Memories of the Holocaust and Questions of Past Lives

This is a topic which has not yet been thoroughly researched academically.Yet there are thousands of individuals by which the author refers to second and third generation Holocaust survivors, whose lives have been and are being affected by traumatic memories due to a memory of being either victim or perpetrator in a former incarnation. Questions are posed of working therapeutically with such individuals and the topic examined from both psychodynamic and transpersonal perspectives.The seminal literature relates specifically to the psychological effects of inherited memory of war trauma; further literature is reviewed on working therapeutically with regression,specifically in relation to working with trauma. The therapeutic implications of the work are considered in terms of how culture and belief system are applicable when working with survivors and those who believe they have reincarnated. The transmission of memory and possibilities of origin are outlined including genetic and through the collective unconscious.Research undertaken may shed some light on issues mental health professionals have not yet encountered and offer some insight in working with such individuals.