A New Validated Childhood Past Life Memory Case: The Reincarnation Story of Metropolitan Opera Singer Alice Joséphine (Lily) Pons | Dorothy Angelica

How Derived: Past Life Memories in Childhood

Researched by: Kira Angelica. Mother of Dorothy Angelica

Article by: Walter Semkiw, MD, with information provided by Kira Angelica

Click on images to enlarge

Past Life Talent: Dorothy, as a Child, is a Natural Actress and Singer

Dorothy Angelica was born on Sept 24, 2010 in the United States. Her mother, Kira, wrote to me in 2019 regarding her daughter’s past life memories.

Kira related that Dorothy was an entertainer before she learned to talk. Dorothy would jump up and down in her crib to make everyone around her laugh. When Dorothy was 3 and a half years old, she was in a musical production with 30 other children of varying ages. Dorothy stole the show. Other parents admitted to Kira that they ended up video recording Dorothy instead of their own kids, due to Dorothy’s magnetic stage presence.

Kira relates that Dorothy loves to wear bright bows, sometimes ten at a time or more. She is very loud, talkative, bubbly and excitable–wildly popular with everyone.

Dorothy’s music teacher shared with Kira that her daughter has perfect pitch, which means a person is able to re-create a musical tone without a reference tone.

Kira has a Psychic Experience or Vision before Dorothy was Born

When Kira was 8 months pregnant with Dorothy, she was up late at night in her dining room sewing a baby blanket for her child to come. Kira suddenly heard a young voice calling from their kitchen who exclaimed, “Mommy! Mommy!” Kira went to the kitchen, but no one was there. Kira returned to the dining room and her sewing.

Kira then once again heard a child saying, “Mommy,” this time coming from the family’s living room. Kira went to the living room and again, no one was there.

Kira went back to the dining room to continue sewing. She is a spiritual person and speculated that the soul of her future child was communicating to her. After working on the blanket for a few more minutes, Kira looked up at the door going to the kitchen and saw a girl, who appeared to be about 10 years of age.

This girl was wearing a homemade, plaid dress. This girl smiled at Kira and Kira smiled back. The vision of the girl then faded away. Kira felt very happy after this experience. She speculated that this girl was the child that would be born to her. The plaid dress she was wearing was perhaps a something her future daughter wore in a past incarnation.

After Dorothy was born and matured, Kira realized that the girl in her vision was in fact Dorothy.

Announcing Dreams in Reincarnation Cases

Reincarnation research does provide evidence that souls who are about to incarnate into a family can send dreams to members of that family, usually the mother of the incarnating soul, to signal that they will be arriving. Ian Stevenson, MD of the University of Virginia called these “announcing dreams.” Kira seems to have had an “announcing vision.” To review these types of cases, please go to:

Spirit Communication and Announcing Dreams in Reincarnation Cases

Dorothy Remembers Her Past Life Name

When Dorothy was 6 years old, Kira decided to share with her the vision she had of the girl in the plaid dress. Recall that this vision occurred before Dorothy was born.

Kira had taught Dorothy to meditate and upon hearing of her mother’s dream of the girl in the plaid dress, Dorothy decided to meditate to see if she could find out who that girl was in a past life. Dorothy, who again was just 6 years old, had just started kindergarten and had not yet learned to read, nor did she know how to use a computer. As such, she did not have the ability to research possible past life identities though normal means, such as through the Internet.

After a few minutes, Dorothy started rattling off details of a possible life. Kira grabbed a notebook and scribbled down what Dorothy said. Kira documented Dorothy’s statements over time. She thought that her daughter was describing imaginary things, but Kira wrote it all down anyhow.

While Dorothy was sitting on the floor meditating, she suddenly opened her eyes and said:

“Mom, I know who I used to be in a past life. Her name was something like Lizy or Lily, but her REAL name was Alice Pons.”

Though skeptical, Kira Googled these names and found that Lily Pons was an opera singer born in 1898, in France, who enjoyed fame in the 1940’s. When Kira read that Lily’s birth name was Alice, Kira gasped and almost fainted. Kira, though, did not reveal what she found on the Internet to Dorothy, as she wanted to see what else her daughter may say spontaneously.

Kira asked Dorothy about anything else she remembered about this past lifetime.

Dorothy Remembers her Past Life Husband’s Name

Dorothy said that her husband’s name was “Cos Liams.” She said that they had pets and described other details of this past lifetime. Over time, Dorothy added that Lily Pons spoke many languages, played piano, loved to sing and was a professional singer by the age of 22. Dorothy said Lily had a music room in her house, loved wild cats and the singing of birds.

A Past Life Cancer produces Abdominal Pain

Kira noted that at this point in her daughter’s life, Dorothy had developed frequent, very painful stomach aches. Dorothy herself stated to her mother:

“Ever since you started talking about dying and being reborn, I started having a terrible stomach ache, and I feel sad. I might throw up, Mom. It feels like I had a bad stomach in my past life. Very bad. It makes me sad.”

One night, when she was having one of these fits, Dorothy declared, “Now I know what Lily Pons died from, Mom. She died from a bad stomach ache!” That was Dorothy’s last stomach ache.

Kira researched and found that Lily Pons had died from pancreatic cancer, which does cause abdominal pain. Upon reading this, Kira’s hair stood on end!

Dorothy Recognizes her Past Life Photo

Kira finally shared with Dorothy what she had learned about Lilly Pons on the Internet and showed her a photo of Pons, which prompted Dorothy to exclaim: “Hey! That was me! Now you’ve seen me with short hair, mom!”

The Life of Alice “Lily” Pons

Alice Joséphine Pons was born in France on April 12, 1898. She first studied piano at the Paris Conservatory, winning the First Prize at the age of 15. She went on to become an operatic singer and actress who went by the professional name of Lily Pons. She moved to New York City and performed with the Metropolitan Opera from 1931 to 1960, had television appearances such as on the Ed Sullivan Show and she made dozens of musical recordings. A town in Maryland, Lilypons, was named after her.

Lily was married twice. Her second husband was conductor Andre Kostelanetz, which corresponds to Dorothy’s memory of being married to a man whose name was “Cos Liams.”

Alice “Lily” Pons died on Feb 13, 1976 at the age of age 77, about 35 years before Dorothy was born.

Evidence and Principles of Reincarnation-Understanding Past Lives

Physical Resemblance in Reincarnation Cases: The facial features of Alice Pons and Dorothy Angelica are similar.

Past Life Talent, Behavior and Abilities: The singing and acting talent of Alice Pons is being replicated in the persona of Dorothy Angelica.

Change of Nationality: Alice Pons was born in England, while Dorothy Angelica was born in the United States. Understanding that nationality and ethnic affiliation can change from one lifetime to another can help a more peaceful world, as most conflicts and wars are based on differences in these cultural markers of identity.

Spirit Beings in Reincarnation Cases: Kira Angelica had a vision of her daughter to be born. When Dorothy matured in age, Kira realized that the girl in her vision in the plaid dress did resemble Dorothy.

Ian Stevenson, MD of the University of Virginia called dreams that foretold an incarnation as “announcing dreams.”

Two Japanese Brother Soldiers Occupying Burma in WWII Die in an Allied Air Attack and Reincarnate as Twin Girls, San and Yin, to a Burmese Mother, Whose Home was Where the Brothers Died

How derived: Past Life Memories in Childhood

Researcher: Ian Stevenson, MD

From: Reincarnation and Biology, Volume 2, by Ian Stevenson, MD, pages 2025-2034

Article by: Walter Semkiw, MD

The Burmese Family of Thi, His Son Htwe and Daughter-In-Law Kyi During the WW II Japanese Occupation

During World War II, the Japanese invaded and occupied the country of Burma, which is now known as Myanmar.

On March 3, 1945, the British Army, fighting the Japanese, captured the Burmese town of Meiktila. The British then marched south towards the city of Pyawbe, encountering strong resistance from the retreating Japanese Army. The British captured Pyawbe on April 10, 1945.

Minlan, a village 3 kilometers or about 2 miles south of Pyawbe, was subsequently bombed by the Allies. As the Allied bombings occurred during daylight, Burmese villagers would flee their homes at sunrise and escape to the countryside to escape the bombings. The villagers then returned to their houses under the cover of night.

A couple that lived in Minlan during this time were U Chit Htwe, who worked as a blacksmith, and his wife, Daw Khin Kyi. The father of U Chit Htwe, whose name was U Shwe Thi, lived with the couple. For simplicity we will refer to the husband as Htwe, the wife as Kyi and Htwe’s father as Thi.

At sunrise, Htwe and Kyi would go to a pagoda, a Buddhist temple, in the countryside, to escape the horrors of war. Perhaps due to his age, Htwe’s father, Thi, remained at their home in Minlan to look after their property.

On about April 17, 1945, Minlan village endured an Allied bombing attack. It was about 3 PM in the afternoon when Allied planes bombed, and also strafed Minlan with machine gun fire.

Two Japanese Brother Soldiers Die on the Property of a Burmese Family and Reincarnate as Twin Girls, Born to the Burmese Woman Who Lived where the Brothers Died

During this attack, Thi, the father of Htwe, observed two Japanese soldiers, armed with rifles, hand grenades and knives, running from the Allied aircraft attack towards the family’s property, which featured two tamarind trees. Thi thought the Japanese soldiers intended to kill him, so Thi jumped into a trench that his family had previously dug as a shelter from the weapons of war.

After the Allied attack from the air was over, Thi emerged from the trench and saw that the entirety of Minlan villiage was in flames. He saw that the two Japanese soldiers that had been advancing to his position had been killed and that they and their weapons were lying on the ground near the tamarind trees. Thi then ran from this carnage to the family’s refuge in the countryside at the Buddhist pagoda.

Three days after the attack on Minlan, Thi, his son Htwe and Htwe’s wife, Kyi, returned to the village to see what had become of their home. They found that their house had been destroyed by fire, but that the two tamarind trees of the property were still standing. These trees were about 10 meters or yards from their home.

Thi observed that the bodies of the two Japanese soldiers who had been killed near the tamarind trees had been removed. Japanese trucks had been destroyed and the bodies of other Japanese soldiers had been burned to death. The weapons of the deceased Japanese soldiers were absent, presumably taken by Burmese villagers.

As such, the deaths of the two Japanese soldiers who were killed during the Allied air attack on Minlan occurred around April 17, 1945.

Xenoglossy: Kyi, the Burmese Wife, Gives Birth to Twin Girls, Who Remember Past Lives as Japanese Soldiers and Who Speak a Foreign Language

About 7 months later on November 17, 1959, in Minlan, Kyi, at 22 years of age, gave birth to twin, fraternal girls, who Htwe and Kyi named Ma Khin San and Ma Khin Yin. For simplicity, we will refer to the twins girls as San and Yin.

