Is Past Life Regression Safe?
The short answer is yes — when conducted by a trained, certified practitioner. The longer answer covers what makes a session genuinely safe, what the real risks are, what the common fears are based on, who should not undergo PLR, and what responsible facilitation looks like. This article gives you all of it.
Direct Answer
Past life regression is safe when facilitated by a trained, certified practitioner within a structured ethical framework. You remain conscious and in control throughout. Nothing can be implanted or forced. A responsible practitioner ensures every session ends in a complete, grounded state. The risks that do exist are related to poor facilitation and untrained practitioners — not to the process itself.
What Happens in a PLR Session — Why It Is Safe
Most fears about PLR safety come from a misunderstanding of what the process actually involves. Here is what really happens:
You are guided into a relaxed, focused hypnotic state — not unconscious, not out of control. You remain aware and able to communicate throughout. The state is similar to deep relaxation or the feeling just before sleep — your analytical mind quiets while your awareness remains active.
The practitioner uses structured navigation techniques to guide you toward relevant memories and experiences. They observe without interference, asking neutral questions to help you explore what arises. At no point does the practitioner suggest what you should see, feel, or believe.
Critically: you can open your eyes and return to full awareness at any point. The practitioner does not hold you in the state — they guide you within it. Every session ends with a deliberate, structured return to full waking consciousness — never mid-process.
Common Fears vs What Actually Happens
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Fear "I will lose control or not be able to come back"Reality You remain conscious and in control throughout. You can open your eyes and end the session at any point. A trained practitioner always guides you to a complete, grounded conclusion.
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Fear "I will get stuck in a past life"Reality This has no basis in reality. You observe experiences — you are not transported. The practitioner guides every session to complete resolution. Getting "stuck" is not a risk of PLR — it is a risk of poorly facilitated PLR.
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Fear "The practitioner can plant memories or beliefs"Reality A trained practitioner asks only neutral, non-leading questions. They do not suggest content, interpret experiences, or tell you what things mean. Their role is to hold space and navigate — not to influence what arises.
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Fear "I will experience something traumatic that I cannot handle"Reality Emotionally intense material can arise — this is part of the healing process, not a danger. A trained practitioner knows how to navigate difficult material responsibly, provide appropriate support without interference, and bring any session to a safe, resolved conclusion regardless of what arises.
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Fear "PLR will open something I cannot close again"Reality Sessions follow a structured arc with a deliberate integration at the end. The practitioner ensures the session completes — not just pauses. The post-session period of reflection and integration is normal and expected — it is the continuation of healing, not a loss of stability.
The Real Risks of Past Life Regression
Dismissing all risk would be dishonest. There are genuine risks — they are just different from what most people fear. They are almost entirely related to the quality of the practitioner, not the process itself.
Real risks to be aware of
- Untrained or poorly trained practitioners who cannot navigate difficult material safely
- Practitioners who use leading questions that influence what arises
- Sessions left incomplete — ending mid-process without resolution
- Practitioners who interpret or assign meaning to experiences
- Using PLR with clients who have active psychiatric conditions without appropriate assessment
- Emotional material arising that is not properly integrated post-session
What is NOT a risk in a well-facilitated session
- Losing control or consciousness
- Getting stuck in a past life
- Having beliefs or memories implanted
- Being unable to return to normal awareness
- Psychological damage from the hypnotic state itself
- Experiencing something the practitioner caused
The central principle: PLR is not inherently risky. Poorly facilitated PLR is risky. The most important safety factor is the training, experience, and ethical framework of the practitioner you choose.
This is why verifiable institutional credentials matter. Dr. Rashhi Sharma's credentials are publicly verifiable at newtoninstitute.org, ngh.net, monroeinstitute.org, and iphm.co.uk.
Who Should and Should Not Undergo PLR
Suitable for
- Adults with genuine curiosity or therapeutic intent
- Those dealing with unexplained fears, patterns, or emotional blocks
- People seeking deeper self-understanding or life purpose clarity
- Those with a stable emotional baseline
- Existing practitioners seeking to expand their therapeutic approach
- Sceptics — belief in past lives is not required
Not recommended for
- Those experiencing active psychosis or severe psychiatric conditions
- Those under the influence of substances
- Children under 18 without appropriate parental guidance
- Those in acute emotional crisis without prior stabilisation
- Those unwilling to engage with emotional depth in a structured way
- Those seeking guaranteed specific outcomes
Important medical note
Past life regression is a transpersonal therapeutic process — it is not a medical treatment and does not replace medical or psychiatric care. If you have a diagnosed psychiatric condition, please consult your healthcare provider before booking a session. PLR works alongside conventional treatment — not instead of it.
