Past Lives: what if our souls have been here before?
Around 15 years ago, I became obsessed with past lives. I read Brian Weiss' Many Lives, Many Masters, followed by his several sequels. I then learned about Michael Newton's Life Between Lives; I read his books that detailed hypnotherapy experiences where people recalled memories of the afterlife in which they accessed deeply soulful clarity on patterns unfolding in their lives.
While I was captivated by the stories in each case study, what touched me the most was how these past (or parallel) memories bridged and connected hidden dynamics with relationships in their current lives.
A man who had a lifelong contentious relationship with his sister found that he witnessed her attack in a previous life and didn't do anything about it. In this life, he was then inspired to change his behavior by asserting himself with more vulnerability and courage, opening his heart to his sister rather than being guarded with guilt.
Twins who came into this life with a seemingly irrational fear of fire found they were trapped in a fire in their last known life together. Experiencing this glimpse into their soul's memory offered compassionate validation and an opportunity to set this fear free.
These stories might sound like soulfully dramatic Hallmark movies — yet I promise I'm just sharing the punchlines here. There is a lot more context and nuance written in the books…and soul truth is almost always stranger than fiction!
Reading these stories deeply touched me - as a result of their regressions, the people featured in the book changed their lives for the better. They were inspired to have hard conversations. They experienced a resounding sense of Peace on a problem that had haunted them for literally lifetimes. These stories felt like a dance with the existential question: Who am I…and why am I here? Our souls are old; they have stories to tell. What if these stories don't end with the body?
This past weekend, I was reminded of this past-life love season of my life when I stumbled across this article about the supposed reincarnation of Anne Frank. I'll preface this by saying — these days, when I hear someone claim they are the reincarnation of some famous soul, I can't help but deep sigh into an eye roll and succumb to the fact that I've never had a poker face. Unfortunately, living in Los Angeles for nearly a decade introduced me to far too many people who claimed to be the reincarnation of Mary Magdalene.
That said: this article inspired me to wonder about the story of my soul, your soul, our souls. About what we have seen, lived through, loved through, returned to. It inspired me to simultaneously zoom out and zoom in on the personal and collective stories unfolding right now…what does the soul live for? What does the soul ache for? Why has the soul returned? What can you learn about your soul through the stories that resonate the most?
This next week - we are approaching Halloween / Samhain, when the veils between worlds are said to be thinnest. This can be a highly potent time for deeper soul attunement, for depth work, for dreamwork — for following soul threads to their beginnings. I've learned a lot in the 15 years since I first became intrigued by past life regression, and to be honest: it is not something I advise casually dipping into. Without clear intention, past life regression can open up Pandora's box and cause more harm than good — and by that, I mean it can cause delusion and distraction rather than inspire more courageous engagement with the present.
That said, if you are curious and called to attune deeper to the stories of your soul, I have a few suggestions and reflections based on my own learning and experiences over the years:
Know that you do not need to remember your past lives to experience healing in the present. Everything that could be deemed a past life gift, issue, or opportunity is likely playing out in some way in your life at present. Is it more fun, more validating, more ego-encouraging to be able to connect the dots with past life stories? Sometimes yes — we love a good story! That said: past life regression can be used as a distraction and bypass the real issue at hand when you're unwilling to accept responsibility for actions and behaviors in the present moment as your true source of power. It's also tempting to rely on external validation of a “why” in your life, rather than tuning into your intuition, into the answers only your soul can give you.
Attune to your why. Why are you called to open the door to your soul's past? Have you tried other ways of being, seeing, relating with the question or issue at hand? What are you trying to get out of digging into the past? Your Why serves like a North Star, and it can highlight if there are underlying ego dynamics at play, which is usually some form of a desperate attempt for a quick-fix solution. In my experience (and I'm so willing to be wrong here), soul wounds aren't quick fixes…and remembering a past life that connects all the dots won't necessarily make the pain go away or provide an easy way forward. If awareness was enough to create lasting positive change, we'd live in a different world. Soul wounds are often lifelong quests that shape you through the weathers of wisdom. They are meant to transform you from a fragile seed full of potential into someone with strong, mature roots. Attuning to your why invites you to dive deeper than reactionary quick fixes.
Create a Clear, Discerning Intention. If you are called to engage in a past life regression, I highly encourage clarifying your intention and including prayers such as: I ask for only that which truly serves my highest and best good to be brought forward. Please show me only what serves my highest good to see, sense, feel, and remember. Thank you. There are many things in your unconscious that are meant to remain there, and you are not meant to remember all your past lives, just like you are not meant to remember every single nighttime dream you have. If you engage in a past life regression and feel like you experienced nothing, I encourage you to reverently acknowledge the wisdom of your inner world and trust that your Soul will only bring something forward if it's in your highest good to remember it.
Finally, if all of this is brand new to you, you might start out like I did: reading or listening to books that speak to you. Reading others' stories can serve as inspiration and reflection on the vast story of the Soul. Brian Weiss has been studying, teaching, and researching past life regression for over 40 years, and the book Many Lives, Many Masters can be a wonderful place to start.
Whether you have interest in past life regression or not, this next week I invite you to reflect on the Soul connections that already exist in your life. This can include humans, animals, places in Nature, interests, and beyond - who have you met that immediately felt like home, like you've known them before even if you technically just met?
Is there a place you've visited and felt an instant connection with? Consider the resonant soul threads that weave a felt-sense of kinship in your world - how might you honor these connections with reverence and gratitude for the mystery?
As we spiral deeper into the season of darkness and soul dreaming, I invite you to lean in and listen for the long story that lives both within and beyond you.
With love,
Madeline
PS: My favorite way to attune to the long story of my soul is through dreamwork. I'm planning on leading a live version of Dreaming Deeper starting mid-November - you can sign up to be informed when enrollment opens here!