The techniques of past life therapy have been proven effective for many specific conditions. Still, there are cases where results just don't seem to develop in the course of good therapeutic practice. In these cases, the reason may be that we are not using the right tool for the job. The client will locate the real source of a condition if the therapist asks the right questions.

The past life being described and revivified may not be part of the soul history of the client. The purpose of this article then, is to offer five keys to aid the therapist in differentiating between a client's past life experience and that of an attached earthbound soul. Discarnate spirit interference is but one of the many possible causes of the clients presenting problems.

Five essential keys to aid the diagnosis

At the time of death several choices are available for the newly deceased spirit. It can move into the Light, accompanied by the guiding spirits that come. It can also linger in the earth plane for any number of reasons, remaining in some favored location as a haunting spirit, or joining a living person as an attached entity. The effect on the human host can range from very slight, such as a drain of energy, to complete takeover and control in the case of full possession.

When the client describes the death experience in a past life therapy session, the lifetime is not over and the regression is not complete until the being is fully back in the Light. If the being does not move toward the Light after the death but instead describes "just floating in a gray place", drifting over their hometown, or being drawn toward a living human, then this may not be a past life of the client. This uncertain after death behavior is an indication of the first key, and the possibility of a spirit attachment.

The therapist continues to repeat the question:

"What happens next?"

This is the second key. The newly deceased being may describe a brief period of wandering before moving into the Light. This indicates a past life of the client. This question may also reveal the experience of attachment to a host, who is actually the client. Since a spirit is capable of "floating" indefinitely, more prompting may be needed. The next question is asked:

"Skip forward to the next thing that happens."

The third key usually uncovers the moment of joining a living person. The actuality of attachment is often a surprise to the client. Most attached spirits do not make their presence known to the host. Although the condition of spirit interference is almost universal, most people are not aware of these undesirable parasitic attachments.

By this time in the past life session, the therapist may sense something is awry. The fourth key is a safe question to ask. If it is an entity speaking, the answer will usually be immediate. If it is a past life of the client, the question will be meaningless and will not interrupt the flow of the narrative.

"How old was he/she when you joined him/her in this lifetime?"

This question refers to the contracted spirit, the being who planned the lifetime in this particular body. Usually it will catch the entity off guard. At this point it knows it has been discovered. Most often the answer will be given as the age in years.

If the answer indicates, or even suggests infancy, birth or the pre-natal period, the attached entity might be mistaken for the contracted, rightful spirit. The therapist asks the question:

"Was there already someone there when you joined?"

This is the fifth key. The entity will explore and usually discover the rightful spirit already at home in the body.

Now that the condition of a spirit attachment is diagnosed with certainty, the releasement procedures can be implemented. The opportunity for healing is available for two beings, the client and the lost, confused earthbound spirit.

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The following cases are typical of the shift between past life therapy and spirit releasement therapy which is often necessary during a session.

Dierdre and the Black Lady

Her relationship was used as the starting point of the session. As she mentally imaged her boyfriend, her emotional response easily bridged her into a former lifetime. She described herself as an old black woman dying in her bed. Her grandson (the boyfriend) was visiting her and comforting her. When the old woman died, instead of going to the Light she sat on a hill and waited for another body. (This is the first key.) As an earthbound spirit she attached to a series of people. The last person she attached to before Dierdre was an infant girl.

When the girl was about five or six years old she ran out into a street from between two parked cars. An oncoming car hit her going full speed and the child died instantly. The entity emerged from the child's body, fearful and eager to move on.

Dr. B.: "Wait a moment before you leave. Look back at the little body."

D.: "Oh, there's someone else coming out of the body too. Wow, she's walking toward a door over there. It's real bright in that doorway. Wow, that's interesting. I wanna see what that is. Oh oh, the door just closed." And off she went in a different direction.

Dr. B.: " What happens next?" (This is the second key.)

She finally located the experience of joining Dierdre who was about 12 at the time. (This is the fourth key.) She brought a memory of her grandson, Dierdre's present boyfriend, her affinity for black people and their music, and the fear of automobiles which she had suddenly developed when the person she was attached to was killed by a speeding car. This phobia was not the result of any of Dierdre's past lives, nor the death trauma of the entity, but the experience of a little girl who died with an attached spirit.

