Reincarnation Research

Nai Leng Consciously Experiences Death & Rebirth: Past Life Story of Nai Leng | Chaokhun Rajsuthajarn (Choate)

Nai Leng, an avid practitioner of meditation, was able to consciously experience his death and rebirth into the body of an infant, Choate. Choate was destined to become a famous monk in Thailand and towards the end of his life, wrote an autobiography, published when he was 61 years old, 1969 where he explained that he was Nai Leng in prior life and that he was conscious during Nai Leng’s death and rebirth as the infant Choate.

How Case Derived: Past Life Memories in Childhood

Researchers: Francis Story and Ian Stevenson, MD

From: Cases of the Reincarnation Type, Volume IV, Thailand and Burma

Article by: Walter Semkiw, MD

This case is remarkable in that Nai Leng, who was an avid practitioner of meditation, was able to consciously experience his death and rebirth into the body of an infant. If this account is valid, it gives us fascinating insight into what happens with one of the most anxiety provoking of events in life that we face, that is, our own death.

The Lives of Nai Leng and his Sister Nang Rien

Nail Leng was born in 1863 in the small village of Ban Kraton, which is near the city of Surin, in Thailand. This area is near the Cambodian border and there are pockets of Cambodians who live in the area, whose speak the Cambodian language which is called Khmer.

Nai Leng was the eldest of 7 children. His father was Wa Sawa and his mother was Ma Chama, though she was called by her nickname, Ee Mah.

Nai Leng and his Sister Witness a Birth on the Side of a Road

Nai Leng was very close to his sister, Nang Rien, who was a year younger than him. When he was 15 years of age, Nai Leng had an unusual experience. He and Nang Rien finished working in the fields and were walking home when they encountered a woman on the road who had just delivered a baby. The woman’s husband was attempting to bring his wife to her mother’s home for the delivery, but they didn’t make it in time. The woman was resting with her newborn child before they continued on their journey. The sight made a strong impression on Nai Leng.

Nai Leng Enters a Monastary and Learns to Read Cambodian or Khmer

When he was 16 years of age, Nai Leng entered a Buddhist monastery, where they had a set of Buddhist scriptures written in Khmer. Though Nai Leng’s native language was Thai, he learned to read the scriptures written in Khmer. This was not an easy feat, as the Khmer alphabet characters are very different from Thai characters. Choate became so adept that eventually he taught other monks how to read the Khmer scriptures. In addition to studying Buddhist texts, mediation was a central activity of the monks.

Nai Leng Becomes Fluent in Laotian

When he was 25 years old, Nai Leng decided to leave the monastery to become a farmer. In addition to growing crops, Nai Leng made money by trading goods. He would travel by oxcart in this pursuit and frequently visited Laos, so much so that he became fluent in Laotian. He married and eventually had three daughters, whose names were Pa, Poh and Pi. Though he was no longer a monk, Nail Leng continued to be a devout Buddhist and meditated every night. (1)

Nang Rien becomes a Nun while Pregnant

Nang Rien, Nai Leng’s younger sister, eventually married and had 3 children. When she was 45 years old, she became pregnant once again. The year was 1908. During this pregnancy, in contrast to her previous pregnancies, Nang Rien became deeply spiritual and even decided to become a Buddhist nun. She shaved her hair, put on a white robe and moved to the Wat Takien monastery, which was 9 miles or 15 kilometers from Ban Kraton, the village where Nang Rien and Nai Leng lived. (2)

Nai Leng develops an Illness, Dies and Reincarnates as Choate

While Nang Rien was in the monastery, just before she returned home to delivery her baby, her brother Nai Leng developed a fever. Nang Rien traveled back to Ban Kraton during her brother’s illness and arrived home, where she delivered her child on October 12, 1908, who was named Chaokhun Rajsuthajarn, though he would be known in the family by his nickname, which was Choate. Nai Leng was ill for 6 days before he died on October 13, 1908 at the age of 45. As such, Choate was born one day before Nai Leng died. (3)

Choate was destined to become a famous monk in Thailand and towards the end of his life, he wrote an autobiography, which was published when Choate was 61 years of age in the year 1969. In this book, Choate explains that in his prior incarnation, he was Nai Leng and that he was conscious during Nai Leng’s death and rebirth as the infant Choate.

Split Incarnation, Parallel Lives, Twin Souls, Twin Flames or Cases with Anomalous Dates: Overlapping Lifetimes

The reader may object that this is not possible, as Chaote was born a day before Nai Leng died, but this phenomenon of a soul inhabiting more than one body at a time is observed in a number of scientifically researched reincarnation cases. Ian Stevenson referred to these as cases with “anomalous dates,” referring to the overlap of lifetimes. I refer to this phenomenon as “split incarnation,” as the soul is able to split its energy into more than one body. Other terms used for this phenomenon include parallel lives, twin souls or twin flames. In this case, the soul of Nai Leng was animating both the body of Nai Leng and the body of the infant Choate at the same time for a period of about a day. To review cases of this type, go to: Split Incarnation

Nai Leng’s Death Experience with Remote Viewing

Let us review Choate’s own account of being aware of events during the death of Nai Leng and his rebirth as Choate. In this narrative, Chaote describes how he was able to telepathically be aware of the activites of his sister, Nang Rien, at the the temple where she was a nun, which was 9 miles away from Nai Leng’s home. This ability to witness events telepathically at a distant location is termed: Remote Viewing

Let us now go back to the time to when Nang Rien was in the 7th month of her pregnancy, at around the time she became a Buddhist nun and moved to the monastery, which is 2 months before she came home to give birth and 2 months before Nai Leng died. The following narration is from Choate’s autobiography, as he recalls the end of his life as Nai Leng. The setting is Nai Leng’s home in August 1908.

Nai Leng Experiences Remote Viewing During his Illness

“In the year of 1908, when I [as Nai Leng] was 45 years old, and had already had 3 children, Nang Rien was in the 7th month of her pregnancy. It was the 8th month of that year. I, Nai Leng, had already been sick on and off for several months. During that period of time, this brother and sister [Nai Leng and Nang Rien] recurrently saw each other in their dreams. On Nang Rien’s part, ever since conception, she had an extraordinarily passionate faith in Buddhism, especially with regard to meditation….Indeed, she even wanted to become a bhikkhuni [a nun]. So, on the eve of Buddhist Lent of that year, still being pregnant of course, she left her mother and husband for a monastery…

While Nang Rien was at the wat praying and meditating, I, Nai Leng was lying sick at home. However, I felt as if I was well aware of Nang Rien’s activities at the wat… All the while that Nang Rien was praying and meditating, I not only knew it, but I saw it.

As it appeared to me, I was always …approximately 2 meters behind her. I never did talk to her…. My eyes never seemed to blink at all. I was merely staring at her, so constantly that I forgot to take notice of my own state of being, that is, how I was able to move along with her… Even while she was praying before the Buddha’s image, I was still looking at her from behind. Then she lit the main pair of candles and three joss sticks [incense sticks]… After having lit all the candles, she started to pray again…Then she would put her hands down, close her eyes, and continue praying until all the joss sticks and candles were burned away…”

Nai Leng Delivers her Son, Choate-Nai Leng Reincarnated

“All along, I knew and saw her activities. But, on the day of her return [from the wat to Ban Kratom], I felt somewhat confused and could not remember anything…I then were recalled that I was sick. One day, there were 4 persons in the house–3 female relatives and Nai Leng’s wife. I opened my eyes and saw and heard what they were saying to each other: ‘At 9 o’clock last night Nan Rien delivered a cute little boy’…I was thinking that if I were normal, I would have gone to visit her also. But here I was, lying sick. All I could do was merely listen to their conversation.

At the moment I felt anguish, and wanted to change from the lying position to a more comfortable one. Seeing that they [the other persons present] were busy talking to each other, I did not ask for their help. Besides, I could not even make my voice heard. Therefore, I tried to turn toward the side wall by myself. I succeeded, but could not retain my balance in that position. So once again, I was lying on my back. I told myself to be content for a while with that degree of comfort.” (4)

Nai Leng’s Out of Body Experience, Death & Awareness of of Events while Out of his Body

“Thinking that I might be better off if I went to sleep, I then sighed deeply a few times and closed my eyes. At this very moment, I felt as if I was back to normal again. I felt stronger and could move much more rapidly from place to place. My body was light, as if it had no weight. I was so glad that I rushed up to join the conversation of my relatives. But no one noticed me. I grabbed this one’s hand and pulled that one’s arm, to draw their attention. Still, no one did anything.

The time came to prepare another meal of the day. My relatives were getting ready to leave. One of them felt Nai Leng’s feet. I was then behind her, trying to seize her hand and shoulder. I yelled out, ‘I am here. I am no longer sick. I have recovered already. Do not be afraid or frightened. Do not panic, I am alright.’ However, I could not make them understand.

They were crying and moaning. Some of them went to tell other relatives and friends in the neighborhood. The latter were now pouring into the house.” (5)

Nai Leng Experiences the Expanded Consciousness of the Soul

“At that moment, I felt if I were omnipresent: I could simultaneously see people coming in from 2 or 3 different directions. Moreover, I could be there to receive them all at the same time. I could also hear their voices as well as see things quite clearly.

Far distant places appeared to be near, because I could move very rapidly from place to place. I could immediately be there to hear or see. There seemed to be no obstacle [to movement or vision] and all.

At the same time I was thinking: ‘I am an appointed head of the hosts; I am great. I am the master of ceremonies who has the final word on all matters. I have so great an authority that none can possibly obstruct or encroach upon it.’ However, I was satisfied with what my relatives have done so far. I was so deeply grateful that I did not feel hunger or thirsty. I was so carried away in this enchanting state of emotion that I forgot to sleep and to eat. Nor did I ever feel tired.” (6)

After Death Nai Leng Attends his Own Funeral

“During the whole of the funeral ceremony (I learned later that it was 3 days), I felt somewhat elevated–by about the height of an average person–above the others. In other words, if others sat, I felt I was standing; if they were standing or walking, I felt as if I were standing or walking on something the level of which was higher than theirs. While the funeral procession was on its way to the cremation, I was sitting in the cart’s curve, the highest part of the cart. That cart, to be sure, did not have a curve; it was merely my feeling that I was at that level. [This refers to a curved frame that could be attached to the cart to hold in materials, such as sacks of rice that were that were being carried in it, but that would be removed during the transport of a body in a coffin.]

After the cremation, my relatives gathered the remains. They then invited monks for the ‘remains ceremony,’ which was the last phase of the funeral. It was about 8 o’clock in the evening when the monks finished chanting. My preoccupation with the reception of the guests was somewhat reduced by then. The women who came to help went up to sleep in the house, while the men slept in a disorderly group in a building constructed especially for the ceremony.

On the porch of this building, 3 elderly men was sitting around the stove. They were either chewing Thai gum or smoking cigarettes. They might be considered night watchman of a sort. All of a sudden, a thought of Nang Rien flashed into my mind. ‘I heard that she had just given birth to a child. I have not yet paid her a visit, because I was so busy receiving guests. Now I’m free to go.’” (7)

Nai Leng visits Nang Rein, Who Sees Him as a Ghost

“At the time, I was at the place where the monks were sitting in the wat where the cremation was held. With the said in mind, I turned in the direction of Nang Rien’s house, which was of approximately 200 meters away to the west. No sooner had I decided to move than I was there.

The child, as my relatives had said, was really cute and adorable. I thought to myself: How can I possibly have a chance to touch him and to give him my heartfelt kiss? Nang Rien was then sleeping with her right hand over the child. Before long, she opened her eyes, saw me, and said: ‘My dear brother, you have already departed for another world. Please go to that place which will offer you happiness. Please do not make any more appearances to your brothers and sisters, nor feel concerned about them.’

This was the only time that people ever noticed me and talked to me. I felt so awkward that I went and hid. I was leaning on the wall in front of her room, facing north.” (8)

Reincarnation: Nai Leng Enters Choate’s Infant Body

“After a while, thinking that she was again asleep, I came out to get another glimpse of the child. She again opened her eyes and said the same thing to me. I went back to hide. I told myself that the time had come for me to decide once and for all. I was torn between two feelings. Although I would like to stay, yet I should go; indeed I must go. Before leaving, however, I wish to get another good look at the child. This time I dared not approach lest she reproach me once more. Thus, I poked only my head out. After obtaining a good look, I started to go away again.

As soon as I turned, my body began spinning like a top. I could not regain my balance. I tried to cover my head, face and ears with my hands before I fell unconscious. At that point I thought I was dead.

I did not know how long it was before I regained consciousness. I was wondering where I was. Concentration and recollection told me that not long before this I was Nai Leng. I felt myself full of vigor. Recalling all of the past, I wondered why I was in such a helpless condition. I felt somewhat frustrated.” (9)

As an Infant, Choate Recognizes his Past Life Relatives

“Later on, I was very glad I could turn to lie on my stomach. Even more so when I could recognize everyone who came to see me. I remembered their names. I waved my hands and tried to call them. However, only guttural sounds, normal to babies, came out. Someone noticed my gesturing and held me up. I was very glad and I laughed heartily. During this period, there were more reward joyful moments then sorrowful ones.”

Choate Learns to Talk and Calls his Past Life Relatives by Name

“Then came another period during which I learned to walk and talk. One day when my grandmother came, instead of calling her that, I used the word mother. I was governed by past acquaintance in my own memory.” (11)

The grandmother, Ma Chama, was surprised that Choate called her mother and asked: “Well, what is your name then?”

Choate then responded, “’It is Leng.” In his autobiography, Choate continues: “I wondered why they could not recognize me. I was Nai Leng right then and there.” (12)

“Suddenly, Nang Rien exclaimed: ‘No wonder. I saw brother Leng sometimes during the postpartum period. He must have been reborn.’ She then asked: ‘If so, son, what is your name again? What about your wife’s? Where did you live?’ And so on and so forth. I gave correct answers to all questions. They give all concluded that Nai Leng had been reborn.” (13)

Let us review the passage of these events. Choate was born on October 12, 1908. When he learned to speak, though his mother explained who his aunts and uncles were, he still insisted to refer to his uncles and aunts as his brothers and sisters, as if he was still Nai Leng. Similarly, he called his grandmother, Ma Chama, “mother.” She was actually Nai Leng’s mother.

Nai Leng’s Daughters come to believe that Choate is the Reincarnation of their Father

Nai Leng’s daughter, Pa, was 24 years old when he died. When Choate was 4 years old, he recognized her and said, “I am your father” and he called her by her baby nickname. At first Choate’s statements annoyed Pa, but as time went on, she became convinced that Choate was her father reborn.

Poh, Nai Leng’s second daughter, said that as a boy Choate had referred to incidents in her father’s life that Choate could not have known. She said that Choate as a child recognized persons known by her father on sight and called them by their names.

Pi, Nai Leng’s third daughter, recalled that Choate became angry when Nai Leng’s daughters, that is, Pa, Poh and Pi, would not refer to him as “father.”

Nai Leng’s sister, Nem, said that Choate recognized her by name as soon as he could speak. As a child, Choate also recognized Nai Leng’s wife and called her by name and he also correctly named other people Nai Leng had known. (14)

Like a Dalai Lama, Choate identifies his Past Life Possessions

As a child, Choate could correctly separate items belonging to Nai Leng from items that belonged to others. This ability to identify past life possessions is traditionally used by Buddhist monks to identify the reincarnation of a Dalia Lama. (15)

Choate has a Past Life Memory of a Woman who gave Birth on a Road

As a teenager, Choate spontaneously recalled the event that occurred when Nai Leng was 15 years old, in which Nai Leng encountered the woman who had given birth on a road. Choate’s mother, Nang Rien, who was with Nai Leng when this occurred, confirmed the incident. In Choate’s autobiography, he describes the memory.

“I was Nai Leng at the age of 15. It was an evening at the beginning of the planting season. After finishing the day’s work, my sister, Nang Rien, and I walked home as usual. On our way back, we came across a woman who was resting after having just delivered a child on the road.

The husband was a native of Ban Nua, but his wife came from Ban Tai. His wife had want very much to deliver her child and her mother’s place. As the time for her delivery approached, she insistently asked her husband to take her there. Her husband finally agreed, but not until she was almost due to deliver her baby. By the time the cart reached the place in question, her labor had started. Her husband stopped the cart, untied the oxen and prepared a place for his wife to rest. This was something I’d never seen before. It was strange to me, and as a consequence, it deeply impressed me.” (16)

Though Choate had this memory from his past incarnation as Nai Leng, he did not have comprehension of where this birth occurred. One day, he was tending to cattle that he had taken to feed in pastures. At a particular location, he had a Déjà vu experience. He realized that he was at the spot where the woman gave birth to the child on the road, that he witnessed during his life as Nai Leng. Choate narrates the next scene.

Choate experiences Déjà Vu and Geographic Memory

“As soon as I arrived home that evening, I asked my mother whether any woman had delivered a baby at that place. She said: ‘Yes, but that happened when I was 14 years old and was returning from the field with my 15-year-old brother.’ The brother was I, who had become the youngest son of the sister.” (17)

I term the stimulation of past life memories by a past life location: Geographic Memory

Xenoglossy: Choate Spontaneously is able to Understand Khmer

At age 16, Choate became a Buddhist monk and entered a monastery, repeating the pattern of Nai Leng’s life. This monastery had Buddhist scriptures written in the Khmer, or Cambodian, language. Choate noticed monks reading these Khmer texts and though he was only schooled in the Thai language, he took some of the Khmer manuscripts to his room to see if he could decipher them. Recall that the Khmer alphabet characters are very different from those of the Thai language.

Choate found that he could not read the Khmer manuscripts at first, but on his third attempt, he could understand them without difficulty. In his autobiography, Choate describes this experience.

“The book [written Khmer] had 10 leaves. I went through it within an hour or so. Being afraid that the first reading might not be correct, I began all over again. This reading also took me about an hour. I was not quite satisfied yet, so I read it for the third time. I was very glad as well as surprised that I could read it without having any lessons before. A lot of people have put great effort into it year in and year out, yet only a few succeeded. Later on, I began to write as well as read Khmer… From then on I could read any canonical work, be it in Thai or Khmer. The reason is simple: I was already quite well-versed in it since I had been a monk as Leng. To be sure, part of it was forgotten, but this is only natural.” (18)

This ability to understand a language that has not been learned is called: Xenoglossy

Xenoglossy: Choate Spontaneously is able to Understand Laotian

Another incident that involves xenoglossy occurred. When he was a 19-year-old monk, Choate noticed that villagers around the monastery were speaking Laotian. Choate approached these villagers and found that he could converse with them fluently, even though he was not taught Laotian. For this ability, Choate drew on his past life knowledge of Loatian, which had been learned by Nai Leng. (19)

Choate becomes an Abbot or Head of a Monastery

As Choate grew older, his memories of his life as Nai Leng did not fade, which he attributed to his dedication to the practice of meditation over the course of two lifetimes. Choate died in 1976 at 68 years of age as one of the most respected monks and abbots of Thailand.

Principles of Reincarnation & Understanding Past Lives

Xenoglossy: This case demonstrates what Ian Stevenson, MD termed responsive xenoglossy, where an individual can converse in a language that has not been learned by normal means. In contrast, Stevenson termed the ability to recite or speak an unlearned language without the ability to respond or converse in that language “recitative xenoglossy.”

In this case, Choate, who was only taught the Thai language, was able to converse with individuals from Laos in the Laotian language. In addtion, Choate was able to read Buddhist scriptures written in the Cambodian or Khmer language, even though he never was taught or Khmer. These two languages were learned by Nai Leng and Choate drew upon this past life ability to understand Laotian and Khmer.

Split Incarnation: Choate was born on October 12, 1908, while Nai Leng died the next day on October 13, 1908, which means the soul of Nai Leng animated the bodies of the Nai Leng and the infant Choate at the same time for a period of about a day.

Relationships Renewed through Reincarnation: This case shows that people can reincarnate within the same family, as Nai Leng reincarnated and was born to his own sister, Nai Rien.

