Reincarnation Research

Reincarnation Case of Anne Frank | Barbro Karlen-From the Holocaust a Child Finds her Past Life Home

From the Holocaust, a child prodigy finds her way home. Barbro Karlen as the reincarnation of Anne Frank.

How Derived: Past Life Memories in Childhood

From: And the Wolves Howled, by Barbro Karlen

Article from Born Again, by Walter Semkiw, MD

Click on images to enlarge

One of the most culturally significant reincarnation cases involves Barbro Karlen, who I have had he honor of doing joint presentations with since 2001. I first met Barbro in 2000 and I now consider her a very good friend. I would like to share her experiences with you. At the end of this article, a video may be viewed in which Barbro tells her story in her own words. Enlarge images by clicking on them.

A Toddler’s Past Life Memories of being Anne Frank

Anne Frank died in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945. Less than ten years later, in 1954, Barbro Karlen was born to Christian parents in Sweden. When she was less than three years old, Barbro told her parents that her name was not Barbro, but “Anne Frank.” Barbro’s parents had no idea of who Anne Frank was, as they were unaware of the book, Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl, also known as The Diary of Anne Frank.

Barbro relates that her parents wanted her to call them “Ma and Pa,” but Barbro knew that they were not her real parents. Barbro even told her mother that her real parents would soon come to get her and take her to her real home. These statements are typical of childhood memory reincarnation cases researched by Ian Stevenson, MD, at the University of Virginia.

During her childhood, Barbro told her parents details of her life as Anne, which her parents thought were fantasies. In addition, Barbro had nightmares in which men ran up the stairs and kicked in the door to her family’s attic hiding place. An image of the exterior of the Frank family’s attic hiding place, which has the red tile roof, is provided below and to the right.

Barbro is evaluated by a Psychiatrist

IISISReincarnationResearchAnneFrankAttic5 — Attic Hiding Place of Frank Family

Barbro’s past life memories worried her parents and at one point, when she was a child, they had her evaluated by a psychiatrist. Barbro, though, by this time, had learned that it was not wise to talk about the other world she lived in, the world of Anne Frank, as she noticed that everyone “got tense” when she described her memories to them. When she saw the psychiatrist, she made no mention of her memories of being Anne and was deemed a perfectly normal little girl.

Barbro’s Elementary School Teacher Discusses Anne Frank

When Barbro was seven or eight years of age, she became confused when her schoolteacher began talking about Anne Frank in class. Barbro thought to herself, “How could my teacher know about Anne Frank?” Barbro knew that she was Anne Frank. Barbro began to realize that Anne Frank was a famous person. “How could that be,” she thought? Describing her confusion as a child, Barbro has related “all this didn’t work for me.”

Imagine how hard it must have been for Barbro to have spontaneous memories of a past lifetime and to have no one to talk to, no one who could help her with her confusion, traumatic memories and nightmares.

Barbro’s Past Life Phobias Related to Anne Frank’s Holocaust Experience

Since childhood, Barbro has had a fear of men in uniforms. Even as an adult, if stopped for a traffic violation by a police officer, Barbro would have such anxiety that she would consider fleeing. In order to get over her phobia of uniforms, as well as to work with horses, Barbro in adulthood, decided to become a mounted Swedish police officer. After completing her training with the Swedish Police Authority, Barbro did become a mounted police officer and she worked with police horses for over a decade.

In addition, Barbro has had an aversion to eating beans since childhood, which the Frank family existed on for nearly two years. Barbro would also only take baths, not showers. In concentration camps, Nazi’s would bring prisoners into large rooms telling the prisoners that they would be given showers. Instead of water, poison gas was piped into the room to kill the prisoners. Anne was first taken to the Auschwitz concentration camp, where such gas chambers were used to kill those too feeble to perform forced labor. Later, she was transferred to the Bergen-Belsen camp, where she died.

Anne Frank Reincarnation Case Amsterdam — Aerial View of Amsterdam

Barbro also resisted having her hair cut. In concentration camps, new arrivals were stripped naked and heads were shaved, followed by a process of disinfection.

At 10 Years of Age, Barbro’s Geographic Past Life Memory Leads her Parents to the Anne Frank House

Barbro received her first validation of being Anne Frank when she was ten years old, when she was able to find her way directly to the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam without directions.

The graphic to the right, which can be enlarged, shows how circular the streets of Amsterdam are. It is easy to get lost wandering the streets of this city, yet Barbro’s past life memories of the streets of Amsterdam were clear. I will now describe the scene, utilizing excerpts from And the Wolves Howled.

When she was ten, Barbro’s parents took her on a tour of the major cities in Europe, including Amsterdam, the city where the Frank family lived. During World War II, Otto Frank and his family had to go into hiding in the attic of the building where Otto had his business, for the Nazi’s had invaded the Netherlands and were persecuting Jews. The Frank family hid in this attic for about two years, until they were discovered by the Nazis, arrested and sent to concentration camps.

The only survivor was the father, Otto Frank, who subsequently was given Anne’s diary, which he later had published. After the war, the hiding place was made into a museum, which is called The Anne Frank House.

By the time Barbro was ten, the Diary of Anne Frank had been published and distributed in Sweden and her parents had become aware of who the historical Anne Frank was. While in Amsterdam, her father wanted to visit the Anne Frank House. At their hotel, he took the phone off the hook and asked for a taxi to take them there.

Barbro suddenly exclaimed: “We don’t need a taxi, it’s not far to walk from here.” Barbro was so certain that it didn’t occur to her parents to object, they just meekly followed her as she walked off.

“We’ll soon be there, it’s just round the next corner,” Barbro told her parents. She herself wasn’t at all surprised when they arrived at the Anne Frank House after a ten minute walk through the twisting streets of the city. An image of the Anne Frank House is provided to the right. Upon their arrival, her parents stood there speechless and just looked at one another.

Past Life Memories: Barbro Knows Where Anne Frank’s Pictures should have been Found

“That’s strange,” Barbro said, when they stood in front of the steps up to the house. “It didn’t look like this before.” She looked wonderingly and her parents didn’t know what to say. They entered the house and went up the long narrow staircase. Barbro, who had been so carefree when showing them the way, suddenly went white in the face. She broke out in a cold sweat and reached for her mother’s hand. Her mother was horrified when she felt Barbro’s hand, which was as cold as ice.

When they entered the hiding place, the same terrors overcame Barbro that she had experienced so many times in her dreams. She found it hard to breathe and panic spread through her body. When they went into one of the smaller rooms, she suddenly stood still and brightened up a little.

Barbro looked at the wall in front of her and exclaimed, “Look, the pictures of the film stars are still there!” The pictures of the movie stars that Anne had clipped and affixed to the wall, which Barbro saw at that moment, made her feel happy, almost as if she had come home.

reincarnationresearchannefrankbarbrokarlenpictures5 — Pictures Affixed by Anne Frank

Her mother stared at the blank wall and couldn’t understand this at all. “What pictures? The wall is bare?” Barbro looked again and she saw that this was true. The wall was bare! Her mother was so confounded that she felt driven to ask one of the guides whether there had been pictures on the wall at one time.

“Oh yes,” the guide replied, “they had only been taken down temporarily to be mounted under glass so that they wouldn’t be destroyed or stolen.” Barbro’s mother didn’t know what to say.

“How in the world could you find your way here first of all, then insist that the steps outside were different and then see the pictures on the wall when they weren’t there?”

Barbro’s mother was full of questions, but Barbro was quite incapable of saying even a single word. She just wanted to get out of there; she couldn’t stand it a moment longer.

Her legs felt like jelly as she went down the stairs. She had never before in her life felt so wretched. The tears ran unrestrained down her face, and her legs would not carry her. When she reached the bottom step her legs folded under her and she fell.

Barbro’s Parents Accept that She had a Past Life as Anne Frank

Barbro relates that these incidents in Amsterdam finally made her parents believe that she is the reincarnation of Anne Frank. After all, how else could she know how to get to the Anne Frank House on the family’s first trip to Amsterdam, and without directions? How could she know that the stairs had been modified? How did she know that pictures of movie stars, which Anne Frank had clipped from magazines, should be found on a specific wall inside the house, when these pictures had been removed so that they could be mounted behind glass?

In time, Barbro’s mother responded by becoming very spiritual and a believer in reincarnation. Barbro’s father, on the other hand, seemed annoyed. Barbro relates that her father responded by saying: “I can’t deny that you have somehow been here before. Perhaps you have lived before and have reincarnated, but you are the only one!”

Barbro understood that by being faced with the reality of reincarnation, her father’s Christian world view, where “everything was set right,” was threatened. Barbro was much happier, though, as from this point on as she could talk to her mother about her past lifetime as Anne Frank. She had her mother’s support.

Past Life Talent: Barbro Karlen is a Childhood Writing Prodigy, like Anne Frank

Anne Frank was a childhood writing prodigy. She is not the most famous victim of the Holocaust because she had the worst death. Rather, she become the most famous victim because as a teenager she wrote a book, a diary, that was readable and addressed universal themes, such as the nature of man and man’s tendency to be good or evil. Children around the world have been instructed to read The Diary of Anne Frank to learn about prejudice, which has made Anne’s diary the second most read book in the world, next to the Bible.

Like Anne Frank, Barbro Karlen was a childhood writing prodigy. Barbro relates that learning to write was a great gift. As a child, she could not speak to anyone about her past life memories, but once she learned to write, she could have discourses on her writing tablet.

One day, when she was eleven or so, a family friend read a few of her compositions and realized that this was worthy prose. Barbro was asked if her casual writings could be sent to a publisher, which she agreed to.

Anne Frank Reincarnation-Child Prodigy — Published when Barbro was 12 years of age

At the age of twelve, her first book of prose was published. This book, Man on Earth, became the best-selling prose/poetry book in Swedish history. Barbro became a child celebrity, debating theology with ministers and theologians on television programs. In her teenage years, she had a total of nine books published. These books, written in her youth, have been translated into multiple languages, much like the Diary of Anne Frank.

Barbro’s Past Life Memories Recede, then Reemerge when She encounters Reincarnated Nazi Guards

After her adolescence passed, Barbro’s past life memories began to fade, which was a relief to Barbro, as now she could finally lead a normal life. As she pursued her career with the Swedish Police Service, Barbro thought that she never would be public regarding her memories of being Anne Frank. As Barbro wistfully states in her video interview, though, “never say never.”

It was not until she was in her forties that past life memories began to emerge again. Barbro began having negative interactions with another mounted police officer, who seemed to be persecuting her. It was these interactions that triggered the rekindling of her memories of being Anne Frank and in particular, she recalled scenes from a concentration camp. Barbro realized that this police officer was a reincarnated Nazi guard from the Bergen-Belsen concentration.

Though these past life memories were painful, they gave Barbro the will to write her book, And the Wolves Howled. Barbro relates that she wanted to show that though these guards, these wolves, participated in her persecution in the Anne Frank lifetime, she would not allow them to hurt her again in contemporary times. She wanted to share with others that the soul perseveres and in this way, to provide comfort to others.

Barbro Meets her Past Life Cousin, Buddy Elias, President of the Anne Frank Foundation

As she prepared her book, And the Wolves Howled, for publication, Buddy Elias, President of the Anne Frank Foundation and at the time, the last living relative of Anne Frank, heard about Barbro’s claim to be the reincarnation of his cousin, Anne Frank. Through her publisher, Buddy invited Barbro to his home for dinner, though he asked Barbro’s publisher not to reveal who he was in relation to Anne Frank or the Anne Frank Foundation. Buddy advised the publisher to tell Barbro that their dinner host was a fan of the books she wrote as a child and adolescent. Though he did not believe in reincarnation, Buddy wanted to meet this person who claimed to be the reincarnation of Anne. Buddy and Anne Frank, as cousins, played together in their youth.

Barbro describes her first face to face meeting with Buddy, which occurred in 1995, in the Barbro Karlen: Reincarnation of Anne Frank video, which is provided at the bottom of this web page.

Barbro relates that when they first saw each other, she and Buddy fell into each others arms and cried together. Barbro says she had instant recognition that Buddy was someone she knew and loved from the Frank lifetime. They spoke for two hours at the time of this first meeting and they continued to be very good friends for 20 years, until Buddy’s death in 2015. Barbro would stay at Buddy’s home in Switzerland when she visited Europe and Buddy had stayed in Barbro’s home when he visited her in the United States.

**Buddy Elias Speaks at Barbro Karlen’s And the Wolves Howled Book Event**

An article from the leading German magazine, Zeitspiegel, was published regarding this event on May 19, 1998:

“Buddy Elias, actor in Basel, is the cousin of Anne Frank and the President of the Anne Frank Foundation. Buddy Elias met with Anne Frank the last time just before the war broke out. She mentions him as “Bernd” in her Diary many times.

Anne’s father, Otto Frank, returned to Amsterdam after his liberation from Aushwitz. He then lived with his nephew, Buddy Elias, in Basel until his death.

Two years ago, Buddy Elias and Barbro Karlen met for the first time. At the presentation of the autobiography by Barbro Karlen, Buddy Elias read parts of it for the audience.

Bruckenbauer: “Buddy Elias, what memories do you have of your cousin, Anne Frank?”

Buddy Elias: “She was a very pleasant person, a lively child with her head full of ideas how to live. We loved each other very much, when the war began, we corresponded with each other.”

“Do you believe in reincarnation?”

Buddy Elias: “Yes, I do.”

“So how is it for you when a woman claims she is the reincarnation of your cousin? Barbro Karlen is not the only one!”

“I have been very skeptical, but Barbro is different from everybody else.”

“How was the first meeting with Barbro?”

“It was very emotional. First time I saw her, I had heard about her. I had a very strange feeling, a very positive impression. It felt like we had a soul connection. Barbro seemed absolutely trustworthy to me. I could very well imagine she was Anne. More than that I can not say. I have Anne too close in my memory to say anything more.”

“Do you see any similarities between Anne and Barbro?”

“The black hair is obvious!”

“Will you stay in touch with Barbro?”

“Of course, I have developed a very deep friendship with her.”

To view a video of Buddy Elias talking about his relationshp with Anne Frank, please go to:

Buddy Elias, Anne Frank’s Cousin, Describes Anne

Barbro Moves to California, where Walter Semkiw, MD observes that Anne Frank and Barbro Karlen have the Same Facial Features

Barbro and a female friend of hers took a vacation to experience California’s coastal Highway 1. While on that trip, based on an intuition, Barbro decided to open a Swedish import shop in Carmel, even though she had no prior experience in business or retail sales. Barbro moved from Sweden to Northern California, where I met her. When I first received the phone call in 2000, in which I was told about a woman who claimed to be the reincarnation of Anne Frank, I was very skeptical. When I met her and listened to her story, I came to believe that she is genuine and that I had truly met the reincarnation of Anne Frank.

In her book, Barbro never mentions that she has the same appearance as Anne Frank, as her memories are what are most meaningful to her, not appearance. Upon meeting her, I realized that Barbro has the same facial features as Anne.

In the image comparison featured on this website, Barbro as a seven year old girl is featured on the left side, Anne Frank as a teenager is in the center and Barbro as an adult is on the right side. It appears that we are looking at images of one person in three stages of life. In actuality, we are looking at one soul in two different lifetimes.

Anne Frank & Barbro Karlen: Reincarnation & Similarities in Personality

In addition to facial features, there are many character similarities between Barbro and Anne. These include:

A. Spirituality and a Love of Nature

Lawrence L. Langer, in his essay included in the book, Anne Frank, Reflections on Her Life and Legacy, writes the following regarding Anne.

“Spiritual insight rarely falls from the lips of a thirteen or fourteen year old girl. Indeed, as many of the new entries in the diary will show, Anne Frank was essentially a physical being, a lover of nature, intrigued with her own sexuality.”

