Indian Sunita Chandak reincarnation case:

 

Dr. Ian Stevenson, Professor and Scientist, (University of Virginia, United States of America)

Researcher Padmakar Joshi, Journalist, (India)

Researcher Tom Shroder, Journalist, (United States of America)

 

A verified reincarnation case in India. [The girl who died in her past life as a 5-year-old girl.]

 

This is a rebirth case in which written records were made before verification of the previous personality.

 

Sunita Chandak, as a child, remembered numerous details about a past life in a village named Belgaon. Following the publication of these details in a newspaper article, a family whose circumstances closely matched her memories was discovered in a village with the same name.

 

Sunita’s Past-Life Memories:

Sunita Chandak was born around 1974 in Nagpur, India. When she was four years old, she began speaking about a past life, claiming she was from a village named Belgaon and requesting to be taken there. Her parents had no prior knowledge of such a village. Sunita also asked her mother to prepare meals in a style typical of a specific region. Additionally, she described Belgaon as having a temple but no school, and being situated near a river and hills.

 

Sunita's father sought assistance from Padmakar Joshi, an Indian journalist, who discovered that there were 28 villages named Belgaon. Out of these, nine matched Sunita’s description. Her parents began visiting each one. After Sunita rejected the first three, Joshi published a story featuring some of her past-life memories, including that she had never worn a sari and had a sister named “Sumitri.”

 

A reader from a village about ninety miles from Nagpur, also named Belgaon, identified a couple named Kalmegh who had a daughter named Sumitra. Sumitra's older sister, Shanta, had been born in 1945 and died in 1950 at the age of 5. Sunita was taken to this village and confirmed it by saying, “This is it.” Witnesses reported that she accurately identified relatives and associates of the Kalmeghs, recognized their house, and took Shanta’s mother’s hand, saying, “This is my mother.”

 

Ian Stevenson, who investigated the case, attached little significance to these recognitions, because the tests were not done systematically, potentially enabling Sunita to be prompted by signs from the crowd that gathered to watch. More significant were Sunita’s recognitions of changes that the village had undergone since Shanta’s death, which were confirmed by the Kalmegh family.

 

-”Her” house had had a raised platform (removed after Shanta’s death).

-A brick wall had been built in the house.

-An altar where she remembered worshipping had been moved.

-The wall of a house close by had formerly had a window through which the family had bought milk from a neighbor (now walled up).

-A neighbor’s father had written on a desk near his house (he had been a local official).

-Belgaon had not had a school, and a grocery store had stood where the school now did (the store had been razed to allow the building of the school).

 

Shanta’s family became entirely convinced that Sunita was her reincarnation, and she began a permanent relationship with them.

 

Sunita became like a local celebrity in Belgaon. At one point, she pointed to a vacant area near the school and asked if a temple would be constructed there. Although no plans for a temple existed at the time, the villagers took her question as a sign and subsequently built the temple on that spot.

 

Investigations:

Journalist Padmakar Joshi helped locate Sunita's past-life family by connecting with them through his publications. A few years later, researcher Ian Stevenson investigated the case further, interviewing additional first-hand witnesses. He followed up with a second trip when Sunita was 24, this time accompanied by journalist and author Tom Shroder.

 

Steven was interested in reincarnation cases involving twins, considering that disparate personality types in monozygotic (identical) twins raised together might point to past-life carryovers as the cause, with genetic and environmental influences having been effectively ruled out. Sunita had a twin sister who, unlike many other twin siblings of children with past-life memories, had no such memories herself. Shroder quotes their father as saying: ‘I always said to Anita, “Your sister told me where she lived. Why don’t you tell me where you lived?” But she never said anything.’

 

Sunita Chandak’s case is notable for being one where a written record of Sunita’s memories was created before the identification and verification of her previous life.

 

Other information:

Shroder noticed that Sunita referred to her father as her ‘Verni Kotha father’, and to Shanta’s father as her ‘Belgaon father’. When Sunita’s father jokingly but pointedly said, ‘I think she is more attached to her Belgaon family than to us,’ Sunita responded:

 

"I still see them on special occasions, but I don’t see them any more than my Verni Kotha parents. Maybe when I was living with them, they noticed that I missed my Belgaon parents. If you have two children and one of them is in boarding school and the other one’s home, you tend to think of the one in boarding school more because you miss him and he’s away, but you see the other one all the time. Now that I’ve moved out and I’m living in my husband’s home, I miss both my Verni Kotha and Belgaon parents equally."

 

Asked if she still had any visual memories of her previous life, Sunita answered:

 

"Some things I remember. I remember playing with my younger sister, for instance, but I think much less about it now. It’s like when you want to take a test and you study hard, and then you go and pass the test and forget about it. I wanted to find my village and see my family, and when I got most of the things I wanted, I didn’t think about it so much."

 

By the time of Stevenson’s follow-up visit, Sunita, aged 24, was living comfortably as the wife of a homeopathic doctor. Stevenson attempted to arrange blood tests to determine if Sunita and Anita were monozygotic (identical) or dizygotic (fraternal) twins, but the family declined. Sunita had shifted her focus to past-life regression to explore memories from around the age of seven or eight, which seemed to relate to a different past life.

 

In this other past life, she remembered being an only child in a house made of cement with a peepal tree in the yard and near railway tracks. She also recalled that her parents owned a cloth shop and that the local clay was red, unlike the yellow clay of her hometown Nagpur. However, she was frustrated by her inability to remember any names. Shroder does not disclose whether the regression was successful. The books 'Old Souls: Compelling Evidence from Children Who Remember Past Lives' by Tom Shroder (1999, Simon & Schuster, Kindle Edition) and 'Children Who Remember Previous Lives: A Question of Reincarnation' by Ian Stevenson (2001, rev. ed., McFarland, Jefferson, North Carolina, USA) contain information related to this reincarnation case.

 

 

British Justine Shillito reincarnation case:

 

Researcher Peter Harrison, (Independent researcher and scholar, United Kingdom)

 

An international reincarnation case in United Kingdom. [The British girl who lived in South Africa in a past life.]

 

In the town of Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom, a young girl named Justine Shillito began to share extraordinary memories at the age of three. These were not ordinary childhood recollections but details of a life she claimed to have lived before, in a far-off land called South Africa.

 

Justine was born to loving parents, Beverly and her husband, in the late 20th century. She was a typical British girl, growing up in a peaceful neighborhood, with no extraordinary exposure to foreign cultures or distant lands. However, her life took an unusual turn one sunny afternoon when she was playing in her garden.

 

Statements and Behaviors:

- "When I lived in Africa, we had sunshine like this every day."

- "My name was Mary."

- "Black poor ones and white ordinary ones." (In response to her mother's question about whether the people were black or white)

- "I had two brothers."

- "My mother was called Ann."

- "My father was a farmer."

- "We lived on a farm or a small holding."

- "We had lots of chickens and dogs."

- "We had our own pool in the garden and I went in it when I got very hot."

- "Daisy helped my mummy and did the housework for her."

- "Daisy was very fat and black with lots and lots of little woolly curls in her hair."

- "Daisy lived with the family, but according to Justine the woman did not sleep in the main house but had her own quarters in a small hut at the end of the garden."

- "There was also a black house-boy called Tom-Tom."

- "Tom-Tom stole my mummy's ring once. He pretended he didn't but Daisy found it in the hut."

- "He liked to eat mealie. But I didn't like that, so Mummy never gave it to me."

- "The black people were over the other side."

- "I didn't get to go beside the kafas."

- "I was sitting with my mother when a snake appeared just inside the door which led directly out on to the back garden. My mother was afraid and screamed to my father who was outside in the garden. He rushed into the house carrying a huge boulder or heavy stone. He came in and saved us. Daddy hit the snake on the head with the big stone. Then he killed it."

- "That's not how Daisy made our pies. Daisy didn't cover them over on top like that. She just put lines over the apples."

- "We had lots of apple trees in our garden and there was a big ladder which Tom-Tom used to climb up to collect the apples."

- "It was also his job to spray the lawn and flowers with water using a long rubber hose-pipe. It was like a long snake."

- "I had two brothers in my previous life in Africa but I do not recall their names or whether they were younger or older than myself."

- "We used to gather the eggs from the chickens every morning and bring them to Daisy."

 

Justine turned to her mother and said, "When I lived in Africa, we had sunshine like this every day." Beverly was taken aback, as Justine had never been to Africa or even exposed to stories or television shows about the continent. In the following weeks, Justine shared more details about her apparent past life, which her mother carefully noted.

 

Justine mentioned that her name was Mary in that life and that she had two brothers. Her mother was named Ann, and her father was a farmer. They lived in a large white house with many chickens and dogs. The climate was always hot and dry, and they had a pool in the garden to cool off in the heat.

 

As Justine shared more about her life as Mary, she described the family's servants: a black woman named Daisy and a black house-boy named Tom-Tom. Daisy was very fat and had lots of little woolly curls in her hair. She helped Justine's mother with the housework and lived in a hut at the far end of the garden with Tom-Tom. Justine recalled that Tom-Tom liked to eat "mealie," a South African dish made of maize and potatoes, which she herself did not care for.

 

Justine also mentioned unique experiences from her past life, such as gathering eggs from the chickens every morning with her brothers and bringing them to Daisy to cook. She remembered playing in the pool and being sprayed with a hose-pipe by Tom-Tom. One day, she saw a snake in the kitchen, which frightened her mother. Her father rushed in and killed the snake with a large stone.

 

Justine displayed a strong emotional response when discussing "baubies," which she described as large, frightening cattle. She would become near-hysterical when talking about them, and her mother could not understand what she meant by the term.

 

Investigations:

Beverly tried to make sense of Justine's memories and sought help to verify the details. She contacted South Africa House for assistance. Initially, there was no success in identifying the term "bauby," but eventually, a Negro employee who had spent many years living in the South African bush recognized the term as a mispronunciation of "boerbee," a breed of Afrikaner cattle known for their long horns and menacing appearance.

 

Other cultural details mentioned by Justine were also verified, such as the term "kafas," likely a mispronunciation of "kaffirs," a derogatory term used by white South Africans to refer to members of the Negro community. The dish "mealie" was also confirmed to be a genuine South African food.

 

Other Information:

The case of Justine Shillito remains an example of a child's apparent past-life memories. While some cultural details were verified, due to the high challenges and distant barriers in verifying international reincarnation cases, no specific family or location in South Africa has been identified as a match for Justine's descriptions. Her memories provide a fascinating glimpse into the possibility of reincarnation. Justine's story serves as a reminder of the mysteries that still surround the consciousness and the potential for past-life memories to surface in unexpected ways.

 

 

Netherlands Cerunne Bouts reincarnation case:

 

Researcher Titus Rivas, Psychologist and Philosopher, (Athanasia Foundation, Netherlands and International Centre for Reincarnation and Survival Researches)

An international reincarnation case in Netherlands. [The woman who had been a man with a black beard in her past life.]

 

This rebirth case is important because the individual could remember 2 different past lives.

