Often when time passes, feelings fade, memories go fuzzy, and lessons learned take a backseat to everyday demands. One of the many curious things about undergoing a “past life regression” hypnosis session last month (yup, that’s totally a thing!) was finding that the very opposite occurred. The thoughts, smells, sights and sounds that I experienced during hypnosis have become hyperreal, and I’ve spent many long walks trying to squeeze every ounce of insight that I can from them.
Wanna hear what I’ve got so far? Oh good. I knew I had a blog for a reason.
LESSON 1 (of 3): It’s Okay to Want Less
In many ways, the two past lives I witnessed couldn’t have been more different. In one life, I was a woman, the other, a man. In one I was wealthy, the other poor. I hated my job one time, enjoyed it the next.
None of this mattered.
As both a wealthy Victorian woman visiting her grandmother in the English countryside and a poor-as-dirt laborer in rural Maine in the mid-20th century, the only thing that mattered to me was this: Being with my family, surrounded by nature. I longed for nothing more than the sight of those rolling hills and the water – except maybe a cup of tea and some James Joyce! No part of me was vying for a 4.0 GPA or learning yoga or reading self-help books. And I felt zero guilt about it. The pursuit of peace and pleasure was enough.
This was a powerful lesson. All I truly desire today is exactly the same – except now it feels devilishly indulgent. A simple life with fewer responsibilities? How dare I! This experience was a much-needed reminder to take a breath and remember that all of the accomplishments in the world are meaningless if I can’t enjoy what matters most. I don’t need to adorn this life with the trappings of success to have a successful life.
LESSON 2 (of 3): Why I REALLY Struggle with My Weight
I thought, between decades of dieting and multiple therapists, that I’d covered every possible reason I struggled with weight.
It wasn’t until I heard my “Higher Self” speak during hypnosis that a new idea took form: My weight was the physical manifestation of carrying others’ burdens. I had never allowed this theory to surface because I thought it made me sound like a self-righteous martyr.
“She tries to be like a mussel. Clean the water. It doesn’t work,” my higher self had said, speaking in third person. “She just wants everyone to be happy. She doesn’t have to be responsible for anyone [else’s happiness].”
How might I approach my relationship with food if I looked at it through this new lens? Would I speak up, set boundaries, and share more of my authentic self? The short answer? YES. It’s already happening! But I’ll confess: I haven’t changed overnight. The road ahead still looks pretty curvy (pun soooo intended). Nevertheless, I’m more optimistic than ever before that I’m dissolving a toxic pattern.
LESSON 3 (of 3): “If You’re Happy, You Will Save the World”
This is something else my higher self relayed midway through the session, and it strikes me as almost heartbreaking in its innocence. Wasn’t there some wise old (wo)man somewhere who said we can recognize the truth by its simplicity?
I’ve often heard people say that we’re on this earth to experience joy, and despite how things may appear on this blog, I often do a sh*tty job of it. Which links back perfectly to #1 on this list: It doesn’t take much to be happy (and THAT’S OKAY)!
Perhaps instead of living life like one giant checklist, I’d make a bigger, brighter impact on the planet I love so much by doing things daily that delight me (like using alliteration…check!).
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Do these lessons resonate with you? Do you struggle with them like I do?
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Go Jules Go 
Good lessons, all. I think everyone has an inner voice like that, but we don’t listen often enough. Today’s world is faster paced… with pressure to do, to go, to excel. And when we don’t live up to it’s expectations, we feel we’ve failed. It’s sounds trite…. but if you can find your bliss, your happy place? That’s the real victory.
You said it!! This was one of those moments where, as I was writing down the first lesson, I started thinking, “Yes…YES…YES!!!! That’s IT!” It’s so great when you go from ‘knowing’ something to KNOWING something…er, you know??
I know. It took me many years… but I KNOW.
I so love this blog, thank you for being so funny and true when it comes to being our most human selves. I especially love the photos and captions under all photos. I always come away from Go Jules Go a little lighter, wiser, more open and ready to crush it (yet again) in the kitchen. I wonder if this is your last life? If not, I hope I’m still reading your blog in the next one.
MP! First, if I may, allow me to compliment you on your ability to compliment me. Would it be in poor taste to frame this in my cubicle and/or submit it as part of my year-end performance review? Lastly, THANK YOU! In all seriousness, your humor, wisdom and way with words are a constant source of inspiration!
Ooh! You are killin’ it with these epiphanies! Love, love, love it.
What lessons do I struggle with? Letting go of my (society’s) ideas of success and failure. I’m so freaking hard on myself. I know in my heart what truly matters in this life (and every life): love, compassion, chocolate. Duh.
