Life Between Lives (method)
| Full name | Life Between Lives Spiritual Regression (LBL) |
|---|---|
| Type | hypnotic regression method |
| Originator | Michael Newton |
| Taught by | The Newton Institute |
Life Between Lives (LBL; full name, Life Between Lives Spiritual Regression) is a hypnotic regression method developed by the American hypnotherapist Michael Newton. Unlike classic past-life regression, the method focuses on the interval that, by Newton's accounts, the soul spends in the spirit world between incarnations. The method is taught by The Newton Institute.
State of consciousness and the session
According to The Newton Institute, access to the "memories of the soul" is achieved through a deep trance state called the "superconscious." A session is structured as an extended hypnotic regression: the client is first led through memories of the present and a past life, and then into the between-lives state. The stated aim of the practice, in the institute's words, is an experience of "love, compassion, and an understanding of one's life purpose."
Stages of the between-lives journey (according to Newton)
In Newton's model the soul's transition is described as a sequence:
- death and separation from the body;
- the "healing shower" — restoration of energy;
- meeting with a spirit guide and review of the life just lived;
- return to one's soul group (typically 3–25 related souls);
- the Council of Elders (usually three to seven), connected with reflection on karma;
- planning the next life and selecting a body (the Ring of Destiny);
- a new incarnation, with loss of memory of the spirit world.
Mapping the spirit world (according to Newton)
In his accounts the spirit world includes a "distribution hub," a "library of lives" with records of incarnations, a "city of shadows" (rehabilitation), and a "Space of Transformation." Souls are divided into six levels of development, to which Newton assigned aura colors — from white (beginners) to indigo-violet (advanced "masters").
Origins and spread
The method took shape out of Newton's practice from the late 1960s onward and was set out in his books, above all Journey of Souls (1994). To train practitioners, Newton in 2002 founded the organization now known as The Newton Institute; according to it, the method is practiced by more than 200 certified facilitators in 40 countries.
Sources
- Michael Newton. Journey of Souls (1994), Destiny of Souls (2000) — Llewellyn Publications
- The Newton Institute — newtoninstitute.org
- Early version of the institute's site (copyright 2003–2005) in the Internet Archive