 

Before learning about this rebirth case, it is important to know that international reincarnation cases are hard to verify because they involve two different countries. This reincarnation case spans two different continents.

 

In the spring of 2001, Dutch researcher Titus Rivas was informed about a remarkable case of a young girl, Cerunne Bouts, who claimed to remember 2 past lives. She could remember one life as a male sailor and another as a male doctor. Additionally, she talked about an Indian woman called ‘Amma’. The case was brought to his attention by Anja Janssen, a friend of Cerunne's parents, who lived in Molenhoek, the Netherlands. Rivas decided to investigate and met with the family in May 2001.

 

Cerunne's parents, Christine Thijssen and Sirat Bouts, were both interested in spirituality and had some belief in rebirth, although they were not actively promoting it. Christine, a 40-year-old artist with a Roman Catholic background, had always found the concept of reincarnation plausible. Sirat, a 47-year-old sociotherapist with a French mother, had experienced memories of past lives through meditations and felt a strong connection to spirituality and various cultures, including Indian, Celtic, and Native American.

 

During her pregnancy with Cerunne, Christine experienced an announcing dream in her eighth month. In this dream, she encountered a strange, shamanistic 'Pictic' ghostly woman in her forties, barefoot and dressed in fur, holding deer antlers. The woman telepathically communicated without saying a word, that Christine would give birth to a daughter and should name her 'Deer'. The ghost woman also mentioned that the child had experienced a difficult past life. This dream led Christine and Sirat to choose the Celtic name Cerunne for their daughter, derived from the divinity Cerunnos or Kernunnos, associated with deer and the world between death and rebirth.

 

Cerunne was born on June 30, 1994, in Brakkenstein, Nijmegen. She was the third of four daughters, with sisters Elisa, Souria, and Fanja. From a young age, Cerunne exhibited unique characteristics, such as being quick in motor development, somewhat boyish in appearance and behavior, and having a strong sense of justice. She was also very introverted and had difficulty making friends until she was about six years old.

 

Past Life Memories:

Around the age of two or three, Cerunne began spontaneously sharing memories of a past life as a sailor. Some of her earliest statements included:

 

- “I was a thin man with a black beard.”

- "The waves I experienced were as high as a house that swept over the mast." (Commenting on the waves in a swimming pool)

- "You should know how high I climbed before." (When told not to climb a tree, she responded like this referring to the mast of a ship)

- "Sometimes there had been a storm all night, and the next morning everything was completely silent." (Describing life at sea)

- "I had many tasks, including watching the sail and pennants and being on watch, but also caring for the passengers."

- "My own name when I was a male sailor had been Peer."

- "We ate dry biscuits aboard the ship. We were healthy men."

- "I was not a captain but was important. I did not have to cook."

- "Sometimes there were fights with knives among the sailors aboard, but I couldn’t stand rudeness and aggression myself."

- “I ate raw meat on the ship.”

- "There was an accident in which a friend of mine fell from a mast and broke his back."

- "There was a large rudder."

- "The ship sailed to La Karoonya or Garoonya to pick up poor families and take them to a harbor with palm trees, on an island. There were mountains in the background and only a few small shops. The poor families were not slaves and they were fair-skinned. Sometimes the ship moored illegally."

- “I went to India. There were many baskets of fruit, lots of dancing and music. I met a woman with whom I became friends. Her name was Amma.”

- "A pointed walking stick which was also used as a weapon."

- "The adults and children were lying during the night, and they didn’t have beds or hammocks, just a pillow and a blanket."

- "We had a lot of stomach pain on board."

- "During the journey to the island, the children of the poor people had a separate place where they could play very nicely."

- "Our ship also sometimes docked secretly or illegally."

-"The Vurk had a figurehead or beast at the front."

- "On land, I slept in polluted huts. I found it very relaxed and cozy there. There were very nice people."

 

Over time, Cerunne provided more details about her past life as a male sailor named Peer:

 

-Peer, the sailor whose life Cerunne remembered, was a lean man with a black beard and remained fit for most of his life, possibly living up to the age of 95.

-She claimed to have sailed on a large, three-masted passenger ship called the Vurk, which had a figurehead or beast at the front.

-Her duties on the ship included watching the sail and pennants, being on watch, caring for passengers, and maintaining contact with them.

-She described the sleeping arrangements on the ship, with adults and children lying on the floor with just a pillow and a blanket, and no beds or hammocks. Sanitation was poor, with people urinating on the floor.

-Food on the ship consisted of large chunks of meat and fish, with whole cows hanging on board for provisions. They also ate raw meat.

-Cerunne mentioned knife fights among the sailors and described a fatal accident in which a friend fell from a mast and broke his back.

-The ship sailed to warm lands, picking up poor, fair-skinned families from a place called la Garoonya or Karoonya (later interpreted as La Coruña, Spain) and transporting them to an island with palm trees, possibly Cuba.

-They sailed to warm lands. She made mats from reed to sleep on in 'India'. She once grabbed reed and said, "We used to make mats from this." When her parents asked if she wanted to go back to India, she said that was not the case because it was too dirty, filthy, and polluted. Cerunne would have had contact with women on land but no steady relationship. She liked to gaze over the ocean and was very introverted.

-In India, she met a woman with whom she became friends. There were many baskets of fruit, lots of dancing and music.

-In her past life, Cerunne had contact with an Indian woman named Amma. (Amma is, in fact, an Indian word that translates to mother. The term 'Amma' is commonly used in India and South Asia.)

-She described a walking stick with a point called a 'moekille', which was also used as a weapon.

 

Cerunne exhibited several skills and behaviors that seemed to be connected to her past life memories:

-She demonstrated an unlearned agility in climbing and had no fear of heights, despite not being able to swim.

-She showed a toughness uncommon in girls her age, even when injured or facing scary situations.

-Cerunne had a strong sense of justice and was very introverted, often preferring to gaze over the ocean.

-She displayed boyish behavior and appearance. She was less feminine.

 

Investigation and Verification:

Titus Rivas and his team, led by historian Pieter van Wezel, investigated Cerunne's statements and found several historical correlations:

 

1. La Garoonya/Karoonya: La Coruña, a port city in Galicia, Spain, was an important harbor for immigration to Spanish colonies, including Cuba, an island with palm trees. The poor Galician immigrants were sometimes referred to as 'Galician slaves'.

2. Moekille: The word 'moekille' is related to the Basque pointed walking stick called makila, which was also used as a weapon. The makila became known in the Galician region through pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela.

3. Peer and Vurk: The names Peer and Vurk could be distortions of the Spanish names Pedro and Barco or Barca (ship).

4. Historical Context: The massive Spanish emigration to Cuba took place in the 19th and early 20th centuries, with many Galicians leaving due to high taxes and unemployment. The journey was characterized by hardships, poor hygiene, and dehumanizing discomforts.

 

Based on Cerunne's memories, skills, behavior, and the historical correlations found by the research team, this case suggests a paranormal process rather than cryptomnesia or childish fantasy. The most satisfying explanation, according to Rivas, is the reincarnation hypothesis. This implies that the sailor Peer or Pedro was involved in the emigration from La Coruña at the end of the 19th century, died, and was reborn as Cerunne Bouts. Also, around her fifth year, she mentioned that she had been a doctor before her life as a sailor.

 

The case of Cerunne Bouts may also imply:

1. A time gap of tens of years between death in a past life and rebirth.

2. Children in sex change cases exhibiting characteristics associated with the other gender in their culture.

3. Ghosts or visions during pregnancy being related to the background of a soul before its new human birth.

 

This case highlights the importance of tracing and investigating cases of Western young children who claim to remember past lives, as they can contribute valuable insights into the phenomenon of reincarnation.

 

 

Sri Lanka Gnanatilleka Baddewithana reincarnation case:

 

Dr. Ian Stevenson, Professor and Scientist, (University of Virginia, United States of America)

Researcher H. S. S. Nissanka, (Independent researcher and scholar, Sri Lanka)

 

A verified reincarnation case in Sri Lanka. [The boy who loved the company of women and who loved female activities such as painting fingernails with Cutex nail polish found himself as a woman in his next life.]

 

This is a rebirth case in which written records were made before verification of the previous personality.

 

The case of Gnanatilleka Baddewithana was the first reincarnation case investigated and publicized in Sri Lanka. This case is notable for its strength, and it is one of the 'before' cases, as the child's statements about a previous life were documented prior to any attempts to verify them. This case offers compelling evidence suggestive of reincarnation, with detailed accounts and rigorous scientific investigative methods.

 

Notable aspects of the case:

 

The Gnanatilleka Baddewithana reincarnation case:

HSS Nissanka, a scholar and journalist in Sri Lanka, wrote a series of articles on reincarnation for the Silumina newspaper. After readers questioned why there were no cases of past-life memories in Sri Lanka if reincarnation was real, he asked for people with such knowledge to contact him. Several did, and he chose to investigate the case of Gnanatilleka Baddewithana, as it was closest to his home in Kandy. Nissanka began his investigation on 1 November 1960, when Gnanatilleka was four years old.

 

When investigating Gnanatilleka Baddewithana's case, Nissanka involved prominent local figures—such as a city mayor, a monk and scholar, lawyers, psychologists, professors, and teachers—as credible witnesses. A news photographer was typically present, and he meticulously tape-recorded and noted all interactions. Nissanka developed his own investigative methods, including introducing the girl to individuals she might have known in her past life under controlled conditions and carefully documenting her responses. This approach ensured a comprehensive record of her memories before identifying the person from her past life.

 

Nissanka and his team explored alternative explanations for Gnanatilleka’s knowledge by investigating potential prior connections between the two families but found no evidence of such links. Both families had initially shown reluctance about the investigation, suggesting they were not conspiring to seek publicity. Gnanatilleka showed no signs of mental illness, spirit possession, psychic ability, or any paranormal knowledge beyond that of Tillekeratne’s life, and she spoke of it in the first person. As the investigation continued, Nissanka published a series of newspaper stories and later authored a book, released in English in 2001, which includes partial transcripts, correspondence, and translations of official documents. The original records of the case are now preserved at the University of Virginia’s Division of Perceptual Studies.

 

Ian Stevenson, a leading scientist in reincarnation, learned about Gnanatilleka's case while working on another case in Sri Lanka. Although the identity of Gnanatilleka’s previous life had already been established, Stevenson conducted an independent investigation without reviewing Nissanka’s notes or tapes. In 1961, he visited three municipalities in Sri Lanka to interview Gnanatilleka, her family, the previous person’s family, and others. He also corresponded with Venerable Piyadassi Thera, the Buddhist monk and scholar who had been present during Nissanka’s investigation. Stevenson later published his findings in the book ‘Twenty Cases Suggestive of Reincarnation’, adding significant details to the existing investigation.

 

The case garnered interest from local newspapers and media outlets in Sri Lanka. The unusual and compelling nature of Gnanatilleka's past life memories and recognitions made it a subject of curiosity and discussion within the country. The case also drew the attention of international media. Articles and reports about Gnanatilleka's past life memories were published in various languages and countries, reflecting a broader interest in reincarnation cases and paranormal phenomena.

