Monday 10 May 2010

Dr Michael Newton: Spirit Realm Trailblazer Or Fraud?

People who know me well or who read this blog know I am a great advocate of the work and findings of Dr Michael Newton (MN).

Recently, there have been an increasing number of signs around me that seems to validate what MN postulates in his books yet, the skeptic within compels me to scour the www to seek any articles that refutes MN convincingly.

Well, not only has Google not  found any "convincing" counters to MN, I do not remember seeing a single article that refutes him. To me, this is pretty amazing considering the power of Google. I am now more convinced that more people must read his two books, "Journey of Souls" and "Destiny of Souls". The books are available free online too but I would suggest getting and keeping personal copies from the bookshop.     

The interesting article below is extracted (without permission) from the website of someone named Larry Carter...another skeptic. I found it when Googling for "Michael Newton and fraud". Please read:


The Spirit World

OK, this is something I've never done before. I don't put bumper stickers on my car - I don't even wear t-shirts with messages on them - so this is as close as I've ever come to proselytizing. However, after 50 years of exploring the great and not-so-great religions of the world, I finally found something regarding the afterlife that makes sense to me. (If an afterlife where some souls play harp all day while others are poked by demons with pitchforks sounds to you like a "Saturday Night Live" skit, you know what I mean.) So, I'm taking a chance and sharing what I've learned in hopes that it might be important to someone else as well.

The basics
Michael Newton is a hypnotherapist, meaning his expertise as a therapist is hypnotizing people to help them recall and resolve hidden memories (childhood abuse, for instance) that are resurfacing as adult problems. As he developed a technique for leading people into deeper and deeper trance states, he discovered that with some particularly sensitive people he was able to get beyond their ego bodies and converse with their immortal souls through past life regression. (If you don't think you have an immortal soul that has reincarnated in numerous bodies, you might as well stop reading right now. If, however, you think you do have an immortal soul, why shouldn't it be able to speak for itself when your physical body is placed in a deep enough trance?) As he developed his technique further, instead of focusing on just past lives he began asking them to describe the time between lives - after death but before incarnating in a new body. Through thousands of such sessions over 30 years of work, he pieced together a view of the spirit world that is very specific and revealing.

New Age mumbo-jumbo
I don't generally pay much attention to people who relate near-death or past-life experiences because, frankly, it all sounds like New Age mumbo-jumbo to me. Near-death experiences (lights at the end of tunnels and such) are by definition NEAR death rather than the real thing, so any observations from someone who "came back" might be based on their physical body reacting to trauma. Past-life memories make a certain amount of sense to me since I believe in reincarnation, but they are also susceptible to current-life egos - like all those people who insist they were someone famous like Cleopatra.

This, however, is something different. If Newton is telling the truth, thousands of people from very different spiritual backgrounds - from atheists to religious zealots - all give about the SAME DETAILS under deep hypnosis of what it is like in the spirit world. These details are far, far too specific to be explained as mere ego fantasies or coincidences, and since he claims to ask non-directive open-ended questions during hypnosis, the consistency of what he claims they report is startling. It is the CONSISTENCY OF DETAILS reported by thousands of very different clients that is most persuasive for me.

Fact or fraud?
Since his books include actual transcripts of hypnotherapy sessions where clients are reporting details regarding the spirit world, what it comes down to is that either these transcripts are real or he's just making the whole thing up. If this is all a hoax, it is an extremely elaborate one that he has somehow managed to carry on for decades. His books have sold around half a million copies over the last 13 years, so critics have had plenty of time and reason to expose any fraud. Given the thousands of people he claims to have personally had sessions with since the 1970s, and given that he has trained other hypnotherapists who have used his technique on countless more people, it seems unlikely to me that he would be able to maintain such an elaborate hoax over such a long period of time without someone, somewhere exposing any fraud. Although he certainly has his critics, I haven't been able to find anything that actually debunks his research claims. IF YOU CAN, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. Until that point, I'm inclined to put my SKEPTICISM (see below) aside and assume that the session transcripts he includes in his books really happened.

