Regression therapy / The inner child

A hypnotic regression is a mental construction of thoughts, images, sounds, and feelings from a past event or situation. This process helps you realize new perspectives, meanings, and insights in the here and now.

With the help of a hypnotic regression, the ‘adult self’ can gain insights into a current problem that stems from past experiences.

These past experiences are often consciously forgotten by the ‘adult self,’ but not by the ‘child self,’ which still experiences them on a subconscious level.

The symptoms accompanying the current problem are signals from the subconscious. These signals seek attention and communicate that there is a deeper issue from the past “beneath the surface” that has not yet been fully acknowledged or processed.

Specifically, the inner child is still suffering and needs help to process and release certain past experiences, such as trauma. Often, there is a splitting or separation of a “part” of ourselves that was “broken off” from the whole due to a trauma somewhere in the past.

When these experiences are processed and released, the ‘child self’ can fully integrate with the ‘adult self.’ This means the emptiness that once existed is filled with the part of ourselves that was missing. This process is called integration and healing.

A Trauma for a Child Can Be Something Simple

It is important to understand that trauma for a child does not always involve abuse or mistreatment. It can also be something as simple as losing sight of your parents in a supermarket, wetting your pants and being laughed at, or hearing someone in authority (like your parents) say in a vulnerable moment: “You are worthless” or “You mean nothing.”

For a young child, such events can evoke intense emotions like fear, sadness, shame, or rejection. These emotions can be overwhelming and often remain unresolved.

We can also use the term ‘younger self’ instead of ‘inner child,’ because traumas do not always occur in childhood. Sometimes they happen later in life, for example, during adolescence or adulthood.

Because these experiences remain unresolved, certain symptoms continue to surface. These symptoms cause the current problem for the ‘adult self.’

The symptoms of the current problem are often intense emotions that need to be expressed, such as anger, fear, sadness, guilt, rejection, powerlessness, or a sense of worthlessness.

These intense emotions reflect the same emotions the inner child experiences on a subconscious level. They form the connection between the present and the past, between the trauma of then and the current problem.

Because this connection is difficult to understand from our intellect, it often remains hidden on a conscious level. This leads people to often say about their current problem: “I don’t know why I feel this way.”

How Do We Experience ‘The Past’ in the Here and Now?

First, it is essential to realize that the past and future do not truly exist. They exist as concepts in our imagination but not in the physical world. We cannot touch, hear, or see them in the ‘outside world.’

The past and future ‘exist’ only in our imagination. We pretend they are real.

Because the past and future are not perceptible in the physical world, this proves they live in our imagination. When we talk about a past or future event, we create in our imagination a story about an imaginary part of ourselves: ‘I’ or ‘Me’ (or your own name).

This imaginary ‘I’ lives in an imaginary world made of representations like images, sounds, and language.

We act as if these situations are real, but they are not. They once happened in the physical world, but every time after that, they exist only in our imagination.

These imaginary situations are experienced in our inner mental world. They are real stories but imagined. You could call them ‘fantasies.’

Our creative mind has the ability to reconstruct what happened back then. But since an overwhelming amount of information was available at the time, this reconstruction is limited. Some details are omitted, blurred, altered, or added.

What we remember is therefore not an exact representation of what actually happened but a limited mental version of it. These memories are thoughts that come in the form of images, sounds, and language, creating emotions and sensations in our body.

The Mental Construction Is Not Reality

If we momentarily forget that this mental construction is merely a representation in our imagination, we can relive a particular situation as if it is actually happening again. This applies to both positive and negative experiences.

The Body Responds to Thoughts in Our Imagination

We re-experience the emotions and sensations in our body associated with a particular situation because our body reacts to the thoughts in our imagination. These thoughts appear in the form of images, sounds, and language related to the event in question.

We feel these emotions and sensations because our body does not distinguish between past and future. For our body, these concepts do not exist; it knows only the here and now.

The Mental Dream World

When our attention is fixated on our imagination, we can completely forget our surroundings and become immersed in an intense mental projection. This happens, for example, when we dream.

During dreams, our attention is entirely focused on our imagination. We forget that we are dreaming and believe we are somewhere else. We may be doing something, walking around, visiting various places, or meeting other people. It all feels lifelike, yet our body remains still, asleep. Everything we experience takes place in our imagination.

The Mental Dream World Seems So Real

This is also true for a hypnotic regression. In the mental projection, it seems as if we are “going back” to a past event, but both our body and the experience always remain in the here and now.

We are influenced by the representations of the past, not by the event itself, because that event happened only once. Every time after that, it is the mental reconstructions that influence us.

For Example: A Trauma

When the trauma actually occurred, it was, of course, terrible and deeply impactful. But every time you continue to suffer from it afterward, it is due to the mental constructions of thoughts, memories, or representations associated with it.

This means that once the trauma is over, you are primarily affected by the representations of the trauma, not by the trauma itself. These representations repeatedly evoke the experience, even though the original traumatic event is long past.

