The first time I heard of regression therapy was when I read American psychiatrist-turned-hypnotherapist Dr Brian Weiss’s bestseller, Many Lives Many Masters. This was 15 years ago, and I’ve been curious ever since. Four years ago, I even signed up for a session with a friend, but developed cold feet at the last minute, because, “why would anyone want to know who they were in their past life?” The present is too much to handle, already. The pressure of an experience of another lifetime, felt like a burden. When I share this incident with Dr Sharma, he tells me that “we manifested this therapy session, because we had wanted it all along”. Which also means that this article selected me, as opposed to the other way around. At the outset, I have to admit that having lapped up many of Dr Weiss’s books, there is at least openness to the concept of reincarnation. I am not sure if it makes it easy for a regression therapist, but Dr Sharma does share that those who are intuitive by nature, are usually welcoming of all kinds of feelings, which helps the session greatly.

Since I have an underlying lower back problem, I thought I could address it first. To my surprise, Dr Sharma ruled it out as something that was related with our energies or previous memories. After a thorough diagnosis, which lasted for about 30 minutes—and that’s where his medical skills come into play—he told me that I needed to get enough exercise and do regular stretches to strengthen the back. He then went on to probe deeper, like a psychiatrist almost, asking questions about my emotional wellbeing, and the people and events, rattling my mind on a day-to-day basis. The session lasted an hour. It was only the next day that he did the regression. It was over a voice call, and there was no pendulum—as I had imagined—or soft music to aid the hypnosis.