Lateral Regression: Part 1
[Begin Past Life Regression Transcript Excerpt]
DR. THOMPSON: Now, imagine you’re walking down a flight of stairs. With each step you become more and more relaxed and at piece. Each step is sure and steady, but your concerns fall away 10…9…8…. and as you approach the bottom of the stairs, you can see a room. It’s the perfect room for you. Everything is in your favorite colors. 7…6…5…. You notice a chair. It looks so comfortable….Can you see it?
SUBJECT NAME REDACTED: ….yes.
DR. THOMPSON: Good. Keep walking down the stairs, 4…3…2… You know when you sit down in that chair, you’ll be the most comfortable you’ve ever been. It looks like it was made to fit you. It won’t make you sleepy, or fill you with pleasure. It’ll be like floating on a cloud… 1… your down in that room now. Why don’t you have a seat in that chair?
SUBJECT NAME REDACTED: OK…I’m sitting down now.
DR. THOMPSON: Good. How is it? How is your new chair?
SUBJECT NAME REDACTED: ….Good. So Good! Do you have one of these?
DR. THOMPSON: Don’t worry about me, just focus on you. Close your eyes. That chair should be so comfortable that your eyes don’t even want to open again. Go ahead and close your eyes for me.
SUBJECT NAME REDACTED: So…comfortable…
DR. THOMPSON: Good…what happens if you try to open them? To open your eyes?
SUBJECT NAME REDACTED: I…can’t. I don’t really want to.
DR. THOMPSON: Good. I need to tell you something. This chair you’re sitting in. It’s more than a chair, really, it’s a time machine. You’ve been other places before. Live other lives. Would you like to go see one?
SUBJECT NAME REDACTED: Yes! Yes I would!
DR. THOMPSON: Good! I’m glad. You past lives leave echos in your current life. Sometimes they’re good things, sometimes they’re…bad or scary. It can be easier to find the scary ones. If we do you’ll be perfectly safe. Is it okay if we look for something a little spooky?
SUBJECT NAME REDACTED: Um…I don’t want to. Can we look for something good instead?
DR. THOMPSON: Is there anything you’re afraid of, but you don’t know why?
SUBJECT NAME REDACTED: Spiders…
DR. THOMPSON: We could find out why you’re afraid of spiders. You’d be safe the whole time, and when we’re done, you might not even be afraid of them anymore. What do you think about that?
SUBJECT NAME REDACTED: You’re sure?
DR. THOMPSON: I’m sure. Perfectly safe.
SUBJECT NAME REDACTED: OK.
DR. THOMPSON: Thank you for trusting me. On the wall of that, there’s a slide show playing. Each slide that clicks by is a picture of a spider you’ve seen before. Look at the first one. It’s that last spider you saw. Tell me about it.
SUBJECT NAME REDACTED: IT…was in the bath tub this morning. I had to have my kid get it out so I could take a shower.
DR. THOMPSON: That was your daughter? She’s not afraid of spiders?
SUBJECT NAME REDACTED: No. She says they’re cute <audible shuddering sound>. She puts them outside.
DR. THOMPSON: Good she’s there running the slide projector for you. Every time a new spider apears, she’s going to click the button and get rid of it for you. Soon you see spiders from a month ago, then years ago, and then sooner or later, you’ll see the one you’re actually afraid, not just the one that remind you of it…
SUBJECT NAME REDACTED: THERE IT IS!
DR. THOMPSON: Good…
