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Hypnosis,
Past Lives
And
NLP
Prepared by: Ziad Cassim
Date: 30 December 2014
Number of pages: 8

Contents:

Page

Past life Regression

Cryptomnesia
Confabulation

2-3
3
3

Case Study by Dr. Brian L. Weiss, M.D.

Who is Dr. Weiss?
Catherine, the patient
Allegation of Child abuse
Catherines past life memories
Analysis of Catherines censored and selective memory

3-6
3
4
4
4-5
5-6

Past Life Regression Therapy and NLP

6-8

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Past life Regression:

Many people have seen Hypnosis on television, on entertainment programmes. This is known as
stage hypnosis and it is designed to look comedic and create stage drama. Stage hypnosis looks as
though the hypnotist is able to switch a persons conscious mind on and off like a light bulb. This is
all part of the act. Hypnosis is not a complicated switching on and off of the mind, but it is a natural
state of the mind that can be controlled by suggestion and whispering.
Hypnosis has also developed as a form of therapy. A person who practices hypnosis for medical
reasons is called a hypnotherapist. Many psychologists and psychiatrists are trained in
hypnotherapy. Hypnotherapy is used to treat depression, anxiety, insomnia and addiction. One of
the more controversial medical uses of hypnotherapy is to retrieve repressed memories. These are
memories that some professionals believe are from real events but that the memory of these events,
which are usually traumatic events, such as accidents, violent events and childhood sexual
molestation, are repressed, or buried deep in the subconscious. A recent phenomenon in
hypnotherapy is that some patients, while under hypnosis, have somehow told stories of past lives.
These stories, where told in the first person, as though the patient could recall personal memories of
a past life lived decades or centuries ago. Out of this strange phenomenon a new type of therapy
evolved to treat traumatic memories from these past lives. It is called past life regression therapy.
The Wikipedia encyclopaedia states the following in its article on Past life Regression:
Past life regression is a technique that uses hypnosis to recover what
practitioners believe are memories of past lives or incarnations, though others
regard them as fantasies or delusions. 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,[1] though religious traditions that incorporate reincarnation
generally do not include the idea of repressed memories of past lives.[2]
The technique used during past life regression involves the subject answering a
series of questions while hypnotized to reveal identity and events of alleged
past lives, a method similar to that used in recovered memory therapy and one
that similarly misrepresents memory as a faithful recording of previous events
rather than a constructed set of recollections. The use of hypnosis and
suggestive questions makes the subject particularly likely to hold distorted or
false memories.[3] The source of the memories is more likely cryptomnesia and
confabulations that combine past experiences, knowledge, imagination and
suggestion or guidance from the hypnotist than recall of a previous existence.
Once created, the memories are indistinguishable from memories based on events
that occurred during the subject's life.[1][2] Memories reported during past
life regression have been investigated, and revealed historical inaccuracies
that are easily explained through a basic knowledge of history, elements of
popular culture or books that discuss historical events. Experiments with
subjects undergoing past life regression indicate that a belief in
reincarnation and suggestions by the hypnotist are the two most important
factors regarding the contents of memories reported.[4][1][5]
Wikipedias References:

1. a b c d e f g Carroll RT (2003). The Skeptic's Dictionary: a collection of strange beliefs, amusing deceptions, and
dangerous delusions. New York: Wiley. pp. 2767. ISBN 0-471-27242-6.
2. a b c d e Cordn LA (2005). Popular psychology: an encyclopedia. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press. pp. 1835.
ISBN 0-313-32457-3.
3. a b c Linse P; Shermer M (2002). The Skeptic encyclopedia of pseudoscience. Santa Barbara, Calif: ABC-CLIO. pp.
2067. ISBN 1-57607-653-9.
4. a b c d Spanos NP (1996). Multiple Identities & False Memories: A Sociocognitive Perspective. American
Psychological Association (APA). pp. 13540. ISBN 1-55798-340-2.
5. a b Sumner, D (2003). Just Smoke and Mirrors: Religion, Fear and Superstition in Our Modern World. San Jose,
[Calif.]: Writers Club Press. pp. 50. ISBN 0-595-26523-5.

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Note: emphasis in red is mine.