Experience of Death & Spirit Being Involvement: Nai Leng experienced remote viewing in observing Nai Rien while she was at the temple. He also consciously experienced his death and the expanded consciousness of the soul. He attended his own funeral and followed his body as it was being taken to the temple for cremation and he attended the reception after the funeral where he observed his relatives who had gathered for the reception. Nai Leng also was conscious of his rebirth as Choate and what it feels like to be a helpless infant.

Note to Readers: Ian Stevenson. MD was a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Virginia who wrote in a very academic style, as his target audience was fellow scientists. On the IISIS web site, his past life identity cases are presented as children’s past life-reincarnation stories to make his academic work easier to understand. For those interested in appreciating the scientific rigor of his research, such as his use of multiple witnesses to establish corroborated testimony, please refer to the original reports written by Dr. Ian Stevenson.

Footnotes

1. Stevenson, Ian: Cases of the Reincarnation Type, Volume IV, Twelve Cases in Thailand and Burma, University Press of Virginia, Charlottesville, 1983, pages 171-174
2. ibid, pages 174-175
3. ibid, p. 174
4. ibid, pages 174-176
5. ibid, pages 175-176
6. ibid, p. 176
7. ibid, pages 176-177
8. ibid, p. 177
9. ibid, p. 177
10. ibid, pages 177-178
11. ibid, p. 178
12. ibid, p. 178
13. ibid, p. 178
14. ibid, pages 184-185
15. ibid, p. 177
16. ibid, pages 180-181
17. ibid, pages 181-182
18. ibid, pages 183-184
19. ibid, p. 184

Islam Reincarnation Case of Oma Devi | Nagina: Past Life Case involving Suicide, Religion Change & Renewed Relationships

Oma Devi committed suicide reincarnated in a little over 3 years after her death, demonstrating that suicide does not end the evolution of the soul. Oma Devi was Hindu, but reborn into a Sunni Muslim family.

How Case Derived: Past Life Memories in Childhood

Researcher: Satwant Pasricha, PhD, Associate of Ian Stevenson, MD

From: Can the Mind Survive Beyond Death? Volume 1: Reincarnation Research, by Satwant Pasricha, PhD

Article by: Walter Semkiw, MD

The Life & Suicide of Oma Devi

Oma Devi was a schoolteacher who lived in District of Farrukhabad, in the Indian state of Uddar Pradesh, which is the home of the famous Taj Mahal. Her husband was a merchant who sold books and stationary in Mohammadabad. The couple was of the Hindu faith and they had four children, two boys and two girls.

Unfortunately, Oma Devi and her husband had a bad marriage. On May 19, 1987, the couple had a serious argument and in reaction, Oma poured kerosene over herself and set herself on fire, perishing from her burns. She was 47 years of age when she died.

Oma Devi, a Hindu, Reincarnates into a Sunni Muslim Family

In October 1990, about 3 and a half years after Oma Devi died, a girl named Nagina was born to a Sunni Muslim family, who did not believe in reincarnation. The family also lived in the District of Farrukhabad, not far from Oma Devi’s home. Her father, Amaruddin, made his living by transporting people in a tanga, a horse-drawn carriage.

Past Life Behavior: Nagina Reenacts Committing Suicide

When Nagina was a little over 1 year of age, before she learned to speak, one of Amaruddin’s aunts came to visit the family. The aunt asked for some mustard oil, to massage into her hair. Nagina then brought her a bottle of kerosene. The aunt, surprised, asked what she would do with kerosene. Nagina then made the gesture of pouring the bottle of kerosene over her head and she then made the gesture of lighting a match to set herself on fire. These gestures of lighting a match and bringing the lit match to her head became a repetitive behavior.

Past Life Memories: Nagina Reports She was Oma, Who Committed Suicide

When Nagina was 3 years old and able to speak, she said that in a prior lifetime she was a schoolteacher named Oma and that she had 2 daughters and 2 sons. Nagina shared that after an argument with her husband, she poured kerosene over her body and then set herself on fire.

Amaruddin’s family, as noted, did not believe in reincarnation and they tried to suppress Nagina’s past life memories by beating her on the head. This strategy failed, as Nagina continued to talk about her past life.

Past Life Memories: Nagina knows Family Secrets & Mourns the Death of her Past Life Husband

When Oma Devi’s two sons heard about Nagina’s claims of a prior incarnation in which she set herself on fire, they came to visit her. Nagina shared with them details of Oma’s life that were not known outside the family. Based on this testimony, Oma Devi’s elder son became convinced that Nagina was his mother reborn. The younger son did not know what to make of the situation.

The families maintained contact. In April 1996, when Nagina was 5 and a half years old, Oma Devi’s husband died. Despite the conflicts that Oma and her husband had, Nagina was very upset about the death of her past life husband.

Past Life Birthmarks

Dr. Pasricha noted that Nagina had hyper-pigmented or dark colored birthmarks on her chin and lower abdomen, which could have been related to burns incurred by Oma Devi.

Validity of Nagina’s Past Life Story

In commenting on the credibility of the case, Dr. Pasricha noted that it was very unlikely that Nagina’s family would fabricate a reincarnation case that went against their religion, especially one that involves suicide. Though Shiite Muslims are open to reincarnation, Sunni Muslims, the branch of Islam that Nagina’s family belonged to, do not accept reincarnation. Recall that Nagina’s family tried to suppress her talk of a past lifetime though physical punishment.

Dr. Pasricha also commented that it was unlikely that as a one year old Nagina would have learned of Oma Devi’s death and that it was even more unlikely that a family would teach a child to pretend committing suicide. (1)

Principles of Reincarnation & Understanding Past Lives

Change in Religion: Oma Devi was Hindu, but she was reborn into a Sunni Muslim family that did not believe in reincarnation.

Past Life Birthmarks or Scars: Nagina had dark-colored birthmarks on her chin and abdomen, which Dr. Pasricha noted could be related to burn scars incurred by Oma Deva in her suicide.

Relationships Renewed through Reincarnation: Oma Devi reincarnated in close proximity to her past life home, which allowed her to be reunited with her past life family. Though Oma Devi committed suicide after an argument with her husband, Nagina expressed grief when her past life husband died.

Reincarnation & Suicide: Oma Devi committed suicide but reincarnated a little over 3 years after her death, demonstrating that suicide does not end the evolution of the soul. Oma Devi likely generated karma from the pain she caused others, which she may have to experience herself in the course of time. Also, Nagina may face similar circumstances as Oma Devi did, but she will need to react in more productive ways. For a full discussion on karmic issues involved with suicide, please refer to: Suicide Reincarnation Case of Ruprecht Schultz

Footnotes

1. Pasricha, Satwant, Can the Mind Survive Beyond Death? Volume 1: Reincarnation Research, Harman Publishing House, New Delhi, 2008, pages 163-165

Muslim Reincarnation Case of Mushir Ali | Naresh Kumar: A Past Life Case with Change in Religion from Islamic to Hindu

Naresh Kumar, a Hindu was reunited with his past life family, the Muslim family of Haider Ali, who accepted Naresh as the reincarnation of their deceased son,

How Case Derived: Past Life Memories in Childhood

Researcher: Satwant K. Pasricha, PhD, Associate of Ian Stevenson, MD

From: Can the Mind Survive Beyond Death, Volume 1, by Satwant K. Pasricha, PhD

Article by: Walter Semkiw, MD

The Life and Death of Mushir Ali, a Sunni Muslim

Mushir Ali lived with his family in Kakori, a town in the Lucknow district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. His family was Sunni Muslim and his father, Haider Ali, was very religious, dedicating himself to praying for others and living off of alms or donations. The family spoke the Urdu language, which is common among Muslim people in the area.

Mushir Ali was the primary breadwinner for the family, selling vegetables and fruits at area markets. In the early morning of June 30, 1980, Mushir was taking mangoes to the market in Lucklow in a horse cart that he had rented. A little over 2 kilometers from Kakori, his horse cart collided with a tractor and Mushir suffered fractures of the ribs on the right side of his body, succumbing to his injuries almost instantly. He was 25 years old when he died.

Mushir Ali is Reincarnated into a Hindu Family but Prays like a Muslim

Naresh Kumar was born in February 1981, less than a year after Mushir Ali died, in the village of Bazbagar, which was also in the district of Lucknow. His father’s name was Guruprasad and his mother was Bishwana. The family was Hindu of the lower middle class. Nasir was born with a birth defect, a depressed area near the middle of the chest, slightly on the right side.

When he started to speak at one year of age, Naresh said the words Kakori, the town where Mushir Ali lived, and kharkhara, which means horse cart. When he was 2 years old, Naresh demonstrated unusual behavior for a Hindu boy by assuming the posture of kneeling down and saying Namaz, a Muslim style of praying. Naresh would do this alone and he if he noticed other people watching him, he would stop.

Past Life Behavior and Xenoglossy-A Language from a Prior Lifetime

Naresh also would play by pretending to drive a horse cart. He would tie a rope to a cot, which served as the cart, and he would make sounds as if he was instructing horses to proceed.

In addition, Naresh was heard speaking a few words of Urdu, a language that his family did not speak. As such, this constitutes a case of xenoglossy, in which an individual can speak a language from a past lifetime which was not learned in the contemporary lifetime.

Naresh shares his Past Life Memories and Recognizes his Past Life Father

When he was 4 years old Naresh elaborated further about a past lifetime, stating that he was carrying mangoes in his horse cart when it collided with a vehicle and he died. Further, he stated that he was a Muslim who lived in Kakori. Naresh was eager to talk about his past lifetime and would talk about it whenever villagers asked him about it.

Haider Ali, the father of Mushir Ali, would travel to Bazbagar every Thursday to pray for villagers and to collect alms or donations. After Naresh learned to walk, he would follow Haider Ali around the village, claiming that he was his father. Naresh would even call Haider Ali “Abba,” which means father, and he told Haider Ali that he wanted to go home with him.

Naresh’s family asks Haider Ali for Help, Who is Evasive, Perhaps due to a Fear of the Islamic Community’s Attitude regarding Reincarnation

Naresh kept insisting that his family to take him to Kakori. Bishwana, Naresh’s mother, decided to ask Haider Ali for his assistance, since he was from Kakori, as well as a Muslim. Haider Ali did not seem to want to get involved and instead advised Bishwana to take Naresh to the grave of a Muslim saint in Mazar, so that the boy would stop talking about his previous life. The family did so but it did not have any effect, as Naresh continued to enjoy talking about his past lifetime. Naresh also insisted on going to his previous home and once even started going down the road by himself to go there.

Dr. Pasricha speculated that at this point in time, Haider Ali likely knew that Naresh was claiming to be his deceased son Mushir Ali reborn, but was afraid to say anything due to concern of being criticized by his Muslim community, which did not believe in reincarnation.

Naresh finds his Past Life Home and Identifies Past Life Relatives & Friends

Guruprasad, Naresh’s father, finally decided to take him to Kakori. They were accompanied by some friends. Once in Kakori, Naresh led the group to the house where Mushir Ali lived. Inside the house, he identified several objects that belonged to Mushir, including Mushir’s cap and contents of Mushir’s suitcase.

Naresh also recognized and named members of Mushir’s immediate family, relatives and friends. He also accurately told the Ali family about a bank account that the family had at the time that Mushir died. Further, Naresh mentioned the name of a person who owed money to Mushir, which the family verified. The Ali family added that this individual who owed money paid it back after Mushir’s death.

Reincarnation, Past Lives & Birth Defects

Based on the accurate identifications and statements made by Naresh, the Ali family, including Haidar Ali, accepted Naresh as the reincarnation of Mushir Ali. In retrospect, Dr. Pasricha hypothesized that the birth defect that Naresh was born with on the right side of his chest reflected the trauma and rib fractures that Mushir Ali incurred in the tractor accident which killed him. (1)

Principles of Reincarnation & Understanding Past Lives

Change in Religion: Mushir Ali was Muslim, but reincarnated into a Hindu family.

Past Life Talent & Behavior: As a child, Naresh would pretend that he was driving a horse cart. In addition, he would pray in the Muslim style.

Geographic Memory: Once brought to Kakori, Naresh was able to lead his group to his past life home and the family of Haider Ali.

Xenoglossy: Naresh was heard speaking Urdu, a language that was used by the Muslim community, but not in Naresh’s family. As such, this represents a case of xenoglossy, where a language from a past lifetime is retained in a subsequent lifetime.

Reincarnation & Birth Defects: Naresh had a depression on his chest wall which seemed to reflect the broken ribs that Mushir incurred when struck and killed by a tractor.

Relationships Renewed through Reincarnation: Naresh was reunited with his past life family, the family of Haider Ali, who accepted Naresh as the reincarnation of their deceased son, Mushir Ali.

Footnotes

1. Pasricha, Satwant K., Can the Mind Survive Beyond Death, Volume 1, Harman Publishing, New Delhi, 2008, pages 159-161

Reincarnation Case of Elsagene | Tikvah Dobsch with Past Life Phobias, Nightmares and a Near Death Experience

Reflections on Reincarnation and a Child’s Life Cut Short was influenced by flashes of memories of a past life that recurs as nightmares on Tikvah Feinstein. She hears about Elsagene, but then she searched for concrete proof that indeed she, Tikvah is Elsagene’s reincarnation.

Case Proposed by: Ruth Dobsch, Tikvah’s Mother

Researched by: Tikvah Dobsch

Narrative by: Tikvah Dobsch

Tikvah Dobsch, her Childhood Past Life Phobias & Fear of Dying Young

My name is Tikvah Feinstein. I was born Tikvah Dobsch in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1944. We were a family of eight siblings. I am the sixth child born alive to the late Ruth and Rudolph Dobsch. My father emigrated from Sudeten, on the German border with Czechoslovakia as a youth. He worked in the steel mills. My mother, a US native, was a homemaker. My parents were raised Christian, but my mother, Ruth, converted to Judaism at about the time of my birth. I was raised Jewish. Neither of my parents graduated from high school, but that was not unusual for the time.

As a child, I had displayed acute phobias. I could not bear having anything around my throat, especially anything that was tied like a scarf. I could not swallow pills. I would panic immediately if a door was stuck or would not open. I absolutely avoided the dark.

As a toddler I refused to go to sleep due to my fear of the dark. Mother had to rock me, hold me while I sobbed until I fell asleep each evening before darkness set in. I had terrifying nightmares and would wake in cold sweats. The nightmares were about being held down and I could not call out for help, though I knew there were people in other rooms nearby, who would hear me if only I could scream to them for help. In the dream, my mouth is clamped shut and I can only moan through my teeth. I awoke to my own deep throaty awful sounds. The nightmares intensified during adolescence and continued into adulthood.

Death was a horror to me, a dreadful condition. I was acutely aware of death and instinctively feared dying young.

Tikvah’s First Grade School Photo and a Young Girl Found Dead in a Bathroom

My life became happier when I became old enough to go to school. I was excited about learning and thrilled by every new thing in my life. In first grade, we were having school pictures taken. To get me ready for the photo shoot, my mother cut, washed and combed my hair in a shorter than usual style.

It was at that time, in 1950, while getting me ready for my first grade photo, perhaps stimulated by a physical resemblance made clear by my new haircut, my mother shared a story regarding a girl who died 6 years before I was born. I remember the conversation with my mother vividly. It would be hard not to remember. The death of a child can never be an easy conversation.

The girl, Elsagene, my mother continued, was found dead one evening in the bathroom of the boarding house where she lived with her mother, whose name was Etta. The door was locked, my mother quickly added, as if that provided an explanation. My mother added that Etta ran a brothel.

The Sexual Abuse of Elsagene and her Desire to have Ruth as her Mother

Prior to Elsagene’s death, my mother said Elsagene had complained that she was very unhappy about intense physical tickling to the point of making her cry that she often endured from her mother’s boyfriend. Elsagene pleaded to be able to stay with my mother. Elsagene begged her, “Please, let me stay with you. Why can’t you be my mother?”

My mother, Ruth, explained that she had pity for Elsagene and wanted to help her, but my mother at the time was only a teenager herself, an orphan who lived with her deceased mother’s sister, Elsie and her husband, Eugene.

Ruth Believes Tikvah is the Reincarnation of Elsagene

My mother then shared that she thought that I was Elsagene reborn. She was serious, but I’m not sure I even then understood or believed her.

To hear this story so young I was shocked, and at five or six years of age too immature to understand. At that young age, I had already been introduced to death. I knew of twin brothers, my parents’ premature first-born babies, who had died at birth. I also knew of the deaths of two neighbor children, one by drowning and one of disease, but it disturbed me greatly that a child can die alone in the bathroom!

Further, how could I be the dead girl? I wasn’t dead. I was living.

Life Goes On but Past Life Nightmares Increase

Aside from being present during several conversations concerning Elsagene that took place between my mother and her sister, that is all I knew about the little girl who was found dead in the bathroom of the boarding house where she lived. I let it go. What else could I do? Elsagene’s death remained a mystery for over 60 years of my life.

As an adolescent, though, my terrifying nightmares increased, nightmares of being held down, of something pressing down on me, of something clenching my jaw shut so that I was unable to open my mouth to call for help, all the while knowing that there were people in other rooms who would help me if I could just scream. I would wake up still paralyzed, terrified in a cold sweat. I was trapped in a body that would not move. I would not be able to move for some time after waking. I wouldn’t dare to go back to sleep for fear that I would have another nightmare.

Sometimes the nightmares began as a dream that suddenly became terrifying, always with a similar theme. One began with (I find this strange) a bird, high in a tree, staring at me, always the angry dark eyes, but I was not afraid at first. I saw the bird’s interest or anger, but I was aware in my dream that I was not doing anything to provoke the bird so I felt no threat. Until, that is, the bird with the angry eyes took off flying, dove suddenly at me and bit me, sank his beak into the skin of my hand. I could not shake him off as he hung on until he had bitten completely through the skin between my thumb and finger. He had clasped tight, until the flesh was cut completely through and there was nothing to hang onto. So released, the bird flew away, as it did it split into two birds. An identical bird of a gray color rose up from the body of the black bird. The dream is a metaphor of a violent death, as I see it now, taking into account the absolute terror and confusion I felt during and after the dream. In the dream, there is an attack, a struggle, and following a piercing injury, a spirit body is released, symbolizing death. I believe our spirits survive death. This belief is supported by an experience of a cardiac arrest in 2007, when I retained consciousness from above the chaos as the paramedics worked on my body.

In another nightmare that also began as a dream, an angry bull is staring at me with threatening eyes, pacing back and forth, glaring at me from within a corral. As he was penned, I wasn’t concerned. That is until the huge bull escaped the fence and rushed toward me.

Dreams like those immediately became the same nightmare. Always the same terrifying nightmare, with me being held down, unable to scream for help, knowing if only I could call out I would be helped. Waking in a cold sweat, I would be afraid to go back to sleep, anxious for weeks following. There were many such nightmares.

I also always had a persistent fear of dying young. I desperately wanted to live a long lifetime, like everyone, I suppose, but the possibility of early death was always in the back of my mind. It was an instinctual thing. I lived through a number of close calls in my life, but somehow I survived.

A Memoir and Discovery of a Photograph of Elsagene: A Past Life Physical Resemblance

In 2011, I began writing a memoir of my life and was in the process of asking family members for old photos. I had earlier received my first grade school photo. It was from among the possessions of my mother’s late sister. She had saved that photo of me all these years. If she hadn’t, I would not have seen it with my adult eyes.

At about that time, out of the blue, my sister arranged a meeting with a long-lost family contact, a relative of an in-law, who had boxes of old photos to share. She asked me to come along.

During the lunch meeting I asked the woman if she knew about a girl named Elsagene. I was curious to see a photo because of what my mother had told me as a child. I was surprised that my sister did not know of Elsagene. I find it revealing that this sister who arranged the meeting is about five years older than I, yet our mother Ruth never mentioned Elsagene to her.

I was stunned when the woman said yes, that she had heard of Elsagene, a daughter of her relative Etta. The woman related that when Etta became elderly, she lived with this woman’s family. She didn’t have a photo of Elsagene with her, but a few days later, she forwarded an image of Elsagene to me. When I saw it, I was startled, as I saw myself in the image of Elsagene. She looked like I did in my first grade school photo.

