Anna:
Hello and welcome to our 6th episode of Estafet for Earth Association and today we travel to a new country. We are today in Portugal, and we are with Mario Simoes today. Hi Mario.
Mario:
Hi, hi, hi Anna!
Anna:
How are you?
Mario:
I’m fine, I’m fine. And I’m very interested to participate and I’m very curious about the questions you are going to ask.
Anna:
Great. I’m very curious about the answers.
Anna:
Nice. So let’s just get right into it and if you could introduce yourself to our viewers, your name and where you’re from.
Mario:
Ok, Ok, well, my name is Mario Simoes. Sometimes you can find me in Facebook with Mario Simmons. I put it like that for a joke. And I’m living in Lisbon, since more than 40 years. I am psychiatrist and a retired professor from the faculty of medicine. And I was teaching uh, psychiatry and psychotherapy. So this is my short presentation. And my age group, for my white hair, I am 74 years old.
Anna:
Wow, and you look wonderful. Great. Thank you for joining us today. Actually, question out of nowhere, but there is a beautiful mandala right behind you.
Mario:
Yes, yes, yes. This is a mandala. It was a friend of mine that offered it to me as a- well, I was teaching him how to do this kind of regression therapy and afterwards he offered me it as a present, saying OK, thank you very much for teaching me.
Anna:
Beautiful. So you also teach Regression therapy.
Mario:
Yes, yes, yes, I- well, I had during my- my job as a professor for psychiatry and psychotherapy, I had a course on about hypnosis. And hypnosis, I teach it every single one could do using hypnosis. And one thing one could do was regression therapy. You could treat a lot of issues concerning medicine, chronic pain, some kind of psychiatric issues as well, and that regression therapy was as well one of those issues.
Anna:
Oh, wonderful. And so this is how you came to it, um, through these courses to regression therapy, I mean.
Mario:
Yes. Well, it wasn’t on about the 94. And I thought, well, I would like to know more about regression therapy. And then I noticed that there was a Brazilian doctor that was teaching it and I invited her to come to Lisbon. And then in 94-95, we were teaching how to do it in the world model of Netherton, Morris Netherton- and then later we developed, but we began using the the method of Morris Netherton in 94, with this doctor. She was a spiritist and Ok, we accepted some of her convictions and but later we realized that there is a lot of explanations and I teach it as well, at the comprehension of the subject of regression therapy, not only based on a quite- quite strict model, and let us say, believing that everything we had and happened in regression therapy was concerned with the previous life. Those were the developements
Anna:
All right. And do you also use now the regression you work with regression now every day or how is that part of your life and work right now?
Mario:
Yes, a part of life. Now there is–because doing it, practicing regression therapy, it needs a lot of time and at least one hour. It’s- it’s just my experience, 1 1/2 hour to do it correctly for a session and within in within 1 1/2 hour normally as I was having another let us job as psychiatrist and I couldn’t follow two patients in 1 1/2 hours, so 45 minutes per patient. So when I use regression therapy, it was really a program and only for some patients that. I needed to know more about them or they were very interested to know those issues, why they were suffering some kind of disorders. So I was not using always regression therapy, only for some patients as- as I told you my job was treating patients with other issues that were very heavy and, let us say, the regression therapy should take a lot, a lot of time and they were suffering so much that I could not wait to have a time for a regression therapy.
Anna:
Hmm. And if you- if you when you did the regression therapy with your with the patient, how would you explain or introduce regression to that patient, if they for example they don’t know what that is?
Mario:
Well, then I told them that there are some models of psychotherapy and some of them say that we are born with some disorders that probably have a memory. It can be transmitted. This memory can come from- from their ancestors, as we know from the genetic code. Or some people are saying that we really always bring not only genetic issues like the hair color or skin or so, but as well some memories concerning behaviors. That’s and then later I said that it doesn’t matter what happened during this session where we are going back to look for causes, One knows that we have alternative explanations like you- you are bringing your personal myths. Um, and it’s interesting that I have behind me, you see this- let me be on my feet, if I could show you,
Anna:
Yes.
Mario
Let’s see, because it is an explanation I use even for myself. Let me see if I can get this.
Let me see. I don’t know.
Anna:
Yes, yes, yes.
