Product Description

The true story of a prominent psychiatrist, his young patient, and the past-life therapy that changed both their lives.


As a traditional psychotherapist, Dr. Brian Weiss was astonished and skeptical when one of his patients began recalling past-life traumas that seemed to hold the key to her recurring nightmares and anxiety attacks. His skepticism was eroded, however, when she began to channel messages from the "space between lives," which contained remarkable revelations about Dr. Weiss' family and his dead son. Using past-life therapy, he was able to cure the patient and embark on a new, more meaningful phase of his own career.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #24163 in Books
• Published on: 2001-04-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 272 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780446676922
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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Amazon.com Review
Author and physician Brian Weiss first delved into the realm of past-life therapy in his highly successful and controversial book Many Lives, Many Masters. Although he has since developed a huge following in the field of "regression therapy" (in which clients are hypnotized in order to access previous lifetimes), Weiss has focused this latest book on the here and now. "Past lives are still a significant concept and value for me, but understanding and expressing love, joy, and inner peace in my everyday life have become more significant," Weiss explains.

Weiss, who is now an internationally sought-after lecturer, uses his teaching voice to address happiness and love in our current lifetimes. This is indeed a "how-to" book, packed with ambitious discussions on why we choose to "come back" to our current lives and the role of fate. He also devotes many chapters to spiritual self-help, showing readers why it's important to let go of anger, develop a loving spiritual family, and cultivate love and compassion. No, these are not new or original concepts. But those who liked the past-life visions and riveting anecdotes in Many Lives, Many Masters will find themselves equally riveted. --Gail Hudson

From Publishers Weekly
According to Weiss, the earth is like a "chaotic one-room schoolhouse" in which evolving souls reincarnate to learn faith, charity, compassion and the transcendence of fear and anger. The author, a psychiatrist and expert in psychopharmacology, was moved to learn more about reincarnation after patients under hypnosis described detailed, verifiable memories of past-life experiences. Meditation and work with mediums then brought him in contact with "master spirits," who helped him develop a psychoanalytic method grounded in spirituality. The spirits' messages, which Weiss first presented in Many Lives, Many Masters, appear here in condensed form and elucidate themes such as karma, obstacles to happiness and joy, the reunion of soul mates and love's capacity to connect souls across all dimensions. The author employs case studies, some involving celebrities like singer Gloria Estefan and bestselling author and medium James Van Praagh, to explain past-life regressions, near-death experiences and communication with deceased loved ones. While Weiss's points about the paranormal are provocative, his book would have benefited from the addition of case studies clarifying how the integration of spirituality into psychotherapy enhances the healing process. And his contention that contemporary psychotherapies lack spiritual roots and are "in their death throes" will be widely challenged in psychiatric circles. Still, his work sheds light on a controversial topic worthy of serious attention. Agent, Joni Evans. (May)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"A divinely crafted tapestry interwoven with the gemstones and jewels of the ageless soul. MESSAGES FROM THE MASTERS is the ultimate guidebook to understanding the purpose and the fullness of who you are. Embrace and discover the eternal, healing elements of love, through the gentle wisdom of one of the world's most enlightened teachers." -- -James Van Praagh, author of Talking to Heaven

Customer Reviews

Universal wisdom, Amazing stories, Practical advice
The "Masters" are highly evolved souls not in physical form who pass along messages of love, wisdom and universal truth. Psychiatrist Brian Weiss, famous for his books on reincarnation, received these messages through various means including his own meditations and the past-life regressions of his patients. Whether someone is a long-time spiritual seeker or just beginning their spiritual journey, there is so much of value in this book!

In each chapter, I'm impressed by 3 things: (1) the quote from the masters that opens the chapter, (2) the amazing stories Weiss shares, and (3) the plethora of practical advice.

(1) Each chapter begins with a quote from the masters about 1 to 2 paragraphs long-a lot of wisdom packed into a few words. These messages include the importance of love, forgiveness, patience, meditation and visualization; and information about reincarnation and life in spiritual form. Although these messages corroborate other spiritual and metaphysical books I've read, it's great to have messages on so many topics succinctly boiled down to their essence in one book.