Sometimes you consciously forget what happened, but subconsciously you do not. Certain events in the here and now can “activate” the traumatic experience because the inner child is still suffering beneath the surface.

What Can We Do About It?

We cannot change the past, but we can adjust the representations of the past. Through these adjustments, we can create new perspectives and meanings.

In this way, we can help the inner child or younger self heal and fully let go of the past so that we can be happy in the here and now.

In Conclusion:

If we are negatively affected by the representations or events of the past, we can adjust these representations. This also changes how we experience the past in the here and now.

This is very achievable with regression therapy and inner child work (sometimes called shadow work).

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How Does a Hypnotic Regression Work in Practice?

In a hypnotic regression, we “go back” in our imagination to the moment when the current problem originated, to the first time the trauma was experienced. You can think of this process as an intensive, guided daydream.

The Inner Child and the Origin of Trauma

At the time of the traumatic event, your younger self (the inner child) did not yet have the tools such as wisdom, insights, and life experience to handle and process the situation.

Because the experience was overwhelming, a part of your inner child became “frozen” in time and in the situation where the trauma occurred. You can think of this as a 3D holographic snapshot of that moment, complete with images, sounds, and feelings.

Protection by the Subconscious

When you are ready to heal the trauma, the subconscious opens the door for you.

This protection remains in place until, later in life, as an adult, you have the tools to process the experience—with greater wisdom, life experience, and resilience.

The subconscious has a deeper intelligence and protects you by locking away the traumatic experience.

Although the traumatic memory is no longer consciously recalled, the effects of it do not disappear.

On the contrary, the adult self often experiences the impact as relationship problems, feelings of powerlessness, worthlessness, or guilt, fear, anger, or a sense of not being good enough.

The specific consequences a person experiences depend on the nature of the original trauma.

Bringing the Two Parts Together

Through a hypnotic regression, we can reconnect these two “parts” of yourself—the inner child and the adult self.

• The inner child shares where the real pain lies and where it originated. It reminds the adult self of the root of the problem.
• The adult self feels the intense emotions for the inner child and then offers unconditional love, new perspectives, meanings, and insights based on the wisdom and life experience now available.

Healing the Inner Child

The adult self gains an important realization: the inner child survived the traumatic situation because the inner child has now grown into the adult self.

With this understanding, the adult self can support, comfort, and accept the younger self. Both parts come into harmony, with the inner child symbolically integrated into the heart of the adult self. This process brings peace and healing.

Letting Go and Growing

During this process, the intense, overwhelming emotions trapped within the inner child can finally be expressed and released. At the same time, the harmful thought patterns associated with past experiences are replaced with helpful thoughts and new patterns.

This enables the person to step fully into their power, free from the limiting influence of the past.

The Power of Imagination – The Virtual Reality Cinema in Our Mind

Your imagination can be seen as a virtual reality cinema inside your head.

When memories are composed—images, sounds, and thoughts—you create a “movie” in your mind. This movie features an imaginary version of yourself, often called “I” (or your own name).

Associated or Dissociated?

As an observer, you can experience this movie in two ways:

• Associated: You are in the scene, as though you are the actor or actress. You see through your own eyes, hear with your own ears, and feel your own feelings.
• Dissociated: You observe the scene from a distance, as if you are a spectator. You see yourself as a younger version in that situation.

This mechanism is not extraordinary; we use it constantly. Think about remembering where you left something, how to get somewhere, or what you experienced earlier.

A Fun Experiment

Let’s do a quick exercise to discover how your virtual reality cinema works:

1. Think of a moment from the past when you felt fantastic. Maybe you laughed uncontrollably, felt incredibly happy, or enjoyed yourself intensely.
2. Close your eyes and “go back” in your imagination to that event. Bring the scene back to life as if you were there now.

To fully immerse yourself in the experience, ask yourself the following questions:

• Where am I in this scene?
• When am I there (yesterday, a month ago, a few years back)?
  • Am I indoors or outdoors?
  • Am I alone or with others?
  • Is it light or dark?
• What is happening?

Imagine yourself experiencing the situation:

• What do you see?
• What do you hear?
• What do you feel?

Notice the feelings and emotions you experience. Perhaps you feel that same joy, relaxation, or even playful energy again.

The Power of Representations

If you’ve done this exercise, you may have noticed something remarkable:

Your body feels the emotions tied to that scene, as if you’re reliving it. But in reality, that event is long gone.

The sensations and emotions you experience don’t come from the original event itself but from the representations in your imagination—your virtual reality cinema.

This demonstrates the immense power of imagination. Reliving happens in the here and now, even though the actual event is in the past. Your brain and body respond to the movie in your mind, not to reality.

With this awareness, you can learn to harness this mechanism, for instance, in hypnosis, therapy, or personal growth.

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Would You Like to Use Regression Therapy to Heal Your Inner Child?

