Hypnosis Certifications are available in Albuquerque, New Mexico!

Soul Resources is pleased to announce

that Robert S. Morrison DCH is now an

Approved Instructor

by The American Board of Hypnotherapy

and that Soul Resources is an Approved School of Hypnosis.

Self-Hypnosis Class

with Robert S. Morrison DCH

Dates: Click here for Updated Schedule>>>
Learn how to go into deep trance and harness the power of your unconscious mind for self-healing, goals, limited beliefs.
Cost: $70.00

Upcoming Dates:

• Call for info (505) 603-0112

Hypnosis Certification Training

with Robert S. Morrison DCH (find out more about Bob)

Approved by the American Board of Hypnotherapy

Click Here for Training Dates

Cost for Weekend Training –  Onsite: $300.00
ABH Certification /Membership Fee (add $115.00) Text additional.
Details on Hypnosis Certification or call (505) 603-0112.

Call for ABQ Workshop Location: (505) 603-0112

Past Life Regression Healing Circle

with Robert S. Morrison DCH & Rheanni Lightwater CK, CHT

Next Scheduled Circle
Explore Your Past Lives – Experience hypnosis and a ceremonial healing circle.
Cost: $40.00

Call for more info or to register:

(505) 271-4612 or (505) 603-0112

bob@pastliferegressions.com

Let hypnosis, self-hypnosis and past life regression therapy connect you to your highest potential. Begin 2012 with a professional Certification in Hypnosis to add to the powerful tools you use with your clients!

So far, we’ve learned what hypnosis is not, what hypnosis is, and the importance of setting an intention.  In this post, I’ll begin the discussion about the actual regression experience, particularly some of the things that people may experience, why they may experience them and how to navigate the terrain.

The Unconscious Mind

In understanding the terrain, one could simply remember what their dreams are like. Dreams do not follow the rules of physical reality and often need to be interpreted for meaning. It is this same part of the mind (the unconscious) that works on us during our waking reality and can lead to things that we believe (in waking consciousness) to be irrational or ‘non-typical’ behavior.  As we all know, the unconscious mind is symbolic and has no need for time and space.

One unconscious process that we use in waking reality is memory. Memory is a function of the imagination and as we also know, is open to interpretation. It also can be highly symbolic and does not concern itself with time or space (or you wouldn’t be able to remember past events).

Past Life Regression and Memory

With this information about memory, let’s talk more about past life memories. Often these memories run into each other, because the unconscious mind relates experiences more as a constellation rather than on a linear time-line. Often there are several lives that cause karma which produce effects in this life time. So, I’ve noticed a couple of different phenomena that happen fairly often in my practice. We might find, for instance, that one may experience several different lives during a sitting that all reflect the same karma. Also, as happens less frequently, but still worth noting, is that lives may actually inter-pose on each other revealing a karmic relationship.

As an example, a person may find that he is an ancient Isrealite in the desert with Moses and is wearing a 1940′s German military uniform. This might reveal to an individual his karma in regard to anti-semitism as an example.

Getting out of the Human/Earth Paradigm

People often have experiences as insects, animals or non-earth intelligent beings. All of these (if you believe that there is life on other planets) are possible and should not be discounted. Whether it is a reality or material from your unconscious mind is not the issue here. Rather, it is material that is asked to be looked at for information and healing. So, do not judge the reality of the experience but what you think you know about the cosmos. Rather judge the experience to it’s relevance to what you are experiencing around your intention.

Robert Morrison © 2010

One of the most devastating things that can happen to a person is the sad reality of living in a dangerous relationship or hostile family environment. Those who are children growing up with illicit drug use, abuse or neglect have little choice but to adapt to their surroundings the best that they can. However, as adults there are more options and one of them is to put a halt to the energetic patterns that support the cycle of abuse.

If you have grown up as a victim of any kind of abuse, you know that it can affect your current relationships in every way imaginable – physically, mentally, emotionally and even on a spiritual level. You may be over-ridden with feelings of guilt, fear or distrust. Because of your feelings of powerlessness, you may feel that you need to strike back or maintain a hyper-vigilant desire to control everything. This is a natural reaction, however, it isn’t very helpful for creating a happier life.