It - like - resonates with me, man!
There is an important qualifier: I suspect the spirit world is actually beyond human comprehension (why should the way it REALLY is be limited to what we can comprehend with human brains?), so I suspect any discussion of life after death relates to what REALLY happens in the same way that a kindergarten class in learning to count relates to advanced algebra. Given this limitation, however, this explanation is the first one I've heard that (as they say in California) resonates with me. Further, it seems quite compatible with what I consider to be the underlying assumptions of all peaceful world religions - being kind to others, practicing forgiveness, living a life of service, accepting consequences for decisions that hurt others, requesting spiritual guidance, believing the soul outlives the body, seeing spirit in all matter, striving toward the One, etc.

Leap of faith
Therefore, I'm willing to take the leap of faith and say that, despite some unanswered questions, this is what I believe. If you are interested in knowing what he has to say, a good place to start might be a 30-minute interview with him that someone posted on YouTube.Com. Click HERE or, if that doesn't work, go to www.YouTube.Com and search for "Michael Newton between lives." If the interview appeals to you, you might want to read one of his books - particularly Journey of Souls or Destiny of Souls. They basically amount to transcripts from his hypno-therapy sessions, plus commentary by him. His third book is an instruction handbook for other hypnotherapists interested in learning his technique. Used copies of his books are readily available from places like www.Amazon.Com for under $10.

And there you have it.

Larry, November 2007

***********************************
 
Postcript #1: My SKEPTICISM is based on the following:

1) As a PhD, Newton is very familiar with the rigors of academic research, so what's with the total lack of substantiation for his claims? If this isn't a hoax, his findings are monumental and deserve academic validation - independent reviews of session tapes, for example. If he can include transcripts in his books, he should be able to make the original tapes available for peer review. Anecdotal evidence is interesting for the casual reader, but doesn't really validate his claims. On the other hand - perhaps he just isn't interested in convincing skeptical academics.

2) As a playwright myself who has struggled with writing dialogue, his transcripts don't sound very real. Perhaps that's because the subjects are in deep hypnosis, or because at the soul-level we all sound alike, or because he has edited the transcripts to make them more readable without altering the actual content - or perhaps it's because he's making the transcripts up as he goes.

3) Hypnotism is hardly new - some say it has been commonly practiced by Shamans and healers for thousands of years - so why is he the first person to tell us this specific information? Granted, he claims to have developed hypnosis techniques that allow him to go deeper into the trance state than normal, but even this doesn't sound all that unique. Given how exacting his information is, why haven't these very specific details found their way into numerous tribal mythologies? On the other hand, New Age enthusiasts insist that THIS is the most critical time in human history, and that we should expect spiritual messengers to be among us to lead us into the "new age" of our development.

4) Despite the above reservations, the way he describes the spirit world sounds very convincing to me. Ironically, it is SO convincing that it makes me suspicious. If I were to create a hoax regarding the spirit world, his multi-tiered system of non-judgmental educational development is about how I would have designed it myself. In other words, I am suspicious of being seduced by a vision that is so similar to what I would have created if I had been writing fiction. I realize this is a double-bind, but so be it.

***********************************

Postscript #2 - Here are a couple of interesting REVIEWS I found on Amazon.Com from people who claim to have undergone hypnotherapy from either Newton or someone trained by him. Although plenty of reviewers disagreed with him, I didn't find any that disputed the integrity of his claims.

Review #1 - It is the truth and he is legitimate, January 2, 2002

By Reviewer "draiguisge" (Seattle, WA)

I first read Journey of Souls a few years ago, and had the same feeling of resonance that many reviewers did. But I wasn't convinced and still wanted to know more. I wrote to a reviewer on this site who had visited him, and following her suggestion, wrote to Dr. Newton for an appointment. At the time, he had a three-year waiting list, and was seeing about 2-3 clients a week. I saw him just before Destiny of Souls was completed, and while I did not experience my memories with the same clarity the subjects in his book did, I can say with utter certainty that Dr. Newton is not making it up, and is not manipulating his readers.