BUT I still feel like I’m not good enough or “worthy” because I don’t have a wildy successful career, or tons of money or looks. Wait a sec — I AM a loser!
hehe. But seriously, if I die tomorrow, I would feel peace in my heart and soul that I did bring positivity to this earth. Most of the time. Okay, half of the time. At least 20%.
Hang on…if you’re…a loser…I am, too! And… that must mean… losers are great! HEY EVERYBODY – WE’RE LOSERS!!!!!!
I think you’re tracking at more like 99.99%. The missing .01% is only because you live too far away.
Hello! Long time lurker (since about 2011), love your blog. Decided to un-lurk to let you know how much I’m loving these posts 🙂 Looking forward to reading more of your journey along the road of things esoteric!
PS-I’m so tempted to try past-life regression hypnosis after reading your experience of it.
WOW! Thank you so much for commenting – it’s beyond nice to ‘meet’ you after all of these years!! And thank you for such a kind note; I was freakin’ out a little about coming this far out of the woo-woo closet! Now that I have, though, I’ve pretty much been telling everyone: DO IT! It was a genuinely life-changing experience (just make sure you find someone you trust). A friend of mine did it the same day, and had a completely different, but equally impactful, experience.
Nice to ‘meet’ you too 😀 I think it’s so admirable that you’ve been able to come out of the woo-woo closet so publicly and own it! I’m _very_ woo-woo but still struggling to un-anonymously own it!
I’m wondering about the trust part, because I’ve read it’s dangerous to surrender control of the mind through hypnosis to just about any one. Would you perhaps be ok sharing how you met Dagny St. John and how you knew you could safely allow her to work on you?
What a great question – thank you for asking! It’s a bit convoluted, but I heard of a woman called Dolores Cannon via the Positive Head podcast, and she’s who developed Quantum Healing Hypnosis Therapy (QHHT). At that point, I’d only heard about ‘past life regression’ therapy, and this took it to a whole new level. As with most of these things, my initial reaction was along the lines of, “Whaaaa…. Okaaaaaay…,” and then a week later, after knowledge-binging, “THIS IS SO COOL.” Some of her stuff is still too ‘out there,’ even for me, but I saw a lot of potential in QHHT.
On Dolores’s website (she has passed away, but her daughter continues the work), you can locate practitioners, which led me to Dagny. (https://dolorescannon.com/find-practitioner/) After reading Dagny’s bio and watching her video on her own site (http://www.dagnystjohn.com/), I immediately felt I could trust her. I guess that’s the most woo-woo thing of all. I had no ‘proof’ – I just went with my gut.
From everything I’ve researched, it doesn’t seem possible that you can be manipulated under hypnosis without your awareness, so I think it really comes down to finding someone whose experience level and ‘vibe’ works for you so you can get the most out of it. (I can’t imagine lying down with your eyes closed it front of anyone you didn’t trust, for any reason, right?!)
Feel free to email me any time if you want to talk more! JKSchnedeker@yahoo.com
Chiming in to quickly mention that hypnosis is a state of mind where your attention is highly focused while your body is highly relaxed. You don’t surrender control of the mind. You allow, as you trust who you are working with, yourself to explore and adventure. If you’re not comfortable and relaxed, you won’t enter this state of mind. Your mind is not hijacked. You can open your eyes, get up and walk away any time you desire. I can’t be hypnotized in a group or public setting, yet working with someone who puts me at ease and who I trust has completely changed my life for the better.
Lesson 1 is HUGE. That is something I absolutely struggle with, and I really appreciate your sharing your thoughts and past-life experiences surrounding this. I’ve made several deliberate choices in my life to simplify and focus on the stuff that’s most important to me, but sometimes I feel like I almost feel pressured to do MORE now to show everybody how right by “simplifying” decisions were. Thank you for a reminder that that is just ridiculous!
Sharon! I’m about to go down an amazing rabbit hole with your blog and may never again emerge – you are incredible!!!
Haha! I feel the same about yours!
I love this in so many ways. First off, hypnosis! I’ve used it for over a dozen years, on and off, and it’s amazing. And yes!, to all of your epiphanies. Issues with stuff, weight, and happiness hit so many of us. For me, it’s been food and fear of failing as a parent that have been my #1 and #2. And yes, happiness (as well as all our emotions) comes from within. And as we become happier, the way we relate to everyone and everything changes, thus changing our world. (If you want to really blow your mind, check out Mary Reed’s video that addresses how we perceive our world. Wasn’t new info to me, but I love the way she presents it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpxR2x7zrmM&t=2s )
Okay, guess who’s been on a Mary Reed YouTube spiral since last night? She’s amazing!! Thanks so much for pointing me in that direction.
You’re very welcome! She’s a gem. And I was lucky enough to meet her when she spoke in my area. Her book is a fantastic read.