When the twins developed the ability to speak at 3 years of age, they spoke in a language that their Burmese family did not understand. They did not talk to their parents about their remembered past lives until 10 years later, when they were 13 years of age. The girls featured in the image to the right are wearing thakana paste on their faces, which is a beauty aid used in Burma.

In the Burmese language, the twins, when they were 13 years old, made statements referring to past lives as Japanese brothers, soldiers who were killed in Burma during the war. The twins said that they were killed near the house that they had been born in.

Burmese Twin Girls San and Yin Recall their Past Lives as Japanese Soldiers

San said that she, in her past life, was the older brother to Yin. Specifically, San said that she was 3 years older than Yin in their past lives. In agreement, Yin reported to her family that she had been the younger brother of San.

The twins reported that when San was 15 years old in her past lifetime, and Yin was 12 years old in her past incarnation, their father died. They said that they then lived with their mother, who did not have to work as she had independent wealth. They expressed much love for their past life mother. They remembered that their house in Japan faced south and that their roof was made of corrugated iron.

Burmese Twin Girls Remember Enlisting in the Japanese Army in their Past Lives

San related that when she was 18 years old in her past lifetime, she, as a Japanese teenager, decided to serve as a volunteer in the Japanese army. San’s younger past life brother, Yin, did not want to be separated from her older brother and despite the objections of their mother, also enlisted in the Japanese army.

Yin, though she was girl in her contemporary life, said regarding her past life decision: “He was determined to live or die together with his brother.”

They both, in their past lives, thought it was admirable to die for their country, Japan. They related that they had one year of military training in Japan and then were sent abroad to fight in the war.

The twins stated that they remembered fighting in Burma when the older brother was 25 years old and the younger 22. They related that neither of them had married before they deployed for the war.

The twins also related that San, the older Japanese brother, had an insignia of three lines and three stars, whereas the younger brother, Yin, only wore one star. The twins also reported that Yin, the younger brother, was taller than the older brother, San.

The twins stated that in their past Japanese lives, they were armed with long swords, revolvers and grenades. The twins stated they served in the same unit and were always together.

Burmese Twin Girls Remember The Past Life Allied Air Attack that Led to their Deaths

The twins remembered that the Japanese retreated from Meiktila and that they found themselves in Minlan village. They recalled the Allied air attack on Minlan and that they ran for shelter in between two tamarind trees. They related that they sprawled on the ground in a small space between the trees. The twins stated they were killed in this spot, which was close to where they were reborn.

After Life Communication: After Death, the Japanese Soldiers Visit their Mother in Japan, Who Cannot Perceive Them

The Burmese twins recalled that as they were dying as Japanese soldiers in their past lives, they thought of their mother in Japan and called for her help.

After dying, the twins said that they found themselves instantly in Japan where they saw their mother, but they could not communicate with her as she could not see or hear them. They felt sad and frustrated.

The twins related that they did not remember what happened to them after this moment with their past life mother until the age of three, at which time they began to remember their previous lives as if, “They were awakened from a dream.”

After the twins disclosed their past life memories to their family, they expressed nostalgia for Japan and voiced their desire to return to Japan. This plea to return to Japan continued until they were 16 years of age. This behavior was very unusual, as most Burmese despised the Japanese for the atrocities that they had committed against the Burmese population during WW II.

Burmese Female Twins Demonstrate Masculine Behavior Related to their Past Lives as Male Japanese Soldiers

Though the twins were female, they both demonstrated masculine behavior at least until they were 17 years of age. For example, they both preferred to wear trousers or pants rather than dresses.

Ian Stevenson, MD also noted in his documentation of these cases that the twins demonstrated “Japanese behavior.” For example, the twins showed marked animosity towards the British and Americans. They complained about the heat in Burma and the spiciness of the food. The twins also had hot tempers and when angry, they would slap the face of those who annoyed them. Slapping of the face by Japanese soldiers was frequently observed by the Burmese when the Japanese soldiers felt disrespected by subordinates.

Burmese Female Twins have Physical Traits Reflecting their Past Lives as Male Japanese Soldiers

Ian Stevenson noted that the physiques of the twins seemed to match their past life personas.

For example, Tin, who recalled being the younger Japanese brother, was 4 cm or about 2 inches taller than Yin. This corresponded to the different heights of the Japanese brothers whose lives they remembered.

Evidence and Principles of Reincarnation-Understanding Past Lives

Planning of Lifetimes and Relationships Renewed through Reincarnation: Two Japanese brothers who died together in WW II reincarnated as twin girls. Ian Stevenson, MD compiled 31 sets of twins who recalled their past lives in childhood. In 100 percent of these cases, the twins had significant past life relationships, demonstrating how souls plan lifetimes to be reunited with loved ones. To learn more, please go to:

Ian Stevenson, MD Twin Study

Change of Nationality and Ethnic Affiliation: The Japanese brothers who fought the Burmese died and reincarnated into the ethnic population that they had fought against, demonstrating how war is self-defeating.

Change of Gender in Reincarnation Cases: The Japanese male soldiers who fought the Burmese, reincarnated as Burmese twin girls. The girls demonstrated masculine behavior.

A similar case involving a Japanese soldier who was reborn as a girl to a Burmese mother, in which the girl demonstrated male traits, even to the point of becoming a lesbian, can be reviewed at the following page:

A Japanese Male Soldier, a Cook, Reincarnates as Burmese Girl

Xenoglossy: As children, San and Yin were overheard speaking to each other in a language their parents did not understand. It is likely that the twins were speaking in their past life language, Japanese.

Physical Resemblance in Reincarnation Cases: Though there was no documentation of facial features in these cases, the heights of the Japanese soldiers corresponded to their reincarnations as twins.

Spirit Beings in Reincarnation Cases: The twins reported after they were killed as the Japanese soldiers, they found themselves with their mother in Japan. They tried to communicate with their mother, but she could not perceive them.

Burmese Grandparents Reincarnate as their Daughter’s Fraternal Twin Girls, Demonstrating Planning of Lifetimes and Gender Change Involving the Grandfather. The Past Life Cases of Ma Khin Ma Gyi and Ma Khin Ma Nge: Muslim Reincarnation

How Derived: Past Life Memories in Childhood

Researcher: Ian Stevenson. MD

From: Reincarnation and Biology, Volume 2, by Ian Stevenson, pages 2000-2017

Article by: Walter Semkiw, MD

The Lives and Deaths of U Maung Muang and Daw Aye Hla

The name of the grandfather in this case was U Maung Maung and the grandmother was Daw Aye Hla. For simplicity, we will refer to the grandfather as Maung and the grandmother as Daw. The couple lived in Burma, which today is known as Myanmar.

Maung was ethnically an Indian, of the subcontinent of India, but he adopted a Burmese name. Burma is just east of the northern region of India. On the map of Burma featured to the right, cities involved in this story involve Mandalay, which a hotel and casino in Las Vegas is named for, Rangoon and the city of Pantanaw, which is on the large Irrawaddy River just west of Rangoon. The Irrawaddy river is marked by the blue line. Click on the image to enlarge it.

Maung Considers Himself a Muslim

Maung’s father was a Buddhist, but he died before Maung’s birth. His mother remarried a man who was Islamic, and she converted to the Muslim faith. As such, Maung was raised as a Muslim. He did not learn that his father was a Buddhist until a year before his own death at the age of 44. As such, throughout his life, Maung identified himself as a Muslim.

Maung was intelligent, obtained an education and became a Burmese governmental official. He also had mechanical skills and enjoyed repairing motor engines, cars and even watches. Maung had a gun, which he would use to hunt birds.

He was observed to be honest and straightforward, but was vulnerable to flattery. As such, he was very kind to those who praised him.

Maung raised chickens. He would tie a string to a leg of young chicks and he would tie the other end of the string to a post on his property, so that the chicks would not run away. Once the chicks identified the terrain as their home, he would free them, as they would no longer run off. He did not eat the chickens, rather, he would employ them to lay eggs, which his family ate as a source of food. As a Muslim, he ate meat.

Daw, Maung’s Wife, Condemns his Treatment of Chickens and his Hunting of Birds

Maung married Daw, who was a devout Buddhist. Daw was uneducated and illiterate, but she was headstrong and bossy.

As a Buddhist, Daw considered Maung’s killing of birds with his gun and the binding of chickens by their legs to a post as misdeeds, which would create bad karma for him. Daw told Maung that these practices would cause him punishment in a future life.

Maung and Daw had a daughter, who they named Daw Mya Tin. For simplicity, we shall refer to their daughter as Tin.

Maung the Muslim and Daw the Buddhist Separate

The religious conflict between Maung and Daw became so severe that that the couple decided to separate. They both hoped to reconcile, but this never happened. They had been apart for two years when Maung died in the Burmese town of Pantanaw in 1950, at the age of 44. Pantanaw, just east of Rangoon, is near the large Irrawaddy River, which supplies locals with fish and shrimp as a source of food.

After her husband’s death, Daw started to cough up blood and it was suspected that she had tuberculosis. It was also thought that she may have contracted malaria. She died in the Burmese city of Mandalay in 1954, four years after her husband died.

Tin Receives an Announcing Dream in Which her Parents Reveal That They Would Be Reborn as Her Children.

The daughter of Maung and Daw, Tin, married a man named Thaw and they lived in the town of Ba Htu Myo.

Tin became pregnant and at 4 months of gestation, she had a dream in which her parents appeared and said that they would be reborn as her children.

Tin went into labor at 7 months of her pregnancy and on February 5, 1961, she had twin girls. The twins had different facial features and laboratory testing confirmed that they were fraternal, not identical twins. After the birth of the twins, the family moved to the Burmese city of Rangoon.

The twin girls were named Ma Khin Ma Gyi and Ma Khin Ma Nge. For simplicity, we will refer to them as Gyi and Nge.

Gyi Attributes Her Birth Defects to Her Cruelty Towards Birds in Her Past Life as Maung

Gyi was born with two birth defects. She had a major defect of her left hand in which her fingers appeared to have been amputated. She had a minor defect of her left lower leg in which there was a circular indentation, as if a rope had been forcefully tied round her lower leg which caused the defect of her leg.

Gyi started to speak when she was three years of age. Between ages four and five she began to talk about a previous life as her mother’s father, Maung. She stated that she had been born with the malformation of her left hand because in her lifetime as Maung, she used a gun to kill birds. She said that the circular indentation on her left lower leg was due to her tying chickens by their legs to a post. There was no history of birth defects in the family.

Gyi’s parents observed that she became sad and took on a ‘faraway” look whenever she talked about her past life. As a result, her father adopted a policy of suppressing her talking of a past lifetime. Though Gyi obeyed her father at home, she still spoke about her previous life with her childhood playmates.

