Rating: 
Summary: Many Lives, Many Masters
Review: Like many others, I have noticed many, many details that make me wonder about the validity of the book and the author. I will say that this book could possibly inspire someone, but I would not take it as the truth. I got this book, because I have been on a spirtual search for some time now. I really, really enjoyed reading this book. However, I have to wonder about how Catherine knew what year it was or different things that in those times you couldn't possibly know. Or how did our first life begin? That wasn't explained. It seems to me that anything that you read and just take as the stone cold truth is scary. I think the best thing would be to read all you can and make up your own mind about what you believe. I believe only a totally naive person would take everything written in this book as the truth. But there again, it does make a good read!
Rating:
Summary: Uplifting, but...
Review: This is such a beautiful book. It gives hope and comfort. The takeaway is simple: "I'm a scientist trained in scientific method, I truly believe that past lives are confirmed by this set of experiences, therefore its now okay to believe in this." The takeaways from the book are not unlike the takeaways from eastern philosophies/religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, etc. I found myself very moved while reading it and desparately wanting to believe. Problems started arising for me afterwards though. First, to believe should truly be life changing, so its not just a "nice idea, let me add it to my repetoire" kind of book. So based on that, second, as Carl Sagan says, "extraordinary claims requir extraordinary proof." In this, the author falls short. For instance, he claims his subject started becoming psychic. I am genuiunely eager to belive his claims in the book, but if his subject were psychic there are objective scientifically controlled tests he can put her through to demonstrate this and conclusively prove to a skeptical audience his claims. The anecdotal evidence of hearsay about picking winners at the track is quite a letdown from a supposed scientifically trained author. Had the author not made such bold assertions about his scientific credentials to be making these claims, this wouldn't really be an issue. Leaps of faith are everywhere in these belief systems. But since he claims to be using scientific method and trying to appeal to those of us that want to go on more than just blind faith, he ultimately disappoints. Beautifully written and inspiring, but this is no more scientific than the Bhagavad Gita, and the conclusions are roughly similar.
Rating: 
Summary: A MUST
Review: This is a must for afterlife believers. Facinating story and Mr. Weiss is a favorite author!
Rating:
Summary: Good Topic, New to Author
Review: I was first introduced to this topic via JOURNEY OF SOULS (Michael Newton, PhD). If you are interested in this book, you MUST read JOURNEY OF SOULS!! A friend that I recommended JOURNEY to, gave me this book. I learned a lot about the Christian background in regards to reicarnation thanks to Dr Weiss. His writing style did become annoying at times. But I am very grateful to him for putting forth this work. Currently, I am reading MESSAGES FROM THE MASTERS (Weiss, MD) - which is wonderful.
Rating: 
Summary: Trite prose on a topic of such potential
Review: I first heard about this book while I was in college. My roommate came back from a Christmas vacation touting its originality. It took me over 10 years to finally get around to reading it, and what a waste of time. Given such a fascinating topic, the whole book focuses on irreverent tidbits of sage advice from "Masters" that are never identified, clarified, or placed into the whole context of reincarnation. For a patient that supposedly went through so many lives and interfaced with so many "masters," she sure was devastated and plagued by more psychosis than the average schizophrenic. The prose was awkward and choppy, and the whole thing read like a transcipt of a really shoddy B-movie.
