My Extraordinary Experience with George Custer

Have you ever wondered whether you have lived before? Whether the people you meet, the places you feel connected to, or even the fears you cannot explain might have their origins somewhere beyond your present lifetime?

I have.

In fact, I have experienced something that fundamentally changed my understanding of life, consciousness and the possibility that our existence extends far beyond what we currently understand.

As a clinical hypnotherapist offering Past Life Regression in Southampton, I have guided people through experiences involving Roman soldiers, early settlers, farmers and even someone who described working aboard the Olympic, the sister ship of the Titanic.

Yet perhaps the most extraordinary experience I have encountered was not during a hypnotherapy session, it happened to me.

It involved one of the most recognisable figures in American military history, General George Armstrong Custer.

Before sharing that experience, however, let me explain what Past Life Regression actually is, how it works and why people are increasingly curious about the possibility that they may have lived before.

What Is Past Life Regression?

Past Life Regression (PLR) is a technique that uses hypnosis to explore experiences, imagery and narratives that may feel like memories from a previous lifetime.

During a session, a client enters a deeply relaxed state of focused attention, allowing thoughts, emotions, sensations and images to emerge, it is the same circuits that fire imagniation and you may think that at first you are making it up!

Some people experience themselves in unfamiliar historical settings. Others describe being someone entirely different, living in another period, with different relationships, responsibilities and circumstances.

The experiences can be remarkably vivid.

Some people believe these are genuine memories of previous lives. Others consider them symbolic expressions of the subconscious mind, drawing upon imagination, existing knowledge and personal experiences.

Scientifically, there is currently no reliable evidence that hypnosis can retrieve authentic memories of a previous existence.

Yet for those who experience them, the question is often much more personal.

Why did I experience that? Where did those details come from? And what might they mean?

My Own Experience: An Unexpected Encounter with George Custer

I remember lying down one afternoon for a brief rest. It was unusual for me to sleep during the day, but on this particular occasion I decided to take advantage of a quiet moment.

As I began drifting off, I experienced an extraordinary sensation.

It felt as though I was falling inside myself.

The sensation was so unexpected that I woke with a jolt.

I had no idea what had happened, but I wasn’t particularly concerned. I settled down once again and began to drift back towards sleep.

And then something happened that I have never forgotten.

Suddenly, I was somewhere else.

I was looking out from a veranda. The building was white, with white wooden railings, and the scene was extraordinarily clear.

It wasn’t like an ordinary dream.

I was seeing everything from a first-person perspective, but I wasn’t consciously myself. Nor did I have any understanding of who I might have been.

I wasn’t watching a film. I wasn’t imagining a story.

I was simply observing a moment.

As I looked up, I noticed a blue trouser leg with a yellow stripe running down it.

I immediately associated it with an American Civil War officer.

My gaze travelled upwards. I could see a blue military jacket, a red scarf and a wide, rather floppy hat. The gentleman had a distinctive moustache, the hair falling down around his mouth.

Then he spoke.

“Look after Eliza.”

Those words were unmistakable.

He turned towards the house and called out another name.

“Elizabeth!”

A woman appeared. They embraced briefly before the officer turned, descended the steps and walked away with purpose.

And that was it.

The experience ended.

I remember wondering why he had asked someone to look after Eliza and then called for Elizabeth. I didn’t understand the distinction.

I also had a very strong impression of who the officer might have been.

George Armstrong Custer.

The Historical Connections I Discovered Afterwards

Ever since childhood, I had been fascinated by George Custer, the American Civil War and the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

The latter had always filled me with a strange sense of dread.

Naturally, that prior fascination offers one possible explanation for the imagery I experienced.

But what happened afterwards made the experience all the more remarkable to me.

I began researching the names I had heard.

George Custer. Elizabeth. Eliza.

I discovered Elizabeth Bacon Custer, George’s wife, and Eliza, a woman closely associated with the Custer household.

