Over the past 40 years, I’ve come to be known for my work and research in the field of past-life therapy. Although this particular approach has helped many people, there are numerous paths that can be taken to attain inner growth and enlightenment. I’ve discovered that we have many dimensions to explore and enjoy, for our souls are endowed with possibilities far beyond the constraints of time and space. I believe that we’re not simply human beings occasionally gifted with spiritual experiences, but instead, are spiritual beings who happen to undergo human experiences from time to time.
In my first book, Many Lives, Many Masters, I wrote about how treating a woman named Catherine changed my life. Since I describe the experience in detail in that book, I’d like to just briefly touch on it here.
Catherine came to my office in 1980, suffering from anxiety, phobias, panic attacks, and troubled relationships. For 18 months, I treated her with traditional psychotherapeutic techniques, but since the signs of recovery were minimal, I decided to try hypnosis on her.
After inducing a trance, I asked her to go back to the time from which her symptoms arose. To my amazement, that suggestion took her back to a time approximately 4,000 years ago, where she had originally suffered the traumatic experiences that were the root of her present-day problems. By recalling and reliving these incidents, she was then able to alleviate her symptoms.
But in addition to her memories, Catherine also brought back many messages from the Masters, who are highly evolved spirits whose wisdom and capacity for love enhance the spirituality of humankind. These messages moved me deeply and changed my view of the world, the way I saw my work, and my relationships with my patients. Before I met Catherine, my medical education had been rigorous and orthodox, and my psychiatric training had followed along traditional psychoanalytic lines; but after my experience with her, I began to explore alternative therapies that would help my patients. It was during this quest that I learned the value of meditation.
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Many people like Catherine undergo traumatic experiences throughout their lifetimes that are so devastating that they can scar their minds and souls. Some are indeed too painful to remain in their conscious memory. However, even if these memories are pushed down to the subconscious level, the experiences’ effects still remain, together with residual physical and emotional reactions.
Just like hypnosis and other methods of past-life therapy, meditation progressively develops the ability to concentrate and to focus, thus gently tapping into the subconscious mind. Memories of past lives—and of the intervals in the spiritual state between these incarnations—are stored in the subconscious, which is the most creative and clairvoyant level of the mind. The subconscious is where we draw the spiritual resources that are so vital in our daily lives.
In my work with patients, I’ve noted that meditation enhances the ability to remember. In simple terms, what we do in past-life therapy is help people recall the origin of their symptoms, physical reactions, fears, rage, and pain. When the source of the trauma is finally located, people tend to let go of their symptoms, as they realize that the trauma is something that’s already over, part of the past, and no longer a threat. I myself have had memories of my own past lives during deep meditation, as well as amazing insights that helped me solve problems in my current life. But not everybody needs this therapy, for not everyone suffers from hidden wounds or pain from past lives. There are other ways to achieve inner peace and balance while developing our spirituality—and chief among these is meditation. In fact, I’ve noticed that after my patients complete their past-life therapy, meditation helps consolidate their therapeutic gains. In addition, I find it helpful for my patients to practice with a recording of one of my guided meditations during (and even after) their therapy, so I’ve included one on the audio that’s included with this book, for you to listen to and enjoy. (Download instructions can be found at the end of the book.)
Meditation is the art or technique of quieting the mind so that the endless chatter that normally fills our consciousness is stilled. In the quiet of the silent mind, the meditator begins to become an observer, to reach a level of detachment, and eventually, to become aware of a higher state of consciousness.
The stresses of today’s world seem to intrude constantly into our daily lives—even moments of relaxation and pleasure are curtailed as rising pressures and demands leave us bewildered. Under this barrage of stress, the physical body functions at a heightened level of alertness—the so-called fight-or-flight reaction—triggering a cascade of physiological reactions. Fear, a common complaint in today’s world, also sets off internal alarms that urge us to act to protect ourselves. It’s becoming more and more difficult to tune in to our inner selves, to remember our true spiritual nature.