These traits are reflected in Barbro Karlen, who at sixteen years of age used her book earnings to purchase a cottage in the woods. She soon populated her property with her horse, two dogs, two cats, a sheep and a flock of hens and chicks. Barbro especially loved her horse and horseback riding, which eventually led her to pursue a career as a mounted policewoman.

Her sexuality is evidenced by an early marriage and her pregnancy at the age of 18. Indeed, many of Anne’s desires seem to have come to fruition early in the life of Barbro Karlen.

B. Natural literary skills

Anne Frank had natural gifts as a writer. Similarly, Barbro Karlen was a childhood literary prodigy. Her first book, Man on Earth, which was published when she was 12 years of age and became the all time best-selling poetry book in Sweden. Between ages 12 to 17, nine books written by Barbro, including When the Storm Comes and a Moment in the Blossom Kingdom, were published.

It is interesting to note that Anne Frank always hoped to be a published writer. On May 11, 1944, Anne wrote that her “greatest wish” was to become a journalist, “and later on, a famous writer.” Once again, it appears that Anne’s desires were fulfilled early in the life of Barbro Karlen.

C. Similar Writing Themes

Similar themes are found in the writings of Frank and Karlen. Though one may argue that these similarities are intentional, Barbro Karlen maintains that she has not studied Anne Frank’s works.

Anne Frank, due to the persecution of the Jews by the Nazis, reflected extensively on issues of good and evil. Anne also had a tendency to personify human qualities, as seen in the quotation cited below regarding “Lies.” Anne’s legacy is based on her ability to maintain hope in the face of dismal circumstances. Anne Frank’s most famous quote affirms the basic goodness of man.

Barbro Karlen also writes of good and evil in her book, And the Wolves Howled, in part due to her memories of the Frank lifetime and in part due to persecution experienced in this lifetime while working for the Swedish Police Service. Barbro also has a tendency to personify human qualities, like Anne. Let us compare passages written by Frank and Karlen regarding evil:

Anne Frank-On Evil

“There’s in people simply an urge to destroy, an urge to kill, to murder and rage.”

“I get frightened myself when I think of close friends who are now at the mercy of the cruelest monsters ever to stalk the earth. And all because we are Jews.”

“Yesterday evening, before I fell asleep, who should suddenly appear before my eyes but Lies! I saw her in front of me, clothed in rags…Her eyes were very big and she looked so sadly and reproachfully at me that I could read in her eyes: Oh Anne, why have you deserted me? Help, oh help me, rescue me from this hell!”

Barbro Karlen-On Evil

“If only she could write about how important, even vital it is never to give up in the face of evil, regardless of how dark and wretched everything may seem. Evil was present on the earth and would probably always be there. It would always try to conquer Good.”

Anne Frank-On Good

“In spite of everything, I still really believe that people are really good at heart.”

Barbro Karlen-On Good

“But the more people there were who believed in Good, and in the Good Force within themselves, the greater the possibility of keeping evil under control. If only they could believe in Good, and in the presence of the inner Force, many unhappy people would be able to fight their way up from the darkness.”

“Most people on earth were not yet aware that they could find the Good Force within themselves and that it could help them if they only sought it out.”

Annette Lantos meets Barbro Karlen & Invites Barbro & Me to Washington, DC

Annette Lantos is the wife of the late Tom Lantos, who served in the United States Congress for 27 years. Tom, whose picture is featured to the right, was the only Holocaust survivor to be elected to the US Congress. When President George W. Bush traveled to Germany for a Holocaust memorial, he took Tom with him. U2 singer Bono was a close friend, as he admired Tom’s dedication to bringing justice to the darkest corners of the world.

It was Annette and Tom who nominated the 14th Dalai Lama for a Nobel Prize, which he won.

When Annette heard about Barbro’s case, she wanted to meet Barbro, as Annette is also is a Holocaust survivor. Annette, Barbro and I spent almost 3 hours in Tom’s Congressional office in San Mateo, California. Tom and Annette were very much in love and while we were in a conference room, Tom repeatedly poked his head into the room to ask his beloved wife whether she was finished. Annette, fascinated with Barbro’s story, kept sending Tom away.

Anne Frank Reincarnation: Charity Sunshine & Condolezza Rice — Barbro and Walter Meet Condolezza Rice & Charity Sunshine

By the end of our meeting, Annette was intrigued enough by the proposal that Barbro is the reincarnation of Anne Frank that she asked us to attend a “by invitation only” benefit concert at the Kennedy Center, in Washington DC. At this event, Tom and Annette’s granddaughter, Charity Sunshine Tillemann-Dick, would sing and Condoleezza Rice would accompany Charity on the piano. We did attend, sat in the front row and later met Dr. Rice at a reception.

Lantos Foundation for Human Rights & Justice and the Tom Lantos Tunnels

Annette now serves as the Chairman of the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice. In honor of Tom, recently constructed tunnels along Highway 1 between San Francisco and Half Moon Bay have been named the Tom Lantos Tunnels. Every time I traverse these tunnels, I fondly reflect on Tom, Annette and Charity, and our experiences in Washington, DC.

Children’s Past Life Author Carol Bowman supports the Anne Frank | Barbro Karlen Reincarnation Case

A person who supports Barbro’s case is Carol Bowman, who is a pioneer in studying children who spontaneously recall past lives. In 2006, Carol and Barbro attended a reincarnation conference in Colorado Springs. In addition to Carol learning about Barbro’s case, Carol and Barbro had the opportunity to spend an afternoon together horseback riding. Carol has stated that she judges Barbro’s reincarnation case to be a strong one.

Carol shared an amusing anecdote regarding the time they spent together. To go horseback riding, Carol and Barbro had to take a taxi from the hotel to the stables. Carol was raised Jewish and both women were taken aback when their taxi driver turned out to be a bearded Hasidic Jew wearing the traditional black hat and clothing. Carol reflected, “What are the odds of getting a taxi driver who is a Hasidic Jew in Colorado Springs?”

Reincarnation Symbol — Passage Through Lifetimes

Carl Jung called meaningful coincidences like this “synchronistic events.” As discussed in the section Principles of Reincarnation, it is thought that one’s own soul or spirit beings can orchestrate such a meaningful occurrences to convey messages symbolically.

Anne Frank & Possible Reincarnation Prophecy: God Will Raise Us Up Again

I will cite one last quotation from Anne Frank’s diary, which refers to the perseverance of the Jewish faith and people. It also has a poetic ring of truth regarding reincarnation, perhaps not intended by Anne, yet beautiful all the same.

“Who has inflicted this upon us?
Who has made us Jews different from all other people?
Who has allowed us to suffer so terribly up till now?
It is God who had made us who we are,
but it will be God, too, who will raise us up again.”

Principles of Reincarnation & Understanding Past Lives

Past Life Physical Resemblance: Anne Frank and Barbro Karlen have the same facial features. It is of interest that Barbro never mentions this physical resemblance to Anne in her book And the Wolves Howled, though others had told her that she looks like Anne Frank. The physical resemblance between Anne and Barbro was first published in 2006 in my book: Born Again

Past Life Talent: Barbro Karlen was a childhood writing prodigy, as was Anne Frank.

Phobias from a Past Lifetime: Barbro had an irrational fear of men in police uniforms, which seems to stem from Anne’s experience with Nazi soldiers and concentration camp guards. Barbro also had an aversion to showers, did not want to eat beans and resisted having her hair cut, which also reflect incidents in Anne Frank’s life, as described above.

Geographic Memory: On her first visit to Amsterdam at the age of ten, Barbro was able to spontaneously lead her parents from their hotel to the Anne Frank House, without directions.

Change in Religion, Nationality and Ethnic Affiliation: Anne Frank was born in Germany, where she was persecuted as a Jew during the Holocaust. Barbro was born into a Christian family in Sweden.

If the Nazi’s during World War II knew that one could be born Jewish in one lifetime and Christian in another, the Holocaust could never have happened. Similarly, when Muslim Palestinians realize that then can be reborn as Israeli Jews, when Sunni’s know they can reincarnate as Shiites, Christians understand they can be reborn into an Islamic culture and vice versa, then conflict based on these cultural differences of identity will be mitigated.

Barbro Karlen’s case dramatically demonstrates how reincarnation research and evidence of reincarnation can transform the world in a positive way.

Anne Frank | Barbro Karlen Video Full Length-35 Minutes

Evidence of Reincarnation Video-9 Minutes

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A New Past Life Regression Memory Case: The Reincarnation Story of Clockmaker and Inventor of the Marine Chronometer, John Harrison | Mechanic and Idea Man, Chuck McMurray

How Derived: Past Life Memories Accessed during a Past Life Regression

Researched by: Chuck McMurray

Affirmed by: Spirit Being Ahtun Re in a Ryerson-Semkiw Reincarnation Research Session

Article by: Chuck McMurray, Edited by Walter Semkiw, MD

Click on images to enlarge

In a past lifetime, I, Chuck McMurray, believe that I was John Harrison, an 18^th century, self-educated British clockmaker and inventor of the marine chronometer, which is a very precise timepiece that was used in ship voyages for navigation purposes. Harrison lived from 1693 to 1776.

Let me tell you my story, which started with a past life regression conducted in 2016, though I would not derive my past life identity as Harrison until 2018.

On October 16, 2019, over a year after I had made the hypothesis that I was John Harrison, I had a session with trance medium Kevin Ryerson, who has worked extensively with Walter Semkiw, MD. In this session my past life as Harrison was affirmed. Let us now start at the beginning.

Chuck McMurrays’s Past Life Regression

In September of 2016, I had made an appointment with Susan Wisehart, MS, LMFT, who is a licensed psychotherapist and a past life regression therapist, to have my first regression. The reason for my interest in pursuing this was research I had done on the topics of reincarnation and the afterlife.

I had found Susan’s name by researching past-life regressionists in the Chicago area, where I live. She had studied with Yale trained psychiatrist Brian Weiss, MD and she had wonderful reviews by clients who had worked with her.

So on Saturday, September 26, 2016, I made a leap of faith and met with Susan. I was excited but also nervous, not really knowing what would happen. I was treating it like a new adventure.

At the start of my appointment introductions were made, which helped me understand what I could expect. Susan was professional, helpful and made the process seem like a very natural thing to do.

Overall, it was a very pleasant experience, though intense emotions did come out during the session. In fact, I just couldn’t believe how deeply I was in tears during the whole thing.

During the regression, I experienced very clear and vivid past life memories. I’ve read that many people have this same type of experience during hypnotic regressions, but it is quite different when it actually happens to you.

Past Life Memories of a Life in England

As is normal for the regression process, Susan asked me to relax completely as she guided me into a meditative or trance state. It was quite easy.

In the session, a past life memory opened. I saw myself crossing a bridge. Immediately, I could see that I was close to a large estate-like home on a huge piece of country property. It reminded me of an old mansion. The entire area was thickly wooded. The home had many windows and a large porch that ran the length of the home. It had a U-shaped driveway that brought visitors up to the house.

When Susan asked when I thought this memory was from, I said that it felt like the 1600’s, perhaps the early 1700’s. Based on the home and the way people were dressed, it reminded me of movies I had seen of English royalty.

In this memory, I could clearly hear the sounds of the hooves of horses and the wheels of a carriage traveling over a gravel or brick paved road. Susan asked me where I believed to be and I said confidently,“England.” She then asked me to be more specific. I said “North or West Yorkshire.” Please understand that though I may have looked at a map of England twice in my life, nothing of English life had ever interested me.

A Past Life British Military Uniform

Susan then asked me to identify any traits of my body that I was able to recall. I said that I was wearing clothing like the British Red Coats wore in the era of the American Revolution. But the odd thing is that I had no weapon-no gun or sword. It dawned on me that perhaps I was a boy playing soldier in the fields.

In this scene, I was with a young male friend of mine. We were standing near a body of water, like a pond or a river that a bridge crossed over. In this particular memory we also seemed to be really enjoying ourselves, joking and laughing, as we observed how women were dressed as they emerged from horse-drawn carriages with their men.

Moving forward in the past life regression, Susan asked me the next thing that I remembered. I recalled being a sick or wounded boy who spent time in a hospital. I remembered the clothing that I was wearing. The clothing was loose-fitting and felt like cotton pajamas. I remembered socializing with other children, as well as the nurses and caretakers.

Note: Later on, I learned that when John Harrison was young, he fell ill with smallpox and was hospitalized. He was given a watch to amuse himself in his sickbed. Historians have written that it was this watch that led Harrison to a career building clocks.

Past Life Memories of a Family and a Clock Shop

Susan then asked me to move forward again in time. I now felt that I was a young adult and that I was married and had a child. I saw a young boy and my wife and I watched as he played and ran around. I felt that I was in my early 20’s and that I was a working man. I felt as if I was just “a commoner.”

I progressed forward in time again. I saw myself in a clock shop somewhere in a small town. I felt like I was perhaps in my late 30’s or early 40’s. The shop was on a main street of some sort, with buildings no more than 1 to 2 stories in height. I saw many clocks in the shop, all ticking at the same time. I had a large table that was about chest high and there were pencils and drawings spread all over this workbench, along with clock parts. I felt like I was obsessed with the business of making and fixing clocks.

Please understand that at the time of my regression, these presumed past life memories made no sense to me, as I’ve never been interested in clockwork. However, growing up, my father in Chicago had a grandfather clock that sat in our dining room. He had won the clock as a sales award years before and I was always comforted by the chimes it made. I used to watch my father fix and tune it, but I was afraid to touch it as it always looked so fragile to me. My father’s parents also had a very large grandfather clock, which I loved to listen to when we visited their home.

A Past Life Book of Inventions and the Loss of a Family

In my regression experience as a clockmaker, I felt I was keeping a very important book containing a collection of my inventions and ideas. I could see pencil drawings everywhere. The binding of this book was strangely covered with black and white spots, like the skin of a cow. This book was very important to me and I thought it was made up of hundreds of pages.

At this point, Susan asked me where my wife and son were in relation to my past life. I was instantly and terribly saddened as I thought that I had lost contact with them, perhaps through a divorce. I couldn’t in my mind locate what happened to them. I had thoughts that perhaps they had moved to the west of England or that they had emigrated to America. I remember feeling very upset that I had lost contact with my son and wondered where he had gone.

Note: I would find out later that early in his life, John Harrison had lost both his first wife Elizabeth-Scott and his son John.

A Second Past Life Son

We moved forward again. In this past life memory, I saw myself as a much older man living in a larger city, like London. I specifically remembered a two-story apartment where my shop was. I lived on the second floor above my clock shop. There was a closet under the stairs where I kept many of my most prized clocks. I can remember the layout of the building and the windows in the front.

At this point, I remembered walking to and from the town post office, as I was worried about my son and I was hoping to get a letter from him. I remembered that his name was William. I would check to see if he had corresponded or if anyone had heard from him. Somehow, I wasn’t able to reach him and was always hoping that he would write me so that I knew he was alright.

I also remembered that when walking through town, that people would always ask me “for the time,” as I was known to be a clockmaker. I was always adjusting and keeping time with a pocket watch of some sort that was very important to me.

A Cherished Past Life Collaborator

I also remember working with someone down the street who was a metallurgist or a blacksmith. I believed that this person helped me professionally. I remembered that he had died early and that I had missed him, feeling that I owed him for part of my success. I’m not sure where he lived, but I felt that this person lived close by, within walking distance to where my shop was located.

Note: From my research, I learned that John Harrison was continually assisted by George Graham, pictured to the right. Graham was a watchmaker and instrument maker, who may have been the person I recalled in my regression who assisted me in my business. Enlarge the image to better see instruments in the background.