From my conversations with him, I have found him to be very intelligent, caring, funny, and honest. My experience in hypnosis was a bit unsettling for me, as much as the skeptic in me wanted to dismiss the truths I had learned about myself, I could not attribute my memories to anything that I had seen in his books or elsewhere. Nor did he plant the ideas in my head. He is absolutely the stubborn investigator he describes in his books and challenged the things I said, questioned me during the session, compared to things I had said earlier to make sure I was still saying the same things. Then, at the end of the session told me where I had said something similar to his other clients that had not been in Journey of Souls (but is now in Destiny), such as my detailed explanation of the medallion worn by one of the "Council" members.

In retrospect, I think the most amazing thing about my session was my casual attitude - as I talked about "unbelievable" things like hybrid souls I might as well have been telling him "the sky is blue" with the nonchalant way I felt. In fact, a few times I did get frustrated with his questioning, the same way someone would if challenged with "No, the sky is GREEN". What I was saying felt then, as it does now, to be nothing but pure and simple truth.

For the further skeptical, my small claim to fame is that one of his "One of my clients said.." comments to illustrate a point about soul names was something I told him after my session. So I know that whenever he says a client said something, they did.
________________________________________

Review #2 - My Experience of Life Between Life, May 26, 2007

By Reviewer "miteyoak" (Sacramento, CA)

I read this book almost 10 years ago, and it totally made sense with the way that I had always believed. I signed up to be on the waiting list for a regression, and I received a letter stating there was an 18 month or so waiting list. I only lived about an hour away from Grass Valley. I never heard anything. Then, about 5 years ago, I had a life between life regression from somebody who was trained by Newton. I had always wondered if I would lose my will and hypnosis would make me cluck like a chicken or if they would plant suggestions, but it isn't like that at all. First, they relax you and then they will ask you a question about what you see. I really saw things -- not always as clear as if I was watching TV -- but, I was able to get images and information and feel real feelings -- it was a very real experience. And, there isn't any way that my conscious mind could have fabricated what I saw. The whole process was mind blowing, and yet it eased my mind. I really went before a council of elders, and the some of the issues I had then are still issues in this life. I wouldn't have been able to make the link at the time -- and even during the process. It is only now -- several years later -- that I can see the pattern and see its relevance. It is hard to process everything all at once.

***********************************
Postscript #3 - Having recently read Newton's 3rd book (basically an instruction manual for how experts already trained in hypnosis and therapy can use his technique) I am even more convinced that he is telling the truth as he sees it. After all, if he had made up all of these session dialogues up as a hoax, it seems highly unlikely that he would start a school to train other hypnotherapists on how to use his technique.
________________________________________

Postscript #4 - I find Newton's research to be compatible with the wide variety of spiritual practices I enjoy exploring. Below are links to some of my personal favorites.

39 comments:

pegacorna said...

I am new to learning of his practices but I have to agree, its very enlightening to me. It speaks to me. Something about it seems right.

Anonymous said...

Great article, many thanks.

Wendalore said...

I'm also Googling Michael Newton. Just finishing up his four books (the first one he wrote, last! (Journey of Souls) I think it's amazing, and I trying to poke holes in it, but on the other hand, of course I don't want to! Someone poked holes in the Long Island Medium and I haven't been the same since!!

My biggest problem is, that if this is all true, why isn't it internationally recognized? Know what I mean? If anyone wants to write me with further proof or pokes, I'm at judithlee2@verizon.net.
I'm also a believer in near death experiences. It isn't automatic, and there are a lot of people who say it's just The Natural Brain producing them. However, once you've read three or four hundred, you get a deeper feeling for what they are. I believe the mind is separate from the physical brain. Just as Newton also says. Well, I may try it myself, as there is a Michael Newton hypnotist nearby.
Been studying the afterlife for three years, since my 42 year old daughter died. Didn't believe in a personal afterlife before that. I strongly believed in a creator, though. I discovered NDEs right after she died. What a gift! Thanks, Naomi.
Wendalore.

