One common theme is self - discovery. Characters often find out new things about themselves when they remember their past lives. For example, they might discover hidden talents or past traumas that shape their current actions.
One common theme is recurring relationships. For example, people often claim to have had the same group of family members or friends in past lives. Another theme is unfinished business. It could be something like a task not completed or a wrong not righted. Also, the experience of living in a particular historical era is common, like being in ancient Rome or medieval Europe.
Family and relationships are also common themes. Just like in the story of Shanti Devi, people might recall their past life families. Sometimes, these relationships are thought to be continued in some form in the present life. For example, an unexplained bond between two people could be attributed to a past - life connection. There is also the theme of unfinished business. If a person died with some tasks uncompleted in their past life, they might be compelled to fulfill them in the current life, as some stories suggest.
One common theme is past relationships. People often recall relationships with family members or lovers from past lives. Another theme is occupations. Just like the examples before, people might remember being a certain type of worker. Fear and phobias are also common themes, as they can be traced back to past - life traumas.
The most common elements? Well, first, there's the sense of deja vu. People might visit a place they've never been to in this life but it feels so familiar, and they think it's related to a past life. Another is skills or talents. Some believe that if they are naturally good at something, like playing a musical instrument without much training, it could be because they were a musician in a past life. And then there are the dreams. A lot of past life regression stories start with someone having vivid dreams about a different time and place, which then leads them to explore the idea of past lives further.
In past life regression books, a key feature is often the exploration of past traumas or unresolved issues that may be affecting the present life. For example, in 'Many Lives, Many Masters', the author shows how patients' phobias can be traced back to past life events. In light novels, if they touch on past life regression, it might be more about adventure in a past life. Like in some isekai light novels where the character is reincarnated, they go on adventures in their new 'past' life setting.
One popular manga related to past life regression is 'Red River'. It tells the story of a modern - day girl who is transported back in time and gets involved in an ancient civilization. For light novels, 'My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!' has elements where the protagonist remembers her past life and tries to change her fate in this new life.
Another great one could be 'Ascendance of a Bookworm'. Although not strictly a 'past life regression' in the typical sense, the main character retains memories from her past life in modern Japan while being reborn in a medieval - like world. It focuses on her love for books and how she tries to create them in a world where they are scarce, which is really engaging.
One common theme is redemption. The characters often want to make up for their past mistakes or failures. For example, in many stories, the regressed protagonist might have lost someone important in their past life and now they strive to protect that person in their new chance at life.
A child had an inexplicable knowledge of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. In a past life regression session, he saw himself as an Egyptian scribe. He was able to describe the temple where he worked, the robes he wore, and the process of writing on papyrus. This story shows how past life memories might be carried over into the present life.
One interesting past life regression story is about a woman who claimed to have been a soldier in a past life. During the regression, she described the battles, the uniforms, and the fear she felt on the battlefield in great detail.