1) Catherine had a previous life in 1800 BC. World population in that time was 40 million. World population at the time of her treatments was 4.4 billion. If every soul in existence in 1800 BC continued to live on till till the writing of the book, those souls would comprise less than 1% of the world population. Dr. Weiss stresses that Catherines past lives were not remarkable (she was a servant not a queen etc.). But the fact she is such an 'old soul' is statistically highly improbable.

2) People in 1800 BC didnt refer to themselves as living in BC, as they had no ability to foretell the AD times

3) Dr. Weiss hits pretty hard wis his own special abilities as a highly intelligent man in this past and throughout history. Is this book really just a self love screed?


Thin and improbable, possibly a hoax, filled with anecdotes.   March 27, 1999
 16 out of 20 found this review helpful

I was drawn to this book by the recommendation of a good friend. I approached it with a completely open and receptive mind but I was profoundly disappointed. Dr. Weiss claims that every word is true, but I think it is merely a harmless, amateurish hoax - an easy read that has probably earned Dr. Weiss enough to buy a really nice Porsche. The narrative is thin, and the "prior life" experiences so banal that almost anyone who has seen an episode of "Zena, the Warrior Princess" and a movie starring Charleton Heston is ready for a flashback Dr. Weiss could carefully weave into his philosophy. Some episodes just strain credibility: How, I prithee, HOW, could "Catherine" know it was 1536 B.C. (see Ch.3)? Hold it a minute! Nobody knew it was 1536 B.C.! Story after story of a past life with a fast-forward to the moment of death become tedious and repetitious. The reader learns nothing from the narrative of Catherine's prior lives except that she usually has nice hair and is properly accessorized. The so-called "Masters" don't have much of anything to say other than to promise multiple reincarnations to work out debts and learn some lessons. Their wisdom, communicated through a prostrate Catherine speaking in husky voices, is all very vague offering only conventional, harmless, and uninspiring lessons. Look: if you need something to give you comfort when confronting death and mortality, particularly your own or a loved one's, then read Alan Watts.


CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!!   March 5, 2001
 16 out of 24 found this review helpful

I read this book and I honestly wish there was an option where I could give it negative stars. I am a hindu so the concept of reincarnation is by no means new to me... but not the way Dr Weiss explains it! First of all, hindu's believe that to achieve the form of a human, a soul must even go through thousands of lives in the form of animals. Catherine has no recollection of being reincarnated in any form other than that of a human. And yes, i do agree with all those who have brought up the point of how could Catherine read the dates in the form of BC?? Dr Weiss said he was noting down her words as she spoke them, and in many instances he asked her to look around for a date, so there was no way in hell she could look at a newspaper and say, "oh, its 678 BC!". There are so many flaws in the book that only a gullible fool would believe anything that it contains. Read it if you like fictional stories about healing. Don't even think about reading it if you are looking for the real meaning of life and the afterlife. Read the Bible, the Koran or the Bhagwad Gita for some real answers from some extremely reliable sources!!


Trite prose on a topic of such potential   July 9, 2003
 16 out of 33 found this review helpful

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.


Keep Searching...   May 20, 2006
 16 out of 32 found this review helpful

I was disappointed with the book. Like the others, the book lost what little integrity I was willing to give it to start when Catherine said she lived in 1863 BC. Given that the author repeatedly states that he is a traditionally-trained medical professional, his material is starkly lacking in any kind of verifiable fact or scientific questioning. The book reads like a personal diary of someone who is searching for meaning in his life rather than a case study. I think the thing that bothered me the most is that it is obvious he uses the patient for his own purposes in sessions that he allows to go on for hours on end to await messages from the Masters. Seems unethical to me (a lesson he must still need to learn.) I thought it especially odd that the first other professional he brings into to observe a session is his wife and not an objective colleague.

I read many of the reviews below and I like what one said about past lives recollection being born from the mental garbage of the Earth. That seems more likely. I encourage you to keep searching for the truth. Do not settle for the soul candy offered in this book.