A Vision from the Spirit World: A Past Life Son Carries Out Sea Trials for John Harrison’s H3 Chronometer

Susan then asked me to move forward to the “end of this life.” I saw myself waking in the middle of the night due to chest pain and having a difficult time breathing. I remembered seeing shelves of smaller clocks in my room on this night and I felt that somehow, I knew that my time was up. A special clock on my nightstand was one of my most prized possessions and I remembered setting it for the last time on that night.

Susan then asked me to move forward past my death and asked me what I saw afterward. I recalled the book of drawings of my inventions, which I believe I gave away though my will. My son seemed to be in his older years – maybe his 40’s? I believe that he had his own family at this time. The vision that I had involved him reading my book of inventions by candlelight and it felt like that the location was somewhere overseas, perhaps America.

There was a very odd aspect to this memory as the room he was reading in was very small and made entirely of wood.

Note: William Harrison, John Harrison’s second son of his second marriage, carried forth the John Harrison “H3” sea clock in trials on ships of the Royal British Navy. As John Harrison was older and was prone to be seasickness, he sent his son, William, to supervise the trials. It may be that the small, wooden room in my vision was of William on an English ship.

The famous British sea-captain and explorer James Cook, pictured above, took one of Harrison’s chronometers on his second and third Pacific voyages with William Harrison onboard. When Cook returned to England in 1775, he reported that the Harrison chronometer was “our faithful guide through all the vicissitudes of climates.”

The Day I Learned about John Harrison for the First Time

Recall that my past life regression with Susan occurred on September 26, 2016. About 18 months later, on April 2, 2018, I started a new job. On the second day of that job, I was working from my home office. At around 8:30 in the morning of that day, I had opened my computer and logged onto the Internet and the Google home page. On that day, which was Tuesday April 3, 2018, Google featured a cartoon featuring a man named John Harrison, as he was born on April 3, 1693.

After having clicked on the drawing, it landed on a page with portraits of John Harrison. There were two paintings – one that was created earlier in his life in black and white, and then a second one that was in color. The second painting to me was so striking, in that I saw my own face in his. I stared in awe for some time.

On that day, I took a picture of myself to compare my face with that of John Harrison. The facial features were nearly identical, even though in the portrait of Harrison, he was 30 years older than the age I was when I took the photo of myself.

After researching the past life memories that I accessed in my session of September 26, 2016, I met with Susan again about 2 years later in December of 2018. I explained to Susan that the investigation of my past life memories had revealed possible historical validation of my past life experience. I felt that I had discovered evidence of a past life that was more important than just something personal. I asked her for guidance.

Susan suggested that I reach out Walter Semkiw, MD and to perhaps validate my past life memories in a session with trance medium Kevin Ryerson. She knew of Walter’s work and that he has worked with Kevin Ryerson over many years and that Kevin channels a spirit being named Ahtun Re, who has demonstrated the ability to made past life identifications with a high degree of accuracy,

My Session with Kevin Ryerson on October 16, 2019

Ahtun Re, the spirit being that Kevin channels, validated that I was John Harrison in a past lifetime. In addition, Ahtun Re confirmed that William Harrison, the son of John Harrison who carried out sea trials on the behalf of his father, is my son Matthew in this lifetime.

Of interest, my son Matthew and I created a website, H3mi. com (no longer active), which reflects the name of John Harrison’s chonometer, the H3, which William Harrison took on sea trials with the British Navy.

Ahtun Re also validated that my wife, Kimberly, was a wife of John Harrison. One very odd thing about the day that I first met my wife is that I knew she was very special. In fact, I went home and told my mother that I met the woman I would marry. I had no idea why I felt that way. It was a truly love at first sight!

Correspondences in the Lives of John Harrison and Chuck McMurray

I was a very curious kid, who had a lot of energy and a natural talent for taking things apart and learning how they worked. I had spent a good part of my young life building toys, making short films and playing with bikes and cars.

My father was a salesman, but he loved carpentry and making things. He spent a lot of time teaching me how to use tools at a young age, always reminding me that I should “use my hands and my head” later in life to make a living. That always stuck with me.

I was always very creative. I went to school for communications but ended up thriving in more technical roles selling and implementing data and technology. I’ve been known to my professional peers as “the idea guy.”

One of my most successful jobs was with a startup called Alteryx, which involves a geo-spatial data tool that is now widely used. John Harrison, with his invention of the chronometer, was also involved in geo-spatial science.

At the age of 11, I had made a bet with my father that if he purchased an electric model remote control car for me, which had to be assembled, I would be able to put it together without help. If I won this bet, my father would be responsible for the cost of this device. My father took up the bet and purchased the car kit.

All alone, in the basement of my Chicago home, I spent 2 weeks reading the instructions and putting together all the gears and parts. After a few trials, I was able to get the entire car together, which operated flawlessly. I remember my father’s face when he came outside to see me driving it around. He was awed.

At the age of 13, my father had again let me purchase a car, but this time it was a real car, even though I was not old enough to drive it. It was a 1975 Plymouth Valiant that did not operate, that I bought for 300 dollars. We brought the car home so that I could restore it.

My father was amazed as within weeks, though working with few tools or resources, I was able to get the car fixed and running. He attributed this to be a natural talent, so he supported me in this interest. Within just a few years, I had bought, restored and sold about 20 cars. I took a keen interest in racing them, which also seemed natural to me. I was able to understand the engines and how they worked, with no training.

In this way, I believe I was self-taught like John Harrison was. I always loved the way engines worked and I rejoiced in the fact that I could make them perform better, much like John Harrison did with clocks and his invention of the marine chronometer.

Evidence and Principles of Reincarnation-Understanding Past Lives

by: Walter Semkiw, MD

Physical Resemblance in Reincarnation Cases: There is a striking similarity in the facial features of John Harrison and Chuck McMurray. Click on the image to enlarge it.

Past Life Passions, Talent and Abilities: John Harrison and Chuck have demonstrated natural talent and genius in mechanical engineering.

Relationships Renewed through Reincarnation: In his contemporary incarnation as Chuck McMurray, John Harrison has been reunited with a past life wife and son. Chuck related that when he first met his future wife Kimberly, he knew immediately that they would be wed. This is how past life relationships are renewed through reincarnation, through destiny, intuitions and emotional remembrance.

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.”

Reincarnation Cases of George S. Patton | US General James Mattis and Teacher James McColl: Karma and Split Incarnation

George S. Patton | James Mattis Reincarnation Case Proposed by: Walter Semkiw, MD

George S. Patton | James McColl Reincarnation Case Proposed by James McColl, Derived through: Past Life Memories in Childhood and Adulthood

Cases Affirmed By: Spirit Being Ahtun Re in Kevin Ryerson Sessions

From: The Past Lives and Reincarnation of General George S. Patton Jr., by James McColl

Note: Click on Images to Enlarge Them

Preface to James McColl’s Book on His Past Life as George S. Patton, by Walter Semkiw, MD

James McColl contacted me a few years ago and shared that he has memories of being United States World War II General George S. Patton.

As reincarnation research has revealed that people can have very similar facial features from one lifetime to another, I asked James to send images of himself to me. I found that as an adult, James is rotund and has a jolly face, quite opposite to the visage of Patton. On the other hand, in a photo taken when James was a child and one when James was in high school and dressed in his ROTC (military cadet) uniform, he looks very much like a young George Patton.

I also asked James what he did for a living, as people generally pursue similar careers from one lifetime to another. He explained that he is a special education teacher. In this capacity, he instructs individuals with various disabilities. This seemed opposite to the type of work that a reincarnated Patton would do.

The Reincarnation Research of Ian Stevenson, MD at the University of Virginia

A primary mission of mine is to disseminate evidence of reincarnation and in particular, the work of Ian Stevenson, MD, as this research can help create a more peaceful world.

Stevenson was an academic psychiatrist at the University of Virginia who, over a period of 40 years, studied young children who had spontaneous past life memories that could be objectively validated. In the series of 2500 children that Ian Stevenson researched, in approximately 1500 of these cases, past life memories were objectively validated. Stevenson’s cases do show that facial features and behavioral traits can remain consistent from one lifetime to another.

In addition, this research demonstrates that souls can change religion, nationality and ethnic affiliation from one lifetime to another. Most wars and conflicts are based on differences in these cultural markers of identity. Understanding that these factors can change from one incarnation to another will lead to a more peaceful world. A powerful example of change in religion and nationality involves:

Reincarnation Case of Anne Frank | Barbro Karlen

Other change of nationality and religion cases can be reviewed at:

Reincarnation Cases with Change of Religion, Nationality and Ethnic Affliation

Ian Stevenson’s research is featured in my book, Born Again, and can be reviewed at:

Children’s Verified Past Life Memories at the University of Virginia

Ryerson-Semkiw Reincarnation Research

In addition to promoting the work of Ian Stevenson, I have worked with trance medium Kevin Ryerson, who has been featured in several of Shirley MacLaine’s books. Kevin channels a spirit being named Ahtun Re who has demonstrated to me that he has the ability to make past life identifications with a high degree of accuracy. I have worked with Kevin and Ahtun Re since 2001 and our findings are found in my books Born Again and Origin of the Soul and the Purpose of Reincarnation.

After James McColl contacted me with his story, I asked Ahtun Re if James is indeed an incarnation of George Patton. Ahtun Re told me that he is, and he encouraged me to work with James.

The Past Life Karma of General George S. Patton

I then asked Ahtun Re if James McColl’s vocation as a special education teacher is related to the famous scene in the movie, Patton, in which George Patton slaps a soldier in a medical tent who was having some sort of mental or emotional breakdown related to the horrors of war. Patton had no sympathy for this soldier, calling him a coward. Ahtun Re confirmed that James became a special education teacher to atone for the karma incurred by Patton in striking and humiliating the mentally disabled soldier.

Split Incarnation in the Patton Reincarnation Cases of James Mattis and James McColl

Reincarnation research, including the work of Ian Stevenson, MD, demonstrates that souls can animate or inhabit more than one human body at a time. I call this phenomenon “split incarnation,” while Stevenson called these “cases with anomalous dates,” as lifetimes overlapped in time.

Knowing this, I also asked Ahtun Re if there was a split of Patton who was pursuing a military career. Ahtun Re told me that this was true and shared that this split was a prominent officer in the US military, though he did not tell me specifically who this person was.

About three years later, President Donald Trump appointed Marine General James Mattis as US Secretary of Defense. When I first saw Mattis on television, I immediately had the intuition that Mattis is the other incarnation of George S. Patton, which Ahtun Re later affirmed. The physical remembrance between Patton and Mattis is striking. View the:

Reincarnation Case of George S. Patton | James Mattis

The Past Life Memories of General George S. Patton and James McColl

One of the most common questions that I am asked is: “Why don’t more people remember past lives?” I, in turn, posed this question to Ahtun Re. His answer was that past life memories can be considered as a type of psychic gift.

George Patton had this aptitude. In his well-known poem, Through a Glass, Darkly, Patton describes multiple past lives as a soldier, warrior and killer. Does this mean that the soul of Patton will continue to reincarnate as a soldier? The answer is not necessarily. Leadership can be used for both destructive and constructive purposes.

James McColl has the same psychic gift of recalling past incarnations and in fact, the scope of his past life recall is amazing. In this lifetime, James has been a positive influence on many. Hopefully, in the future, due to lifetimes like that of James, the soul of Patton will look back and reflect through a glass, brightly.

Excerpts from The Past Lives and Reincarnation of General George S. Patton Jr., by James McColl

My earliest memories extend back to a time before my birth. As a preschooler, I could vividly recall these memories of my existence in the spiritual realm, between earthly incarnations, but over the years, they have gradually faded, and now only fragments remain. However, there is one specific pre-birth memory, which I’m able to recall in great detail. This is the memory of choosing my parents.

I recall travelling in the company of another being to observe several families from whom I was to make my selection. The only time I ever saw my paternal grandfather, James E. McColl, was on this occasion. He died shortly afterwards of a heart attack on December 14, 1968, while a patient in the hospital in Marion, South Carolina. I was not born until August 1969.

As a child, I was able to recall details of my life between lives and the preparations for my return to this world. I remember not being in any hurry to return, but knowing I needed to eventually. I also recalled visions of battlefields, destruction and smoldering ruins, and the accompanying feeling of wishing not to return to such scenes.

However, as a child I did not understand this particular memory or its significance. At some point, I became aware of the need for an individual to return to the physical world to perform a mission, which excited me enough to volunteer to go. As a child, although I tried, I never could recall what the mission was for which I had volunteered.

The Christian Upbringing of James McColl Conflicts with His Past Life Memories

I was born in Laurinburg, North Carolina and raised in a Southern Baptist home, so from an early age I was taught that death resulted in either Heaven or Hell with no mention ever of the possibility of returning to life on Earth. It was not until about my fourth-grade year in school that I was exposed to the concept of reincarnation.

My sister mentioned it at supper one evening as a subject she had studied at school in either her geography or world history class. Over the course of the dinner conversation, it was dismissed as a non-Christian belief held largely by the population of India. Long before this conversation, I was aware that I had lived before, but I believed I had only been sent back into this world to perform a mission. I believed my return was an exception and not the rule.

For this reason, I assumed I should never mention what I remembered of the time before my birth. As a child I would occasionally think about the fact that I had made it to Heaven once before, and sometimes wonder if I possibly ran the risk of being condemned to Hell upon my death for any of my actions in my present lifetime. These thoughts contributed to my strong desire to know what happens to a person, at death.

Although I was born in a Southern Baptist home, it was through a combination of my own pre-birth memories, and my mother’s influence, that I came to have a broader view of spiritual matters. Every morning at breakfast, my mother would read aloud the daily horoscope from the newspaper, and my father would often respond by saying that there was no validity to astrology. I still remember how fascinated I was when about the time I was in second grade my mother read to me an article from the newspaper concerning Dr. Raymond Moody and his pioneering research concerning the near-death experience. It was about this same time she told me an elderly man named Percy Covington (1882-1961), from her hometown of Mt. Gilead, North Carolina had used a Ouija board to receive messages from the spirit world.

Among the metaphysical experiences that I had during childhood, one in particular made a lasting impression, because of the unique way in which it occurred. Although I didn’t understand its significance at the time, as an adult I discovered that what I saw that day was a scene from my past life as Lovick William Rochelle Blair, (1821-1882), which was preserved in a photograph. Upon his death, Blair reincarnated as George S. Patton Jr. (1885-1945). The following is my account of the experience.

A Child’s Vision of Past Life Memories

One summer day in 1972, when I was about three years old, I had been playing outside in the swing; being a warm sunny day, after a while I felt hot and thirsty. I went inside the house and asked my mother for something to drink. She fixed a bottle of Tang, and I carried it into the den, lay down on the cool linoleum floor, and began drinking it.

As I lay there I gazed up at the walls, and ceiling; and as I relaxed, I observed the details of the horseshoe designs on the light fixture, and the patterns in the grain of the knotty pine paneling. In the background I could hear the antique Ansonia shelf clock; which rested on the mantle, tick tock away the minutes. My focus then shifted to the pictures on the walls. First, my eyes rested upon the large picture, which hung above the back of the sofa; a depiction of a Swiss mountain range. Then I shifted my eyes to the picture on the wall to my left, an Otto Kuhler print Big Mountains, Little Engines. I gazed at it awhile, absorbing its colors and details.

A Painting of a Train Comes to Life

All of a sudden; as I was looking at it, the image came to life, the wheels on the engines began to turn round, and the train began moving down the track; smoke puffing out of its smokestack. The space behind the glass of the picture frame began to fill with the smoke; like a thick fog rolling in, eventually concealing my view of the train. Even at such a young age, I knew I was seeing something out of the ordinary, so with intense interest and curiosity, I continued to watch without moving, or blinking an eye. Then; like fog, it gradually lifted, but what was revealed was no longer a scene of a train passing through the mountains.