What Responsible Facilitation Looks Like
Safety in PLR comes directly from the practitioner's training, experience, and ethical framework. Here is what distinguishes a responsible practitioner:
- Pre-session assessment — a responsible practitioner discusses your background, intention, and any mental health history before proceeding. They do not take everyone who enquires.
- Non-leading navigation — questions are neutral and open-ended. The practitioner never suggests what you should see, feel, or experience.
- Emotional competence — the practitioner can hold space for intense emotional material without becoming reactive, over-involved, or causing the client to suppress what arises.
- Complete sessions — every session ends with a deliberate, structured return to full waking awareness. Nothing is left unresolved.
- Post-session integration — the practitioner discusses what arose and supports the client in making sense of the experience before ending.
- Verifiable credentials — a responsible practitioner's training can be independently verified through recognised institutional bodies.
At Soul Consciousness Lab, Dr. Rashhi Sharma has conducted 8,500+ professional sessions over 15+ years. Every session follows a structured ethical framework — and the training programme she runs teaches the same standards to the 350+ practitioners she has certified across 28 countries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common safety questions answered directly.
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In a well-facilitated session, no. The process itself does not cause psychological harm — the hypnotic state used in PLR is similar to deep relaxation and does not create psychological risk on its own. Risk arises when a session is poorly facilitated — when a practitioner is untrained, uses leading questions, leaves sessions incomplete, or fails to assess suitability. The practitioner's skill and ethics are the primary safety factor.
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Yes — completely normal. Emotional material often arises during PLR sessions, and this is part of the healing process rather than a sign of danger. Feeling emotions during or after a session — sometimes intensely — is a sign the work is touching real material. A trained practitioner will support you through any emotional content that arises and ensure the session ends in a resolved, grounded state.
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Yes. Unlike general anaesthesia, hypnotic states used in PLR do not produce unconsciousness or amnesia. You remain aware throughout and typically remember the session clearly — often more clearly than ordinary waking experiences, because the state produces heightened focus and attention. A journal or notes immediately after the session helps preserve detail.
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Yes. Online PLR sessions via Zoom are effective and widely used. The key requirements are a quiet, private space; a comfortable lying or reclining position; and a stable internet connection. The practitioner's guidance works the same way online as in-person. Dr. Rashhi Sharma conducts sessions globally via Zoom.
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For many people with anxiety, PLR is precisely what helps — particularly when the anxiety is connected to patterns, fears, or experiences that don't have clear current-life explanations. However, this depends significantly on the individual's baseline stability and the skill of the practitioner. A responsible practitioner will assess this in the pre-session conversation before proceeding.
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Check independently. The most recognised bodies for regression and transpersonal work are the Michael Newton Institute (MNI), USA and the National Guild of Hypnotists (NGH), USA. Both maintain public member directories. If you cannot find a practitioner's name on the certifying body's official website — their certification is self-issued. You can verify Dr. Rashhi Sharma's credentials directly at newtoninstitute.org and ngh.net.
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Yes. Belief in past lives is not required — and a responsible practitioner will never ask you to accept any metaphysical framework. Many sceptical, scientifically-minded clients have deeply meaningful PLR sessions. The experiences that arise can be understood as symbolic, psychological, or literal — the therapeutic value does not depend on which interpretation you hold.
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This depends on your current level of stability and the skill of the practitioner. PLR can be deeply effective for working with patterns connected to trauma — but it requires a practitioner who is trained to navigate trauma-related material responsibly and a client who has adequate stability to engage with what may arise. A pre-session consultation is essential in this case. At Soul Consciousness Lab, this assessment is standard practice before any session proceeds.
Written by Dr. Rashhi Sharma, PhD — MNI Career Partner, Only in India · NGH Official Certified Instructor · Monroe Institute Outreach Trainer · IPHM Executive Trainer, UK. 8,500+ professional sessions · View MNI Profile ↗
Additional Frequently Asked Questions
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Yes, when conducted by a trained professional using structured methods, past life regression is considered safe and controlled.
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No. You remain aware throughout the session and can return to full waking state at any time.
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A trained facilitator avoids suggestion or leading.
The focus is on your internal experience, not forcing specific narratives. -
No, the process itself is not dangerous. Risk only arises when sessions are conducted without proper structure or guidance or by an untrained, unqualified, self-declared, or less qualified therapist .
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Individuals experiencing severe emotional instability, or those approaching it as entertainment rather than a structured process, should avoid it.
