Age regression therapy, heard of it?

[Betticus]

Has anyone here besides me heard of age regression therapy, especially as it pertains to the restructuring of or normalizing of personality traits that were skewed by abusive upbringing or overly well meaning christian family members/adults.

Within the realm of bdsm of course and for both doms and subs.

As an example I'll use myself. I was always very dominant, even as a very small child but via that well meaning but abusive environment I'd had to suppress a lot of those parts of myself. Of course that kind of conditioning can't last forever and doesn't work well at all. It's intensely stressful, the dominant tendencies find other ways to manifest themselves which aren't necessarily healthy for me or others. So when I found bdsm and learned more about it I was able to work through quite a few things. It also helped a lot of things from my past make sense like the sexually violent thoughts/fantasies from when I was younger.

Okay, so where does age regression come into play right... Well, I've been having insanely vivid dreams lately and they have certain common tie in points. Violent sexuality, incredibly hot and so realistically vivid that it takes a moment to realize that they weren't real. Last night was even weirder as I started to dream before I was even asleep or so it seemed. What seems to be happening is that as I recover from/heal/ fix the old conditioning that was done to me from childhood my psyche works backward. Undoing and understanding all of the guilt and confusion and regressing me to younger and younger ages where it can undo the damage and then bring myself forward to the present but without that particular stigma.

Any thoughts? Experience?

 

[intothewoods]

As I understand it, it's pretty controversial. Here's a wiki entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_regression_in_therapy

I would personally use hypnosis as one tool in my therapeutic arsenal, rather than see an age-regression specialist. But that's just me.

 

[Betticus]

As I understand it, it's pretty controversial. Here's a wiki entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_regression_in_therapy

I would personally use hypnosis as one tool in my therapeutic arsenal, rather than see an age-regression specialist. But that's just me.

I thought age regression people were hypnotists.

I had done a lot of studying up on the whole thing and the meat of this post is the only thing that makes sense.

 

[honoria]

Has anyone here besides me heard of age regression therapy, especially as it pertains to the restructuring of or normalizing of personality traits that were skewed by abusive upbringing or overly well meaning christian family members/adults.

Within the realm of bdsm of course and for both doms and subs.

As an example I'll use myself. I was always very dominant, even as a very small child but via that well meaning but abusive environment I'd had to suppress a lot of those parts of myself. Of course that kind of conditioning can't last forever and doesn't work well at all. It's intensely stressful, the dominant tendencies find other ways to manifest themselves which aren't necessarily healthy for me or others. So when I found bdsm and learned more about it I was able to work through quite a few things. It also helped a lot of things from my past make sense like the sexually violent thoughts/fantasies from when I was younger.

Okay, so where does age regression come into play right... Well, I've been having insanely vivid dreams lately and they have certain common tie in points. Violent sexuality, incredibly hot and so realistically vivid that it takes a moment to realize that they weren't real. Last night was even weirder as I started to dream before I was even asleep or so it seemed. What seems to be happening is that as I recover from/heal/ fix the old conditioning that was done to me from childhood my psyche works backward. Undoing and understanding all of the guilt and confusion and regressing me to younger and younger ages where it can undo the damage and then bring myself forward to the present but without that particular stigma.

Any thoughts? Experience?

If you can do that on your own it's great. I'm currently paying a therapist to get me past the childhood crap. And regressing is just one way of doing that. My guy is using the regression WITH hypnosis since I have a hard time remembering past certain points or remember flashes without context. If you go the therapist route with hypnosis I would recommend that you be careful of implanted/suggested memories.

My situation is the flip side of yours. I was very submissive as a child and from early on had fantasies of being controlled. But with the abuse I became a "bitch on steroids" just to protect myself and my siblings. That became the person everyone saw. But it was not and is not my nature and there is a lot of anger and resentment to deal with along with unlearning the behaviors that are so bad for me. Understanding what triggered the behaviors is slowly helping me realize how very much I have missed in my life.

 

[intothewoods]

I thought age regression people were hypnotists.

I had done a lot of studying up on the whole thing and the meat of this post is the only thing that makes sense.