 

Turin Tillekeratne:

Gallage Turin Tillekeratne, known as Tillekeratne, was born on 20 January 1941 in Talawakele, Sri Lanka, and died on 9 November 1954 at the age of thirteen. He had six sisters and two brothers and attended Sri Pada College, traveling there by train with his brother and his older sister Gunalatha, whom he affectionately called "nangi". His mother noted his concern for tidiness. He used paint boxes, made artificial flowers from crepe paper, loved flowers and drawing, and had a tendency to mend clothes rather than discard them. Rather than associating with boys, he had loved to associate with girls and females. He would also ask his mother to hit him instead of his sisters if she was angry and comfort her when his father hurt her. Tillekeratne made a pilgrimage to Adam’s Peak and saw Queen Elizabeth II pass by in a train during her visit to Sri Lanka. His death was officially attributed to cardiac failure due to acute nephritis, but his family reported that he had suffered a trauma from being struck by a cricket ball before his death.

 

Gnanatilleka Baddewithana:

Gnanatilleka Baddewithana was born on 14 February 1956 in Hedunawewa-Dihintalawa, a remote hamlet in Sri Lanka’s central mountains. Her father was a small-scale rice farmer who also occasionally worked on tea plantations. After researcher Nissanka called for cases of past-life memories, a neighbor reported that Gnanatilleka had mentioned living in a house in Talawakele, a town about 22 miles away, with her parents and a sister. Nissanka, accompanied by Piyadassi and a teacher as witnesses, traveled to Gnanatilleka’s village for his initial interviews with her and her family.

 

Statements:

Nissanka tabulated 61 statements by Gnanatilleka about Tillekeratne’s life that she could not have been expected to know, the majority of which were verified as true by Tillekeratne’s family or other associates. They included:

 

- The previous person (the boy) saw Queen Elizabeth II during a state visit (an event two years prior to her birth); the Queen had traveled by train.

- He visited Adam’s Peak.

- He traveled to school by train with his older sister.

- He had joined his sisters in painting his nails with nail polish.

- He made flowers out of paper.

- He had been a boy.

- The ‘Talawakele mother’ had bought firewood (the word for ‘bought’ was the one used by Tillekeratne’s family).

- The Buddha in the temple in Talawakele was very big (this statement was made prior to her first visit to Talawakele).

- There were no coconut trees in Talawakele (the climate was different due to elevation).

- The ‘Talawakele mother’ made patties.

- The Talawakele parents were separated.

- His father worked the tea plantations.

-In addition, there were many correct details about the town of Talawakele, including descriptions of the temple and post office.

 

Stevenson created a tabulation with 34 statements and recognitions, many of which, although not all, were the same as those Nissanka had recorded.

 

Nissanka’s initial attempts to locate Gnanatilleka’s previous family in Talawakele proved unsuccessful; one lead turned out to be false, and many families were reluctant to discuss the deceased child. Nevertheless, Nissanka arranged for Gnanatilleka to visit Talawakele. Upon her arrival, the four-year-old girl started to recognize various elements of the town and even noted that some houses were missing due to demolition. She was able to recognize many things independently. Although she did not immediately recognize her former neighborhood, she was thrilled to see the temple. Eventually, Nissanka found a man who corroborated that Gnanatilleka’s memories aligned closely with the life of his deceased brother-in-law, Tillekeratne.

 

Nissanka’s attempt to have Gnanatilleka meet her past-life family was hindered by large crowds of onlookers. Nonetheless, he succeeded in interviewing Tillekeratne’s mother and sister. Back at her home, Gnanatilleka was tested by three teachers from Talawakele, one of whom had known Tillekeratne. She said she knew one teacher. She correctly identified only D.V. Sumathipala, climbing into his lap and moving him to tears by re-enacting a story he had been teaching Tillekeratne shortly before his death. Additionally, she accurately described the layout of a school in Hatton, a town she had never visited.

 

Behaviours:

As a young child, Gnanatilleka repeatedly asked to be taken to Talawakele, eventually persuading her older brother to accompany her. This visit was crucial in verifying her detailed descriptions of the town. She had been upset by rumors that a woman found dead in her own village had come from Talawakele, and only the visit with her brother could calm her down.

 

Gnanatilleka enjoyed playing "school" with her siblings and friends, reenacting scenes from Tillekeratne's school life at Sri Pada College in Hatton. She would often assume the role of a teacher or student, recreating classroom scenarios. Additionally, she showed a strong interest in religion, much like Tillekeratne. She would create small Buddha shrines for her own worship, mirroring Tillekeratne's religious practices and demonstrating her deep connection to her past life's beliefs.

 

Her play activities often reflected her past life memories. For instance, she would act out scenes involving Tillekeratne's family members and friends, displaying intricate knowledge of their relationships. Gnanatilleka also created drawings and writings related to her past life memories. Her siblings, including her older brother Ariyapala Baddewithana, were often involved in these role-playing games, which reflected the dynamics of Tillekeratne's family life.

 

Gnanatilleka's language development was notably advanced for her age. Her parents reported that she used much longer words than most children, suggesting precocity in language development. Some of the words she used were not part of her family's everyday language, indicating that she might have acquired them from her past life memories as Tillekeratne. Despite her young age, she could communicate effectively with Tillekeratne's family members, discussing specific events, people, and places from her past life with clarity and detail.

 

Nissanka observed that Tillekeratne's beloved teacher, D.V. Sumathipala, could comfort Gnanatilleka more effectively than her own parents when she was upset. Gnanatilleka's reactions to Tillekeratne's family members mirrored Tillekeratne's relationships with them. For example, she reacted angrily to one of Tillekeratne’s brothers, with whom Tillekeratne had always had a hostile relationship. Both Tillekeratne and Gnanatilleka shared a preference for the color blue and often chose to wear it. Furthermore, Stevenson noted that both Tillekeratne and Gnanatilleka were deeply religious.

 

Recognitions:

On 18 December 1960, Gnanatilleka met her previous family for the first time. She was taken to an upstairs room at an inn in Talawakele to ensure she wouldn't see anyone before they entered. Nissanka was accompanied by 26 assistants and witnesses, including many notable individuals.

 

During the meeting on 18 December 1960, Gnanatilleka, initially tired and bored, became animated when Tillekeratne’s mother entered the room. She greeted her with "Talawakele mother" and embraced her. As Tillekeratne’s family and associates entered one by one, and in two groups of three, Gnanatilleka accurately identified each person. She correctly noted when someone was unfamiliar to Tillekeratne. Gnanatilleka recognized Tillekeratne’s parents, all introduced siblings—including a sister whom she addressed in the same manner Tillekeratne had—and two family friends.

 

Gnanatilleka was invited to visit the homes of Tillekeratne’s mother, three married sisters, and an aunt. During these visits, she greeted them all with a traditional Sri Lankan gesture used to acknowledge people she knew well.

 

The death of the boy:

Nissanka and his associates observed that Tillekeratne’s family seemed uneasy when questioned about the cause of his death, although they were open about other matters. The family reported that Tillekeratne had been struck on the leg by a cricket ball before his illness, but none of his former schoolmates, classmates, or teachers remembered this incident. Nissanka found this explanation unlikely. Gnanatilleka’s description of Tillekeratne’s death was more dramatic than the family's account; she recounted that "Talawakele mother hit her while she was eating at home, causing her to fall off the chair and hit the floor."

 

In 1962, a neighbor of Gnanatilleka reported an incident where Gnanatilleka, in the presence of Tillekeratne’s mother, angrily contradicted her claim about the cricket ball, insisting, “Mother, you are lying! That’s not how I died; I fell off a chair… and now you’re lying about it!” Nissanka noted that Tillekeratne’s illness had begun before the incident with the cricket ball. While Tillekeratne’s mother couldn’t be blamed for his death, it was understandable that the family might want to obscure the true circumstances.

 

Stevenson independently noted that Gnanatilleka’s parents had observed the girl was afraid of doctors and hospitals, and she was also afraid of climbing up on anything from which she might fall.

 

Stevenson discovered from a correspondent that by the age of six, Gnanatilleka had stopped speaking spontaneously about her past life. However, during a follow-up visit four years later, she claimed to still remember her past life and provided answers that supported this. On another visit when she was fifteen, she reported that the past-life memories were fading but that she still retained some, especially those related to Tillekeratne’s school experiences. By this time, contact between the two families had diminished.

 

In his book "Twenty Cases Suggestive of Reincarnation" (2nd edition, 1980), Ian Stevenson notes that during his follow-up visit in 1970, when Gnanatilleka was nearly fifteen years old, she was deeply interested in religion and was a vegetarian. Stevenson also mentions that Gnanatilleka had influenced her mother to adopt vegetarianism as well, although Buddhism does not explicitly require its adherents to be vegetarians. She was in the ninth grade at school and was still doing well there, being placed sixth among 37 students. Gnanatilleka said that her memories of the previous life were fading. Evidently, she preserved some memories, however, and she said she still thought about the previous life. She remembered particularly Tillekeratne’s experiences at school. She also remembered that Buddhadasa, Tillekeratne's older brother, had damaged one of Tillekeratne's small Buddha shrines. Gnanatilleka also said that she still dreamed about her Talawakele mother, dreaming of her visiting Hedunawewa and also of her cooking. Her mother said that Gnanatilleka still considered that she had two mothers.

 

Gnanatilleka’s mother said she was developing normally along feminine lines. She had begun menstruating just a few days before Stevenson's visit. Her hair style, physical form, blue dress, and manner all indicated a typical Sinhalese girl. Gnanatilleka and her family continued to have some contact with Tillekeratne’s family, although it seemed less than it had formerly been. Gnanatilleka’s older sister, Karunawathie, married in 1970 not long before Stevenson's visit to Hedunawewa. Tillekeratne’s mother and older sister had attended the wedding, as had Buddhadasa, his older brother, with whom both Tillekeratne and Gnanatilleka had not been on good terms. Mr. D. V. Sumithapala also came to the wedding. Prior to this occasion, he had not visited for two years.

 

Stevenson inquired why Gnanatilleka had chosen their family to be reborn into. Her family recounted that, at the age of five, she had shared a memory from her past life as Tillekeratne, expressing fascination with seeing her current older brother, D.A. Baddewithana, dancing during the Queen’s visit. D.A. Baddewithana confirmed that he had indeed danced in Talawakele on that occasion. This was the only time he had gone there before the development of the case. The visiting male and female dancers met a large number of people during the course of their one-night stay in Talawakele, and Tillekeratne have been one of them.

 

Additionally, Stevenson arranged a recognition test with Lora, a former classmate of Tillekeratne who had never met Gnanatilleka, and a friend of Lora's. Despite her fading memories, Gnanatilleka was able to recognize Lora and stated that she knew her from Talawakele, although she slightly misremembered the name as ‘Dora’.

