Age Regression

The validity of age regression is one of the major areas of discrepancy between clinicians and experimentalists of hypnosis. Clinicians working with real patients highly motivated to resolve emotional issues have frequently cited cases in which it seems apparent that patients experience earlier age levels. Researchers in academic environments usually study normal students who know that they are participating in an experiment, and are not highly motivated by real problems to age regress. These subjects do try to follow the hypnotic suggestions to age regress, but rarely provide any valid evidence that they experience a genuine age regression.

Within one of David Cheek's papers, "Sequential Head and Shoulder Movements Appearing With Age Regression in Hypnosis to Birth", is a profound demonstration of evidence leading to the validity of age regression to the birth experience. After having delivered hundreds of babies, Cheek made the incredible observation that the characteristic head and shoulder movement of the birth process was being unknowingly reproduced by adults when they were asked to ideodynamically review their birth process in the state of hypnosis. His subjects were usually not aware they were reproducing their birth movements. Cheek believes that they were reproducing nonverbal patterns of procedural "memory" behavior. You can learn more about this on our page about imprints.

The association to Mind-Body imprinting can be further noticed in Cheeks work. He has patients repeat their nonverbal ideomotor birth experience a number of times and when conditions seem best, he uses the implied directive: "When you know all about what you need to know, and are able to talk with me about it, your "yes" finger will lift. Notice how the doctor holds you after you are born. Pay attention to the voices you hear."

Many of Cheek's patients have then proceeded to describe all sorts of circumstances, emotions, behaviors, and conversations they heard during their births as if they were witnessing these with their adult levels of understanding. Furthermore, when these memories center about stress and trauma to a particular organ system, then that organ system is prone to manifesting a psychosomatic illness later in life when the patient is stressed (e.g. a birth with respiratory problems predisposes one to asthma; a feeding problem predisposes one to ulcers, and so forth).
Farfetched as this may seem, it is conceivable that some people are imprinted with these patterns for certain ailments at their births.

Beyond the discrepancies associated with age regression is that of regression to other life times. The presented techniques further down the page can be used for such adventures with minor adjustments.

Before we continue it is imperative that when conducting regression therapy, it is important that the clinician be well trained in order to conduct sessions responsibly. The reasons are two-fold.

1) The possibility of abreactions – where the client displays some form of emotional trauma due to the (re)introduction of uncomfortable memories, and

2) The ease of which false memories can be created, or misinterpreted.
Thankfully, I have learned quite a bit about the consequences, control, and internal workings of false memory syndrome, as wel as how to address an abreaction, and have a vast amount of experience already in due course with such work.

To prevent the possibility of abreactions one could simply have a safety anchor pre-initiated with the client. Also having the client remember events as an observer has the tendency to reduce the level of emotion associated to the particular event.

In the case of false memory, or misinterpretation, we have a far more complicated issue. Although I believe the mind to be photographic and precise, when people try to remember events long past, the tendency is to piece together bits of information. This has the effect of causing a new memory which is quite believable in one’s mind.

When I was first introduced to this information about memory, I decided to play, and learn how accurate the restructuring of memory information really was. At the time I had a major dislike for bananas of all things. My parents told me that as an infant I loved them, and that all of a sudden one day I wouldn’t have anything to do with them. Harmlessly I told my parents that not only did I know why I didn’t like bananas, but that I remembered the particular event that led to my disgust for them. I said it happened when I was three years old. My parents believed I could remember that far back because in the past I had described quite accurately events that they remembered from the same time period. I then said I was sitting on my father’s lap at the time, which they both had many memories of. My dad was forcing me to eat a banana that at that particular time I didn’t want for whatever reason. Again, they both had many memories of forcing both myself and my brother to eat, as many parents do with their children. I then told them that during the process, because of the fact that I really didn’t want it, or that I wasn’t feeling well, I ended up throwing up the banana and everything else in my stomach all over my father, and that, left a bad taste in my mouth for bananas ever since. I took a wild guess on my folks having a memory of me throwing up on them, thinking that all kids at some point throw up on their parents.

As it turns out, to this day my parents believe the story, and have a complete, and vivid picture of the event (remember I can be rather descriptive and dramatic). This was all done by piecing together bits of memories, and grouping them together. The positive side of this is, that ever since telling my parents this story, when I say that I don’t want something, there’s no further pressure or questions. I don’t think they would find it too cute having a grown man throw up all over them.

Elaborated upon below, are three different techniques that may be used to initiate hypnotic regression.

Mr. Charles Tebbetts taught that a good hypnotherapist deals with causes rather than symptoms, so the first goal is to uncover the cause. He is quoted as writing, “Good hypnotherapy is a matter of probing, trial and error, the ability to recognize pay dirt when you find it and the ability to move smoothly from one method to another if the first is not getting results.”
To continue he is further quoted from pg. 22 of Miracles on Demand; “Age regression is the most common uncovering technique used in hypnotherapy. It is one of the fastest and surest ways to uncover repressed material, and is often successful on the first session.”