In addition, Gyi expressed a desire to go to Pantanaw for the summer because she said there were a lot of shrimp and fish there. Pantanaw is 70 kilometers or 44 miles from Rangoon, where the family lived.

The twins and their parents had never been to Pantanaw, so Gyi could not have known this fact through normal means. Recall that Maung lived in Pantanaw at the time of his death.

Nge Tells Her Parents that She Had Been Daw, Tin’s Mother, in a Previous Life

The twin’s parents often observed their girls identifying each other from their previous lives. Gyi would tell Nge that Nge was Daw in their past lives. Nge would tell Gyi that she was had been Maung. Further, Nge, when speaking to persons outside of the family, would refer to her mother, Tin, as her daughter.

Nge would particularly talk about her previous life when she was scolded. She would object to the individual who scolded her and say that she had been Daw and that she resented being scolded. Nge continued to do so at least until 1972, when the twins were almost 12 years old.

Gyi’s Masculine Behavior and Traits that Reflected Her Past Lifetime as Maung, Her Maternal Grandfather.

Gyi strongly expressed masculine traits. She chose to wear boy’s clothes and did so whenever she could at least up to age of nine. She even asked to have a boy’s suit specially made for her, which was done. She also had her hair cut in the style of a boy.

Gyi preferred to play with toy cars and trucks, rather than dolls, which seemed to reflect Maung’s fondness for repairing engines and cars. She also preferred to play with boys, rather than other girls.

She also showed zeal in catching insects and then crushing them, reflecting Maung’s practice of shooting birds with his gun. Gyi enjoyed eating poultry and wanted to keep chickens at their home, much like Maung did. Maung was ethnically Indian and he enjoyed Indian foods, such as curries, and so did Gyi. In contrast, no one else in Gyi’s family liked Indian food.

Nge’s Feminine Behavior and Traits that Reflect Her Past Lifetime as Daw, Her Maternal Grandmother

In contrast to Gyi, Nge preferred to play with dolls, enjoyed dancing and singing, and she loved flowers. Nge preferred to play with other girls, wore her hair in the style of a girl and she was very concerned about her appearance. She kept herself cleaner than Gyi and Nge eagerly put on Thanaka paste on her face and arms, which is a cosmetic paste made from ground tree bark used by women in Burma as a beauty aid. Gyi, on the other hand, refused to use Thanaka paste.

Nge was respectful of Buddhist monks and participated in giving food to them. Recall Daw was a devout Buddhist. Gyi did not show respect to monks, which reflected Maung’s Muslim faith.

Nge was bossy, especially towards Gyi, which reflected Daw’s bossy behavior towards her husband, Maung. Gyi, in contrast, was compliant.

When the twins entered school, Nge was found to be less intelligent than Gyi, which reflected Daw’s illiteracy. Gyi, recall, was intelligent, educated and worked as a government employee. Nge would not drink coffee, only tea, which reflected Daw’s preferences. Gyi enjoyed coffee and tea, much like Maung.

The Physiques of the Twins Reflect their Past Life Appearances

At 6 years of age, Gyi was taller and had a had a heavier build than Daw. These features corresponded to Gyi’s past life as Maung, a man, and Nge’s past life as Daw, a female.

When Gyi was 13 years old, she stated that she preferred to have been a boy.

Were Gyi’s Birth Defects Due to Karma Related to Past Life Treatment of Birds?

Gyi, as a child, stated that the deformity of her left hand was a consequence of her shooting birds with a gun and that her left lower leg deformity was due to tying chickens to a post during her past life as Maung.

It is unlikely that Gyi’s deformitis were karmic in nature because if everyone who shot or mistreated birds incurred such birth defects, then there would be a large number of such deformities in the general population.

Ian Stevenson, MD speculated that thoughts in a soul’s mind can influence the development of the body during gestation. In other words, if the soul of Maung believed that he would have deformities related to his treatment of birds based on his wife’s admonitions, then these beliefs or thoughts may have been imprinted on Gyi’s developing body to create her birth defects. I too favor this explanation.

Principles of Reincarnation-Understanding of Past Lives

Physical Resemblance in Reincarnation Cases: Photographs of Maung and Daw were not provided in Dr. Stevenson’s documentation of these cases, so we do not know if the facial features of Maung | Gyi and Daw | Nge were similar. It was noted, however, that the twins’ physiques mirrored their past life builds.

Change of Gender with Gender Identity Issues: Maung, the grandfather, was a male and reincarnated as one of his daughter’s twin girls, Gyi. Gyi demonstrated masculine traits, including playing with toy cars and wearing boy’s clothing, reflecting het past life as a man. Gyi also remarked that she wished she had been born as a boy.

In the series of over 1500 validated childhood past life memory cases compiled at the University of Virginia, gender change only occurs in 10 percent of cases. When gender change does occur, the individual is often observed to demonstrate behavior typical of the previous gender. Homosexuality can also result, as demonstrated in the:

Reincarnation Case of a Japanese Soldier | Ma

Change of Religion through Reincarnation: Maung was a Muslim, while Daw was Buddhist. Dr. Stevenson did not document what religion the twin’s parents, Tin and Thaw, belonged to, but either Maung or Daw reincarnated into a different religion. To review other reincarnation cases involving Muslims, please go to:

Reincarnation in Islam and Muslim Reincarnation Cases

Relationships Renewed through Reincarnation: Maung and Daw reincarnated as the fraternal twin girls of their own daughter, Tin.

In Dr. Stevenson’s documentation of the cases involving Maung | Gyi and Daw | Nge, he cited a another set of Burmese cases in which a husband and wife reincarnated as twin boys. This case was documented by Fielding Hall in his book, The Soul of a People, which was published in 1898. Hall noted that the physiques of these twin boys also mirrored their builds in their past lives as husband and spouse.

Stevenson complied 31 sets of twins who had spontaneous past life memories in childhood that were objectively validated. In 100 percent of these cases, the twins had significant past life relationships. To learn more about loved ones who reincarnated as twins, please go to:

Ian Stevenson, MD Twin Study and Twin Cases

Spirit Being Involvement in Reincarnation Cases: Tin received an announcing dream from her parents, Maung and Daw, indicating that they would be reborn as her children, which did occur.

A Syrian Reincarnates in Lebanon: The Druze Reincarnation Case of Hasan Hamed | Salem Andary

How derived: Past Life Memories in Childhood

Researcher: Ian Stevenson, MD

From: Cases of the Reincarnation Type, Volume III, Twelve Cases in Lebanon and Turkey, by Ian Stevenson, MD

Article by: Walter Semkiw, MD

The Life and Death of the Hasan Hamed

Hasan Hamed was the only son of Mahmoud Hamed and wife Hniyye. He was born in about 1927 in the village of Era, in Syria, which lies halfway in-between the towns of Krayye and Sweida. His father died when he was still a boy and Hasan went to live with his maternal uncles in Krayye, where he worked as a farmer, caring for vineyards and tending cattle.

Hasan is a Druze: A Group that Accepts Reincarnation

Krayye is in the southern area of Syria known as Djeble Druze, which is populated by the Druze people, who are an Arabic ethnic group, whose religious beliefs include the doctrine of reincarnation. Hasan’s family were members of the Druze. An image of Druze men in traditional garb is provided above. Click on images to enlarge them.

The Syrian government at the time was controlled by the French and between 1925 and 1927, the Druze mounted a military rebellion against the French. The leader of the revolt was Sultan Pasha Atrash. Though this revolution failed, the Sultan became a hero to the Druze people. Though Hasan was born towards the end of this rebellion, Hasan would have known about Sultan Pasha Atrash due to his hero status among the Druze. Whenever the Sultan traveled around Djeble Druze, a group of supporters on horseback escorted him.

When Hasan was about 15 years of age, one of his cousins killed a Bedouin in the area. Bedouins are a group of nomadic Arabic people who inhabit the desert regions of North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq and Syria. The word Bedouin derives from the Arabic term “badawi,” which means “desert dweller.” These people are divided into tribes, who survive by herding goats and camels. Bedouins are easily recognizable due to the distinctive clothing that they wear, which is featured in the image to the right.

In the Bedouin culture of that era, when one of their members is murdered, the tribe must kill the murderer or a family member of the murderer.

Despite the danger that lurked, Hasan’s uncles asked him to take a flock of livestock from Krayye to the market in Sweida. A group of Bedouins ambushed Hasan along the road and threw him into the pit of a mill and then threw rocks down on Hasan’s body until it stopped moving. Hasan died on July 30, 1942.

His body was found three days later and it was noticed that there was a significant wound to the back of the head, though there were also wounds on both shoulders.

Hasan is Murdered in Syria and Reincarnates in Lebanon

Salem Andary was born in Fallujah, Lebanon on November 4, 1944, a little over two years after Hasan’s death. Fallujah is 15 miles east of Beirut, in the mountains of Lebanon. His father, a farmer, was Najm Andary and his mother’s name was Bahiyya. Soon after he was born, his mother noted a prominent bump on the back of his head, which she considered a type of birthmark.

When he began to speak, Salem’s first words were “Bedouin,” “stones,” and “hit.” One of his first phrases was: “Sultan kills a lot.”

When he was four years of age, he gave a detailed account of a past lifetime. He said that his name was Hasan Hamed and that the lived in Krayye. Salem related that he was a friend of Sultan Pasha Atrash and described the power and status of the sultan. Whenever little Salem saw a group of policemen or soldiers traveling in a group, he would exclaim: “Sultan Atrash is coming.” This was a reminiscence from his past lifetime as Hasan, who had witnessed Sultan Atrash with his entourage.

Salem said that in his past lifetime, he was the only son of his parents. He said that his father had died. Salem shared that he had uncles and that he tended vineyards in his past life. These statements were correct for the life of Hasan Hamed. Salem also said that he used to keep a rifle behind a door of the house he lived in.

Salem Remembers his Past Life Betrayal and Death

Regarding his past life death, Salem stated that an uncle had killed a Bedouin and as a result, the Bedouins wanted revenge. One minor inconsistency is that it was reported that a cousin of Hamed had killed the Bedouin, not his uncle.

Salem related that after the death of the Bedouin, his uncles let him go by himself to take sheep from Krayye to the market in Sweida. Salem claimed in doing so, his uncles exposed him to certain death. Indeed, the murder of the Bedouin occurred at the time of year that animals are taken to market to be sold. As such, the Bedouins could be sure that a member of Hasan’s family would traveling along the road from Krayye to Sweida at the time thatHamed was ambushed. As such, his uncles had set up Hasan to be a sacrificial lamb to the Bedouins to atone for the killing of their Bedouin kin.

