Have you ever caught yourself wondering, “How many past lives have I had?” If you’re like many of my clients (and honestly, like me too), that question has probably floated through your mind more than once. There’s something deeply human—and deeply spiritual—about wanting to understand where our soul has been before this lifetime.
As a Certified Hypnotist and Metaphysical Practitioner, I’ve guided countless people through past life regression sessions. And here’s the truth I’ve learned: Most of us have lived before. Many times. Some clients discover vivid memories of just a handful of lifetimes, while others tap into dozens. A few find themselves exploring other dimensions entirely—lives between lives, roles as spirit guides, or experiences that don’t fit into Earthly time at all.
Personally, I’ve experienced past life memories in my own regressions that span different centuries, different cultures, and vastly different life lessons. Some of those lives showed up in full color detail; others arrived as simple impressions or emotions. But each time, what came through was exactly what my soul needed to remember in that moment.
So how many past lives have you had?
That’s a beautiful question—and in this article, we’ll explore it together. We’ll talk about the signs of multiple past lives, why some people remember more than others, and how your soul decides what to reveal. More importantly, we’ll uncover why this exploration isn’t just about counting lifetimes, but about healing, growing, and living more fully in the one you’re in now.
Let’s begin.
The Nature of Reincarnation and Past Lives
Before we can answer how many past lives you’ve had, it’s important to understand why souls reincarnate in the first place.
From a metaphysical perspective, reincarnation isn’t random. It’s not about being trapped in a cycle or “punished” by karma. It’s about soul evolution—growing through experiences, learning lessons, and healing wounds that carry across lifetimes.
I’ve seen this firsthand in my work as a regression practitioner. Some clients come to me carrying fears or struggles they can’t explain in this life. When we explore through hypnosis, they often uncover past incarnations where the roots of those patterns began. Once they understand the connection, healing becomes possible—not just emotionally, but sometimes physically or spiritually as well.
Why Do We Have So Many Past Lives?
Think of it like this: Each life is like a chapter in a much bigger story. Some souls choose a few simple lifetimes with specific lessons. Others sign up for the long game, taking on different roles, relationships, and challenges across centuries or even millennia.
Along the way, we form soul contracts—agreements with other souls to meet again, love each other, challenge each other, or help each other grow. Sometimes we repeat certain patterns until we finally get the lesson. That’s part of karmic learning, but not in the punishment sense. It’s really about completing unfinished energy and restoring balance.
Your Soul’s Unique Path
There’s no set number of lifetimes that every soul must experience. Some souls have lived hundreds of lives on Earth, while others are newer to this realm but have lived in other dimensions or spiritual planes.
When you ask, “How many past lives have I had?” what you’re really asking is, “How far along is my soul on its journey?” The answer is personal—and only Spirit knows the full details. But there are clues, and your soul tends to reveal what you’re ready to understand in this moment.
Next, let’s look at the signs you’ve had multiple past lives and how to recognize them.
Signs You’ve Had Multiple Past Lives
So how do you know if your soul has lived before? For most people, the answer comes through subtle signs rather than an exact memory or number. These signs often show up as emotional impressions, intuitive feelings, or patterns you can’t quite explain.
Over the years, I’ve guided many clients through past life regression sessions, and there’s a common thread: the soul remembers what it’s ready to remember. Sometimes that comes in the form of vivid past life memories, but more often it shows up as clues in everyday life.
Let’s look at some of the most common signs that you’ve lived multiple past lives.
Deja Vu That Feels Deeper Than Coincidence
Have you ever visited a place for the first time but felt like you’ve been there before? Or met someone new and instantly felt a connection, as if you’ve known them forever? That’s often a sign of past life memory stirring beneath the surface. Deja vu can be your soul’s way of nudging you toward something familiar from another lifetime.
Unexplained Fears or Phobias
Sometimes past life trauma carries into the present life as an unexplained fear. For example, I’ve worked with clients who had an intense fear of drowning, heights, or being trapped—but nothing in their current life experience could explain it. In regression, they uncovered memories of situations from past incarnations that gave context to these phobias. Once they processed the memory, the fear often eased.
Birthmarks and Physical Echoes
Some traditions believe that birthmarks are physical remnants of past life wounds. While science hasn’t confirmed this, it’s interesting how many clients report birthmarks in places that match injuries or traumas they’ve uncovered in regression sessions. Whether symbolic or literal, it’s one more piece of the puzzle.
Natural Talents and Skills
If you’ve ever picked up a skill unusually fast or felt drawn to a specific culture, time period, or language, that could be a reflection of past life experience. Souls often carry intuitive knowledge across lifetimes. For example, a client might find they can play an instrument effortlessly or speak phrases in a language they’ve never studied. These moments can be soul memory shining through.
Vivid Dreams That Feel Like Memories
Recurring dreams of unfamiliar places or identities could actually be glimpses of past lives. Unlike ordinary dreams, these tend to have a different quality—more vivid, emotional, and detailed. Many people report waking up from these dreams feeling like they just returned from somewhere real.
Emotional Connections That Defy Logic
Meeting someone and instantly feeling love, trust, or even conflict is often a sign of a past life connection. These are the people we’ve made soul contracts with—whether as family, lovers, friends, or even adversaries. Your soul remembers them even if your conscious mind doesn’t.
A Sense of Being an Old Soul
Some people just feel older than their years. They carry a wisdom that isn’t easily explained by their current life experiences. If you’ve always felt like you’ve been here before, you probably have.
