Scientific studies point to thousands of cases of reincarnation
New Science Shatters Old Paradigms
“Birth is not a beginning; death is not an end. There is existence without limitation; there is continuity without a starting-point. Existence without limitation is Space. Continuity without a starting point is Time. There is birth, there is death, there is issuing forth, there is entering in." – Ancient Chinese Proverb.
Mainstream science is delving into some case studies giving strong indications that reincarnation is a real thing. These studies aren’t a few anecdotal stories either. There is some extremely compelling evidence for which there can be no other explanation.
And they have looked into thousands of cases. In fact, it’s becoming more and more a common thing.
Highly credible, peer-reviewed science that serves as supporting evidence for reincarnation is found largely in the research of Dr. Ian Stevenson and Dr. Jim Tucker, from the Division of Perceptual Studies at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.
If you go to the National Institutes of Health Pubmed.com online bibliography and search for the word reincarnation, you will find many interesting articles. Some of them are so compelling it makes your jaw drop. All of them amount to a tremendous amount of smoke and where there is smoke, there generally tends to be some sort of fire.
In Tucker’s work, they carefully and meticulously assembled more than 2,500 cases of past-life memories in children. They checked into the facts these children were presenting and, in each case, reincarnation is the most straightforward explanation. Most of their research deals with young children around the age of 3; they begin to spontaneously report that they had another family or lived somewhere else.
These children give accurate details with the names of people, places and things they should not have any other explanation for. They also describe events that have not taken place in their current lives that are later confirmed. Usually, these memories begin to arise around the age 2 or 3, and they are actually very common. Often these children are discouraged from talking about their “past lives” and the whole area is generally disregarded because of cultural ignorance. Then, most of the time, these memories fade around 6 or 7 years of age and the child rarely revisits them.
Keep in mind that these professional, reputable, scientists who delve into the so-called “fringes” of what is considered to be acceptable scientific research in the mainstream like this must be especially careful with their approach so as to maintain the utmost credibility. Stories of prior incarnations are usually dismissed as fantasy or wishful thinking here in the west. And to be quite frank and honest, some claims are just that. Sometimes this stuff can be made up or the product of a child’s imagination. However, this doesn’t mean they all are. Although it is easy and tempting to dismiss this sort of thing as “woo woo,” credible scientists are delving into this study and western societies are slowly coming out of what can only be described as a time of spiritual poverty. Western culture is entrenched in what can only be described as a nihilistic existential malaise brought about by a spiritual vacuum left by the very science that is now shifting gears from materialism to idealism. This is expected to happen with the revelation that time, space and matter are emerging properties of consciousness, which is the very source of all creation.
In the most recent studies, many of these children who provide adequate and precise details are presenting real memories from what could only amount to prior incarnations. Researchers have been able to identify specific factual identities that the child recalls having been before. Sometimes, these prior incarnations are within the same family and other times as strangers in another location.
Some of these children display peculiar traits, behaviors and habits that are inexplicable. Sometimes, they display exceptional abilities in an area, such as artistic, athletic or musical talent.
Many of these children relate specific names or places, and identify former family members by name. Some of the stories are so compelling it is extremely moving, where family members come back within the same family, or a parent loses a child and the child comes back when they have another baby. Many of these cases are in parts of the world where reincarnation has widespread acceptance. Western nations are among the only places in which this is not the case.
Researchers are especially meticulous in their care to apply discernment as to how and from whom the data gets collected to uphold scientific integrity and present data that can stand up to peer review. They research historical records and family connections to compare the reports to actual events. This is all highly credible science, mainstream science, that western societies need to come to terms with. It’s going to revolutionize how we understand reality to work, how the universe actually operates, and how we view ourselves within it.
As hard as this might be for many religious types to believe there are sufficient details validating thousands of cases of reincarnation. The common explanation to dismiss these findings is that the child is talking to disincarnate entities. However, this explanation does not hold up if one examines the details in these cases and the researchers have gone to great lengths to rule out all other possible explanations.
In any case, these findings demand we reassess our view of the nature of reality. With reincarnation turning out to be a viable explanation in more than 2,500 cases, the database is an impressive one with stories that engender a sense of awe. Many of these cases are very moving and heart-warming.