There are many techniques used to facilitate age regression, and countless numbers of variations to each. One such hypnotic technique would be “The Feeling Connection Method”, more commonly referred to as “The Affect Bridge Technique”, which is very effective to regress a client back to the origin of an emotional problem.

The Affect Bridge Technique: - Accomplished by asking the hypnotized client to feel whatever emotion is associated with their problem. The hypnotherapist could then count forward, with suggestions to allow the emotion to grow stronger as he counts forward, then asking the client, to go back to the time he/she first experienced the emotion, with a backwards count.

Example; “Number 1, go deeper into the feeling. 2, let the feeling grow stronger with each number. 3, stronger and stronger. 4, powerful, 5 and 6, feeling the emotion more and more with every number you hear. 7, 8, 9, 10! Feel it so totally that it’s a relief to go back in time to the first time you felt this way. Going back as I count back 10 – 9 – 8 , farther back. 7 – 6 – 5, way back, 4 – 3 – 2, back to the very first time you felt that way. One! Be there. What’s happening?”

Although this is a rapid method of getting to the source of a problem, it is suggested that more uncovering is often required, because you may get to the symptom producing event, but not to the sensitizing event which could have occurred years earlier.


Another technique would be:
Simple Age Regression: – Done by counting backwards by age, beginning the count with whatever the client’s age is minus one year.
After deepening to at least a medium level of trance, say:

“Now take a deep breath and go deeper and deeper into a deep, pleasant, hypnotic sleep …”
Speak slowly and softly.
“You are drifting back in time. Just imagine you’re going back in time to when you were 40 (provided client is over 40 years old) … going back … 35 … farther back … 30 …. let the years fade away … 25 … 20 … 19 … 18 … 17 … 16 … 15 …” Count to the age desired if known, or continue as follows:

“Stop when we get to a very important year … 14 … 13 … 12 … Stop me when something very relevant to that problem happens … 11 … 10 … You feel your body getting smaller … 9 … Your arms and legs become shorter … 8 … going back to a very important age … 7 … 6 … 5 … very small now … 4 … even younger … something important happens … BE THERE!” If client stops you and speaks, listen and proceed accordingly. If he displays emotion or starts to speak and pauses, stop the script and say:

“Make a report. WHAT’S HAPPENING?” If the client does not stop you after you get to the end of the script, continue:

“Now you are 4 and getting even smaller … 3 … a very early age .. . you are a toddler … something very important happens … tell me about it … Something very important happens – BE THERE! What’s happening?” If there is no answer, tap gently on the forehead or the back of the hand and say with more authority:

“Answer quickly now – the first thing that comes to your mind – inside or outside?” As soon as the client answers, continue with:

“Are you alone or with others?” Wait for response. The client may start describing detail at this point. If so, listen to the dialogue and deal with what emerges. If the response is “With others”, ask who, but if the response is simply the word “Alone”, continue with:

“What do you see, hear, or feel?”


Similarly one could use:
Regression by Calendar Years: – The difference with this technique is the count being by year rather than by age. Again after deepening to a medium trance or greater commence with:

“Now as you take a deep breath and go deeper and deeper into a deep, pleasant, hypnotic sleep …” Speak very slowly and softly. Take a long, deep breath before each sentence and drag the words as though you were sleepy yourself.

“You are drifting back in time. Just imagine you’re going back in time to 1993 … 1992 … 1991 … 1990 … 1989 … 1988 … going back … 1987 … 1986 … (you may count the first few years by fives if the client is over 40) going back … 1985 … farther back … 1984 … Let the years roll backward, going back in time … 1983 … Stop me when we get to a very important year … (etc.)” The continued count and script would be the same or similar to the age regression technique.


Another fairly quick and pleasant manner to begin age regression is the:
Pleasant Place Technique: – Simply suggest to the client that he go back and relive a very happy time in his childhood. After having the client describe the events, we can have the client move either forward or backward to the relevant event.

For more help with past life regression, have a look at our Personal Enhancements products page, we even have some programs to take you into the future... your future... or just go ahead and try out one of our programs listed below... you will never know what you find until... you actually get there...

Past Life Recall - Only $24.95
Have you ever wondered what life might have been like in another time? Well here is your chance, "Past Life Recall" will help you learn the origins of present pains, and ailments, and even allow you to learn what place significance others in your present life have played before... lots of fun here with this one...

Past Life Therapy - Only $24.95
Release yourself from the negativity of a past life, and watch how easy your present life becomes. This program goes very well with program number 430 for Past Life Recall. Aren't you curious as to what you might find?

Past Life Therapy(with subliminal track addition) - Only $34.95
The extra subliminal track added here will help you figure out what your unconscious might just be hiding, and it will take care of things you might not want to know about all on it's own...

Mailing address:
Dr. Frank Valente Ph.D.(c)
Hypnotic Advancements
3126 McCarthy Court
Mississauga , ON
Canada L4Y-3Z5

© 2004, Dr. Frank Valente Ph.D.(c)

If your experience with hypnosis is limited or you simply want to accelerate the effectiveness of your hypnosis sessions, and improve your life beyond perceptible measures, just click the link below for your free hypnotic demonstration with this new state of the art hypnosis program.

Back to "Applications of Hypnosis"