want to do while in the trance.

You might have some situation you want to contemplate, a question you want answered, chapter one 29

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a place you’d like to visit, a skill you would like to practice mentally, a memory you would like to recall, or an experience you would like to have.

step 3: begin Get comfortable. Instruct yourself with your decisions from step 2 (e.g., “I will wake in twenty minutes, after I recall a pleasant past life”). Then begin the three-by-three process you memorized in step 1. Choose whatever seems right for you. The process that follows has some examples.

Focus your attention on three things you experience externally, one after the other, telling yourself out loud what you see. While you say it, immerse yourself into the item for a few moments. For example: • I see the picture on the wall.

• I hear the hum of the refrigerator.

• I feel myself sitting in the chair.

• I see the dog sleeping.

• I hear the dog snoring.

• I feel the dog’s coat as I pat it.

• I see the tree outside the window.

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• I hear the wind in the leaves.

• I feel relaxed as I breathe in the fresh air.

Now shift your focus inside using your imagination.

Imagine seeing, hearing, and feeling neutral or positive scenes. Say to yourself what you are experiencing and while you say it, immerse yourself into the experience for a few moments. For example: • I see a green field and flowers.

• I hear the wind blowing.

• I feel the sun on my skin.

• I see a path.

• I hear my footsteps on the path.

• I feel the rhythm of walking.

• I see something up ahead.

• I hear myself wondering what it is.

• I feel myself being drawn towards it.

Repeat the pattern until you are deeply relaxed. Then trust that you are moving into the experience you requested.

Go with the very first thing you sense or see and continue opening to whatever you have chosen.

Like any skill, the more you persevere and practice this exercise, the easier it will become. chapter one 31

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Body, Mind & Spirit / Reincarnation

E

xplore exciting stories about what happens to the soul between earthly incarnations, and discover simple exercises designed to help you contact the higher wisdom that is available to us all. In a warm and wonderful way, this book confirms what many of us suspect—at the end of life, a home filled with everlasting, unconditional love awaits. $12.99 US ISBN 978-0-7387-5395-9

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