(2) Each chapter contains fascinating stories that reinforce the masters' quote which begins the chapter. The stories come from many sources including Brian Weiss' life, his regression patients and workshop participants, and experiences with talented mediums such as James Van Praagh. The stories are truly amazing, and if the reader believes the author is telling the truth, provide incontrovertible evidence the existence of the soul outside the human body via out of the body-, between life-, and reincarnation experiences. I recognized several stories from Weiss' previous books, but most were new. There were numerous cases of hypnotic regression patients, mediums, and workshop participants accessing information that no one would know except an individual and his or her deceased loved one, plus some spine-tingling "coincidences".

(3) "Messages from the Masters" is far more than wise quotes and cool stories. I'm impressed by the depth and wisdom of the advice. For example, in his chapter on psychics and mediums, Weiss devotes 4 pages discussing 10 rules of thumb for separating real ones from the fakes. Likewise, his chapter on teachers discusses discerning real teachers and gurus from pretenders. I'm impressed that the book doesn't just preach "peace and love" but provides so much practical advice one can use on a day-to-day basis. In addition, Weiss' commentary on the fallacies of modern psychiatry is quite interesting.

(4) Bonuses - Appendix A provides 7 spiritual teachings, each followed by passages from the sacred writings of major religions: Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism. Appendix B provides 2 meditations one can read into a tape recorder: a past life meditation and a healing meditation with dolphins.

Bottom line: this book is full of wisdom, fascinating stories, and practical advice. I highly recommend it to beginning spiritual seekers, long-term spiritual seekers, and skeptics alike.

One of the most important books you will ever read
Reincarnation. Many people believe we are on this planet to learn lessons, a spiritual school of sorts, and we keep returning until we get it right. While others still hold true to the tenets of their religions: We go to Heaven if we're good and to Hell if we're bad. While the belief in reincarnation has been part of the teachings in the eastern countries for centuries, it is a relatively new concept for many in the west. Have you ever visited a place for the first time and known where to find everything without the use of a guidebook or map? You just knew as though you had lived there before. Well, maybe you did live there in a previous life. Psychiatrist Brian Weiss has spent the past twenty years learning more and more about reincarnation and past life regression. His fourth book, "Messages From the Masters: Tapping Into the Power of Love," promotes what Weiss feels is the most important lesson we can learn - Love. Weiss hasn't always believed in reincarnation. In fact, as a respected Yale University trained psychiatrist, he dealt in scientific fact. But, twenty years ago, when a patient visited his office for treatment to rid herself of numerous phobias, his beliefs slowly began to change. Weiss calls this patient Catherine in his first book, "Many Lives, Many Masters." In the book he tells the story of how when he used traditional regression therapy, sending Catherine back into her memory to her childhood to find the root of her fears, he was astonished to find her describing a life 4,000 years ago in a place like Babylon where she died in a flood. Weiss at first thought Catherine was experiencing a fantasy, or maybe remembering a movie. In any case, her fear of drowning disappeared. Over the next few months, Catherine regressed to many more lifetimes and with each one, another fear disappeared. Through research, Weiss found obscure records to document that Catherine had indeed remembered past lives. But, the one incident that truly convinced him that reincarnation is real is a message from the masters. During a regression session Catherine found herself between lives, in a spiritual state in which she met many masters, or higher enlightened beings with wisdom of the ages. In this state Catherine delivered a message to Weiss from his father, who Catherine addressed by his Hebrew name, a name she could not have known. Then another extraordinary thing happened. Catherine delivered a message to Weiss from his first-born son who died at just a few days old from a very rare heart condition. He was convinced. And his life will never be the same. After twenty years, four books and countless lectures around the world, Dr. Brian Weiss remains soft-spoken, humble, friendly, caring and loving. Quick with a smile, he is always amazed at the throng of people who flock to hear him speak. He says he is only the messenger. A messenger he may be, but to be in the same room with him you feel the presence of greatness. "I don't feel special," he said. "I'm a psychiatrist." Since Catherine, Weiss has regressed thousands of patients, successfully treating phobias as well as disorders such as asthma. He and his wife, Carole, also a therapist, have trained numerous others in the technique that has proven beneficial to so many people. And he has received many messages from the master spirits which some call angels or guides. Their one universal message is the power of love. "`Messages From the Masters' goes past regressions and reincarnation and really gets into the deeper levels and how to feel happier now," Weiss said during an interview at Liberties Books in Boca Raton. "This field which I call psychospiritual psychotherapy includes all elements: regression therapy, understanding at a deeper level, spiritual roots and a lot about love. Love is the basic energy, binding force and how it can help to dissolve fear and anxieties. There is really twenty years of my work in this book. Not just with regressions, but with relationships." The masters speak to Weiss through meditation, his patients, dreams, through mediums. He doesn't know why he was chosen but he feels that his ivy league education lends more credibility to his work in this field. "My motivating factor was grief," he said. "That's why I wrote the first book. Losing the baby, going through a grieving process. That was in 1971. Catherine didn't start until 1980. I was finding out it helped people with grief and grieving. That's why I took the risk of publishing the book. I had a job with tenure, a career, the whole thing. But knowing how terrible I felt during the grieving process, I wanted to help others through it." As it was, it took Weiss about four years to write "Many Lives, Many Masters" and he felt he was risking his career by doing so. Instead, other psychiatrists contacted him, saying they had similar experiences with patients. It opened up a whole new world for many. He has regressed patients thousands of years to cave dwellings, ancient Egypt and Greece. "They offer detailed descriptions of time, dress, culture in historical periods of which they have no familiarity or knowledge," he said. "A small percentage can speak a foreign language they had never known. I haven't met anyone famous yet. The overwhelming majority of past lives have been everyday people." His second book, "Through Time Into Healing," explores the healing potential of regression therapy. His third book, "Only Love is Real," is the spellbinding true story of two of his patients, two souls bound eternally by love. Whether or not you believe in reincarnation, "Messages From the Masters" is one of the most important books you will ever read. It will give you hope, and show you the power of love.

