Open to the past

Last night on 20/20 there was a segment on Past Lives, hypnotic regression that takes people back to past lives where they suffered some trauma that leads to a phobia with no ready cause in the future. Eg., fear of birds and feathers, a hear of holes, etc...

The ad...I mean reportive segment focused on one hypnotherapist (who's name I can't remember and wouldn't repeat if I could because I refuse to give her more recognition), who regressed people and uncovered traumatic moments (although not lives, just glimpses) that led them to being completely cured! Wow!

There was the token skeptic, one Vicki Hyde, Chair-entity of the New Zealand Skeptics, who was, of course, skeptical. However, the reporting advert didn't let that get in the way, and gave the last word to the therapist. After all, if it works, what is the problem?

*Ahem.*

A) Slippery Slope Number One. "Hey, you've got a past life? Give me $1,000, and I'll research it for you... oh, I'll need another $1,000... another $5,000 would be useful... hey, $100,000 and I'll write a biography and put it in the library for you!"

B) Slippery Slope Number Two. "Had a past life? Then this $2 crystal, which I will gladly sell you for $200, will protect you against harmful influences from back then. And this homeopathic water, for a mere $500, can cure you of any ills in this life. And don't forget to realign your chakras and atune your body to the vibrations of the universe, and give me lots and lots of money."

C) Real Life Past? Hello? What if these people really are living past lives? What does that say about our reality? Don't you want to know if this is real? Don't you want to think about the scientific possibilities???? Amazing advances in our knowledge all around! ("...if...")

D) Brain Power. Somehow the brain is creative strange phobias for reasons we don't know. That in and of itself is incrediably interesting and worth investigating. But under hypnosis, the brain comes up with a scenario about how this fear could have arisen, and, once faced with a "rational" explanation, can move past the fear. Isn't that an incrediably interesting area of investigation as well? It could teach us so much about how the brain works. And enable us to be able to refine even more treatments to help people far more effectively.

If the hypnosis is effective, then there is interesting science going on. If it isn't, then you are contributing to the delusion of humanity. Hell, yeah, there's an issue if it's real or not.