 

Gnanatilleka and her past life memories attracted considerable media attention in Sri Lanka. This rebirth story was picked up by Sinhalese newspapers, English-language papers, the government radio station, and eventually by media in India, United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Japan, Netherlands and other countries. Nissanka and Piyadassi were invited to lecture about the case at universities and other venues in Sri Lanka.

 

This reincarnation case gained significant attention in Sri Lanka, causing both fascination and fear for various people. The story spread widely and attracted substantial media coverage, which had a notable impact on both Gnanatilleka's family and Tillekeratne's family. While the publicity could be intrusive at times, it also drew the attention of various researchers and investigators who could thoroughly study and document the evidence.

 

Several groups raised objections to the publicity of this reincarnation story:

-Orthodox Buddhists and Hindus: They believed that reincarnation requires no proof, as it is already a fundamental part of their faith.

-Christians, Muslims, and Atheists: They successfully persuaded school libraries to ban the book containing the full reincarnation research. However, the ban was later lifted following protests from Buddhists.

-Marxists and Socialists: They argued that government and private resources should be allocated to addressing issues like starvation rather than investigating past lives.

 

Nissanka discovered that critics were visiting Talawakele residents, advising them not to cooperate with the investigation. Tillekeratne’s family was also hesitant to uncover the truth behind his death. The husband of one of Tillekeratne’s sisters accused Nissanka of publishing lies and offered to reveal the ‘real truth’ about Tillekeratne’s death if Nissanka agreed to meet him. Later, the sister wrote to Nissanka, disclosing that her husband had physically abused her and abandoned their family due to the media attention.

 

General skeptics also voiced their criticisms against the reincarnation research. The full research details of this case can be found in the book ‘The Girl Who Was Reborn: A Case Study Suggestive of Reincarnation’ by H. S. S. Nissanka. Additionally, the book ‘Twenty Cases Suggestive of Reincarnation’ (2nd ed., rev.) by Ian Stevenson (1974), published by University Press of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia, USA, includes information related to this reincarnation case. Gnanatilleka’s case is notable as one of the verified reincarnation cases where the person's sex changed from one life to the next.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Turkish Ismail and Cevriye 2 rebirth cases:

 

Dr. Ian Stevenson, Professor and Scientist, (University of Virginia, United States of America)

Researcher Resat Bayer, Professor, (Koc University, Turkey and Stanford University, United States of America)

 

2 verified reincarnation cases in Turkey. [The boy and girl who were husband and wife in their past lives.]

 

In the 1960s, Ian Stevenson and two researchers investigated a case where two Turkish children remembered past lives as a married couple who, along with two of their five children, had been violently killed on the same night.

 

Abit and Şehide Süzülmüş:

Abit Süzülmüş lived in the Bey district of Adana, Turkey. His Alevi family, who believe in reincarnation, suggest he died between the ages of forty and fifty, likely between 1907 and 1917. As a successful vegetable farmer, he owned two houses. Due to his first wife Hatice's inability to have children, he married a second wife, Şehide, which was acceptable in Alevi customs. The two wives lived separately but reportedly maintained a good relationship.

 

Şehide Süzülmüş was estimated to be between 25 and 30 at her death, likely born between 1927 and 1932. She had five children—Gülseren, Hikmet, Zeki, Zihni, and İsmet—and was in early labor with her sixth child when she was killed.

 

There were no eyewitnesses to the murders, which were reconstructed from forensic evidence and confessions. On the night of January 31, 1957, Abit Süzülmüş was lured to the stable by an employee who claimed one of the animals was sick. While Abit was examining the animal, he was struck on the head with a blacksmith’s hammer and likely died instantly.

 

When Şehide Süzülmüş went to the stable searching for Abit, she was killed in the same manner with a blacksmith’s hammer. The two youngest children, Zihni and İsmet, were also murdered, though there was uncertainty about whether they were with their father or mother. The older children, Zeki and Hikmet, were in the house; Hikmet was covered with a mattress by the murderers during a robbery, while Zeki hid and later fled to Hatice’s house for help. The criminals took a necklace from Şehide’s body but left without stealing anything else.

 

Five men were arrested, charged, and tried for the murders. Eventually, Ramazan, an employee of Abit, and one other man were executed by hanging. The trial was delayed, and these executions took place after İsmail had begun to speak about his previous life as Abit.

 

Investigations:

İsmail Altınkılıç:

The case of İsmail Altınkılıç was initially investigated by Reşat Bayer, who learned about it from newspapers in late 1962 and began conducting interviews. Premier reincarnation researcher Ian Stevenson also became aware of the case through a Reuters account in an Indian newspaper and investigated it for three days in March 1964, accompanied by Bayer. Bayer continued his investigation in autumn 1966, and both researchers conducted follow-up interviews in October 1967, returning again in 1970 and 1973 to gather testimony from previously uninterviewed informants. Bayer conducted additional interviews in 1975. The case was investigated over a span of thirteen years.

 

In 1965, Reşat Bayer published a report in Turkish that criticized İsmail Altınkılıç’s father and questioned the case’s authenticity. Ian Stevenson later published his report in 1980 in the book ‘Cases of the Reincarnation Type, Vol. III: Twelve Cases in Lebanon and Turkey’. Stevenson noted that Bayer did not have access to interviews conducted after 1965 when writing his report and mentioned that Bayer thoroughly fact-checked Stevenson’s report before its publication.

 

Concerns about the case's authenticity arose because Mehmet Altınkılıç, İsmail’s father, requested money for his testimony, which Stevenson paid. Additionally, two friends of Abit Süzülmüş claimed the case was false. Bayer felt that the father's mercenary approach severely undermined the case's credibility. Stevenson disagreed, noting that the two friends had owed Abit money, which could have motivated them to declare İsmail’s memories fraudulent.

 

Stevenson was hesitant to publish the case until an independent scientific investigation opportunity arose in 1973. Given their frequent visits, Stevenson and Bayer were well-known in Adana, so they brought an interpreter, Yaşar Atakam, who had never been to the city. Atakam was tasked with visiting a café in the Mıdık district and discussing the case with locals—some of whom were already informants—without revealing his connection to the investigation. He was also asked to gather information from local officials about the case and Mehmet Altınkılıç’s reputation for honesty. Stevenson hoped that informants might be more candid with someone they thought was just a tourist, which could help determine if the story had been fabricated.

 

Over two days, Atakam gathered information from seven people whom neither Bayer nor Stevenson had interviewed. In one instance, he obtained details freely that Stevenson had previously been offered only in exchange for a high payment, which Stevenson had declined. This additional information, according to Stevenson, strengthened rather than weakened the case, leading him to conclude it was safe to publish. Stevenson, Bayer, and Atakam interviewed 39 people—more than in any previous case investigated by Stevenson—to ensure thorough corroboration of Mehmet’s recollections.

 

Cevriye Bayrı:

Stevenson first learned about the case of Cevriye Bayrı in 1964 and began investigating it with Reşat Bayer that year. Bayer continued the investigation in 1966, and they collaborated again in 1967 to conduct further interviews and recheck details. In February 1973, Stevenson conducted a detailed interview with Cevriye’s mother and gathered information from her older brother. Later that year, Stevenson returned to Adana to interview Cevriye, who was now fifteen. In May 1975, Bayer re-interviewed Zeki and Hikmet, Abit Süzülmüş’s children, and spoke with a new informant, a young girl who had worked as a gardener for Abit during the murders. In total, nineteen informants were interviewed. Stevenson published the case of Cevriye Bayrı immediately following İsmail Altınkılıç’s case in the same book.

 

İsmail Altınkılıç:

Before İsmail’s birth, a female relative living near the family had a dream in which Abit Süzülmüş was seen talking with Mehmet Altınkılıç, İsmail’s father. In the dream, three men called Abit from outside the house, but he replied, “No, I am going to stay here. I will not come back.” The woman was unaware that İsmail’s mother was pregnant at the time.

 

İsmail Altınkılıç was born on or around September 30, 1957, in the Mıdık district of Adana, which is adjacent to the Bey district. His family’s house was about two kilometers from the house where Abit Süzülmüş had lived.

 

Mehmet recounted that İsmail began expressing that he had lived a previous life as early as eighteen months old, as soon as he could talk. Once he spoke fluently, İsmail denied his current name and insisted he was ‘Abit’. He provided details about Abit Süzülmüş’s life, including the names of his two wives, Hatice and Şehide, and his three surviving children, Gülseren, Zeki, and Hikmet. İsmail also mentioned people who owed Abit money and complained about his current family's poverty, hoping the debtors would pay. On the same evening, he gave specific details about the murder, including the name of the perpetrator: Ramazan.

 

As İsmail grew, he continued to insist that his name was Abit and often demanded that his parents take him to his previous home and family. His statements reached members of the Süzülmüş family, leading to a visit from Hatice, Abit’s surviving wife, and her stepdaughter Gülseren. When İsmail was about three years old, his father took him to the Bey district, expecting İsmail to lead him to a house he mistakenly believed was the site of the murder. Instead, İsmail led him to the correct house, where the murders had actually occurred. İsmail recognized various people and places associated with Abit Süzülmüş. The two families continued to meet, and İsmail's desire to stay close to the Süzülmüş family persisted.

 

In Stevenson’s case report, it is detailed that İsmail made 49 statements related to Abit Süzülmüş’s life and recognized people known to Abit. Most of these statements were made before the two families met, according to Stevenson’s findings. In addition to the previously mentioned statements, İsmail correctly identified and was verified by Abit’s relatives, friends, and police records on the following matters:

 

-Abit had two wives because the first was unable to have children.

-He lived in the Bey district.

-He was a vegetable farmer.

-His garden had fruit trees, including orange and quince trees.

-He had two oxen and two cows, one of which was named 'Suzan'.

-He owned a pump and a barrel (both of which he recognized at the house) and a horse.

-He kept a bed in the stable.

-He liked to drink raki, a strong Turkish liquor, with his friends.

-One of his drinking companions was named Abdürrezzak.

-He drank raki every night with Mahmut Altınkılıç, who worked the fields with him, and the two sometimes brought girls to their parties.

-Ramazan murdered him by hitting him on the head (he said with a 'bar of iron', but he could not have seen the weapon since it was done from behind).

-Şehide, Zihni, and İsmet were all murdered the same night.

-Şehide was in labor at the time.

 

When İsmail was three, he spontaneously recognized an ice-cream seller on the street who had been a close friend of Abit. He correctly named the seller’s wife and children. İsmail also recognized the man’s son and accurately stated that he had worked for Abit. Additionally, İsmail recognized other friends of Abit either spontaneously or when asked, "Who am I?"

 

Abit’s wife Hatice and his youngest surviving children, Zeki and Hikmet, fully accepted İsmail as Abit’s reincarnation. However, the oldest child, Gülseren, remained uncertain.