How Can You Know How Many Past Lives You’ve Had?
It’s natural to wonder if there’s a way to find out exactly how many past lives you’ve lived. The short answer is: sometimes yes, but often Spirit only reveals what’s helpful for your growth right now.
In my experience guiding clients through past life regression hypnosis, some people see one or two lifetimes right away, while others open up to dozens over time. But the soul isn’t always concerned with giving you a number—it’s more focused on showing you the most meaningful pieces of your journey that can help you heal, grow, or release something in this life.
Still, there are ways to explore your past lives if you feel called to.
Past Life Regression Hypnosis
This is one of the most direct ways to tap into past life memories. In a regression session, you enter a relaxed, hypnotic state where your subconscious mind can access stored soul memories. Some people see specific lifetimes in vivid detail; others experience flashes, emotions, or symbolic impressions. Either way, your higher self guides the process, revealing what serves your healing.
As a certified hypnotist, I’ve facilitated these sessions both in-person and online. Each one is different because each soul is different. Sometimes a session uncovers a single life tied to a present-day struggle. Other times, clients are shown multiple lives in one sitting, gaining insight into their soul’s broader evolution.
Meditation and Intuitive Insights
Some people naturally receive glimpses of past lives during meditation or moments of deep relaxation. These insights can come as visions, emotional downloads, or an unshakable sense of knowing. If you’ve ever closed your eyes and seen yourself in a different time period with no logical explanation, that may have been a past life memory surfacing.
Akashic Records Readings
The Akashic Records are said to be an energetic archive of every soul’s experiences—past, present, and future. Some practitioners specialize in accessing these records to help you understand your soul’s journey. While an Akashic reading may give you a broader view of your soul’s history, it’s still likely to focus on what’s relevant for you right now.
Working with a Spiritual Coach or Regression Therapist
If you’re curious but unsure where to start, working with a spiritual coach or regression therapist can help you explore past life connections in a safe, supported way. In my own practice, I help clients tune into the lessons their soul is ready to uncover, whether through hypnosis, intuitive coaching, or a combination of both.
Signs and Synchronicities
Sometimes life itself answers your question in unexpected ways. You might come across historical information that feels strangely personal, meet someone who triggers past life memories, or experience a synchronicity that feels like guidance from Spirit. Pay attention to those moments—they often point to lifetimes your soul wants you to explore.
Why Past Life Awareness Matters (Even If You Don’t Know the Number)
It’s easy to get caught up in the question, “How many past lives have I had?” But here’s something I’ve learned both personally and professionally: knowing the exact number isn’t what actually transforms your life.
What really matters is the healing and growth that come from understanding your soul’s journey.
When you become aware of your past lives, you start to see the bigger picture of who you are. Patterns that once felt confusing begin to make sense. Maybe you’ve struggled with a particular relationship dynamic, or carried fears that seem to have no cause in this life. Past life exploration can reveal the roots of these issues, giving you the opportunity to release them.
Some clients find that their spiritual awakening accelerates after a past life regression. They realize they’ve been carrying lessons across lifetimes—not because they’ve failed, but because the soul is committed to learning at a deeper level.
Understanding your past lives also invites more compassion, both for yourself and others. When you recognize that everyone you meet is also on a soul journey, you begin to soften. You start to trust that there’s a greater purpose to your experiences, even the difficult ones.
This process is sometimes called timeline healing or karmic resolution. It’s not about punishment or judgment; it’s about completing energy loops, dissolving old wounds, and choosing a new way forward. The lessons you carry from past incarnations aren’t meant to weigh you down—they’re meant to guide you toward becoming the most healed, empowered version of yourself in this life.
Whether you’ve lived ten lives or a hundred, the focus is always on the present. Your soul chose to be here now, in this body, in this lifetime, for a reason.
My Perspective as a Practitioner
After guiding so many clients through past life regression and exploring my own soul’s history, I’ve come to believe something important: Your soul will always reveal what you’re ready to heal—not necessarily the full list of where you’ve been or how many lives you’ve lived.
That can feel frustrating when you’re curious. I get it. In my own regressions, there were times when I wanted clear answers—how many lifetimes have I had? Where did they all take place? Why can’t I remember every detail?
But the more I’ve worked with Spirit, the more I’ve learned to trust the process. The memories that surface in a session are never random. They’re the ones that hold keys to your healing, your growth, or your next step. Sometimes that’s one lifetime. Sometimes it’s several. Sometimes it’s even a moment in the life between lives—a space where the soul rests, reflects, and plans its next incarnation.
One of my clients once asked me, “Why don’t we remember all of our past lives automatically?” My answer is simple: Because we’re meant to focus on the life we’re living right now. When the soul brings forward a past life memory, it’s because there’s something from that life that’s ready to be healed or integrated into this one.
That’s why I approach every regression session with the same intention—to help you uncover what your higher self is ready to show you, in a safe and supportive way. Whether you discover memories of love, loss, courage, or challenge, the goal is always transformation. The work isn’t about the past for the sake of curiosity—it’s about living this life with more clarity, purpose, and peace.
The Journey Is Ongoing
So, how many past lives have you had? The truth is, probably more than you realize. But the real question is: What is your soul asking you to remember right now?
If you’re feeling called to explore your past lives, I’d love to help you. You can experience a past life regression session with me online, no matter where you are in the world. Every session is unique because every soul’s journey is unique.
Your story is still unfolding, and I’m here to guide you when you’re ready.
If this was interesting to you, the next article should as well: How did I die in a past life?
