The Presence of the Past
Past lives is a topic about which science still displays a lot of scepticism. Still there is a growing number of people who, not just claim to be able to remember their past lives, but that this actually has a beneficial effect on both their mind and body. I guess I fall into this category, although I still don't know if I have been able to remember a 'past life' or if it has been something else, that has had a positive effect on me. All I know is that up until about twenty years ago, I had a mild phobia, thinking someone was standing right behind me and that this somehow scared me. I also found eyes behind a mask very frightening. Not that either bothered me too much, but I was surprised to find myself having an intense experience of being executed by a man with a masked face, during a breathwork session (a form of intensified meditative breathing). Why I had this strong image I don't know, but after it my 'phobias' disappeared never to return.

Reading this book, I realise that my experience seems very similar to the case stories quoted in the book. Although, at the time I had my experience I did not know about (or believe in) past lives. I was just surprised to have such an intense experience out of the blue, and that it somehow got rid of my fearful thoughts, without me understanding what it was all about.

In this book Woolger presents a brief but clear overview of the basic principles of past life therapy in a poetic language that emphasises the spiritual aspects of this technique. By referring to Eastern philosophies, Woolger also shows that scientific scepticism has more to do with our limited Western worldview than with the possibility of Reincarnation being real.

The book deals with ‘the Story behind the Story’, how to remember past lives and how they relate them to present problems. We also learn about ‘the Soul's Unfinished Business’, what Buddhists know about existence between lives, and how to make our souls whole again. The concluding chapter offers a brief overview of the secret history of Reincarnation.

The book comes with a CD with 5 short but powerful guided exercises where Woolger guides us through the different parts of his technique of accessing past lives. Although they are perfectly safe to do at home, it is always recommended to get the added support that a training/workshop can offer. Woolger runs workshops in many countries and has a website with more details: www.rogerwoolger.com. In short, the book is a wonderful presentation of a very exciting technique, that regardless of whether it can be explained, has been found to have a very healing effect on a growing number of people worldwide.

Gunnel Minett is author of ‘Exhale’.