Releasing Yourself from the Cycle of Abuse

One of the biggest problems involved in abuse is being chronically stuck in the past or having an unhealthy attachment to the very people who may have caused the most harm. Psychology calls it enmeshment and that’s a pretty good description of what it’s like. Through the relationship of victim/perpetrator, each person becomes so karmically entwined with the other that it’s really hard to determine where one person leaves off and the other begins. If you are a person who subscribes to the idea of reincarnation and past lives, the victim/perpetrator relationship takes on new meaning.

Karma is simply the Law of Cause and Effect. What one puts out, will come back to them sooner or later. Sometimes it comes back in this lifetime, however, many times the effects don’t come back until some future life. This explains why it is so important to find other ways to respond rather than striking back at those who abuse us. It may feel good in the moment, yet a seed has been sown that will bring that suffering back to us sometime in the future.

In this Intuitive Learning meditation, you will go through a simple process that could help you to break the cycle of abuse so that all the feelings of anger, fear and suffering can become a thing of the past. Like our other meditations and self-hypnosis formulas, we are using the Intuitive Learning Circles from Divine Nature Activated and Gifts from the Rainforest.

Note: Sometimes when we’re dealing with karmic entanglements from families or love relationships, it’s really difficult to stay objective. If you need help in processing this advanced exercise, you may contact Rheanni Lightwater to go through it with you.

She is available to work long distance and is set up to use Skype whenever possible. To find out more, please call or email:

Rheanni (505) 271-4612 or contact@intuitivelearningcircle.com

Step One – Abandoning The Cycle of Abuse – The Cause of Present and Future Unhappiness

Directions: Get out a piece of paper and a pen and set aside about 20 minutes to go through this exercise.

#1.

Take several deep breaths as you gaze softly at this first circle.

Think about your family of origin. What does your body feel like?

For instance, does it feel heavy, tight, numb,  etc?

How would you describe your mental/emotional mindset?

Would you say it is sad, angry, depressed, anxious, or something else?

Make a note of what you notice on your piece of paper.

#2.

The next few symbols are from “Divine Nature Activated” and  will help us release negative conditioning and heal our DNA. The key is to relax as much as possible while looking at each symbol. It can help to imagine that an old, broken DNA strand is falling apart while a vibrant and cohesive DNA strand is relaxing, healing and filling up with light.

The following symbols will help you to let go of patterns of abuse being held in your DNA. As you look at each one with it’s affirmation, let yourself relax as much a possible:

“I let go of my tendency to sacrifice my safety or well-being.”

“I release the pattern of fear and distrust from my body and mind.”

“I easily and effectively dispel lies and mistaken ideas.”

#3.

Here are some more statements that might dig up ways that you are inadvertently supporting the cycle of abuse.. Fill in the blanks with answers that come while looking at the circle:

“I stop using my energy to feed ____________.”

“I stop feeding my fears of ______________.”

“I cut off the ways that ____________.”

#4.

“I can’t stop thinking about _______________.”

#5.

Once you’re done writing things down, look at this symbol and breathe deeply to bring strength and connection to your spirit back into your heart.

“I fill my heart with strength and protection. I hold the victory of Love in mind.”

#6.

Continue breathing and look at this Soul Chart for several minutes:

“I bring clarity and personal power back into my mind and body.”

#7.

Because of the abuse, your essence has gotten lost in a dark place. Bring it back by breathing, looking at the symbol and feeling the soft area between your ribs – the solar plexus. Imagine that you are calling back your essence like a child coming back home from being outside.

“I call all parts of my soul and essence back home to my center where they can be safe again.”

#8.

Imagine that you are in a very safe place where you are comfortable and feel completely protected. Let yourself imagine it in every detail.

#9.

Gaze softly at this circle while you keep breathing and feel your body relax:

“I am home, where I belong and I’m filled with light, healing and love.”