Tucker writes: The Journal of the American Medical Association reviewed one of [Stevenson’s] books in 1975 and stated that “in regard to reincarnation he has painstakingly and unemotionally collected a detailed series of cases … in which the evidence is difficult to explain on any other grounds.”
Even scientists considered to be skeptical, like the late astronomer Carl Sagan have acknowledged the probable reality of reincarnation:
“There are three claims in the [parapsychology] field which, in my opinion, deserve serious study,” with the third being “that young children sometimes report details of a previous life, which upon checking turn out to be accurate and which they could not have known about in any other way than reincarnation.”
In his 2008 article, Tucker describes the average reincarnation case:
“The average age when subjects begin reporting a past life is 35 months. Some make their statements with detachment, but many show strong emotional involvement in their claims. Some cry and beg to be taken to what they say is their previous family. Others show intense anger, particularly toward killers in cases in which the previous personality was murdered. In general, the stronger the evidence for a connection to the previous life, the more emotion the child shows when talking about that life. … The subjects usually stop making their past-life statements by the age of six to seven, and most seem to lose the purported memories. This is the age when children start school and begin having more experiences in their current life, as well as when they tend to lose their early childhood memories.”
One of the most remarkable cases in America is that of a boy named Sam Taylor from Vermont, who by all means came back to life as his own grandson. One day when Taylor was about 18 months old, he looked up to his father, while his father was changing his diaper and told his dad: “When I was your age, I used to change your diapers.”
Can you imagine an 18-month-old saying something like this? That’s pretty off the wall.
Nevertheless, Taylor began talking more about having been his grandfather and eventually gave many accurate details of his grandfather’s life. Taylor’s parents felt certain he could not have learned through any normal means, especially because he was just a toddler, just learning to talk. It turns out Sam was born a year and a half after his grandfather passed away. It all started one day when Sam was about 18 months old and he made that bold statement. When kids make statements like these we should be more open-minded spiritually. Western religious types have been suppressing the general widespread acceptance of reincarnation because it could mean serious conflict with the rigid dogma that encases many religious institutions, which are constructed around the ego and its own self-serving interests.
In the Taylor case, another occurrence happened when Sam's grandmother passed away. He was about four years old. His parents showed him old photo albums from Grandma's house. At that young age, Sam had never seen a photo of his grandfather. While they were looking through the old photo album, Sam pointed to a photo and made a random statement:
“Hey! That's my first car!”
At this, his parents responded rather surprised by it, saying: “No, that is your grandfather's car.” The picture (it turned out) was of his grandfather's first automobile, a brand new 1949 Pontiac. Additionally, a photo of Grandpa and his classmates was found. Sam had never been near any of these photos. He’s just a little child. The picture shows a group of 27 kids in his school class. Although he’d never seen the image and should not have even known what it was, Sam pointed out his “grandfather” as soon as he saw it. He picked the right kid in the photo out of 27 and there’s no other explanation as to how this little boy was able to identify himself.
When he saw it, he screeched with excitement!
“That's me!”
Again, his parents attempted to correct him: “No Sam, that is your Grandfather.” At this, however, the boy re-asserts himself firmly. “Nooooo that’s me!”
After some time of going back and forth, Sam's parents decided to ask him other questions. They ask if he remembers anything from Grandpa's life. Little Sam, who (keep in mind) is only a few years old and full of innocence, says: “Well, someone turned my sister into a fish.” When he was asked who turned her into a fish, he replies, "Bad men". It turns out, Grandpa's sister had been murdered and her body was discovered underwater. Other details were confirmed as well. Little Sam should have had absolutely zero prior knowledge of his Grandfather or any of his siblings. His father has said that he doesn't even know many details about his great aunt's death, and would definitely not tell his son about it at such a young age.
The biggest kicker was the last thing this little kid said, full of innocence. He looked at his mom and said: “You know mom, when we die, we come back! I used to be big and now I'm a kid again.”
Sam's mother and father reported little Sam seemed very excited about it all. He told his parents that “after death you go to Heaven and God will give you a card that allows a second chance at life.”