Past Life Regression

[Alex]

Lani's just glad I'm not doing it to her.

[€uroMeinke]

I haven't read any of the articles you speak of, so I'm not sure what is meant by "non-communicative" in this context, but if consciousness is singular among the multiverse, then perhaps freewill is the consciousness "choosing" a path to weave through the probabilities. So while a world exists where I've made different choices, I'm only conscious of the one path I've taken - or think I have taken. I'm sure though this is a metaphysical path unsupported by any science, though it is congruent with my own conscious apprehension of the world.

[Alex]

That's fine. Limit such things to unobservable metaphysics and there is no way to discuss it. Any answer is equally valid as any other.

[€uroMeinke]

Originally Posted by Alex Stroup

That's fine. Limit such things to unobservable metaphysics and there is no way to discuss it. Any answer is equally valid as any other.

Has the multiverse been observed?

[Alex]

No, and you'll find that many quantum physicists therefore rule them outside scientific discussion, that they are pure metaphysics since it they have not been observed and pretty much every multiverse theory bars any possibility of observing them.

That said, where such concepts do crop up as theoretical artifacts they do describe certain physical properties that such things would have. You can't (or rather, shouldn't) simultaneously use quantum mechanical theory to support their existence and then disregard what it also has to say about their nature.

We can all imagine universes that allow whatever it is we want to allow and have whatever nature we want them to have. How about a universe where the bigger something gets the less space it occupies? Sure thing. All such speculations and imaginations are equally valid so long as they remain outside observation and prediction. But when real world observable claims are made, then there are methods for evaluating them and that alternate universe has condensed from metaphysics into the realm of physics.

Real world claims are made for past life regression, and that raises some interesting questions and I'm curious how the study of past life regression addresses them, and not just how the rest of us can make up things.

[3894]

Originally Posted by Alex Stroup

I'm curious how the study of past life regression addresses them, and not just how the rest of us can make up things.

But that's exactly what interests me about past-life regression. Like art therapy, past-life regression is artistic self-expression with the therapeutic result of increasing self-esteem, self-awareness, and insight.

[innerSpaceman]

heheh, I think that particular forest is being missed for the trees.

Not to be the corndogwalker's defender or anything (I'll leave that to the Commodore), but is he going to get another 4 pages of scientific argument if he claims that past lives tapped into hypnoticaly might indeed be inklings of past lives? What's the point?

It seems to me he's perhaps being painted into a corner here, or being set up to be accused of chicanery.


Perhaps I'm being too sensitive ... and I really should have the patience to let corndogwalker respond for himself. But really, Alex, reincarnation and past-life regression is scientifically unlikely??!?!? Do frelling tell.

[LSPoorEeyorick]

No, iSm, I don't think you're being too sensitive. It seems plain to me that a respectful discussion is not being set up-- rather, a pre-emptive attack. Not an invitation to a conversation-- bait.

[Alex]

I see, so the only questions that are appropriate are of the type where I put my hands under my chin, look rapturously on the subject and say "oh, that's deep, please do tell me more!"?

As for what is the point? Is it not interesting to know what the practioners of something think is happening when they do it. They're the experts. And, while thecorndogwalker may not (though he seems to), many other practioners do claim extraordinary therapeutic power for it. That is a scientific claim. You can't simultaneously claim it is a real world phenomena but that it is immune to investigation. If art therapy made claims that what you drew would appear in reality on the other side of the planet (or in the next room) then I'd see them as more equivalent.

So far as I know (and I have read on this a fair amount, but would love correction from someone intimately familiar with it), the general claims of past life regression are that it puts you in contact with past unique human lives lived by the participant. If so, that raises some, I think reasonable, questions. Questions, that I would hope students and teachers of the program have wondered about themselves. And, whether I agree with their reasoning in how they deal with them, I would be very interested in what their conclusions have been.

3894, I agree with you, if PLR is anything, it is that. And that may very well be how PLR practioners think of it and I'd be very interested to learn that. Because, at least online with websites advertising sessions that cost hundreds of dollars an hour, or tape series that cost thousands, or books that hawk the sessions and tapes, they don't admit to that. They are very reassuring that they will put you into direct contact with your actual past lives and that the source of your current psychological problems will be found there (again, no claim that thecorndogwalker does that but I am curious how he views it).

If PLR is just a complex psychological placebo effect (only by misleading you about what is happening can the therapy work), wouldn't that be interesting to know as well?

This, to my thinking, these questions are respectful discussion. Not "oh, that sounds fun! Will there be sangria?" He invited questions. I apologize if having actual questions is rude.

[Prudence]

I don't think a respectful discussion is consistent with a mission to discredit the other participants. If one has nothing nice to say, one might consider saying nothing at all.