The photo of Elsagene made me reflect on what my mother said more than 60 years before, that she thought that I am the reincarnation of this girl who was found dead in a bathroom. It was at that point, in the year 2011, that I decided to research the life of Elsagene.

Who was Elsagene?

I learned that Etta, Elsagene’s mother, as a teenager had been hit by a trolley, which resulted in a life long disability which made it difficult for her to walk. Etta’s husband, John, had died at the onset of the Great Depression when their youngest child, Elsagene, was just three years old. After John’s death, their older children, a son and a daughter, began living on their own.

Etta and her daughter, Elsagene, moved into the boarding house, near where Etta’s brother, Eugene, and his wife, Elsie, lived. Recall that Elsie raised my mother, Ruth, after Ruth’s mother died. Elsie and Ruth’s mother were sisters.

As such, Elsagene and I are related not by blood, but through marriage. In fact, merging the names of Elsie, Etta’s sister-in-law, and Eugene, Etta’s brother, was how the name Elsagene was created.

The Sexual Abuse of Elsagene

To make ends meet after her husband John died, Etta worked for people who ran a Speakeasy and brothel on the North Side of Pittsburgh during Prohibition and the Great Depression of the 1930s. Etta met a man through her employment who became a boyfriend. Recall that my mother shared that Elsagene complained that her mother’s boyfriend tickled her to the point of making her cry. Etta’s boyfriend was apparently sexually abusing Elsagene.

Children don’t leave a lot of footprints of their lives. It had seemed, while researching, for so long, that she just disappeared. But I did find out some information through census and other records. Through my research, I obtained Elsagene’s death certificate, which, coincidentally, I was able to obtain even though I am not related by family, when in 2010 it had been enacted to law that death records become public 50 years after the death of a resident of Pennsylvania.

Elsagene’s Autopsy Findings are Consistent with Tikvah’s Past Life Nightmares of being Strangled

I found her name in the indices and that she died on October 25, 1938. Although it was widely known that she died at home, the death record has recorded that it occurred at Allegheny General Hospital.

There was an autopsy. A subarachnoid hemorrhage was found at the base of her brain. Essentially, a blood vessel ruptured in her neck under her brain and bled into the space where spinal fluid bathes the brain and spinal cord, causing a dangerous increase in pressure on the brain. According to articles I read about the condition, this is a common injury found in shaken baby syndrome. Also, it can be brought on by choking and other violence to the head and neck, or extremely rarely can be spontaneous if a defect is present. Either way the result is a thunder-clap headache, weakness, paralysis and death.

Reflections on Reincarnation and a Child’s Life Cut Short

After seeing the photo of Elsagene in 2011, I understood the nightmares of my childhood and adolescence. I have gathered a snapshot from Elsagene’s life. I have not solved the mystery of why, only what she died from and when she died.

For my part in this I have given voice to the girl who was silenced, who by her haunting reached out to me, to herself, through time and space to inhabit the world again within these pages of written words. I will share one last dream.

Tikvah’s Past Life Death Dream

In a dream I am lying on a bed. It is evening and a man, who is familiar to me, is sitting on the bed. We are both above the blankets. It feels safe and natural, like we have been together like this many times. I am on my back at the bottom, just small enough to fit with my legs bent slightly across the width of the full bed. I turn to my side. The room is bright and warm. The man makes a stiff figure sitting on the bed toward the head, reading something, intensely reading a page that is spread open, a neat fold in the center, it is shaped like, looks like a letter. I can only guess.

He is studying the information, numbers or a report or something with words on a page. He holds the letter up in his shaking hand and I see the sides of the folded paper bounce and tremble. That’s an odd reaction to a letter taken out of an envelope, I think. I don’t pay much attention. I am busy with reading a comic book. Even though I know he is upset about what he is reading, I don’t feel threatened. His eyes are glued on figures or something, impressing me that he has to somehow change the news he is reading. He is reading it over and over. It is important to him, but I am not aware of the disclosures and don’t believe I am involved in it, except for seeing how upset the man is. I do not feel I can do anything except remain quiet. I am not afraid. Even when the distressed man turns his attention to me.

Even when he makes a groan and says something I can’t make out in a low steady voice and moves towards me. Even when he reaches rather slowly up to my throat and gently wraps both hands around my neck. I am stunned. I am familiar with his touching, but not on my neck. I turn to face him. His eyes are scary. His pupils gone big and black as night. I jerk away from his hands. He tightens his lips, grimaces, hisses, and squeezes my neck with both large hands that surround my ears and neck completely. Again and again in bursts of great strength and what seems like anger, he squeezes. I hear the trapped air, as it rushes out of my ears, each time he moans, and grips his hands tighter around my neck, shaking my head back, like a whip, harder with each grasp.

There is extreme pain in my neck and head, an overwhelming terror and confusion take me over until I am consumed by a heaviness. My arms fall away from my body, my legs are exploding with electric shocks and I find I can’t lift them. My jaw becomes tight, then lax, like a seizure. My back arches and then my entire body goes limp. The pain in my head feels like thunder, like my brain has exploded. I think of my mother. I desperately want my mother. But she is not there. The last thing I see is his face, the expression of hate or something like it, his eyes gleaming, his breaths rapid. I am like a chicken gone limp, all the air is pushed out of me. He keeps pressing. I can’t breathe in. I am terrified, but can’t scream out. I know there are people in the other rooms; if I could cry out they would hear and help me. The world goes black. I wake up with a start. I am thinking of Elsagene.

That was my last nightmare. I am happy to share that I have not had nightmares since 2008 or so. It seems that the integration of my phobias and nocturnal fears with her life and death have brought peace to my soul.

What Happened to Elsagene?

What happened to Elsagene? If Etta knew, she never told. She died an old woman and is buried beside her husband in United Cemetery, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. I was told during a phone contact with United Cemetery that there is no record of Elsagene McCormick being buried there, although it is stated on her death record she was taken there.

If Elsagene has another life as me, she wasn’t a lonely child. Born into a large family, the sixth of eight children, she spent a childhood in many locations where she would discover and enjoy the outdoors enormously. She had early talents of art and writing, played the violin and guitar and wrote songs as a teen, would grow up to marry and divorce, learn empathy for Etta’s struggles by becoming a single mother of a daughter herself. She would become a nurse, earn a degree in English Writing from the University of Pittsburgh, work as a reporter, creative writer and editor, author several books, display her art, and by an astounding coincidence, she would be guided to rediscover her former self. I am telling you the story of Elsagene. That’s amazing enough, either reincarnation or coincidence. And this time she or I or we are leaving this record of a life or two. We will rediscover ourselves when or if we will live again.

“We are closer to God when we are asking questions than when we think we have the answers.”-Abraham Joshua Heschel

“The opposite of good is not evil, it is indifference.” – Abraham Joshua Heschel

Postscript by Walter Semkiw, MD

Though Tikvah’s story is very compelling and stands on its own, I did review it in session with Kevin Ryerson. Ahtun Re, the spirit guide channeled through Kevin who has demonstrated an ability to make past life matches with a high degree of accuracy, agrees or affirms that Tikvah Dobsch is the reincarnation of Elsagene. The work I have done with Kevin can be reviewed at: Ryerson-Semkiw Reincarnation Research

Principles of Reincarnation & Understanding Past Lives

Physical Resemblance in Reincarnation Cases: There is a similarity in facial archtecture or bone structure observed in the images of Elsagene and Tikvah, which apparently was observed by Ruth, Tikvah’s mother, which prompted Ruth to disclose to Tikvah that Ruth believed that Tikvah is the reincarnation of Elsagene. Physical resemblance would be appreciated better if the photos were taken with similar expressions. Tikvah in her first grade photo has a wide grin, whereas Elsagene is captured with a smile.

Relationships Renewed through Reincarnation and Planning of Lifetimes: Prior to her death, Elsagene shared with Ruth the sexual abuse that she was enduring. Elsagene expressed unhappiness regarding her living situation and asked whether Ruth could be her mother. Six years after her death, Elsagene indeed appears to have been born to Ruth as Tikvah, which shows how souls can plan their lives and choose their parents.

Past Life Phobias & Nightmares: Tikvah had phobias as a child which seem to reflect being trapped in a room and being strangled to death in a past lifetime, which appears to have been the manner in which Elsagene died.

It is important that these phobias started before Ruth, Tikvah’s mother, told Tikvah at 5 years of age that she believed Tikvah is the reincarnation of Elsagene. If the phobias started after Ruth shared her belief that Tikvah is Elsagene reborn, the phobias could be attributed to suggestion.

Note: An earlier brief version of this reincarnation story and the photos are published in Music From a Broken Violin: A Memoir by Tikvah Feinstein, Taproot Press, 2011. Some part of the story of Elsagene will appear in Taproot Literary Review Edition 25 in 2014.

Past Life Dreams & Memories-ET or Spirit Being Contact: The Reincarnation Story of Belle Starr | Karen Pigott

Karen Pigott has a recurring childhood Past Life Dream. She discovered the truth behind her dreams with the help of a mechanical sounding entity telling her enough information about her dreams bridging it to her present day’s reality.

How Derived: Spontaneous Dreams in Childhood of a Past Lifetime

Researcher: Karen Pigott

Narrative by Karen Pigott, Edited by Walter Semkiw, MD

Belle Starr: February 5, 1848-February 3, 1889, Born in Missouri

Karen Pigott-Born in 1957 in Missouri

Karen Pigott’s Recurring Childhood Past Life Dream of Being Shot off a Horse

Karen is a registred nurse who works in a hospital surgical unit in Colorado. She has also worked in emergency rooms, as well as other medical settings. As a young child, she started having dreams of a past lifetime as a woman outlaw.

Karen’s past life memory provided below, which occurred when she was five years old, is the last event in Belle Starr’s life.

“As I rode even to the spot where he stood behind the bush I heard a loud blast and felt searing pain strike me in my upper left back, neck and face. I fell to the ground and lay on the damp earth. I was lying on my stomach and tried to raise myself up with my arms and was only able to lift myself up just a tiny bit and as I did this a second blast from the shotgun was fired into me.”

It is unusual for a five-year-old girl to have a recurring dream of being shot in the back, off a horse. Karen did not attempt to validate her memories until she was 14 years old. In the narrative that follows, after each memory is described, her validation of the memory through historical research is presented. Place your cursor on image comparisons to enlarge and the arrow keys to scroll on the enlarged image,

Please note that the strength of this reincarnation case rests upon the extremely detailed memories of a past lifetime that Karen, as a child, accessed through dreams, which were later historically validated. Karen experienced these memories long before she read anything about Belle Starr.

Karen’s Childhood & Her Desire to Learn about a Past Lifetime in the Wild West

Karen grew up in Raytown, Missouri, a suburb of Kansas City. In 1967, when Karen was nine years old, her family moved to Torrance, California, as her father was hired by the company, TRW. In 1972, when Karen was 14, her family moved back to Missouri.

At this time, Karen started to read about women outlaws in an attempt to identify a past lifetime that she saw in her dreams. As such, Karen began trying to validate her memories 9 years after her recollections of a past lifetime started to occur. Karen explains:

“In the summer of 1972, I started to become more and more interested in reincarnation. I felt like I was being either guided or pushed into my pursuit by something, I did not know what. My mother and I would go to the library for books and I would get books on past lives. I became driven in my pursuit to find out who I had been. All I had to go on was all my dreams that I had about the Wild West.

I came up with an idea one day that I should get books on women in the Wild West. I reasoned that it should not be too hard to find this past lifetime, as I didn’t think many women in that era had been shot off a horse, because men did not treat women that way.

To save time, I decided to just read the last few pages of these books to see how these women died. I read about Calamity Jane, Cattle Kate, Big-Nose Kate, Belle Boyd, Little Britches, Cattle Annie and Belle Starr.”

Belle Starr was Shot in the Back Off her Horse: A Scene from Karen’s Past Life Dream

“When I read how Belle Starr had been shot off her horse I became excited, almost hysterical. I had never heard of Belle Starr prior to this moment. I ran down our stairs to the kitchen where my mother was cooking. I said ‘Mom I know who I was! I was Belle Starr, have you heard of her?’

She replied that she had and told me of movies that had been made about Belle. I do not think at that point my mother believed that I was Belle Starr in a past lifetime, but she soon would. Even the name Belle Starr was familiar to me, as familiar as my own name.”

The Story of Missouri and the American Civil War

Historical points that will help the reader understand events in Belle Starr’s life involve Missouri’s situation during the US Civil War. Missouri was a border state between the North and South, in which pro-Union and pro-Confederate forces both existed within Missouri. Missouri citizens were in conflict over the issue.

When the Union, or North, won the war, sanctions were placed on Confederate supporters. In addition, violent grudges existed based on relatives being killed during the war. Some Confederate supporters, rather than acquiescing to Northern sanctions and domination, took to a life of crime. Belle Starr and the people around her were in this camp.

The Killing of Belle Starr’s Brother turns Belle into a Confederate Outlaw

Belle Starr’s brother, whose name was Bud, was a Confederate sympathizer and he served with Quantrill’s Raiders, a Confederate militia group. Union soldiers surrounded a house in Missouri that he was being sheltered in and Bud was killed as he tried to escape.

When her brother was killed by the Union Army, Belle became a Confederate sympathizer and she became acquainted with other Confederates who became outlaws, such as the Jessie James and Frank James, and the Younger brothers, led by Cole Younger.

With this introduction, Karen’s past life memories and other experiences will be presented in her own words.

A Childhood Spirit Being or Extraterrestrial Experience at Age 5, 1963 in Raytown (Kansas City), Missouri

“I was 5 years old in 1963. We were living in Raytown, Missouri at the time. Raytown is a suburb south of Kansas City, Missouri. One night my older brother, Rob, wanted to show me a book of his on the stars, planets, solar system and galaxies. The book he was showing me was a book and record combo. A narration by Walter Cronkite went along with the pictures. After a couple of minutes Rob asked if I would like to see the Big Dipper. I did not know what a Big Dipper was, but went to the window so that he could point it out.

As I looked up at the sky in the direction over our neighbor’s house to the south of us, I immediately saw a huge white light. It moved back and forth and from side to side gently. I then heard a mechanical male sounding voice asking me: ‘Can you see us?’

I started screaming and crying. I then heard the voice say. ‘Do not be afraid, we won’t hurt you.’ I told my brother to make it go away.

He could not hear the voice or see the light. I ran and hid under his bed but could still hear that voice telling me to come back to the window. I said ‘no, no,’ over and over but eventually, I went back to window because that voice kept saying ‘come back to the window, we won’t hurt you.’

I then heard that voice ask ‘What is your name, how old are you?’ The next thing I remember is the sound of my mother running up the stairs yelling for us to stop fighting.

My brother told her we were not fighting and that ‘Karen is afraid of the Big Dipper.’ I told my mother about what I saw. Realizing that something had scared me she suggested that all of us go out to the front yard and I could point out what had frightened me in the sky.

It was a clear, cool night. We all went outside and then my mother asked if what I saw was still up there, but it was gone.”

A Mechanical Extraterrestrial or Spirit Being Voice Tells Karen She was a Horse Thief in a Past Lifetime

“I believe it was the next night that I had a strange dream. In it I heard that same mechanical voice telling me that I had lived before and that I was a horse thief. In this dream I was shown an image of a young girl with dark hair and wearing a long skirt.

Every night after I saw the light in the sky, I had these kinds of dreams. It was always narrated by this male voice. It was like I was being taught something. I remember in one dream the voice told me that:

‘The entity that is your brother is one that you were married to in your past life.’

I had never heard the word ‘entity’ before, but to this day I remember that word was the one that was used. I told my brother about all of this, but he became afraid and begged my mother for me to stop talking about past lives.”

Karen Sparks an Interest in Reincarnation & Tells her Mother that She Chose Her as a Parent before She was Born

“My mother did not know what to say to me but she became interested in reading books on reincarnation. She did not believe in that subject until I started telling her about my dreams and past life. She recalls that as a child, I had told her that I picked out my parents for this life and that we all do.”

Karen Hides Herself from the Extraterrestrial or Spirit Being Mechanical Voice under Stuffed Animals

“I soon became afraid to sleep in my room after having so many strange dreams. I was being pestered by the ‘dreams.’ Every night I would go out in the hallway after everyone was asleep and cry. I was so afraid. I begged my parents to let me sleep in their room. I was allowed a few times but my parents got tired of it and I was told to go back to my room.

I asked them to put my bed behind my door. I would then have the door open so my bed was partially hidden. I put all my stuffed animals on top of me so no one would know I was there. I tried everything to hide from my night-time guests. My brother to this day remembers when I was afraid of the Big Dipper. For several years I believed the Big Dipper to be one giant light in the sky.”

Karen’s Past Life Dream & Memory, at age 5 in 1963, of Being Shot Off a Horse & Killed by Shotgun Blasts

‘When I was around 5 years old, in 1963, while we were living in Raytown, Missouri, I had a recurring dream in which i was shot off the back of a horse. The dream always started out the same way. I was accompanying a man to a farmhouse. The next morning we say goodbye and he left through the back door and rode away. I watched him ride off and then I rode back the way we had come the day before.

After riding for a bit I noticed that I was being followed by this man who was supposed to be going into town. I wondered why he was following me and expected him to catch up to me to explain what he was doing. He just kept following me.

I stopped at a friend’s house for a rest and then started back home. I did not see this man behind me but I still felt uneasy about him. I finally made my way down a trail towards a river. I saw out of the corner of my eye this man. He was hiding behind a bush but he was hardly concealed by it. He was wearing a bright shirt, white I think. I did not know if I should speak to him or just pretend I did not see him. I decided to ignore him and not take him seriously, but I should have. I saw that he had a shotgun raised in his arms.

As I rode even to the spot where he stood behind the bush, I heard a loud blast and felt searing pain strike me in my upper left back, neck and face. I fell to the ground and lay on the damp earth. I was lying on my stomach and tried to raise myself up with my arms and was only able to lift myself up just a tiny bit and as I did this a second blast from the shotgun was fired into me. I fell back to the ground. I recognized the man who shot me as my Uncle Floyd in this life. In the dream, he was an Indian.”

Walter’s Questions: “How many times did you have this dream? In your contemporary lifetime at the age of 5, did you live around horses? Did the dream correspond to any events that you saw on television or heard about from other sources?”

Karen’s Answers: “I had this dream of being shot in the back off a horse approximately 4 to 5 times during my childhood. I had no horses around me other than what I would see on farms while driving on the highway. This dream did not correspond to any event that I had seen on television or heard about.”

Walter’s Questions: “In the dreams, did you feel physical pain when you had the dream? As a 5-year-old, how did you react to this dream? Did you tell your parents about it? If so, how did they react? Would your parents be able to talk about these childhood dreams of yours?”

Karen’s Answers: “At the moment of impact I would feel a temporary sensation of pain but it was very quick and instantly went away. I was not sure how to act at age 5 to this dream. I initially told both of my parents about the dreams, but my mother was more receptive.”

Karen’s Historical Validation of Her Dreams: “In the summer of 1972, when I was 14 years old, I was reading the book Belle Starr, the Bandit Queen by Burton Rascoe. On pages 233-236, I came across the chapter of Belle Starr’s death. Her death and the events leading up the death were all described in this book. Everything that I had dreamed of being shot off a horse was written in this book.”

Note regarding image comparison: Facial features would be more similar if Jim July Starr and Uncle Floyd were captured in the same pose. In the photos presented, Jim July Starr holds his head backwards, while Uncle Floyd holds his head slightly downward.

Karen’s Interpretation of her Past Life Death Dream at 5 Years of Age: A Past Life Relationship Revealed

“From the book, I now understood the dream I had when I was 5 years old. I realized that the person who shot me, Jim July Starr, was my Uncle Floyd in my current lifetime. My Uncle Floyd and Jim July Starr have a very similar physical appearance. Jim was a Cherokee Indian and I had married him so that we could live in the Indian Territories, away from the Missouri law.

