Rating: 
Summary: Recommended to me, recommended to you
Review: A friend's daughter-in-law told me about this book over Thanksgiving dinner last year. She had done past life regression therapy which helped resolve her volatile relationship with her boyfriend. My interest in the book was the idea that the fear of death pervades most of what we do and don't do--and that if we can overcome that fear, we can live our lives more freely with positive purpose. My husband and I have read the book and really had our eyes opened to some new and fascinating ideas. This book has led us to read other books challenging us to think more about our world, how we interact with others, what is important about being here today. I highly recommend Many Lives, Many Masters.
Rating: 
Summary: hmm.
Review: A truly fascinating read but where are the hard facts he keeps talking about? I don't disbelieve in reincarnation, but I wonder why the actual transcripts aren't in this book. Or verifications of dates, historical occurances, etc. that Catherine mentioned while in her trances. I want to see the scientific method at work here, doctor! It's absence is suspicious.
Rating: 
Summary: Comfort fast food
Review: Although I am an agnostic, I have a strong interest in religion and faith. This book was recommended to me by someone who thought I would agree with its ideas of renewable, immortal life forces. While I found it interesting, I am doubtful of its validity. If Dr. Weiss is the super-accomplished clinician he makes himself out to be, why is he so accepting of everything his hypnotized patient blurts out? The author rushes to incredible conclusions regarding the nature of all things, without applying any scientific scrutiny. How about sharing your conclusions, tapes, etc. with some other scientists for verification? This book raises more questions than it answers: what about animals - do they live many lives? what about evolution - why didn't the patient ever talk about her life as an anthropoid ape? While I believe that our bodies and minds run on some sort of energy that may or may not pass on to other people after we die (Zen Buddhists would agree that there is some sort of "spiritual" connection among all living things), I doubt that this entails friendly master spirits who take the time to convey pithy little lessons (in English no less) to the likes of Dr. Weiss. Talk of master spirits and multiple levels of learning, etc. sounds like wishful thinking by someone trying to put a human spin or structure on phenomenon that our puny human brains are most likely incapable of truly understanding. Although Dr. Weiss's attempt has probably sold a lot of books.
Rating:
Summary: Convincing best seller
Review: Brian Weiss wrote a very convincing book but Laurent Guyenot in "lumière nouvelles sur la réincarnation" (a french book) has the intellectual ability to analyze what the reincarantion can be making B. Weiss appear naive and his book weak. Very very weak!
Rating:
Summary: Selfserving and Disappointing
Review: Disappointing to anyone who would like their belief in reincarnation validated. Examples of glaring problems with Dr. Weiss' assertions include:
1) We do not know about any of Catherine's interests and hobbies. Were history and acting among them?
2) Catherine is described as simple and honest and therefore unlikely to make up her previous lives. In light of her several year long affair with a married physician (with children) that description of Catherine's character appears a bit misleading.
3) Catherine conveniently forgets anything that could be factually verified. Her previous "self", including most recent ones, is always generic with no last name.
4) With the exception of one or two efforts to elicit facts that could verify Catherine's recollections, Dr. Weiss, repeatedly proclaimed in the book as a brillian scientist, makes no effort to gather facts that could verify Catherine's ravings. For exmple, what was Eric's last name??? He was a German pilot during WWII, certainly we could trace his existence. Was this perhaps a deliberate failure on Dr. Weiss' part?
Rating:
Summary: How you see it is up to you
Review: I am very interested in our minds and bodies connection, and most of all, meaning of life. I cannot say that I totally believe in reincarnation, but at the same time, there is no other ways to explain the experience of many others including this psychiatrist(Weiss). By publishing the book and sharing his experience, Weiss had a risk of loosing, or at least damaging his credentials in his career he worked hard to build up. For me, reincarnation or not, this book is another evidence to confirm that there is nothing to fear about death, and that our souls live on with/without bodies. It also makes me realize how important it is to live each and every day with appreciation that we have this life time to learn wonderful things. As the author implies in the book, how the information is digested is up to each reader. For some this is nothing but a fake story. For others, it is the one book that changes their lives.
Rating:
Summary: Life changing
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Open you mind. Read this book!
Review: I guess the best way I can put this is that I respectfully disagree with the respected Pathologist and the other fellow who claims this was a good "story". The truth is that in my experience as a hypnotherapist past lives are real. This book offers compelling evidence for the phenomenon but there are many other books that do so as well. I simply like Dr. Weiss's presentation. Those who left negative reviews seem to not realize a simple principle regarding subjective experience. That principle is that all subjective experience is translated through the subconscious before it can be percieved or vocalized by the subject therefore there can be some confusing or disjointed perceptions. Subjective experience is just that, subjective experience. Sometimes it can be proven with evidence found in the objective world; such as historical observations that can be confirmed. In other cases, these experiences cannot be verified because there are no references available. In these cases the reality of the experience will be its effect upon the subject. If the experience was transformative then it is fundamentally "real" for the person involved. These types of cases aren't able to be proven. That doesn't mean it didn't happen. I have no doubt that those who gave negative reviews have beliefs that are less than 100% grounded in reason and proof such as God/Jesus/Buddha/Allah/Krishna or any Higher Power by whatever name or an afterlife. There is at least as much "proof" for the existance of past lives as there proof of God(s) or an afterlife. So before you scoff consider that we all hold beliefs (well 99% of us at least) that are gounded in a reality beyond that which we can perceive with the senses. I'm not talking about resurrections and parting red seas I am talking about that which we can experience, not in simple faith which can be likened to continuing to believe in Santa well into adulthood. You may believe but that belief is largely baseless. Plus, the soul/mind/spirit has its own wisdom beyond the physical brain. It is that perception that allows us to perceive that which cannot be empirically proven. I love science, but my religion isn't materialism and sometimes we can become blinded by "reason" to truths beyond the scientific method. Chris
Rating:
Summary: Great Book In My Eyes
Review: I'm a 17 yr. old senior in high school, clueless about my future and confused in what to believe in, i thought that having just one life was really unfair and then i read this book, not knowing about reincarnation or past lives. It's kind of comforting to read a book which really does change your perspective on life, maybe Brian Weiss doesn't have any scientific proof and maybe this book doesn't really do much for people who have studied reincarnation for many years and know every detail on the subject, but for someone like me who never knew about it, it changed my life, now death is just a part of life and things that seemed so important, like s.a.t.'s, school, boyfriends and teachers, don't really matter because it's only one life out of so many. And through everything that might happen to me, might just be that i'm learning to "become god-like through knowledge." I thank my sister for recommending this book, i suggest everyone read it, it's real.
Rating:
Summary: Many Lives..............Many Masters.........
Review: If You dont believe in Rebirth,Reincarnation or Past Lives Please do read this book. This book is written by a Psychiatrist who never belived in these things because of his scientific mind & till he started tretment of his client Catherine through Hypnosis. His client was feared of water,Closed places & many more things.After treating her for 18 month as psychiatrist he decided to use hypnotism & tried to look for cause of her symptoms in her childhood traumas. He regresses her till year 2 but still dont finds anything useful.Then He Gives her suggestion "Go back to the time from which your symptoms arise" & this one sentence changed both their lifes,Catherine goes back to her past lives. Book is very intresting.First, author tries to deny that this is case of past lives.Then cattherine tells him some of his very personal things & authors eyes opens. You will find answers to questions like why some people fear Water,Fire,Closed places etc etc. It also cotains messeges from masters who channel catherine to teach author many things about life principles. Some times you will feel a little bored but still it worth reading.
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