Many lives have we lived before this one, O Arjuna. I remember them all, while you do not, “says Lord Krishna. Today, metempsychosis is a well established phenomenon, with Dr. Ian Stevenson having spent 30 years documenting 2,600 cases of rebirth. His students like Dr. Satwant Pasricha, of Nimhans Bangalore, continue the regression tradition. The media has widely covered their efforts. BBC presented spellbinding interviews and coverage of metempsychosis on their QED programme.

Following the success of the book, Many Lives, Many Masters by Brian L Weiss, interest in past life regression experienced a tremendous upsurge. Many seekers believe the understanding of their past lives will unlock the obstacles to spiritual and material fulfillment in this one. Hypnotists and quasi-gurus of every ilk see this as a great opportunity.

Hypnosis as an instrument of past life regression now stands discredited. In deep trance, the subject often creates person that are an artificial construct of stories they have heard or read at an early age, often intermixed with childhood fantasies. Further, the desirability of recalling the past is in serious doubt. In his book, Vital Lies – Simple Truths, Daniel Goleman elaborates on the psychological importance of intentionally forgetting and blanking out entire areas of our lives. Indeed, it is for good reason that we do not remember our past lives. To recall all that you would like to forget in this life might be enough to drive you to insanity.

In the Hollywood classic The Reincarnation of Peter Proud, the hero’s girlfriend gives him a profound admonition: “why are you so obsessed with finding out who you were in your last life? Most people don’t know who they are in this one!” somehow, the seekers of past life regression seem equally confused in their intent. Seers exhorted us to find out “Who AM I?”. Not a single one has asked you to discover “Who WAS I?”

The search for one’s spiritual identity is the purpose of life. Those who choose to pursue the path of self-realisation will discover the Absolute Truth; all identities they imagined themselves to be are but elaborate masks at a Mephistophelian masquerade ball. The ultimate spiritual objective is to cast off your present mask – not to discover the masks you previously wore.

If you still wish to indulge in regression, follow Krishna in one shot, straight to his original self, for you too were the same primordial energy… Krishna declare “I gave this knowledge to the Sun”. That’s your past life too.