It might help to move around and stretch your body. Go ahead and take a few moments to do that if you want.

#10.
Use this next circle to help you disentangle yourself from any other person or soul, now or in the past. Remember to stay calm and steady, using anger or fear will not allow you to release the enmeshment.

“I send you back to where you belong. Our time together is finished.”

#11.

Now imagine that you are removing any marks or karmic imprints from your energy field that come from violence, abuse or neglect. Imagine that your Higher Self is cleaning you up until you are bright and shiny.

“I am free from the past. I am in alignment with my Soul”

Don’t stop until you feel complete and much more at ease.

Notice how you are feeling now. Do you feel better than you did when you started the meditation?

If you do, Congratulations!

I would suggest that you go through this meditation any time you feel like you are caught up by or enmeshed with anyone you know – family, friends, partners, bosses – anyone you feel an unusual and negative attraction to.

2010 © Rheanni Lightwater

Soul Resources offers Kuan Yin’s Games and other series, such as Sacred Cow Tipping as a service to the community. If you would like to support  and encourage this work, your donations are greatly appreciated.

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Past Life Regressions are one effective way to transmute, transform and transcend negative karma and emotional imbalance that is affecting you today.

We always recommend that our clients and group participants have a strong intention for their past life regression so that they get the most out of the experience. It’s all fun and good to contemplate the possibilities of who we were in a past life or if someone that we know today has been with us in our past lives, however, it’s much more beneficial to consider “What is really bothering me today? Am I in a position to transform negativity that is causing me difficulty now?”

For example, you might be having difficulty with a new year’s resolution or spending too much time wishing things were different. The best time to let go of the past is when you really feel that you want to change and move forward in a different direction. As a rule, human beings have to be ready and willing before any kind of lasting healing can take place.

So, if you are joining us for one of our upcoming Past Life Regression Healing Circles, or if you are working with someone else on your own, it really pays to come up with an intention that genuinely motivates you.

Here is a quick little exercise using my Intuitive Learning Circles and Graphs to help you zero in on an intention that will most likely produce substantial results for you on your healing path.

Step One:

Look at the graph below and ask yourself:

“What is something that is happening in my life right now that I am ready to heal?”

Step Two:

“What will help me the most as I approach this issue?

Step Three:

“Am I genuinely ready and willing to let go of this issue? If not, why not?

Can I transcend my resistance?

If the answer is no, go through the process again with a different issue, until you find one that you are willing and ready to heal.

Your therapist really wants you to benefit as much as possible. Going through this simple exercise can help everyone achieve their goals.

Call us at (505) 271-4612 to reserve your space in our next healing circle or make a private appointment.

For more information about our classes, go to:

www.IntuitiveLearningCircle.com/classes

2010 © Rheanni Lightwater  All Rights Reserved
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Why does belief in past lives and reincarnation make sense? This is a question that I’ve personally considered all throughout my practice. It is difficult to to prove any theory of the afterlife of course, but reincarnation is indicated as a very plausible theory even without the experience that many people have with past life regression. The purpose of this post is not to come up with the definitive answer, but rather to spark some thought and consideration about this possibility.

One Birth Theory vs. Multiple Birth Theory

Reincarnation and karma explains the inequities found among individuals and groups.

In the religions that propose that people have one life, there is really no logical explanation as to why there is so much disparity between the lives of separate individuals. The question that perplexes many of us is simply this, why would the creator god decide that someone would have all the advantages of a fully endowed life (enough of the necessities of life and to be born being surrounded by the circumstances that would allow for the correct spiritual view) while others are not so fortunate. And, why would the creator god then decide that those who “do not comply” with the dogmas of that religion be damned to eternal punishment? One would have to decide that the creator god is quite capricious rather than the all knowing all loving being.

