Have you ever had déjà vu and felt drawn to previous time periods or certain cultures but don’t know why? Perhaps this is a sign of a past life.

Self-titled reincarnation expert Nicolas Aujula believes we can be shown clues in our daily lives that point to a past existence and is coming to South Woodford this Saturday to hold a workshop with members of the community.

He claims his holistic methods can not only tap into previous lives, but also help people with fears, anxiety, depression and low self-esteem.

Nicolas discovered his calling at the age of 17 after he fell into a trance state that made him think about past-life memories and compelled him to delve deeper into his subconscious.

It led him to examine his innermost thoughts to discover if they held a key to the various ailments in his current life such as an unexplained phobia of insects.

This self-exploration led him to overcome his fear of death and realise that we may carry forward behaviours and life imprints when we die.

After studying to become a parapsychologist over the past 12 years, he has also tapped into meditation and past life regression to help thousands of people discover their own pasts and “understand the bigger picture of the soul’s journey through time”.

His work has been seen on the Channel 4 documentary Man Vs Weird, the Biography channel’s Our Psychic Family and ITV’s Daybreak, with his other cases being published in The Daily Mail, The Sun, Daily Mirror, Daily Record, Irish Examiner, OK! and Chat.

Nicolas says: “I believe we have all lived countless past-lives that determine our current life script to shape personality, choices, health and ways of thinking as we all carry forth old dynamics from strengths and talents to fears and limitations.

“Meditation allows us to access these personal memories that are deep within our unconscious layers of the mind - this process can be insightful and healing as it allows us to release any limitations and ailments whilst helping to harness personal strengths.”

When I discovered Nicolas was coming to Woodford, I was instantly intrigued to discover who I could have been in a previous life and arranged to meet him.

His first step was to relax every part of my body, he took me through a deep breathing exercise that would put me in a meditative state. Having never been put into a trance before, I was unsure whether this meant I just had to daydream or whether I would fall asleep. As I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing, I could feel myself nodding off but was awoken sharply by Nicolas’ voice and realised that I would be required to stay awake and relay my story to him.

He asked me to picture myself in the first place that came into my mind and I found myself picturing a castle in a forest, although I had seen Spamalot on stage a week earlier so I was worried if that was why I was thinking of a medieval time period. I was dressed in long robes and as I delved deeper into myself, I realised I was a lone figure and quite an influential leader.

Nicolas took me to the end of this person’s life and told me to reflect on any regrets they may have had. I felt like the person wished they had focused more on their personal life rather than their career and not been so alone in pursuit of following their dreams.

As I was drawn out of my relaxed state, Nicolas asked me what I had learnt from this experience and whether it was something I could relate to.

It made me wonder, was I really someone like Maid Marian living in a forest in medieval times or was I just bringing up fears and thoughts that had previously been hidden deep in my subconscious to the surface of my mind?

I remain fairly sceptical of the experience but if this leaves you feeling intrigued, then go along on Saturday and find out more about yourselves...

Woodford Church, Grove Crescent, South Woodford, E18 2JR, Saturday, February 18, 11am to 4pm. Details: knowyourpastlife.com