The image had transformed into a period room furnished in what, years later, I would recognize as the American Empire style. At first, the room was devoid of people. Then a group, dressed in mid-nineteenth century apparel entered the scene. They gathered around a center table, which stood before a large mahogany secretary bookcase. When everyone was in their place, all movement ceased, and the image froze as if it was a photograph.

I wanted someone else to witness this phenomenon besides myself, so I called for my mother to come see it. I had a feeling these people were my ancestors, and hoped she could identify them for me too. She was in the kitchen, and answered that she was in the middle of doing something, and couldn’t stop at that moment.

Thinking my sister might be in her bedroom, I asked my mother: “Where is Trudy?” She answered saying Trudy had gone to play at the home of her friend Phillip Tucker.

Curious, to see what might happen next, and not wanting to miss anything, I continued to lie there with my attention focused on the picture. Within a few minutes, what appeared like fog, or white smoke, began to form and swirl behind the glass of the frame, until I could no longer see the people assembled around the table. As it swirled, colors began to emerge. When the blurry swirl of colors solidified, I was once again looking at a picture of a train passing through the mountains.

Within seconds, my mother walked into the den and asked, “What do you want me to see?” I tried to describe what happened, but with my limited vocabulary, it was difficult. The best I could do was tell her the picture had changed from a train to a picture of some people dressed in the manner of the characters on the television programs Bonanza and Gunsmoke; the only frame of reference to the Victorian era that I was familiar with at the time.

The image, which had been revealed to me, didn’t seem significant at the time. What impressed me was seeing the picture come to life, and transforming from one scene to another. Briefly, I wondered if all pictures could come alive and transform from one scene to another, when nobody was looking, similar to the way the toys in the movie Toy Story are depicted. Finally, I decided that this phenomenon was unique to the Otto Kuhler print. I believed that it was a magic picture. Over the next few years, I would occasionally sit and watch it for a couple of minutes at a time, hoping that I might see it transform itself again, but it never did.

Throughout childhood, I experienced a phenomenon that for the lack of a better term, I thought of as watching television in my mind, but today I know it is called spontaneous past life recall. During that same time in my childhood, I was having dreams in which I now realize I reexperienced events from multiple past lifetimes. By the time I was a college student, I had begun to read books on near death experience and would occasionally discuss what I had read with my father.

A Longing to Find a Past Life Family

It was during one of our conversations that he suggested that I might enjoy reading about Edgar Cayce. This is how I came to have a better understanding of my childhood experiences, and it, along with the book, Across Time and Death, by Jenny Cockell, reawakened in me the desire to discover my identity in a past life. In the summer of 2002, remembering a promise I had made to myself as a child, that as an adult I would someday find my past life family and let them know that I was alive, I set out to discover my past life identity.

By the end of the summer, I had not had any luck and was beginning to think I never would. Finally, in October, I had an unexpected breakthrough and discovered my identity in a past life. Another few years passed by and one day while browsing in a bookstore I happened to come across a book by the title of How to Uncover Your Past Lives. This book inspired me to continue my search for my identity in additional past life incarnations, ultimately resulting in my discovery of my past life as General George S. Patton Jr.

Childhood Past Life Memories of Being George S. Patton

George S. Patton speaking in Los Angeles

As I began to research the life of General Patton, the first thing I happened to recognize was the film clip of the speech he made in Los Angeles on June 9, 1945. I experienced this exact scene in a vision I had in childhood, as I sat at the dining table one evening waiting for my mother to finish preparing the meal and call the rest of the family to the table for dinner. However, as a child, I did not have any idea as to what it was that I was experiencing/remembering/reliving.

From the vision I remember being introduced by a man that I am now able to identify as General Jimmy Doolittle, and then standing, approaching the microphones and looking out at the large crowd as I spoke. Listening to the speech on YouTube, I believe that General Patton’s voice and my own voice are similar; the difference, perhaps, being the accent, due to Patton being a native of California and the fact I have always lived in the Carolinas.

Past Life Memories of a Ship Attack and Being Splattered with Yellow Paint

As a young adult, I had a dream, which I have discovered, was an experience from General Patton’s life. The dream occurred sometime in the mid to late 1990’s. At that time, I was in my twenties. As the dream began, I was in a small boat or landing craft on a rough and choppy sea. The little boat is being tossed about, and I felt like at any moment I could easily be tossed out of the craft and into the sea. A battle is underway and there are numerous little crafts and large ships. The waters seem almost crowded with them.

George Patton on the left, wearing a helmet, with Admiral Hewitt on the USS Augusta

The little boat I’m on pulls up next to a large ship, and despite the conditions, I’m able to make my way up rope netting on to the ship. A short time later, I’m standing on the deck of the ship, along with a few other men. We were standing next to the rail looking towards the coast, watching the battle. I recall having binoculars, through which I would occasionally observe the action.

As we stood there, we were surprised when a large ship that was moored in the harbor fired a shell directly at us. We had thought that the ship was unable to engage in the battle and thus not a threat. We heard it fire and saw the smoke coming from the mouth of one of its large guns. This was the most frightening part of the dream. I still recall thinking that I was about to be killed when the shell reached its target. There was enough time to think I’m going to die, but not enough time to actually move from where I was standing, between the time the shell was fired and the moment it made impact.

The shell hit the side of the ship, directly below the spot where I was standing. When it did, I was splashed with seawater and what appeared to be bright yellow paint. Thinking that it was going to be my last moment alive, I was surprised and relieved to have been only splattered. A young man approached and offered to help me clean and dry the paint and water off my clothes, but I politely declined and laughed off the mess. Then I proceeded back to my cabin to clean myself up. It is at this point the dream ended and I woke up. I still remember feeling rattled the entire day after awakening from this particular dream. I felt as if I had actually had a close brush with death.

Afterwards, I replayed the dream over and over in my mind, trying to determine why I would have had such a dream. It was such a realistic and detailed dream, except for when the shell exploded and rather than being killed, I was splattered with yellow paint, which seemed to me like something that would occur in a Looney Tunes cartoon.

The only possible answer I found was an experience I had in Navy ROTC when a student in the 9th Grade. I had once gone on a field trip to Patriots Point in Charleston, South Carolina, which is a naval and maritime museum that features two actual World War II era ships; the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown and the destroyer USS Laffey. The ship upon which I was standing in my dream when I thought I was about to die reminded me of the USS Laffey.

As I was researching General Patton, I was surprised to discover that this was an actual experience from his life. It occurred on November 8, 1942 as General Patton’s troops were making an amphibious assault on Northern Africa. General Patton was standing on the deck of the USS Augusta when the French ship, Jean Bart, fired upon it, resulting in Patton being splattered with yellow paint. France at that point in time was not part of Western Alliance

Past Life Memories of Slapping Soldiers

General Patton’s career was almost brought to an end by two slapping incidents that occurred in August 1943 during the Sicily campaign. For the rest of his life General Patton was haunted by the dark shadow cast by these two incidents where he had lost control of his temper and slapped and verbally abused two soldiers, who were suffering from battle fatigue. It wasn’t until after I discovered my past life as George S. Patton Jr. that I realized I had actually witnessed one of the slapping incidents in a spontaneous past life recall vision I had during my childhood. I experienced the vision sometime between August 1973 and December 1975.

It occurred one day, while I was playing in the kitchen of my parent’s home when we lived in Garner, North Carolina. Instead, of viewing the scene through Patton’s eyes, I experienced it in the third person, as if I was watching television in my mind. Now as an adult, having since seen the slapping incident in the movie Patton, I can say it was portrayed very well, because it closely matched what I experienced in my vision.

At the time I experienced the vision I had no idea I was witnessing an experience from my past life. As a child, I thought I was seeing something that was actually occurring somewhere around the world at that very moment. I failed to realize that it had occurred thirty years earlier. It did not have in any way a historical feel to it.

My father watched the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite every evening and I thought what I had seen might appear on the news that day. As I remember watching the news as a young child, it seemed to me that Walter Cronkite was always talking about Vietnam and Watergate. The images I had seen in my vision were of soldiers, so they matched up in my mind with the scenes of Vietnam I saw on the news. I remember the vision scared me, because the man had been so angry yelling, slapping the soldier and pulling his pistol on the man and threatening to shoot him.

In hindsight, I guess I was allowed to experience it in the third person, since I was a young child and it had been such an intense and frightening scene. I still remember when the vision ended thinking that the man I had seen was extremely angry, and wondered why I had been shown that particular scene.

Past Life Relationships

One piece of observable evidence, useful in establishing past life identity, is the appearance of members of one’s soul group the people with whom an individual has shared a close association over multiple lifetimes.

Based on the consistency of facial architecture from one incarnation to another, I believe my mother is the reincarnation of Annie Wilson, who was the sister of General Patton’s mother. She was like a second mother to Georgie. Annie Wilson died on November 26, 1931 and my mother; Margret Frances Parsons was born December 27, 1937. Notice in particular how closely the shape of the ear carried over in addition to the other facial features, when Annie Wilson reincarnated as Margaret F. Parsons. Kevin Ryerson has confirmed that my mother is the reincarnation of Annie Wilson.

Past Life Talent as a Rifle Marksman

General Patton was known to be a great marksman. Growing up my mother always cautioned me concerning the danger of guns. As I approached the age of twelve, I wanted an air rifle. By then many of my good friends either had, or were getting one. My parents were slow to allow me to have one, thinking I might shoot my eye out, or the neighbor’s window. Finally, I was allowed to purchase one. I was excited when the day arrived.

My father took me to the local K Mart and I bought a Daisy BB and a pellet air rifle. What amazed me was I discovered that I was a better marksman than my friends who had been shooting longer than I had. It seemed to come natural to me. I remember it crossed my mind at the time that perhaps it was a skill I had developed in a past life, maybe as a pioneer in early America when the country was being settled. This was the first times I gave the idea of reincarnation any serious consideration.

A Past Life Dream of an Exploding Lamp in the Life of George Patton

General Pershing and George Patton inspecting troops in the Punitive Expedition in Mexico

One of the parallels between my present life and my past life as General Patton involves a pressurized gasoline lamp. When I was around five or six years old, I had a dream, which I now know was of my experience as Patton during the Punitive Mexican Expedition of 1916. In the dream, I enter a tent. It is dark, so I light a lamp and it explodes in my face and sets myself as well as the tent on fire. I then quickly exit the burning tent and put out the fire.

In my present life I collect antiques and have been doing so since I was in the eighth grade. As a student in high school and college, I enjoyed going to the Florence Flea Market and looking for antiques. On one such trip, I purchased an antique Coleman Quick-Lite gasoline lamp. Shortly afterwards my father and I learned that it could be sent to the Coleman Company and restored to work. We sent it off and it came back with the pump to pressurize it. My father asked me if I wanted the honor of pumping it up and lighting it. I declined and asked him to do it.

The dream did not enter my conscious mind at the time, but I had a fear of the lamp exploding in my face, which kept me from lighting it. Years later when I began to research my past life, I came across Patton’s description of the lamp exploding in his face. I recognized it as matching detail by detail my dream. However when I purchased the lamp and later could not bring myself to light it, I didn’t connect it with the dream. It wasn’t until I read General Patton’s description of the incident that I finally realized it was interconnected. Patton recorded the following details in a letter to his wife.

I came back from the movies and having some work to do I pumped up my lamp and lit it. It did not burn well so I started pumping again while it lit. There was too much gasoline in it so when I stopped pumping a lot of gasoline flew out of the hole instead of air and caught fire. As it came it hit me in the face and got in my hair. I ran outside and put myself out. Then came back and put out the lamp and tent. Then I reported to General Pershing that I was burned and went to the hospital.

James, as a Child, Asks for a Antique Car Resembling One Patton had used in his Mexican Campaign

I have always liked antique automobiles. When I was around three years old, my Grandmother McColl asked me what I wanted for Christmas. I replied a Beverly Hillbillies’ car, which at such a young age was my best description of an old timey car from the early years of the 20th century.

She understood what I wanted and gave me a battery powered Model T styled toy car. I have come to realize that the antique style toy automobile my grandmother gave me resembles the 1915 Dodge touring car in which Patton, on May 14, 1916, led the first motorized attack in the history of US warfare. The incident concluded with the killing of Julio Cárdenas and two of his guards. It also resulted in Patton receiving widespread media attention and earning the good favor of General Pershing.

The Fatal Automobile Accident of Patton Replicated in the Life of James McColl

General Patton’s fatal car accident of December 9, 1945 appears to possess a number of similarities to my own car accident of November 8, 1988. In both cases, the accidents occurred in an identical manner. A truck approaching from the opposite direction made a sudden and unexpected left turn, bringing it directly into the path of the car in which General Patton was a passenger.

Likewise, my accident was caused by a truck approaching from the opposite direction making a sudden and unexpected left turn, bringing it directly into the path of my car. Just as General Patton’s driver had done, I immediately stepped on the brakes, but still collided with the truck. In both cases, the right front fender of the truck struck the front of the car. The front end of General Patton’s 1938 Cadillac was demolished in his accident. Likewise, the front end of my 1968 Falcon was demolished too.

General Patton was not wearing a seatbelt since they were not a standard automotive safety feature until many years later. Patton was thrown forward, struck his head and broke his neck. I was wearing a lap belt without a shoulder strap and was thrown forward striking my head on the windshield, but the lap belt restrained me enough it prevented me from sustaining a serious injury. The impact broke my skin causing it to bleed where my head made contact with the windshield, just as General Patton bled from the head wound he received in his accident.

The impact of the collision pushed the fenders against both of the Falcon’s front doors, so that I was unable to open either of them. This caused me to have to cross over the front seat and exit the car through one of its back doors, similar to General Patton having to be removed from the Cadillac after his accident through one of its back doors. It is interesting to note that the color of the staff car in which General Patton had his fatal accident was army green and my 1968 Falcon was dark green with a white top. The two large white stars painted on Patton’s car correspond with the white color of the top of my car.

For the full story of the discovery and verification of my past life as General Patton, as well as six earlier past lives, please read my book, The Past Lives and Reincarnation of General George S. Patton Jr.

Principles of Reincarnation and Understanding Past Lives

By Walter Semkiw, MD

Physical Resemblance in Reincarnation Cases: James McColl, in his youth, looked very much like a young George Patton.

Past Life Talent: Patton and James McColl both have demonstrated the gift of remembering past lives.

Planning Lifetimes and Relationships Renewed through Reincarnation: James McColl has identified his mother as the reincarnation of Patton’s maternal aunt, Annie Wilson, was like a second mother to Patton.

Split Incarnation or Parallel Lives: James McColl and James Mattis derive from the same soul, a phenomenon I term “split incarnation” and which Ian Stevenson, MD called “cases with anomalous dates,” as lifetimes overlapped in time. James Mattis was born in 1950, while James McColl was born in 1969, so an overlap of 19 years exists.

Reincarnation Case of George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans) | Freda Chaney DD and Her Soul Mate, George Henry Lewes: Past Life Cases Solved with the Help of a Spirit Orb

Proposed by: Freda Chaney, DD

Affirmed in: Ryerson-Semkiw Reincarnation Research Session

From: Karma Road: Walking Through Time with George Eliot, by Freda Chaney, DD

Article by: Freda Chaney, DD

George Eliot and George Henry Lewes Reborn?

Am I a reincarnation of the nineteenth century novelist Mary Ann Evans, who is better known by her pen name, George Eliot? It was 2009 when I discovered this prolific author and I am still on a great adventure sorting through nearly one hundred similarities between us, which seem to point to that conclusion. I do not claim to have George Eliot’s writing talent, but there is no doubt of a writing gift that both of us realized at an early age and developed into our life’s work.

