A Brief History of Life Between Lives
The following is a brief history of the origin and advancement Life Between Lives Regression.
2670 - 2613 BC
The Concept of the afterlife and a life between lives began as far back as The Book of the Dead which originated in paintings and inscriptions found in tombs. dating from the Third Dynasty of Egypt.
8th century BC
The Tibetan Book of the Dead traditionally believed to be the work of Padma Sambhava (circa 8th – 9th centuries)
was written to assist as a guide for the dead whilst transiting the Bardo realms which occur between death and the next rebirth. The text is read aloud to the deceased to help them to see the nature of their mind and to obtain freedom from the continuing cycle of rebirth. According to legend Padma Sambhava hid several of the Tibetan texts in stones lakes and pillars for future generations to discover when ready to receive them.
1927
An American Anthropologist Dr Walter Yeeling Evans Wentz was a pioneer in the study of Tibetan Buddhism, he was known for publishing The Tibetan Book of the Dead in the English language. In 1918 he travelled across India seeking the wise men of the east. The following year in 1919 after reaching Darjeeling he met a British Officer Major Campbell who during his time in Tibet had acquired a set of Tibetan funeral texts. Evans Wentz purchased these texts from him. Next Wentz met an English teacher from the Maharajas Boys school, Lama Kazi Dawa-Samdup and with his help over the next few months they began working on the text forming the basis of The Tibetan Book of the Dead which was published by Evans Wentz in 1927.
1938 AD
Carl Jung the famous Swiss Psychiatrist wrote in his Psychological commentary to the fourth edition of The Tibetan book of the Dead “For years, ever since it was first published, the Bardo Thodol (The Tibetan book of the Dead) has been my constant companion, and to it I owe not only many stimulating ideas and discoveries, but also many fundamental insights”. He also went on to say “The Bardo Thodol began by being a ‘ closed ‘ book, and so it has remained, no matter what kind of commentaries may be written upon it. For it is a book that will only open itself to spiritual understanding, and this is a capacity which no man is born with, but which he can only acquire through special training and special experience.”
1986 AD
Dr Joel Whitton with assistance from author Joe Fisher published his book Life between Life. Prior to the release of the book Dr Whitton a professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto had conducted 13 years of research into the Bardos using life between lives regression. Whitton and Fisher could be described as the founding fathers of the Life-between lives process. In the preceding years following the publication many hypnotherapists began regressing their clients past the death in a past life and into life between lives memories.
1996 AD
Dr Michael Newton releases the book “Journey of Souls”, In this publication Newton standardises the approach of Whitton and Fisher. He introduces the concept of stations and reports many clients having similar memories of the life between lives during their sessions. Newton along with Dr Allen Chips is often credited with being among the first professional educators of Life Between Lives.
2001 AD - Present
The National Association of Transpersonal Hypnotherapists (NATH) was the first organisation to train and certify therapists in the Life Between Lives process. The First course offered by NATH was jointly run by the pioneers the late Michael Newton, ( 09/01/1931 – 21/09/2016 ) and instructor the late Dr Allen Chips DCH, PhD, ( 13/01/1962 – 05/12/2012 ) author of “Clinical Hypnotherapy: A Transpersonal Approach”. Michael Newton and Dr Allen Chips are known as the original trainers of Life Between Lives. Three years later Dr Newton started his own organisation.
Following on from their earlier work with Newton, Dr. Allen Chips, Dee Chips, MHt, BSW and Marjorie Reynolds, PhD created their own training manual which embodies their non-directive more open-ended techniques. The Chips/Reynolds approach incorporates deep insight into past life therapy and reincarnation and broadens the spiritual- philosophical structure of this work. This non directive approach allows both students and clients an enhanced view of the subject.
Dee Chips MHt, BSW is the surviving pioneer member from the original trainers of Life Between Lives and continues to train and be an active participant in the furthering of this body of work.