University of Virginia, School of Medicine
In many cases, the child’s statements correspond accurately to the life and death of a deceased individual. Some children have birthmarks or birth defects congruent with wounds or marks on the deceased person, using postmortem reports to confirm. Older children may retain these apparent memories, but they generally seem to fade around the age of seven.
The subjects of these cases have been found all over the world, including Europe and North America. For the past 20 years, Dr. Jim Tucker has focused mainly on cases found in the United States. Some cases offer more compelling evidence than others for past-life memories. Two thought-provoking cases:
Some young children, usually between the ages of 2 and 5, speak about memories of a previous life they claim to have lived. At the same time they often show behaviors, such as phobias or preferences, that are unusual within the context of their particular family and cannot be explained by any current life events.
In many cases, the child’s statements correspond accurately to the life and death of a deceased individual. Some children have birthmarks or birth defects congruent with wounds or marks on the deceased person, using postmortem reports to confirm. Older children may retain these apparent memories, but they generally seem to fade around the age of seven.
The subjects of these cases have been found all over the world, including Europe and North America. For the past 20 years, Dr. Jim Tucker has focused mainly on cases found in the United States. Some cases offer more compelling evidence than others for past-life memories. Two thought-provoking cases:
- James Leininger – memories of being a WWII pilot and getting shot down
- Ryan Hammons – memories of being a Hollywood extra and talent agent
Statements a Child Might Make
The following list is designed to give an idea of what a parent or caregiver might hear from a child reporting memories of a previous life. This list is not meant to be exhaustive as these statements can be quite varied.List of Statement Examples
- “You’re not my mommy/daddy.”
- “I have another mommy/daddy.”
- “When I was big, I … (used to have blue eyes, have a car, worked downtown, etc.).”
- “That happened before I was in mommy’s tummy.”
- “I have a wife/husband/children.”
- “I used to … (drive a truck/live in another town, etc.)”
- “I died … (in a car accident/after I fell, etc.)”
- “Remember when I … (lived in that other house, was your daddy, etc.)”
In Western culture, these type of statements often get dismissed as fantasy even though they might contain something other than pure imagination. It is probably best not to repeatedly question the child, nor try to prevent them from speaking about these topics.- Children Who Report Memories of Past Lives - Division of Perceptual Studies