In 2018, Walter Semkiw, MD contacted me after reading my book, Karma Road: Walking Through Time with George Eliot. After a brief interview, he asked my permission to consult famed trance medium, Kevin Ryerson, on my behalf.

In Walter’s session, it was affirmed that I am a reincarnation of George Eliot, and in addition, my husband is a reincarnation of Eliot’s soulmate of 25 years, George Lewes. In fact, Norman has much in common with Lewes including philosophy, authorship and the support role he plays in my life.

In addition to the Ryerson reading, Walter asked me to provide a photograph of myself in the same pose as a photo of George Eliot. Side-by-side comparisons reveal obvious similarities. If the eyes are the window of the soul, one can see that my eyes have the same intense look as Eliot’s. George Eliot’s picture reveals a long nose, graceful neckline and dark hair. My features are much the same.

Even our clothing choices over time have been similar. Looking back at studio photographs taken of me in 1994, I am wearing a Victorian style blouse with a cameo pin at the neck.

Family photos from the 1980s reveal more of the same wardrobe preferences, including my pilgrim collar dress and blouse similar to the ones George Eliot wore. (See the George Eliot statue in Nuneaton Square, UK.)

The Revelation in the Library: An Spirit Orb with a Message

This intriguing story began in 2009 when I took a photograph of the library bookshelf in our bed and breakfast. Enlarging the photo, I found two female faces inside an orb.

Please click on the image in order to view the two women in the orb.

Note: As a point-of-reference, the woman on the right side of the orb appears to have a white object in her mouth. Freda, upon opening the book the orb hovered over, found a what looked like a replica of the women in the orb. Even head postures seemed similar.

The orb was perched atop a particular book with a red spine, George Eliot’s The Mill on the Floss (Heritage Club edition, 1963). Floss is the name of a river in England.

Replication of Book Cover Artwork Across Two Lifetimes

The book was unfamiliar to me. Because my husband and I love literature, Mill on the Floss was part of the collection of 15,000 titles that we I had purchased, though neither I or my husband had ever read The Mill on the Floss. Norman had set up the bookshelves when we moved into this house in 1998. This may be why I never noticed The Mill on the Floss before I took that photograph.

I rushed to tell my husband about the strange occurrence. He urged me to read the book—to learn what it might have to teach me. When I returned to the library to retrieve the book, I saw that the cover contained the image of a thatched cottage that was very similar to the cover of a book I had written. (House Blessings, 1997). Click on the book cover images to enlarge them.

Opening Eliot’s book, I found a painting of two females sitting side-by-side that closely resembled the “faces” in the orb. I consulted an orb expert, Dr. Klaus Heinemann, to learn more about orbs. The Mill on the Floss project I undertook with Dr. Heinemann led to my story being published in Orbs: Their Mission and Messages of Hope (Hay House, 2010).

A Scientific Analysis of Orbs Found in Photographs by NASA and Stanford Physicist Klaus Heinmann PhD

Note: An explanation of why some orbs caught in photographs are considered to be spirit beings can be reviewed at:

Spirit Being Orbs: The Research of Physicist Klaus Heinemann, PhD

George Eliot’s Autobiographical Character in The Mill on the Floss Reflects Freda Chaney’s Life

The back story of my life portrays a simple country upbringing with a desire for furthering my education much like that of the protagonist Maggie in The Mill on the Floss. My life also reflects Eliot’s own in the same way since Maggie is an autobiographical character of Eliot.

I began writing at the age of twelve and studied creative writing and English composition at Otterbein College (now Otterbein University). I earned a divinity degree from the American Institute of Holistic Theology (AIHT) and attended writing workshops at Kenyon College.

My first publication was poetry in a local newspaper and coincidentally, Eliot’s first publication was poetry in a newspaper. I am an avid reader. Among my favorite authors is Ralph Waldo Emerson. I dedicated a poem, The Gathering at Emerson’s in his honor. George Eliot met Emerson when she was a young lady. They shared a carriage ride to Stratford, England along with their influential friends, the Brays.

She told her friend, Sara Hennell, that Emerson was “…the first man I have ever seen.” And of that meeting, Emerson said of Eliot, “That young lady has a calm, serious soul.” In years to come, Emerson checked out Eliot’s books from the Boston Library. Clearly, the two thinkers admired one another’s work. Eliot read and reread the works of Emerson. She was also familiar with Henry David Thoreau, another of my favorite authors.

Norman Chaney as the Reincarnation of George Henry Lewes

My husband, Norman, a university professor of fifty years, also holds Emerson and Thoreau in high esteem. Norman’s book, The Appointed Earth (Amazon, 2017), shares many reflections of the Concord Transcendentalists. Together, as proprietors of The Chaney Manor Bed & Breakfast, Norman and I relish our private time reading and writing together much as Eliot and Lewes had done in the nineteenth century.

George Eliot’s soulmate, George Henry Lewes, is known for his philosophical writings, primarily his book, The Biographical History of Philosophy (1852). Norman also wrote a philosophical book, Six Images of Human Nature (Prentice-Hall, 1990), involving biographical accounts of six great philosophers. Lewes and Norman did not use pen names, but Eliot and I did.

Freda Uses a Male Pen Name, as did Mary Ann Evans

Early in my writing career, I used the pen name of Noel Bleu. George Eliot’s name at birth was Mary Anne Evans, but she used several variations of that name before she chose her nom de plume, George Eliot. Eliot chose to use a male pen name as she felt women authors of the age were not taken seriously. Her only marriage was to John Walter Cross in 1880, taking the name Mary Ann Cross. Oddly enough, my first husband’s name was John Walter.

With mounting clues in the way of synchronicities and a burning desire to know the truth, I consulted with a reputable psychic, Dr. Doris Cohen, author of Repetitions: Past Lives, Life, and Rebirth, (Hay House, 2008) to see if I could learn more about my suspected connection with the Victorian writer. The search deepened after the psychic told me that I was the younger of the sisters in question. In fact, George Eliot was the younger of the two sisters born to Robert and Christiana Evans. Dr. Cohen shared some of her tips for overcoming past life trauma.

After Confirmation by a Psychic, Freda Travels to Her Past Life Home

The revelation that I could be a reincarnation of Eliot stirred me to make connections in England, which is where Eliot lived. I consulted with the George Eliot Fellowship to immerse myself in all things Eliot, and shortly thereafter, I traveled with my husband to England.

Staying at Eliot’s childhood home, the Griff House (now a Premier Inn and historical site featured in the image to the right), I was able to get a feel for the writer’s daily life at the homestead. I felt oddly at home from the outset. An interesting turn of events occurred when my husband became quite ill and had to be treated at the George Eliot Hospital, just moments from Griff House!

Karma Road: Walking Through Time with George Eliot

Soon after my trip to the Midlands of England, I began developing a book about the parallels between Eliot and me. The story was almost writing itself as I unfolded each of the similarities. I collected facts from Marghanita Laski’s biography, George Eliot (Thames and Hudson, 1973) and numerous other references I could get my hands on. Out of curiosity, I did a genealogy search. I learned that my maternal great-grandmother had married a man whose last name was the same as the novelist’s surname, Evans. Was this a connection?

Altogether, I found nearly one hundred parallels, recording seventy of them in my nonfiction book, Karma Road: Walking Through Time with George Eliot, (Amazon, 2015). The title sold well, brought speaking engagements, and was endorsed by The Science Behind Law of Attraction magazine as a “Must Read Book.”

Although my book was published, the synchronicities continued. The more I searched, the more baffled I became. One day as my husband and I were shopping in a second hand store, I saw a set of matching numbered volumes on a low shelf. I reached for one of the books and opened it to find Eliot’s poem The Choir Invisible. I bought the set, and upon arriving home, I began to search through the contents pages of each book. I learned that there was only one poem in the entire set of books that was written by George Eliot. What were the odds of me choosing the exact book from that store shelf, and opening to the exact page to find Eliot’s poem?

On another occasion, while traveling in Amherst, Massachusetts, my husband and I stopped to tour the Emily Dickinson homestead. I had always been intrigued by the recluse poet. The tour guide led us to Emily’s bedroom on the second floor. As soon as I entered the room, I saw a portrait of George Eliot on the wall! We watched a video that revealed Emily Dickinson was a fan of George Eliot. The Dickinson family library had contained some of her novels.

The continuing Eliot synchronicities involved other family members as well. My daughter, Vicki, presented me with a leather-bound collection of George Eliot’s books that she had found while on vacation. I saw that the embossed initials on the front cover appeared to be mine! The initials are GE, but in the Old English font initials laid one over another, they look like FC!

In 2015 I returned to England with my daughter to present my book, Karma Road, at the inaugural Writers in Warwickshire Festival at Astley Castle. We stayed at the Griff House. For me, it was like returning home. We were given a tour of the attic (now private quarters for the hotel manager’s family) where Eliot played during her childhood. This attic is mentioned as Maggie’s retreat in The Mill on the Floss.

More Gems from the Past Life Parallels List

Below are additional similarities between Eliot and me from the Appendix of Karma Road.

ART/MUSIC: Eliot loved the common, even in paintings. Her favorite were the Dutch painters. Similarly, my favorite painter is Johannes Vermeer. I am drawn to the common in Dutch country scenes. Eliot owned a mahogany grand piano. She played quite well, and enjoyed going to concerts and theater. Eliot was friends with composers Liszt and Wagner. My husband and I have owned a mahogany parlor grand piano since 1996. We attend concerts and theater together. Both Eliot and I have experienced music soul deep.

George Eliot’s grand piano at The Herbert Gallery and Museum

BIRTHDAYS: Eliot was born on November 22. I was born on November 3. I was named after my paternal Aunt Freda who was stillborn. Her headstone records that her birthdate is the same as George Eliot’s!

DIVINITY STUDIES: George Eliot studied divinity and translated religious texts. I studied divinity and earned my doctorate from AIHT. I have written articles for spiritual publications. Like Eliot, I have been challenged finding truth through strictly Christian means.

FAMILY: Eliot’s mother died when she was sixteen. My mother died when I was an infant. We were both deeply affected by our early losses. For lack of a mother, we were led to seek moral and emotional support from our fathers and brothers.

As adults, Eliot and I sought the companionship of men over the friendship of women. Eliot’s father, Robert Evans, doted on his youngest daughter. He managed all aspects of her education, socialization and religion. He feared she may not attract a husband because of her lack of beauty. When her father died in 1849, Eliot was a spinster of 29 years. My father controlled all aspects of my early years at home and attempted to control me emotionally after I married. As a result of our fathers’ overbearing ways, we had lifelong difficulty in our father-daughter relationships.

George Eliot’s brother, Isaac, was both a positive and negative influence in her life. During their childhood years, Eliot looked up to her brother. Being close in age, they spent much time adventuring together. Soon after George Eliot moved with her father to Coventry, she quit attending church. Isaac disapproved of how his sister was living. With his father’s influence, he devised a plan to bring his sister back to her senses. Isaac’s judgment and subsequent rejection would last decades and influence the entire family against Eliot.

In 1878, George Lewes, Eliot’s first husband passed away and Eliot married John Walter Cross in 1880.

George Eliot, a short time later, on Dec 22, 1880, received a long-awaited letter of reconciliation from Isaac. This challenging sibling relationship is Eliot’s focus in The Mill on the Floss. It touched me deeply because as a young girl, I spent much time adventuring with my younger brother on the family farm. When my brother joined the military, married, and started a family, our lives drifted apart. My father was often at the root of gossip that came between my brother and me. It is interesting to note that my brother and I were reunited when I nearly died from a fall in 2018.

HEALTH CHALLENGES: George Eliot died of kidney failure. I had painful kidney infections as a child. In addition, I have been warned to stop taking over-the-counter pain relievers that might damage my liver and kidneys. I now prefer natural alternative pain relief. It would seem that the orb introducing this parallel story of authors was trying to message me about the risk of kidney failure that ended Eliot’s life.

RESIDENCES: As an adult, Eliot and her soul mate lived in the towns of Worthing and Richmond in England. Among my past residences in Ohio are Worthington and a farming community on the outskirts of Richmond. The Griff house, Eliot’s early childhood home, circa 1800, was a two-story red brick house with attic. My current home of twenty years, built in 1823, is a two-story red brick house with attic. Both have a central front entry. The driveways to the Griff House and the Chaney Manor are long, both ending in a circular turn around where a single yew tree stands.

PARANORMAL: My introduction to orbs included viewing Orbs: The Veil is Lifting DVD (Merkabah Productions, Beyond Words, 2007), and reading The Orb Project (Beyond Words/Atria, 2007). I was surprised to learn that Eliot had written a novella titled The Lifted Veil about a paranormal event.

PERSONALITY: George Eliot was an overachiever in all that she did. From an early age, she was sensitive about what others thought of her. When she met George Lewes, she became grounded in a relationship that offered her the companionship she had always wanted. He calmed her when publishers or reporters gave her an unfavorable review. Lewes was soon managing publisher correspondences for her so that she could concentrate on writing. And write she did! She drove herself to produce fictional masterpieces for which she spent most of her time researching details. My personality is much the same, but unlike Eliot, I have total control of my own writing, editing, publishing and the correspondence that all of that entails. Norman is my ear and best critic. In this way, he mimics Lewes’ role in Eliot’s life.

POETRY: My poem Harmony published in House Blessings (1997) and in Oh God, Papa (2015), contain similar phrases to Eliot’s poem The Choir Invisible (1867). Before 2009, I had never read Eliot’s poem. The following lines from Eliot’s The Choir Invisible appear on her grave marker in Highgate Cemetery, London:

“Of those immortal dead who live again/In minds made better by their presence.”

Compare these lines to my poem, Harmony, provided at the end of this article, made up of prose regarding the soul.

Summary

The year 2019 marks the bicentennial celebration of George Eliot’s birth. Her novels come back to life, characters are heralded and nineteenth century plots are refreshed for screenplay and theater. For those of us who love Eliot’s books Middlemarch, Daniel Deronda, Silas Marner, and of course The Mill on the Floss, we renew our appreciation as though Eliot wrote these timeless books for us as individuals—to help us through the mire of everyday life. I certainly can attest to the fact that Eliot has played an integral role in opening my eyes to what is real, lasting, and worthy.

And yet we are born into each lifetime to learn, to become, to express to the best of our ability, to evolve where we are placed. Each lifetime has infinite value, and each must be honored as such. I realize the immensity of this charge in my current life. I am not holding onto Eliot’s life and preening feathers over seemingly obvious connections, but rather, feeling humbled that I have had the opportunity to learn from Eliot’s life so that I can move forward with my life as Freda.

My friend, Dr. Heinemann put it this way, “Never lose track of what is important here—and that is that many people learn through your life’s experiences, insights pertaining to their own lives. This will help them find their purpose, grow in consciousness…and this will be beneficial to all. That’s the greater picture.”

In the final paragraph of Chapter 20 of Karma Road, I wrote, “If Eliot is connected to my existence, and it seems she is, her soul is longing for evolution, and it is now my turn to shine—to prove that her life was a step up the ladder. My life is yet another step. George Eliot found the voice she needed in her lifetime. Now it was time for me to find my own. Sue Monk Kidd, best known for her 2001 novel, The Secret Life of Bees, said in her book, Firstlight (Penguin, 2007), “All personal theology should begin with the words: Let me tell you a story.” I have told you mine. My name is Freda.

Harmony, by Freda M. Chaney, from House Blessings (1997) and Oh God, Papa, (2015)

“The soul the foot is wearing does not diminish with the walk,

but springs on eager wings to become the hawk.

