Don’t Use a Past Life to Bypass This One
Dive into past life regression to heal deep wounds, but don’t let it become a spiritual bypass. Use insights for growth, not as reasons to avoid emotional work.
Past life regression therapy can be a powerful tool to help unlock deep healing, but only with the right understanding.
Partaking in a past life regression session can help you uncover buried memories, karmic patterns, or even emotional residue that may be keeping you stuck. However, instead of using the experience as a catalyst for growth, some people use this method of hypnotherapy as a reason to stay exactly where they are. That’s what’s known as a spiritual bypass: when someone uses spiritual language or practices to avoid doing deeper emotional work or taking necessary action.
But here’s the danger: If you hold onto a single past life as if it’s a universal truth, you’re not finding clarity—you’ve found a loophole. At that point, a regression stops being a mirror and starts becoming an excuse.
In nearly a decade as a regression practitioner, I’ve seen versions of this more times than I can count.
“I can’t commit because I lost my soulmate in 1427.”
“I’m meant to be alone in this life because I buried my entire family in the plague.”
“I don’t do emotions because I was a samurai in my last life.”
A Few Common Excuses That Sound Deep (But Aren’t)
1. The Commitment-Phobe
Past Life: She saw herself waiting by a window in 1840, waiting for her beloved to return; he never did.
Now: She ghosts every guy who wants to define the relationship after three months because they’re “too pushy.”
2. The Lone Wolf
Past Life: He raised a child alone after losing his wife.
Now: He says, “I just prefer solitude.” (Translation: “I’m scared of needing anyone.”)
3. The Power Bearer
Past Life: He was mistreated by the king he served.
Now: He declares, “I’ve reclaimed my power” as he abuses his employees.
4. The Sparkly Wanderer
Past Life: She regretted staying in one place too long.
Now: “I was born to roam,” she claims, insisting that it’s not a fear of commitment—it’s destiny.
5. The Emotionless Monk
Past Life: He wept beside his love’s grave for three days.
Now: “Pain is low vibration,” he says, instead of admitting that he doesn’t want to feel loss ever again.
The Reality Check
They’re not lying. They did see these things in their past life regression. But the way they choose to interpret these events—that’s where it gets dicey. You’d be surprised how many suspect conclusions can be drawn while lying on a couch with your eyes closed, interpreting medieval heartbreak.
What if the events from a past life you envisioned were merely symbolic? What if you only saw one piece of the story? Or what if you tuned into a moment that wasn’t even part of your most relevant past life?
And here’s the big one, my friends: What if your “truth” isn’t the truth? What if it’s just a narrative that makes you feel safe in the moment?
A Better Way to Use a Regression
Don’t feel bad if you’ve used a past life to bypass this one. Anyone interested in regression can read too much into the slices of past lives they see. In my own regressions, I’ve seen how easy it is to get swept up in the roles, stories, or identities from past lives as a way of avoiding what I don’t want to face in this life. I still have work to do.
If regression gives you clarity, awesome. If it gives you a reason to grow, that’s when you know you’re on the right path. But if it gives you a reason to hide, that’s not healing; it’s bypassing dressed up in a spiritual concept.
Plenty of people walk away from a regression with insights that help them heal, grow, or forgive. Know that growth usually comes with discomfort. Learn from the pain. Confront your fears. Be the best person you can possibly be.
This is your life. How do you want to live it?
by Daniel Gilbert