Diana and the Stone Carver

Diana described a previous therapy session in which she had explored a past life in Egypt as a male stone carver, working inside a pyramid which was to be the tomb of a Pharaoh.

On the day the carvings were finished, the stone carvers were ushered into a small room by three guards. One by one, they were shoved against the wall and their throats were cut. This action was taken to prevent them from revealing the nature of the carvings and the secret truths they depicted.

This was the source of Diana's fear of the consequences of telling the truth and the tightness and irritation in her throat. However, there was no relief from the condition after that past life therapy session. This suggests there are traumatic events from other lifetimes contributing to the symptoms; it might also indicate an attached earthbound spirit imposing the condition.

It was suggested that Diana focus her awareness on the physical sensation of the irritation in the throat, and go fully into the emotional feelings. The somatic bridge, affect bridge and linguistic bridge used together are extremely effective for past life induction.

Dr. B.: "If that irritation in your throat could speak, what would it say? If the feelings could talk, what would they say?"

D.: "I can't speak. I can't speak." The response was emotional and immediate.

Dr. B.: "Say it again. Let the feelings come. Say it again."

As she repeated the phrases, she accessed the lifetime instantly. This opened up the entire past life memory which she had described earlier. She continued the story. The stone carver lamented over the lack of time to meditate and prepare for death. As a spirit, he lifted from the body but perceived no Light. (The first key.)

The therapist must not use leading questions at this time. Rather, the questions should prompt the narrative without suggesting a direction or agenda. (Now the second key.)

Dr. B.: "What happens next?"

The stone carver was alone in the room; the guards had removed the bodies, the other spirits had moved on.

Dr. B.: "What happens next?" The question is repeated gently whenever the unfolding account slows or stops.

The spirit finally moved out of the room, drifted above the town, observed people in the streets, occasionally tampering or interfering with their energy. He was feeling a bit angry. He really did not know what to do nor where to go next.

Dr. B.: "Skip forward to the next thing that happens." (The third key.) Certain events seem to be more easily recalled. The more emotional energy involved, the easier the memory is triggered.

Diana jerked in the recliner and began to cry softly.

Dr. B.: "What just happened?"

D.: "He just came into me."

Dr. B.: "How old are you?" (The fourth key.)

D.: "About 13."

Dr. B.: "Stone carver, what happened to you? Do you know this woman? Who is she to you?"

D.: "She wouldn't have anything to do with me. She was married and wouldn't even talk to me. I wanted her."

This was in the Egyptian lifetime. They were both incarnated at the time. The stone carver was not a past incarnation of Diana. After his death, he wandered about the area, but did not find her there. He attached to many people before he found Diana in her budding femininity in the present lifetime.

He was able to express his anger and resentment at her rejection of him in that lifetime. Beneath that was the love he felt for her. He soon realized that he could not be with her in the way he wanted as long as he remained connected in this way. He eagerly moved into the Light.

Patty and her Brother

The first fetus apparently aborted naturally at about 2-1/2 months. It was extremely angry about the spontaneous termination. Patty was conceived at the next ovulation. In its insistence to be born the spirit of the terminated fetus attached to the new fetus almost immediately. Even in the face of this anger, the question was asked:

Dr. B.: "Was there already someone there when you joined?" (The fifth key.)

The spirit acknowledged that there was another consciousness in the forming fetus, yet adamantly insisted that the new body was rightfully its own. It insisted that Patty was the intruder.

Past life therapy with this angry, confused spirit and an exploration of the planning stage prior to the short life finally dispelled the unwarranted anger. Forgiving Patty was the final step before the release of this frustrated spirit.

Past life therapists can no longer afford to deny or ignore the possibility of discarnate spirit influence. The healing potential of spirit releasement therapy is too great, the results too profound. Refusal to utilize this approach is a disservice to the client who places trust in the knowledge and skill of the therapist. These diagnostic keys may help the hesitant therapist take the first small steps into a new skill. The results will validate the effort.

For question and suggestions contact:
Rev. Judith A. Baldwin <revjudith@aol.com>

Dr. Baldwin died 24 April 2004. Here is his obituary.