Past Life Regression

Credts: 101india.com

In the early 2000s, a channel had launched a serial of limited episodes in which volunteers with nagging problems were hypnotized and taken to their previous births. They would rattle out all that they could see and end up narrating some traumatic experience or the other, that happened then and which was still wreaking havoc in their present day lives. The hypnotist would say encouraging words to their patient, healing those wounds in the process and then, slowly get them back to the present. The show was replete with drama and it had me hooked. However, it stopped abruptly but continued to stay in my mind albeit dormant.

I love mysticism, astrology and predictions- and have been intrigued by the unknown from my early years. (At this point I must add that I am not the Baba kind, just in case you label me as such!) Lack of Google while growing up has possibly kept me sane so far. I say so because I am forever checking something on these lines; there is plenty of material available. It would not have been beneficial during my formative years.

In 2003, I made a visit to the “Nadi astrologer” and he narrated my past so perfectly that I became a huge fan and believer much to the chagrin of my father who has more reasons than one to believe that education has been wasted on me! Yet, to give the astrologer credit he predicted my future and it has been going precisely that way too- okay, not so precise- give and take a few years but the events have happened. Well, he delved into my past life too- the only part I didn’t like. He painted me as a beautiful (I loved this bit), rich, self centred and ruthless snob who ill-treated her husband and in-laws (thankfully, I was married by then or else the news would’ve spread and I’d have died an old maid, without enjoying conjugal bliss!!) and brought many people to tears. I belonged to Orissa then. In my later years, when youth left me, I realized my folly, and did so many charitable deeds that I got this current blessed life. Well, I didn’t like the fact that I was a terrible ogre but it gave me some solace to know my mother (who was forced by me to join the mission, for she believes nothing at all) was even worse in her last birth. Apparently, she poisoned a blind girl!! Later, we exchanged notes with other friends who had been there and realized that the stories of past life were reshuffled amongst the masses. Some redemption that! This was the money making bit. It ended up with the statement that all these misdeeds of the previous births are causing present day anxiety and to get rid of these we had to do such and such tiresome ritual which they could do for us if we paid…Well, we didn’t follow it up.

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In 2005, a friend of mine introduced me to the term “Past Life Regression” and by 2012 it was PLR! Well, that friend narrated some eerie instances that she quoted from Dr. Brian Weiss’ studies. In 2012, I got my hands on his book “Many Lives, Many Masters” and that planted this seed in my head that all my hopeless problems were because of my past births. The Nadi astrologer’s prediction started making sense and I was convinced that I was ripe for hypnotism!

In 2015, the perfect opportunity presented itself. My sister-in-law had visited a lady who specialized in the same and she got herself hypnotized. I was impressed by the places she had been to and all the drama that unfolded. She was in depression though for she hoped to be a queen in at least one of her births but she went to three past lives and was below poverty line in all!! I didn’t care about who I would be. (I was sure to be a queen!) I wanted to get hypnotized!!

I had to ask my husband first and convince him that I might be at an irreparable loss, without something as crucial as PLR. He was shocked. I had given him a large number of jolts in the past which made him doubt my mental stability but this was by far the weirdest! To make matters worse the fee they charged was not a meager sum! So, I compromised and decided not to get hypnotized in posh Gurgaon but in a relatively less posh Chitranjan Park, New Delhi! The D-day arrived and I told my kids all about it in great detail, excited as I was and they were thrilled too because I told them, for all they knew, their mother was of royal origins! I told them to get ready to serve Her Royal Highness when she got back. I was a bit more sober in front of my mother-in-law, who after 17 years, had given up trying to reform her south Indian bahu (daughter-in-law). This was too much for her as well, for she had never before heard of any such thing. She gave her son a look of complete sympathy. Yet, she encouraged me to go on! Whether it was to allow us peace in our married life or because she was just as intrigued herself, we shall never know for she isn’t all that expressive. 

The plan was made and that afternoon five of us scrambled into the car and a rather serious man drove his wife to her destination. After going in circles in CR Park we finally reached. I hugged the kids over the seat and took leave from my mother-in-law and last of all, gave the brightest smile ever to my beloved who didn’t return it but said instead, “Go and see if she’s there and if it looks like it’s worth it. Come back if it is shady, I am waiting here for a confirmation.”I made my way through the narrow gate into a door that led to a narrower staircase. I had butterflies in my stomach. When I reached the door and rang the bell, I found that I had subconsciously crossed my fingers!

The door was opened by a small, frail figure with a rather peaceful, attractive, dusky face. Late twenties at most, she had silky hair that was loosely tied and I am ashamed to tell you that I don’t remember what she was wearing! So much for my character building abilities! She gave me a pleasant, charming smile and invited me in. I asked her how long it would take and she said anything between one to three hours. My pulse quickened. I took a sneak peek to check the setting; couldn’t make out anything so told her that I’d tell my husband who was waiting for me, to come back in an hour and a half. She smiled another smile…

I barely walked down three steps to find my husband there looking like a man who was putting up his wife for sacrifice against his will. “So, you are going” was more of a statement than a question and I nodded with such enthusiasm that he couldn’t help smiling in return. “All the best” he said before turning away.