İsmail exhibited behaviors reminiscent of Abit Süzülmüş, notably his insistence that his true name was Abit. This inclination was so strong that his parents allowed him to use the name Abit for his school registration, a rare occurrence in Stevenson’s cases. İsmail spoke in the first person and present tense about his previous life, saying things like, “I have two wives.” He showed a preference for drinking raki and wearing a cloth over his shoulder, similar to Abit. Upon hearing that Ramazan had been hanged, he expressed joy by clapping his hands. İsmail preferred sitting in a chair at a shop where Abit used to sit. He complained about his current family’s poverty, reflecting Abit’s previous relative wealth, and showed affection towards the Süzülmüş family, repeatedly asking for Abit’s debtors to pay up.

 

Cevriye Bayrı:

Cevriye Bayrı was born on October 1, 1958, a little less than two years after the deaths of Abit and Şehide Süzülmüş, in the Akkapı district of Adana, which is near the Bey district. Her family’s home was about six kilometers from the Süzülmüş house. Her father, Kerim Bayrı, was a tinsmith with ten children, and while he knew Abit, they were not friends, and the families were not close enough to know personal details such as the names of Abit’s debtors.

 

According to Cevriye’s older brother, she began speaking before her first birthday and immediately mentioned her previous life. One of her first words was ‘azu’, which developed into the phrase ‘Ramazan killed’ as she gained verbal skills. Between the ages of two and three, Cevriye provided details of the murder from Şehide Süzülmüş’s perspective, including how she missed her husband and went out to find him, how Ramazan had taken her gold necklace, and how the baby she was carrying was born after her death—a memory of events between death and rebirth. (The baby did not survive). Cevriye also accurately named Şehide’s husband and her three surviving children.

 

Stevenson notes that Cevriye’s verified statements cannot be considered strong evidence because she likely heard about the details from community discussions, especially as İsmail Altınkılıç’s case had become widely known and revived talk of the murders. Kerim confirmed that by the time Cevriye began talking about her memories, everyone had already heard about İsmail’s recollections, and it was also known that Şehide’s tomb had been opened and the deceased baby observed, partly extruded from her body. While post-mortem birth is rare, it does occur, as noted by Stevenson in two case reports. Despite this, Cevriye did state some facts that were unknown to her mother.

 

In Stevenson’s opinion, the strength of the case was primarily in Cevriye’s recognitions between the ages of two and five. She identified former relatives and friends both in person and in photographs, including some not known to her own family. Additionally, her behaviors reflected the life of Şehide Süzülmüş, further supporting the case.

 

At the age of two, Cevriye recognized an ice-cream seller who had known Şehide, recalling that she had given him food, which the man confirmed. Her mother also reported that Cevriye recognized Şehide’s sister, Fehime Hasan. To test her, Fehime asked, “If you claim to be my sister, why didn’t you visit me when I was ill and in the hospital?” Cevriye correctly responded, “But I did visit you, with my children.” Fehime confirmed that when she first visited, Cevriye had run toward her, calling her “my sister.”

 

Cevriye also recognized Şehide’s former friends, including Sade Demirci, Güllü Deniz, and Nadire Mirel, correctly recalling that Nadire had been her tailor. Among the Süzülmüş family, she recognized Abit’s first wife, Hatice, and Şehide’s children Gülseren, Hikmet, and Zeki. When shown a picture of Abit and Şehide, Cevriye identified it as “my photograph, with my husband.”

 

As a small child, Cevriye exhibited pervasive fearfulness, often running to her mother in fright. She had a strong fear of darkness, which might have been connected to Şehide’s murder occurring in darkness. When the lights went out due to a power failure at the age of two, Cevriye cried out, “Ramazan is going to kill me!” Similar to İsmail, Cevriye repeatedly asked her parents to change her name from Cevriye to Şehide, but they did not agree.

 

Meeting of the Children:

When the Süzülmüş family learned that Cevriye might be the reincarnation of Şehide, both families decided that the two children should meet. İsmail, who was five at the time, was brought to Cevriye’s family home by his father and several other witnesses. Cevriye was four years old at the time.

 

Witnesses provided varying accounts of the meeting between İsmail and Cevriye. İsmail’s father reported that the two children ran to each other, kissed, and embraced warmly. İsmail then gave some ice cream to Cevriye. In contrast, Cevriye’s mother said that while İsmail embraced Cevriye, her reaction was less warm. She quizzed İsmail on details known to both Abit and Şehide Süzülmüş, such as the number of cattle they owned, and corrected him on any inaccuracies.

 

Cevriye herself, at the age of nine, told Stevenson that İsmail had caressed her hand and that they exchanged gifts. She also mentioned that they shared accounts of the murders and that İsmail asked why she had not come to his aid. According to Cevriye’s mother, she had asked İsmail the same question. Stevenson noted that the murders were carried out in a way that neither could have helped the other.

 

Cevriye showed a deep interest in Şehide’s children, often expressing concern that they might be hungry during her own mealtimes. On one visit to the Süzülmüş family, she caressed Zeki while he was asleep. Cevriye’s older brother noted that, when she was very young, she frequently cried and asked to be taken to see Şehide’s children.

 

Stevenson discovered some possible physical after-effects related to the murder affecting Cevriye. Upon her birth, Cevriye had a red birthmark at the top of her head, which had faded by the time Stevenson first met her when she was five. Unusually, Cevriye experienced extremely severe headaches as a child, a condition that diminished as she grew older. Stevenson noted that such symptoms were observed in other children who recalled being killed by blows to the head, although they were not always present, as seen in İsmail’s case.

 

The two families continued to meet, and İsmail maintained his affection for the Süzülmüş family. He often brought gifts to his former children and was deeply affected by the death of Abit’s mother, weeping and going to bed without supper. On one occasion, İsmail expressed a desire to marry Cevriye, saying he would die if he could not. Even at the age of nine, İsmail’s father reported that İsmail occasionally wept because he missed his past-life children.

 

 

Indian Toran Titu Singh reincarnation case:

 

Dr. Antonia Mills, Professor, (University of Northern British Columbia, Canada)

Researcher Dr. James G. Matlock, PhD (Rhine Research Center, Durham, United States of America)

 

A verified reincarnation case in India. [The boy whose past life ended with a gunshot bullet penetrating his right temple.]

 

This case involves an Indian boy who remembered a past life as a violent criminal. It is notable for its likely demonstration of replacement reincarnation, where the previous person's death occurs after the new pregnancy or birth has begun. The case is one of ten studied by Antonia Mills, who is replicating the research methods of Ian Stevenson in her investigation of reincarnation.

 

In the late 1980s, Antonia Mills was invited by Ian Stevenson to replicate his procedures for investigating reincarnation cases to test if she would reach similar conclusions. The Tltu case is one of three detailed in her 1989 report, out of ten cases she investigated. In all these cases, there had already been contact between the child’s family and the family of the deceased person.

 

Toran Singh, known as 'Titu,' was born in Baad, near Agra in Uttar Pradesh, India. He was the youngest of six children, with the oldest sibling being about thirteen years older. There is confusion about his birthdate, which complicates the case. Titu’s mother was hospitalized under a family friend's name due to her illness during the last trimester. The hospital birth records indicate a date of 11 December 1982, but Titu’s parents later said he was born on 10 December 1983, based on their belief that he was four and a half years old in the summer of 1987. It's possible that the earlier date referred to another child’s birth or that Titu’s birth was never officially registered.

 

According to Titu's mother, Titu began speaking at eighteen months. Shortly after, he made a peculiar statement: he asked her to tell his grandfather to look after his children and wife, and expressed concern about them while he was having his meals. When questioned, Titu mentioned he was from Agra and didn't know how he ended up in Baad.

 

Even at a young age, Titu expressed dissatisfaction with his family's lifestyle. He was embarrassed by his mother’s attire, noting that "his wife had beautiful saris." He criticized the cleanliness of their home, claimed that "his" house was big, and remarked that his sisters-in-law were educated. While traveling, he complained about having to go on foot or by bus, saying, "I used to go by car." During a wedding in Agra, he claimed, "I have a shop in Sadar Bazaar."

 

As he grew older, Titu began crying almost daily, expressing a desire to return home to see his brother Raja Babu and sister Susheela, and referred to his parents as "Guloo’s parents," with Guloo being his sister.

 

In April 1987, Titu became upset when his father went to Agra without him. He asked a friend of his eldest brother if he could be taken there, claiming, “I have a shop of transistor radios and I was a big smuggler and goonda. I am the owner of Suresh Radio.” Following this lead, his brother and the friend found a shop named Suresh Radio in Sadar Bazaar. They spoke with Uma Verme, the widow of the shop’s owner, Suresh Verme. Uma revealed that Suresh, who was a well-known black-market smuggler, had been shot dead at around thirty years old on August 28, 1983. The two families had never met before.

 

After learning about Titu, several members of Suresh’s family visited Baad in April 1987. Upon seeing them, Titu was excited and recognized Suresh’s widow, parents, and two of his three brothers who were present. He made detailed and accurate statements about Suresh’s life, including naming his children, describing a trip with Uma and the children, and recalling specifics about Suresh’s home, car, and death. All of Titu’s statements matched the facts about Suresh’s life and circumstances.

 

Suresh’s family continued to test Titu’s knowledge during a subsequent trip to Agra. They tried to deceive him by taking him to a shop similar to Suresh’s, which actually belonged to Suresh’s brother. Titu was not fooled. At the real Suresh Radio shop, he recognized a photo on the wall as his own, correctly identified which drawer had been used to store cash, and identified the manager. He was puzzled by a showcase that had been installed after Suresh’s death.

 

When taken to Suresh’s parents' house, Titu remarked, “I am just passing through with these people who do not have a TV, a car, a video. I will run away to you.” His father’s attempt to take him home resulted in a struggle, during which Titu tore his father’s shirt. He was calmed only by a promise that Suresh’s father would visit. During this visit, Titu made several accurate statements and recognitions, including identifying Suresh’s children and features of Suresh’s former house.

 

In total, Titu made fifteen verified statements before meeting Suresh’s family and thirty-one afterwards, with only one apparently incorrect statement. He also correctly identified ten people and four places.

 

Birthmarks:

Suresh’s relatives observed that Titu had a small circular birthmark on his right temple, resembling a bullet entry wound, and several small birthmarks on the back of his skull, which they speculated might correspond to an exit wound. Additionally, Titu had a birthmark on the crown of his head that matched one Suresh had had throughout his life.

 

Upon reviewing Suresh Verme’s post-mortem report, Mills found that the entry wound was located on the right temple, where Titu had his birthmark, and the exit wound was behind the right ear. Mills also noted that Titu’s skull was somewhat protruded behind his right ear, a deformity that his parents had observed but had not linked to the shooting.

 

Behaviours:

Suresh Verme’s family observed that Titu shared several personality traits with Suresh, including being active, intrepid, and hot-tempered. Suresh had successfully defended himself from hit men on two occasions before ultimately being killed. Mills witnessed Titu’s temper when he beat another boy with a sugar cane and threatened to shoot or kick a seller if charged for a bangle she wanted to buy. When taken to Suresh Radio, Titu behaved as if he were still the owner, hitting a stool hard when entering and leaving, a behavior that Suresh had exhibited.