The soul selects a melody for two, though heard by only one,

bears the burden of truer sounds thrumming at the drum.

The natural ear cannot hear a truth as deep as this—

betrays itself with a single, silent hiss.

The soul the hand is wearing feels the moment to be thrust, yet lets it slip with certainty when it must.”

Principles of Reincarnation-Understanding Past Lives

By: Walter Semkiw, MD

Physical Resemblance in Reincarnation Cases: In the cases of George Eliot | Freda Chaney and George Henry Lewes | Norman Chaney, the shapes of the faces are similar. In reincarnation cases, bone structure or facial architecture seems to stay consistent, though cosmetic or soft tissue features can vary through lifetimes.

Past Life Talent: The writing talent of George Eliot and the philosphical genius of George Henry Lewes have been expressed in the lives of Freda and Norman Chaney. The transmission of talent and abilities are observed in many documented reincarnation cases. These include:

Reincarnation Case of Anne Frank | Barbro Karlen

Reincarnation Cases of Paul and Mette Gauguin | Peter Teekamp and Michelle Moshay

Reincarnation Case of General John B. Gordon | Fire Chief Jeff Keene

Reincarnations of Laurel and Hardy

Planning Lifetimes and Relationships Renewed through Reincarnation:

George Eliot and her soul mate, George Henry Lewes, have been reunited in contemporary times in the personas of Freda and Norman Chaney.

Spirit Beings in Reincarnation Cases: In solved reincarnation cases, spirit being telepathic messages are frequently observed. It seems that the individuals in the spirit world want humanity to understand the reality and mechanics of reincarnation. In this case, an orb, which may represent a spirit being or a visual projection created by a spirit being, led to the Freda discovering a past life of hers. Click on the orb image to enlarge it.

Visit: Freda Chaney’s Website

Photo of Freda (2018) by Warren Corder, “Warbec Photography”

Past Life Case of Jack London | Don Jacobs, PhD (Four Arrows) featuring Becky London, the Daughter of Jack London, Who Believes Don is the Reincarnation of Her Famous Father

How Derived: Don Jacobs, PhD, spontaneously played a melody on a piano that Jack London sang, a melody that was only known by Becky London, the surviving daughter of Jack London

Researcher: Don Jacobs, PhD

Article by: Don Jacobs, PhD and Walter Semkiw, MD

Don Jacobs as the Reincarnation of Jack London

Don contacted me and related that he had a proposed reincarnation case in which he was the writer, novelist and social activist, Jack London, in a past lifetime. Click on images to enlarge them.

Don wrote the narrative provided below regarding his story, which involves Becky London, the younger daughter of Jack London. His older daughter was named Joan.

Don also presents this narrative in a video provided below, which also includes a conversation between Don and Becky London, in which Becky expresses her belief that Don is the reincarnation of her father, that she sees her father’s eyes in Don’s eyes and in which Becky and Don express their love for one another. Don’s narrative follows:

Becky London meets Don Jacobs, Who Sees Her Father’s Eyes in those of Don Jacobs

“’I’d rather sing one wild song and burst my heart with it, than live a thousand years watching my digestion and being afraid of the wet.’―Jack London, The Turtles of Tasman(1916)

The above quote seems an appropriate opening for my introduction to the video interview of Becky London, Jack London’s daughter, which took place when she was 85 years old. It was my playing and singing a wild song penned by Jack himself that first connected me to her.

It was 1973. For work, I played old-time piano for sing-a-longs at the Shakey’s Pizza Parlor in Jack London Square. I was in-between songs when a distinguished looking man asked if I could play a song for a group of people in the meeting hall upstairs during my next break. He told me the people were members of The Jack London Buffs Association and they were having their annual meeting.

He handed me a mimeographed copy of poetry entitled, The Abalone Song, with the names Jack London, Ambroce Bierce, George Sterling, Mary Austin and Gellet Burgess under the title. He said some of the lyrics were first published in Jack’s book, The Valley of the Moon, where one of his fictional characters teaches others the importance of singing a sacred song about abalones.

This man said Jack and these co-lyricists actually sang the song in real life while pounding the white meat of the abalone picked off the rocks on the California coast.

I felt excited in reading the lyrics. I myself was an abalone diver, but the feeling stemmed from something else. I asked him if he had the music and chords for it. He responded that no one alive knows how the song goes. Just fake it with some chords and we’ll sing along somehow.

Don Jacobs Spontaneously and Unconsciously Plays the Melody of Jack London’s Abalone Song

I sat down at the piano and looked at the words on the paper. Immediately a melody came to mind and I began. As soon as I started singing the song, I felt a vague familiarity with it. Moreover, as the group of people sang along with me unabashedly, I felt a joyfulness beyond the wonderful feeling I always felt when people joined me in song. The lyrics are:

Jack London’s Abalone Song

Oh, some folks boast of quail on toast because they think its tony. But I’m content to pay my rent and live on abalone.

Some live on hope and some on dope and some on alimony. Just give me a tub of gin and a plate of abalone.

Oh, Mission Point’s a friendly place where every crab’s a crony. But true and kind you’ll always find the clinging abalone.

And on it went. After singing the four or five verses as printed on the paper I stood up and waved to everyone as I stepped off the stage. There was an applause as I began my exit through the seated audience and several people shook my hand and thanked me along the way.

Becky London Approaches Don Jacobs and He Recites a Poem Jack London Could Have Wrote

As I was almost past the last bench of people, a woman older than most of the crowd gently reached for my hand and stopped me. Upon seeing her angelic face and snow-white hair, I again felt something familiar flooding into my consciousness.

‘How did you know that song?!’ she asked softly but with a voice that was trembling-not from age, but rather from some obvious amazement that confounded her.

‘Oh, I didn’t really know it, ma’am. They just gave me a copy of the words and told me to fake the chords because no one knew the actual melody. Apparently Jack London used to sing it when he was pounding the abalone.’

I needed to go back to work but she would not let go of my hand. I remember feeling a desire to hold her close and comfort her, and so I stayed.

Then she spoke again, ‘Oh no, that was the melody for sure. I was 14 years old when Daddy died and I heard the song often when I was allowed to join him and his pals when they brought the abalone home and started pounded it.’

There was a gleam in her eye as she seemed to remember an obvious but rare joyfulness in her life. I stood there, a young man of 27, holding the hand of Becky London, 72, the surviving daughter of her famous father. Apparently she was the guest of honor. Then, oblivious to everything and everyone besides this lady, I reached for her other hand with my other hand and squatted down before her and for some unexplainable reason I asked:

‘Can I share a poem I wrote about 6 years ago when I was still in the Marine Corps,’

Becky replied in a whisper with childlike enthusiasm, ‘Oh I would love to hear it.’ I began:

That I may die upon the morrow,

The probability is high.

And though my love may weep in sorrow,

Still I know that I must try.

That I must try to dare it all

In spite of fear or danger-

That I must answer every call,

So life won’t be a stranger.

Oh is it courage that makes me challenge dying?

Or merely the belief that death is timed by fate?

Should I try and keep on trying?

Or merely sleep and eat and wait?

For many life is mere survival,

But I was blessed with strength and wealth

So I must search for the answers vital

For helping bring us back to health.

So let this poem be my epitaph.

I merely wondered and I tried.

I fought and loved

And laughed and cried,

But while living life I died!

Gently pulling her hands out of mine and placing them on her face she looked into my eyes and said:

‘That sounds like something Daddy would have written.’

Her words resonate all these years later and I find myself shuddering as I wrote them down.

Don Jacobs visits Becky London in Glen Ellen, California, where Jack London Built his Ranch. A 20 Year Relationship Ensues

I don’t remember if I asked her or she asked me for the visit, but the next day I drove from the marina where I was living on a my sailboat in Alameda, California, to see Becky in Glen Ellen. She lived in a room next to a book store owned by Russ Kingman, who was a well-known biographer of Jack London. Because Becky had not inherited any money from the estate of her father, Kingman had generously provided her with lodging.

I don’t recall what we talked about during my second meeting with Becky, but it began a close relationship that lasted for 20 years until she passed away in 1992. Becky spend many holidays with me and my family and I took her on her first sailboat ride and got her on her first horse. (I have photos for the book I plan to write about our story.) Becky London had a sparse relationship with her father, but it seemed that our relationship filled that past life void.

Our most important activity, the one she enjoyed the most, was when she was with me while I played the piano at various venues. Apparently many of the songs I played were favorites of Jack London, including Alabamy Bound, After You’ve Gone, Ace in the Hold, Won’t You Come Home Bill Baily, Shine on Harvest Moon and Ragtime Cowboy Joe.

I recall that I played and sang Daddy’s Little Girl with Becky at my side at a venue in Sonoma, California, where my wife Bea and I played regularly (Bea played the banjo).

During this performance, Becky cried. This song came out in 1906 when Becky was four years old, and she remembered her father and singing it to her.

Becky London’s Unhappy Life and Jack London’s Wish to become a Piano Man, if He Reincarnates

Becky was a mercurial, humorous rebel just like her father. Unfortunately, she had an unhappy life. Owing to a bitter divorce between Jack London and his wife, Jack was denied custody of his two daughters. As such, Becky rarely got to be with her father.

Becky’s mother later remarried and Becky told me squarely that she resented her mother and disliked her new husband, who had caused her mother to live an unhappy life as well. Becky related that she did not want to capitalize in any way on being a daughter of Jack London.

Becky told me that one of the few times (or perhaps the only time) she ever spent an evening alone with her father was one of the best days of her life. She was eight or nine, I think she told me. She said he took her out to eat and then to a vaudeville show at the Orpheum in Oakland, California.

Becky said Jack’s favorite act at the show was a fellow who played some ragtime and popular tunes of the day on a piano. While playing a particularly lively song, one she said I play often (I wish I could remember which one!), Jack leaned over and whispered in her ear that if he gets to ‘come back,’ after he leaves this world, he wants to be able to do ‘that’ and he pointed at the piano man.

Becky and I shared many experiences over many years prior to the video interview presented below. I hope it inspires an understanding of the great mysterious connections we have throughout our many lifetimes. Perhaps some day I will write a book about this and about how Jack London and I both share a strong American Indian past lifetime as well.

Notes by Walter Semkiw, MD regarding Don Jacobs as the Reincarnation of Jack London

This reincarnation case is compelling, based on Becky London’s recognition of Don as her father reborn, as well as how Don Jacobs unconsciously and spontaneously reproduced the melody of Jack London’s Abalone Song. Many reincarnation cases show that talent and artistic development can be replicated from one lifetime to another.

For example, in the reincarnation case of Paul Gauguin | Peter Teekamp, Peter, in childhood, unconsciously replicated sketches that Paul Gauguin produced. In the Anne Frank | Barbro Karlen case, Barbro was a childhood writing prodigy, much like Anne. To learn more, please go to:

Paul Gauguin | Peter Teekamp Past Life Case

Anne Frank | Barbro Karlen Reincarnation Case

Past Life Parallels Between Jack London and Don Jacobs

Jack London told his daughter, Becky, as they were enjoying a performance of an “Old Time” American piano player, that if he reincarnates, he would like to become a piano player. Don Jacobs started to play the piano at the age of 4 and went on to become a world champion of “Old Time” piano playing. Don Jacobs had never took a piano lesson in his life. The image to the right features Don performing.

View: Don Jacobs at 2016 Old Time Piano Championship

This Don Jacobs being able to play piano without any instruction indicates that souls can learn abilities in the spirit world, which they will express in physical life.

Further, the piano songs that Don mastered were the compositions of Jack London’s era. In fact, Becky London told Don that the piano pieces that he spontaneously played were the favorites of her father, Jack London.

Jack London was a socialist who promoted unionization of American workers. Don Jacobs relates that he was born into a strong labor union family. Don’s grandfather was first International Labor Union (ILO) representative under the administration of US President Harry Truman. Don’s grandfather was also the Vice-President of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). Don has also been a pro-labor activist.

This sort of association or correspondence can occur because people plan lifetimes to be reunited with loved ones from past incarnations. Though we don’t know who Don’s relatives were in the lifetime of Jack London, they were likely London’s associates, perhaps even people Jack sang the Abalone Song with. To learn more, please go to:

Planning Lifetimes and Relationships Renewed

Jack London became a pioneer of writing fiction that was successful financially. Many of his stories involved adventures in nature. London is considered one of the most successful novel writers of all time.

Don Jacobs has written over 20 books and hundreds of peer-reviewed journal articles. Don reflects that the topics of his articles are the same as the ones that Jack London had written about.

Jack London’s last book, Star Rover, is about past life memories. Don Jacobs became an expert in hypnosis and past life regression, and even taught a master’s degree program in hypnosis at the University of California, Berkeley.

Jack London succumbed to early death at the age of 40, in part due to tobacco smoking and alcohol abuse. Don Jacobs has been a health advocate and has had multiple books published on physical fitness and substance abuse.

Jack London was an accomplished sailor who honed his skills on the San Francisco Bay. He also sailed around the Channel Islands in Southern California, near Los Angeles.

When Don retired from the US Marines with the rank of Captain, he bought a sailboat that he lived on and he replicated the sailing journeys of London, before Don learned that Jack had also done these same water journeys. Other athletic endeavors that Jack and Don have shared include surfing and boxing.

Jack London was an expert horseman. Don Jacobs also became a champion horseman who was selected first alternative for the 1996 Olympic Equestrian Endurance Team. Of interest, the first biography of Jack London was written by Irving Stone and was entitled, Sailor on Horseback.

Another mutual passion that Jack London and Don Jacobs have shared is diving to harvest abalone on the California coast. Don, for 20 years, dived every Sunday to pluck abalone from underwater rocks.

Don has shared that Jack London was extremely critical of education and saw it as a creating “collective stupidity.” Apparently, in an effort to remedy this problem, Don has written many books on education and he serves as a Professor at Fielding Graduate University.

Jack London was admitted to the prestigious University of California, Berkeley, but had to drop out after one semester due to financial problems. Don shares that he taught for a time at UC, Berkeley and that at that time, he remembers “a vague feeling of a sort of redemption.”

Don also related that London admired Mexican people. Don has maintained a home in Mexico for 20 years and is a permanent resident of that country, though he lives in other parts of North America as well.

As described above, the way the reincarnation case of Jack London | Don Jacobs was derived when Don was asked to play a piano accompaniment for the London’s Abalone Song, so that Jack’s daughter, Becky London, and her friends could sing along. Don unconsciously replicated the melody for this song that Jack and his buddies sang. Over time, Becky became certain that Don is the reincarnation of her father and the end of her videotaped discussion with Don, provided below, her last words are: “I know it because I see him in your eyes.”

Don Jacobs is the Affirmed as the Reincarnation of Jack London and Don’s Affinity for American Indian Culture is Explained

Though Don Jacobs himself learned of his past life as Jack London though his relationship with Becky London, in such reincarnation cases I seek the assessment of a spirit guide named Ahtun Re, who is channeled through the world-famous trance medium Kevin Ryerson. I have worked with Kevin on a monthly basis since 2001 and have found that Ahtun Re has the ability to make past life matches with a high degree of accuracy.

In a session with Kevin that took place in 2019, I asked if Don Jacobs is the reincarnation of Jack London. Ahtun Re replied that this is true. Jack London, by the way died on November 22, 1916, while Don was born on June 13, 1946, about 30 years after London’s death.

Don has had an intense affinity for American Indian culture and even uses the formal name of “Don Jacobs (Four Arrows).” Ethnically, Don is Cherokee and Irish, so he does have Native American blood. Don explained that the Lakota tribe gave him the name “Four Arrows” after he had a vision that was past of ceremony. In this vision he saw four arrows shooting up from the middle of a lake, each going in a different direction. When the arrows landed, they turned each turned into a different animal, specifically a horse, wolf, cougar and fawn. The Lakota subsequently gave him the name Wahinkpe Topa, which means Four Arrows.