I could now recreate the details of the recurring dream that I had since I was 5 years old. Jim and I were visiting a friend’s house and we later left. I was going back to our home in the Indian Territories, while Jim had to go to Fort Smith to face charges of theft. In the dream, while I was riding home, I soon sensed that someone was following me. I now realized it was Jim. That was strange, I thought. Maybe he changed his mind about going to Fort Smith.

He never caught up with me but instead stayed back a comfortable distance. I stopped by another neighbor to chat along the way back and I think this is when Jim rode past me. I left the neighbors home and continued on my way. I almost made it to the river’s edge when I was shot in the back and neck. I saw that it was Jim.

I was not close to my Uncle Floyd. He was nicer to my brother than me. My mother had told me that my uncle did not like women very much and I had the same impression of him. My Uncle Floyd was half Indian, while in my dream, I saw him as a full-blooded Cherokee.”

Walter’s Questions: “How did you react when you read this account? How did your parents react?”

Karen’s Answers: “I did not want to think that the man in this dream was my Uncle Floyd. I could not ignore the similarities, not only regarding the face but the way he stood. The mannerisms were all the same. When I read about Jim July Starr, I also noticed that the manner of speech was the same.

It is written that when Jim July was planning on the murder of his wife, he needed to borrow a gun. He borrowed a shotgun from a local farmer’s son. Jim July Starr told him he needed to, ‘Kill some fox that had been killing his chickens.’ My uncle would word sentences this way.

In the dream, I noticed that the stance that Jim July held, when he aimed the shotgun, is the same stance that my Uncle had a habit to maintain.”

Karen’s Past Life Dream & Memory, at Age 12, of Belle Starr’s Burial with Cornbread thrown into the Casket

“I had dream in 1970, when I was 12 years old and while we were living in Torrance, California, which added details to the event in which I had been shot off my horse. As I lay on the dirt after being shot, I was aware that my daughter was riding fast to the spot where I lay after she had been told of my death. I watched her from above riding down a trail and crossing a river.

In this dream, I also saw a scene in which my body was being prepared for burial. I was placed in a coffin and people filed by to pay respects. The Indians who attended the funeral threw pieces of cornbread into the casket as they walked past my body. I did not like seeing this and thought it was dirty.

In this dream, I was out of my body at times and I was also in it at times as well. I do not know why this was. Maybe I had second thoughts about leaving?”

Karen’s Historical Validation of Her Dream: “Two years later, when I was 14, I read Glenn Shirley’s book, Belle Starr and Her Times, The Literature, the Facts, and the Legends, and on page 240, this incident is described. It is mentioned that the Cherokee people did throw cornbread into Belle’s casket, based on an old Cherokee custom.”

Walter’s Question: “How did you react when you read about the Cherokee people throwing cornbread into Belle’s coffin?”

Karen’s Answer: “Reading about the cornbread was more than coincidental for me. In the dream I did not like cornbread being thrown into my coffin, but I could not do anything about it.”

Karen’s Past Life Dream & Memory, at 12 or 13 Years of Age, of Warning Confederate Soldiers of Union Troops

“I was riding in the countryside and came upon a quaint home with Union soldiers milling about. I stayed overnight with this family. I pretended to be worried about staying out later than I should and that my family would be worried about me. I did this so the soldiers would not be suspicious of me. I may have also said that it was too late for me to start back home and needed to stay the night.

I realized that this family consisted of Union sympathizers, with Union troops staying with them. I knew that this information would be vital to the Confederates.

I ate dinner with this family and their guests. I played the piano for them and then the Union troops left the house. I was alone in this house and standing on the stairway listening to a conversation outside between the family patriarch and a military man. I realized that my brother was in danger, as the Union troops were looking for him.

I stayed the night at this house. The next morning I had my horse brought to me and as I was getting ready to leave, I broke off a branch of some bushes. The daughter of the family was standing there watching me. I had the feeling that the family did not trust me. As I rode off I muttered something like ‘I will beat them.’ I think it meant that I would beat the troops into town. (I noticed that the daughter was a little overweight with light brown hair).

I rode fast and hard and came to a clearing in the woods. The trail went down into the clearing and then it went uphill and curved to the right. In the clearing some Confederate troops were doing chores. I rode past and as softly as I could speak I gave these men the location of the house where the Union troops were.”

Walter’s Questions: “Why did you pretend to be worried about staying out late? How did you know that the Union troops were talking about your brother, as opposed to someone else? Did they use your brother’s name from that lifetime?”

Karen’s Answers: “I had to pretend to worry about staying out late because women just did not do that kind of thing then. I also did not want to arouse suspicion.

I knew the Union troops were looking for my brother because he had made their lives miserable. After I had played the piano everyone retired for the night. It was getting dark. I was preparing to go upstairs for bed when I heard a visitor outside talking to the owner of the house.

I stood on the third stair listening and I heard my brother’s name mentioned. The troops were looking for him. I knew I had to get home early so I could warn him. My brother and I were well-known in the area.”

Karen’s Historical Validation of her Dream: A year or two after this dream, in the book Belle Starr by Rascoe, Belle’s daring ride to save her brother Bud is described in detail. This ride is also mentioned in Belle Starr by Glenn Shirley, pages 49-51.

Karen’s Past Life Dream & Memory in 1971 of Receiving Her Brother’s Body and Harassing Union Soldiers

“I had a dream when I was 13 years old, in which I had accompanied my father to retrieve the body of my brother. The wagon did not have a cover over it. It had what I think is called a buckboard in the front.

I went into the house with my father to where my brother’s body was kept. We brought out his belongings first which included his gun. I sat in the wagon while my father went to get his body.

There were Union troops milling around saying unpleasant things about my brother and some of the comments were directed towards me. I picked up my brother’s gun and pointed it at the troops, but they just laughed at me.

During the ride back home my father was very angry about the incident. He said that I should have kept my cool and should not have brought any further attention to the family. I would not look his way and just stared out toward the country side. It was a hot day and humid.”

Walter’s Questions: “How did you know it was Belle’s father in the dream?”

Karen’s Answer: “I recognized him as my father as we had the same relationship as we did in this life. He was an authority figure to me. I also had a short dream when I was a child (in this life) in which I was outside a small cabin. Inside was my mother and she was brushing her hair. I kept asking her where my father was. My father then walks out into the clearing to our cabin. He had been away on a trip. I had been told he had to go to the capital. I guess that meant the capital of Missouri. My father looked pretty much the same. He was the same soul as my father.”

Walter’s Question: “How did you know that Belle’s father reincarnated as your father.”

Karen’s Answer: “Belle’s father in the dream had my father’s mannerisms, way of talking and expression in his eyes that made me associate. In the dream, he had the same body build as he did in this life.”

Walter’ s Question: “How did you know that it was Belle’s brother in the dream?”

Karen’s Answer: “I remember the emotion of the dream and the anxiety from my parents. I noticed the way both parents reacted and how I felt. I felt like I had lost a close family member and I remember in the dream that the person was referred to as son//brother.”

Walter’s Question: “Do you know who Belle’s brother is in your contemporary lifetime?”

Karen’s Answer: “My brother in Belle’s lifetime seems to be my cousin first Steve. In the Belle lifetime we were very close.”

Walter’s Question: “Did you learn about Belle’s history before this dream?”

Karen’s Answer: “I did not learn of any of this before the dream. I did not know who Belle Starr was.”

Karen’s Historical Validation of Her Dream: “A year or two later, when I was 14, while reading the book on Belle Starr by Rascoe I realized that the events of this dream, of picking up a brother’s body, with harassing Union troops in the background, had occurred to Belle Starr. Belle had gone with her father to pick up the body of her brother Bud.”

Walter’s Comment: It is truly amazing that as a child you had such detailed memories that correspond so accurately to the lifetime of Belle Starr.

Karen’s Past Life Dream & Memory, at Age 14, of Taking a Photo with a Holster & Guns

“After the death of my brother, I went into a town with my mother to shop. I had put on his holster and guns. I did this to send a message to the Union troops that I meant the business of revenge for his death. My mother did not want me to wear them because she felt that I was just ‘asking for trouble.’

In order to make my point that I was serious about revenge, I had my picture taken wearing the pistols. My mother is off to the side watching the photo shoot. She was not very happy with me. I look over to my right in this picture because I felt looking directly right into the camera might be too harsh a look.”

Walter’s Questions: “How did you know the person in the dream was your mother? Was this incident historically confirmed?”

Karen’s Answer: “I would know my mother anywhere. You could blindfold me, take away my hearing and stand me in a room next to her and I would know her. We were very close. I have read that the day after Belle’s brother was killed, Belle and her mother went into a nearby town. I think Belle was wearing the gun belt, but I have never read that her mother accompanied her into the photo studio.”

Karen’s Past Life Memory, at Age 14 in 1972, of Being Locked in a Closet, with a Romantic Rescue

“I was sitting in a closet apparently locked in there for punishment. Later, when I was let out the closet and sitting in my bedroom, I noticed that someone is climbing up a ladder. The man is there to get me. It is dark outside. I climb down and find that there is a horse waiting for me as are several other people. The man that climbed up the ladder I realize is my brother in this lifetime.”

Note regarding image comparison: Facial features would appear more similar if Jim Reed and Rob were captured in the same pose. There is a resemblance noted in the eyes .

Karen’s Historical Validation: This incident is described in Belle Starr, by Burton Roscoe, page 121 and page 156. After reading this book, I had further insight about this dream:

“Belle had gotten pregnant out-of-wedlock. I did have a dream about having this baby. The father was Cole Younger, but he always denied it and denied knowing Belle Starr. This hurt Belle (me). I had met another outlaw who l knew as Jim Reed from Reed Hill Missouri. He wanted to marry me. He knew I had a baby that Cole had fathered but Jim said he wanted to help me and give the baby a last name. Jim came to visit me and the baby. I sat in the front room of a house and waited for him to come. He came in and proposed to me. I said I would but I did not know when.

For reasons that I do not know, my (Belle’s) parents hated Jim Reed and they locked me in the closet so that I would not be able to see him. Eventually, my parents let me out of the closet.

It was dark outside when I heard someone call my name. I looked out and it was Jim Reed, who was putting a ladder up to my window. He had come to elope with me. As soon as we were down the ladder we ran over to our horses and rode a short way. A group of men who were Jim’s friends were waiting. We were married right there by the leader of this group of outlaws. This man had been a preacher before he became an outlaw.

Jim Reed, the man I married, is my brother, Rob, in contemporary times. Recall that in my experience with the ‘bright light,’ when I was 5 years old, the mechanical male voice told me that my brother was my spouse in a prior lifetime. The voice was referring to my brother’s past lifetime as Jim Reed.”

Karen’s Past Life Dream & Memory, at Age 14, of Robbing a House

“I had a dream in which my brother in my current lifetime, Rob, I and another young man were up on a mound or rise of earth looking down towards a home. It was clear to me that we were going to rob this house. I was the one who went up to the door and knocked on it. As I did the other two behind me forced their way in. I was dressed in male attire so that no one would know my identity. We tortured this man to give us his gold. He lived and we all went to trial but he could not positively identify the men.”

Karen’s Historical Validation of Her Dream: “Burton Rascoe book, page 172. Jim Reed and Belle Star did rob a man as described in the dream.”

Karen’s Past Life Dream & Memory of her Husband’s Coffin and Defying the Law

“I am riding up to a building holding my daughter as I ride. I tie up the horse while looking at the building. I am aware that I am probably being watched. I do not want to go into the building but I have to. As I walk in with my daughter I notice approximately 4-5 men standing around a coffin which has been placed in the middle of the room. I am asked to ID the body as my husband, but I lie and say it is not him. I sense that the men are very disappointed. I left with my daughter feeling vindicated.”

Karen’s Historical Validation of Her Dream: “Scott, Belle Starr in Velvet, pages 82-83. After Jim Reed was shot and killed, Belle had to go identify the body. If I (Belle) could do that then the killers would get the reward money. I did not want that to happen so I walked in and said that the dead man was not Jim, but it was really him lying there.

Some books on the subject of Belle say that this is most likely did not happen, but I know it did.”

Karen’s Past Life Dream & Memory of Belle’s Son Riding Her Horse Too Hard and Giving Eddie a Whipping

“I am running into the horse stall and noticed that my horse had been ridden hard. I immediately go into the barn and find my son sleeping there. I am not too happy that he has taken it the night before and ridden it that way.”

Karen’s Historical Validation of Her Dream: “Belle Starr, by Burton Roscoe and Belle Starr by Glenn Shirley. Belle did not get along with her son Eddie who was fathered by Jim Reed. Belle gave Eddie a severe whipping with a riding crop after he had taken her prized black stallion for a ride to a party in a nearby town. He had ridden it hard and in the morning Belle discovered that Ed had fallen asleep in the barn. Ed never forgave Belle for the whipping. This was an emotional dream for me, it was horrible.”

Walter’s Question: Do you know who Eddie Reed is in contemporary times?

Karen’s Answer: I am quite sure that Eddie reincarnated as my son, Mike Jr.

Karen’s Past Life Dream & Memory, at Age 13 & Prior to Reading About Belle Starr, of Her Husband Shooting a Man

“I was at home with a man who I think was my husband in that life. I hear a knock at the door and I answer the door. When I open and see the person standing there I start to smile, but just then my husband takes out his gun and fires into the man, killing him. I am very upset and watch my husband and some ranch hands take the dead man out to the yard next to the house. They all stand around him in a circle. I go and saddle up my horse because I do not want to be there, I have to get out. I ride past all the men and glare at my husband.”

Karen’s Historical Validation of Her Dream: “After the dream I read an account of this. I cannot find where it is.

I know that it happened though. I do not know why this man was killed. Belle was living with her second husband, Sam Starr, when one day a person came to the door. As I (Belle) opened the door, Sam pulled out a pistol and shot the visitor. I did not know why he did that. Sam and a bunch of the outlaws who were staying at our ranch took the body and buried it not too far from our house. It was reasoned that no one would think of looking there for a body. As described, I was very livid about him shooting a friend of mine and ran past the group of men to get to my horse. I saddled up and rode past the crew and as I did I glared at Sam.”

Note: Sam Starr is pictured to the right.

Karen’s Past Dream & Memory of Breaking Up Pearl’s Relationship with a Lover

“Belle’s daughter, Pearl, had a boyfriend who Belle did not approve of. Belle did not want Pearl to marry the boyfriend because he did not have enough money to support her. To break up the relationship, Belle sent Pearl out-of-town, not knowing that Pearl had become pregnant by this man.

While she was away, Belle wrote a letter to the boyfriend in which she pretended to be Pearl. In the letter, she wrote that she had married a man with money just like her mama wanted. It was a lie that worked. The man married another woman while Pearl was out-of-town.

When Pearl returned and happened to see her old boyfriend, they figured out Belle’s dirty scheme. In my dream, a close friend of the family knew of Pearl’s condition and mentioned it to Belle. Belle did not know anything about it and became irate. This close friend of the family was the town’s postmaster and had been like a grandfather to Pearl. It was not unusual for him to be confided in. When I (Belle) found out about Pearl being pregnant; I went ballistic and at first blamed the postmaster for being responsible for Pearl’s condition.”

Historical Validation: See below

Karen’s Past Life Dream & Memory of Playing a Joke on Pearl

“I am talking to an elderly neighbor who is a close friend. During our conversation, my daughter and her friend run by us giggling and having fun. It is around Halloween. I tell this neighbor that I plan on playing a prank on my daughter.

He gets serious and asks me if I think that would be a good idea since Pearl is in a ‘delicate way.’ I am shocked not knowing exactly what he is implying. When I realize that she is pregnant, I immediately react with anger and let him have it. I then go after my daughter.”

Walter’s Question: Is Pearl’s pregnancy and Belle’s rouse to get rid of the boyfriend documented in history books?

Karen’s Answer: “Yes, it is. When I had this dream I did not know what it was all about. The one thing that sets these dreams apart from other dreams is the emotions that are involved. The emotions are magnified. For this dream, I just had a dream talking to a neighbor and then he says something that just sets me off. I go and tell my daughter that I know about everything. I experience sadness and depression in this dream.”

Historical Validation: Pending

Karen’s Past Life Dream & Memory, at 12-13 Years of Age, of a German Photographer

“I was riding into town with a deputy sheriff to answer a charge of horse stealing. I am riding past store fronts and joke with the sheriff that I would like to go into a couple of the stores to shop. I ask him if he would mind waiting for me. I also tell him that I am tired of all the attention I get every time I come to town. As I ride towards the town I see a short bald man to my left motion for me to have my picture taken. He has an old-fashioned camera on a tripod. I tell him that I will stop on my way back home.

On my way back I see the little man with the German accent off to my right just ahead of me calling to me to have my picture taken. I tell him I have changed my mind and do not want the picture taken. He replies ‘You promised’.

He continues to ask me to change my mind. I finally look over to him while stopping my horse. I let him take the picture, but I pose with a smirk, and then continue on riding. Since I really did not want to have my picture taken, I did not want to smile at him so that is the reason for the smirk.”

Karen’s Historical Validation of her Dream: “This is a famous photograph featured in Rhoeder’s Gallery in Fort Smith. This photo is featured in the book by Glenn Shirley, page 196. This dream occurred before I read about Belle Starr”

Karen’s Past Life Dream & Memory, at Age 14, of Taking a Photo with Blue Duck

“I have been asked to take a picture with someone I hardly know. This person is a young man who has been in trouble with the law. I also am in trouble with the law and that is the reason the 2 of us are at the sheriff’s office. This man is named ‘Blue Duck.’ I agree to have my picture taken and so I just stand there. I am not happy with what I am wearing as I think the small print makes my hips look large.”Karen’s historical validation of her dream: “This photo is shown in Glenn Shirley book on page 197.”

Karen’s Plea on June 18, 1974, at Age 16, to Meet her Past Life Love, Cole Younger, in Contemporary Times

“As noted, when I was 14 years old, I had started reading about Belle Starr and came to believe that I was her in a past lifetime. By the age of 16, I had read much on Belle. I was impressed by one fact of Belle’s story and that is how much she loved Cole Younger. When I was about 16-17 years old, I said out loud, ‘If Belle (I) loved this man so much in that lifetime, please let me find him in this life.’”

Karen Meets her Past Life Love, the Reincarnated Cole Younger, at the Age of 19

“When I first saw my future husband, Mike, I was drawn to him. He looked so familiar. We met in the summer of 1977 when we both worked at the Broadway department store in Torrance, California. He walked by my counter at the start of our shift. I met him again 2 weeks later at Hermosa Beach, where a group of people from the store played volley ball every Sunday night. I met him on his 21st birthday. I am sure that we were destined to meet. We even remarked shortly after meeting each other that it seemed like we had been together forever.”

Karen’s Past Life Dream & Memories, at Age 23 in 1981, of Belle Starr’s Love of Cole Younger and of being Rejected

“In a dream, I am watching some men that have been visiting my family getting ready to leave. They are sitting on horses and talking to my parents. I am very much taken with the oldest man. He is sitting on the horse closest to me. I whisper something to him but he is not acting interested in me. He answers me in a somewhat louder voice and I am not happy with what he is saying to me. I am embarrassed as my parents can hear him as well.

I notice that he is wearing baggy western clothing; baggy pants, shirt, cowboy hat and boots. His voice has a slight Midwest accent. I realize that this man is my husband, Mike, in my current life and I love him very much. I do not like him very much in this dream. This dream happened after we were married in 1981 and were living in our first apartment.”

Historical Validation: I had clarification of this dream after reading a book about Belle. The men visiting my family were the Younger brothers. I think the James Boys were there as well. The person I was attracted to was Cole Younger. We were romantically involved and I (Belle) became pregnant out-of-wedlock. Cole was the father, but he would later deny that we had a romance.

In the dream, the Younger brothers were all on horseback and my parents went out to them to say goodbye. My parents threatened me to stay in the house and not come out, as they did not want me to say goodbye. I stayed in the house and watched everything from a window. An older man was keeping an eye on me so I would not run out. I do not know who this man was, but I think he was a relative. Anyway, I ran out to them and went directly to Cole and said good-bye.