When you allow for the laws of cause and effect  believing that people experience what they caused others to experience sometime in the future, the inequities of life begin to make more sense. It is not an uncommon view that when someone performs an action, its effects are definite, so it doesn’t take a great leap of faith that when you think and/or do something, that a potentiality is planted in your mind. Under the right circumstances, that potentiality can ripen into an effect. Thus positive causes result in positive effects, and negative causes result in negative effects. If you were unkind in a past life, unkindness (under the right circumstances) can ripen and be present in a life. If you deprived people of necessities or their life, then those effects, under the right circumstances, can also ripen in the future.

No afterlife point of view vs. multiple birth theory

To believe that there is no afterlife what-so-ever, you would have to believe that our consciousness is centered in the body and that all minds are gross minds. Simply put, when the body dies, the mind dies and that’s it. It is a materialistic point of view meaning that your consciousness is based on your body.

We do know that all minds are not gross minds (dream minds tell us this), and we even know that the gross mind is not a solid entity. If the mind existed from its own side, it would never change. Our mind is dependent on many causes and is ever changing. We also know that all of our existence, including the existence of our mind, has always been a potential effect since the beginning of time, or it would not exist today. This is the same for our body and this current make-up of who we are is an effect from potentials begun many eons ago.

So, if this mind that we call “me” has been a potential, when we die, why wouldn’t it be a potential again? And, since it has already be a realized potential, what stops it from continuing on? Why then would our mind stop at death? There is no proof that anyone can point to that clearly demonstrates that the mind, our sense of self or our “I” is dependent on the body, but with the above reasoning, we can say that our body is rather dependent on the potentials and minds the preceded it.

Personal Proof

There is a myth that people who experience past life regression will see themselves as famous people. So we could have a bunch of Cleopatras, Churchills, Ty Cobbs, etc.  I am not to saying that I’ve never worked with anyone who hasn’t experienced being a famous person, but I will say that the vast majority of my clients usually experience difficult and hard circumstances which roughly equal what has been seen in human history. I have also seen studies that show the same tendency. I do not have that information handy as of this writing, but if anyone would like information about this, please do email me and I will happy to give you the citation for this and you can judge its validity on your own.

So this is why I believe in Past Lives and Reincarnation. It is my hope that this post will cause questions, strengthen your belief, or inspire you to look into the subject yourself.

I got this excellent question on an email and thought this would be a good post.

Question:  Why, from his own point of view, and apart from general humanitarian considerations, should anyone care what happens in future incarnations, since, if I understand correctly, those will be different personalities?
Answer:

That’s a very interesting question.

The answers to this question is personal and philosophical, so please remember that my response would be different from other responses you might get on the subject.

So, this is why I care:

Consider that we do not have the same personality through this particular incarnation. Our personality at five years old is different from 10, 25, 50 and so on. Along the way, we made decisions and choices that have changed the direction in our lives, our life circumstances; like going to college so we can get a better education that results in an ability to make more money or work in a career that we are interested in, we marry a certain person (or more than one, or no one), decide to have children or not, save for retirement or not. All of our experiences change our personality and we often forget many of our earlier experiences as if they did not exist.

Our gross consciousness (awakened mind) subsides during death, just as it does during sleep. But once we are reborn, our gross consciousness reemerges again in physical life. But just as we cannot remember much from our infancy and early childhood, so we will not be able to remember much from this life. But it doesn’t mean that the gross mind that we cling to won’t experience our future life.

What does go with us when we die are the imprints of our past lives which is called karma which are stored in our unconscious mind and emerge when the conditions are right, much like planting seeds and watering them. So if we plant negative seeds, negative results will ripen for us, and if we plant positive seeds, positive results will ripen.

Now from my point of view, understanding karma is vital to assist us in creating our future. My personal belief is that there are no accidents when it comes to life circumstances. We experience what we have caused others to experience.  So, if you are a kind and helpful person, you will attract kind and helpful people to you in the future. You will also have the tendency to be kind and helpful in the future making it easier to perform kind acts. The opposite is also true, if you tend to do harm to other sentient beings, you will have that harm happen to in the future, not because some super-being is causing it, but because you ingrain those tendencies in your unconscious mind and create the potential for experiencing them. Whether you consider your life to be good or bad, every experience in it is a result of a past experience that you caused someone else to experience. To project this theory out, it is also logical to assume that what you cause another to experience in this life you will experience in a future life.