Salem stated that Hasan was riding on a horse when the Bedouins attacked him. He related that he tried to escape, but his horse slowed down and the Bedouins caught up with him. He related that he was hit on the back of the head with a club and that afterwards, the Bedouins then threw him onto the floor of a mill. He claimed that he was still alive at that time, but that the Bedouins then threw stones down on his body, which caused him to die.

Salem’s Past Life Nightmares

Salem had repetitive nightmares about his past life death that were always identical. These nightmares were often stimulated by the sight of Bedouins or Syrians. The nightmares would begin with a “feeling” of how his uncles had betrayed him and how the Bedouins had caught up to him. He would then have clear images of the scenes that led up to the death of Hasan Hamed. Salem would then wake up at the moment in which he relived the death of Hasan.

His parents would try to comfort him after his Bedouin nightmares. His mother found that she could only calm him by telling Salem that Sultan Pasha Atrash, pictured to the right, was coming. He was still having these nightmares about a half a dozen times a year even when he was 23 years old in 1968. Salem also experienced headaches when he thought about his past life.

Salem’s Bedouin nightmares are very similar to the nightmares of James Leininger, in which little James relived his death in a military plane crash during World War II. To review this case, please go to:

Reincarnation Case of James Huston, Jr. | James Leininger

Salem Acts as if He was Still Hasan, his Past Life Persona

When Salem was between four and five years of age, he would act as if he was still Hasan. When he saw someone on a horse or with a gun, he would say “this is my horse” or “this is my gun.” Salem would then run to the owner and try to take the horse or gun from this person.

Sometimes he would go to the door of his home and state, “my weapons are behind the door.” He would then try to open the door to fetch his imagined weapons. Salem explained that Hasan had kept a rifle on a cupboard behind a door.

As a child, Salem would become enraged at the sight of a Bedouin. An animosity towards Bedouins continued into adulthood. Once when working in a village where Bedouins lived, a coworker, who knew about his past life memories, teased Salem that these Bedouins were of the same tribe that killed Hasan. This provoked Salem to pick a fight with one of the Bedouins and Salem proceeded to beat the Bedouin up.

Salem demonstrated a strong interest in horses, which was unusual as his family had no horses and horses were uncommon in the mountain towns of Lebanon, such as Fallujah.

When Salem was a child, no attempts were made to investigate his past life memories.

Salem’s Past Life Memories are Verified

In 1966, when Salem was 21 years old, he and his father traveled from Fallujah, Lebanon to Krayye, Syria, a distance a little over 100 miles, to attend the public funeral of a brother of Sultan Pasha Atrash. The location where Hasan was killed is about 8 miles south of Sweida and Krayye is a little further south, about 12 miles south of Sweida.

Click on the map to enlarge it, to better appreciate the geographic details. Recall that Fallujah is just east of Beirut, so the route Hasan and his father took was essentially from Beirut to Sweida, which is highlighted by a white oval.

At that time, in 1966, they decided to investigate Salem’s past life memories and found that there had indeed been a youth named Hasan Hamed in Krayye, who matched the past life statements of Salem, including the manner of death.

In their travel, Salem recognized the spot on the road between Krayye and Sweida where the Bedouins had attacked Hasan and struck him on the back of the head with a club. At this geographical spot, Salem actually felt pain in the back of his head and he placed a hand there.

Salem also found the mill in which the Bedouins had thrown Hasan’s body, though the mill was now in ruins. He also recognized the house that Hasan had inhabited in Krayye.

Ian Stevenson, MD Meets Salem Andary

Ian Stevenson, MD first met Salem about two years later on March 10, 1968, when Salem was 23 years of age. In contrast to most childhood past life memory cases, where past life recollections fade at about seven years of age, Salem told Dr. Stevenson that he still had full memory of his past life. Stevenson determined that the families of Salem Andary and Hasan Hamed had no familial relationship and no prior contact.

Past Lives for George and Amal Clooney

Of interest, Amal Clooney’s father belongs to the Druze ethnic group, which raises the question of whether Amal accepts reincarnation. Past lives for George and Amal have been posted. To review these, please go to:

Reincarnation Cases of Clark Gable | George Clooney and Loretta Young | Amal Clooney

Principles of Reincarnation-Understanding Past Lives

Change of Nationality: Hasan Hamed was a Syrian from Krayye, whereas Salem was born in Fallujah, Lebanon. If people understood that one can be born in different countries from one lifetime to another, wars and conflicts between nations would be mitigated.

Past Life Birthmark: Soon after Salem was born, his mother noted a large bump on the back of his head, which corresponded to the location that Salem said that a Bedouin had struck him with a club during the attack on Hasan Hamed, his past life persona.

Geographic Memory: Salem recognized the location where he was attacked by Bedouins and the mill that Hasan’s body was thrown into.

Source: Stevenson, Ian: Cases of the Reincarnation Type, Volume III, Twelve Cases in Lebanon and Turkey, University Press of Virginia, Charlottesville, pages 159-174

A Buddhist Monk Reincarnates into a Roman Catholic Family: The Case of Sandika Tharanga

How Derived: Past Life Memories in Child

How Derived: Past Life Memories in Childhood

Researcher: Erlender Haraldsson, PhD

From: I Saw a Light and Came Here, by Erlender Haroldsson, PhD and James Matlock, PhD

Article by: Walter Semkiw, MD

Sandika Tharanga was born in May 1979 to Roman Catholic parents who lived on the outskirts of Colombo, Sri Lanka. At the age of three, he started to talk about a past life as a monk in a monastery. He said that there were four or five monks who lived there, who were under the authority of a head monk. He asked to be taken back to his monastery. Like in many reincarnation cases, Sandika stated that his mother was not his real mother. He asked to be taken to his previous mother’s home.

Sandika tries to Convert his Parents to his Past Life Religion: Buddhism

From the time that he started to speak about a past lifetime, Sandika demonstrated the behavior of Buddhist monk. He convinced his parents to obtain a picture of Buddha and later a Buddha statue. He would pick flowers and place them as an offering to the Buddha image and figurine. He had no interest in going to church but rather wanted to go to Buddhist temples. In a comical twist, the little boy tried to convert his Catholic parents to Buddhism, which they resisted.

Remarkably, Sandika would chant religious stanzas, which his parent did not understand, but they believed their son was chanting in Pali, which is a language from India that the texts of Theravada Buddhism are written in. Sandika engaged in this form of worship two to three times a day. In addition, on days of the full moon, Sandika would ask his father to take him to a Buddhist temple, which is a tradition of that religion.

He also convinced his Catholic parents to give donations to Buddhist monks and he induced his parents to have Buddhist monks come to their home to perform a ceremony. In addition, as a small child, he refused to eat meat, which is also consistent with Buddhist teachings.

Sandika asked to be taken to his past life temple. His father cooperated by taking Sandika to several Buddhist temples in the area, but Sandika did not recognize any of them as his past life home. At one temple, which was situated two miles from their residence, a monk gave Sandika a bouquet of flowers and waited to see what he would do. Sandika promptly climbed steps to the temple shrine room, presented the flowers to an image of Buddha and then worshipped there. These behaviors are typical of a devout Buddhist.

Sandika was an excellent and well-behaved student, always in the top three of his class. His best grades were in his favorite subject, Buddhism. He even went to a Buddhist Sunday school and eventually was admitted to Ananda College, a prestigious Buddhist institution. He later completed a degree in engineering.

Past Life Phobia of Explosions

Regarding his past life death, Sandika said that he was going to an event in which townspeople were going to host Buddhist monks for a ceremonial luncheon. He then heard an explosion, which is the last thing he remembered about his past life.

Sandika had a great fear of fire crackers and loud, sudden noises. When he experienced these types of sounds, Sandika would instinctively and fearfully place his hands on the left side of his chest. This placement of his hands corresponded to a dark birthmark on the left side of his chest.

Though Sandika’s past life persona was never identified, Sri Lanka went through a bitter civil war waged between Hindu militants and the majority Buddhist government. It is speculated that in his past lifetime, Sandika was killed in the turmoil of this war. In particular, in a Hindu uprising in 1971, eight years before Sandika was born, a several Buddhist monks were killed.

Reincarnation: Belief versus Knowledge

Ironically, both the Hindu and Buddhist religions profess a belief in reincarnation. Belief is much different than knowing reincarnation is true based on evidence. Further, those who promote reincarnation do not always preach that the religion one is born into can vary from one lifetime to another. If people understood that one could be born Hindu in one lifetime, Buddhist in another and into a different religion after that, such wars would become obsolete.

Though this case was not “solved” in that Sandika’s past life persona was not specifically identified, his Buddhist behaviors, which were so much in contrast to his parents’ Catholic beliefs, make this an impressive reincarnation story. That said, there are many solved cases that show that souls, from one lifetime to another, can:

Change Religion, Nationality and Ethnic Affiliation through Reincarnation

Principles of Reincarnation-Understanding Past Lives

Past Life Phobia: Sandika had a phobia of explosive noises, which likely was due to his being killed by a gunshot or a bomb in his previous life.

Past Life Birthmark: When Sandika recoiled at the sound of a loud noise, he would place his hands on a birthmark on his chest, which likely represented an entry wound from a bullet or shrapnel that led to his past life death.

Xenoglossy: During worship, Sandika would recite verses in an unlearned language, which his parents believed was Pali, the language used by Buddhist monks in prayer.

Source: Haraldsson, Erlendur and Matlock, James, I Saw a Light and Came Here, White Crow Books, 2016, pages 33-36

A Ukrainian Jew Reincarnates into a Christian Family in Oklahoma: The Reincarnation Case of Marty Martyn | Ryan Hammons

How Derived: Past Life Memories in Childhood

Researched by: Jim Tucker, MD and Erlendur Haraldsson, PhD

From: I Saw a Light and Came Here, by Erlendur Haraldsson, PhD and James Matlock, PhD

Article by: Walter Semkiw, MD

The Life of Marty Martyn

Morris Kolinsky was born in Philadelphia May 19, 1903. His parents were Ukrainian Jews who had recently immigrated to the United States. He had two sisters, one of whom died in childhood. Morris and his surviving sister moved to New York City to get into show business. Morris did manage to tap dance on Broadway. He then relocated to Los Angeles where he took the stage name Marty Martyn.

In 1932 Marty had a part in the movie Night After Night, whose star was George Raft, though Marty’s role did not involve any spoken lines. He was unable to make a living as an actor, so he founded the Marty Martyn talent agency. His agency was successful.

An actor Marty befriended as Gordon Nance, who made cowboy movies using the stage name Wild Bill Elliot. Nance also did commercials for Viceroy cigarettes.