Cole Younger & Belle Starr Get Romance Right This Time Around

“In our contemporary lifetimes, Mike (Cole) treats me like a princess and he loves me for who I am. We have a wonderful marriage and have been married for almost 29 years. I think we finally got it right this time around.

In 1981, when I had this dream in which I realized that Mike is the reincarnation of Cole Younger, I didn’t tell him of any of this. I wasn’t sure how he would respond. Again, I was 23 years of age when I realized that Mike was Cole, which was four years after we had met.”

Karen Reveals to Mike that She was Belle Starr in a Past Lifetime and that He was Cole Younger

Seven years later, in 1988, one morning I told Mike about my beliefs regarding reincarnation. I thought he would think I was crazy or something but instead he listened. I told him about discovering that my past life dreams were replicated in a couple of books and how odd that was for me.

I told him that I was Belle Starr in the past lifetime, as the dreams I had reflected events in her lifetime. I also told him that I think I knew who he was, but I did not reveal who I thought he was at that time.

I am amazed at how much Mike looks like Cole Younger. Even his two brothers resemble Cole’s two brothers. All brothers have an intense interest in the Civil War history and they even lived a few miles from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

As mentioned, I told him in 1988 that I thought I had been Belle Starr and would offhandedly joke about it from time to time. I finally told Mike that I though he had been Cole Younger in a past lifetime in the year 2000. He knew of my beliefs, but I was never sure of what he thought about all this in the year 2000.

At this time, I now believe he does, in fact, believe that I am the reincarnation of Belle Starr. Mike, by the way, is an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) charge nurse, who is a natural leader.”

At 42 Years of Age, in 2000, Karen gets Palpitations at the Past Life Location where Belle Starr Lived & Shopped

‘In the summer of 2000, my family and I took a trip back to Missouri. We drove there from Southern California. Along the way we went through Oklahoma and stayed at a hotel on Lake Eufaula. The hotel/resort was old and had not been remodeled since the early 70’s. It was hot and humid.

My husband knew the reasons why I wanted to go through that part of the country but my children did not know. We drove around the lake and went towards the dam. The roads were clear, a lot of people on boats and in the water.

As we drove past the dam going in an eastwardly direction, I began to experience nausea and light-headedness. My heart was racing and I felt skipped beats. This was all experienced in one certain area of the highway. I told my husband that I was ok and to keep going because I did not want to stop.

Walter’s Question: Is there any reason from Belle’s lifetime that you would experience nausea, light-headedness, etc, at that particular spot? Was Lake Eufaula a place Belle visited?

Karen’s Answer: “Belle’s home is very close to Lake Eufaula and the dam. Belle shopped in Eufaula many times.

A Past Life Reaction: Karen gets Sick at the Spot that Belle Starr was Murdered

“We eventually drove back to our hotel but went on the road that was on the other side of the river. When we reached a spot that was directly even to the spot on the other side of the river where I felt ill, I started feeling ill again. I could not wait to get out of that area. I also felt extreme sadness and depression.”

Walter’s Question: ” Is there a reason you would feel ill at this second spot? Why do you think you felt sadness and depression?”

Karen’s Answer: “I have discovered since the trip that it was on this stretch of road where Belle was murdered.”

Reincarnation & Similar Appearance: Mike Realizes that Karen Physically Resembles Belle Starr

“On our way to Missouri we went to see Fort Gibson, which had been a fort in that area for about 150 years. It felt very familiar to me. We made our way to Missouri and stopped in Carthage for lunch. We went on a sight-seeing trip. Carthage is the hometown of Belle Starr.

We stopped in the town’s museum and found it all interesting. My husband saw a picture of Belle Starr before I did. He came over to me and said:

‘I think you ought to see this.’ As I looked at the picture my husband said; ‘You have the same eyes and mouth.’ This was very emotional for me.”

When Karen is 46 Years Old, Her Mother Unexpectantly calls her by a Past Life Name, Belle Starr’s Nickname, “May”

‘In 2004, my parents were visiting us from Arizona. My mother and I always shared talks about spiritual matters. One morning during one of these conversations, my mother said something that was really odd. We were in my living room which was very bright, as I do not like to have a dark house. I like the sun to shine in and brighten the rooms. The glare was bothering her so she asked me to close the shutters in the room while we talked. She said:

‘May, will you please close the shutters; the room is too bright for me.’

I instantly got up and closed them, but realized that she called me ‘May.’

As I sat down my mother said, ‘Karen, I do not know why I called you that, that’s strange.’

I told her, ‘Mom–that was my nickname in my life as Belle Starr’.

It was a weird moment. My mother did not know anything about Belle except that she was an outlaw. I gave my mother a book to take home and read about Belle. I believe that my mother in this lifetime was also my mother in my lifetime as Belle, so my mother may have had an unconscious memory from that past lifetime.”

Walter’s Question: “Did your mother specifically deny reading about Belle previously? Did she deny knowing that Belle’s nickname was Belle? Are you sure that you did not tell your mother about the nickname May?

Karen’s Answers: “Yes, my mother denied reading anything about Belle Starr. It is my understanding that she did not like the fact that I could have been Belle Starr. She did not like anything related to the Wild West and especially a woman who could have been a bandit. I believe her because her interests in reading were mainly Hollywood biographies, spicy novels and mystery-intrigue novels.

I never told her about the nickname May. I myself did not know about it until 2003. All the books I read prior to that referred to Starr’s nickname as being Belle.

While my mother and I were talking at this point she seemed very tired. My mother was drifting in and out of sleep and was very relaxed. It is then that she asked me to close the blinds and she called me ‘May.’ My mother and father both passed away in 2005.

Similarities in Personality & Karen’s Reflections on her Past Lifetime as Belle Starr

“I find it interesting that I was born in Missouri in this life, just like last time. I have had an intense love of horses and would not mind having a gun, but I know that I will never buy one. Belle, of course, was an excellent horse woman and very skilled with guns. When I was little I had always thought that Kansas was a bad place but I do not know why I felt that way.

In this life I was an extreme tomboy and so was Belle. I would fight anyone who challenged me and Belle was like that as a child.

As noted, I firmly believe that my oldest son Mike Jr. was Eddie in the last life and my daughter Melissa was Pearl. She looks so much like Pearl. Melissa even sees the resemblance.

My parents were the same parents, as I had dreams about them and they were the same personalities. My brother was Jim Reed. My parents really catered to him. Perhaps they were making up for the way they felt about him in his past life.

I know that I did not like myself in the Belle lifetime and I feel my soul was ready to depart that life at the time it did. I am so aware of my actions now and how I appear to other people in that lifetime.

I do not want to make the same mistakes that I made before. I believe that we all have a blueprint of some sort for what we need to accomplish here on earth. My lessons this time around are about family, to be more inclusive with other people and to let other people shine. I also think that this blueprint/plan includes who we have in our lives and the number of children we have.”

Walter’s Question: ” You love to play golf. Are you a good shot in golf, like Belle was a good shot with guns?”

Karen’s Answer: “Yes, I have a strong swing. I drive pretty far (for a woman).”

Past Life Karma of Being an Outlaw

This case presents a chance to better understand karma, the principal that every action has an equal reaction or consequence. Karma will be discussed in greater detail in the section Soul Evolution. It is thought that karma can be worked out in two ways. An immature soul, who does not admit wrongs that have been committed, may need to experience these wrongs directly. In this way, karma is worked out in an “eye for an eye” manner.

More mature souls, in between lifetimes, acknowledge mistakes that have been made and proactively plan to compensate for wrong actions through positive service.

In this set of cases, Karen was the outlaw Belle Starr, while her husband, Mike, and his brothers were the outlaws Cole Younger and the Younger Gang. In their contemporary incarnations, all four of these individuals are in service fields. As noted, Mike, who led the Younger Gang as Cole, has demonstrated leadership again by becoming a respected ICU charge nurse. One of his brothers serves as the Chief Financial Officer of a physician’s group and his other brother has served as a firefighter.

By reincarnating into professions of service, it is proposed that Karen, Mike and his brothers are dealing with karma incurred during their outlaw lifetimes in a positive, constructive way. Instead of using violence against people, Belle Starr and the Younger Gang, in their contemporary lifetimes are using their skills to save lives. Rather than experiencing “eye for an eye” consequences, they are working off karma incurred in their prior lifetimes through service.

Principles of Reincarnation & Understanding Past Lives

As noted before, the strength of this compelling reincarnation case rests upon Karen’s very detailed memories of a past lifetime which were corroborated through biographies on Belle Starr. If this reincarnation case is accepted, it demonstrates the following principles:

Relationships Renewed through Reincarnation: Karen has made the following past life matches related to her case:

Belle Starr | Karen Pigott

Cole Younger | Mike Pigott

Younger Brothers | Mike Pigott’s Brothers

Eddie, Belle’s Son | Mike Pigott, Jr. son of Karen and Mike

Pearl Starr, Daughter of Belle Starr | Melissa Pigott, daughter of Karen and Mike

Jim Reed, First Husband of Belle | Rob, Karen’s Brother

Jim July Starr | Karen’s Uncle Floyd

Of greatest importance, Karen’s love in the past lifetime, Cole Younger, reincarnated as Karen’s husband Mike. In addition, Belle’s children in the past lifetime, Eddie and Pearl, reincarnated as Karen’s and Mike’s children Mike Jr. and Melissa.

Physical Resemblance: In the matches presented above, physical resemblances do exist, though some are stronger than others. Perceiving a strong physical resemblance is dependent on obtaining photographs of subjects in the same pose.

Geographic Memory: Karen had emotional and physical reactions at Lake Eufaula, locations where Belle Star had lived and shopped. She felt physically ill and experienced extreme sadness and depression at the location where Belle was murdered, which is similar to the reaction that Jeff Keene had when he was intuitively lead to the spot where he was almost killed in a past lifetime in the Civil War battle of Antietam.”

Planning Lifetimes: As a child, Karen spontaneously told her mother that she chose them as parents before she was born. This also occurred in the James Huston Jr. | James Leininger reincarnation case. If it is true that Karen, Mike and his brothers purposely reincarnated as nurses to work off karma in a constructive manner, then career planning is also observed in these cases.

Similarities in Linguistic Style: Karen described that Jim July’s written phrases were similar to the speech of her Uncle Floyd, who Karen has identified as the reincarnation of Jim July. Similarities in linguistic style were documented in the John B. Gordon | Jeff Keene reincarnation case through a formal linguistic analysis.

Innate Talents: Belle was an expert shot with rifles and pistols. Karen is an accomplished golfer and has an aggressive personality, as did Belle.

Extraterrestrial or Spirit Being Involvement: When Karen was five years old, she saw a bright light in the sky and heard a mechanical voice that told her that her brother in her current lifetime was her husband in a past lifetime. In addition, the mechanical voice told her that she was a horse thief in a past incarnation. After these incidents, Karen began experiencing vivid and detailed dreams that eventually led to her deriving her past lifetime as Belle Starr.

It is unclear whether this phenomenon represented a spirit being or perhaps an extraterrestrial source that was communicating to Karen. Other authors have described a mechanical voice as representing extraterrestrial communication.

One example involves Jack Sarfatti, PhD, a physicist who worked with Gary Zukov on The Dancing Wu Li Masters, a book on quantum physics. In an article in the April 2000 issue of Fate magazine, written by Preston Dennett, Sarfatti described his experiences with a mechanical sounding voice that was apparently generated by a computer on an alien spaceship. In this article, Sarfatti relates:

“In 1952 and 1953, when I was about 12 or 13 years old, I received a phone call…in which a mechanical sounding voice at the other end said it was a computer on board a flying saucer. They wanted to teach me something and would I be willing? This was my free choice. Would I be willing to be taught—to communicate with them? I remember a shiver going up my spine, because I said, ‘Hey, man, this is real.’ Of course, I was a kid…but I said, ‘yes.'”

Dennett continues the story: “Sarfatti was impressed. He ran and got his friends, and they gathered together in his bedroom, awaiting the upcoming promised contact. Unfortunately, nothing occurred, and Sarfatti assumed at first that it was just a clever practical joke. At this point, his memory of the event strangely ends. But according to Sarfatti’s mother, the first phone call was followed by a series of similar phone calls—each giving Sarfatti information that would leave him forever changed. Says Sarfatti:

‘My mother remembers this experience very well. It turns out that I had forgotten most of it. This was really something that occurred over several weeks. Apparently what happened, which is completely blanked from my memory but not from hers, was that I continually received phone calls, many phone calls from the same source. My mother says I was walking around really strange. She began to get worried about me. Finally, one day she picked up the phone, and she heard this computer. She remembers the voices…. She said, ‘Leave my boy alone!’ The Jewish mother talking to the flying saucer or whatever they were. And that was the end of it. We never got another phone call after that.'”

In his autobiography entitled, My Story, Uri Geller, a psychic with documented psychokinetic abilities such as bending spoons with his mind, also described contacts with alien beings that were facilitated by a mechanical sounding voice.

Extraterrestrial or ET Contact & Michael Tamura’s Clairvoyant Insights

I myself, Walter Semkiw MD, can share a similar experience. I was at a past life regression conference in Colorado Springs in 2006. I had just seen Barbro Karlen give a presentation regarding her past life memories of being Anne Frank. I was quite moved by her talk and reflected on how her presentation should be videotaped for greater access. I subsequently produced a videotape of Barbro, which is featured in Evidence of Reincarnation.

After Barbro’s presentation, I walked down the hallway and met Jeff Keene, who was also attending the conference. As I spoke to Jeff, my own voice had a strangely mechanical sound. At the same time, I felt pressure along the left side of my face. I thought this was extremely bizarre, as I had never heard my own voice sound mechanical before, nor have I experienced this since. I was also puzzled by the sensation of pressure on the left side of my face, which had never happened before, nor has it happened since.

I looked around and noted that there was a small dome above us and I attributed the mechanical sound of my voice to the dome, which I thought must have been producing an echo. On the other hand, I reflected that I didn’t hear an echo, rather, I heard my voice sounding mechanical.

Afterwards, I met with Michael Tamura, a spiritual teacher who has been clairvoyant since childhood. I told him about the strange experience I just had in which my voice sounded mechanical as I was speaking to Jeff Keene.

Michael told me that the reason that my voice sounded mechanical was that extraterrestrial beings were tuning into me, as they have a great interest in reincarnation research, which they perceive as a crucial step for humanity’s evolution. Michael also told me that the extraterrestrials had placed an energetic device on the left side of my face which allowed them to listen in on my conversation with Jeff. The translation device that the extraterrestrials used caused voices to sound mechanical.

What struck me was that I did not tell Michael about the sensation that I had of pressure on the left side of my face, when the mechanical character of my voice occurred. Michael’s ability to perceive a device on the left side of my face made me think that his explanation may be valid.

I myself am not clairvoyant nor had I had any other possible experiences with extraterrestrials, but Michael’s perception of an energy clamp on the left side of my face corresponded exactly to the sensation that I had while speaking to Jeff Keene. I know to the average reader, this experience that I had must sound very hard to believe, but it did happen.

My experience, Jack Sarfatti’s childhood experiences and Uri Geller’s story support that Karen’s experience with a strange mechanical sounding voice is not unique. There are many documented cases in which spirit being involvement has been observed in reincarnation cases. It is possible that in addition to spirit beings, extraterrestrial beings are coaxing us into learning about reincarnation and past lives.

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

This reincarnation case shows how artistic talent and even specific compostions can be carried over from one lifetime to another. Past life resemblance and a relationship renewed through reincarnation is also observed.

How Case Derived: Past Life Memories in Childhood, Spirit Being and Intuitive Guidance

Researchers: Peter Teekamp and Michelle Moshay

Website: https://www.facebook.com/PeterTeekamp.Artist

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

Preface: Artistic Development Replicated in a Reincarnation Case

The image comparison on the right demonstrates how Peter Teekamp unconsciously replicated the artistic development of Paul Gauguin. This image, as well as all the images on this page, can be enlarged by placing your cursor over the image. Peter did these sketches as a young man, decades before he ever saw the corresponding Gauguin sketches in his contemporary lifetime, showing how artistic development has been unconsciously replicated.

Peter didn’t fully accept being the reincarnation of Gauguin until 2005, when he attended a conference, which was kindly hosted by Norm Shealy, MD, PhD at his farm in Missouri. There, Peter met others, such as Norm and Wayne Peterson, who also knew of past lives. Peter’s story made more sense in the context of other reincarnation cases.

Peter was 55 years old at the time. I supported that Peter is the reincarnation of Gauguin, but noted that Peter’s paintings up to that point did not look like those of Gauguin. Rather, Peter’s work was more realistic and even surrealistic. An example of Peter’s contemporary work is the portrayal of the Moon, provided below. I asked Peter if he could paint like Paul, as this might help others consider that he might be is the reincarnation of Paul.

Subsequently, Peter effortlessly created a flood of paintings inspired by Paul Gauguin. On this web page, Gauguin’s paintings are compared with those done by Peter. A symbolic or synchronistic event is seen in Peter’s creation of these paintings at the age of 55, as Paul Gauguin died at the age of 55. It is as if Paul was resurrected in Peter at that time.

As a Boy, Peter Hears a Past Life Voice in his Mind: “Gauguin”

Peter Teekamp’s story begins in his childhood years, when the words “Go-Gone, Go-Gone,” kept popping into his mind. As a ten-year old boy, Peter would use it as a cheer when playing. He would shout: “Go-Gone, Go-Gone!”

This is reminiscent to the case of Francesco Foscari | Wayne Peterson, as Wayne as a child insisted that his name was really “Francesco Forscari,” not realizing until several decades later that his name was indeed Francesco Foscari in a past lifetime.

For Peter, it also took several decades before he associated the words “Go-Gone” with the artist Paul Gauguin and even longer for him to consider that he might be the reincarnation of Gauguin. Before we continue with Peter’s journey, let us review the life of Gauguin.

The Life and Death of Paul Gauguin

Paul was born in Paris on June 7, 1848. His father was a French journalist and his mother was from Peru.

In 1849, when Paul was only a year old, his father died during a sea passage to South America. His mother took Paul to Peru, where he spent his early childhood years. In his adolescence, he returned to France where he attended Catholic boarding schools. Paul’s Catholic upbringing would significantly influence his art. His mother died in 1867, when he was 19 years of age.

Paul Gauguin Travels the World then Settles Down in Paris

Paul then became a sailor, traveling around the world with the French Merchant Marines, then serving with the French Navy. In 1872, when he was 24, Paul entered the business world as a stockbroker. During this period, he began painting in his spare time. He would continue to work in business for over ten years, before devoting his life to painting full-time.

In 1873, at the age of 25, Paul married Mette Gad. The couple would eventually have five children. During this time in his young adulthood, Paul was befriended by the artists Pissarro and Cezanne. In 1880, when Paul was 28, one of his paintings was accepted for the Salon d’Automne, a prestigious art exhibition in Paris.

In 1884, Paul moved his family to Copenhagen, in Denmark, his wife’s country of origin. A year later, in 1885 and at the age of 37, Paul separated from Mette and returned to France to become an artist on a full-time basis. Upon his return, one his of first paintings was of a scene from the town of St. Cloud, just outside of Paris, entitled, “Paysage a Saint-Cloud.” St. Cloud, we shall see, will also have significance in the life of Peter Teekamp.

Paul Gauguin and Van Gogh in Arles, France

In 1887, Paul briefly worked for the Panama Canal project as a canal digger and he then traveled to Martinique, a Caribbean island. Returning to France, he became friends with Vincent Van Gogh, whom he painted with at Arles in the south of France. Van Gogh and Paul shared a house together and it was in this setting that on December 23, 1888, Van Gogh cut off his ear, which he then presented to a prostitute.

Paul reported that Van Gogh had threatened him with a razor the day prior to the ear incident. The day after Van Gogh cut off his ear, Gauguin left Arles.

During his period at Arles, from February to December 1888, Paul developed the style that he is known for, using flat, pure colors with black outlines. His art often involved Christian religious themes. Though the art world would come to revere Paul in the future, at this time, he was unrecognized and poor.