We can break this powerful transformation process into four stages for better understanding:

1. Gaining insights by getting to know yourself better.
2. Expressing thoughts and feelings without judgment.
3. Forgiveness.
4. Complete transformation.

Although each stage is unique, they often overlap. For example, you can gain insights during the later stages as well.

If you want to heal your inner child, you must be willing to fully go through these four stages. Without that willingness, the process will not be successful.

1. Gaining Insights by Getting to Know Yourself Better

Make a clear choice:
Decide unconditionally to get to know yourself and discover valuable insights. Fully commit, or don’t start at all—half measures won’t get you far.

Convincing the subconscious:
Your subconscious protects you by locking away old, painful events. It only opens this door when you convincingly show that you:

• Are old enough.
• Are strong enough.
• Are wise enough.

When you sincerely demonstrate your readiness, this process becomes a fascinating journey of discovery. Revealing hidden aspects of yourself can lead to profound insights and even revelations. These insights form the foundation for transformation in the here and now.

2. Expressing Thoughts and Feelings Without Judgment

Connect with your inner child:
Be open to the intense emotions and thought patterns connected to the past. Allow everything to surface honestly, without judgment.

Unconditional love:
Give your inner child unconditional love, complete acceptance, and respect. By offering this love, you help your younger self heal and reintegrate.

With guidance and support:
During this process, I am here to guide, protect, and support you. This ensures the experience remains safe and manageable, preventing you from feeling overwhelmed.

3. Forgiveness

Forgiveness is essential, but it’s important to understand what it does and does not mean:

• Not: Approving or rekindling relationships.
• Yes: Letting go of the past to free yourself in the here and now.

Forgiveness is a choice for:

• Happiness, peace, well-being, harmony, and freedom.

And a choice against:

• Pain, unrest, suffering, conflict, and imprisonment.

You forgive not for others, but for yourself—to heal. By forgiving, you break the connection with the past and create space for happiness and peace in the present.

Want to know more about this process? Click here: The power and magic of forgiveness

4. Complete Transformation

Once the three previous stages have been completed, complete transformation follows:

• All blockages are removed.
• Insights are integrated.
• Feelings and thoughts have been expressed.
• Forgiveness has set you free.

You feel lighter, freer, and more powerful. What was once a trauma becomes a source of insights and even a tool for personal growth.

Summary

If you struggle to let go of the past, it’s likely due to a gap in one of these three phazes:

• Insights: You haven’t yet learned what you needed to from the situation.
• Expressing feelings and thoughts: Your inner child hasn’t had the opportunity to be heard honestly and without judgment.
• Forgiveness: You haven’t fully forgiven those involved, keeping yourself tied to the past.

When these stages are completed, you can integrate the lessons and insights and leave the rest in the past, where it belongs.

Your positive transformation will then naturally continue, bringing you more freedom and growth in your life.

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Past Life Regression / Reincarnation Therapy

This process works similarly to a standard hypnotic regression but focuses on past life (or lives).

In a typical hypnotic regression (this life), the experience is usually quick, lasting about 5 to 20 minutes per session. The goal is to directly access a specific situation—often uncomfortable—transform it, and leave it behind in the past where it belongs.

Representations from the past

In past life regression, the experience is much longer, often lasting 1 to 2 hours per session. This is because the objective is to explore and better understand the past (and lives). It is a more indirect approach that includes multiple scenarios, not all of which may be equally significant or uncomfortable. Some situations might even be pleasant and enjoyable.

People sometimes ask:

“Are the memories from a past life regression real?”

The answer is the same as with any memory you have in this life: No!

No memory is truly real.

The memories you hold are representations (thoughts) of what you believe happened, but they are not REAL. As explained earlier, memories are representations of what you think happened. Information about an event is often omitted, fades, changes, or is added.

Your emotional state during the act of remembering also plays a role. In a positive mood, you recall positive elements more easily, whereas a negative mood brings forward negative elements.

So, the question is not whether the memories are real because they never are.

The real question is: What do these representations mean to you?

And This Is Great News!

While you can’t change the past, you can change your representations of the past in the here and now.

This means you can:

• Shift your perspective and view the situation from a different angle, leading to new insights.
• Change the meaning of the situation, turning it from a perceived weakness into a strength.
• Adjust the importance of the situation. Perhaps the event no longer seems important and can be forgotten, while its valuable lessons remain. Or maybe the event gains importance as you extract deeper insights from it.

In Summary:

Whether it’s a hypnotic regression into this life or a past life, it doesn’t really matter.

You can always change the representations of the past within your system to improve the quality of your life in the here and now.

You don’t need to believe in past lives to use this valuable tool for personal development and positive transformation.

If you don’t believe in past lives, you can simply view a past life regression as an extended metaphor, experienced like a daydream, filled with insights, understandings, and perhaps even revelations about your current situation or challenge.

And the best part? It works just as well!

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