In my session with Kevin, I asked Ahtun Re if Don also had a Native American past life that could account for his extraordinary attachment to Native American culture.

Ahtun Re responded that Don, prior to his lifetime as Jack London, was an Indian Chief named Four Bears, of the Mandan North Dakota Tribe. He received this name as in a particular battle, his tribe observed that he fought with the strength of four bears. Four Bears died on July 30, 1837, while Jack London was January 12, 1876.

When I wrote to Don to inform him of this revelation, after researching Four Bears, Don related that he completely identifies with this Indian leader, in regards to intellect, physical attributes and temperament. Don wrote:

“I’ve been up for hours studying Four Bears. Even more than his facial features, his body type is identical to mine and I ‘felt’ deep connections when reading both his heroic and his tragic history. It is surely not a coincidence that during one of my four ‘tours of duty’ protesting pipeline construction at Standing Rock, I bunked with a Mandan Indian and learned of the horrible contemporary injustices done on and off the reservation there in North Dakota.

Four Bears many writings on the primal awareness of Indigenous People have a natural flow in my life.”

Note that in two lifetimes, Don has had Native American names involving animals and the number four. Psychically gifted people can unconsciously become aware of past lives, which can lead to repetition of patterns.

Principles of Reincarnation-Understanding Past Lives

Physical Resemblance: The are similarities in facial features between Don Jacobs, Jack London and Four Bears. In the image provided above and to the right, Don Jacobs is 72 years of age. Jack London died when he was 40 years old.

Past Life Talent and Behavior: The correspondences between Don, Jack and Four Bears are detailed above.

Same Family Reincarnation Cases of Sisters Who were Reborn as Twins: The Past Life Cases of Joanna Pollock | Gillian Pollock and Jacqueline Pollack | Jennifer Pollack

How Derived: Past Life Memories in Childhood

Researcher: Ian Stevenson, MD

From: Reincarnation and Biology, by Ian Stevenson, MD, pages 2041-2058

Article by: Walter Semkiw, MD

The Lives of Joanna and Jacqueline Pollock

John and Florence Pollock owned and managed a small grocery business and a milk delivery service in England. John Pollock was born in 1920 in Bristol, England and his family attended the Church of England. In adulthood, he, along with Florence, joined the Roman Catholic Church. They had two daughters who were tragically killed in childhood.

Their first daughter, Joanna, was born on March 25, 1946, while the family was still living in the city of Bristol. The family then moved to the town of Whickham where they had a large detached house that had gardens and orchards. When Joanna was 4 years old, the family moved to the village of Hexham, where their second daughter Jacqueline was born on April 13, 1951.

As both parents worked, the girls were raised by Florence’s mother, who lived with the family. While delivering milk, Florence would wear a particular smock to protect her cloths from getting wet.

Joanna and Jacqueline were very close to one another and always did things together. Joanne, who was 5 years older than Jacqueline, tended to “mother” her younger sister, who accepted Joanne’s guidance and leadership.

Jacqueline Incurs a Scar on Her Right Forehead

When Jacqueline was 3 years old, she fell and hit her forehead on the rim of a bucket, which resulted in a laceration that required 3 stitches. A scar resulted which was located on her right forehead near the root of her nose. This scar would become more pronounced in cold weather.

Joanna loved to write and produce little plays for which she would wear costumes to enact her dramas. Both Joanna and Jacqueline enjoyed combing the hair of others, especially the hair of their father. The girls also loved to play on the swings located in a park in Hexam.

The Sisters are Killed on a Sidewalk by a Deranged Driver

On the morning of the May 5, 1957, the girls were walking from their home to their church in Hexam in order to attend Sunday School. Suddenly, a woman deliberately drove her car onto the sidewalk that the girls were walking on. There was a wall along the sidewalk which prevented a means to escape away from the street. The car struck the sisters and killed them instantly. Joanna was 11 and Jacqueline was 6 years old when they died.

It was later learned that in a custody dispute with her husband, the driver who killed the girls had her own children forcibly taken from her. Apparently, this woman felt that if she could not possess her children, no one else should have any children. She was later confined to a psychiatric hospital.

After the deaths of her daughters, Florence quit delivering milk and her smock was stored away. Similarly, the girls’ toys and dolls were placed in a box for storage.

Sisters Reincarnate as Identical Twin Girls

Florence became pregnant again in the beginning of 1958. With the pregnancy, despite his Christian background, John was certain that Florence would have twins and that their deceased daughters would be reborn to them. Florence’s doctor insisted that she would have one child, not twins. Florence did not believe in reincarnation and dismissed her husband’s belief that Joanne and Jacqueline would reincarnate within their family.

Nonetheless, on October 4, 1958, a year and a half after their daughters were killed, Florence did indeed have identical twin girls, who were named Gilliam and Jennifer. They were born in Hexam. Both girls had a flat, dark mole on the left flank, just above the hip, which could be explained by their identical genetic makeup.

Past Life Birthmark: Jennifer has a Birthmark at the Same Site as Jacqueline’s Forehead Scar

Jennifer also had a birthmark on her right forehead at the root of her nose, the same spot where Jacqueline incurred a scar when her head struck the bucket. Gilliam did not have a scar on her head. As such, the birthmark on Jennifer’s forehead could not be explained by genetics. Like with Jacqueline, Jennifer’s scar became more visible in cold weather. Due to this birthmark on her head, it was speculated that Jennifer may be the reincarnation of Jacqueline.

When the twins were 9 months old, the family moved from Hexam to a town called Whitley Bay. This is where the twins grew up.

Gilliam Recognizes Jacqueline’s Past Life Birthmark

The girls started to speak coherently when they were three years old. At about this age, Gillian spontaneously pointed to the birthmark on Jennifer’s forehead and said:

“That is the mark Jennifer got when she fell on the bucket.” In her contemporary life, Jennifer had not had any injury that would explain the scar. Jacqueline, on the other hand, had fallen on a bucket and incurred a head wound that required stitches and resulted in a scar in the same anatomical place.

Gilliam and Jennifer Identify and Claim their Past Life Dolls

When the twins were 3 or 4 years old, John and Florence took out the box of toys that had belonged to their deceased daughters. The toys were taken out and were lying around. Spontaneously, Gillian claimed a doll that had belonged to Joanna and Jennifer claimed a doll that belonged to Jacqueline. The dolls were markedly different.

Further, the twins said that Santa Clause had given the dolls to them and indeed, the dolls had been given to Joanna and Jacqueline as Christmas presents.

This furthered the speculation that Gilliam was the reincarnation of the older deceased sister, Joanna, and that Jennifer was the reincarnation of the younger sister, Jennifer.

Gilliam Recognizes her Past Life Toy Laundry Wringer

Another item that was removed from the box was a toy, miniature laundry wringer. Before the advent of electrically driven clothes dryers, wringers were used to squeeze water from washed clothes. The toy wringer had belonged to the older sister, Joanna.

When Gillian saw the toy she immediately burst forward and claimed it as hers. She said: “Look! There is my toy wringer.” She added that this toy wringer was also was a Christmas present, which was true for the life of Joanna.

Past Life Memories: The Twins Remember the Swings at a Park In Hexam and their Fatal Past Life Accident

John Pollack stated that when the twins were 4 years old, they spoke about the swings in the park at Hexam. Recall that the family moved from Hexam to Whitely Bay when they were only 9 months old, so they would have no memory of swings at Hexam by normal means.

Florence said that she had heard Gillian and Jennifer more than once talking to each other about the fatal accident of Joanna and Jacqueline. Florence noted that when they spoke about the fatal accident, it seemed it they were speaking in present time. John noted that when they spoke about the fatal accident, it seemed as they were reliving it.

John reported another incident in which Gillian and Jennifer were in an enclosed or dead-end alley near their house, that had an automobile parked in it. When the driver of the car got in and started the engine to back out of the alley, Gillian and Jennifer immediately clung tightly to each other and cringed at one side of the alley. John observed that they seem terrified. The conjecture was that the incident reminded Joanna | Gilliam and Jacqueline | Jennifer of their fatal accident, in which they had no means of escape.

Past Life Behaviors

The twins seemed to mirror the behavior of the deceased sisters. For example, Gillian and Jennifer were extremely close, like Joanna and Jacqueline, and if one of them was given a disciplinary spank, the other one would cry.

The twins tended to look toward their maternal grandmother for guidance and care, just as Joanna and Jacqueline had done, which was inappropriate at the time since Florence was no longer working and had more time to spend with her young girls than she did with her deceased ones.

The twins enjoyed combing the hair of other people, especially their father’s, much like Joanna and Jacqueline. Gillian tended to mother Jennifer and Jennifer accepted Gillian’s leadership, much as was the relationship between Joanna and Jacqueline

Florence noted that her deceased daughters, Joanna and Jaqueline, were careless about crossing streets. In contrast, Gillian and Jennifer were very cautious in these situations. They would stop and hold their mother’s hands while crossing the road. Florence thought the twins had a much stronger fear of approaching vehicles than other children of their age.

Gillian also showed an early interest in acting and like to utilize costumes, much like Joanna.

Geographic Memory: The Twins know the Location of a Past Life Park and Swings

When the twins were 4 years old, the family took a trip from Whitely Bay to their former town of Hexam. As they were walking along the road which led to the park, even before the park was in sight, Gillian and Jennifer said that they wanted to go across the road to go to the park and play on the swings. John and Florence were surprised at this statement of the twins, as they could not have known about the park with swings as they had never been there before. The twins were 9 months old when the family moved from Hexan, so they had no opportunity to play in the park. It seemed that the twins were recalling events from the lives of the deceased girls.

Past Life Memories: Jennifer Recognizes the Smock Florence wore Prior to the Death of the Sisters

When the twins were 4 and a half years old, their father, John Pollock, was getting ready to do some painting of their house. John took out of storage the smock that Florence had used in their milk delivery business and put it on, to protect his clothes from being soiled with paint. Jennifer, the younger twin, seeing him with the smock on, said: “Why are you wearing mom’s coat?”

When Gillian, the older twin, did not seem to recognize the smock, Jennifer became annoyed with her sister. Gillian’s unrecognition of the smock can be explained as in Gilliam’s past life as Joanna, she would have been in school when her mother came home from work and took off the smock. As such, Joanna would rarely see her mother’s smock.

In contrast, Jacqueline, as the younger daughter, was still at home and was being cared for by her maternal grandmother when Florence came home from work wearing her smock.

When John heard Jennifer saying that the smock belonged to her mother, he asked her how she knew this. Jennifer said that her mother had worn the smock when delivering milk, which was true.

Past Life Memories: The Twins Recall Having Lunch at School in Hexam

When the twins were six years old, they complained about the food that Florence had prepared for them for lunch. Florence then retorted that if they did not like the food at home, they could have lunch at their school.

The twins replied: “Well, we have done that before.” When Florence asked where they had lunch at school, the twins replied in Hexam. Florence challenged them by saying that they had never gone to school in Hexam, as the twins had grown up in Whitley Bay. Still, the twins insisted that they had lunch at the school at Hexam, which would have been accurate for the deceased sisters.

In Adulthood, Gilliam Describes her Past Life Home in Whickham

In 1981, when Gillian was 23 years old, she described to her father, John, of an inner vision she had in which she described playing in a sandpit in the garden of the large detached house. She gave a detailed description of the house and its gardens, lawns and orchards. This description accurately described a house that the family had occupied in Whickham. Recall that the family had left this house in Whickham when the deceased daughter Joanne was 4 years old.

Gillian believed she had lived in this house when she was a young child, but her father tried to explain to her that she had never lived in the Whickham house in her current lifetime. Though logically, Gilliam should have understood this as a past life memory from her lifetime as Joanne, it was difficult for her to comprehend this.

The Pollocks leave the Roman Catholic Church due to Parishioners’ Hostility Towards Reincarnation

When the twin’s past life cases were featured in local newspapers and magazines in the 1960s, John and Florence Pollack received nasty letters from the parishioners of their church, who rejected the concept of reincarnation. As a result, John and Florence left the Roman Catholic Church.

Though Florence, at the time of the birth of her twins herself rejected the premise that John forwarded that their babies were the reincarnations of their deceased daughters, based on the statements the twins had made, she accepted that the twins were the reincarnations of Joanna and Jacqueline.

Principles of Reincarnation-Evidence of Past Lives

Relationships Renewed through Reincarnation: The sisters Joanna and Jacqueline reincarnated to their parents as identical twins Gillian and Jennifer Pollock.

Ian Stevenson, MD of the University of Virginia compiled 31 reincarnation cases involving twins. In 100 percent of these cases, the twins had significant past life relationships, dramatically showing that souls plan lifetimes to be reunited with those we love. To learn more, please go to:

Ian Stevenson, MD Reincarnation Twin Study

Past Life Birthmark: Jennifer had a birthmark on ther right forehead near the root of her nose which was located in the same anatomic spot where Jacqueline had a birthmark incurred when she fell onto a bucket. This birthmark of both Jennifer and Jacqueline became more pronounced in cold weather

Past Life Talents and Behaviors: Joanna and Gillian both enjoyed writing and producing plays, utilizing costumes for their childhood dramas. Joanna’s maternal behavior towards her younger sister Jacqueline was replicated in the relationship between Gillian and Jennifer.

Geographic Memory: Though the family moved from Hexam to Whitely Bay when the twins were only 9 months old, when the family returned to Hexam for a visit, the twins had knowledge of the location of the park and swings where they had played in their previous lives.

The Reincarnation Case of K.G.J. Weerasinghe | Indika Guneratne: How a Baby Elephant Helped Solve a Past Life Investigation

How Derived: Past Life Memories in Childhood

Researchers: Ian Stevenson, MD and Francis Story

From: Cases of the Reincarnation Type, Volume II, Ten Cases in Sri Lanka, by Ian Stevenson, MD

Article by: Walter Semkiw, MD

The Life and Death of K.G.J. Weerasinghe

Weerasinghe was born in 1888 in village of Wehelgoda, which is 2 miles east of Matara, a city located on the southern tip of the Sri Lankan coast. Matara, at the time, had a population of about 75,000 people and is located 200 kilometers or 125 miles from the capital city of Colombo.

Weerasinghe had only four or five years of schooling but was obvously very intelligent, as he built up a large and successful businesses as a lumber merchant and building contractor. After saving his money, he eventually became the wealthiest citizen of Matara, employing some of his family members. He also had servants, one of whom had the name Premadasa. Weerasinghe had a safe or money-box where he kept cash and valuables. He also owned a gun, which he used for hunting. His home was burglarized once, which is another reason Weerasinghe possessed a gun.

Weerasinghe’s Love of Elephants

Weerasinghe owned several houses and estates in the country, where he kept cattle and elephants. Elephants worked in hauling lumber. He also had elephants at his home compound in Matara, which was located near railroad tracks.

Weerasinghe had a great fondness for these giant beasts and he instructed that on weekends, the elephants were not to be put to work until he arrived in the morning to feed and play with them. The elephants, including a baby pachyderm, would squirt water at their owner, which delighted Weerasinghe,

Owning elephants in Sri Lanka can only be afforded by the very wealthy and this fact was instrumental in investigating this reincarnation case.

Generosity to Premadasa and Others

Weerasinghe, once he established his wealth, was generous and was able to give houses and whole estates to his employees, including his business manager and his servant Premadasa. He was also supportive to his nephew, his older brother’s son, and took in this nephew and his wife to live with him. The couple had a daughter named Padminie.