Anonymous said...

I am also new ...this is my 2nd day!

But I need to know more. First of all can anybody give me a link to where I can read Newton's books online? I am blind and it is ony by magnifying font up to 32 that I can read. So a book is not much use to me.

I am 69 and also new to this entire subject although f few days ago I was reading about reincarnation regressions particularly among very young children.

I have also been reading about NDEs for a couple of years or so and am convicted. I have my own NDE group on Facebook.

What led me to MN was an attempt to define body soul and spirit. The Bible, being full of metaphors did not help me.

I googled and read something Edgar Cayce said before arriving at a kind of definition by MN.

My studies on NDEs and other OOPE and reincarnations is forcing me to understand HOW the spirit or soul leaves the body and maintain consciousness while the brain has flat lined.

Anybody able to explain this? My email is hydebrian@yahoo.co.uk

Blessings

Anonymous 2

Anonymous said...

I just finished journey of souls. Did anyone else wonder if it's possible that the souls are separate from us and just sharing our bodies. Maybe we are our conscious selves and they are our subconscious?

Anonymous said...

I was wondering this myself. Like this is some sort of symbiotic relationship. I was also wondering if every human has a soul in them, or just some. A subject in journey of souls mentioned that souls go to earth to help. And another subject said that in one life he abused his girlfriend, so he came back as a girl who gets abused. So these souls can see the future, but get judged after a cycle about decisions they made in that life. What if the abused girl decided to leave that situation? Newton says in the book that we still have free will. Or the souls do. So do souls pick us just to see what it's like to struggle? Or are the souls really struggling also? Don't really understand.

Unknown said...

Has anyone thought to research the claims of these clients? I mean some give specific names, dates and places of past lives. There has to be documentation of their existence if it's legit.

Lynn said...

Yes! I wrote to the Newton Institute to ask and they just sent me a list of people trained in his technique. There was a section where he talked about kids carrying on conversations with their souls. What? If we are our souls why would that happen? Which part of my mind is my body and which part is my soul? Therefore, which part will live forever and which part will die? I can't help but feel like I'm not moving on but my intruder is.

Lynn said...

Yes! I wrote to the Newton Institute to ask and they just sent me a list of people trained in his technique. There was a section where he talked about kids carrying on conversations with their souls. What? If we are our souls why would that happen? Which part of my mind is my body and which part is my soul? Therefore, which part will live forever and which part will die? I can't help but feel like I'm not moving on but my intruder is.

Zeke Aln said...

Ok.. so no-one has produced a shred of evidence that what MN teaches is fake, this leaves me with a loss of understanding then why it is that these afterlife soul source systems of which my research indicates a variety of beliefs. Why do these systems require negative (evil) sufferings to stimulate ascention? Could these soul creators even operate their program without such negative (evil) sufferings?

If the absolute devine soul creator seperated part of itself to create (us), this creator being absolute already... what then will be gained when all its soul creation returns to be one again with this creator??

Zeke Aln said...

Another confusion I have which I would graciously request someone to enlighten me on.

MN's hypnosis subjects speak of a place where failed souls are taken. This place is referred to as the Black Sea. My question is, why is the place so large? A sea is like an ocean. How many souls would it take to create a sea of failed souls?

It is stated that these failed souls were placed in this sea to have their life energy rebuilt. It was stated that these were there because they were the cause of too much suffering and abuse to humanity.

The structure if the soul source system appears to me to be in the appearence of a pyramid.... massive on the bottom with failed souls, while very small on the top with ascended masters. Is this absolute soul creator failing?? And the black sea is a red flag of this fact??

Zeke Aln said...