(source website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Past_life_regression, Dated: 9 November 2011)

Cryptomnesia and confabluation are related memory phenomenon that result is false memories.
Wikipedia defines Cryptomnesia as follows:
Cryptomnesia occurs when a forgotten memory returns without it being recognised
as such by the subject, who believes it is something new and original. It is a
memory bias whereby a person may falsely recall generating a thought, an idea,
a song, or a joke,[1] not deliberately engaging in plagiarism but rather
experiencing a memory as if it were a new inspiration.
Wikipediaa References:

1. Taylor, F..K. (1965).Cryptomnesia and plagiarism. British Journal of Psychiatry, 111, 11111118.
(source website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptomnesia, Dated: 8 November 2011)

Wikipedia defines Confabulation as follows:

Confabulation is the process where a memory is remembered falsely.[1] The
process of remembering is a complicated and intricate process that can be lead
astray at any given point.[2] These false memories most often occur in
autobiographical memory.[3]
Wikipedias References:

1. Berrios, German E. (1 December 1998). "Confabulations: A Conceptual History". Journal of the History of the
Neurosciences 7 (3): 225241. doi:10.1076/jhin.7.3.225.1855.
2. a b Nalbantian, edited by Suzanne; Matthews,, Paul M., McClelland, James L. (2010). The memory process :
neuroscientific and humanistic perspectives. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. ISBN 978-0-262-01457-1.
3. a b c d e f g h i Gilboa, A. (13 April 2006). "Mechanisms of spontaneous confabulations: a strategic retrieval
account". Brain 129 (6): 13991414. doi:10.1093/brain/awl093.
(source website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confabulation, Dated: 26 October 2011)

Case Study by Dr. Brian L. Weiss, M.D.:

In this section I will investigate the case study of an American psychiatrist who used hypnosis on a
patient to retrieve repressed memories and I will discuss how sometimes when a therapist has no
knowledge of the reality of Jinn that a false conclusion can be reached that may have very hurtful
and damaging consequences.
The case study discussed in this section concerns hypnosis, regression therapy, child abuse, and
alleged past life memories; and is taken from the book Many Lives, Many Masters. The author of
this book is Doctor Brian L. Weiss, M.D. The book was published in 1988 by Touchstone and has
since sold over 1 million copies.

Who is Doctor Weiss?

On pages 9 and 10 of this book Dr. Weiss states his medical credentials. Dr. Weiss graduated Phi
Beta Kappa, magna cum Laude from Columbia University in New York in 1966. Thereafter he
attended Yale University and received his M. D. in 1970. He then interned at New York UniversityBellevue Medical Centre before returning to Yale University to complete his residency in
psychiatry. His next career move saw him taking a faculty position at the University of Pittsburgh
but then two years later he joined the Faculty of the University of Miami as the head of the
psychopharmacology division. After 4 years at Miami University he was promoted to the rank of
associated professor of psychiatry at the medical school and he was also appointed Chief of
psychiatry at a large university affiliated hospital in Miami. Dr Weiss then closes the paragraph on
page 10 by stating that by that time in his career he had already published 37 scientific papers and
book chapters in his field.

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Catherine, the patient:

Continuing on page 10, he states in paragraph 3 that he met a new patient who is referred in the
book as Catherine (this is not her real name). In treating her symptoms for the first eighteen
months Dr. Weiss used conventional methods of therapy to help her overcome her symptoms.
When this failed he tried hypnosis. It is in these hypnotic trances sessions that the most bizarre
event happened before Dr. Weiss eyes. Catherine began recalling memories from alleged past
lives. At first he was sceptic but as the alleged memories became more detailed and unCatherine like he began to believe that she was a re-incarnated person. Believing thus he
began to listen to her past life traumas and realised that these memories were the causative
factors of her symptoms. Dr. Weiss ends paragraph 3 on page 10 by stating:
She also was able to act as a conduit for information from highly evolved
"spirit entities," and through them she revealed many of the secrets of life
and of death. In just a few short months, her symptoms disappeared, and she
resumed her life, happier and more at peace than ever before.

A more detailed description of the patient Catherine is stated on page 16. The key points of her
background are the following:
Catherine was the middle child of 3. She had an older athletic brother and a younger sister
who was the favourite of her parents.
Conservative Catholic family.
She grew up in a small Massachusetts town.
He symptoms was that she was tense and nervous, having rapid speech and several fears,
including, water, choking, pills, airplanes, dark places and death.
She slept in a walk in closet in her apartment to make herself feel safe.
She was insomniac.
She was a sleepwalker both during her childhood and in her adult life.
All these factors, fears and symptoms made her depressed. Hence the need for counselling
and treatment.
On page Dr. Weiss 17 attempted to make Catherine remember her childhood. He found that her
memories were very limited and repressed and that is when he made a mental note to try hypnosis
as a means of getting Catherine to remember/regress back to her childhood.

Allegation of Child Abuse:

Hypnotherapy begins on page 25. By page 26 Catherine falls into a trance and begins to remember
that at age 3 her father once came into her room and He touched her and rubbed her, even
"down there." That is to say, Catherine remembered, under hypnosis, that her father molested her.