Finally, there is also the issue of enlightenment. We have the opportunity as human beings to get out of this endless cycle of birth, aging, sickness and death. A state of mind where suffering no longer has any relevance to us and from this place, we can assist all sentient beings our of this endless cycle (to the humanitarian aspect which to me is the most important part of the equation). Assisting people in having less suffering or eliminating it altogether is, from my point of view, the most important part of being human.

Thank you for your question.

Bob Morrison, DCH

We designed our Reincarnation E-Course to give you some theoretical knowledge about the Laws of Cause and Effect as well as some practical ways in which you can get the laws to work for you. In essence, once a person becomes aware of these laws, he/she can begin to change their life by pulling their non-virtuous seeds out of their subtle mind and plant new virtuous seeds.

It’s alot like gardening in that you plant only what you want to grow. This growth takes a little time. You plant the seeds that you want, give those seeds the conditions to ripen and your karmic garden becomes well cultivated and beautiful, the life that you would like to have, free from suffering. Like any good gardener, you have to, from time to time, pull the weeds and clear out any potentiality of growth that is unpreferred.

Most people are experiencing the ripening of seeds that were planted in past lives and in their past in this life. In my view, everyone on this board has had ripening virtuous seeds because:

1) You have reincarnated as a human being. You have a precious human life and considering where you might have ended up, this is a sign that your virtue has ripened.
2) You have internet access which means that you have at least some resources which allow you to be here and do this.
3) You are interested in this topic. Meaning that you have at least an interest in going beyond what is happening now. Your virtuous karma has given you the ability (through your birth and your spiritual exposure) to consider a path of liberation and enlightenment.

These are just three of many possible good things that are happening for you I’m sure.

I’m wondering what else is happening with you that shows you how your virtuous karma has ripened in this life.

As you recall, Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Compassion is helping us through these difficult times with advice, divinations and energy readings based on the I Ching, an ancient Chinese text that follows and predicts movements and energy flow in the cosmos. Her advice as always, is direct and to the point. Let’s see what she has to say this month…

“American society has interesting and conflicting views about the Truth. You say, “the Truth shall set you free” and yet your actions often belie the statement.

The fear of the Truth is the subject of our reading and the Hexagram from the I Ching that conveys the energy of the cosmos at this time is #35 Progress. We are moving out of Hexagram #23 Deterioration where major aspects of your society have come face to face with defeat, yet that is not necessarily a bad thing.

If you have been paying attention to the media and believing that you have no options, you will disregard the underlying changes that have appeared for the better. If you, instead, will listen to the messages from your heart you will understand that indeed, Progress is being made.

Remember that the forward movement of humanity is not dependent upon false ideas about money and returning to the “good old days.” You know intuitively that the time for new answers is upon you.

Communication is the key and here I will quote from the I Ching Workbook by R. L. Wing:

“Communication is now of vast importance during a time of rapid PROGRESS. It is wise for you to stay in close touch with all levels of your social world. Monitor the needs of others and be supportive of progressive improvements. Take an active part in the affairs of society now in order to refine and enhance your inner worth.”

What Will Help During this Time?

Learn to stop identifying with the small mind for it would like you to believe that the Truth is something to be afraid of.

What if you stopped trying to control the Truth and made it a friend? Could you allow it to be more of a guide and objective force of Nature than something to be avoided or denied?

If you are unhappy, what is the harm in accepting the Truth and then taking steps to rectify it? Perhaps some may feel that there would be some form of punishment involved in finding a solution.

I would suggest that there is more suffering involved in denying or avoiding the Truth than there is in coming clean. The opportunities for reform are great and far reaching at this time, yet the opportunity is lost when the Truth cannot or will not be discerned.

