There is more to past life regression that finding out whether you were once Cleopatra. People seek information about their previous lives hoping to solve problems in this life. They may have had dreams or impressions of previous incarnations and want to find out more about them. Or they may want to expand their spiritual awareness. But, of course, there is also a high curiosity factor.
Janet Thompson, a healer and past life regression therapist, says a number of the people who come to see her think they may have been someone famous. Not everyone can have been Cleopatra, and most of these people discover they lived relatively ordinary lives - but there are exceptions.
'I did have one client who had been Cleopatra's son - that was very unusual. But don't forget, even famous people have issues to deal with,' says Ms Thompson.
Ms Thompson founded The Spiritual Centre in London in the mid-1980s, and it was among the first of its kind. A decade later she moved to Brighton, in southeast England, and began working as a healer, focusing on meditation techniques and past life regression. She travels regularly and is at the New Age Shop in Central until the end of the month.
Past-life regression therapy traditionally relies on hypnotherapy to put the subject in a relaxed state, but Ms Thompson uses a breathing system which she says is more effective as not everyone will let themselves be hypnotised.
'The breathing system - of shallow breaths with your mouth open - unlocks the cellular memories in the body. Everything you need to know is in the body, in your energy field, that's why people talk about the need to turn inward to find their answers,' she says.