 

Additionally, Suresh’s father noted that Titu could operate a tape deck in a car despite never having seen one before. He was also able to drive a car a short distance, handling the steering wheel, gas pedal, brakes, and clutch under the supervision of Suresh’s brother.

 

Replacement Case:

A ‘replacement reincarnation’ or ‘anomalous date case’ is defined as a scenario where a person remembers the life of someone who died either after their birth or conception. There are two types:

 

 

Records indicate that Suresh Verme was killed on August 28, 1983. Titu’s birthdate is either December 11, 1982, or December 10, 1983. If Titu was born on December 11, 1982, the case would be a rare instance where the original occupant of the body is thought to have been replaced following a brief illness or fever when Titu would have been eight months old.

 

If Titu’s birthdate is December 10, 1983, the replacement would have happened near the beginning of the third trimester of pregnancy, making this case unique. Mills notes that both the families involved and the Indian media consider the case to be one of simple reincarnation rather than ‘prakaya pravesh’, due to their lack of awareness of the conflicting death and birth dates.

 

The uncertainty surrounding Titu's birthdate complicates the interpretation of his birthmarks. Mills argues that if Suresh's mind had entered Titu’s body in infancy, it would not account for the presence of a birthmark on Titu’s temple that resembles the entry wound of Suresh’s fatal bullet. This suggests either a complex preknowledge or foreshadowing of Suresh's murder and his subsequent entry into Titu or a chance coincidence.

 

Mills believes that the presence of the birthmarks at birth makes it unlikely that Suresh’s spirit entered Titu after birth. James Matlock, a reincarnation researcher, agrees with this view. While noting that three marks on Titu’s head correspond to the entry wound, exit wound, and Suresh’s pre-existing birthmark, Matlock points out that the three marks on the back of Titu’s head remain unexplained.

 

As an alternative, Matlock proposes that Suresh’s spirit might have displaced another soul from the fetus in a rush to return and avenge his murder. According to this theory, the marks on the back of Titu’s head could be remnants from the fetus’s previous occupant. This hypothesis might also explain why Titu’s mother fell ill during the third trimester, possibly in response to the sudden change in her womb.

 

Titu’s case gained attention through the British magazine ‘Reincarnation International’ and was featured on the BBC TV news program ‘Forty Minutes’ in 1990. The program includes interviews with members of both families and with Titu, who was still a young child with his memories intact. In the excerpt, Titu recognizes a picture of Suresh in the radio and TV shop, comments on changes made to the store, and reacts emotionally when asked about his past-life death, hiding his face and saying, "I don’t want to talk about it."

 

The case also received media coverage in India, appearing in at least three magazines. Uma Verme, Suresh’s widow, mentioned to Mills that an Indian film production company was considering adapting the story into a film. In an article published in ‘India Today’ on December 31, 1988, Uma is quoted as saying, “I know it is Suresh. But I realize no purpose can be served. We can’t have the same relationship again.”

 

James Matlock later found that Titu chose a more peaceful career path than Suresh. He earned a master’s degree in yoga and naturopathy and has been working as an assistant professor at Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India, since 2012, where he teaches naturopathy and yoga therapy.

 

 

Sri Lanka Sujith Lakmal reincarnation case:

 

Dr. Ian Stevenson, Professor and Scientist, (University of Virginia, United States of America)

Researcher Dr. James G. Matlock, PhD (Rhine Research Center, Durham, United States of America)

 

A verified reincarnation case in Sri Lanka. [The boy whose past life ended in a painful lorry accident while he was crossing the road.]

 

This is a rebirth case in which written records were made before verification of the previous personality, and also, documentation of the previous person's life was found to confirm things with further accuracy.

 

Sujith Lakmal Jayaratne was a Sri Lankan boy who, as a toddler, remembered being an alcoholic bootlegger of arrack in a previous life. Researchers, led by Ian Stevenson, documented and verified 16 of Sujith's statements about his past life, and many more were recorded later.

 

Sammy Fernando:

Sammy, born on January 3, 1919, in Gorakana, Sri Lanka, was a well-known figure with a colorful personality, often called ‘Gorakana Sammy’. Initially employed by a bus company and later by the national railway, Sammy's work life was disrupted by his intense courtship of a woman named Maggie. His frequent absences led to his dismissal, but he married Maggie and moved into her home on the main road to Colombo. The couple had a daughter named Nandanie.

 

After losing his job with the railway, Sammy turned to illicitly distilling and selling arrack. He set up a still in the jungle behind his house and used his riverfront land to distribute his product. Despite frequent visits and arrests by the authorities—he was imprisoned at least eight times—his business thrived financially. Sammy's habit of sampling his product led to clinical alcoholism, and he relied solely on arrack during his river trips. Despite his addiction, he had expensive tastes and was generous, giving money to the poor and supporting his favorite niece, Kusuma Dabare, who prepared special meals for him when he was drunk.

 

Sammy, struggling with alcoholism, often lost his temper, directing his outbursts mainly at his wife, Maggie. On the day he died, he returned home extremely drunk, and Maggie, as usual, left to walk up the road. Sammy followed her but stopped at a shop for cigarettes. Still heavily inebriated, he stepped into the path of a passing lorry and was struck, dying at the age of fifty.

Sujith Lakmal Jayaratne:

Sujith Lakmal Jayaratne was born on August 8, 1969, shortly after Sammy's death, and his family lived in Mount Lavinia, between Gorakana and Colombo. Sujith's parents separated soon after his birth, and he was raised by his mother at her mother's home. At eight months old, Sujith responded to the word "lorry" by drinking his milk, which had previously been difficult for his mother to get him to do. She continued using the word effectively to encourage him to take his milk.

 

Once Sujith could speak coherently, around eighteen months to two years old, he began referring to the life of Sammy Fernando. He often complemented his speech with nonverbal sounds and gestures, such as mimicking a railway engine or pretending to walk with a cane. He also used a pair of fingers to indicate the number two.

 

Sujith expressed a desire to visit Gorakana and claimed to be Gorakana Sammy. He also remembered an incident where someone became lame after falling off a train. This matched the real-life experience of Sammy's younger brother, who had fallen from a train, injured his back, and subsequently used a cane for two months while recovering from his lameness.

 

Sujith claimed that in his previous life, he worked with trains and also sold arrack. He mentioned being married to a woman named Maggie, with whom he sometimes quarreled. He recounted an incident where, after a quarrel, he went to a shop for cigarettes and was struck by a lorry when he stepped onto the road, leading to his death.

 

Case Investigation:

In the initial phase, the elder brother of Sujith’s maternal grandmother, a Buddhist monk, learned about Sammy and spoke to him when he visited his temple. A younger monk at the same temple took an interest and interviewed Sujith in March 1972, when he was two and a half years old. The monk recorded sixteen statements about Sujith's memories and then traveled to Gorakana to verify them. Notably, Sujith did not disclose his past-life name or the details of his death to the monk, although he had shared these with his family. The monk's notes, originally written in Sinhalese, were later translated into English for scientist Ian Stevenson.

 

The sixteen statements he recorded from Sujith were:

- He was from Gorakana.

- He lived in the ‘Gorakawatte’ section of Gorakana.

- His father was Jamis.

- Jamis had only one eye.

- He (Sammy) traveled by bus and by train.

- Someone had fallen and become lame.

- In Gorakana, he had attended ‘the dilapidated school.’

- Francis was his teacher.

- He gave money to Kusuma.

- Kusuma prepared string hoppers (a food) for him.

- He donated money to the Kale Pansala (a Buddhist temple).

- There were two monks at the Kale Pansala.

- One of these monks was called Amitha.

- He bathed in cool water.

- The washroom was alongside his property boundary.

- His house was white-washed.

 

In Gorakana, the Buddhist monk contacted Kusuma Dabare and shared some of Sujith's statements. Initially, she did not link these statements to her family, possibly due to her unfamiliarity with the name Gorakawate, an older term for the area where Sammy had lived. However, after reflecting on the information, she visited Mt. Lavinia the next day, confirmed that some of Sujith's statements matched her uncle Sammy Fernando's life, and requested to meet the boy.

 

The monk asked Kusuma to wait for the meeting until he had finished his investigations. He returned to Gorakana and was able to verify nearly all the statements he had recorded from Sujith. Word of these findings spread quickly throughout Gorakana, prompting members of the community to travel to Mt. Lavinia to meet Sujith.

 

The monk struggled to manage the growing interest in Sujith. During Kusuma's first visit, she brought ten others, which overwhelmed the boy. On a second visit, with only four others, Sujith recognized Kusuma by name and also identified one of her companions, who was Sammy’s nephew. Following this, the monk took Sujith to Gorakana for the first time, where he made additional statements and recognitions. The case gained media attention, with the first articles being published on April 23, both in Sinhalese and English.

 

The news articles from April 23 caught the attention of a field assistant working for researcher Ian Stevenson, who initiated inquiries on Stevenson's behalf. The assistant obtained the monk’s list of Sujith’s statements, along with a report from Sujith’s grand-uncle detailing their interactions with him. He translated these documents for Stevenson and conducted interviews with Sujith, his mother, and several other family members who had heard Sujith speak about Sammy.

 

Scientist Ian Stevenson became directly involved in Sujith's case during his visits to Sri Lanka in March and October 1973. He interviewed Sujith and his family in Mt. Lavinia, as well as several people in Gorakana. In total, Stevenson spoke with 13 people in Mt. Lavinia and 21 in Gorakana, along with a few others in different locations. His Sri Lankan assistants followed up with witnesses he couldn't meet personally. Stevenson also visited places Sujith had mentioned, including the Kale Pansala temple.

 

Stevenson closely investigated the possibility of any prior contact between Sujith's family and Sammy Fernando's family. Despite the proximity of Gorakana and Mt. Lavinia, he found no evidence of direct contact between the families. He concluded that Sujith’s family was unaware of Sammy’s life story before Sujith began recounting his memories of being Sammy.

 

Additional Statements and Recognitions:

Stevenson and his assistants recorded twenty additional statements attributed to Sammy by other witnesses before meeting Kusuma and first visiting Gorakana. These items included:

 

- His name was Sammy (sometimes Gorakana Sammy).

- Kusuma was his younger sister’s daughter.

- Kusuma was in Gorakana.

- Kusuma’s hair was very long and thick.

- His wife was called Maggie.

- He had a daughter called Nandanie.

- He lived in a house with a tiled roof.

- He bathed in the well.

- There was a king coconut tree near the well at his house.

- The well and the tree were behind his house.

- He could approach his house along a jungle footpath.

- He ate bread and fish curry for breakfast.

- He worked for the railways.

- He transported arrack in a boat.

- Once the boat sank in a river and the arrack was lost.

- Afterward, he traded in arrack again.

- One day he quarreled with Maggie after drinking.

- He went to a shop for cigarettes.

- A lorry ran over him while he was crossing a road.

- He died immediately.

 

All of Sujith’s statements about Sammy Fernando were accurate, except for the detail about his death. Sammy did not die immediately after the accident but passed away in a hospital one or two hours after being admitted. Stevenson also recorded twenty instances where Sujith recognized people and places familiar to Sammy.