Mario:
So it’s “my picture, and this is my personal myth” is the name of this picture, ok? And you see that in this personal picture that was painted by a Portuguese painter, so it seems like I was going to walking through a planet as you see, barefoot, from one door to another door, when the second door is more light and the in my- in the floor there are written some kind of centuries where I was stepping on, and I was saying this is my myths and my personal myths can alleviate me, can bring me some good benefit for my life. This is one explanation I told my patients to introduce it. Another one is that I project my life to another personality, to another time, to another geographic country, and it’s easy if I project this kind of problems to another personality, time and country. It’s easy for me to understand it better. So I’m not dealing really with my problems, but I’m- it’s like I’m I sit in a cinema looking for a movie. That’s my movie, but I keep a certain distance and it’s better for me to understand. So this kind of explanations. And some said “but doctor I I believe in reincarnation, I believe in uh, uh, this kind of issues.” And then, “Ok, if you believe it’s- it’s your, it’s your reason. Ok, let’s go further with it.” So, but I have always alternative explanations to introduce and even if it is not true that it exists- previous lives, it doesn’t matter, it helps anyway. You are dealing with a, let us say, problems that are yours, even you believe that you are in another time, in another personality, it doesn’t matter if you believe or doesn’t believe. And so with this explanations people were willing to go to regression therapy.
Anna:
And if somebody didn’t believe in reincarnation, did it still work?
Mario:
It works, it works. It’s- it’s like you are doing. Let us say, it’s like a psychodrama. Then you it’s a like a psychodrama in your consciousness. And then it’s another kind of psychotherapy. Ok, you do not need to believe, you are building a psychodrama in your mind. Ok, so let us treat it in your mind and it works.
Anna:
Great, perfect. So these are your patients.And what about you? How did regression therapy affected you personally in your life? Was there anything?
Mario:
Yes. Normally, well, we must, uh, undergo didactic sessions. So I went more than 10 didactic sessions with my therapist. And even later when I was practicing, I asked people, friends of mine, “do it with me”, to just to see how do you work, because a lot of people I teach it and I want to be sure if they were working correct. So I did a lot, a lot of regression therapy with myself. So, it affected me in the sense that I understood a lot, um, questions I had in my personal life, the way of being, the way of dealing with some problems, even what was the proposing life in my life. So it was a session just for that. And they give me a lot of insights or how did I came to have this family, my daughter, my wife, my mother. So it gave me a lot of insights: how did I get this family and the issues I had to deal with them. So, for me, it was wonderful and I usually say but when people asks to me “do you believe really in that?” and I said, I said like an Italian should say it: se non è vero e ben trovato.If it’s not true then it was good find. It was a good find that we had. And for me it was very important. It teaches me a lot, so for me I really am happy with I got from my regression sessions.
Anna:
Wow, nice. Yeah, I can. I can relate to that. I do a lot of those for myself also.
Mario:
Yeah. Ok, ok then you know what I’m talking about.
Anna:
And so is there any interesting case that you had, that you could maybe share or shortly something that really interesting?
Mario:
Well. A lot, but let us say. Got some interesting case with some of vibration and even with myself. I can relate to one, that’s really amazing because it was a session with a professor. She was a professor and she wanted to quit smoking and then ok, she had been trying a lot of things and she believed in regression therapy. So we went in a session and she went to a country in Africa. For about 100 years ago, and she then recognized herself as being a shaman. She was learning to be a shaman. And the professor she had said to her, “every time you have to work, you must smoke because they use smoke for altering consciousness.” And she was smoking. And the interesting thing is that she always- she only smoked when she was practicing as a regression therapist. And then ok, we were talking and say “so you must talk to your masters, asking that permission that you do not need it anymore. Now in our times, 100 years later we have another comprehension, we have another technique. So ask for permission” and the masters permitted her. “Ok, you do not need anymore to smoke a cigarette during the sessions” and it was only one session and she quit smoking.
Anna:
Wow!
Mario:
This is this was very very interesting, but during the session something happened concerning myself. Suddenly in the middle of the session, she touched me and said: “Professor, your father is here.” And I said “Well.” and I say normally when these things are happening, I say say “yes”, nothing more. “Yes. And well, why is my father here?” “He wants to warn you about the disease of your mother. She is in pain and she is in danger, but she says nothing because she doesn’t want to disturb you.” And I said, “well, thank you. Tell my father that is here, that I thank him very much, and I shall do my best after the session.” “Ok. And then, now he’s leaving.” She said he’s leaving. ok, then the session ended, and I called my mother afterwards and said, “Mother, what’s happening?” “Oh, I have a big pain in my leg. But I don’t want to disturb you. I don’t. I didn’t want to tell you.” And after making a questionary with her I noticed that it was very dangerous. It was a thrombosis in her leg, in that leg. So I traveled through 100 kilometres up to the north bring here and it was in the last moment that she was treated. So you see a mixture, of a session and a personal issue. And a very interesting I think this case, I shall never forget it.
Anna:
Wow! That is very interesting, amazing.
Mario:
Because then- then later I I went with this kind of work because I noticed that when we are in an altered state of consciousness, like I use hypnosis, then we can have a potential for hypnosis, to contact people from that is already there or for other kind of experiences. And I can tell you, then my projects of research went further and then we just finished the work. That is a thesis that shall be discussed in the next month in England where we used hypnosis to produce, to induce a near death experience. And so we’ve got it with more than 40 people. We took the people to experience their near death experience using hypnosis. So you see.