Paul Gauguin in Tahiti

Paul became disenchanted with life in Europe. In 1891, at the age of 43, Paul sold 30 paintings to finance his passage from France to the South Pacific, where he settled in Tahiti. With this move he sought a more simple way of life. For the next two years, Paul captured scenes from the South Pacific. It was in Tahiti where his most famous art works would be produced.

While in Tahiti, Paul ran out of money and he had to travel back to France in 1893. He then returned to Tahiti in 1895 at the age of 47, never to see Europe again. Paul’s last five years were spent in continuing poverty and worsening health.

Paul became severely depressed and tried to commit suicide in 1897, when he was 49 years old. He survived.

Paul Gauguin’s Death in the Marquesas Islands

In 1901, debilitated and in conflict with the French authorities in Tahiti, Paul moved to the Marquesas Islands. He died at the age of 55, on May 8. 1903, and was buried in the Calvary Cemetery.

In his last years, Paul wrote, “For the majority, I shall always remain an enigma, I realize people will understand me less and less … No matter what happens, I assure you that I shall achieve things of the first order. I can feel it and we shall see.”

Paul’s prophecy was accurate. In 1906, three years after his death, his works were exhibited at Salon d’Automne, where his fame and popularity began.

Peter Teekamp as the Reincarnation of Paul Gauguin

Peter Teekamp was born in Holland, in the Netherlands, in 1950, 47 years after the death of Paul Gauguin. Peter’s father was Catholic, while his mother was Jewish.

Peter’s parents had marital problems and separated when Peter was four years of age. He was placed in a Catholic orphanage, where he became an altar boy and sang in the church choir. At the age of nine, Peter’s mother remarried and Peter went to live with his Jewish mother and new stepfather.

A Past Life Name, Gauguin, in Peter Teekamp’s Head: “Go-Gone, Go-Gone”

As noted, when he was ten years old, two syllables kept popping into Peter’s mind, “Go-Gone, Go-Gone.” Little Peter did not associate any particular meaning to these words, but he reveled in them. When he would play, Peter would shout, “Go-Gone, Go Gone,” as a cheer.

It wasn’t until he was fifteen that he started to wonder what “Go-Gone” meant. He asked his school teachers, “What does Go-Gone mean?” His teachers, thinking that he was inquiring about a Dutch word, told him that there was no such word in the Dutch language.

It is proposed that Peter was actually remembering his name from a past lifetime, that “Go-Gone” was a phonetic pronunciation of Gauguin. This type of remembrance was also observed in the reincarnation case of US Diplomat Wayne Peterson. As a small boy, Wayne wouldn’t respond to his name when his parent’s called him. In frustration, they asked, “So what do you want to be called?”

Wayne declared, “My name is Francesco Foscari,” though he had no idea why he wanted to be called that particular name. It took Wayne several decades to understand his name indeed was Francesco Foscari in a past lifetime. To learn more, go to the: Reincarnation Case of Francesco Foscari | Wayne Peterson

Innate Past Life Talent & Unconscious Replication of Gauguin’s Sketches through Reincarnation

As a teenager, Peter began to draw. As noted above, a remarkable observation is that Peter’s early drawings replicated sketches that Gauguin had done almost a hundred years before, though Peter had no knowledge of these Gauguin sketches when he drew them.

In fact, Peter Teekamp was not exposed to the Gauguin sketches until 2003, when Peter was 53 years old. As such, Peter was actually retrieving memories of his artwork from a past lifetime, the lifetime of Paul Gauguin.

What is interesting is that Peter replicated Gauguin’s artwork unconsciously at a much younger age than when Gauguin produced these sketches. As such, this phenomenon demonstrates that in each lifetime, we do indeed build upon accomplishments of prior incarnations.

Peter Teekamp Starts in Business, like Paul Gauguin

Peter attained a degree in business and like Gauguin, entered the business world as a career. Peter has worked as a manager of various retail operations over the years. Also like Gauguin, Peter became a world traveler, visiting places such as India, Israel, Portugal and Egypt, living in these locations for periods of time, paying his way by painting murals.

Paul Gauguin & St. Cloud in Minnesota and France

Eventually, Peter immigrated to the United States. In 1972, Peter settled in, of all places, St. Cloud, Minnesota, where he started to paint in a serious way at the age of 22. This is reminiscent of Gauguin moving back to France from Copenhagen, to become an artist full-time. Recall that one of Gauguin’s early paintings, upon his return to France, was “Paysage a Saint-Cloud,” which means “nature” or the landscape of Saint Cloud. It turns out that St. Cloud, Minnesota was even named after the city of St. Cloud, France.

What is the connection between St. Cloud, France and St. Cloud, Minnesota? I believe that what happens is that an individual can subconsciously recognize that a place has symbolic meaning from a lifetime gone by. Though Peter didn’t consciously know that St. Cloud had symbolic meaning for him from the Gauguin lifetime, I believe there was a subconscious recognition and attraction that derived from his soul, which influenced Peter’s decision to live in St. Cloud.

Peter is told about a Past Lifetime in France

In Minnesota, Peter married a woman named Angela and the couple had two children. Peter continued to manage retail stores and in addition, he pursued his career as a painter. He participated in art fairs, where he would sell his art.

Several times at these fairs, people came up to him spontaneously and told him about his past lives. One person told Paul that he had previously lived in France, another told him his name was Paul in a past incarnation. Peter didn’t know what to make of these comments, though he was open to reincarnation.

Peter has related to me that when he was 19 years old, he read Siddhartha, by Herman Hesse. At that time, Peter came to the conclusion that reincarnation is the only spiritual philosophy that embodies “justice and fairness,” that provides “an equal chance for everyone.”

Still, in the early 1970s, Peter did not have any idea of who he might have been in a past lifetime and the comments made by sidewalk psychics regarding a past lifetime of in France, in which his name was Paul, simply amused him and meant nothing more.

Angela has a Religious Transformation and Tells Peter he is Paul Gauguin, Reincarnated

Things changed in 1979, when Peter was 29 years old. His wife, Angela, started to undergo a drastic change in personality, in which she became deeply religious. Though Peter initially honored her need to be more spiritual, he became worried that her new devotional lifestyle was becoming excessive.

One day, Peter walked into a room in their home and found his wife praying among lit candles. Angela rose and handed a book to Peter which fell open to a portrait of Paul Gauguin, surrounded by red hues. Angela told Peter, with deep conviction, “You are the reincarnation of Paul Gauguin,” an assertion she repeated to him thereafter.

Peter Realizes he looks like Paul and Hides Faces in Paintings, as did Gauguin

Angela’s insistence that he was Gauguin reincarnated made Peter reflect on the words, “Go-Gone, Go-Gone,” which echoed in his mind throughout his childhood. Peter also observed that his facial features were similar to Gauguin’s.

Later, he found that Gauguin liked to place faces in the background of his paintings, sometimes overtly, sometimes hidden, a practice that Peter had also spontaneously developed. As an example, in the Arizona mountain landscape provided below, click on the image to enlarge and note the face lying horizontally in the foreground that is looking up.

A video which reveals how Gauguin hit faces in his paintings can be viewed at the Hidden Faces of Paul Gauguin. Another video which demonstrates hidden faces in Peter’s work is entitled Gone Fishing.

Despite these parallels in the lives of Peter and Paul, it was still too bizarre for Peter to conceive that he could be the reincarnation of Gauguin.

Peter Creates Native Art, as did Paul Gauguin

Peter and Angela grew apart over the years and despite efforts to preserve their marriage, the couple eventually separated. Peter relocated to Apache Junction, Arizona, where he opened an art gallery. Peter was attracted to the Native American culture of the Southwest, much like Gauguin was attracted to Tahitian life. Peter’s paintings during this period featured Native American themes.

Peter Teekamp’s Past Life Regression

Soon after moving to Apache Junction, Peter met a woman who did past life regressions and Peter decided to give it a try. Peter had this regression in 1980, when he was 30. In the regression, he accessed memories from a lifetime in which he was indeed a painter.

Peter saw cobblestone streets in a city, perhaps Paris. He saw himself climbing up a dark stairwell to a studio that was dark and filthy; it appeared that the room had not been cleaned in years. Peter observed dirty, neglected paint brushes and he experienced a terrible feeling of depression, such as he had never experienced before. He felt loneliness, rejection and a feeling that he was misunderstood.

Whether in his past life regression he tapped into the lifetime of Gauguin, Peter is not sure. But the regression experience was powerful and it made him study Gauguin ever more earnestly. What he found, though, he did not like.

Peter Teekamp Refines Paul Gauguin’s Style of Painting

First of all, Peter did not like Gauguin’s style of painting, which he found “cartoonish, primitive and unfinished.” As mentioned, in this lifetime, Peter has developed a style that is more realistic. Indeed, in the Gauguin inspired art that Peter has created since 1995, the colors and feel are the same as Gauguin’s, but Peter’s renditions have more definition.

Paintings that demonstrate Peter’s progression of style include Gauguin’s portrait of his daughter, Aline, and Peter’s portrait of Amanda, a girl who died in childbirth. Amanda’s mother wanted a portrait of her unborn daughter and asked Peter to create an image of Amanda, who Peter had obviously never seen. As such, Amanda’s portrait is really an artist’s depiction, since she perished as a newborn.

It is interesting to note the similarities in appearance between Aline, Gauguin’s daughter, and Amanda. The painting of Amanda, though similar in appearance, is much more realistic with many detailed objects placed in the background, reflecting the style that Peter developed in contemporary times.

Peter feels Shame regarding Paul

In addition to the fact that Peter didn’t really admire Gauguin’s art, there were other things that chagrined Peter. For example, Peter didn’t like how some perceived that Gauguin had abandoned his wife and children to pursue a career in art. Lastly, Gauguin died of a venereal disease, which Peter did not find admirable. In short, Peter didn’t like this guy, Gauguin.

A Burly Chiropractor declares that Peter is the Reincarnation of Paul Gauguin

Eight years went by before the issue of reincarnation was raised once again. In Apache Junction, Arizona, in 1988 when Peter was 38 years old, he was befriended by a chiropractor who was a large, burly man in his mid-fifties. Over a period of two months, this chiropractor took Peter out to lunch or dinner two or three times a week.

Though grateful for the man’s kindness, Peter began to wonder what the motive was for the man’s generosity. Peter is heterosexual, so he did not want the chiropractor to get any romantic hopes up. Peter decided to confront the issue at one of their meetings.

After Peter questioned the man regarding the reasons for his generosity, the chiropractor’s face grew red and he stood up, grabbing Peter by his shirt. The man drew Peter’s face to within five inches of his own and declared, “You are the reincarnation of Paul Gauguin.”

Peter was shocked, as he had not breathed a word to the chiropractor about Gauguin; the chiropractor simply had no way to know of Peter’s past experiences regarding Gauguin! The chiropractor then let go of Peter and left. Peter never saw him again. Now Peter had been told by two people, his former wife, Angela, and the chiropractor, who was nearly a stranger, that he is the reincarnation of Gauguin. The trouble was that Peter still did not want to be Gauguin.

Paul Gauguin’s Suicide Attempt Repeated at Superstition Mountain

Watershed events occurred a year later in 1989, when Peter was 39. The landlord of Peter’s art gallery in Arizona unexpectedly walked in and told Peter that he was being evicted. The landlord related that Peter had signed a lease that had a clause in it that allowed him to evict Peter without notice and the landlord was evicting him immediately, as he received a better offer. So Peter’s business was about to be shut down.

That same week, the woman he had been dating left him and Peter was involved in a major auto accident in which his car was totaled. Suddenly, Peter felt that he had lost everything that he had in the world and he became acutely suicidal.

Peter decided to kill himself in the desert. He bought a pistol and a bottle of whisky and headed out for the barren mountains. Fortunately, Peter is not a drinker and though he fired some shots into the desert air, Peter passed out from the alcohol before he could kill himself.

Recall that Gauguin also tried to commit suicide. Why would this type of pattern be repeated? In my observation, we have the same energies, the same approach to life, from one incarnation to another. As such, we also have the tendency to get into the same types of problems and conflicts; we also react to challenges in the same way.

Gauguin and Teekamp both lived stable lives when they were engaged in traditional business and enjoyed financial stability, but they both gave up security to pursue the dream of being an artist. Both, in response to loss and financial crises became acutely depressed and suicidal, though both were unsuccessful in their attempts.

Reincarnation & Replication of Behavior from One Incarnation to Another

We all have a modus operandi that characterizes us. We have a set of behaviors that are consistent from one lifetime to another, some positive and some that are maladaptive. Maladaptive responses get us into trouble, though hopefully over a lifetime, we modify these traits to our advantage.

A great promise of understanding reincarnation is that once we know about past lifetimes and we are able to study our personality patterns from before, we can grow more consciously and effectively in our current incarnation.

After his Suicide Attempt, Peter Moves to California and Reconciles with his proposed Past Life as Paul Gauguin

When Peter woke up the following morning on the desert floor, he was hung over and had a major headache. Peter resolved that he needed to make a new start and decided that he should move to California. Peter also reflected that he had been in denial regarding the Gauguin lifetime and that even if he didn’t want to be the reincarnation of Gauguin, he would examine the possible past life connection with greater openness.

When Peter got back to Apache Junction, he called his former employer, an owner of a retail chain, and was pleased to hear that his old boss not only had a job for him in Atascadero, California, but that this employer was going to send a truck to pick him up. Peter reflects that since he decided to look at the Gauguin lifetime more seriously, things have seemed to go more smoothly and effortlessly for him; Peter states that life “flowered” for him.

Paul and Mette Gauguin, Reunited through Reincarnation

Peter did well managing the retail store in Atascadero and was promoted to managing an entire shopping center in Hollister, California. There, in 1991 when he was 41, Peter met Michelle Moshay, who worked for a local newspaper selling advertising space. Peter, representing the store and shopping center, became Michelle’s customer, placing ads in the paper she worked for.

In 1997, at the age of 47, Peter decided to become a newspaper layout artist himself, in an attempt to better integrate his vocation and avocation. In this capacity, Michelle became his mentor in regards to the newspaper trade. It was at this time that Peter and Michelle felt a deep resonance towards each other and they became close friends.

Peter began sharing details of his life, including the stories regarding Gauguin. Michelle was not a believer in reincarnation at the time, but she was open. Michelle then shared with Peter a series of synchronistic events of her own involving Gauguin. Michelle, by the way, was 41 years old when she met Peter.

Michelle’s Past Life Connection to Paul Gauguin

In 1978 when she was 22 years old, Michelle’s father offered to fund a trip to wherever she wanted to go in the world. Michelle chose to go to Tahiti and when she was there, she visited the Gauguin Museum.

The next year, Michelle went to Paris. She went sightseeing on the Seine on a barge cruiser named the Wandering Wasp (Les Guepes Buissonniere). Interestingly, Gauguin edited a publication in Tahiti entitled, The Wasp. When in Paris, Michelle was 23 years old, the same age Mette was when she met and married Paul Gauguin in France.

Michelle becomes Peter’s Reincarnation Research Partner

Peter had been working on a journal, which included his contemplations on Gauguin, and Michelle offered to help Peter with editing of the journal. As such, in 1997, they became partners in researching Gauguin and writing an account of Peter’s story.

Shortly thereafter, they opened one of the first biographical books Michelle bought on Gauguin. Peter looked at the image on the page and he exclaimed to Michelle, “Look, it’s you!” Peter was looking at a picture of Gauguin’s wife, Mette, and the resemblance to Michelle was undeniable.

Peter and Michelle continued to quietly ponder the possibility that they were the reincarnations of Paul and Mette Gauguin and the years went by. In 1999, Peter departed for what would become a four year tour of the world, painting murals as he traveled. Peter kept in touch with Michelle, corresponding with her, much like Paul had corresponded with Mette when he was in Tahiti.

Michelle Discovers the Gaugain-Teekamp Reincarnation Parallel Sketches

Michelle, in the interim, moved to Washington state to be near her family and her childhood sweetheart. While Peter was traveling, it was Michelle who took it upon herself to research Gauguin extensively and it was she who found Gauguin’s pencil sketches featured at the top of this page. It was Michelle who first realized that Peter, in his youth, had unconsciously replicated Gauguin’s drawings.

When Peter returned to the US in 2003, Michelle’s mother found a cottage apartment for him in nearby Bremerton, Washington and Peter moved in. It was then that Michelle showed him the sketch comparisons, which Peter found amazing.

In particular, Peter was impressed with their corresponding sketches of Jesus from above the cross. For an artist, Peter saw this as a very unique and unusual point of perspective. The comparison of Peter’s and Gauguin’s drawings added to the growing list of experiences that made Peter start believing that he might indeed be the reincarnation of Paul Gauguin.

Michelle has created a video regarding the parallel sketches: Reincarnation and the Transformation of Society

To view a video of Peter and Michelle together, of Paul and Mette reunited, go to My Friend Muralist Peter Teekamp in Haifa Israel.

Peter’s Discovery of a Paul Gauguin Charcoal Sketch

One day, as he was walking through Bremerton, a wall mural caught his eye. A restaurant was situated next to the mural and Peter went in for a cup of coffee. As he looked around the interior, Peter spotted what appeared to be a Gauguin charcoal of two women on a beach. Peter assumed this was a print, a reproduction, of the original Gauguin sketch.

Peter asked the proprietor where he obtained the Gauguin print. The proprietor related that the sketch originally was in the possession of his great-grandmother in Guam, who was given the sketch as a gift. He explained that the native people of Guam were displaced by the Japanese during World War II. His great-grandmother and her family hid in caves until the occupation ended. She took the sketch with her during their period of hiding.

After the war, his great-grandmother stored the sketch in her attic for 33 years until 1978, when she gave it to her daughter, the proprietor’s mother. The proprietor received it from his mother. When he immigrated to the United States in 1999, he brought the sketch with him and later hung it on the wall of his restaurant.

The proprietor told Peter that when he removed the sketch from its protective container, he found charcoal on his hands. This made Peter realize that the artwork was not a copy at all, but an original charcoal sketch. If it was indeed an original Gauguin, which Peter believes it is, then the sketch would be worth millions.

The proprietor then shared that he was in financial straits and needed money to keep his business afloat. Rather than waiting for the sketch to be authenticated, the proprietor said he would sell the sketch for $5000 to the first person who would pay him that amount. Peter agreed to purchase the sketch and gave the proprietor $5000.

If the sketch is indeed authenticated, Peter Teekamp came into possession of what appears to be an original Gauguin work of art. Further, it is interesting that Peter found the Gauguin sketch in 2003, which is the 100 year anniversary of Gauguin’s death.

Paul Gauguin Charcoal Sketch is for Sale

Peter has done extensive research to help validate that it is an authentic Gauguin sketch. Parties interested in purchasing this charcoal, please contact Walter Semkiw, MD at: walter@reincarnationresearch.net

Reincarnation & Synchronistic Events: A Form of Spiritual Communication

Synchronicities and anniversary phenomena are ways that the spiritual world, including our own souls, can communicate with us. Recall that Michelle had the option of traveling anywhere in the world and that she elected to visit Tahiti, where she visited the Gauguin Museum. She then visited Paris at the same age that Mette met Paul Gauguin.

Such synchronistic events, I propose, are not always accidental, rather, they are orchestrated by our spiritual guides and our own souls, though telepathic messages which are experienced as intuitions and desires.

In the same way, we can see Peter’s finding of what appears to be an original Gauguin charcoal sketch on the 100 year anniversary of Gauguin’s death as a symbolic event. It can be seen as an event orchestrated by beings in the spiritual world, who led him through intuition to find the sketch in the Bremerton coffee shop. This event had the purpose of reinforcing to Peter that he is the reincarnation of Gauguin.

A very similar event occurred in the reincarnation case of Carroll Beckwith | Robert Snow, as Captain Snow was intuitively led to the painting of the hunchback woman, which allowed him to solve his reincarnation case. Other examples of such guidance in reincarnation cases are compiled in the section: Spirit Being Involvement in Reincarnation Cases.

Soul Contracts in Reincarnation Cases

In the same light that Peter was led to the charcoal sketch by the intervention of spirit beings, Peter’s rendezvous with Michelle in California can be seen as not accidental, but predetermined. We make agreements or contracts before we are born to meet up with people we have known in prior lives.