Marty Martyn was married four times, accumulating one biological daughter and five stepchildren. With his fourth marriage, Marty legally adopted his three most recent stepchildren, who were all boys. The family lived in Beverly Hills on Roxbury Drive in a large house with a pool in the backyard.

Marty loved the beach, had an extensive collection of sunglasses and he reportedly suffered sunburns frequently. He enjoyed Chinese food, fine clothes and travel, sailing to Europe on the Queen Mary and visiting Paris several times. Politically, he was a Republican.

Marty Martyn developed leukemia and died in the hospital of a cerebral hemorrhage on December 25, 1964 at the age of 61.

Marty Martyn Reincarnates in Oklahoma

Ryan Hammons was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma in 2004, 40 years after the death of Marty Martyn. Ryan’s mother’s name is Cindy and the family is Christian. The development of Ryan’s speech was delayed by enlarged adenoids, which are a cluster of immune system cells located in the back of the mouth. Enlarged adenoids can hamper breathing, as well as speech. After his adenoids were surgically removed, Ryan finally started speaking in full sentences when he was four years old. At that point, Ryan started talking about a past lifetime.

Ryan said that he wanted to go home to Hollywood and begged his mother to take him there so that he could visit his “other family,” including his three adopted sons who he was worried about. He said he had two sisters and one biologic child, a daughter from his first marriage.

Ryan said that he worked for an “agency” where people changed their names. He inferred that he had power in this position by making statements such as:

“Do you know who I am? If you mess with me you won’t ever work in this town again.”

Ryan said that he had a big house with a swimming pool that was situated on a street that had a name with “rock” in it. Further, he said that he had traveled by ship, visited Paris and viewed the Eiffel Tower.

Ryan said that he had danced on Broadway and he like to demonstrate tap dance routines. In kindergarten, he would play at directing movies. He related that he used to go to Chinatown and when his parents first took him to a Chinese restaurant, Ryan knew how to use chopsticks without being taught. He had a fascination with sunglasses and he said in his past life, he had been sunburned often. Ryan also said that he didn’t like Franklin Delano Roosevelt (a Democrat.)

Spirit Being: Ryan observes Cindy from Heaven

Ryan told his mother that he had seen her from heaven and that he had known her from a previous life. He said that he had chosen her as his mother so that he could take care of her.

Ryan related that he remembered being in Cindy’s womb and he asked why she had wanted him to be a girl. Ryan stated that he observed her cry for a long time when Cindy learned that she was going to have a boy. Cindy was surprised that Ryan knew about the crying episode, which was true, but Ryan had no way to know about the incident by normal means as she or Ryan’s father never told him about it.

Cindy Investigates Ryan’s Past Life Memories and contacts Jim Tucker, MD

Cindy decided to investigate Ryan’s statements regarding a past lifetime and she researched books on Hollywood from the community’s library. As Cindy and Ryan were perusing these books, they came upon a photograph from the movie Night After Night. Ryan recognized one of the men in the photo as himself. This man is pictured to the right. Ryan said another man was named George and a third man in the photo was a friend of his who was a cowboy and who a starred in cigarette commercials. Unfortunately, the man who Ryan said was him in a past incarnation was not identified by name in the book or the movie credits of Night After Night.

With this information at hand, Cyndi contacted Jim Tucker, MD, an academic psychiatrist at the University of Virginia, who has taken over the work of the late Ian Stevenson, MD. When Ryan was five years old Dr. Tucker traveled to Oklahoma to study this case. A television production company that was making a program on children with past life memories came with Tucker.

Ryan Recognizes the Home of his Past Life Friend, Wild Bill Elliot

Based on a facial resemblance, production company staff made a tentative identification of who the actor was in the Night After Night photo that Ryan claimed was him. The company flew Ryan to Los Angeles and drove him by the home of this actor, but Ryan did not recognize it. Ryan did recognize the home of Wild Bill Elliot. Concluding that the proposed actor was an incorrect past life match, the TV production company hired a film archivist who eventually identified the mystery man in the photo as Marty Martyn. By this time, Ryan was six years old.

Ryan meets his Past Life Daughter

On a subsequent trip to California, Ryan met his past life daughter. This daughter was only eight years old at the time her father, Marty Martyn, died, while she herself was 57 years old when she met Ryan. Still, Ryan said that he recognized her face.

Ryan wants to Study Judaism, his Past life Religion

Though Jim Tucker did the initial investigation of this reincarnation case, psychologist Erlendur Haraldsson, PhD did follow-up interviews with Cindy by phone. Ryan was 11 years old at the time of Dr. Haraldsson’s phone interviews. Haraldsson noted at this time that Ryan loved music from the 1950’s and that he affiliates with the Republican party.

Most interestingly, Dr. Haraldsson noted that Ryan wants to study Judaism, which is a source of “friction” within his Christian family.

Principles of Reincarnation-Understanding Past Lives

Change of Religion: Marty Martyn was Jewish and of Ukrainian ethnicity, while Ryan was born to a Christian, American family in Oklahoma.

Spirit Beings in Reincarnation Cases: Ryan said that he picked Cindy to be his mother from the spirit realm. Further, he knew Cindy wanted a girl during her pregnancy with Ryan and that she cried for a prolonged time when she found out that she was having a boy. Ryan witnessed this event from the spirit world.

Relationships Renewed through Reincarnation: Ryan met his past life daughter. In addition, Ryan stated that he knew Cindy in a previous incarnation

Past Life Talent: Ryan knew tap dance routines and he was adept at using chopsticks without instruction.

Source: Haraldsson, Erlendur and Matlock, James: I Saw a Light and Came Here, White Crow Books, 2016, pages 214-218

A Muslim Boy Reincarnates into a Buddhist Family: The Past Life Case of Wijanama Kithsiri

How derived: Childhood Past Life Memories

Researchers: Ian Stevenson, MD and Francis Story

From: Cases of the Reincarnation Type, Volume II, Ten Cases in Sri Lanka

Article by: Walter Semkiw, MD

MG Wijanama Kithsiri was born on August 28, 1959 in the Sri Lankan village of Wehigala, which at the time was inhabited by about 1000 people. His father was WMG Ariyawansa and his mother was MJ Kusumawathie. The family was Buddhist and Sinhalese, which is the native ethnic group in Sri Lanka that makes up 75 percent of the population. They spoke the Sinhalese language. All people living in Wehigala were Sinhalese Buddhists, with no Muslims or Tamils living in the area. The family was vegetarian.

Nocturnal Episodes of Xenoglossy: Speaking an Unlearned Language

At the age of three Wijanama began sitting up in bed in the middle of the night with his legs crossed and would speak in a language unknown to his parents. On a typical evening, Wijanama would go to sleep along with the rest of the family at 9 PM. In between 10 PM and midnight, he would sit up and begin a recitation of verses in an unknown language. This would last 3 to 15 minutes after which he would lie down and go back to sleep. Sometimes he would get up and try to leave the house, though his family would stop him from departing. His parents noted that Wijanama seemed distressed during these episodes, which continued on a nightly basis to at least until the age of 13, at which time the practice was still continuing to occur.

Past Life Memories of an Incarnation in Kandy

At the age of four Wijanama started talking about a past lifetime in which he stated that he lived in the city of Kandy. Kandy is in the highlands of Sri Lanka about 25 kilometers or 15 miles from Wijanama’s village of Wehigala. He said that he had another father and mother, that they would eat sitting on a mat and that his mother would wear a covering on her head. He also stated that at his past life home, there were plenty of light bulbs, which was an unusual statement as the family’s village of Wehigala had no electricity. In contrast, Kandy was electrified. He also said that water came from a pipe near their kitchen, which could be true for Kandy which had a piped water system, whereas in Wehigala water could only be obtained from wells. Wijanama also said that he had seen moving pictures or movies, which did not exist in his rural village but were available in Kandy.

Ian Stevenson explained that Kandy is a fairly large city with a diverse population which includes Buddhists, Tamil Hindus and Muslims. The Tamil people are another ethnic group in Sri Lanka who speak their own language, Tamil. Tamils at the time made up about 20 percent of the Sri Lankan population. Muslims in Kandy also speak the Tamil language.

Wijanama expressed a strong desire to see his previous parents. Wijanama said that he developed a fever and died while still a schoolboy, though he could not remember his name in this prior incarnation. He said that he attained the third grade in Kandy.

Wijanama claimed that he had seen the Perahara, which is a religious festival that involves elaborate parades and decorated elephants. His village did not have this festival but in Kandy the parade passes along King Street. Wijanama correctly stated that at the Perahara there were huge elephants and a lot of dances.

Wijanama describes a Muslim Past Life

Wijanama made several statements indicating that he was Muslim in his previous life. When Wijanama saw a woman with a hijab or headscarf on her head, which is typically worn by Muslim women, he said, “My mother is like that.” Ian Stevenson noted that Wijanama’s recitation posture of sitting with legs crossed is a position often taken by Muslims during prayers.

He also said that he ate meat in his previous life, though he would not eat pork. This is a common Muslim dietary practice, but contrary to the habits of his biologic family, who were vegetarians. Wijanama expressed disappointment in his current living situation as he related that his past life family was much better off than his contemporary one. Once he became angry, stating, “In my other house there is plenty of sugar and I want to go there.” Wijanama also said there was ample meat.

Another Muslim habit that Wijanama displayed was keeping his head covered with a handkerchief fastened with a knot in the back. In addition, he would wear his sarong, which is a type of robe, much further up on the leg, which Muslims do so that they can wash their feet upon entering a mosque. Further, while his family ate their meals seated at a table, Wijanama would sit on the floor cross-legged and after his meal, he would rub his stomach and belch. Ian Stevenson related these dining behaviors are typical of Muslims in the area.

Wijanama repeatedly would say that he wanted to go back to his better past life house and to worship at the mosque. His past life memories appeared to be vivid and he talked about his prior incarnation in the present tense, as if he was still living that lifetime.

Identifying with his Muslim Past Life, Wijanama is Critical of Buddhist Worship

Wijanama was totally resistant to his family’s Buddhist religious customs and he felt repelled by images at Buddhist temples. He stated, “Where we worship we don’t have all these idols and statues. We have to put mats on the ground. We wash our bodies and sit on our mats and worship. There is a priest shouting at the top of his voice. No women go there.” He also said that there was a well with water at his place of worship. Wijanama made these statements before he had ever seen a mosque.

Wijanama’s description of his place of worship does correspond to a Muslim mosque, in which depictions of religious or other figures are not allowed, where worshipers wash their feet in a pool of water before entering and people sit on mats on the floor. The “priest shouting at the top of his voice” would represent a muezzin, who calls the Muslim community to prayers, oftentimes using an amplified sound system.