Rating: 
Summary: Few Truths and lots of Gullibility
Review: Weiss is a Doctor practicing at the most fragile interface of being- where the emotional, mental, and psycho-spiritual meet. While it is refreshing to find a doctor prepared to deal forthrightly with an area of paranormal experience common to many, this book causes grave concern. Firstly, it is disconcerting to find him gushingly enthusiastic to the detriment of objectivity. We see this P54-7 where his amazed reaction to mediumistically delivered information on his son, Adam's death, leads him to unquestioningly accept this comes from a benevolently inspired "Master". He never considers the possibility that these communications which interrupt the hypnotic sessions with his patient may have undesirable origins, which any medium will warn of. Thenceforth, whenever one of his therapy sessions is interrupted in this manner from an extraneous source he assumes each different voice to be a different "master" speaking (see p 121-2, 139-40, P159-60 for more pretentious and fatuous comments presented by the "Masters", or p185 where a further facile communication interrupts the session). But Weiss uncritically accepts these interrupting communications as "..to talk with the 'gods' and to share their wisdom. We were eating from the Tree of Knowledge, no longer forbidden" p162. The second concern about this book arises from the impression that at times the patient is used as a medium for the therapist's purpose, while he is waiting for words from the "Masters". Is it OK that a therapist sidetracks from the process of therapy into pursuing his own metaphysical interests? I think not! In addition to this ethical question, there is also the issue of possible dangers to the patient by allowing (even encouraging) them to become the vehicle for mediumistic communication. As an account of therapy under hypnosis the book fails to satisfy. The hypnotic sessions are unstructured and any healing is a directionless byproduct of the session, rather than resulting from the therapist's guidance. For example the "cure" of the patient's fear of swallowing arises by the patient breaking the course of the session to bring it up and deal with it herself. And as a contribution to the influence possible former incarnations may have on this life, forget it! The book's real interest lies in depicting one man's uncritical infatuation with mediumistic advice from supposed "Masters".
Rating:
Summary: Save yourself the time. Here's a summation of the book.
Review: Dr. Weiss had a patient he call Catherine. She had problems. Dr. Weiss put her under hypnosis and she talked about past lives. The more she talked about them, the better she felt. The doctor ends the book with the suggestion: Trust your instints. Follow your inclinations. There's a lot going on. Was it true? Or did "Catherine' have an overdose of ESP? You decide. But look at the doctor's web site. brianweiss.com He's one cool dude with the dark glasses.
Rating:
Summary: Please read this book!
Review: This is the type of book I never would have purchased on my own. I was stranded on the side of the road, with a broken foot and on crutches, and I had decided to wait for the police to show up. Someone pulled off the highway behind me. Not only did they drive me to town where I purchased a can of gas (I had run out) and drive me back to my car, but they gave me this book. It seems very odd to me to give a book in this situation, and perhaps that is what compelled me to read it. This book changed my life, and now I understand why it was given to me. Please read this book! If you don't like it you are only out a few bucks, but if you do it will change your life.
Rating:
Summary: Where are the questions?
Review: A psychiatrist encounters a patient who remembers her past lives under hypnosis. The patient recalls not only the lives she lived but also the in between states, in which she is able to communicate with, and at times acts as a medium of, some "master spirits." This is, perhaps needless to say, a fascinating phenomenon, and thus a great material to explore, investigate, and write about. The psychiatrist (who is also the author of the book) indeed explored and wrote, but in my view never really performed satisfactory investigations. The book left me with many questions directed towards the author, for e.g.: Why doesn't the author try to prove/justify the existence of the master spirits (the author is a medical doctor recording a treatment after all)? If the author assumes -- which he does so readily -- the master spirits exist, why doesn't he try to explain them (do us readers have to accept things without evidence) in one way or another? What does the author regard as the "essence" of transmigration -- is it a spirit? If so what is a spirit? etc, etc. If such details were left out deliberately, it was a bad choice. The book, mostly consisting of dialogues between the doctor and the patient, reads like a novel without a plot than a treatment record. I wonder whether that was intended too.
Rating: 
Summary: Let's be opened minded about reincarnations
Review: Buddhism school "Cittamatra" suggests that human's consciousness can be classified into eight categories. The eighth one is called "Alaya", which serves as a database that contains all the information of one's experiences in the past and current life. This database provides the seeds that aids the formation of the seventh consciousness ¡§Manah¡¨; Manah, in Buddhist point of view, is the defiled mind, it represents one¡¦s egoistic view, with the formation of ego, the craving for existence rises, thus, eventually this craving of existence results reincarnations life after life. Alaya is believed to reside on our right brain. It normally works on the background when we are in *conscience* (or we thought we are) and is not directly accessible to us. Some believe that it can be viewed in dreams or through special psychological techniques. The author of this book uses hypnosis techniques to unlock his patients¡¦ memory of past lives. After reading the book, I believe it has provided some supports to the above theory. You'll enjoy reading this book if you keep an opened mind. I suggest that you don't pay too much attention to the particular terms such as masters or god. These are just labels.
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