Rebirthing

Every birth is a traumatic one - whether you were born naturally, with the help of forceps or by Caesarian section - the fact is that you left a warm and nurturing environment for a bright, harsh, cruel world. Birth and death are the two most momentous things that can happen to anyone or anything, and the conscious mind blocks out of memory the awareness of each of these events, in order to protect us.

The impact that birth has on a newborn baby affects each subsequent response that the infant has in life - starting off a chain of events over which the infant has little control.

If we could go back to our birth and change our original response to our early entry into the world - seeing it as an outsider would and for what it actually was - rather than how we felt it was at that time - our whole perception on life would be altered.

With the help of your therapist you can gain control of your life and choose how to live it to your maximum capacity. You can overcome fears and phobias, procrastination and panic.

Re-birthers go back and re-experience their transition into the world. During the regression they will often writhe about, moving their shoulders from side to side in an effort to push through the birth canal. They can report squeezing sensations around the head followed by blinding lights and even feeling that they are being held upside down or spanked on the back. One would think that this traumatic experience would deter people from wanting to go through any form of hypnosis ever again.

What actually happens is that re-birthers feel completely different afterwards. In some cases its as though they've viewed life through a dim haze until now, but suddenly everything is crystal clear - they are looking at a new world and feeling and experiencing everything that happens to them - in other words they feel alive, for the very first time in their lives.

It's almost as though the in-vivo birth experience dissociates the self from the soul, and from the point of separation these two entities live a parallel existence until they are once again, through re-birthing, brought back together and integrated into a whole being.

It is not uncommon for someone re-experiencing their birth process to be unable to find words to express how they feel. As a large proportion of the work is done through movement the re-birther needs to feel unrestricted and safe. Recorded heartbeat music or any other rhythmic loop sounds may be played in the background. The therapist offers a supportive environment and need not interfere with whatever the client is experiencing.

Each session is extremely personal and a detailed case history must be taken beforehand. You may gently 'guide' the client back in time by bringing forward memories of actual events that occurred in childhood or infancy. A few experiences can be assumed to be 'safe' for most people - i.e. Nearly everyone has spent their first day at school; everyone learned to walk (unless they were crippled in some way); most of us have ridden a bike at some time or another or lost a favourite toy or shared a secret that was later revealed.

Remind your client of these experiences and allow him or her to elaborate as other, related or otherwise, memories, crop up. This opens up the mind and allows the memories to flow. Begin with any hypnotic induction that you feel comfortable with, but don't take the client too deep, otherwise they may lose the ability to verbalize what they are experiencing.

Assuming your client is in hypnosis and you have poked and prodded at early memories, you could continue as follows:

. . . .now remember how you opened your eyes one day and saw the shape of certain objects and colours around you. Perhaps you were laying in your cot and already there was a certain familiarity about these objects. Remember a special face - a certain face that belonged to someone who cared for your welfare. Tell me - what do you see? Describe the face.

You're drifting further and further back in time now - you're going back to a time before time began for you. You are an embryonic life form, growing and developing - you are not aware of yourself as a life at this time yet - but still, you exist - existing in a warm and moist environment - completely aware of the sounds around you.

Introduce heartbeat music.

Coming forward now in time - moving slightly from side to side - all of your physical and mental needs are met - you have no wants - no needs - no desires - you are supported, safe, protected.

In this world of yours your movement is now restricted. You instinctively know that the time is nigh. You must soon leave your safe cocoon and begin a new adventure. So come forward again in time - to the moment of birth. Feel the beginning of this end as you move down - ready to be born. Where is your head? Your shoulders? Your arms and hands? What do you feel? Describe to me. Show me.

Pause for a short while. Your client should now be well into the 'rebirth' and you can tell by expressions and movement how things are going. Just offer support and guidance. The client may cry out just after the time of birth, or experience a feeling of 'totality' in the body. They may be unable to put this feeling into words, but you will know when this is happening. There could be a 'gasping for breath' followed by a wail or a cry. If your client is able to tell you everything that is happening, use questions like 'what happens next?' or 'now what?' . The birth experience can last anywhere between ten and twenty minutes - usually no longer.

When you or your client are ready to end the session, offer some positive suggestions with reminders that they will continue to remember elements of the birth experience in their dreams at night.