Thankfully, the practice of meditation helps us clear our minds. It rids us of stresses, intrusive thoughts, and fragments and echoes of the outside world—all of which disturb our conscious minds. Meditation makes our minds more sensitive to what’s truly important. And the benefits extend well beyond the meditative state itself, although it’s important to remember that meditation is in and of itself highly beneficial. The deeper that meditation takes us, the further we move away from the level of everyday consciousness (encompassing frustration, stress, anxiety, and worry), and the closer we draw to the higher self, with its capacity for love. Consequently, as we gain a higher perspective about life and our place in the world, appreciate the love that lies within us, and discover that we already possess this precious gift that’s so full of beauty, we find ourselves filled with self-love and are able to achieve happiness and joy. We indeed become enlightened—and enlightening—beings.
Meditation demands practice and patience, but the act of meditating itself continues to generate more and more patience. After all, what’s important is that you’re getting reacquainted with the most beautiful, receptive, and productive part of yourself. There are many ways to contact this higher self of yours, and the more you progress along this path, the easier it becomes to achieve increasingly higher levels of spirituality. That’s why in this book, I’ll help you discover the techniques of meditation and visualization that will open your minds and your hearts.
It’s easy to become entangled in problems and difficulties. You probably feel stuck at times, as if you just can’t move forward in your life. But the solution may be as simple as setting aside just 20 minutes a day, every day, to meditate.
Start by sitting comfortably (or lying down if you prefer), closing your eyes, and just relaxing. Loosen your muscles and start to pay attention to your breathing, noticing any areas of tension. Send your body a message: Everything is fine, everything is at peace. Relax, take it easy. Ask each muscle to let go of tension and tightness.
Let scattered thoughts float gently out of your mind, and ask your mind to block out the clamoring voices that usually bombard you—one by one if necessary. Take one thing at a time, one problem at a time. Live this moment intensely—this precious, unique moment of grace, light, and elevation—by letting go and surrendering.
Because the present is the only place where you can find happiness and joy, psychospiritual therapy emphasizes mindfulness of the present moment. The human mind is a marvelous mystery, a creative masterpiece that can transport us either to the heights of joy or the depths of misery. Mindfulness is the awareness of those thoughts, emotions, feelings, and perceptions that are occupying us now. And so, by eliminating the distractions of the past and future, the act of meditating opens the door to inner peace and health. You can learn to focus on the present by concentrating on a single word, mantra, image, or sound—or by simply emptying your mind. (Listening to the meditation audio and focusing on its words will also help.)
By pulling us out of the rut of our everyday awareness, meditation serves as a reminder of what we’ve been learning about higher, more spiritual values. We’re reminded of the bigger picture, of what’s important to us in our lives and what isn’t. Perhaps we’ll become aware of a sudden understanding, a solution that hadn’t previously occurred to us—or we might gain more clarity about a distressing situation, as though a light switch in a dark room was flipped on. This is what is called “insight,” and it’s how to awaken to ultimate reality.
The capacity to love and feel loved restores balance. It sends us back into the world equipped with impressive skills. Since the subconscious is less sensitive to criticism and the judgments of others, it becomes a wellspring of creativity and intuition. Over time, continued contact with our authentic inner self empowers us to trust our own emotions and feelings and to realize the unique contribution that we make to the world.
Here’s an example from my own life: At one point, my relationship with my son, Jordan, was rather thorny as we struggled through a rough patch of his adolescence. One day, while in a deep state of meditation, without any particular thoughts in my mind, I suddenly heard a booming voice inside my head. It was like a telepathic trumpet, and it shook my whole body.
“Just love him!” the voice thundered. I was instantly wide awake, for I knew the message was referring to Jordan.
One very early and dark morning a week later, I was driving Jordan to school. I tried to get a conversation going, but his responses were particularly monosyllabic that day. He was just plain grumpy.
I knew I had the choice of being angry or just letting it go. I thought of the message—“Just love him!”—and I chose the latter.
“Jordan, just remember that I love you,” I said as I dropped him off.
To my surprise, he replied, “I love you, too.”
That was a great new start for us both.
In this book, I’ll be using my experiences as a therapist to teach you about the benefits you may reap from meditation in at least three areas: (1) solving personal conflicts and difficult relationships; (2) helping the body and mind to heal; and (3) starting out on the path to spiritual growth and development. It’s my hope that meditation will give you new beginnings, too.