Wijanama is Ridiculed and called “The Muslim”

As he lived in a community made up entirely of Sinhalese Buddhists, Wijanama experienced ridicule from schoolmates because of his Muslim behavior. They would tease him and they gave him a nickname, “The Muslim.” Wijanama would respond by running home and asking that he be sent to his past life father. Nonetheless, he would continue to insist that he had been a Muslim in his past life and that he still was a Muslim.

Shopkeeper: A Probable Past Life Vocation

Wijanama routinely played at running a boutique or shop, which he would open as soon as he came home from school. He used red seed pods to represent slices of meat and pieces of paper to represent fabrics. He would pretend to sell vegetables and toys. In dreams, he said he saw his past life father bringing vegetables to the shop in a cart. Wijanama indicated that when he grew up, he would acquire a shop or boutique.

Children with past life memories often duplicate their past life profession in their play. A dramatic example involves the reincarnation case of Ahmet Delibalta | Erkan Kilic, in which Erkan, as a child, would pretend to run a nightclub, which was his past life vocation as Ahmet Delibalta. To learn more, go to:

Reincarnation Case of Ahmet Delibalta | Erkan Kilic

Sometimes his father would joke that it was a lot of trouble to have a Muslim come into the family. To this, Wijanama angrily replied, “Aren’t we all humans? Don’t say such things about others!”

Wijanama finds his Past Life Mosque in Kandy

When Wijanama was five years old his family took him to Kandy to see the Buddhist Temple of the Tooth, a landmark of the area. From there, Wijanama started to pull his mother down King Street saying that he wanted to go to the place where he worshipped. When they arrived at the King Street Mosque, Wijanama said, “This is where we worshiped.” Wijanama noted that the stairs of the mosque had been changed. This assertion was verified by an official at the mosque.

Near the King Street Mosque Wijanama saw a house and dragged his father to it. They did not knock on the door as Wijanama’s father was afraid of discussing reincarnation in this Muslim community, since reincarnation traditionally is not part of Islamic doctrine. In this area, Wijanama found the faucet of a water pipe and he stated, “We washed and bathed there.”

Xenoglossy: Wijanama’s Recitation is Deciphered

When Ian Stevenson researched this case, a tape recording was made of Wijanama’s nighttime recitation. In this recording, four words were repeated over and over. These words were:

“Allaha,” which is the Arabic word for God

“Umma,” which is the Tamil word for mother

“Vappa,” which is the Tamil word for father

Stevenson noted that Umma and Vappa are part of the vocabulary of the Tamil dialect spoken by Muslims in Kandy. Further, when Stevenson had a Muslim resident of Kandy listen to the tape recording, this individual stated that only a Muslim child could pronounce these words so properly. Stevenson interpreted the recitation as a prayer to God in which Wijanama pleaded to be reunited with this past life parents.

There were other words that Wijanama used which would indicate that he had lived in Kandy in his previous live. For example, when asked if he had enough food, Wijanama replied “podong,” which is a Tamil word for “enough.” This is in contrast to the Sinhalese word for enough, which is “aithie.”

In 1970, when Wijanama was 11 years old, he was still persisting in the behavior of a Muslim boy and he continued to play at operating his shop after school. His nocturnal ritual of sitting up on his bed and pleading to God and referring to his past life mother and father was ongoing.

Statements made by Wiljanama strongly support that he had a past life as a Muslim in Kandy. As noted, he could not recall his past life name, which made locating his past life family challenging. Further, Ian Stevenson noted that Muslims in Kandy were reluctant to help in identifying Wijanama’s past life identity, since reincarnation is not a part of their religion.

Principles of Reincarnation-Understanding Past Lives

Change of Religion and Ethnicity: Wijanama recalled that he was a Muslim boy in his past life, whereas in his contemporary life, he was born into a Sinhalese Buddhist family.

Past Life Talents and Behaviors: Wijanama demonstrated behaviors typical of a Muslim boy. Further, he had an obsession of playing the role of a shopkeeper, which likely represents his past life vocation.

Xenoglossy: In Wijanama’s nightly recitations, he used Arabic and Tamil words, though no Arabs or Tamils lived in his village and no one in his family knew or understood these words. Being able to speak a language that has not been learned by normal means is called xenoglossy. The Arabic and Tamil words that Wijanama used likely were learned during a past lifetime in Kandy, where the languages of Arabic and Tamil are spoken by the Muslim population.

Geographic Memory: Once in Kandy, Mijanama found what appears to be his past life mosque and possibly his past life home.

Source: Stevenson, Ian: Cases of the Reincarnation Type, Sri Lanka, Volume II, pages 326-360

Reincarnation in Judaism and Holocaust Reincarnation Cases

Reincarnation and Judaism

Article by: Walter Semkiw, MD from Born Again and Return of the Revolutionaries

Holocaust Reincarnation or Past Life Cases

Anne Frank | Barbro Karlen Reincarnation Case

Young Holocaust Victim | David Llewelyn Reincarnation Case

Jewish Nazi Concentration Camp Victim | Teuvo Koivisto Reincarnation Case

Historian Josephus: Essenes & Pharisees Believe in Reincarnation

As described in the section on Reincarnation and Christianity, reincarnation was part of Jewish thought at the time of Jesus. The Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus (37–100 A.D.), wrote that there were three sects of Jews during that era, the Sadducees, Essenes, and Pharisees. Josephus wrote that two of the sects, the Essenes (of Dead Sea Scroll fame) and the Pharisees both believed in reincarnation. Josephus wrote:

“The Pharisees believe that souls have an immortal vigour in them and that the virtuous shall have power to revive and live again: on account of which doctrines they are able greatly to persuade the body of people.” (1)

Josephus himself, who served as a soldier, once rallied his men to fight by citing the doctrine of reincarnation. Josephus said to his men:

“Do ye not remember that all pure Spirits when they depart out of this life obtain a most holy place in heaven, from whence, in the revolutions of ages, they are again sent into pure bodies.” (2)

Reincarnation, the Zohar & Kabbalah

Reincarnation is also a part of the Zohar, a classic Kabbalahistic text, thought to be written by Rabbi Simeon ben Jochai, in AD 80, with contributions made by medieval Hebrew scholars. The Kabalistic movement focused on hidden wisdom of the Jewish faith. The Zohar was edited and first published by Rabbi Moses de Leon, in 1280. Here are sample passages from the Zohar, regarding reincarnation:

“All souls are subject to the trials of transmigration (reincarnation); and men do not know the designs of the Most High with regard to them; they know not how they are being at all times judged, both before coming into this world and when they leave it. They do not know how many transmigrations and mysterious trials they must undergo.” (3)

“Souls must reenter the absolute substance whence they have emerged. But to accomplish this end they must develop all the perfections, the germ of which is planted in them; and if they have not fulfilled this condition during one life, they must commence another, a third, and so forth, until they have acquired the condition which fits them for reunion with God.” (4)

Reincarnation & Rabbi Manasseh ben Israel

Another prominent Jewish theologian who believed in reincarnation was Rabbi Manasseh ben Israel (1604-1657). It was this rabbi who convinced Oliver Cromwell to remove the Crown’s prohibition of Jews from residing in England, a policy that had existed for 150 years, since the time of Edward I. In his book Nishmath Hayem, Rabbi Manasseh ben Israel wrote:

“The belief or the doctrine of the transmigration of souls is a firm and infallible dogma accepted by the whole assemblage of our church with one accord, so that there is none to be found who would dare to deny it. . . . Indeed, there are a great number of sages in Israel who hold firm to this doctrine so that they make it a dogma, a fundamental point of our religion. We are therefore in duty bound to obey and to accept this dogma with acclamation . . . as the truth of it has been incontestably demonstrated by the Zohar, and all books of the Kabbalists.” (5)

Footnotes

1. Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book 18, Chapter 1, No. 3.

2. Flavius Josephus, Jewish War, Book 3, Chapter 8, No. 5.

3. Zohar, Vol. II, fol. 99.

4 Sylvia Cranston, Reincarnation, The Phoenix Fire Mystery, Theosophical University Press, Pasadena, 1998, p. 132–133.

Reincarnation in Islam and Muslim Reincarnation Cases

Reincarnation and Muslim Doctrine, Karma, Soul Groups & the Koran

Article by: Walter Semkiw, MD, from Born Again and Return of the Revolutionaries

Muslim & Turkish Reincarnation Cases Researched by Ian Stevenson, MD of the University of Virginia & Associates

Mushir Ali, a Muslim, Reincarnates into a Hindu Family but Still Prays Like A Muslim

Hardevbaksh, a Hindu Thakur, is Killed in a Dispute & Reincarnates as a Sunni Muslim who Retains a Hindu Mindset

Oma Devi, a Hindu, Commits Suicide & Reincarnates as a Sunni Muslim –

An Islamic Farmer, Mehmet Cosmen, Drowns and Reincarnates with a Phobia of Water

After A Minibus Crash following Ramadan, Abdulkerim Hadduroglu Reincarnates and is Reunited with his Past Life Family

After Dying in a Turkish Plane Crash, Ahmet Delibalta Reincarnates and Finds his Past Life Wife

Abit Suzulmus Reincarnates and Finds his Past Life Wife

Cevriye Baryi is Reunited with her Past Life Husband

After Dying from Tetanus, Nasir Alev Reincarnates in Turkey 300 Meters from his Past Life Home

Grandparents Reincarnate as their Own Daughter’s Fraternal Twin Girls: Cases that Involve Gender Change, Muslim Reincarnation and Change of Religion

Reincarnation, Mohammed & the Founding of Islam

Reincarnation can also be found in the teachings of Islam, a religion established by the Prophet Mohammed. Mohammed was born in 570 A.D. into a prominent family that served as care takers of the holy site of Mecca, which tradition holds was built by Abraham. Mohammed married his employer, a businesswoman named Khaadija; Mohammed was 25 and Khaadija 40. Islam’s holy text is the Quran (or Koran), which means the “Recital” or “Reading.” In essence, the Quran is a channeled work, transmitted from God through Mohammed.

Mohammed’s first revelation occurred when he was 40 years old in 610 A.D. He then began recording verses which, over time, became the Quran. As this spiritual movement grew, Mohammed and his followers became the subjects of persecution and they had to flee Mecca in 622 A.D., taking refuge in Medina. Mohammed was a warrior as well as prophet and led his people into battle many times. Eventually Mohammed brought his followers back to Mecca, today’s shrine of Islam.

Reincarnation in the Quran

There are several references in the Quran that seem to refer to reincarnation. Let us review a few of these passages.