Make a Pact With Your Spirit

Choose to follow Truth and forgive yourself unconditionally for any error or misunderstanding you may be holding in your small mind. Allow your heart and spirit to soften the harsh words you have for yourself and others. All are caught in the illusion of the small mind and you can help by removing your voice from the cacophony of accusations.

Your smile and gentle words will accomplish more in this time than forceful or punitive measures. Give yourself permission to reform your strength of character. Allow the the energy of the cosmos to influence your understanding of the human condition. Then, when you can see the seeds of discontent within yourself as well as others, you will know the true meaning of compassion.

Holding grudges against yourself and others is not productive and distracts from the true possibilities.

If you fear certain decisions that will set you free, allow your hope for the future to relax you and show you the way forward.

Release any agreement to be hard on yourself or others.”

Tips For Making Friends With The Truth

“Truth Knows No Master”

If your life has become too complex, play the Simplicity Game I have provided for you. The Truth is much easier to perceive when extraneous elements are removed.

Perhaps you have allowed some simple benefit to be ignored. Now is the time to become aware of it and embrace it for your higher good. Meditate on this symbol and place it in your home, someplace where you can see it often. As you look at it, ask yourself, “What benefits am I turning away from?” For most of you, there are many. Resolve to change your attitude towards them and accept them as gifts.

The small mind would prefer that you forget the gentler movements of the cosmos because it is addicted to dramatic and apocalyptic visions. Release your agreement with those visions and allow your heart and soul to guide you. Let yourself be supported by the emerging energy of Progress.”

Rheanni Lightwater © 2008

We have just finished developing a free reincarnation e-course. Taken from the lectures of Swami Abhedananda, we have developed an exciting course that gives you the opportunity to not only learn about the tenants of reincarnation, but also gives you the experience of finding and clearing any negative karma that may be inhibiting your ability to manifest a peaceful and happy life.

Signing up for the e-course is easy. Simply click here to sign up for our newsletter. You will get Swami Abhedananda’s “5 Lectures on Reincarnation” absolutely free and we will send you a new lesson every Sunday to do in your own time.

Spiritual Visions from a Grofian Perspective

Spiritual visions arise from the biographical, social, unconscious and other consciousness of the experiencer. Below is a description of the map of these experiences described in the work of Stanislav Grof which includes the personal and transpersonal levels of experience.

Sensory Barrier

The sensory barrier is where deep self exploration begins.  This barrier needs to be crossed before moving into the deeper levels, matrices, and dimensions.  In accessing the unconscious mind, various sensory organs are activated.  This can cause a variety of experiences including visions of colors or geometric shapes, ringing or buzzing sounds, tingling sensations on the skin, tastes and smells.  The content of these experiences are of little consequence.  Crossing the sensory barrier is necessary to access the deeper parts of the unconscious mind.

Recollective-Biographical Level of Deep Exploration

Once the sensory barrier is crossed, the recollective-biographical area of the unconscious mind is now accessible.  This area is limited to the biographical events of this life time.  Grof states that this level of the unconscious mind is where traditional psychotherapeutic techniques are usually applied.  Memories that are repressed, or any unresolved conflict, can be the subject of the session by acting as a radar or beacon to enter the deeper levels of the psyche.  The information in and of it self does not need to be prioritized, the only requirement of the importance of this information is that it be of “sufficient emotional relevance”.

Grof also discusses the COEX systems or systems of condensed experiences which are “a constellation of experiences” which have physical, emotional or other elements with a shared quality.  (ie.  Different experiences that may cause nausea or anger etc. are related and can be used as the context of a deeper experiential session.)

It is also important to note that the direct experience of individuals regarding traumatic events is a concern of experiential approaches as well.  Grof notes that traditional methods do not concern themselves with the threat to the body, but with the emotional aspects of the trauma.  Grof notes that on the biographical level, these residual effects of threat to the body are important and lasting.

