By David John Oates
Copyright © 2007
“In the realm of consciousness we are our own masters; we seem to be the factors themselves. But if we step through the door of the shadow we discover with terror that we are the objects of unseen factors. To know this is decidedly unpleasant, for nothing is more disillusioning that the discovery of our own inadequacy. It can even give rise to primitive panic because the anxiously guarded supremacy of consciousness is questioned in the most dangerous way.”
Archetypes Of The Collective Unconscious. C.G. Jung
There is a lot more to Reverse Speech than simply playing tapes backwards to find hidden messages. Ever since I first began to research Reverse Speech I have observed consistent and varying reactions from people exposed to the phenomenon. These reactions have ranged from mild to severe. In its mild form it will manifest as an emotional reaction to hearing speech reversals. Sometimes this emotional reaction will be experienced as a physical sensation in the body. This experience can be brief or it can linger for days or weeks.
As the new student of Reverse Speech begins their studies they may notice other reactions such as an increase in dream states, fluctuating emotions and/or a heightened state of awareness. Some students will begin to experience an increased sense of intuition, and as time goes on they may even begin to notice the occurrence of unusual phenomenon in their homes. The most common form of this is the appearance of unexplained odours in the house such as roses, or peach, or even burning rubber. Other people report a sensation of someone “watching” them and may even find unexplained voices on their audio recordings.
These reactions can accelerate significantly if the new student begins to spend an inordinate amount of time looking for reversals, and especially their own reversals or reversals on family members. I have seen a marked increase in family tensions and dynamics, emotional states becoming extremely intense, and even medical intervention being necessary in some cases. At times, the student may begin to feel extreme anger towards Reverse Speech itself. This anger can be directed at me, or another Trainer. In these cases the student is experiencing the phenomenon of transference and may see their own faults in the Reverse Speech Trainer.
Transference is a very common symptom of the phenomenon termed “Reversal Reaction.” This term describes the abreactions that students, clients and even the casual observer can experience as a result of their exposure to Reverse Speech.
Reversal Reaction can be triggered by many things, some of which have already been noted in this article. The Reverse Speech client may experience reversal reaction if they are unable to accept the message of their reversals. Even though they may acknowledge acceptance consciously, the unconscious can become extremely troubled by the revelations contained. The client may begin to experience symptoms described above and, as a defense mechanism, will totally shut down to any suggestion that they may be experiencing any abreactions. The behaviour that has been exposed by the reversals will begin to manifest in an exaggerated form. The client will be unable to see this and transfer these symptoms to the Reverse Speech Analyst who conducted the session.
For example, if the reversals revealed that the client suffered from an extreme temper, and they were unable to accept or see this, they would begin to shut down conscious recognition of their temper. At the same time, their temper will begin to accelerate. Unable to see this increased temper, they will then transfer this sensation to the Analyst and begin to see their temper in them. The client then begins to get very angry at the Analyst accusing them of having a bad temper. A client whose reversals reveal that they are uncompassionate may have an abreaction to this information and accuse the Analyst of being uncompassionate.
This is how reversal reaction and transference works. It is usually a marked reaction to the reversals and/or the Analyst delivering the information contained in the reversals.
The solutions for these abreactions are varied. In its mild form in new students I suggest stop reversing tapes for 2-3 days and let it subside. This usually works. I have noticed, though, that its symptoms will usually fade in a few weeks anyway in its mild forms.
In its more severe forms, especially if transference has set in, it does not simply fade in time. I have seen it set in for many months or even years. The only solution in these cases that I have seen is for the person experiencing the reaction to recognise its symptoms and accept personal responsibility for the information contained in their reversals, or the situation, that triggered the reaction. This can be very difficult because the very nature of reaction precludes one realising that they are in reaction. Catch 22.
I can remember one client with a weight issue who went into severe reaction after her Metawalks. She stormed out of the office without paying her bill and we didn’t hear from her for years. She contacted us recently both thanking us and apologising profusely. She had eventually came out of her reaction, recognised what had happened and shed all her excess weight!
As I have gained more experience with Reverse Speech and reversal reaction, I have learned how to avoid it in time. I have found that if new students are warned beforehand, they can be aware of its symptoms and take corrective actions before it gets severe.
In my work with clients, I have found that a very soft, gentle approach will also reduce the symptoms of reaction. I rarely experience reaction with my clients now compared to my earlier days, although it still occasionally appears and takes me by surprise. In these cases I have learned that often the best approach is to back right off and wait for the symptoms to fade.
The most important thing for the new student and analyst is to be aware that it exists and learn by experience how to avoid it. In time, as we understand it more, we may be able to eliminate it altogether.