Personality and Behaviours:

Sujith’s personation of Sammy was striking to all who met him; his personality and habitual behaviors form an important part of this case.

 

- Sujith had a pronounced fear of trucks as a young child.

- Sammy had been a good singer and dancer, and Sujith enjoyed these activities.

- Both Sammy and Sujith were generous to others.

- Sujith and Sammy had similar tastes in clothing and styles of dress. Sammy liked expensive Terylene shirts, as did Sujith. Many Sri Lankan men tie their sarongs above the navel, but Sammy and Sujith positioned the sarong below the navel, and they both formed a large knot with the material at the top of the garment. When Sujith was asked why he tied a knot in this way, he explained that this is where he carried his money, a practice of Sammy’s.

- Sammy had been a smoker who preferred the Four Aces brand of cigarettes, and Sujith would request these be purchased for him.

- Sujith was fond of the same foods as Sammy. Both liked spicy dishes such as hot curries.

- Sujith would ask for arrack, and when given an alternative (such as carbonated water), would sit with his legs drawn up in the posture assumed by Sammy when drinking, and afterward would belch, wipe his mouth, and wander around as if he were tipsy. He requested foods favored by regular arrack drinkers.

- Sujith, like Sammy, had a tendency to hit and kick other persons when he was frustrated. He had something of Sammy’s temper and was quick to violence. On one occasion, he pummeled his mother with his fists, explaining that that is how police conduct interrogations. He often hid when he saw officers.

- When he described how Sammy had died, Sujith would lie supine with his arms spread out, in the posture in which Sammy’s body had been recovered from the road.

 

Xenoglossy refers to the use of a language not learned in the present life, often linked to a past life in reincarnation cases. While Sujith and Sammy both spoke Sinhalese, Sujith, even as a toddler, frequently used obscenities in his speech. This mirrored Sammy's habit of swearing, particularly when drunk. Although not classic xenoglossy, Stevenson argued that Sujith's use of vulgar language was a similar phenomenon, as there was no clear source from which he could have learned these words. His mother and grandmother did not speak this way, and his father, who might have, was absent from his life.

 

Stevenson considered Sujith’s rebirth case to be one of the strongest he had studied, primarily because the Buddhist monk had recorded some of Sujith’s memories in writing before attempting to verify them. He also noted that other early records of the case were made, minimizing the risk of memory errors by informants. Additionally, Sujith’s personation of Sammy was remarkably strong, further supporting the case's authenticity.

 

Scientist Stevenson said, "I doubt that any child has shown as vividly as he has the several types of behavior that characterize the conduct of alcoholics. That he could have learned such behavior from the people immediately around him seems unthinkable. That he exhibited it so fully seems to me to add both to the authenticity of the case and to its evidence of paranormal processes."

 

 

 

 

Lebanese Suleyman Andary reincarnation case:

 

Dr. Ian Stevenson, Professor and Scientist, (University of Virginia, United States of America)

 

A verified reincarnation case in Lebanon. [The adult man who became a small child after he died.]

 

In a 1960 Lebanese reincarnation case investigated by Ian Stevenson, the child recalled memories of a past life primarily between the ages of eleven and thirteen, which is unusual, as most cases typically involve younger, preschool-aged children.

 

Abdallah Abu Hamdan:

Abdallah Abu Hamdan, born around 1877, lived his life in Gharife, Lebanon, where he was a respected figure in the Druse community. He owned significant property, including an olive orchard and oil press, and served as mukhtar (mayor) for about fifteen years. His family faced challenges: his oldest son had developmental issues, and another son and daughter were both blind and mute due to a congenital disease. His youngest son, Kemel, emigrated to the USA in the 1920s and sent money back to Lebanon, though their relationship was strained. Abdallah’s widow, Zehna, Kemel, and some grandchildren were still living in Gharife during Ian Stevenson's investigation. The family noted that Abdallah was not close to his children.

 

Abdallah Abu Hamdan was a devout follower of the Druse religion and became a sheikh, adhering to religious practices such as abstaining from alcohol and tobacco. He owned five sacred Druse books, which he kept in his home, in line with Druse customs. Three years before his death at around 65, Abdallah was dismissed as mukhtar after falsifying a document to help a friend's son erase a criminal record. Around the same time, he bought an oil press on credit, which became financially burdensome. His widow believed that the stress from these events triggered the illness that led to his death, though his daughter-in-law disagreed about the illness's cause but acknowledged his stress.

 

Abdallah Abu Hamdan spent some time in a hospital before being sent home under a physician's care, who regularly drained fluid from his abdomen. The cause of death is uncertain, with symptoms pointing to ascites, suggesting either chronic heart failure or cirrhosis of the liver, though chronic heart failure seems more likely due to his abstinent lifestyle. The exact date of his death is also unclear. Ian Stevenson could not find a written record, and accounts varied, leading Stevenson to estimate Abdallah's death in February 1942, though he acknowledged the date could be off by more than six months.

 

The Investigation:

Suleyman Andary was born on March 4, 1954, in Falougha, about thirty kilometers from Gharife. Ian Stevenson first investigated Suleyman's case in March 1968, when Suleyman was fourteen. Stevenson conducted follow-up interviews the following year and returned in March 1970 and March 1972 to track Suleyman's development. His final visit was in March 1978, but Suleyman was away working, so Stevenson spoke only with other informants during that visit.

 

In Falougha, Ian Stevenson interviewed Suleyman Andary and twelve members of his family, and in Gharife, he spoke with five members of the Hamman family and two friends. He published the case report in his 1980 book, ‘Cases of the Reincarnation Type. Vol. III: Twelve Cases in Lebanon and Turkey’.

 

Suleyman Andary:

Suleyman Andary was raised by his paternal grandmother and two paternal aunts after his father died when he was two years old. As a young child, Suleyman claimed he had lived in a village called Gharife, owned an oil press, and had children. At around five or six years old, he was heard muttering names in his sleep. When his family repeated these names to him upon his waking, he recognized them as the names of his previous children.

 

When Suleyman was about eleven, his maternal grandmother requested to borrow a religious book, but he refused sharply. When questioned about his rudeness, he explained that in his previous life, he had never allowed his religious books to leave his house.

 

After the incident with the religious book, Suleyman deliberately tried to recall details from his previous life. He then remembered that he had been the mukhtar of Gharife and that his name had been Abdallah Abu Hamdan. It was suggested he visit Gharife to verify his memories and see if he could recognize places and people. Around the same time, a relative informed Gharife residents about Suleyman’s memories, and they quickly recognized the individual he recalled being, encouraging him to visit. Although Suleyman was initially reluctant, he eventually made two visits to Gharife in 1967, accompanied by his cousin, the cousin’s wife, child, and son-in-law.

 

Statements and Recognitions:

By the time of his visits to Gharife, Suleyman was able to name all nine of Abdallah Abu Hamdan’s children in the correct order of their birth. He made one mistake, referring to a blind son named Salim, whereas the blind son was actually named Naseeb, and Salim was Abdallah’s brother. Suleyman correctly identified that Abdallah’s son Ahmed had emigrated to the USA, that Abdallah owned many olive trees and an oil press located near a water fountain, and that Abdallah possessed five Druse sacred books. He also accurately recalled that Abdallah had died at home in the arms of a nurse named Badr more than twenty years prior, though the actual time was about 25 years.

 

In Gharife, Suleyman recognized Abdallah’s son Kemel, the nurse Badr, and an elderly woman from Abdallah’s generation. Although he correctly recalled Abdallah’s widow’s name, Zehna, he did not recognize her, likely because she had changed significantly over the 25 years since Abdallah’s death. Suleyman also recognized the building that housed the oil press and, when asked to name a place near Gharife, mentioned one about two kilometers away that was not well-known to locals, and provided directions on how to get there.

 

During the visit to Gharife, when the group left Kemel’s house to go to Abdallah’s, Suleyman chose to take a path down a steep hill and through an olive grove, rather than the new paved road. This path had been the main road during Abdallah’s lifetime but had since fallen into disuse and was only faintly visible. Despite this, Suleyman was unable to recognize Abdallah’s house, likely because it had been substantially renovated since Abdallah’s time.

 

Behaviours:

In Suleyman’s later childhood, he would boast about having more and better oil whenever an oil merchant passed by. His behavior suggested he had lived a past life as an authority figure. Stevenson noted Suleyman’s serious, adult demeanor at just fourteen, his preference for adult company over that of children, and his tendency to sit centrally in groups, reflecting an important role. One of the aunts who raised him recalled that Suleyman resisted being treated like a child, insisting he should not be scolded and often stating, “one does not scold me; I am an adult.” He also resisted discipline from teachers, despite being well-behaved, and frequently referred to himself as "adult" or "already big." These behaviors led to him being nicknamed “Mukhtar,” a name he embraced.

 

Despite his confident and authoritative demeanor, Suleyman seemed to be chronically afflicted by an underlying sense of shame, which he mentioned but did not explain as a young child. Stevenson speculated that this shame might be related to Abdallah’s removal from his position, although Suleyman never explicitly mentioned remembering this.

 

In his relatively non-religious family, Suleyman developed a strong interest in religion, regularly visiting the local religious meeting house and observing religious fasts. He also expressed a desire to become a sheikh. On at least two occasions, he wept upon learning about or being reminded of the health issues affecting Abdallah’s children, such as one’s blindness and the other’s inability to speak.

 

Ian Stevenson carefully investigated potential connections between Suleyman Andary’s family and the Hamdan family, especially given that most of Suleyman's past life memories emerged when he was nearly a teenager. Among twenty informants, only Faiz Halibi, Suleyman’s cousin by marriage, had connections to both Falougha and Gharife. However, Faiz lived in Gharife for just over a year between 1966 and 1968, which was well after Suleyman’s first accurate statements and before he recalled most of his past life details. Faiz was absent during the period when Suleyman’s memories emerged and was unlikely to have learned as much about Abdallah as Suleyman remembered. Faiz claimed he had never heard of Abdallah Abu Hamdan until learning about Suleyman’s statements.

 

By the age of fourteen, when Stevenson first met him, Suleyman’s memories were beginning to fade, and he appeared somewhat depressed. A year later, Suleyman expressed a desire to forget his past life and seemed more cheerful. Stevenson noted that Abdallah’s financial troubles, demotion, and strained relationships with his children, combined with Suleyman’s relative poverty, might have contributed to his desire to forget. Suleyman left school at sixteen to apprentice as a blacksmith. While he still occasionally thought about Gharife, it was only minimally.

 

When Stevenson visited again at age eighteen, Suleyman was still working as a blacksmith and said he retained his memories but had not remembered anything new. On Stevenson’s final visit to Falougha, when Suleyman was 24, he was working in Saudi Arabia as an electrician, so Stevenson spoke with his relatives. Suleyman had largely stopped discussing his former life, though he occasionally mentioned it. During a recent visit to Lebanon, he pointed out Abdallah Abu Hamdan’s house and showed his friend the oil press.