The First Basic Perinatal Matrix (BPMI): “The Amniotic Universe”

This is a time of life that is ideally undisturbed by the outside world where all of your needs are met.  Ideally, a fetus, sitting in an amniotic sack inside the mother’s womb is a time of pure being for each individual.  Grof does note however that other factors can come in to disturb this time that include unwanted chemicals and toxins as well as an unpreferred emotional state of the mother.

Experiences in this realm include both direct recollections of being in the womb “or in combination with symbolic experiences and other phenomena in which they are connected”.  Because of the fetus’s intimate connection with her mother, most of the experiences from BPM I deal with a “lack of boundaries and obstructions”.

Grof states that many of the visualizations have to deal with oceanic life including animals such as jellyfish, algae, kelp, fish, dolphins or whales.  These images are rich with symbolic parallels to a fetus floating in an amniotic sack inside what must be the vast ocean of her mother. He references life undisturbed in the cosmos or the picture of an astronaut (tied to the spaceship) floating in space.  The images here can find deeper meaning into the collective unconscious in dealing with themes of heaven and paradise.  In this context, it would seem then that our image of heaven, Eden or our ideal of life is a direct result of our womb experience.

This view of life then can also be interfered with by many events that may take place as a result of an unpreferred womb experience.  Polluted streams or toxic air may represent a toxic situation that may develop as a result of the latter parts of pregnancy.  Apocalyptic visions may represent eminent threat to a fetus that an imminent miscarriage or attempted abortion might precipitate.

Entrance into BPM I then is an opportunity to heal the basic outlook of what life is or can be by allowing the client the opportunity to remember what ideal life was, or to rectify an unpreffered womb experience.

The Second Basic Perinatal Matrix (BPMII):  “Cosmic Englufment and No Exit”.

The undisturbed and serene existence of the fetus in the womb is now disturbed by the physical processes of the mother when birth is about to begin, first by chemical changes in the environment, and later by contractions of the uterus”.  Grof is descriptive about the situation the fetus is now faced with:

With this stage fully developed, the fetus is periodically constricted by uterine spasms.  At this point, they system is entirely closed; the cervix is not yet dilated and the way out is not yet available…each contraction restricts the supply of blood and thus oxygen, nourishment and warmth to the fetus” (Holotroptic Approaches to Self Discovery p15)

This scenario describes the “amniotic universe” has now closed in on the fetus.  It appears much like the description of the “big-bang theory” where the cosmos (just before their creation) were compressed into a small miniscule point just before it’s eruption.

This constriction has been described in sessions as danger that is unidentifiable or seeing the world in paranoid terms.  Grof states that this results in a person who believes himself to be taken over by aliens or somehow possessed by a demonic force.  Some of the more interesting of the experiences include being swallowed up by a giant dragon, python or whale, or being attacked by a tarantula.  All of these are interesting symbolic images of being “swallowed up” or constricted by the uterus.  Physical and emotional feelings can also be an interesting part of this experience including claustrophobia, entrapment, or a feeling of being trapped in hell.  Experiences in BPM II can be important in healing the feelings of victimization or helplessness that many people feel in their life circumstances.

The Third Basic Perinatal Matrix (BPMIII):  The Death-Rebirth Struggle

Even though the contractions are continuing, the cervix is now dilated and the there is now a way out of the entrapment that is characteristic in BPM II.  One is reminded of the near death experiences where the individual who has just “died” is now going toward the light.  Often in horror fiction where an incarnate entity is lost between the two worlds, they are instructed to go toward the light, allowing then to move on from one universe to the other.

Even though there is a way out, it is still a dangerous time for the fetus.  It must move up the birth canal, (which is quite a bit smaller than she is).  There is risk of suffocation and anoxia at this stage.  While moving up the birth canal, the umbilical cord is further constricted.  Also, the umbilical cord can become entangled around parts of the body, detaching it from the uterine wall, further causing separation from the fetus’s source of life.  It is also noted in the text, that the fetus comes into contact, for the first time, with blood, urine and often times feces.  The head of the uterus is forced into it’s new world for the first time because of the contractions of her mother.

