Reincarnation in America: An Esoteric History surveys the complex history of reincarnation theories across multiple fields of discourse in a pre-American context, ranging from early Greek traditions to Medieval Christian theories, Renaissance esotericism, and European Kabbalah, all of which had adherents that brought those theories to America. Rebirth theories are shown in all these groups to be highly complex and often disjunctive with mainstream religions even though members of conventional religions frequently affirm the possibility of rebirth. As a history of an idea, reincarnation theory is a current, vital belief pattern that cuts across a wide spectrum of social, cultural, and scientific domains in a long, complex history not reducible to any specific religious or theoretical explanation. This book is cross-disciplinary and multicultural, linking religious studies perspectives with science based research; it draws upon many distinct disciplines and avoids reduction of reincarnation to any specific theory. The underlying thesis is to demonstrate the complexity of reincarnation theories; what is unique is the historical overview and the gradual shift away from religious theories of rebirth to new theories that are therapeutic and trans-traditional.

The concept of reincarnation has been around for thousands of years, and is a part of many religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. In addition to these religious beliefs, many people believe it offers an explanation for the mysteries of life. There are children that claim to remember previous lives as adults or even animals. These claimed memories might affect the development of the child and be incorporated into the child's personality. This book presents an in-depth look at Dr. Stevenson's forty years studying children who claim to remember previous lives. It is an informative, professional read that dispels common misconceptions about reincarnation and offers an open-minded perspective. It provides an overview of the history of the belief in and evidence for reincarnation, with new material relating to birthmarks and birth defects, independent replication studies, and recent developments in genetic study. It also covers research on children, the methods used, the cases studied, and the analyses of the data. The idea of reincarnation is explored as an explanation for some unsolved problems in psychology and medicine. • INTRODUCTION TO REINCARNATION--Provides an introduction to the study of reincarnation, including a discussion of the belief in reincarnation. • VARIATIONS IN DIFFERENT CULTURES--Looks at how reincarnation is viewed in different cultures around the world and how it has changed over time. • EXPLANATORY VALUE OF THE IDEA OF REINCARNATION--The idea of reincarnation has been around for thousands of years, and many people believe it offers an explanation for the mysteries of life. • TYPES OF EVIDENCE FOR REINCARNATION--There are many types of evidence for reincarnation, including anecdotal evidence, case studies, and research studies. • TYPICAL CASES OF CHILDREN--Looks at typical cases of children who remember previous lives, with a focus on their characteristics. • METHODS OF RESEARCH--Discusses the methods of research and the various ways in which previous-life memories can be investigated. • ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF CASES--Analyzes a number of cases from the author's 40-year career.

Here is an in-depth look at spiritual experiences about which very little has been written. Belief in reincarnation exists not only in India but in most small tribal societies throughout the world, including many Indian groups in North America. The reader is offered a rich tapestry of stories from a number of North American tribes about death, dying, and returning to this life. Included are stories from the Inuit of the polar regions; the Northwest Coast people, such as the Kwakiutl, the Gitxsan, the Tlingit, and the Suquamish; the Hopi and the Cochiti of the Southwest; the Winnebago of the Great Lakes region; the Cherokee of the Southeast,; and the Sioux people of the Plains area. Readers will learn about a Winnebago shaman's initiation, the Cherokee's Orpheus myth, the Hopi story of A Journey to the Skeleton House, the Inuit man who lived the lives of all animals, the Ghost Dance, and other extraordinary accounts. The ethnological record indicates reincarnation beliefs are found among the indigenous peoples on all continents of this earth as well as in most of the world's major religions. This book makes a valuable contribution towards having a deeper understanding of North American Indian spiritual beliefs.

This book presents a history of reincarnation, from ancient times to the present; it is written for a diverse readership interested in theories of life after death. The survey offers an exciting journey through a maze of fascinating ideas that all contribute to an underlying theory that after death comes rebirth.

Dr. Tucker, in a follow-up to his book Life Before Life, explores American cases of young children who report memories of previous lives in the New York Times bestseller, Return to Life. A first-person account of Jim Tucker's experiences with a number of extraordinary children with memories of past lives, Return to Life focuses mostly on American cases, presenting each family's story and describing his investigation. His goal is to determine what happened—what the child has said, how the parents have reacted, whether the child's statements match the life of a particular deceased person, and whether the child could have learned such information through normal means. Tucker has found cases that provide persuasive evidence that some children do, in fact, possess memories of previous lives. Among others, readers will meet a boy who describes a previous life on a small island. When Tucker takes him to that island, he finds that some details eerily match the boy's statements and some do not. Another boy points to a photograph from the 1930s and says he used to be one of the men in it. Once the laborious efforts to identify that man are successful, many of the child's numerous memories are found to match the details of his life. Soon after his second birthday, a third boy begins expressing memories of being a World War II pilot who is eventually identified. Thought-provoking and captivating, Return to Life urges its readers to think about life and death and reincarnation, and reflect about their own consciousness and spirituality.

James Leininger was just two years old when he began having disturbing nightmares that would not stop. He screamed out in the night: 'Plane on fire! Little man can't get out!' While nightmares are common among children, what happened next shocked those around him... James began to reveal details of planes and war tragedies that no two-year-old boy could know. His desperate parents were at a loss to help him until he said three things: 'Corsair', 'Natoma' and 'Jack Larsen'. From these tantalising clues, James's parents travelled thousands of miles and spent many long years piecing together these facts to try and find an answer that could end his torment. Finally, despite his mother's fears and his father's staunch Christian beliefs, they found only one possibility to the endless coincidences that surrounded every detail in James's life – that their son was reliving the past life of a World War II fighter pilot. Their touching story is one that will challenge sceptics and confirm the beliefs of those who already believe in life after death.

Cases of responsive xenoglossy thus add to the evidence concerning the survival of human personality after death.