You Are Getting Sleepy . . . Very Sleepy

Yesterday, I watched The Best of the Oprah Show and Super Soul Sunday, which is televised on OWN Network. It is a popular show with speakers like Deepak Chopra, Iyanla Vanzant, Tony Robbins and others who show people how to live spiritually, live their best life, and be their authentic self. You know, the Oprah thing. 

So I watched the show where Dr. Weiss, a prominent psychiatrist, was talking about Past Life Regression. Apparently, this famous psychiatrist is no backyard quack, he had a prestigious career, went to an ivy league school, and was the head of a hospital.

As the story goes, awhile back this doctor had a patient he treated named Mary. He notes she was a practicing Catholic and he was a skeptic so they didn't believe in Past Life Regression, basically saying they aren't crazy people. While he had her under hypnosis to help her with other issues she started talking about her past lives. He didn't know what to make of it until Mary, while under hypnosis, mentioned details about his son who passed away, his daughter being named after his father, and other information she could not possibly know. So at the risk of his career and after researching this for years, he published his book, Many Lives, Many Masters. There are more interesting details but you get the idea and whether or not it is true, it is interesting.

Here's the thing, Dr. Oz was on the show also. The psychiatrist had put Dr.Oz under hypnosis (privately) and ta da, Dr. Oz said he experienced previous lives or something like it!! Now you know if Dr. Oz says something is true it has some weight. Seriously, Dr. Oz doesn't seem like the type of guy who would lie about his experience. He has too much to lose with his practice and TV career.

I don't know if we have past lives or not but anything where we find out more about ourselves or the condition of our human existence is interesting. I wanted to see if I had past lives or if this really happens when under hypnosis. The only problem, I can't afford to go to a psychiatrist to get hypnotized! We have kids so taking out money for this rather than, I don't know, paying the electric bill probably wouldn't set well with my husband. I could probably afford the local psychic down the street, you know the type, with the sign *Psychic* blaring in neon lights out of her home window. However, she would probably give me a tarot reading, tell me I have the Death Card, say I was a crazy person in my past life, and ask me to give her an extra $200 so she can come and burn sage and incense in my house to get rid of evil spirits. No, can't see myself doing that. So I decided to do the next best thing, for free!

I tried to hypnotize my husband to see if it works.

Yes, folks. I know what you're saying. My husband is my guinea pig for everything: reading my stories, testing recipes, tasting expired food, being hypnotized. Until he protests, I just go with it.

So I had him lay back in a chair while I sat on a bench close to him.
"Just relax," I said.
"I don't think this is going to work," he said.
"I know, but let's try. Close your eyes."
He closed his eyes.
"You are getting sleepy, very sleepy."
He burst out laughing.
"You have to try and take this seriously or it won't work."
"Fine."
"Listen to the sound of my voice," I said calmly. "I'm going to count to 5 and you are going to be very relaxed 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 ."
He starts laughing again. "Wait a minute. You said you were only going to count to 5."
"Oh, yea, that's right. Okay, close your eyes again."
He closes his eyes.
"I'm going to count to 10 and then count backwards. Breathe deeply as I count. 1, 2 . . .3. . .4, 5, 6 "
He opens his eyes. "If you're going to count you have to count in an even tone. Not 1,2,3...4,5...6"
"Just close your eyes and relax!" I said. "Okay, let's move on. I want you to think about your earliest childhood memory."
"I don't remember back that far," he said.
"Just pick something and try to remember it already."
"Okay, I remember when I was young and my family and a bunch of friends were sitting outside in our backyard and there was a fire going. The neighbors came over and we were all singing."
"And what happened?"
"My parents made me go to bed."
"Okay, how did that make you feel," I said as a psychologist would do.
"I wanted to stay up but I was young."
"Now think of your past lives," I said. "What is happening?"
I see his brow furrow as if he isn't buying this.
"Maybe you were a solider in an army?" And then we both lost it and laughed hysterically.

So then he said, "Let me try and hypnotize you."
"Okay."
"Relax," he said.
And then the neighbors weed whacker went on next door. I tried to tune it out.
"I want you to go into a deep sleep.What is your earliest memory?"
The neighbors weed whacker went on full blast.

By the time we were done we realized there is a reason why husbands and wives don't hypnotize each other. I guess I'll have to go to the neighborhood psychic lady's house down the street and find out if I was a crazy person in my previous life.