You can use hypnosis for a variety of challenges, including losing weight, giving birth and quitting smoking. It's primarily a tool to focus or refocus the brain in some way.

Age regression specialists focus on using hypnosis to "recover" memories from your past, but the problem is that your unconscious and your unconcsious memories aren't always reliable. There were a lot of people who used this therapy technique, discovered they were abused, and the entire thing turned out to be a false memory.

It's just all a little too woo-woo magic to me. I can see, however, in the case of abuse, you might want to use hypnosis to retrain your mind to respond in different ways to certain stressors. But I just don't see how it can replace cognitive therapy - talking it out and challenging yourself.

 

[honoria]

You can use hypnosis for a variety of challenges, including losing weight, giving birth and quitting smoking. It's primarily a tool to focus or refocus the brain in some way.

Age regression specialists focus on using hypnosis to "recover" memories from your past, but the problem is that your unconscious and your unconcsious memories aren't always reliable. There were a lot of people who used this therapy technique, discovered they were abused, and the entire thing turned out to be a false memory.

It's just all a little too woo-woo magic to me. I can see, however, in the case of abuse, you might want to use hypnosis to retrain your mind to respond in different ways to certain stressors. But I just don't see how it can replace cognitive therapy - talking it out and challenging yourself.

In my case (the only one I can speak for) my therapist talks me through the incidents I remember fully. Talking me back not using hypnosis. Hypnosis is for those instances where I have a flash of memory but not the whole thing. He's very careful in his use and we are both very aware of the danger of "false memories" Sometimes I am able to verify a memory with either my brother or sisters and that helps to confirm a "real" memory. And I agree completly there is no substitute for cognitive therapy.

 

[Betticus]

In my case (the only one I can speak for) my therapist talks me through the incidents I remember fully. Talking me back not using hypnosis. Hypnosis is for those instances where I have a flash of memory but not the whole thing. He's very careful in his use and we are both very aware of the danger of "false memories" Sometimes I am able to verify a memory with either my brother or sisters and that helps to confirm a "real" memory. And I agree completly there is no substitute for cognitive therapy.

It was my understanding that the more hands off they are the better. Such as with hypnotic age regression to just go back to the event, suggest positively the ways to defuse said event and then progress. Then letting the mind heal itself. That the big problems crop up when the therapist tries to do too much.

 

[honoria]

It was my understanding that the more hands off they are the better. Such as with hypnotic age regression to just go back to the event, suggest positively the ways to defuse said event and then progress. Then letting the mind heal itself. That the big problems crop up when the therapist tries to do too much.

That seems to be pretty much the case here. The cognitive therapy is used 90% of the time. I may be using the term "regression" incorrectly since I tend to thing of his talking me through the full memories as a form of regression. He talks me through the context, the memories and what I was feeling at that time. Then we move into how it has impacted me since then and today and finally into how to overcome whatever those limitations are. The hypnosis is for, as I said, those times where I don't have a full memory and am having a difficult time getting through. It seems to be a winning combo for me in that my guy has a pretty hands off policy unless really needed.

Just an aside, you talked about your dreams being the way things come up for you. I don't generally remember my dreams but there is a recurring one of tornados surrounding me and I can't get though them. This dream seems to occur just before the next memory surfaces. I have a very interesting mind

 

[kinkyknickers]

Hey Betticus,

I know a Little bit about the subject. Age regression can be not only mental but physical.

Here in Aus, they use physical regression on people with learning difficulties, specifically motor skills incompetencies. Ie, if an infant learns to walk before it can crawl (usually the infant will roll along rather than crawl) and isn't tought how to crawl, they will often develope severe motor skills problems which can impeed every facet of their learning abilities.
What the therapists do is to regress the adult, or child into a state whereby they have to start by being on the floor, then lifting their head up, then crawling on their belly, then crawling upright etc untiul finally they are walking.
This is done over and over again until it rewires the brain..... it does take some time but has proven effective in many cases.

Regression all ties into cognitive behaviour therapy. Ie doing something, or going through a pattern of behaviour until it becomes part of the patients normal nature and behaviour.