Do beginner souls with flaming out of control egos sit in the seats of goverment and rule our world? These beginner souls lusting after fame and fortune with absolutly no spiritual ascention lessons learned. Void of any real understanding or compassion of "love".

Michael Newton books reveal that this is a true reality!! Is this why evil is so active and powerful in our world??

historypak said...

I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often. hypnotist nyc

Zeke Aln said...

I only post this comment because you present yourself as a truth seeker. Now that you believe that you have found the truth, it is your turn to enlighten me!

You post how no-one has given you reason to doubt Michael Newtons teachings. Although it is not my intent to be that one, as I also believe what Michael Newton taught, these comments that I post on your sight, I trully seek answers to for my own understanding.

You appear to choose to omit and ignor the Eastern religious teachings on the afterlife. These Eastern beliefs on the afterlife cleary disagree and contradict the newage Western teachings on the afterlife, including Michael Newtons. Either one teaching is wrong, or there are more then one afterlife soul creator gods systems.

Could you please comment on this as well as the other comment questions which I have previously posted, which you appear to have garbaged.

Zeke Aln said...

I have re-read some of these comments, and wonder if you have come to a conclusion about the additiinal we host?

I miss my son said...

My son died 10 days ago..at 20yrs old. I just bought Journey of Souls..should I read it? Will it make me feel better or should I immediately take it back. .I am so devestated..i need assurance. Thank you

George Mobley said...

I am deeply, deeply sorry about your son, and from experience I feel that only time will ease the pain though it may never completely go away. But it will become lighter to bear.

I lost my grandson in Iraq; it hurts still. But I have read Dr. Newton's books. I am nearly through the third one now. By all means keep Journey of Souls, read it, think about it, and then read it again. It will give you a deep perspective, a suggestion of "why", and a pathway to hope.

In my long life, I have worked in areas of the world where Eastern beliefs predominate; but I have found that the insights gained from Dr. Newtons books make the most sense to my western mind. They ring true and they harmonize with a very few deep experiences I have had over my life. I have searched widely and have found no-one that has been able to debunk his research, his methods, his integrity or his findings. They paint a picture of love, forgiveness and total support as well as a winder into a broader reality where there is no death, no judgement and no separation.

By all means read the book, and may it help lead you down a pathway to peace.

Zeke Aln said...

Please George. Why do me questions offend you?

Peace said...

That's what it looks like! And my answer to why the earth morals and evil is more massive now although souls on earth are supposed to be progressing now not regressing since we have been living for millions of years, is that since the population is growing massively the number of Young( newly made) souls outnumber the Old souls.

KandieJM said...

The death of my 25 year old son on October 12th, 2016 has me reeling and searching for answers, as well. I stumbled across Richard Martini's book Flipside which speaks often of Michael Newton's work. I read Brian Weiss's Many Lives Many Masters in 1999 and randomly re-read it last summer. I feel like it was to help me prepare for this devastating loss. I was researching Newton before reading his books just so I could figure out how many grains of salt needed to read his work, which is how I stumbled onto your blog. I want answers not b.s. fluff.

Zeke Aln said...

I lost my son at 24, I am interested in knowing what conclusions you have drawn

Zeke Aln said...

Yes, that is very logical reasoning.

Zeke Aln said...

Yes, that is very logical reasoning.

ImmortalMan said...

While I believe Newton didn't make up any of the stories, I think some his clients might be imagining stuff during the hypnosis sessions. One subject said he was given a choice to be born in one of New York, Los Angeles or another place. How would these human made names be used in the pre-birth planning? It makes no sense. Also how does it fit with the primary soul group theory that you get born into the families of the same souls again and again? If the choices were as wide as 3 cities, it implies Karma determines where you can get born, not the primary soul group. Also Newton says there is no time in the spirit world yet says there is a beginning for souls, and that they are created in an enormous array of incubators or something.

LifeBalance said...

