The Science of the Soul: Regression Therapy, Past Lives, and Jewish Mysticism

Dr. Brian Weiss is a Jewish-American psychiatrist, Chairman Emeritus of Psychiatry at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami, and considered one of the pioneers in hypnosis-based therapy. Weiss defined himself as an atheist and did not believe in the existence of a spiritual world or a soul — until a new chapter opened in his professional life, revealing a gateway to a spiritual dimension he never believed existed.

During hypnosis treatment with one of his patients, intended to uncover a childhood trauma, he regressed her further and further back in time. To his astonishment, while under hypnosis, the patient began describing scenes from an ancient era. Weiss assumed these were experiences from a past life. He remained skeptical since he did not believe in the existence of a soul.

In one particular session however, something happened that shook the foundations of his worldview: The patient began speaking from the “in-between state” — the interval between two lifetimes. There, she described details about Weiss’s own son, who had died in infancy from a heart complication, including the medical cause of his death, as well as details about Weiss’s late father — information known to no one, not even Weiss’s closest friends, and for which there existed no documentation.

This became the turning point of Weiss’s life. He went on to specialize in past-life regression therapy through hypnosis, a method known as regression.

Dr. Brigitte Kashtan, a clinical psychologist who practices regression therapy and formerly a senior psychologist at the Tirat HaCarmel psychiatric hospital, explained in an interview that regression therapy is highly effective in treating phobias. She explains that unexplained phobias, especially those present since childhood, are usually linked to traumatic experiences from a previous life.

“These are things that even 20 years of psychoanalysis wouldn’t uncover. In most cases, when the trauma is re-experienced during regression, it releases the stuck energy — and the phobia disappears,” she said.

Businesswoman Shari Arison, formerly the controlling shareholder of Bank Hapoalim for 21 years, shared in an interview with Yediot Aharonot about the many fears she suffered from since childhood, and the past-life regression treatments she underwent with Dr. Weiss. “At first, this whole thing seemed completely imaginary to me. Suddenly you see yourself in a different body and a different time, and you think you’re imagining it. It’s one thing to believe in reincarnation — and another to experience it and know it’s real. I was embarrassed for an entire year to admit I had experienced it,” Arison said.

She added: “I think what changed my life was the understanding that there is meaning, that everyone in this world has a purpose, that everyone has lessons to learn. That there is correction, there is continuity, that life doesn’t end here — there is a world after this. If you don’t make your corrections now, in this body, in this time, you will have to return and live those lessons again.”

The Jewish Understanding: Why Souls Return

Judaism explains that there is a profound purpose behind the spiritual process of returning a soul to additional lifetimes.

Originally, the soul dwells in a spiritual chamber in the upper worlds known as the “Hall of Souls.” At the appointed moment, it descends into this world and enters a physical body to live an earthly life.  Before descending, the soul is reminded that its mission is to do the will of its Creator.

If the soul completes its mission faithfully, it merits eternal spiritual pleasure. But if it forgets its purpose and lives a life distant from God, it must undergo different paths of correction at the end of its days.

One of these correctional paths is reincarnation, which is essentially a “second chance” — a makeup exam for the soul. In this retest, the soul must face the same challenges it failed to overcome in previous lives.

Jewish sages explain the verse in the prophets: ​“For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not revoke it…” (Amos 2:6) to mean that a person is given only three opportunities to descend into this world and correct themselves through living a life faithful to Torah and fulfilling their spiritual mission. If, after these three opportunities, the person has not corrected themselves even in a minimal way, they are no longer given another chance to reincarnate.