Catherines Past Life Memories:

After this account of child molestation the memories continued to pour out under hypnosis but then
on page 27 something strange happened. The actual words spoken by Catherine are as follows:
"I see white steps leading up to a building, a big white building with pillars,
open in front. There are no doorways. I'm wearing a long dress . . . a sack
made of rough material. My hair is braided, long blond hair."

Here Dr. Weis encounters Catherines first past life memory of Aronda. The story continued on
pages 27-28. Over the next 8-9 months Catherine would reveal the most bizarre and astounding
stories from many past lives. How many past lives did Catherine live through? The answer given on
page 186 as 86 past lives on earth alone and Catherine also reveals hat that there were other lives on
other spiritual planes. In Dr. Weiss consulting rooms only 10 to 12 of those past lives were played
out under hypnosis. The remaining 76 to 74 past lives are unknown. Some past lives were in Egypt

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and some were in Europe. In her revealed past lives she was always an ordinary person, mostly
poor. Never anyone famous.
How did Dr. Weiss weigh up all these past life memories? At different places in the book he writes
of his analysis, scientific reasoning and his thoughts and reflections of what was transpiring in his
consulting rooms? Almost all of these sessions were recorded on tape. Thus He had time to re-listen
to them and to collect his thoughts.

Analysis of Catherines Censored and Selective Memory:

One of the most revealing aspects of Catherines experiences under hypnosis is her censored and
selective memory. To put this into its proper context I must first explain who the masters are. The
most prominent past life memories discussed in the book are those leading up the moment of death,
the event of death and what happens after death before Catherine emerges to be reborn into the
world again into another life from the past. After remembering the death event Catherines voice
would change. The first time it happened was on page 46 and Dr Weiss noted the change in words,
phraseology and the tone of her voice. From here on the spirit masters would make an appearance
(though its still Catherine speaking) in the hypnotic sessions and they speak like sages and great
men of learning.
One startling aspect of Catherines selective memory is discussed on page 141:
"When you hear the voices of the Masters, they say things similar to what you
are telling me now. You must share a great deal of information:" I was
intrigued at the wisdom she possessed when she was in this state.
"Yes," she replied simply.
"And this comes from your own mind?"
"But they have put it there." So she gave the credit to the Masters.

And again on pages 144 and 145 we are reminded:

"Sometimes they have messages for me, messages that help you and help me. Are
these messages available to you even when they're not speaking? Do they put
thoughts in your mind?"
"Yes."
"Do they monitor how far you can go? What you can remember?"
Yes
"So there is a purpose in this explanation of lifetimes. ...
"Yes."

Note: emphasis in red is mine.

If we the readers are to accept that Catherine is not faking her memories and if as Muslims we can
agree that reincarnation is false and unacceptable in Islam then we are closer to making a case that
Catherines mind is possibly controlled by jinn that speak through her and that they even claim the
ability to put thoughts in her mind and to sensor and edit her thoughts. In a secular modern world
society can tolerate past life memories because they are non violent and confined to ones thoughts
only. They may be lies but then these lies are not about living people so these memories largely
dont affect social justice in society but what if these jinn could put thoughts in someones mind
under hypnosis that affected social justice and raised awkward questions about violence and abuse.
These would affect society and in particular those persons named as offenders.
One of my objectives of discussing this case study in this document is to show and highlight what
Dr Weiss overlooked and what he should have considered out of professional scepticism.
Remember that on page 26, Catherine, while under hypnosis, remembered a repressed memory
about her father molesting her. It is not mentioned in the book if Catherines father came forward
and admitted the molestation. If he did then it would then prove that the memory is real. On the
other hand if the repressed memory was not corroborated then having established that the spirit
masters, who in fact may be satanic Jinn, have the ability to put thoughts into Catherines mind

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under hypnosis it is plausible to consider that the memory of child molestation was also put into
Catherines mind under hypnosis by Satanic Jinn posing as the spirit masters. The satanic jinn may
have put this evil and unjust thought in her mind to create mischief and split up families and cause
anger, hate and separation between family members.
In Muslim communities we could face a scenario when an Hypnotherapist tries to relieve a person
from anxieties and fear complexes (As Dr Weiss wanted to relieve Catherines anxieties and fear
complexes) and then using regression therapy he/she would access a repressed memory of
childhood molestation by a parent, which in fact is not true but a false and evil memory put there by
a satanic jinn under hypnosis, and even some aspects of the hypnosis may be induced by covert
methods. There would be uproar between patient, the parent of the patient and the hypnotherapist
and all of it may end up in courts and in family break-ups. One of the main purposes in this
document is to show these dangers.

