Client Vitals
Male, 60+ years old.
Profession: Astrologer.
Presenting Concerns:
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Persistent shoulder pain for approximately 10 years.
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Emotional numbness.
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Long-standing guilt associated with the accidental death of a nephew during adolescence.
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Desire to understand recurring spiritual experiences and reconnect with a sense of inner purpose.
By Session 3, rapport had been established and the client had already demonstrated the ability to access symbolic imagery, emotional material, and altered states of consciousness.
Session 3
Following induction and deepening, the client initially experienced darkness and shifting colours. Rather than forcing imagery, I encouraged him to remain curious and simply observe.
The first stable symbols that emerged were a wolf, an eagle and a snake.
When asked about the snake, he identified it as Shiva’s snake.
Client: “It feels powerful.” “It knows everything.”
When asked what this power was meant for, he replied:
“To help everyone.”
As the session progressed, the client described a yogi living in snow-covered mountains.
The yogi possessed unusual abilities and could transform into animal forms.
When I asked how these abilities were used, the client responded:
“To roam.”
“To fly.”
“To experience freedom.”
Further exploration revealed an important insight.
Despite attaining advanced spiritual abilities, the yogi had largely used these gifts for personal freedom and pleasure rather than service.
The client then spontaneously stated. “My ability to see has been blocked.”
“My third eye has been blocked.”
He connected this blockage to the misuse of spiritual gifts. At this point, I invited him to move to the origin of this understanding. The imagery shifted dramatically.
The Temple
The client became aware of a vast temple structure. Initially he could only view it from a distance.
He described:
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Massive stone construction
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Endless carvings
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Pyramid-like architecture
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A location somewhere in Southern India
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A structure that appeared submerged beneath the ocean
Repeatedly, the phrase emerged: “He made it.”
As exploration continued, the client realised he was not the creator of the temple. Instead, he identified himself as a monk responsible for maintaining it’s energy.
The temple seemed dedicated to Lord Rama. Within the temple, a staircase led upward toward a brilliant yellow light.
At the top stood Kali Maa.
Client: “I feel calm.” “I know her.” “I am devoted to her.”
The Monk
The regression deepened.
The client understood that his role was to preserve and protect the energetic sanctity of the temple.
He described his devotion to Kali Maa as absolute.
When asked what his life’s purpose was, he replied:
“To maintain the energy.”
The atmosphere then changed.
A violent storm approached.
Water began flooding the temple complex.
The monk received a single instruction.
Protect Kali Maa.
The client described lifting the idol of Kali Maa onto his shoulder and attempting to carry it through the flooding structure.
As the water rose, exhaustion set in.
The burden became increasingly difficult to carry.
Client: “I cannot carry it much longer.”
“I am trying.”
“I have to save her.”
Eventually, he felt he could no longer continue.
The emotional tone shifted from devotion to profound guilt and failure.
Although no explicit death scene emerged, the emotional imprint was unmistakable.
The monk felt he had failed in a sacred responsibility.
Spiritual Integration
Later in the session, spontaneous chanting emerged.
“Om Namah Shivaya.”
The client repeatedly heard and experienced the mantra.
He then stated:
“I have lost my connection with Lord Shiva.”
When invited to explore further, he received a message that surprised him.
The issue was not knowledge.
The issue was belief.
Client:
“I have to believe again.”
“I need to reconnect.”
A blue gem covered with snake-like scales then appeared and guided him deeper into the temple.
The symbolism of Shiva, the snake, wisdom, devotion and spiritual vision remained consistent throughout the experience.
Session Outcome
The most significant therapeutic breakthrough occurred during integration work.
The client recognised a striking emotional parallel between the monk’s experience and a present-life event. As a teenager, he had blamed himself for the accidental death of his nephew. For decades, he carried guilt associated with not being present when the tragedy occurred.
The monk believed he had failed Kali Maa.
The boy believed he had failed his nephew.
Different stories.
The same emotional wound.
Responsibility.
Failure.
Self-punishment.
During subsequent processing, the client was able to forgive himself for the first time.
As the burden of guilt was finally released, something unexpected happened. The client reported that the chronic shoulder pain he had carried for nearly a decade was gone. The same shoulder that had borne the weight of the Kali idol in the regression no longer carried pain in the present.
Interestingly, the same shoulder involved in the present-life pain was the shoulder carrying the idol during the regression experience.
Reflections
Whether viewed as an authentic past-life memory, symbolic unconscious material, or an archetypal healing narrative, the session produced a coherent therapeutic theme.
The client entered carrying guilt.
The regression revealed a symbolic life organised around duty, devotion, burden and perceived failure.
Healing began when he recognised that carrying guilt was not an act of love but an act of self-punishment.
The final lesson expressed by the client was simple:
“I can finally let it go.”
For me, the session served as a reminder that the unconscious often speaks through symbols more eloquently than words. The psyche presented not merely a story, but a metaphor.
A man carrying a sacred burden on his shoulder. And finally, learning he was never meant to carry it forever.
Namaste
Vinya
beautifully held sessions!