For as long as I have been facilitating past-life regressions, I have received the same question from first-time clients: Are past lives real?

I’ll tell you what I tell them: “I don’t know, but I am open to the possibility.”

Each of us is searching for meaning in our lives and the world we live in. We are always looking for something beyond ourselves that explains our circumstances or helps us persevere during times of hardship. Believing in past lives as a way to explain our soul’s journey, or in karmic cycles or lessons to make sense of hardship, can be freeing for someone who is struggling. But the important thing about the question is not the question itself, but rather what is gained as the past life story unfolds.

People typically have four reasons for seeking a past life regression:

• Karma (framework or patterning):
  “Why is this happening?”
  “Why do I always choose the same type of partner?”
  “What lessons am I meant to learn from this?”

• Identity:
  “Who am I when I am not afraid?”
  “Why do I have issues with this person or substance?”
  “How can I be a better parent or friend?”
  “What would it look like if I made a different choice?”

• Symptom resolution:
  “Is there a reason for this fear?”
  “Why am I experiencing this pain?”
  “What do I need to understand about this physical issue?”

• Pure exploration:
  “Who was I in a past life?”
  “What would it be like to live as someone else?”
  “Have I shared lifetimes with people in my current life?”

The reason past life regression can be so effective in addressing these questions is that the subconscious mind is a powerful integrator of imagination, memory, emotion, and meaning. It does not differentiate between lived and perceived experience, nor between gender or ethnicity. This means we may experience a past life where our body and location are very different from our current one, but the insight remains the same. These insights are processed in real time, both mentally and somatically, during the session.

A client of mine who suffered from claustrophobia was asked to go to the origin of her fear. She recounted a story of being a soldier of unknown origin. She couldn’t identify the war or era, but described clothing that was clearly not modern. The soldier’s unit was approaching a city under heavy artillery fire. They had been digging trenches to advance without detection. At one point, the trench he was in took a direct hit. He found himself buried under hundreds of pounds of soil. He suffocated and died.

Once we understood the trauma, we were able to acknowledge the experience and create a ritual to honor the soldier and lay the body to rest. In doing so, we released the attachment to that memory.

The effect was immediate. Her claustrophobia significantly reduced and was no longer an issue for her.

Past lives may indeed be real, or they may be a construct of the unconscious mind. After many years of facilitating and participating in these types of experiences, I am content to not have a clearly defined answer. The importance isn’t whether the story is historically accurate. It’s these experiences that prove time and again to be specific, relevant, and often exactly what is needed to create the shift that brings understanding, closure, and the ability to move forward. And in my work, that is what matters.

If you’re interested in exploring past life regression, or are curious and questions about how it works, you’re welcome to reach out.

Last updated: March 2026

This post is for informational and educational purposes only. I do not provide medical, psychological, or psychiatric treatment, and hypnosis is not a substitute for licensed healthcare. Please consult a qualified professional for medical or mental health concerns. Any external links are shared for additional context and do not constitute endorsement. For full policies, please visit the Policies page.