Anna:
Wow! is this going to be published somewhere or is it somewhere already?
Mario:
It will be published after it is discussed in Northampton in England, but we are preparing the paper that it’s already there to be published in a book produced by the SPR- Societal Psychical Research, where we discuss how do we make it and the protocol we use for inducing near death experience.
Anna:
Wow, that is super interesting. Would you be able to share it with our members of EARTh, maybe when it is published?
Mario:
Yes, I even have a PowerPoint and I have done a lot of conferences on the subject so if you- when they want- well, then I can give a talk or how to induce a near death experience using hypnosis.
Anna:
Very good. I’m writing this down. Fantastic. Yes, I will have that in mind, that is very interesting. Yeah, for our members and actually since we are talking about EARTh, how long are you with EARTh? What is your connection and story with the EARTh Association for our viewers to see, to know?
Mario:
Yes, yes, yes, um um, now I am a member of EARTh since a long time, since the EARTh began. I was in the first assembly in Holland. To place it, I think it more than 25 years ago and then I was a member. Then later I went with my own work and and then left. Then five years ago, seven years ago, I was invited again to be a member of EARTh and now I am an honorary member of EARTh. And of course, I’m always interested on what is going on EARTh and then. I would like to go to the next meeting, but I don’t know if I’m able because of some difficulties concerning my health, but let us say, let us see if I can come. Where, where does it take place?
Anna:
It will be in Turkey, in Antalya, this October
Mario:
October, yeah.
Anna:
Some nice weather, maybe you can manage to come. It would be great to have you.
Mario:
Aww, I would like to travel if it is in Turkey, now I know. I’ve been there twice until the third time could be a really good chance to be there.
Anna:
And for us also would be great. Great chance to see you, meet you and learn from you. Maybe even for a workshop, who knows?
Mario:
Well, could be, could be. very interesting. I tell you. It really works. Really works. People are living their near death experience and some of them are really worried afterwards that I brought them back to life. They would like to , to rest there. That’s an amazing thing.
Anna:
Ohh wow, interesting. Well, while we are still here and not there, do you have any message for EARTh and EARTh members and the fellow therapists of regression therapy?
Mario:
Yeah. I think I wrote some notes here and I think it could be a very interesting for EARTh to to build a network of people having similar experiences, similar experiences in past lives, even from different countries or even from different learning methods and then edit a book. So- and it would bring consistency to the theory if some people having, let us say, being members or participate in a historical- Historical revolution or or historical issue that took place in one time, if we meet people that have been there and see that if they have the same experience, even they came from different structures of the population; it could be very interesting that it brings some consistency to the theory. And I would say to the membersthat are practicing, fellow therapists. I do and learn and use other therapies in the same regression therapy sessions. I use sometimes three kind of interventions in the same- in the same session. So I would advise it. It saves time and money. And I use, for instance, hypnosis, deep memory process and EMDR in the same session. So I can say that in one of these sessions I compact nearly three to four future sessions. It’s really results very fast, compact, effective using it.
Anna:
Right. Yes.
Mario:
That is what I would advise. To learn other methods and use it at the same time in the same session.
Anna:
Thank you so much. Yes, I agree. Great. So since it’s time for us to wrap it up. Thank you for your time. You get a chance to name the next person who will be interviewed afterwards. Who would that be?
Mario:
Yes, as we have been talking before, so my good friend Mario Resende, the Portuguese therapist member of the EARTh and he is just a good friend that he calls me Mario 1 and he calls himself Mario 2. So next, shall be Mario 2.
Anna:
All right, Mario 2 is coming up. And um, what would you like to ask Mario? You can ask him a question from you
Mario:
Uh. What did you learn from your personal life with regression therapy?
Anna:
Hmm.
Mario:
That is my question for Mario.
Anna:
All right, Mario, we’re coming after you.
Mario:
Mario 2.
Anna:
Yes, Mario 2. Great. So I will make sure I will ask him that question. And the question that Sergio had for you previously in the interview #5, you already answered because he was looking to know how did you come to regression therapy and so we talked about that in the beginning.
Mario:
In the beginning, yes, that’s true.
Anna:
Sounds great. Thank you very much, Mario. It was a great pleasure to talk to you and meet you and see you. And I really hope that we’ll see you in person very soon.
Mario:
Thank you very much, Anna, for your kind words and until the next time that we see us personally.
Anna:
Yes, until next time, thank you very much. And everybody thank you for watching and look out for the next episode.
Mario:
Thank you. Bye, bye.
Anna:
Bye, bye.
