The true story of a prominent psychiatrist, his young patient, and the past-life therapy that changed both their lives by Brian L. Weiss M.D. Notes and extracts from the book:

In between each lifetime, the soul floats through darkness towards a bright energizing light, which replenishes and rejuvenates. Embalming, burial rituals or any procedure after death has no influence; the soul automatically passes on; no preparation is necessary. Just like walking through an open door. Souls then await instructions and guidance from the Master Spirits or guardians. They have a chance to reflect on the lessons learnt during the previous lifetime and can choose to be re-born, what they need to accomplish and what karmic debts need repaying. Groups of souls tend to reincarnate together again and again, working out their karma over the span of many lifetimes. We are frighteningly concerned with our own deaths, sometimes so much so that we forget the real purpose of our lives. The belief in reincarnation strengthened by past-life regression helps ease fear of death because our existence becomes known as infinite.

Our task is to learn, to become God-like through knowledge. We know so little. By knowledge we approach God and then we can rest. We come back to teach and help others. There are many gods, for God is in each of us. There are many souls in this dimension. There are many dimensions / planes. Each one is a level of higher consciousness. What level we go to depends on how far we have progressed / evolved. We must share our knowledge with other people. We all have abilities far beyond what we use. If you do not overcome your vices before dying, you carry them over with you to another life. Only we can rid ourselves of the bad habits that we accumulate when we are in a physical state. And only when you decide that you are strong enough to master the external problems, then you will no longer have them in your next life.

We must also learn not to just go to those people whose vibrations are the same as ours. This is important in helping people. We are given intuitive powers we should follow and try not to resist or we are more likely to meet danger. Some of us possess powers greater than others because they have been accrued from other lifetimes. Thus people are not all created equal but eventually we will reach a point where we will all be equal. People in commas can decide whether or not to return, depending on how much learning they have yet to accomplish in the physical state. If they feel they have nothing further to learn, they can go directly to the spiritual state. We have no right to abruptly halt peoples’ lives before they have lived out their karma. They will suffer greater retribution if we let them live. We are not to kill, no matter what the circumstances. Only God can punish.

We choose when we will come into our physical state and when we leave. We know when we have accomplished what we intended, when nothing more can come of a lifetime. We know when the time is up and can accept death. When you have had the time to rest and re-energise your soul, you are allowed to choose your re-entry back into the physical state. Everybody’s path is basically the same. We must all learn certain attitudes: charity, hope, faith and love. People of religious orders have come closer than any of us because they have taken vows of chastity and obedience. Not a reference to sexual abstinence but a purity of living. Not to overindulge, anything done to excess. They’ve given up so much without asking for anything in return.

Patience and timing; everything comes when it must come. A life cannot be rushed, cannot be worked on a schedule. Time is not as we see it but rather in lessons that are learned. It is a waste of energy when fear is present. It stifles people from fulfilling their goals. To be in physical state is abnormal. When you are in spiritual state, it is natural. There are different levels of learning and we must learn some of them in the flesh. We must feel pain. When you’re a spirit, you feel no pain. It is a period of renewal. The interaction between people in the spiritual form is different. When you are in the physical form, you can experience relationships. We go through so many stages when we’re here. We shed a baby body, go into a child’s, from child to an adult, an adult into old age. Why shouldn’t we go one step beyond and go on to a spiritual plane?

We continue to grow; we go through different stages of development: renewal, learning and decision. Our body is just a vehicle; it is our soul and spirit that last forever. Learning in the spiritual state is much faster, far accelerated from that in the physical state. There are seven planes in all, each one consisting of many levels, which we must pass through during the interim; one of them is the plane of recollection, where you are allowed to see the life that has just passed. Those of the higher levels, the sages or masters, are allowed to see history. They can go back and teach us by learning about the past. Another is the plane of transition, where it is determined what you will take into the next life, a dominant trait that you must overcome or your burdens will become greater still. There is also the plane of awareness. We must repeat things if we do not learn. We must understand fully or we are not allowed to pass on to another dimension, another life.

Wisdom is achieved very slowly. This is because intellectual knowledge, easily acquired, must be transformed into ‘emotional’ or subconscious awareness. Theoretical knowledge is not enough to make the imprint permanent, behavioural practice is required. Happiness is rooted in simplicity; a state of being; an altered state of consciousness. It is sustained by act and deed; taking something nearly mystical and transforming it into everyday familiarity. Balance and harmony are neglected today, yet they are the foundations of wisdom. Humankind is guided by greed and ambition, steered by fear. In this way it will eventually destroy itself. But nature will survive, at least the plants. Humans are immortal and what we are doing now is learning our lessons. We are all going to the same place eventually; no one is greater than another.