Regression into a past life and how it helps me cope in today's world-by Sonia Shah.

As I was out and about on the internet, I came across this fascinating article written by Sonia Shah. Many people have thought about past lives, who they were, what they did, what was it like, etc. Some of us have traveled back into the past thru dreams, meditations or even hypnosis. By going back in time, you can find some answers to the questions that you have today, like why am I not happy, why don't my romantic relationships work, why am I drawn to this person or time period, why do I feel that I've known my best friend forever? These questions are normal and many, at one time or another, have thought them. So if you are or were thinking about past life regression and wanting to try going back to see how it can help you in your life today, here is one person's story to help you decide whether you want to persue it or dismiss it. I hope you enjoy the article.

REGRESSION INTO A PAST LIFE - by Sonia Shah

MY nerves were jangling when I went to see Nicolas Aujula, a past life regressionist. It's not uncommon to wonder about the sense and purpose of our existence. And the concept of reincarnation and past lives has fascinated me for ages. But I was very sceptical about the ability to go back in time to access an individual's former life. It seemed inconceivable this could solve the mystery and purpose of the current one. It also sounded daunting and a little nonsensical.

My reaction proved to be a standard first response to Nicolas. He has conducted a regression on Big Brother star Sophie Reade and other celebrity clients include Toyah Wilcox. I was curious to know if there was anything more behind this "made-for-TV and entertainment purposes" setting.

Questions poured out of me. "What if I see something frightening that will traumatise me? What if I killed someone? How will I know it's not my imagination telling me I was Marilyn Monroe or the Queen of Sheba?" I was told to relax, not to analyse anything and to try to keep an open mind. If a horror scene surfaced, I was assured it wouldn't have any hold over me and I'd learn important life lessons.

I did a deep breathing exercise and my tenseness disappeared. My over-analytical mind went into a clearer mental state and a creative visualisation helped me to further relax each part of the body. In between, I really wondered if I'd be able to view anything significant at all, but then the movie in my mind started unfolding. "Are you male or female? How do you see yourself?" asked Nicolas, who is based in Maidenhead, Berkshire. Astonishingly, a pair of dark feet with gold anklets appeared. A plait of black hair coiled around an off-the shoulder, white cloth wrapped around me. I was crouching over a riverbank washing clothes against stones. I was in my early twenties and lived with my father in a remote village in India, where our straw house was the only dwelling in the vicinity. As I considered the absence of my mother, I was surprised by my emotions. Tears flowed when I replayed the memories of her death during my early childhood. It's not often I become emotional and, feeling slightly embarrassed and perplexed, I apologised to the stranger in front of me and moved on to the next scene.

"Do you not have anybody close to you apart from your father?" "No, but I believe in the Indian goddess Mataji. She gives me strength and gets me through everything," I replied. It felt bizarre to portray myself as a Hindu deity worshipper and I chuckled uncomfortably. I was aware certain goddesses such as Lakshmi signified wealth and Saraswati was revered for creativity, but I wasn't sure about Mataji. After the regression, I found out she represented strength for Hindus. Back in the regression, after my father's death, I left our home and travelled aimlessly through many villages with many people offering to look after me. Several days later, I stumbled into a temple and the instant presence of Mataji drew me in. The image of her powdered complexion, long black hair and psychedelic saree adorned the temple's marble floors and wood walls. In return for food and board, I swept the temple and found solace in Mataji and meditation. The temple had many books displaying colourful images of celestial beings from Hindu scriptures. I was illiterate, but eventually an old man came to my rescue. He regulated many temple events and administered some ceremonies. He also turned out to be my real-life grandfather, shockingly enough, whom I'd never met. He'd passed away in his early fifties, six years before I was born, but I recognised him immediately as I'd seen his pictures in my family home. Logistically, it was possible, but my focus on the past came to an abrupt halt. The image of meeting my grandad in a past life but never in this present one seemed too peculiar to digest.

Nicolas assured me it was normal to sometimes recognise people from the past, whether your paths had crossed or not. He made me feel better and I settled back into temple life, where the rest of my years were spent peacefully. I wasn't tangled in any relationship dramas and died a spinster. The puzzles of this life started to fall into place. Relationships seem quite alien to me and I'd often tried to veer away from them. I'm not rushing around to find Mr Right as you might expect of a woman in her thirties. Instead, I've tried to find ways of meeting life's challenges. Some try kickboxing, or learn Thai cooking but I've been trying meditation. Maybe the past influenced it and had created a feeling of nostalgia.

It was time to bring me back into the present. On the count of three, I woke, feeling dazed as though I'd just had a pleasant dream. After my last few months of angst, I suddenly felt very calm. I felt a sense of envy for the temple cleaner's life. I felt very connected with myself in the past and, even though I felt I'd got close to that point in this life, events and traumas had put me in a wretched state. This didn't seem to be the case with my life in India, but it's easy to avoid drama when one's existence is enshrined in a temple. I'd carried a straightforward and disciplined life and felt more composed and at ease. It's compelled me to inject more of those characteristics from the past into the present. Since my journey into the past, I've developed a healthier state of mind, an inner strength and a better understanding to confront situations more constructively. I learned I'd have to relive moments from the past and integrate them into a commercial and hostile environment. The more I practice, the more barriers I break down with this formula. I'm still revelling in the afterglow of the experience, which always helps when something unpleasant comes along. It all makes sense now.