“And when his body falleth off altogether, as an old fish-shell, his soul doeth well by releasing, and formeth a new one instead…The person of man is only a mask which the soul putteth on for a season; it weareth its proper time and then is cast off, and another is worn in its stead.” (1)

“God generates beings, and sends them back over and over again, til they return to him.” (2)

“How can you make denial of Allah, who made you live again when you died, will make you dead again, and then alive again, until you finally return to him?” (3)

“God is the one who created you all, then provided you sustenance, then will cause you to die, then will bring you to life.” (4)

“Surely it is God who splits the seed and the stone, bringing the living from the dead; and it is God who brings the dead from living.”(5)

Quran & Renewal of Relationships through Reincarnation: Soul Groups

“I tell you, of a truth, that the spirits which now have affinity shall be kindred together, although they all meet in new persons and names.” (6)

This last verse is one of my favorites seems to allude to the existence of soul groups, of people who have emotional connections returning to life with those they have known before. In addition to passages on reincarnation, the Koran also references karma:

Quran, Reincarnation & Karma

“God does not compel a soul to do what is beyond its capacity: it gets what it has earned, and is responsible for what it deserves.” (7)

“Every soul will be brought face to face with the good that it has done and with the evil it has done.” (8)

“And We will set up the scales of justice for the day of reckoning. And no soul shall be wronged in anything. And be it the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it forth: and We are well able to take account.” (9)

“For We give life to the dead, and We record what they sent before and what they left after them: and We have taken account of all things.” (10)

Quran and the Universal Human

The Quran has wonderful passages that make one think in terms of the Universal Human, where religious affiliation is minimized and one’s benevolence is deemed most important. Consider the following verse:

“Indeed, be they Muslims, Jews, Sabians, or Christians, those who believe in God and the final day and who do good have nothing to fear, and they will not grieve.” (11)

Mohammed cautioned against exclusionary religious practices, which in his day was aimed at the Christian Church. Mohammed’s point was that God should be the central theme in a person’s life, not the messengers or prophets who convey God’s words. The “Book” in this passage refers to the Bible.

“People of the Book, do not go to excess in your religion, do not say of God anything but truth. The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only an Envoy of God and a Word of God bestowed on Mary, and a spirit of God.” (12)

Rumi & Reincarnation

Jalaluddin Rumi (1207-1273), was a great Islamic and Sufi poet. Sufis are considered the esoteric holders of Islamic wisdom, much as the Kabbalists are regarded as holders of the hidden wisdom of Judaism. Rumi wrote:

“Like grass I have grown over and over again. I passed out of mineral form and lived as a plant. From plant I was lifted up to be an animal. Then I put away the animal form and took on a human shape. Why should I fear that if I died I shall be lost? For passing human form I shall attain the flowing locks and shining wings of angels. And then I shall become what no mind has ever conceived. O let me cease to exist! For non-existence only means that I shall return to Him.” (13)

Of interest, a contemporary incarnation of Rumi has been identified. To learn more, go to: Rumi | Kahlil Gibran Reincarnation Case

Rumi, Reincarnation & Christian Church Father Synesius

It is interesting to note that a Christian Church Father mused similarly about the pathway of human evolution, as did Rumi. This view suggests that the plant and animal kingdoms can serve as a stepping stone for a soul’s advancement to the stage of human development. Let us contemplate the following quotation from the Christian Church Father Synesius, Bishop of Ptolemais (370–430 AD), from his Treatise on Dreams:

“Philosophy speaks of souls being prepared by a course of transmigrations. . . When first it comes down to earth, it (the soul) embarks on this animal spirit as on a boat, and through it is brought into contact with matter.” (14)

In these passages of the Islamic poet Rumi and the Christian Father Synesius, the common theme of human evolution through repeated incarnations is hypothesized and voiced.

In the section on this website entitled Soul Evolution, issues such as whether human souls ever incarnated in the animal kingdom are addressed. My conclusion is that in contemporary times, humans do not reincarnate as animals.

Footnotes

1. Joseph Head and S. L. Cranston, Reincarnation, an East–West Anthology, The Theosophical Publishing House, 1961, p. 56

2. Joseph Head and S. L. Cranston, Reincarnation, an East–West Anthology, The Theosophical Publishing House, 1961, p. 56

3. Quran, Sura 2, The Cow, Verse 28, from The Essential Koran, by Thomas Cleary, Harper, San Francisco, 1993, p. 89

4. Quran, Sura 11, Rome, Verse 38., from The Essential Koran, by Thomas Cleary, Harper, San Francisco, 1993, p. 89

5. Quran, Sura 6, Cattle, Verse 95., from The Essential Koran, by Thomas Cleary, p. 56

6. Joseph Head and S. L. Cranston: Reincarnation, and East–West Anthology, The Theosophical Publishing House, 1961, p. 57

7. Quran, Sura 2, The Cow, Verse 287, from The Essential Koran, by Thomas Cleary, p. 18

8. Quran, Sura 3, The Family of Imraan, Verse 30., from The Essential Koran, by Thomas Cleary, p. 22

9. Quran, Sura 21, The Prophet, Verse 47, from The Essential Koran, by Thomas Cleary, p. 81

10. Quran, Sura 36, Ya Sin, Verse 12, from The Essential Koran, by Thomas Cleary, p. 111

11. Quran, Sura 5, The Table, Verse 69, from The Essential Koran, by Thomas Cleary, p. 49

12. Quran, Sura 5, The Table, Verse 171, from The Essential Koran, by Thomas Cleary, p. 42

13. Jeffrey Mishlove, Roots of Consciousness, Council Oak Books, Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1993, p. 191

14. Joseph Head and S. L. Cranston: Reincarnation, an East–West Anthology, The Theosophical Publishing House, 1961, p. 39

Reincarnation in the New Testament and Christianity

Reincarnation, Jesus, the Bible, New Testament & Christian Doctrine

Article by: Walter Semkiw, MD, from Born Again and Return of the Revolutionaries

Jesus & Reincarnation

In the New Testament, Jews are depicted as expecting the reincarnation of their great prophets. Indeed, these prophets were already thought to have reincarnated in times past. For example, the Jewish sect called the Samarians believed Adam reincarnated as Noah, then as Abraham, then Moses. (1)

Reincarnation of the old prophets was also on the minds of Jews at the time of Jesus. In fact, followers of Jesus thought that he was a reincarnated prophet. Let us reflect on the following passage from the Gospel of Matthew:

“When Jesus came into coasts of Cesarea Philippi, he asked disciples, saying, ‘Whom do men say I, the Son of man, am?’ And they said, ‘Some say that thou art John the Baptist, some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.’” (Matthew 16:13–4)

Herod, who was in command of Jerusalem under the Romans, also speculated who Jesus may have previously been. Herod also thought Jesus might have been one of the old prophets.

When Jesus announced that he was the Jewish Messiah, his followers became confused, as the scriptures stated the prophet Elias (or Elijah in Greek) would return and precede the coming of the Messiah. The disciples put this apparent discrepancy to Jesus. The disciples pointed out:

“Why then say the scribes that Elias must come first. And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not. . . . Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.” (Matthew 17:9–13)

In another section of the New Testament, Jesus unequivocally states that John the Baptist is the reincarnation of the prophet Elias: “Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist. . . . And if ye will receive it, this is Elias. . . . He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” (Matthew 11:11–15)

Reincarnation is alluded to in a section of the New Testament in which the disciples ask Jesus why a man was born blind. The disciples asked,

“Which did sin, this man or his parents?” (John 9:34)

This passage implies that the blind man had a previous incarnation where he had the opportunity to commit a sin that would result in the karmic consequence of blindness. Without the premise of reincarnation, how could the blind man commit a sin responsible for his handicap, as the man was blind from birth? Jesus didn’t dispute the reasoning of the disciples, though he stated that the blindness was due to other factors.

Reincarnation and the Early Christian Church Fathers

In addition to these citations from the New Testament, evidence shows that reincarnation was part of the Church’s early doctrine and was promoted by Church Fathers, writers who established Christian doctrine prior to the eighth century and whose works were used to disseminate Christian ideas to populations of the Roman Empire. To be considered a Church Father one had to meet the following criteria. One had to lead a holy life;, one’s writings had do be free of doctrinal error; one’s interpretation of Christian doctrine was deemed to be exemplary; and one’s writings had to have approval of the Church.

A number of Christian Church Fathers believed in and wrote about reincarnation:

St. Justin Martyr (100–165 A.D.) expressly stated that the soul inhabits more than one human body. (2)

Origen (185–254 A.D.), who was considered by St. Jerome as “the greatest teacher of the Church after the Apostles,” defended the idea that the soul exists before the body, fundamental to the concept of reincarnation. (3)

Another Church Father, St. Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa (257–332 A.D.), wrote: “It is absolutely necessary that the soul should be healed and purified, and if this does not take place during its life on earth it must be accomplished in future lives. . . . The soul . . . is immaterial and invisible in nature, it at one time puts off one body . . . and exchanges it for a second.” (4)

St. Gregory also wrote: “Every soul comes into this world strengthened by the victories or weakened by the defeats of its previous life.” (5)

St. Augustine (354–430 A.D.), one of the greatest theologians of the Christian church, speculated that philosopher Plotinus was the reincarnation of Plato. St. Augustine wrote: “The message of Plato . . . now shines forth mainly in Plotinus, a Platonist so like his master that one would think . . . that Plato is born again in Plotinus.” (6)

Other Church Fathers who demonstrated a belief in reincarnation included Synesius (the Bishop of Ptolemais), St. Ambrose, Pope Gregory I, Jerome, St. Athanasius, St. Basil, St. John Chrysostom, St. Gregory of Nazianzus, and Clement of Alexandria. (7)

How Reincarnation was Removed from Christian Doctrine

If the belief in the pre-existence of souls and reincarnation was prominent in the early Christian Church, why is it not present in contemporary doctrine?

The reason is that a Roman Emperor named Justinian made arrangements for reincarnation to be removed from official Church doctrine in 553 A.D.

In the early centuries of the Christian Church, disputes over doctrine were settled by bishops of the Church, through meetings called Ecumenical Councils. These Councils were major gatherings, which occurred infrequently, sometimes once in a hundred years. To understand the story of reincarnation and the Christian Church, we must go back in time to the year 330 A.D.

In that year, Constantine the Great moved the capital of the Roman Empire from Rome to Constantinople, a city which today is called Istanbul. As a result, two centers of the Christian Church developed; the Western Church in Rome and the Eastern Church in Constantinople. The emperors of Constantinople controlled the Eastern Church and dictated policy as they pleased.

As an example, the Constantinople Emperor Leo III prohibited images and portraits from being kept in churches, so icons, paintings of saints, which today are so admired for their beauty, had to be removed from places of worship. On the other hand, the Western Church headquartered in Rome refused to give up icons. Similarly, the Constantinople Emperor Justinian determined Church policy regarding reincarnation.

