Past life regression

A technique that uses hypnosis to recover what practitioners believe are memories of past lives

Past life regression is a technique that uses hypnosis and suggestion to recover what practitioners believe are memories of past lives or incarnations. It is a controversial practice and is considered a form of pseudoscience by the scientific community.

Technique

Past life regression is typically undertaken either in pursuit of a spiritual experience or in a psychotherapeutic setting. Most advocates loosely adhere to beliefs about reincarnation, though religious traditions that incorporate reincarnation generally do not include the idea of repressed memories of past lives.

Scientific evaluation

The technique is not scientifically validated and is considered a pseudoscience. Critics argue that the memories recovered during past life regression are more likely to be the result of cryptomnesia, confabulation, or the suggestibility of the subject. The American Psychological Association and other professional organizations do not recognize past life regression as a legitimate therapeutic technique.

History

The concept of past life regression has roots in spiritualism and the New Age movement. It gained popularity in the 20th century with the publication of books and the promotion of the technique by various practitioners.

See also

• Reincarnation
• Hypnotherapy
• Pseudoscience
• New Age

External links

• Original article on WikiMD