Drawing on Accomplishments of Past Lives

The reincarnation case of Paul Gauguin | Peter Teekamp, if accepted, it is a historic case, as it demonstrates that we do indeed draw upon accomplishments earned in prior incarnations, as demonstrated in the parallel Gauguin-Teekamp sketches and Peter’s effortless replication of artwork reminiscent of Gauguin.

It is also interesting to observe how themes in the art of Gauguin and Teekamp show similarities, even though Peter developed a more detailed and surrealistic style of art. This is demonstrated in the image comparison provided to the right. In this comparison, Paul Gauguin’s “Yellow Christ” is on the left side, Peter Teekamp’s “Presentation of the Christ” is in the center and Peter Teekamp’s version of the “Yellow Christ” is on the right. The central theme across two lifetimes is Jesus Christ, though the style of painting has evolved.

Principles of Reincarnation & Understanding Past Lives

Physical Resemblance in Reincarnation Cases: Peter Teekamp’s facial features are consistent with those of Paul Gauguin.

Past Life Talent: Peter demonstrated a talent for art as a young boy and in his formative years, he unconsciously replicated the artistic development of Paul Gauguin, as demonstrated in the parallel sketches. Though Peter did these sketches from the ages of 16 to 26, he did not see the Gauguin sketches until 2003, when Peter was 53 years old. As noted, Peter did the sketches at an earlier age than Gauguin, as Gauguin did the sketches in his 40’s. This shows that we do advance from lifetime to lifetime, building upon accomplishments of prior incarnations.

Planning Lifetimes and Relationships Renewed through Reincarnation: Peter was reunited with Michelle Moshay, who appears to be the reincarnation of Mette Gauguin, the wife of Paul Gauguin. Though they are not romantic in contemporary times, Peter and Michelle have become very close friends and partners in researching their reincarnation cases.

Spirit Being Involvement and Spiritual Communication: It is likely that spirit beings were involved in creating circumstances that helped Peter understand that he is the reincarnation of Paul Gauguin. These include Peter’s former wife, Angela, and the burly chiropractor in Arizona, telling Peter that he is the reincarnation of Gauguin. Spirit beings most likely telepathically inserted these thoughts into the Angela’s and the chiropractor’s minds. Recall that these events occurred totally independently and that Peter never told the chiropractor anything about his possible past life connection with Gauguin.

Similarly, Peter was likely led by spirit beings or his own soul to the coffee-house in Bremerton, Washington, where he found the Gauguin charcoal, which is likely an original sketch done by Paul Gauguin. Similar guidance was specifically observed in the reincarnation case of Carroll Beckwith | Robert Snow, as Captain Snow was led in New Orleans to the painting of the hunchback woman, which allowed him to solve his reincarnation case.

Past Life Story of John B. Gordon | Jeff Keene: Spirit Being, Spiritual or Soul Guidance in a Reincarnation Case & How Evidence of Reincarnation can bring Peace

The reincarnation case of John B. Gordon | Jeffrey Keene demonstrates how evidence of reincarnation can help create a more peaceful world. Confederate officer John B. Gordon reincarnates as a Northern Connecticut Yankee, showing how souls can change cultural affiliation and incarnate as a past life enemy. This reincarnation case demonstrates the futility and wastefulness of war.

How Case Derived: Intuitive or Spiritual Guidance

Researcher: Jeff Keene, video provided at bottom of page

From: Someone Else’s Yesterday: The Confederate General and Connecticut Yankee: A Past Life Revealed

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

Evidence of Reincarnation can bring an End to Episodes of 911

Jeffrey Keene is a retired decorated fire fighter and Assistance Fire Chief of Westport, Connecticut. Following the destruction of the World Trade Center in 2001, Keene received a special tour of “Ground Zero.” A relationship has existed between the two fire departments, as Westport’s firefighters have had a tradition of “riding along” with Rescue #1 of the Fire Department of the City of New York. Eleven members of this elite unit, Rescue #1 lost their lives on the morning of September 11, 2001.

Evidence of reincarnation can halt such tragedies, as this evidence shows that we souls can change religion, nationality, gender and race from lifetime to another.

A Reincarnation Case in which the Extraordinary Becomes the Ordinary

Jeff Keene, in his book. writes: “Like most people, I was stumbling through life minding my own business when all at once the world started having its way with me. Suddenly, the extraordinary became ordinary and strange occurrences throughout my life started to make sense.

Before too long I found myself on the front page of a state-wide newspaper and featured in an Arts and Entertainment Network documentary titled, Beyond Death. Getting to the point were the word “coincidence” was worn very thin, I decided to accept the fact that I was being guided and opened myself to what life wanted to show me. Long after I had been convinced of a past life, unusual events kept reinforcing my conclusions, so much so that the only reason I could come up with for such revelations was that I was to share them with others.”

Spiritual Guidance Pushes Jeff Keene around like a Shopping Cart

Jeff has related to me that the element of guidance in his past life research has been so strong that he has felt like the spiritual world has been pushing him around “like a shopping cart.” Jeff’s story began in May 1991, when he was on vacation with his wife, Anna. They were looking for antiques and stopped in Sharpsburg, Maryland, which was where the Civil War battle of Antietam was fought. Though Jeff had never read a book on the Civil War or had any affinity for that era, he felt compelled to visit the battlefield.

A Flood of Past Life Emotions at Sunken Road

At a portion of the field called Sunken Road, Jeff listened to an audio-taped narration of events that took place in 1862. The battle involved a regiment called the Sixth Alabama, which was commanded by Colonel John B. Gordon. After listening to the tape, as he walked along the old farm lane, Jeff unknowingly strolled into the area that had been occupied by Gordon and his men. At this location, Jeff Keene had the following reaction:

“A wave of grief, sadness and anger washed over me. Without warning I was suddenly consumed by sensations. Burning tears ran down my cheeks. It became difficult to breathe. I gasped for air, as I stood transfixed in the old roadbed. To this day I cannot tell you how much time transpired, but as these feelings, this emotional overload passed, I found myself exhausted as if I had run a marathon.

Crawling up the steep embankment to get out of the road, I turned and looked back. I was a bit shaken to say the least and wondered at what had just taken place. It was difficult getting back to the car because I felt so weak.

I had regained most of my normal composure on the way back and said nothing to Anna about what had just happened. What could I say? How could I explain it to her? I did not have I did not have any answers, just questions.”

Before leaving Sharpsburg, Jeff and Anna visited a gift shop. A magazine, Civil War Quarterly (Special Edition, Antietam), caught Jeff’s eye and he purchased it, along with a souvenir bullet found in the area. At home, Jeff placed the magazine in a drawer that held the family’s phone books, though he did not look at the journal until a year and a half later.

A Psychic Revelation and Jeff Exclaims, “Not Yet!” A Past Life Recollection

In October 1992, Jeff and Anna attended a Halloween party. A clairvoyant named Barbara had been hired to give readings at the party. When it was Jeff’s turn, he asked about his experience at Sunken Road. Barbara told Jeff that he was a soldier then and that he had been shot full of holes at that battlefield. He then had floated above his body, which was lying, apparently lifeless, on the bloodied ground. Barbara then said, “When you were hovering over your body looking down, you were very angry and yelled no!” Jeff relates that there was a pause at that moment. Jeff corrected Barbara, for reasons unknown to him, and exclaimed: “Not yet!”

The next day, Jeff decided it was time to read the souvenir magazine regarding the battle at Antietam that he had purchased in May 1991. Jeff reflected again that it was the first Civil War magazine that he had ever purchased. Jeff opened the journal to a page that had a picture of Sunken Road; the spot were Jeff had experienced the strange flood of emotions. As he scanned the text, he saw a quote: “Not Yet.” The hair stood up on the back of his neck.

Reading on, Jeff learned that “Not Yet” was an order repeatedly given by Colonel John B. Gordon to the Sixth Alabama. Yankee troops were approaching and the men of the Sixth Alabama were anxious to fire. The order to fire by Gordon was not given until the Union troops were less than one hundred yards away. Gordon himself was quoted, regarding the encounter:

“A huge volume of musketry spewed out from the sunken road. My rifles flamed and roared in the Federals faces like a blinding blaze of lightning. The effect was appalling.”

Reading of John B. Gordon Brings a Flood of Past Life Emotions

As he read Gordon’s passage, Jeff started to experience the same emotions that he had felt at Sunken Road, and tears came to his eyes. The article then described the wounding of Gordon.

“John B. Gordon of the Sixth Alabama was hit in the left arm, the right shoulder and twice in the right leg before passing out from loss of blood after receiving a wound in the face.”

Jeff himself writes of what happened next. “I turned back to the page with the picture of the Sunken Road, and on the page across from it was another picture. This time a chill ran through me and the hair on the back of my neck stood up again. The picture was of Brigadier General John B. Gordon. The face was not unknown to me, I knew it well, I shave it every morning.” Jeff noted that in the caption Gordon was identified as a general, whereas in the article Gordon was identified as a colonel at the time of his wounding. Gordon apparently had survived the battle at Antietam.

In his book, Jeff describes how he later retrieved memories of his lifetime as John B. Gordon. Jeff also describes habits and traits he has in common with Gordon. These include a preference to stand with arms crossed, similar clothing tastes and scars on his face and body that reflect Gordon’s battle wounds.

Anniversary Phenomena & Synchronistic Events in Reincarnation Cases

Jeff describes two symbolic events that occurred in relation to his reincarnation story. One involved orders written by General Lee on September 9, 1862, which defined the Confederate Army’s plans to invade the North. Nine copies of the orders were made; one copy was lost in transit and recovered by Union soldiers. This information gave the Union Army detailed information regarding the position of Confederate troops and led to the battle of Antietam. In sum, orders written on September 9 resulted in the Civil War conflict in which John B. Gordon was severely wounded and almost died. The symbolic event in contemporary times is Jeff Keene’s birthday is September 9.

Another symbolic event involving the date September 9 occurred on Jeff Keene’s 30th birthday. That day, Jeff was taken to the emergency room to be treated for facial and neck pain. Doctors could find no physical cause for Jeff’s pain syndrome. The location of his pain corresponded to the facial and neck wounds incurred by John B. Gordon at Antietam. Gordon was 30 at the time of his injuries; Jeff’s facial pain occurred on September 9, 1977, his 30th birthday. This incident appears to represent an anniversary phenomenon related to Gordon’s wounding. Keep in mind that Jeff’s emergency room visit occurred in 1977, which was 15 years before Jeff became aware of his connection to Gordon.

Reincarnation: Linguistic Writing Style Stays the Same

In his book, Jeff includes documents that show similarities in writing style. In his later years, General Gordon wrote a book called Reminiscences of the Civil War, which provided material for Jeff’s analysis. Let us compare two passages, one from Gordon’s book, describing the efforts of his men to put out a fire in Wrightsville, Pennsylvania, and one from Keene regarding his fire department’s response to an emergency incident. My observation is that the two documents seem to be written in the same “voice.”

At my request, Miriam Petruck, Ph.D., a linguistics professor at the University of California, Berkeley, conducted a linguistic analysis of these documents, which is provided at the end of this narrative. This analysis confirmed that the two passages have definite structural similarities. This analysis shows that not only do facial features remain consistent from lifetime to lifetime, but the way we write and communicate can remain the same. It appears that we are the same mind from one incarnation to another. Only circumstances seem to change.

Past Life Writing Style: John Gordon (from Reminiscences of the Civil War):

“With great energy my men labored to save the bridge. I called on the citizens of Wrightsville for buckets and pails, but none were to be found. There was no lack of buckets and pails a little while later, when the town was on fire…My men labored as earnestly and bravely to save the town as they did to save the bridge. In the absence of fire-engines or other appliances, the only chance to arrest the progress of the flames was to form my men around the burning district, with the flank resting on the river’s edge, and pass rapidly from hand to hand the pails of water. Thus, and thus only, was the advancing, raging fire met, and at a late hour of the night checked and conquered.”

Past Life Writing Style: Assistant Chief Jeffrey Keene (from his letter to the Westport, CT, Fire Chief):

“With my radio restored, man power and apparatus were brought in and put under the guidance of Acting Lieutenant Christopher Ackley. While setting up a plan of action, Lieutenant Ackley displayed good common sense, knowledge, training and a deep concern for the safety of firefighters under his command. A large amount of gas entered the structure by way of a open window. Though we tried to remove all possible sources of ignition, we were able to remove all but two. The owner informed us that the house contained an oil-fired furnace and a hot water heater. There was no way to shut them off from the inside or outside. Using metering devices, a positive pressure fan and opening and closing windows, the hazard was removed.”

Spirit Being, Spiritual or Soul Guidance in a Reincarnation Case

Please note that it is likely that Jeff Keene did not find the spot at Sunken Road, where John B. Gordon was severely wounded, by chance. Rather, I believe that a spirit being or Jeff’s own soul telepathically guided him first to Sharpsburg, then to Antietam and the Sunken Road. Once there, the powerful flood of emotions, which appear to have been triggered by being at a past life location of great significance, eventually led to Jeff solving his reincarnation case. Jeff’s own soul may have also played a part in his experiencing powerful emotions at Sunken Road. As such, spirit being or Jeff’s own soul was responsible for solving this very important reincarnation case.

Reincarnation of Soul Groups

As described in the section Principles of Reincarnation, people reincarnate in groups, based on shared karma, emotional attachments and joint projects. Due to the premise of group incarnations, both Jeff and I suspected that his fellow firefighters in the Westport, Connecticut, Fire Department were likely military acquaintances of John B. Gordon during the Civil War. Subsequently, Jeff established several matches between colleagues in his firehouse and officers that fought with Gordon.

One of these proposed past life pairings, which demonstrates a striking similarity in physical resemblance, involves Confederate General Cadmus Wilcox and Firefighter Wayne R. Zaleta. Images comparing General Wilcox and Mr. Zaleta are provided to the right. Jeff has related that Wilcox and Zaleta have similar personalities.

Past Life Memories

In terms of past-life memories, Jeff describes three kinds. First, through a series of meditations, Jeff was able to visualize or remember details of his life as Gordon. Jeff purposely conducted these meditations before he read Remembrances of the Civil War. He documented these experiences and later was able to confirm many details through Gordon’s book and other sources.

A second type of memory involves spontaneously knowing details of Gordon’s life without having learned the information from any other source. As an example, Jeff toured a visitor’s center where artifacts of a Confederate surrender ceremony were housed. Gordon had participated in this specific ceremony. An image depicted the setting of the ceremony, complete with the flag used by Gordon and his fellow Confederate officers in surrendering.

Jeff knew that the flag in the display was not the flag actually used in the ceremony. Jeff recognized the correct flag from an assortment displayed at the visitor’s center. Upon questioning the staff, he verified the flag in the display was indeed from a later era and that Jeff had identified the authentic flag used in the ceremony.

A third type of memory Jeff has experienced can be called emotional memory, as described in the incident at Sunken Road, in which Jeff had the intense emotional reaction when revisiting the scene of a past-life trauma.

This event can also be seen as an example of guidance from the spiritual world, where Jeff was purposely led to the spot where he was almost killed at Sunken Road in the Civil War. This episode can also be seen as an example of Geographic Guidance and Geographic Memory.

Jeff Keene at his Past Life Grave & How Evidence of Reincarnation can bring Peace

Jeff Keene has reflected that during the Civil War, he was a general in the South’s Confederate Army, yet in this lifetime, he lives in the North. Jeff has noted that an ancestor of his fought with the Union Army and as such, when he was John B. Gordon, he may have gone to battle against his own ancestor from his current Connecticut lifetime.

Reincarnation gives us a different perspective on war, one that lets us see how wasteful war is in terms of lives and resources.

I would like to bring this chapter to a close with a section taken from Jeff Keene’s book, Someone Else’s Yesterday. It has great import for our times, given the amount of conflict we observe on our planet today. Note that the passage comes from someone who was, in a past lifetime, one of the greatest battlefield generals that the United States has ever produced. Reflect on how an understanding of reincarnation mollifies the character of even a battlefield hero. Jeff Keene writes:

“Pause for a moment and contemplate what the world would be like if reincarnation were proven to be a fact of life. How would we then treat others? When dealing with family, friends or acquaintances, we would need to ask ourselves some questions like: Who are these souls? What is their relationship to me? Am I to learn something from them or am I to be their Teacher? The possibilities are endless. We all live in the same house and that house grows smaller everyday. This planet has become a “Global Village.” No longer does it take the written word to tell of events on the other side of the earth. With the flick of a switch we can sit and watch events unfold. Every country affects all others with their finances, pollution problems and petty hostilities. Now more than ever everyone needs to change his way of thinking. No more I, but US. No more Them, but We. We leave a mark on ourselves and those around us, so let us strive to use a gentle touch.”

In the image provided to the right, Jeff Keene poses at the grave of John B. Gordon, his own past life persona.

Principles of Reincarnation & Understanding Past Lives

Reincarnation & Physical Resemblance: Jeff’s case provides one of the most dramatic examples of how facial features can remain the same in reincarnation cases. The similarity in appearance is stunning.

Reincarnation & Past Life Talent: Linguistic Writing Style can Stay the Same: In comparing narratives written by John B. Gordon and Jeff Keene, we see that the way we communicate, the way our minds work, can remain the same in reincarnation cases. We remain largely the same from lifetime to lifetime, only the circumstances and lessons change from one incarnation to another. The formal linguistic analysis comparing the writing style between Gordon and Keene is provided below.

Spirit Being Involvement in Reincarnation Cases: It is my contention is that it was not by accident that Jeff Keene went to the very spot at Sunken Road where he was almost killed in the Civil War as John B. Gordon. It is very likely that he was intuitively led there by his own soul or by a spirit being so that he would experience emotions related to his past lifetime. This incident is very similar, in particular, to Captain Robert Snow being led to the portrait of the hunchback woman in New Orleans, which allowed Captain Snow to solve his reincarnation case.

From such reincarnation cases, where spirit being involvement is observed, it appears that beings in the spirit world want us to become aware of our past lives.

Soul Groups and Renewal of Relationships through Reincarnation: Jeff has identified several members of his firehouse who he believes fought with him in the Civil War. One example involves Wayne Zaleta, who Jeff believes is the reincarnation of Cadmus Wilcox. An image comparison of Wilcox | Zaleta is provided above.

Change in Political Affiliation: Jeff noted that in contemporary times, he was born in the North of the United States and he describes himself as a Connecticut Yankee. As John B. Gordon, he was a Southerner who fought on the Confederate side in the Civil War. Jeff has mused that his ancestors in his contemporary lifetime could have even fought against him in the Civil War.

As such, this is another case which demonstrates that national and political affiliations can change from one incarnation to another, which shows that war is futile in the long run.

Summary of Reincarnation Linguistic Analysis Comparing Letters written by Gordon and Keene

Performed by Miriam Petruck, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley

1. Close in average number of words per sentence: Gordon-21; Keene-18

2. Use of compound sentences:

Gordon: “the only chance to arrest the progress of flames was to form my men around the burning district, with the flank resting on the river’s edge, and pass rapidly from hand to hand the pails of water.”

Keene: “While setting up a plan of action, Lieutenant Ackley displayed good common sense, knowledge, training and a deep concern for the safety of firefighters under his command.”

3. Use of preposed clauses in complex sentences:
Gordon: “In the absence of fire engines”

Keene: “While setting up a plan of action.”

4. Use of existential-there sentences with negation:

Gordon: :There was no lack of buckets.”

Keene: “There was no way to shut them off.”

5. Adverbial clauses at beginning of sentence:

Gordon: “With great energy,” “In the absence of fire-engines”

Keene: “With my radio restored.”

6. Most of text is in active voice except at the end. In both passages, paragraphs end in passive voice, as if the success came about without the intervention of those involved. Excitement is achieved by altering expected word order, separating two parts of the verb.

Gordon: “was the advancing, raging fire met, and at a late hour of the night checked and conquered.”

Keene: “Using metering devices . . . the hazard was removed.”