In the sixth century, the Church was divided over the issue of reincarnation. Western bishops in Rome believed in pre-existence of the soul while Eastern bishops were opposed to it. Emperor Justinian, who controlled the Eastern Church, was against the doctrine of reincarnation. As an example of his interference in Church matters, Justinian excommunicated the Church Father Origen, who openly supported the idea of reincarnation.

To further his agenda, Justinian convened the Fifth Ecumenical Council in 553 A.D., with only six bishops of the Western Church in attendance. On the other hand, 159 bishops of the Eastern Church, which Justinian controlled, were present. An image of Justinian is provided to the right.

It was at this meeting that pre-existence of the soul was voted out of Church doctrine. Emperor Justinian manipulated Church doctrine by stacking the voting deck in his favor.

Pope Vigilius protested this turn of events and demanded equal representation between Eastern and Western bishops. Though the Pope was present in Constantinople at the time of the Fifth Ecumenical Council, he boycotted the Council in protest. Justinian not only ignored Pope Vigilius, but persecuted him.

The Catholic Encyclopedia states that the conflict between the Emperor Justinian and the Pope was so extreme that the Pope suffered many indignities at the hands of the emperor and was almost killed.

Can you conceive today that a politician or head of state could dictate church policy to the Pope or that the Pope would boycott the biggest meeting at the Vatican in a hundred years? Yet this is what happened.

As a result, the Catholic Encyclopedia states, the Council called by Justinian was not a true Ecumenical Council, so the removal of pre-existence of the soul as a Church doctrine should not be considered an actual decree of the Ecumenical Council. (8, 9)

The Split of the Roman Catholic & Greek Orthodox Christianity-Branches of the Christian Church Excommunicate One Another

The rift between the Eastern and Western Church increased in 1054 when the two branches of the Christian Church excommunicated each other. When Christian Crusaders from the Western Church were on their way to capture Jerusalem from the Muslims, they made a point to raze the Christian city of Constantinople. In other words, the Western Christian Church waged war against the Eastern Christian Church.

Following that episode, a permanent split occurred and the Western Church became the Roman Catholic Church, while the Eastern Orthodox Church went its own way. Even today, members of the Eastern Christian Church do not consider the Pope in Rome as their leader. So we see that the political fragmentation within the Eastern and Western branches of the Christian Church is as real today as it was in the time of Emperor Justinian and Pope Vigilius.

The Christian Inquisition, Salem Witch Trials & Psychic Abilities

In addition to Christian leaders fighting among themselves, there are disturbing examples of Christians fighting with those opposed to their doctrines.

The Inquisition was established by a series of Papal decrees between 1227 and 1235 to confront dissident religious movements. In this effort, Pope Innocent IV authorized the use of torture in 1252. Later, the persecution of presumed witches in Europe between 1450 and 1700 arose as orthodox Christianity went through its anxieties resulting from Martin Luther’s Reformation and the emerging scientific paradigm.

The Papal decree Summis Desiderantes, issued by Pope Innocent VIII in 1484, stimulated another wave of torture and executions. This Papal dissertation was anti-feminine and condemned witches. Thousands of innocent women were executed based on confessions obtained through torture.

The last outbreak of this persecution occurred in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692. Twenty women were executed after a group of young girls became emotional or hysterical while playing at magic. In reality, some of those considered witches in the past may have been girls who had psychic gifts but who were perceived as dangerous by those who were not similarly talented. Today, many women who participate in classes designed to stimulate intuition and psychic abilities remember past lives in which they were persecuted and burned at the stake. It can be dangerous to be an evolved being in a relatively primitive world.

Christian Church Doctrine and the Suppression of Reincarnation

In sum, reincarnation has appeared in Christian church doctrine, but reincarnation as been suppressed in the contemporary Church’s philosophy. One reason is that if reincarnation is acknowledged and research demonstrates that souls can change religion from one incarnation to another, a religion’s claim to exclusive truth is negated.

Still, evidence of reincarnation can help fulfill one of Christianity’s greatest doctrines, that we are indeed brothers and sisters, and that we should love one another as such.

Footnotes

1. Sylvia Cranston: Reincarnation, The Phoenix Fire Mystery, Theosophical University Press, Pasadena, 1998, p. 128.

2. Joseph Head and S. L. Cranston, Reincarnation, and East–West Anthology, The Theosophical Publishing House, 1961, p. 35–39.

3. Joseph Head and S. L. Cranston, Reincarnation, and East–West Anthology, The Theosophical Publishing House, 1961, p. 35–39.

4. Joseph Head and S. L. Cranston, Reincarnation, and East–West Anthology, The Theosophical Publishing House, 1961, p. 35–39.

5. Joseph Head and S. L. Cranston, Reincarnation, and East–West Anthology, The Theosophical Publishing House, 1961, p. 35–39.

6. Joseph Head and S. L. Cranston, Reincarnation, and East–West Anthology, The Theosophical Publishing House, 1961, p. 35–39.

7. Joseph Head and S. L. Cranston, Reincarnation, and East–West Anthology, The Theosophical Publishing House, 1961, p. 35–39.

8. Joseph Head and S. L. Cranston, Reincarnation, and East–West Anthology, The Theosophical Publishing House, 1961, p. 35–39

9. Sylvia Cranston, Reincarnation, The Phoenix Fire Mystery, Theosophical University Press, Pasadena, 1998, p. 156–160.

Past Life Talent: Dorothy, as a Child, is a Natural Actress and Singer

Kira has a Psychic Experience or Vision before Dorothy was Born

Announcing Dreams in Reincarnation Cases

Dorothy Remembers Her Past Life Name

Dorothy Remembers her Past Life Husband’s Name

A Past Life Cancer produces Abdominal Pain

Dorothy Recognizes her Past Life Photo

The Life of Alice “Lily” Pons

The Burmese Family of Thi, His Son Htwe and Daughter-In-Law Kyi During the WW II Japanese Occupation

Two Japanese Brother Soldiers Die on the Property of a Burmese Family and Reincarnate as Twin Girls, Born to the Burmese Woman Who Lived where the Brothers Died

Xenoglossy: Kyi, the Burmese Wife, Gives Birth to Twin Girls, Who Remember Past Lives as Japanese Soldiers and Who Speak a Foreign Language

Burmese Twin Girls San and Yin Recall their Past Lives as Japanese Soldiers

Burmese Twin Girls Remember Enlisting in the Japanese Army in their Past Lives

Burmese Twin Girls Remember The Past Life Allied Air Attack that Led to their Deaths

After Life Communication: After Death, the Japanese Soldiers Visit their Mother in Japan, Who Cannot Perceive Them

Burmese Female Twins Demonstrate Masculine Behavior Related to their Past Lives as Male Japanese Soldiers

Burmese Female Twins have Physical Traits Reflecting their Past Lives as Male Japanese Soldiers

The Lives and Deaths of U Maung Muang and Daw Aye Hla

Maung Considers Himself a Muslim

Daw, Maung’s Wife, Condemns his Treatment of Chickens and his Hunting of Birds

Maung the Muslim and Daw the Buddhist Separate

Tin Receives an Announcing Dream in Which her Parents Reveal That They Would Be Reborn as Her Children.

Gyi Attributes Her Birth Defects to Her Cruelty Towards Birds in Her Past Life as Maung

Nge Tells Her Parents that She Had Been Daw, Tin’s Mother, in a Previous Life

Gyi’s Masculine Behavior and Traits that Reflected Her Past Lifetime as Maung, Her Maternal Grandfather.

Nge’s Feminine Behavior and Traits that Reflect Her Past Lifetime as Daw, Her Maternal Grandmother

The Physiques of the Twins Reflect their Past Life Appearances

Were Gyi’s Birth Defects Due to Karma Related to Past Life Treatment of Birds?

The Life and Death of the Hasan Hamed

Hasan is a Druze: A Group that Accepts Reincarnation

Hasan is Murdered in Syria and Reincarnates in Lebanon

Salem Remembers his Past Life Betrayal and Death

Salem’s Past Life Nightmares

Salem Acts as if He was Still Hasan, his Past Life Persona

Salem’s Past Life Memories are Verified

Ian Stevenson, MD Meets Salem Andary

Past Lives for George and Amal Clooney

Sandika tries to Convert his Parents to his Past Life Religion: Buddhism

Past Life Phobia of Explosions

Reincarnation: Belief versus Knowledge

The Life of Marty Martyn

Marty Martyn Reincarnates in Oklahoma

Spirit Being: Ryan observes Cindy from Heaven

Cindy Investigates Ryan’s Past Life Memories and contacts Jim Tucker, MD

Ryan Recognizes the Home of his Past Life Friend, Wild Bill Elliot

Ryan meets his Past Life Daughter

Ryan wants to Study Judaism, his Past life Religion

Principles of Reincarnation-Understanding Past Lives

Nocturnal Episodes of Xenoglossy: Speaking an Unlearned Language

Past Life Memories of an Incarnation in Kandy

Wijanama describes a Muslim Past Life

Identifying with his Muslim Past Life, Wijanama is Critical of Buddhist Worship

Wijanama is Ridiculed and called “The Muslim”

Shopkeeper: A Probable Past Life Vocation

Wijanama finds his Past Life Mosque in Kandy

Xenoglossy: Wijanama’s Recitation is Deciphered

Reincarnation and Judaism

Holocaust Reincarnation or Past Life Cases

Historian Josephus: Essenes & Pharisees Believe in Reincarnation

Reincarnation, the Zohar & Kabbalah

Reincarnation & Rabbi Manasseh ben Israel

Reincarnation and Muslim Doctrine, Karma, Soul Groups & the Koran

Muslim & Turkish Reincarnation Cases Researched by Ian Stevenson, MD of the University of Virginia & Associates

Reincarnation, Mohammed & the Founding of Islam

Reincarnation in the Quran

Quran & Renewal of Relationships through Reincarnation: Soul Groups

Quran, Reincarnation & Karma

Quran and the Universal Human

Rumi & Reincarnation

Rumi, Reincarnation & Christian Church Father Synesius

Reincarnation, Jesus, the Bible, New Testament & Christian Doctrine

Jesus & Reincarnation

Reincarnation and the Early Christian Church Fathers

How Reincarnation was Removed from Christian Doctrine

The reason is that a Roman Emperor named Justinian made arrangements for reincarnation to be removed from official Church doctrine in 553 A.D.

It was at this meeting that pre-existence of the soul was voted out of Church doctrine. Emperor Justinian manipulated Church doctrine by stacking the voting deck in his favor.

The Split of the Roman Catholic & Greek Orthodox Christianity-Branches of the Christian Church Excommunicate One Another

The Christian Inquisition, Salem Witch Trials & Psychic Abilities

Christian Church Doctrine and the Suppression of Reincarnation

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