Past Life Regression Therapy and NLP:

An important statement made in the Wikipedia article on past life regression and in the case study
of Dr. Weiss is that the past life memories are recovered while under hypnosis and hypnosis is used
in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) therapy. One may ask if NLP practitioners do in fact
practice and offer past life regression therapy? The answer is Yes. Simply go online and google the
search phrase nlp regression therapy. Here is what I found on Monday morning, 7th November
2011:

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I followed some of the websites that came up in the search. For example, the 6th item in the above
search list links to the therapists page of the Ontario Hypnosis Centre. On this webpage the
following names are listed as therapists:
Georgina Cannon
Tariq Sattaur
Shawn Gallagher
Peter Fink
Carlos Rivas
Of these 5 therapists the first 4 offer past life regression therapy and 2 of these 4 persons (Georgina
Cannon and Peter Fink) are NLP practitioners.
(source Website: http://www.ont-hypnosis-centre.com/ohc/theclinic/therapists.html, accessed on: 7 November 2011)

Another website that was listed on the search page is called Spiritual Regression Therapy
Association. This website serves as a directory of past life regression therapists. There are many
therapists that are listed on this website and each has a profile page in which the therapist can
introduced himself/herself, state their qualifications and experiences and list what services they
offer. For example, One of the practitioners listed on their website is Karen Stokes. A part of her
professional profile is reproduced here below but she not singled out in any way certainly not for
anything unethical or fraudulent. Her example is typical of a growing number of alternate therapists.
Regression is about accessing resources, which are present within you, to help
heal and manage your current life in the most desirable way for you. It is
truly amazing how discovering the wisdom of your inner self this way gives you
access to all the wonderful information you hold about the way you really want
to experience your life. It is quickly being recognised as the most direct and
effective therapeutic tool for transformation and for me it is the most useful
and powerful approach I have come across. (If you haven't done so already you
can click on the link 'Past Life & Regression Therapy Training' for a full
description of the process and the benefits it provides.)
In my practice I operate a client centred approach, which means I offer
Hypnosis, Regression Therapy (current and past life) and Neuro-Linguistic
Programming (NLP) and together with your willingness to make changes we use the
technique most suitable for you. This will enable you to unblock any unresolved
issues you may have, especially those issues that are using up your vital
energy in order to remain hidden and assist you in letting go of those negative
thought patterns and fears that hold you back. Thus, freeing up your energy and
empowering you to move forward to enjoy the life you genuinely desire and
deserve.
You may also like to experience Past Life Regression as a stand-alone session
from an interest only point of view. This is a fascinating way to discover and
experience the events of other lives you may have lived and can be useful for
identifying patterns that are being replayed in your current life.

Note: Emphasis in red is mine.

(source website: http://www.spiritual-regression-therapy-association.com/therapists/karen-stokes.htm, accessed on:
7 November 2011)

With these two examples it should be very clear that NLP and past life regression therapy are a part
of a family of alternate/hypno-therapeutic services. In many cases NLP practitioners and past life
regression therapists are one and the same person.
NLP is controversial and not fully accepted by the scientific community and past life regression is
simply beyond mainstream science. Confabulation and cryptomnesia may explain the falseness of
past life memories in some individuals but in recent years there have been thousands of people that

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are experiencing this phenomenon and it cant all be confabulation and cryptomnesia. I hypothesise
that most of these past life memories are in fact the hidden workings of deceitful jinn. The
following statements are quoted from the same Spiritual Regression Therapy Association website
under the sub-heading Research:
'Hazel Denning studied the results of eight Regression Therapists with nearly
1000 clients and found 64% of the clients showed significant improvement, many
of whom had turned to regression therapy when all other therapies had been
ineffective. Whilst all client experiences are treated in a authentic way,
growing scientific evidence is becoming available to suggest consciousness
survives death and the reality of past live. This includes work with children's
past lives by Professor Ian Stevenson and medical professions studying out of
body experiences. '

What I want to highlight here is that approx. 1000 people had undergone past life regression therapy
from the services offered by just 8 therapists, which averages out to approx. 125 clients per
therapist. Further down on this webpage is a list of past life regression therapists. In this list there
are 90 therapists listed in over 30 countries/territories/states and in over 50 cities. Extrapolate these
numbers and it becomes clear that there could be thousands of people around the world that are
experiencing this phenomenon, which means that thousands of people could be under the influence
of deceptive/evil jinn.
(source website: http://www.spiritual-regression-therapy-association.com/past-life-regression-therapists.htm,
accessed on: 7 November 2011)

Document History:

7 January 2013 (First uploaded on Scribd)

30 December 2014 (edited title page)