Master has the same issues with vivid dreams at the moment. the_mgp and I are both fairly concerned as he vocalises them and we know he's spending waaay too much time in REM and is haunted by them when he wakes up. All up, he's just not getting enough restful sleep (and yes, his childhood was less than rosy).

There is a Chinese herbal preparation that he is using to gain control of them, but in the long term the best way to gain control of vivd dream issues is to use cognitive behaviour therapy and work through the dreams, especially if you can remember them clearly and they are the same reoccuring dreams.

If they aren't too disturbing then they may just pass, but if they are like Master's, the worry that when you fall asleep, things will happen, will only compound the problem.

So.... that's what I know. Don't know if it's any help. Meh!

Sweet dreams KK

 

[honoria]

Hey Betticus,

I know a Little bit about the subject. Age regression can be not only mental but physical.

Here in Aus, they use physical regression on people with learning difficulties, specifically motor skills incompetencies. Ie, if an infant learns to walk before it can crawl (usually the infant will roll along rather than crawl) and isn't tought how to crawl, they will often develope severe motor skills problems which can impeed every facet of their learning abilities.
What the therapists do is to regress the adult, or child into a state whereby they have to start by being on the floor, then lifting their head up, then crawling on their belly, then crawling upright etc untiul finally they are walking.
This is done over and over again until it rewires the brain..... it does take some time but has proven effective in many cases.

Regression all ties into cognitive behaviour therapy. Ie doing something, or going through a pattern of behaviour until it becomes part of the patients normal nature and behaviour.

Master has the same issues with vivid dreams at the moment. the_mgp and I are both fairly concerned as he vocalises them and we know he's spending waaay too much time in REM and is haunted by them when he wakes up. All up, he's just not getting enough restful sleep (and yes, his childhood was less than rosy).

There is a Chinese herbal preparation that he is using to gain control of them, but in the long term the best way to gain control of vivd dream issues is to use cognitive behaviour therapy and work through the dreams, especially if you can remember them clearly and they are the same reoccuring dreams.

If they aren't too disturbing then they may just pass, but if they are like Master's, the worry that when you fall asleep, things will happen, will only compound the problem.

So.... that's what I know. Don't know if it's any help. Meh!

Sweet dreams KK

I had never heard of the physical regression. (Imagine, I'm not on everybody's list to be kept up to date on absolutely EVERYTHING)

But the dream seems to be more of an early warning system for me. Letting me know that another issue is getting ready to rear its ugly head. On the plus side they are happening less often so maybe I'm getting to the end of the line on this.

 

[kinkyknickers]

I had never heard of the physical regression. (Imagine, I'm not on everybody's list to be kept up to date on absolutely EVERYTHING)

But the dream seems to be more of an early warning system for me. Letting me know that another issue is getting ready to rear its ugly head. On the plus side they are happening less often so maybe I'm getting to the end of the line on this.

Yeah, it's still considered an alternative therapy here because it hasn't gone through the 1 million years of trials and approvals needed to be the norm but it has it's merits.

Like all CBT, it does away with the wishy washy, touchy feely side of therapy and gets down to what us humans do best....learning.

Think of every action you do every day, we don't have instinct, we have to be taught or learn everything for ourselves. Do something enough times and it is almost like instinct, but you have the power to change it.

In the case of out of control dreams, pick one that you remember well and that reoccurs. What part of it scares you the most? What would you prefer to be the story line of your dream, or the outcome? What you need to do is pick a quiet place to "meditate" as it were and decide on the exact path and story you want this particular dream to take. Then, run through it in your head with the new story line, over and over again. You should also speak it out loud as many people are verbal during vivid dreams. You should do this once or twice a day. It may take up to several weeks to work, but if you stick at it and concentrate, it will. Don't be discouraged if you keep going back to the same shit dream, eventually you will overpower it if you practise enough.

The important thing behind this is that it won't just work for one dream. Once you realise that you have the power to determine your dreams in a concious state, it will give your mind reassurance that you are in control, not the dream. You will then be able to "steer" your dreams, new or old as they are happening.