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I removed my shoes and entered. It was a rather small apartment, neatly kept but rather crowded for my taste. The living room was dimly lit. There was a mini L shaped sofa in one corner with a table in front of it that had papers neatly stacked on it and a diary. The remaining room was carpeted with plenty of large cushions on it. Light instrumental music was playing. The drawing room made it evident that it belonged to a lady with psychic powers, perhaps. Wind chimes, all kinds of charms and crystals could be seen everywhere. She had lit camphor which added to my sense of claustrophobia. She made me sit on the sofa and came back with water which I finished in a jiffy and then downed another glass.

Sitting beside me, diary in hand, she asked for details and kept writing as I answered. Then she asked me what was bothering me. I told her I was an insomniac. She kept looking at my face and I wondered why! Well, it wasn’t good enough reason. I was under pressure now. I added anxiety and restlessness. She wasn’t impressed. I said obesity at which point she gave up and said “Okay, we’ll work on insomnia”. She then made me do some deep breathing exercises and told me that during the entire duration I was supposed to breathe deeply. I agreed. I was to follow her voice and not open my eyes under any circumstance. If I was uncomfortable I would have to say so, raise my arm but NOT open my eyes. I agreed.

Next, she took out a printed sheet of paper and asked me to fill my particulars and sign it. As I read it, it dawned on me that this was not foolproof. It said that I had to pay up the full amount whether or not I go anywhere. The first person that popped up in my mind was my husband. I shut him out quickly. I needed to do this. I signed and handed over the paper but that one signature increased the pressure on me to visit a previous birth, come Hell or high water! She smiled once again and asked whether I was ready. I suddenly wanted to visit the toilet as though I was about to embark on a long journey. The toilet also had camphor and was equally dim lit…the fumes in that box of a washroom made my entire experience altogether a divine one!

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Soon enough, I lay on the carpet in Shavasana (the world seems aware of Yoga now, so no explaining here) and she sat beside me on her knees, over a cushion. I was told to close my eyes and begin deep breathing. I obeyed meekly. She said in a soft voice to let her guide me. She told me to imagine a happy picture of natural beauty. I happily agreed. I must interject here that I am the ultimate day dreamer and conjuring images is what I do best. So, I dreamt but not for long for I had to tell her what I saw

 so I described this neat little cottage on a hill top overlooking a large lake. It had a huge lawn and a small white fence all around it. Just inside the fence were rows of flower beds with flowers in full bloom. The sun was out and it was pleasant with a light breeze. By this time she had enough and quickly asked me to look for the steps leading to the river and so I dreamt up one. Again, our military background comes in the way! I can’t imagine anything without geru-chuna (whitewash and terracotta) so the steps had borders of the same. She then said as soon as you get down the last step you would enter your past life. I didn’t. Instead, I told her that there was a path. She told me to walk along the path and that it would end into my past life but a few steps later the paths bifurcated like in the Amitabh Bachchan starrer Deewar. I told her and she sounded irritated as she told me to choose one and walk down the path. I did.

The path became a mud track and had a little stream running parallel to it beyond which there were tall trees almost coniferous. I say almost because I don’t remember having seen anything like that in real life. She told me to dip my feet in the water and as I did for the first time I saw feet that weren’t my own. She was relieved. “Okay look at yourself and try and remember what you look like” she pressed on. I saw a woman with really short hair and it wasn’t me and then I went blank.

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She had a glimmer of hope and so she told me if I could see a bridge. So I saw one. She told me that as I walked over it, I would enter a new life. One problem; I was under it! Anyhow, she made me breathe and struggled with giving me different situations and then I told her that I had a doubt whether I was actually hypnotized or making it up. Now she let her annoyance be known. “You don’t have to let your conscious mind work. You just see things as I tell you, okay. Now start breathing deep again.” I began breathing. Well, from chapels to broken offices, we went to a lot of places but nothing that told me anything substantial about anything. Then she got me back. The truth be told, I had never gone.

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However, as I opened my eyes and sat up I had a blistering headache and my sinuses seemed stuffed. I got up and we were soon seated on the sofa and I handed her the money with my husband’s face etched in my mind. I looked at the time. Only 45 minutes had lapsed. She said gravely that I had probably had some trauma which I was trying to block that’s why I went blank anytime I saw a real image. She told me to practice breathing and come again after two weeks (over my dead body, I thought). I thanked her and gave my husband a call.

When I reached the car, my kids asked me eagerly where all I went and who I had been but one glance at my face and my husband said, “Your mother has been nowhere, she just made a donation to charity.” My mother-in-law laughed a hearty laugh. And I, well, it is a little over two years and I still am an insomniac. I am planning to put a pod of garlic under my pillow tonight. I’ve been told it works due to its zinc content!