Reincarnation
Reincarnation: Is it Real or Fake Memories?
The mention of past life regression provokes many reactions from different people. Past life regression therapy is a controversial form of therapy that purportedly takes a person back to previous lives that they have lived while under hypnosis. Believers of the theory of past lives and reincarnation give many reasons why a soul is destined to live life after life and some can even provide detailed accounts of their lives in another time. Skeptics claim that it is a fraud perpetrated by hypnotherapists to induce their patients to prolong therapy by planting past life memories into their subconscious. Others believe that past life memories are just twisted forms of present life memories or simply, a dream. While it may be easy to plant memories in those under hypnosis, specific details provided in some cases may be too compelling to ignore.
Spontaneous Memories, False Memories or Suggestions
In some cases, memories of past lives surface, not by hypnosis but rather without assistance. These memories are commonly referred to as spontaneous memories. Unlike regression therapy, spontaneous memories can be in the form of dreams. Sometimes a spontaneous memory can be triggered by smell, taste, or sound. The feeling of deja vu has also been attributed to the surfacing of a spontaneous memory. Deja vu is that feeling of familiarity of something or somewhere that is not familiar. Spontaneous memories are most likely to occur in children. They are usually in the form of a statement rather than a story. When describing past life events, children tend to focus on the mode of death more than anything else. (Tucker, 2007).
Most likely, it is probable that memories cultivated during a hypnosis session are what have been termed false memories. A false memory is described as memories that the mind has mixed up or confused, such as interpreting a dream as something that truly happened or incorporating...
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