Three readers sent in closely related questions.

The first letter came from Daet, Camarines Norte, but did not give a name. In Tagalog, he (or she) asked why there seems to be always some obstacles that thwart his or her plans or projects. “Even a small business I tried to establish was full of obstacles and never got off the ground. Why am I always short of money? And this is getting worse.”

The second came from a male reader from Davao City who said, “I don’t understand my life path. No matter how I strive to have a better life I still can’t get out of my financial problems.

“I pray daily for forgiveness and blessings but it seems they all go unheard. I am very tired of this burden. I don’t like this kind of life. I need sound advice. How can I consult you about my past life?”

Hypnotic regression

The third letter-writer asked, “If I undergo past-life hypnotic regression, will it improve my memory? Will I remember memories in my present life aside from my past? How much will it cost me?”

Problems involving poor finances or faltering business ventures may be traced to several causes.

From a purely financial point of view, the cause can be lack of adequate planning or study before a business venture is done. You should also look into your capabilities or talents. Maybe your undertaking tasks not suited to your capability, temperament or talent.

From a psychological point of view, maybe you don’t have enough self-confidence or have a negative attitude towards what you are doing.

If one feels he will not succeed, the project is already doomed from the very start.

Karmic causes

From a reincarnation point of view, assuming one believes in reincarnation, the cause can be karmic. He must have done something in the past that calls for him to undergo such setbacks in the present life.

What can be done?

It depends on the causes enumerated above. If it is purely financial and psychological, factors preventing success must be eliminated.

If it is karmic, a past life hypnotic regression can be done to see what happened in the previous life.

Will past life hypnotic regression improve one’s memory?

This is not the purpose of such a process. It is to remember who we were and what we did in the past that is influencing our present life.

Hypnosis or hypnotherapy, however, has been used successfully in the West to improve one’s memory, remove phobias, stop smoking or bad eating habits and other behavioral problems.

Not a cure-all

Past life hypnotic regression has helped many people uncover causes of hidden fears, resolve karmic debts and understand better one’s present problems and troubles. But it is not a cure-all. Fees may range from P3,500 to P6,500 per session as I gathered.

Not everybody can be hypnotized. It is estimated that 30 percent of people cannot be hypnotized and, therefore, cannot see or remember anything during a regression.

My experience in doing regression in the last 20 years, however, has been quite successful in most cases. Still, no guarantees can be made.

All I can do is guide the individual into remembering his or her past through a step-by-step procedure that has been successfully developed by practitioners in the field. There are dangers, however, in undergoing the process with an untrained individual, so one must be careful to study the background of the person doing the regression. There are very few individuals in this country who are trained to do this.

For comments or information on seminars, books, consultancy, past life hypnotic regression, call 8107245 or 0998-9886292; e-mail [email protected]. Visit www.innermindlearning.com for online workshops.