A good book for believers, a better book for skeptics.
If you are a believer in reincarnation, in the existence of the soul, & that we are here to learn how to love (the last being an expecially commendable belief) then this is the book for you. This is a book for believers.

For those of you who are skeptical, then I could not recommend a better book. Your wildest dreams could not have offered you more ammunition.

Sadly, a strong whiff of self-aggrandizement & egotism has entered into Weiss's work. For instance, Dr. Weiss's mention of having been contacted by Princess Diana shortly before her death seems less relevant and more like name-dropping. He also unnecessarily mentions his fame--repeatedly.

Worst of all, he repeatedly defends his scientific credentials. These sort of assertions, ironically, point up the book's greatest weakness. If a writer wishes to assert his scientific credentials, he does so by writing scientifically, not by repeatedly proclaiming them. Along the way, he makes numerous assertions without any effort to support them. And this is OK if you want to write a "popular" book, but Weiss shouldn't then claim for himself the scientist's mantle.

In the final analysis, he comes off as a pseudo-scientist of the worst sort. For example, on page 181 he writes:

"I knew immediately that the messages and images flowing into my awareness... pertained [to my patient]. 'Our task is not to follow Sai Baba,' the message began, 'but to *be* Sai Baba.' I patiently waited for more.'"

Setting aside the assertion that the Masters are now talking to Dr. Weiss, the fact that he (or they) endorse Sai Baba does irreperable damage to both the book and his (and their) reputation.

Sai Baba is a noted fraud and has been shown to be so through a variety of means (including on film). His sleights of hand, wherein he produces objects "out of thin air" are nothing more than common parlor tricks that every beginning magician learns. In the meantime, Sai Baba has been implicated in the murder of six of his followers (all in his bedroom).

To this reader at least, that Brian Weiss would print this kind of nonsense brings into question all the good work and research before it. He comes off as a dupe and the Masters as fools.

If you really wish to explore the ideas presented in this book by more rigorous minds, I strongly recommend Kenneth Ring's latest books ("MindSight" or "Lessons from the Light" for rigorous & *methodical* work), any work by Dr. Ian Stevenson (dry but rigorous), "Old Souls" by Tom Shroder (who has travelled with Dr. Stevenson), "Visitations from the afterlife" by Lee Lawson (who lets the stories speak for themselves), or "Intimate Death" by Marie de Hennezel.