This will also translate into waking life because you will wake up less confused and more confident in yourself.

Yes, you can do it by yourself I have done it myself in the past for more than just dreams, and it works a treat.

Give it a red hot go.

 

[honoria]

Yeah, it's still considered an alternative therapy here because it hasn't gone through the 1 million years of trials and approvals needed to be the norm but it has it's merits.

Like all CBT, it does away with the wishy washy, touchy feely side of therapy and gets down to what us humans do best....learning.

Think of every action you do every day, we don't have instinct, we have to be taught or learn everything for ourselves. Do something enough times and it is almost like instinct, but you have the power to change it.

In the case of out of control dreams, pick one that you remember well and that reoccurs. What part of it scares you the most? What would you prefer to be the story line of your dream, or the outcome? What you need to do is pick a quiet place to "meditate" as it were and decide on the exact path and story you want this particular dream to take. Then, run through it in your head with the new story line, over and over again. You should also speak it out loud as many people are verbal during vivid dreams. You should do this once or twice a day. It may take up to several weeks to work, but if you stick at it and concentrate, it will. Don't be discouraged if you keep going back to the same shit dream, eventually you will overpower it if you practise enough.

The important thing behind this is that it won't just work for one dream. Once you realise that you have the power to determine your dreams in a concious state, it will give your mind reassurance that you are in control, not the dream. You will then be able to "steer" your dreams, new or old as they are happening.

This will also translate into waking life because you will wake up less confused and more confident in yourself.

Yes, you can do it by yourself I have done it myself in the past for more than just dreams, and it works a treat.

Give it a red hot go.

Does this tie in with lucid dreaming? I'm more than willing to give it a try.

 

[graceanne]

I guess that it could be helpful, but I would be VIOLENTLY apposed to it myself. I have no interest in even PRETENDING to be a child, again. If I had to be a child again I'd kill myself - and I'm not exaggerating.

 

[kinkyknickers]

Does this tie in with lucid dreaming? I'm more than willing to give it a try.

Very much so. Basically, if you can remember something then you can control it. Even if you sometimes wake up not being able to remember dreams, but feel really fried or generally fucked up, you can take dreams you do remember and train yourself from there.

If yoiu're really dedicated you can even train yourself into having flying dreams. They rock.... So long as you don't fall at the end of them.

 

[kinkyknickers]

I guess that it could be helpful, but I would be VIOLENTLY apposed to it myself. I have no interest in even PRETENDING to be a child, again. If I had to be a child again I'd kill myself - and I'm not exaggerating.

Fair call. You can go back through your childhood and change your POV on it through CBT, but in the case of nightmares, you can just deal with them, if you'd rather just leave the past in the past.

It depends on whether the childhood issues are bugging your waking life as well as your sleep.

Sometimes it's best to let sleeping dogs lie.

 

[graceanne]

Fair call. You can go back through your childhood and change your POV on it through CBT, but in the case of nightmares, you can just deal with them, if you'd rather just leave the past in the past.

It depends on whether the childhood issues are bugging your waking life as well as your sleep.

Sometimes it's best to let sleeping dogs lie.

I'm lucky. I have almost no memory of my childhood. Their are year long gaps in my memory and I LIKE IT THAT WAY. I believe that the mind is an amazing thing, and it knows what I can and cannot handle so I remain BLISSFULLY unaware.

On the other hand I remember being a teenager. If my mom improved after she got sober and went through counseling that tells you why I forgot. Quite frankly, I got married to get away from her. I won't ever go back to being in her power. I like that she lives two hours away - we can be friends.

 

[SweetDomme_29]

Age regression therapy is a fairly new field of therapy and one that is often misunderstood and misused. The ONLY way to practice age regression is with a licensed therapist, not a "hypnotist" which often means an unlicensed individual attempting to practice therapy with no real knowledge of it.

As far as your dreams are concerned I would strongly recommend that you see a therapist. This is because it seems as if you have some repressed childhood memories of abuse that are only recently surfacing. It may be that your BDSM experiences have unlocked these repressed memories. Either way, please make an effort to learn the root of these dreams.