Many Lives, Many Masters: The True Story of a Prominent Psychiatrist, His Young Patient, and the Past-Life Therapy That Changed Both Their Lives [Paperback]

Brian L. Weiss (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 15, 1988

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.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Psychiatry and metaphysics blend together in this fascinating book based on a true case history. Dr. Weiss, who was once firmly entrenched in a clinical approach to psychiatry, finds himself reluctantly drawn into past-life therapy when a hypnotized client suddenly reveals details of her previous lives. During one hypnosis session his client introduces the spirit guides who have been her soul therapists in between lives. This is when the story really takes off for Weiss, who discovers that these guides have specific messages about his dead son as well as Weiss's mission in life. No, we cannot verify the truth of this story using the limited scientific tools we have available. However, it is hard to dispute that this well-respected graduate of Columbia University and Yale Medical School has discovered a personal truth that has led him to be an enormously popular speaker, author, and leader in the field of past-life therapy. --Gail Hudson

From Publishers Weekly

In 1980, Weiss, head of the psychiatry department at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, began treating Catherine, a 27-year-old woman plagued by anxiety, depression and phobias. When Weiss turned to hypnosis to help Catherine remember repressed childhood traumas, what emerged were the patient's descriptions of a dozen or so of her hitherto unknown 86 past lives, as well as philosophical messages channeled from "Master Spirits." Catherine's anxieties and phobias soon disappeared, says Weiss, and she was able to end therapy. The previously nonspiritual, scientific Weiss, awed by Catherine's and the masters' revelations, has written this book to share his new-found knowledge about "immortality and the true meaning of life." Whether or not one believes in reincarnation and channeling, Weiss's book will disappoint. Catherine's descriptions of her past lives are not particularly compelling or insightful. Moreover, the teachings of the Master Spirits ("We are not to kill. . . . Only God can punish," "Charity, hope, faith, love . . . we must all know these things," and "Our body is just a vehicle for us while we're here. It is our soul and our spirit that last forever"), while admirable and comforting, are little more than restatements of traditional religious values.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 221 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone (July 15, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671657860
• ISBN-13: 978-0671657864
• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 0.6 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (475 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #702 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #1 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > New Age > Reincarnation
  • #77 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Psychology & Counseling

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

194 of 205 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Past Life/ Reincarnation Primer, January 17, 2002

By 

Carol Bardelli and Jerry Bardelli (Silver Springs, NV USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Many Lives, Many Masters: The True Story of a Prominent Psychiatrist, His Young Patient, and the Past-Life Therapy That Changed Both Their Lives (Paperback)

Many Lives, Many Masters by Brian L. Weiss, M.D. was an easy, enjoyable read. Well written and fast paced, I read it in one sitting. Most of the subject matter covered will not be new to a long-time student of reincarnation. This book is geared for readers new to the subject, as Dr. Weiss was at the time the events he describes took place. His analysis of events may annoy those who don't require concrete proof of spiritual realities. He offered no verifiable scientific proof of what he presented anyway. It was encouraging to see a serious scientist open his mind to faith without proof. Dr. Weiss' enlightenment on the subject (in this, his first book) is limited to one patient he regressed through 12 of her 86 past lives. The ones that are delved into aren't described in much depth. Though the regressions reveal personal insight into her present life difficulties, there's not much applicable universally. Some "Masters" he quotes seem a little too judgmental to be enlightened spirits: "Humans just destroy. They will eventually destroy themselves." Much of their wisdom offered little new in the way of insight: "Wisdom is achieved very slowly." The methods he describes using to obtain this material don't rule out contact with less enlightened spirits, which Dr. Weiss admits at one point. So the "many masters" may not have been masters at all. He does show how past life regression can be a powerful tool in healing emotional problems and phobias. Journey of Souls and Destiny of Souls by Michael Newton, Ph.D, another regression therapist, are much more in depth and informative, though they deal with life between lives more than the mechanics of reincarnation itself. If your budget calls for more bang for your buck, your money might be better spent on classic "must read" books on reincarnation: Many Mansions by Gina Cerminara & You Were Born Again To Be Together by Dick Sutphen. Two newer "must reads" are: Adventures in Reincarnation
by Brian Jamieson and Past Lives, Present Dreams : How to Use Reincarnation for Personal Growth
by Denise Linn

129 of 140 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Life changing, October 9, 2001

By 

Tarisita "biker-gal" (Norwalk, CT United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Many Lives, Many Masters: The True Story of a Prominent Psychiatrist, His Young Patient, and the Past-Life Therapy That Changed Both Their Lives (Paperback)

I cannot get 'into' a book very easily - and it can even take me months to finish one that interests me. I picked up this book, by suggestion of a friend, about 3 years ago. I sat down on a Sunday morning around 10AM and with the exception of making a quick sandwich and some 'natures call' breaks, I did not put this book down. Next thing I knew it was 5:00 in the afternoon and I had read the entire book. Right from the first few pages, it'll grab you. I've purchased this book for several friends and family members and I get the same response, "WOW!"

I'm generally a pretty intense, high-strung person. After reading this book, I really mellowed out and learned not to take things SO hard when they go wrong, to take things in stride. We're all here to "LEARN" - to be better people. Better spirits.

This book somehow taught me to live a healthier lifestyle, to be happier and really enjoy my life, my friends, my family. I'm now reading it for the 2nd time and I'm enjoying it just as much as the first time.

OBVIOUSLY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

63 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Book Has Changed My Life, February 20, 2002

By 

Taylor Janis (Sunnyside, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Many Lives, Many Masters: The True Story of a Prominent Psychiatrist, His Young Patient, and the Past-Life Therapy That Changed Both Their Lives (Paperback)

This book is amazing! I have been an atheist all my life despite (or is it as a result of?) attending Hebrew school as a child and Christian school from 4th through 12th grade. In my final year in college, I took an Intro to Buddhism course and was immediately intrigued by Buddhist teachings and philosophies. But my exploration of Buddhism hit a wall, because I could not convince myself to subscribe to one of the fundamental tennets of Buddhism: the belief in reincarnation. I just didn't believe in reincarnation at all. I was always of the "You Die and That's It" school. Nothing even remotely changed this view for years--until last week when I read this book. In the span of less than 24 hours, I went from not believing in reincarnation at all to being almost completely convinced of its existence.

I read this book with a very skeptical eye. But I also read it with objectivity, and, above all else, an intense desire to find truth. And I believe the account in this book to be factual. For the sake of argument, if it's a fake, it's an absolutely brilliant fake. But if it's completely authentic, then it's a phenomenal account that could change your life for the better. Either way, it's worth a read.