The symbolic references that one may have during an experience with BPMIII include dangerous adventures, feelings of pulsating and explosive energy including identifications with volcanoes, tidal waves, earthquakes, wars, revolutions, atomic bombs, scenes of gladiator struggles, or sadomasochistic experiences (having to do with both the painful and orgasmic experience of BPM III).

Experience with BPM III can be an important healing in accepting the inevitable and one’s ability to use her own resources in regards to solving problems.  Also, this experiential level has many experiences that can heal the view of good and bad, light and dark, preferred and unpreferred etc.  A healing in this area may help an individual become more empathetic to the attitudes and situations of those around her.

The Fourth Basic Perinatal Matrix (BPM IV):  The Death-Rebirth Experience

This is the actual birth experience of the child.  The struggle is at an end.  The suffering and pain of the struggle is followed by relaxation and release as the child escapes from her captivity.  The umbilical cord is cut and now the former fetus must adapt and change to be able to survive without her former intimate attachment to her mother.  She must now find sources of food and oxygen and integrate them independently from her mother.

Many of the experiences at BPM IV can relive the actual circumstances around their birth which may include instruments that were used in the birth or an incubation period that may have been required.

Symbolically, experiences include surrendering the struggle that was so dramatically described in BPM III.  The loss in the struggle is inevitable for all living organisms.  No one can stay in the womb.  As a result, feelings of failure and despair can result.  Since everything that was known is know at an end, there may also be feelings of impending disaster, physical destruction, intellectual and philosophical defeat, moral failure or damnation of transcendental proportions.  This is the stuff of ego or personality death and rebirth that is so common in experiences of this nature.  This process of ego death begins with the experiences of our actual physical births blurring the lines between birth and death perhaps showing it to be one continuous cycle that we travel around the cosmic egg.

With this ego death, we stop identifying ourselves with our physicality and begin to see the world in more spiritual terms.  The journey through the BPM’s then is an important step in moving into the transpersonal realms.  It is both in actuality and symbolically a change in our philosophical view of the world.  Once we can overcome our fear of death (and rebirth) we can allow ourselves a new perspective on who it is that we are and the nature of our universe.  This parallels the end of the death-rebirth drama.  We change our view of the universe a place of safe knowing and being in the amniotic universe, to the struggle of dying (rebirthing) to a new universe (the outside physical world).

Experiential Extension Within Consensus Reality and Space-Time

Transpersonal experiences that transcend spatial boundaries “suggest that physical boundaries between the individual and the rest of the physical universe are not fixed and absolute. A person may be able to experience what it is like to be other people, animals, plants, minerals, groups, the earth or the universe.

Transpersonal experiences that transcend the boundaries of linear time can allow the subject to move back into his genetic past and experience fetal, ancestral, racial, evolutionary, planetary or cosmic history.

Experiential Extension Beyond Consensus Reality and Space-Time.

These experiences take us beyond the physical reality of the third dimension and move us into the realm of spirit guides, animal guides, seeing and feeling the energy of the chakras (and includes the subtle body and kundalini experiences), universal archetypes and contact with the collective unconscious and contact with the void and the great mystery.

Transpersonal Experiences of Psychoid Nature.

Transpersonal experiences of a psychoid Nature include synchronistic links between consciousness and matter,  spontaneous psychoid events and intentional psychokinesis.  Many of these transpersonal experiences deal with paranormal activity including UFO phenomena, poltergeists and psychokenesis (as examples). According to Carl Jung, synchronicity is an acausal connecting principal that refers to meaningful coincidences of events separated in time and/or space.

Spontaneous Psychoid events include supernormal physical feats (luminosity of the body or occasional reports of human combustion), spiritualistic phenomena and mediumship, poltergeists and UFO phenomena.  I do not have any experience in this area.  I do know of people however that have seen UFO’s and I suppose that the “crop-circle” phenomena might also be listed here.

Intentional psychokinesis can be defined as the ability to influence the material environment without physical intervention of the body by simply wishing events to happen or by performing acts that have no ordinary cause and effect relationship to the outcome.