Note from Dr. Petruck:

Given the similarities already noted, we must, nevertheless, include a disclaimer about authorship. More specifically, because the texts are very small and the analysis is (necessarily) limited to major structural features, any claim about authorship is, at best, tentative. Further analysis is required to make a stronger claim in this regard.

Larger sample texts that have not been preselected would facilitate a variety of frequency tests on different subsets of words. In addition, it would be instructive to examine such text to answer other questions about the substylistic features of the texts. For example, do they use distinctive vocabularies? Do the texts employ rare collocations (combinations) of common words? Is there any irregular spelling or hyphenation of words, or more generally, punctuation of sentences?

Reincarnation Case of Mithilesh Singh | Rajani Singh Past Life Case Involving Suicide, Same Family Incarnation, Reincarnation Birthmarks & Physical Resemblance

A new life reclaimed after a death by suicide of Mithilesh Singh who reincarnated in the same family as Rajani observed to exhibit the same behavior as Mithilesh. A noticeable physical resemblance and demonstrations of similar phobias between the two were also noted.

How Case Derived: Past Life Memories in Childhood

Researcher: Satwant Pasricha, PhD, Associate of Ian Stevenson, MD

From: Can the Mind Survive Beyond Death? Volume 2: Reincarnation and Other Anomalous Experiences, by Satwant Pasricha, PhD

Article by: Walter Semkiw, MD

The Life of Mithilesh Singh

Mithilesh Singh was born in Agra, India, the home of the Taj Mahal. in the year 1975. Her mother’s name was Rajwati Devi Singh and her father, who was employed in a government job, was Navratan Singh. Mithilesh had 3 siblings, including a younger sister, Meena, who Mithilesh was very close to. Mithilesh was also very fond of a maternal aunt, whose name was Ganga Bai.

Of the family’s children, Mithilesh was the only one who did not do well at school. To help her pass her high school final examinations, her parents sent her to live with a family member, Virender Singh, who was an older cousin to Mithilesh living in Bhalaul, India. The plan was that a family member in Bhalaul, who worked as a teacher at a local college, would serve as a tutor for Mithilesh. Virender was married to a woman name Bimla. Virender’s mother, Shakuntala, who had a very domineering personality, was also in the household.

Mithilesh Falls in Love with a Boy of a Lower Caste

Mithilesh was not happy living with Virender’s family in Bhalaul. She was afraid of Shakuntala and felt sorry for Bimla, who had to put up with her difficult mother-in-law. Mithilesh became very fond of Bimla.

Ironically, Mithilesh herself was known to be very headstrong and stubborn. A serious problem arose when Mithilesh became romantically involved with a boy in Bhalaul, who her family disapproved of due to his being in a lower caste. Mithilesh became depressed about her situation.

Mithilesh Commits Suicide

Rajwati Devi, Mithilesh’s mother, and, Ganga Bai, her aunt, came to visit her in Bhalaul in early October 1991. After the three returned from a ride in a pony cart, Mithilesh poured kerosene on her head and ignited the fluid, setting herself on fire. Mithilesh then ran to Bimla for assistance. Bimla was pregnant at the time and was terrified at the sight of Mithilesh running at her ablaze. Bimla, protecting herself, pushed Mithilesh away.

The family eventually extinguished the flames and took Mithilesh to the nearest health center, where she died. Her burns were most extensive on her head, but almost her entire body was affected, with only her waist and feet being spared. The date of Mithilesh’s death was October 6, 1991. She was 16 years old when she died.

Spiritual Communication: Rajwati Devi has a Reincarnation Announcing Dream

Within a month of Mithilesh’s suicide, her mother, Rajwati Devi, had a dream that Mithilesh would be returning to their family. On November 16, 1991, about 5 weeks after Mithilesh’s death, Bimla Singh delivered a baby girl, who Virender and Bimla, named Rajani.

Reincarnation Birthmarks of Rajani Singh

A few days after Rajani was born, her mother and paternal grandmother noticed red marks on her head. Within a month of being born, they noticed red marks on the rest of Rajani’s body, though the marks on her head were most prominent. At this point Rajwati Devi Singh, the mother of Mithilesh, came to see Rajani. Given the red marks on the body and her dream that Mithilesh would be returning to their family, Rajwati Devi suspected that Rajani was the reincarnation of Mithilesh.

When she learned to talk, Rajani asked to see Meena, the younger sister of Mithilesh. In contrast, she was instinctively afraid of Shakuntala, as was Mithilesh.

Past Life Memories: Rajani Insists She is Mithilesh & Reclaims her Past Life Parents

When Rajani was 4 years old, in November 1995, she was taken to the home of Navratan and Rajwati Devi Singh. Rajani demonstrated familiarity with the place and with Mithilesh’s family members. In particular, Rajani showed affection for Ganga Bai, Mithilesh’s favorite aunt.

Rajani at times insisted that she be called Mithilesh and she stated that her father was Navratan and that her mother was Rajwati Devi. She addressed the couple, who were the parents of Mithilesh, as “papa” and “mummy.”

Past Life Physical Resemblance & Similar Personality Traits

It was noted that there was a similarity in facial features between Mithilesh and Rajani, including large eyes. Personality traits were also consistent, as Rajani was stubborn and would get upset if she did not get her way, much like Mithilesh.

Dr. Pasricha studied this case from December 1992 through December 1995, directly observing the birthmarks Rajani had, including an area on the right side of her head which was without hair and lighter in color that the rest of her skin. Dr. Pasricha also noted red areas present on Rajani’s shoulders and back. The other red marks on Rajani’s body that were present just after she was born had faded by 1995.

Principles of Reincarnation & Understanding Past Lives

Physical Resemblance in Reincarnation Cases: It was noted that Mishilesh and Rajani had similar facial features, including large eyes. Though physical resemblance is noted in reincarnation cases, since Rajana reincarnated to relatives of Mishilesh, genetic factors may also have contributed to their similarity in appearance.

Relationships Renewed through Reincarnation: Mishilesh was fond of her relative Bimla Singh and reincarnated as Bimla’s daughter, Rajani, indicating that the soul can plan incarnations.

Reincarnation Birthmarks: Shortly after her birth, Rajani demonstrated birthmarks that appear to reflect burn scars incurred on the body of Mishilesh.

Split Incarnation: Rajani was born only 5 weeks after Mishilesh died. If the soul is involved in the developed of the fetus, then the soul of Mishilesh also inhabited Rajani as a fetus for about 8 months of her gestation. I do believe that the soul is involved in the development of the fetus, as similarity in physical appearance is observed in reincarnation cases, which would occur through the influence of the soul. The way the soul can shape physical appearance is discussed in the section: Principles of Reincarnation

Reincarnation and Suicide: Mishilesh committed suicide, but reincarnated into the same family, indicating that suicide does not end the progression of the soul. It is likely that Mishilesh incurred karma from the grief she caused others due to her suicide, which will need to be worked out in subsequent incarnations. In addition, Rajani will need to face similar situations as Mishilesh did, but hopefully Rajani will not act out in the same way. For a more detailed discussion on implications of suicide, please go to: Suicide Reincarnation Case of Ruprecht Schultz

Why would the soul of Mishilesh inhabit a second body while Mishilesh was still alive? It is possible that Mishilesh’s soul anticipated the problems associated with her personality and the possibility that her life would be short. As such, Mishilesh’s soul took the opportunity to have another incarnation with Bimla as the mother, who Mishilesh was fond of.

Footnotes

Pasricha, Satwant, Can the Mind Survive Beyond Death? Volume 2: Reincarnation and Other Anomalous Experiences, Harman Publishing House, New Delhi, 2008, pages 294-298

Soul Plan, Same Family Reincarnation & Spirit Being Involvement in the Past Life Story of Kalevi Paasio | Paavo Sorsa

A same family reincarnation of a murdered son Kalevi Paasio, as his younger brother but from another father Paavo forming a closer relationship with his mother in the subsequent lifetime. Paavo manifested protective tendencies towards his mother maybe because of his inability to protect her in his previous lifetime.

How Derived: Memories in Childhood

Researcher: Ian Stevenson, MD

From: European Cases of the Reincarnation Type, by Ian Stevenson, MD

Article by: Walter Semkiw, MD

Risto Murders his Son, Kalevi

Kalevi Paasio was born on December 11, 1987, in Ylojarvi, Finland, near Tampere. His mother was named Sylvi and his father, who was called Risto, had a violent temperament. Sylvi had to call the police, at times, when Risto beat her.

Due to the physical abuse, Sylvi separated from Risto, though he retained rights to their son, Kalevi. When Risto took possession of Kalevi for a weekend, he killed his son. Risto confessed that he went into a rage, attacked his son in several ways and in the end, struck his son on the head four times with a plank of wood. The murder occurred on May 11, 1990. Risto was arrested, convicted and then committed suicide in prison.

Kalevi Appears as a Spirit Being

A few months after Kalevi’s murder, his mother, Sylvi had a dream which was so real that she didn’t know if it was a dream or reality. She had never had a dream that was so real before.

In her dream, Sylvi heard the doorbell ring. When she opened the door, Kalevi and Risto were there. Risto left but Kalevi came into the house and sat on a window sill. Ian Stevenson writes:

“Sylvi tried to touch him and found that her hand went through him.” (1)

At the time, Sylvi was living with a man named Veikko Sorsa. They lived in a different village from when Sylvi was married to Risto. Not long after Sylvi’s dream of Kalevi, she became pregnant. She and Veikko married afterwards and their son, Paavo, was born a little more than 13 months after Kalevi had been killed.

Paavo Wants to Go to his Past Life Home

When Paavo was about 3 years old, he was playing with his sled outside his home. When called to come inside, he refused to come into the house. Paavo said this was not his house and that he wanted to go to “his own home.” (2)

This is reminiscent of the case of Anne Frank | Barbro Karlen, in which Barbro also told her parents that she had a different home and that her real parents would soon come and get her.

Paavo Remembers the Past Life Beatings of his Mother and Vows to Protect Her

Once, Paavo found a photo that police had taken of Sylvi after Risto had beaten her. In seeing this photo, Paavo began crying violently and said to Sylvi:

“Nobody will be allowed to beat you.” (3)

Ian Stevenson made the point that the bruises that Svyli had in the picture could have been due to a fall or other accident. Stevenson was impressed that Paavo seemed to know that the bruises came from physical abuse.

Ian Stevenson also noted that Paavo was unusually attached to Sylvi. He was much more attached to Sylvi and wanted to spend more time with her than his step siblings.

Paavo Claims Photos of Kalevi are of Him

When Paavo saw photos of Kalevi, he claimed that they were pictures of him. Stevenson noted that Kalevi was perplexed that these were photographs of another child.

Reincarnation & Similarities in Physical Appearance

There was a marked resemblance between Paavo and Kalevi, which made people think that the two boys had the same father. Of course, Paavo’s father was Risto, while Kalevi’s father was Veikko.

Principles of Reincarnation & Understanding Past Lives

Soul Plan for a Future Lifetime and Same Family Reincarnation: The soul of Kalevi was able to plan an incarnation from the spirit world in which he was born to his past life mother. It appears that this second lifetime was driven by Kalevi’s attachment to his mother, Sylvi, and his desire to protect her.

Spirit Being Involvement: Sylvi had an announcing dream, which was so real she didn’t know if it was a dream or not. In this dream, Kalevi came to her and sat on her window sill. Shortly thereafter, Sylvi became pregnant with Paavo, who appears to be the reincarnation of Kalevi. If this is true, then Kalevi was able to communicate with his mother from the spirit world.

Physical Resemblance: It was noted that Paavo looked so much like Kalevi that people thought they had the same father. Kalevi and Paavo had different fathers, but the same mother, so genetic factors could still play a factor in explaining their physical resemblance.

Footnotes

1. Stevenson, Ian: European Cases of the Reincarnation Type, McFarland, 2003, page 150
2. Stevenson, Ian: European Cases of the Reincarnation Type, McFarland, 2003, page 150
3. Stevenson, Ian: European Cases of the Reincarnation Type, McFarland, 2003, page 150

Past life Story of Eeva-Maija Kaartinen | Maria-Liisa Kaartinen: Soul Plan, Reincarnation & Talent, Split Incarnation or Parallel Lives

A girl Eeva-Maija Kaartinen who died at an early age when her mother is pregnant with another baby reincarnated in the baby that her mother was carrying when she died, and was named Marja-Liisa. A reincarnation story with references clearly indicating a renewed sustained lifetime of a former life that was curtailed at a very young age.

How Derived: Memories in Childhood

Researcher: Ian Stevenson, MD

From: European Cases of the Reincarnation Type, by Ian Stevenson, MD

Article by: Walter Semkiw, MD

After Her Mother Promises Her a Toy Carriage, A Young Flapper Dies at the age of Five

Eeva-Maija Kaartinen was born on August 17, 1923 in Oulu, Finland. Eva had three older brothers, who she differed from in several ways. Her brothers and her parents liked to eat meat and drink sour milk. In contrast, Eeva-Maija refused to eat meat or drink sour milk. Rather, she preferred fish and fresh milk.

Eeva-Maija was reluctant to eat in general and times she would hide her food so that she didn’t have to eat it. Salli Kaartinen, her mother, would coach her to take nourishment by saying, “Eat, bite and swallow.” (1)

Eeva-Maija loved to dance and almost danced before she could walk. She learned to do the Charleston, a dance that was popular in the 1920’s.

Just after she was 5 years old, Eeva-Maija came down with a fatal case of influenza. Just before Eeva-Marja died, Salli, her mother, promised to buy her a toy baby carriage. Eeva-Maija passed on November 24, 1928.

Marja-Liisa Says She is the Reincarnation of Eeva-Maija, Won’t Eat,& Repeats Past Life Phrase, “Eat, Bite and Swallow”

Salli was 3 months pregnant when Eeva-Maija died. Six months later, on Mary 22, 1929, Marja-Liisa Kaartinen was born.

When Marja-Liisa learned to speak, she repeatedly asked to be called Eeva-Maija. At the age of 2, when she found photographs of Eeva-Maija, she would take the photos to people and say: “These are of me.” (2)

Marja-Liisa also was resistant to eating and at the age of 2, she said to her mother, Salli: “Why don’t you tell me what you said to Eeva-Jaija: “Eat, bite and swallow.” (3)

No one had told Marja-Lissa about Salli’s coaching of Eeva-Jaija and as such, it was an apparent memory from a past lifetime. Salli testified that family members had purposely decided not to talk about Eeva-Maija, after her death, in an effort to ease their grief.

Past Life Memories: Marja-Liisa Remembers Helim and Picks Out Past Life Toys

When Marja-Liisa was 3 years old, the family went to their summer cabin in Sotkomo, Finland. When they arrived there, Marja-Liisa said: “Where is Helim?” (4)

Helim was the family’s servant who had left their employment over a year before Marja-Liisa was born. Again, no one had told her about Helim and as such, her mother perceived this to be a memory from Marja-Liisa’s past lifetime as Eeva-Maija.

At their Sotkomo summer cabin, there was a trunk that stored the children’s toys. Upon their arrival at Sotkoma, Marja-Liisa spontaneously went to this trunk and then proceeded to pick out all of Eeva-Maija’s toys, leaving the toys of the other children in the trunk.

She picked out Eeva-Maija’s balls and left the balls that belonged to her brothers alone. One of her brothers had a doll in the trunk. She picked out the doll that belonged to Eeva-Maija and left the doll that belonged to her brother in the trunk.

Past Life Memories of Peter Pan, a Coat and the Promise of a Toy Carriage

At the age of 4, Marja-Liisa asked her mother: “Where were we when Peter Pan flew” (5)

Salli and Eeva-Maija had seen the movie, Peter Pan, but Marja-Liisa had not.

Salli, while in the family’s kitchen, asked a servant to get a coat that had belonged to Eeva-Marija from the attic. Marja-Liisa was in her bedroom at the time and she did not hear this conversation. When the servant came downstairs from the attic, Marja-Liisa ran to him and grabbed the coat, saying: “My coat, my coat.” (6)

At about the age of five, Marja-Liisa asked Salli for the baby carriage that she had promised to her. This promise, of course, was made to Eeva-Maija, not Marja-Liisa.

Past Life Traits: Eeva-Marija and Marja-Liisa Don’t Eat Meat

Marja-Liisa resisted eating and she would hide food, like Eeva-Marija. She also refused to eat meat or sour milk. Instead, she preferred fish and fresh milk, like Eeva-Marija. All the other family members ate meat and sour milk; Eeva-Marija and Marja-Liisa were the only exceptions.

Marja-Liisa preferred to wear Eeva-Marija’s clothes and to play with her toys, rather than wear new clothes or play with toys that were bought for her.

Reincarnation & Past Life Talent: Spontaneous Charleston

Marja-Liisa loved music and began dancing almost before she could walk, as did Eeva-Marija. Even more impressive, Marija-Liisa, before the age of 3, spontaneously knew how to dance the Charleston.

Eeva-Marija was taught to do the Charleston, while Marija-Lissa was not. As such, Marija-Lissa was bringing a learned talent from her prior incarnation as Eeva-Marija into contemporary times.

Past Life Death Memories

When Marja-Liisa was about 5 years of age, the same age at which Eeva-Marija had died, Marja-Liisa experienced a series of nightmares of being buried or of seeing dead bodies. These experiences may have been due to the anniversary of Eeva-Marija’s death.

Anniversary phenomenon have been observed in reincarnation cases, such as in the case of John B. Gordon | Jeff Keene, who experienced jaw pain on his thirtieth birthday, the same age that John B. Gordon was shot in the jaw during the American Civil War.

Reincarnation & Physical Appearance

According to Salli, the girls’ mother, Marja-Liisa and Eeva-Marija looked the same. Salli stated that the two girls: “resembled each other considerably in physical appearance.” (7) The only difference was that Eeva-Maija was blonde while Maria-Liisa was a brunette.

Principles of Reincarnation & Understanding Past Lives

Soul Plan & Same Family Reincarnation: Eeva-Marija reincarnated into the same family that she belonged to before, as Marja-Liisa. This is supported by Marja-Liisa’s insistence of being called Eeva-Marija, even though the family purposely decided not to talk about Eeva-Marija to ease their grief.

In addition, Marja-Liisa recognized the clothes and toys of Eeva-Marija and claimed them as hers. She insisted that photos of Eeva-Marija were really images of herself. She demonstrated the same personality trait of being resistant to being fed. She also remembered the past life phrase that Salli used to entice Eeva-Maija into eating, which was: “Eat, bite and swallow.” (8)

Marja-Liisa also remembered the servant, Helim, who was employed by the family when Eeva-Marija was alive, but who had left a year before Marja-Liisa was born.

Reincarnation & Talent from a Past Lifetime: Marja-Lissa spontaneously knew how to dance the Charleston, though she was never taught to do this dance. Eeva-Marija was taught the Charleston, which she enjoyed dancing.

Reincarnation & Physical Resemblance: Salli, the girls’ mother, noted that Eeva-Marija and Marja-Lissa had the same physical appearance, except for hair color. Of course, since this is a same family reincarnation case, similar physical resemblance could be attributed to genetic factors.

Split Incarnation or Parallel Lives: Marja-Lissa was born 6 months after Eeva-Marija died. As such, if it is assumed that the soul is involved in the development of the fetus, then the soul of these two girls inhabited the physical bodies of Eeva-Marija and Marja-Lissa at the same time for a period of 6 months.

Footnotes

1. Stevenson, Ian: European Cases of the Reincarnation Type, McFarland, 2003, page 140
2. Stevenson, Ian: European Cases of the Reincarnation Type, McFarland, 2003, page 140
3. Stevenson, Ian: European Cases of the Reincarnation Type, McFarland, 2003, page 140
4. Stevenson, Ian: European Cases of the Reincarnation Type, McFarland, 2003, page 140
5. Stevenson, Ian: European Cases of the Reincarnation Type, McFarland, 2003, page 140
6. Stevenson, Ian: European Cases of the Reincarnation Type, McFarland, 2003, page 141
7. Stevenson, Ian: European Cases of the Reincarnation Type, McFarland, 2003, page 142
8. Stevenson, Ian: European Cases of the Reincarnation Type, McFarland, 2003, page 140