I am also confused by some of the stories, told by clients. It is said that souls choose themselves conditions and scenario of their lives. Then, one person, who committed suicide told, that she chosen nice and peaceful life with his husband and suddenly (!) he died falling from roof. She got angry at him after she died and went to soul's heaven. How this could be?

Also, clients often told that they feel anger, frustration and other negative feelings up there. I wonder, how this could be possible if in soul world everybody realizes that they are the one. Here, in material world we are conditioned by our bodies and feel separate, but there...

Just a little said about God, close to nothing.

I didn't find any reference of any described case to documented facts yet, like if person described his death in 1939 in England some particular place and date and there should be proof in historical papers.

Theory based upon visions of hypnotized people. Who knows, what they sees in real?

Anonymous said...

Has anyone come to any conclusions on the issue above, regarding whether we, the conscious observer, the "I" that asks the question, is the mortal or immortal part of the relationship?
Please post links, of possible!

Zeke Aln said...

Personally, after many years of study and life's observations, I conclude that the afterlife accounts as described by Michael Newton, are very authentic!!

However, I also conclude that the creator of these souls is not a righteous creator, but an evil one, as is spoken of in the Bible, (I am not religious, or a follower of the Bible) who is referred to as Satan! This system masquarades as angels of light, but are: deceitful workers of iniquity!!! Suffering, and evil are required for this system to operate! A true righteous God of love being the absolute would have evolved through evil and sufferings throughout its learning curve of ascention, and would not require its creation to again experience such evils since its created souls already have experienced it before, since its soul creation are a part of this creator!!

Think about this!!



Zeke Aln said...

It didn't appear that this is a very active or successful site.

I wish to make this comment that I want readers to think about.

In the original king James Bible, when god made man, he breathed into him the breath of life. Then, man became a living soul!! Today's new age of enlightenment believes that the breath this god breathed into man is the living soul..... the etheric substance of breath becomes the soul... NO,god said that man....the physical substance.... became the soul, not the breath!!

Thus, new age soul source creators are fake... They are etheric, and nothing but hot air!!!

Joe Kenney said...

He clearly states at the end of Destiny of Souls that you and your soul are one and the same. And all humans have a soul. Only difference is the effect of the nervous system; this creates the ego of "I," which is still you. The subconscious is just the unsullied link to the remainder of your soul, back in eternity.

Joe Kenney said...

I believe he said many leaders ARE higher souls?? And doctors. And I saw an interview where he said the highest soul he ever contacted was an acupuncturist.

Joe Kenney said...

I think you are on the wrong track. The books clearly state the souls choose to come here, even though earth is one of the toughest worlds to incarnate on. The principle is you must suffer and overcome it before you can help others who suffer...a world of peace and light IS the after world, why incarnate for the same experience?

Joe Kenney said...

Lynn2, the books clearly state that the soul is not fully unified with the body until age 5 or so. Mostly because souls feel trapped and bored inside a newborn/toddler body. I'm convinced those babycam clips you can see online of "ghosts" hovering around baby cribs are the souls returning from afar.

Anonymous said...

This book helped me cope with the sudden loss of my 21 year old Son. It gave me what I needed.

Anonymous said...

The goal of our journey is to return to the one to be whole. Reincarnation to the 3rd dimension is very effective in our striving for this goal. How we perceive this and go about it are entirely unique to the individual. It comes down to having faith in what you are doing (trying to achieve) while being pulled in many directions while incarnated in said 3rd dimension.

Anonymous said...

Religion and spirituality are two different things. There are no wrong answers or perceptions. Just us and our individual choices.

Zeke Aln said...

I believe that this earthly realm is a universl human incubator where every form of evil is experimented with!

Zeke Aln said...

Read my blog.....The Love f God and the Polarity Integration Game Failure Number Three.

Anonymous said...

My question also

Zeke Aln said...

There are many afterlife hypnotists, too mant to question the authenticity of such a reality!... Another interesting one I have read, is Delores Cannon...