Then I encountered a historical photograph.

There they were.

George Custer, Elizabeth and Eliza.

The woman in the photograph appeared remarkably similar to the woman I remembered seeing.

I also learned about Eliza’s connection with the Custers during the Civil War, which made those words, “Look after Eliza”, particularly meaningful to me.

I couldn’t stop wondering why I had heard them.

There was something else.

I began looking at photographs of buildings associated with Custer, and one appeared remarkably familiar.

The white building and its veranda reminded me of what I had seen.

Yet something seemed different.

I remember telling my wife that a large tree was missing.

During my subsequent research, I encountered information about a building having been dismantled and reconstructed elsewhere. I wondered whether that could explain the difference.

I cannot establish that the location I experienced and the building I researched were historically the same, but the apparent similarities left a lasting impression.

There were other personal coincidences and connections that I prefer to keep private.

The important point is that I wasn’t trying to experience a previous life.

I hadn’t undergone a Past Life Regression session.

I had simply closed my eyes for an afternoon rest and suddenly I found myself experiencing something I could not explain.

What Did I Actually Experience?

I have asked myself that question many times. Was it an extraordinarily vivid dream? Had my subconscious mind assembled fragments of information acquired over the years, including details I no longer consciously remembered? Was it a spontaneous experience of something connected to another lifetime?

I cannot prove which explanation is correct but I can tell you what it meant to me.

It was a defining moment.

It felt as though I had been given an experience, entirely unexpectedly, that unlocked something within me, and it changed the way I thought about consciousness, existence and the possibility of previous lives.

It was not going to be my only spontaneous experience of this kind because others have occurred, although those experiences remain private.

Today, I believe in the possibility of past lives with absolute conviction. That is my personal belief, shaped by what I have experienced, rather than a scientific claim that I can prove.

How Does Past Life Regression Hypnosis Work?

Unlike my own spontaneous experience, a professionally guided Past Life Regression session is a deliberate process. A typical PLR session lasts approximately two hours. We begin with a conversation about your interest in regression, what you hope to explore and any particular questions you might have and then I then use hypnosis to help you enter a deeply relaxed state of focused awareness. You remain able to hear me, communicate and respond.

As the experience develops, I invite you to describe what you are noticing. Rather than simply sitting silently through the session, we explore the experience together. You may describe where you appear to be, what is happening around you, how you feel and what seems significant. I use questions to help you explore what emerges without imposing an identity, historical period or interpretation.

Some people describe detailed scenes. Others experience emotions, sensations or disconnected fragments of imagery.

And occasionally, someone experiences something entirely unexpected, afterwards, we discuss what happened, what the experience might mean and whether it offers anything useful for reflection.

The purpose is not to tell you who you were, it is to help you explore what you experience.

What Have My Past Life Regression Clients Experienced?

Over the years, I have worked with people who have described extraordinarily varied experiences.

Some have found themselves living as farmers, with the routines and responsibilities of agricultural life.

Others have described being early settlers, experiencing unfamiliar surroundings and entirely different ways of living.

I have worked with people who reported experiences as Roman soldiers.

One person described working for the White Star Line aboard the RMS Olympic, sister ship of the Titanic.

What fascinates me is the range of settings, identities, occupations and historical details that people report.

Sometimes clients describe details that surprise even them, of course, vividness and apparent historical accuracy do not establish that an experience represents a genuine past-life memory. The human mind can create highly convincing narratives, and previously encountered information may influence what emerges. Nevertheless, I have found these experiences fascinating to explore.

Whether they originate in imagination, subconscious associations or something we do not yet understand, the experience can raise profound personal questions.

Can Past Lives Influence Who We Are Today?

This is one of the most interesting questions people bring to Past Life Regression.

Why do certain places feel familiar? Why are we sometimes inexplicably drawn towards particular historical periods? Why do some people feel an immediate connection with someone they have only just met? Could any of our present-day fears, preferences or patterns have connections with experiences beyond this lifetime?