Weerasinghe’s “Benz”

Weerasinghe liked to live on a grand scale and he regularly would buy a bigger house and a larger, more luxurious automobile. He started out with a small Austin and in 1957, he put in the paperwork to purchase a prestigious Mercedes Benz vehicle, but he backed out at the last minute when the price suddenly rose. He also had Ford and Chevrolet trucks, which were used for his lumber business. Weerasinghe liked to boast about his accomplishments and possessions. He indeed had become what in Sri Lanka is known as a “mudalali,” which refers to an aggressive, action-oriented and successful businessman.

A redeeming quality was his kindness to Buddhist monks. He himself was a devout Buddhist who built several temples, rest houses for pilgrims and who donated estates to Buddhist temples. He made almost weekly trips to the holy site where the Hindu God Kataragama is worshipped by both Buddhists and Hindus. Each year thousands of pilgrims took the train to Matara to pray at the Kataragama temple. Weerasinghe also loved children and was generous to them.

Gambling, Drinking, Womanizing and Rage

Weerasinghe was an enthusiastic gambler and he could afford to wager large sums of money. He also widely participated in lotteries. Between 1958 to 1959 he won nearly 100,000 Rupees at cards, which was an enormous sum. He was so skilled at cards that professional gamblers refused to play with him.

He enjoyed alcohol and was a heavy drinker for many years, though after 1945, he reduced his consumption. Still, he drank alcohol every night with friends, consuming whiskey and arrack. In addition, he chased woman when it pleased him.

Weerasinghe had a temper, though his rages were short-lived. Still, many feared him. He threatened to beat his servants when they disappointed him, though he never did so. Once, he had an argument with someone who was gambling with him and Weerasinghe severely beat this man. In revenge, this individual threatened to shoot Weerasinghe, though friends dissuaded this course of action.

Marriage, Adoption and Demise

Weerasinghe married B.E. Abeynayake, but it turned out to be a difficult union. She objected to his gambling, drinking and womanizing, which resulted in frequent arguments. Due to their conflicts, Weerasinghe forbade her family members to enter their home.

In 1960, he decided to separate from his wife and he sent her away. Weerasinghe’s brother later helped the couple reconcile and she returned to the family’s home in Matara. The couple had no children, so Weerasinghe formally adopted Padminie as his daughter, thus assuring her financial security for the future.

Weerasinghe had diabetes and had to be hospitalized several times for this condition. In December 1960 he complained of pain in his toe and he had his servant, Premadasa, drive him to Colombo where he was admitted into the central hospital. There he developed urinary retention and deteriorated rapidly. He died on December 18, 1960 at the age of 72. Those present at his bedside when he passed included his older brother and Premadasa. Padminie, who was 11 years of age at the time, was not present when her adoptive father died.

He had a large funeral with four adult elephants in attendance, dressed in white, which was Weerasinghe’s favorite color, as well as the color of mourning in Sri Lanka.

Weerasinghe Reincarnates 18 Miles from his Place of Death

Indika Guneratne was born on July 26, 1962, less than two years after Weerasinghe died. His father, a farmer, was G.D. Guneratne and his mother’s name was S.D. Harriet. The family lived deep in a jungle that featured rubber plantations in an area called Korale Ima, which is 30 kilometers or 18 miles from Colombo. The family lived in a small house on a rubber plantation.

When Indika was a little over three years of age, he started to talk about a previous life and claimed that he had lived in Matara. In comparison to the modest circumstances of his parents, Indika said that he had been wealthy, had a much larger and more beautiful house than his current home and that he owned elephants.

He complained that the Guneratne home did not have electricity, in contrast to his past life home where he could turn on lights by moving something on the wall, presumably a switch. He noted these lights did not leak, in contrast to the kerosene lamps that the Guneratne family used. He also commented on the paucity of meat and the poor quality of the fish at their dinner table, as well as the shabbiness of his mother’s clothing.

Past Life “Benz,” Telephone, Bundles of Money, Railroad Tracks and a Servant Named Premadasa

In addition, Indika said that in his past life he owned a car and trucks. He specified that his car was a “Benz.” Indika, as a child, had an avid interest in automobiles and noted differences between his past life cars and those he inspected around their village.

He also said that he had a telephone at his past life home, an item not possessed by the Guneratne family. Indika even demonstrated how he used it by putting his hand near his mouth and saying “Hello,” which is a word commonly used in Sri Lanka when answering the phone. This, indeed, was the word that Weeasinghe had used when answering a phone call.

Indika told his parents that he had “bundles of money” and that if they took him to Marata, “then I can give you the money.” When something angered Indika, he would threaten to go to Matara. Indika also shared that he had a servant named Premadasa.

In referring to the location of his past life home, he related that it was near the railroad tracks in Matara. His parents were astonished that he used the words “railroad tracks” as at his young age, Indika had never seen a railroad train or tracks and his parents didn’t believe that anyone around him had ever used these words. He also related that there had been a burglary at his past life home.

Past Life Habits

Indica shared that he had taken alcohol in his previous life and that his past life wife had objected to this habit. His father asked how he would ask for a drink. To this question Indika replied, “arraku bagayuk,” which is a phrase used in Sri Lanka meaning “pour me a small drink of arrack.” It was noted that this was a very unusual phrase for a young child to know.

On Sundays he would say: “I must go to Colombo to buy saris for my wife and clothing for my children.” When his mother asked him if he knew how to buy saris he said that he knew. Later it was confirmed that Weerasinghe indeed would go to Colombo on Sundays to shop for saris his wife and clothing for other family members.

Indika Relives Elephant and Other Past Life Memories

Indika would describe with glee how in his past life he played with his elephants, including how his baby elephant would squirt water on him. It was as if Indika was reliving these moments and his father observed that: “Though his body appears to be here, his mind appears to be there,” meaning in his previous life at Matara.

There were also other times when Indika seemed to forget where he was and act as if he was actually in Matara. During these episodes, he would say:

“Where is my money-box?”

“Where is my gun?”

Indika said that he had a child in his previous life, apparently referring to his adopted daughter Padminie. When asked how old his child was, Indika stretched his hand as high as he could, indicating that she was that tall. Recall that Padminie was eleven years old when Weerasinghe died.

When Indika incurred an injury to his lip, he told his mother to inform “his wife.” When she asked how to find his wife, Indika replied he would go to Colombo and then to Matara. He noted that his car would be there. He would ask for his past life wife at other times when he did not feel well.

When asked by his parents how he came to live with them, Indika related that he had an argument with his wife and then came to his new home.

Ian Stevenson, MD Investigates this Reincarnation Case

Based on this information, Indika’s father make inquires of friends who had lived in Matara or who knew people in that city. He learned that there was an individual in Matara who fit the description that Indika gave and that this person’s family name was Weerasinghe. Indika’s family did nothing further to try to locate or contact the Weerasinghe family.

Indica stop talking about his previous life at the end of 1966, when he was about 4 ½ years old.

About two years later, in January 1968, Ian Stevenson, MD first learned about Indika’s past life memories when he received a letter regarding the case written by V. F. Guneratne, an apparent relative of Indika’s family. Stevenson traveled with his colleague, Francis Story, to meet Indika and his family in March 1968.

After meeting with the Guneratne family in Korale Ima and compiling the statements made by Indikka regarding his previous life, Stevenson, Francis Story, Indika and Indika’s father traveled the 100 miles or so from Korale Ima to Matara to further research the case. Though an acquaintance of Indika’s father indicated that a Matara businessman named Weerasinghe matched the description of Indika’s past memories, Stevenson wanted to see if other businessmen in Matara could be candidates for Indika’s past life persona.

A Search for Wealthy Businessmen with Elephants

The key clue was a wealthy businessman who owned elephants. Stevenson’s investigation revealed only two other deceased businessmen who owned elephants in Matara. Stevenson concluded that Indika’s statements did not correlate to these two individuals and it was concluded that Indika’s past life identity must have been that of Weerasinghe.

The group then made their way to the home of the Weerasinghe family. Stevenson beforehand ascertained that Indika’s family and the Weerasinghe family had no prior contact and indeed, when the two families met, Stevenson’s impression was that both families acted as if they were encountering each other for the first time. Stevenson concluded that Indika could not have known the details of Weerasinghe’s life by normal means.

Indika, though, did not make any concrete identifications at the Weerasinghe home. Stevenson attributed this to the fact that Indika, now about six years of age, had stopped talking about his past life almost 2 years beforehand. In the series of 1200 validated childhood past life memory cases studied by Ian Stevenson at the University of Virginia, the child, on average, loses memories of the past life at 7.5 years of age. Stevenson concluded that Indika was not able to make identifications of past life relatives in Matara simply because it was too late, that Indika had lost access to memories of his life as Weerasinghe.

Past Life Personality Traits Persist

Ian Stevenson noted there were many similarities in the personalities of Weerasinghe and Indika. Both had:

The favorite color of white

A fear of burglars

A tendency to save money

Great fondness of elephants and an interest in cattle

Respect for Buddhist monks

A fondness for meat and high-quality fish

An avid interest in motor vehicles

A tendency to be boastful and bragging

A hot temper

A fondness for dogs and dislike of cats

Ian Stevenson visited the Guneratne family again in 1973, when Indika was 11 years old. Though he had stopped talking about his past life when he was four and a half years old, Indika still displayed the behaviors of his past life persona. He continued to demand high quality food and clothes, had an avid interest in elephants, lottery tickets and automobiles, which he would try to start, and he still had a quick temper. When Stevenson asked Indika wanted to become when he grew up, he replied, surprising no one, a “mudalali,” that is, his past life profession as an aggressive, successful businessman.

Principles of Reincarnation-Understanding Past Lives

Past Life Talents and Behavior: Indika had the same personality traits and interests as Weerasinghe, including a tendency to save money to accumulate wealth.

Relationships Renewed through Reincarnation: Indika was able to meet his past life family.

Source: Stevenson, Ian: Cases of the Reincarnation Type, Volume II, Ten Cases in Sri Lanka, pages 203-234

A Woman is Reborn to Her Own Sister: The Reincarnation Case of Kristen Grimsson | Ditta Larusdottir with a Talking Baby Announcing Dream

How Derived: Past Life Memories in Childhood

Researchers: Ian Stevenson, MD and Erlander Haraldsson, PhD

From: European Cases of the Reincarnation Type by Ian Stevenson, MD and I Saw a Light and Came Here by Erlendur Haraldsson, PhD and James G. Matlock, PhD

Article by: Walter Semkiw, MD

The Life and Death of Kristin Grimsson

Kristen was born on November 10, 1925. Her father was Olaf Loftsson and her mother was Elinborg Sigurdsdottir. Olaf and Elinborg had 15 children, all of whom were girls. Two of Kristen’s sisters, Margret and Gudrun, were involved in this reincarnation case. Kristen was Margret’s favorite sister. The family lived in Reykjavik, Iceland. Click on the image of Reykjavik to enlarge it.

When Kristen was 3 years old, she fell and struck the back of her head, causing a wound which bled. As a physician was not available, Olaf stopped the bleeding himself and dressed the wound.

As Kristen grew up, she developed an interest in acting, attended a drama school and performed in plays that were broadcast on the radio.

At 17 years of age, Kristen married Einar Grimsson. They lived in Reykjavik and in fall of 1947 they purchased a house, which had a basement where they placed their washing machine.

On November 6, 1947, Kristin’s sister, Soffia, was visiting the couple. Kristen went to use the wringer of the washing machine and experienced an electric shock. She told Einar about the incident and they decided not to use the machine until an electrician inspected it. Kristen stayed in the basement while Einar went to visit a neighbor.

Suddenly, Soffia, who was upstairs, heard Kristen call for her. Soffia found Kristen with her right arm affixed to the washing machine. Soffia ran to a neighbor to ask for help, who managed to turn the electricity to the house off, but when they went to the basement, Kristen had already died due to electrocution. She was 22 years old when she passed.

Kristen is Reincarnates as the Child of her Sister, Margret

Margret, the sister of Kristen, had a daughter who was born in Reykjavik on January 3, 1967, 19 years after Kristen had died. Margret’s husband was Larus Johannson. The couple were Christians, more specifically, Lutherans. They named their daughter Ditta.

A Reincarnation Announcing Dream with a Talking Baby

During Margret’s pregnancy, her sister Gudrun, had a dream about their deceased sister, Kristin. In this dream, the following occurred:

Margret and her husband had a newborn baby, and they asked Gudran to take care of the baby while they were out. They left and Gudrun remained alone with the baby. They baby then sat up and began to talk. She said:

“Do you know that I am born again?

Gudren replied: “No, I do not know that.”

The baby then said: “Yes, I was here before…It was difficult to be born and easy to die…”

Then Gudren asked whether she looked the same?

The baby said: “Yes, but I am darker now, darker in complexion and darker hair.”

Then the baby said that she had a scar. Gudrun asked whether the this has to do with her death.

The baby replied: “No. I was over 20 when I died, but I got that scar when I was a little girl. It will go away.”

Then the baby asked about Maria, (another of the daughters of the family, who had been a babysitter for Kristen).

Gudren, upon hearing Maria’s name spoken by the baby said: “Oh, did you know us before?”

At this, the baby laid down again and said: “I do not want to talk about it anymore.”

Gudren interpreted the dream as the baby representing her sister Kristen, as she was the only one in the family who had died.

A Past Life Birthmark

When Ditta was two weeks old, Margret noticed a prominent birthmark at the back of her head above and behind her right ear. This was the same place where Kristen incurred the wound to her head in a fall. Margret and Larus divorced when Diita was a small child.

A Past Life Husband

When Ditta was two years old, Margret noticed that Ditta was playing as an actress. Margret asked her daughter what she wanted to do when she grew up. Ditta replied that she wanted to be an actress. When Ditta was about two and a half years old, Ditta noticed a ring on Margret’s finger.

Ditta asked: “Who gave you that ring?

Margaret replied: “My first husband.”

Ditta then said: “I had a husband too.”

Margret replied: “Little girls do not have husbands.”

Ditta then said: “Well, I have one.”

Margret asked: “Ok. So what is his name.”

Ditta: “Einar.”

Ian Stevenson noted that Margret did not believe that Ditta had ever heard the name Einar, which was the name of Kristen’s husband, as it was over 20 years after Kristen’s death. Einar had remarried and he had no contact with Margret’s family after Kristen’s death. In telling Margret that her husband was Einar, Ditta was conveying that she was the reincarnation of Kristen.

Past Life Talent: Ditta Could Spontaneously Read

An astonishing aspect of this case is that Ditta was able to read without being taught. At the age of six she was better at reading than other children who had been taught to read. Ditta herself was puzzled by this ability. This phenomenon is akin to xenoglossy, where an individual can speak a language which was not learned.

As Ditta grew up, the family noticed that Ditta bore a striking resemblance to Kristen. Both had unusually light blue eyes, though Ditta had darker hair and skin, much as the baby in Gudren’s dream had predicted.

Principles of Reincarnation-Understanding Past Lives

Physical Resemblance: As mentioned above, Ditta looked very much like Kristen.

Past Life Birthmark: Ditta had a birthmark that corresponded to Kristen’s head wound.

Planning Lifetimes and Relationships Renewed through Reincarnation: Kristen reincarnated as the daughter of her sister, Margret. Kristen had been Margret’s favorite sister.

Past Life Talent and Behavior: Ditta was able to read without being taught. She also played at being an actress, replicating Kristen’s affinity for acting.

Spirit Beings in Reincarnation Cases: From the spirit world, the soul of Kristen | Ditta sent an announcing dream to Kristen’s sister, Gruden, indicating that she was born again. Since this dream occurred during Margret’s pregnancy, Kristen was not yet born, but was predicting that she would be. In Gruden’s dream, the talking baby even knew that she would physically resemble Kristen, except for having darker hair and skin.

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