People who believe in reincarnation may interpret these feelings through the idea of previous lives. Psychologically, there are also well-established explanations involving learning, memory, personality and emotional associations and we should not assume that an unexplained fear or difficulty originated in a previous life, and PLR is not an established treatment for psychological conditions.

However, exploring the stories and meanings that arise during hypnosis may help people reflect on how they understand themselves. Some clients are seeking answers. Others want greater self-awareness.

Many are simply fascinated by the possibility that there might be more to existence than the life they currently know.

My Personal Theory: Energy, Consciousness and Time

My own understanding of Past Life Regression extends beyond the conventional idea that we live one life, die and then begin another. I believe that energy and connection may be central to understanding consciousness.

Physics tells us that energy is conserved, although this does not itself demonstrate that personal consciousness survives death. We know an enormous amount about the physical world, but fundamental questions remain about the subjective experience of consciousness.

What if our present understanding of time is incomplete? What if the past, present and future are not experienced in the way we assume? What if consciousness could exist in ways that our current scientific understanding cannot yet describe?

I sometimes wonder whether what we interpret as separate lifetimes could represent different expressions of consciousness, perhaps even existing in different guises without the strictly linear progression we ordinarily imagine. These are philosophical possibilities, not established scientific findings. But they are possibilities I find that fascinating.

Perhaps the greatest mistake we can make is to assume that everything we currently understand represents everything there is to understand.

For me, Past Life Regression is an opportunity to explore that uncertainty, without demanding that everyone reaches the same conclusions.

Frequently Asked Questions About Past Life Regression

Is Past Life Regression real?

People can have genuine, vivid experiences during regression hypnosis. Whether those experiences represent actual previous lives remains scientifically unproven.

Do I need to believe in reincarnation?

Absolutely not. You can approach the experience spiritually, psychologically or simply with curiosity. I do not ask clients to adopt my beliefs.

Will I remember what happens during hypnosis?

Most people remain aware during hypnosis and can recall at least some of their experience afterwards.

Can I discover who I was in a past life?

You may experience an identity, setting or narrative that feels like a previous life. However, hypnosis cannot reliably verify that this represents a historical existence.

Is Past Life Regression safe?

Hypnosis is generally well tolerated, but emotionally intense experiences and false memories are possible. Suitability should be discussed beforehand, particularly where there are relevant mental health concerns.

How long is a Past Life Regression session?

At Thoughtlounge, sessions normally last two hours, giving us time to discuss your expectations, experience hypnosis and reflect afterwards.

Where can I experience Past Life Regression in Southampton?

I offer guided Past Life Regression sessions at Thoughtlounge in Southampton, Hampshire. I believe this particular experience is best undertaken in person, where we can work together in a comfortable, supportive environment.

Have You Lived Before? Perhaps It Is Time to Explore the Question.

I cannot tell you whether you have lived before, and I cannot promise that you will experience a Roman battlefield, a Victorian street or another extraordinary historical setting. I certainly cannot guarantee that you will uncover answers to every question you have.

What I can offer you an opportunity to explore!

For me, that unexpected afternoon experience involving George Custer changed something fundamental and it made me question what I thought I knew. It opened a door to possibilities that continue to fascinate me.

Perhaps there is more to consciousness, more to time and more to our existence than we have yet discovered, perhaps your own experience could give you something worth thinking about.

Interested in exploring Past Life Regression?

I offer personal, two-hour Past Life Regression sessions at Thoughtlounge in Southampton, using hypnosis to guide you through an experience that is entirely your own. Book a session here.

Whether you are looking for answers, seeking personal understanding or simply curious about what might emerge, I would be delighted to help you explore.

Thoughtlounge – Rapid results, real change.

Dr Iain Lightfoot
Clinical Hypnotherapist and Coach
Southampton, Hampshire