 

Despite mostly ceasing to talk about his past life, Suleyman retained the habit of sitting in the most prominent position in a room and continued to like being called by the nickname ‘Mukhtar.’ Stevenson believed that Suleyman’s memories of being Abdallah Abu Hamdan significantly influenced his development. Growing up fatherless and viewed as relatively insignificant contrasted sharply with his previous role as a respected community leader. This contrast likely contributed to Suleyman’s shame and depression, which diminished by age sixteen when he gained some independence and a distinct role as a blacksmith’s apprentice. The book ‘Cases of the Reincarnation Type: Twelve Cases in Lebanon and Turkey’ by Ian Stevenson (1980 Vol. III, University Press of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA) contains full scientific research information about this specific reincarnation case, along with 11 other cases studied in Lebanon and Turkey.

 

 

Indian Sunil Dutt Saxena reincarnation case:

 

Dr. Ian Stevenson, Professor and Scientist, (University of Virginia, United States of America)

Researcher Robert McLuhan, (Society for Psychical Research, United Kingdom)

 

A verified reincarnation case in India. [The poor boy who was a rich man in his past life.]

 

India is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area and the most populous. India is bounded by the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea, and the Bay of Bengal, and shares land borders with several countries, including Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar.

 

This is a Indian rebirth case of a boy who remembered details of a previous life as a wealthy businessman.

 

Seth Sri Krishna:

Seth Sri Krishna was a wealthy businessman from Budaun, a city northeast of New Delhi, India. He owned a factory that pressed oil from nuts. After his third wife passed away, he married a sixteen-year-old girl, having first settled with her previous husband. This former husband later attempted to blackmail him, leading to gossip about Seth Sri Krishna. In response, he engaged in significant philanthropic efforts, including establishing a new college, likely to improve his public image.

 

In his later years, Seth Sri Krishna grew increasingly paranoid about the intentions of his young wife and associates, which seemed justified given the circumstances. He began taking Ayurvedic medicines for his health. In 1951, when he was in his early to mid-sixties, he suddenly fell ill one morning and died by evening, possibly from a heart attack. Rumors of poisoning circulated, and following his death, his wife and associates began to argue over his fortune.

 

Sunil Dutt Saxena:

Sunil's father ran a small shop and restaurant in Aonla, located 35 kilometers northeast of Budaun. Sunil, born in 1959, began speaking at around one year and nine months old. His early words included "Budaun," as well as mentions of a school and a teacher, which his mother found puzzling and unclear.

 

At the age of three, Sunil visited his mother’s brother in New Delhi, where he was fascinated by modern appliances like radios, telephones, and refrigerators, which his family did not have. He remarked, "I had a thing like that." Shortly after, he told his mother, “Mummy, I have come from Budaun. An old man brought me to this place very comfortably ... in a tonga.” He spoke of a previous life in Budaun where he claimed to have been a wealthy factory owner named Kishen, who had a car and a tonga. In that past life, he was married with children, had servants, and was particularly proud of a college he had founded, mentioning its principal, ‘Master Sahib’.

 

At this time, Sunil refused to help with chores, insisting that his servants from his previous life should do them instead. He frequently asked his parents to take him to Budaun. The family's landlord became interested in Sunil’s claims and encouraged his father to investigate further. A friend of the landlord connected Sunil's statements to Seth Sri Krishna.

 

In December 1963, Sunil’s parents took him to Budaun, where they visited the college founded by Seth Sri Krishna and met with members of Seth’s family and associates. They also visited Seth’s former residence and his fourth wife’s home. At each location, Sunil was able to recognize people, places, and objects associated with Seth Sri Krishna, leading witnesses to believe that he was recalling details from Seth Sri Krishna’s past life.

 

Investigation:

In 1964, the national newspaper ‘Indian Express’ reported on Sunil’s case following his visit to Budaun. Ian Stevenson, who became aware of the report, investigated the case eight months later, spending four days on the investigation. Three months after Stevenson’s investigation, a local investigator also looked into the case, confirming the main evidence and gathering additional details. Stevenson later wrote about Sunil in the first volume of his series, ‘Cases of the Reincarnation Type’.

 

In 1969 and 1971, Ian Stevenson returned to conduct further interviews for his investigation. He interviewed a total of eighteen people, including Sunil, his parents, their friends, and SD Pathak. He also spoke with Seth Sri Krishna’s widow, as well as various friends, associates, and others connected to Seth Sri Krishna.

 

The two localities involved are less than forty kilometers (25 miles) apart, but Ian Stevenson found no evidence that the families knew each other before the case emerged. Both Sunil’s father and Seth Sri Krishna’s widow denied any prior acquaintance or knowledge of each other’s family or affairs. Although a friend of Sunil’s family’s landlord had heard of Seth Sri Krishna and another friend had stayed at Seth’s house in Budaun, Sunil had been discussing his past life for two years before meeting these individuals.

 

A possible link to the case is Sheveti Prasad, a distant relative of Sunil’s family, who was aware of Seth Sri Krishna and his public affairs and frequently visited Sunil’s family. However, Sunil’s father stated that Sheveti Prasad never discussed these matters before Sunil began mentioning them.

 

Additionally, between 1963 and 1965, Sunil’s father worked at a factory owned by a businessman from Budaun who had been a friend of Seth Sri Krishna. Both Sunil’s father and his brother claimed that Sunil recognized them during their visit. This connection might have provided a channel through which Sunil’s father could have learned about Seth Sri Krishna, though Sunil had been speaking about his past life for at least a year by that time.

 

Statements:

Sunil made 28 accurate statements about the life and property of Seth Sri Krishna before any connection was made between the two families. These included assertions that:

 

- He had lived in Budaun.

- His name was Kishen (a familiar term for Krishna).

- He had possessed a ‘cupboard for keeping cold water’ (in fact, not a fridge but an ice cream maker).

- He had possessed a radio, a telephone, and an electric fan.

- He had a wife and children.

- He had married four times.

- He had servants.

- He owned a black car and a bungalow.

- He had founded a college that was named after him.

- The principal of the college was named Master Sahib.

 

Sunil further described several specific items that matched details from Seth Sri Krishna’s life:

 

- During a visit to a Ramlila Festival, Sunil claimed he had arranged a similar fair in Budaun and had financed the construction of a special gate with pillars for the park where it took place. Seth Sri Krishna had indeed organized a Ramlila in Budaun and donated funds for one of four such gates.

 

- Sunil mentioned, “One of my wives was dark, the other fair.” Ian Stevenson noted that Seth Sri Krishna’s third wife was dark, while Sakuntala Devi, whom Stevenson met, was rather fair.

 

- Sunil said, “I owned a cinema house.” Seth Sri Krishna had built a structure intended to be a cinema, though it was only used as such after his death.

 

- Sunil also stated, “I had built many houses (dharmashalas) for religious pilgrims.” This was accurate regarding Seth Sri Krishna, and Sunil was able to recognize one of these dharmashalas.

 

On his visit to Seth Sri Krishna’s widow, Sunil said, "I want to see my box." He was taken to a room where half a dozen clothes boxes were stored and recognized the one that had belonged to Seth Sri Krishna. He pulled out a turban from within and said, "This is my turban." He asked about "his" other clothes and became annoyed when told that they had been given away.

 

When shown a photograph of three people, Sunil said, "This is myself, this is my son, and this is my wife" – identifications that would all have been correct if made by Seth Sri Krishna.

 

Sunil was shown another photograph, of two people. He correctly identified one as Seth Sri Krishna and the other as Seth Sri Krishna’s father.

 

In the company of Gopal Vaidyaji, an Ayurvedic physician, Sunil was asked if he recognized him, and said, "Yes, you gave medicines to people." Sunil went on to describe an incident when Seth Sri Krishna and Vaidyaji had been insulted at a public fair. (However, Gopal Vaidyaji denied this – see below.)

 

Sunil recognized a friend of Seth Sri Krishna, a journalist named HP Srivastava, and spontaneously addressed him as "Jai Ramjiki," a special greeting Seth had used with him, although Sunil was unable to give his name when asked to do so.

 

HP Srivastava asked Sunil if he recalled "Sukla." Sunil immediately said, "Suklaji," the style by which this man, JD Sukla, had been referred to, and added, "Yes, I remember him." When Srivastava showed Sunil a group photograph with about sixteen people, Sunil correctly identified JD Sukla.

 

A man named Shiv Narain Das asked Sunil if he recognized him. The child said he did but did not give his name. Sri Shiv Narain Das then said, "Tell me where I live and what my business is." Sunil replied, "I know you. You have an ornament shop." Shiv Narain Das had owned an ornament shop in Badaun while Seth Sri Krishna was alive.

 

SD Pathak, a close friend and associate of Seth Sri Krishna, asked Sunil, "Do you recognize me?" and when Sunil said he did, asked for his name. Sunil replied "Pathakji," the familiar name by which SD Pathak was known. Sunil also correctly called him "Master Sahib."

 

Sunil’s Behaviour:

Sunil understood his present circumstances as a small child, yet often talked as if he were Seth Sri Krishna, for instance, inviting visitors to his house where "my wife will make tea," or expressing a wish to pursue his education "in my own college."

 

On his visit to Seth Sri Krishna’s house, Sunil was reproached by his mother for accepting food from strangers; he replied, "No, Mummy, this is my house and everything belongs to me."

 

On the first visit to the college, he pulled the rickshaw driver’s shirt and said, "Stop! This is my college."

 

Sunil showed particular affection towards SD Pathak, whom he spontaneously recognized and embraced for several minutes, weeping. Sunil called him "Pathakji" and "Master Sahib," the terms of address that Seth Sri Krishna had used, asked that he accompany him on other visits in Budaun, and showed a reluctance to let him depart. When told that SD Pathak had been dismissed from the college, he said, "I will start another school here and you will work." SD Pathak was greatly impressed by such behavior and was convinced that Sunil was his deceased friend reborn.

 

On a visit by SD Pathak, Sunil ordered his older siblings to make the tea and buy cakes. Noticing that Sunil drank milk himself, SD Pathak asked him why. Sunil replied, "You know that I do not take tea." Seth Sri Krishna did not drink either tea or coffee.

 

Sunil showed marked coolness towards Sukantala Devi, Seth Sri Krishna’s fourth wife, of whom Seth Sri Krishna had become deeply suspicious in the years before his death, and who had fallen out with other members of his family afterwards. He appeared vexed that she had remarried but also expressed annoyance that she had been turned out of his house following his death.

 

When Sunil returned home after his visit to Budaun, he was downcast for about a week. Asked about this, he explained that it was because he had left so much wealth there; that "they" (Seth Sri Krishna’s family) had been niggardly hosts; that they had dismissed "Master Sahib"; and that they had turned out his (Seth Sri Krishna's) wife.

 

Sunil showed behavioral traits that were unusual for a child but concordant with those of Seth Sri Krishna; for instance, his refusal to drink tea (enjoyed by the rest of his family), and his interest in religion (he sometimes fasted when still a small child). In Budaun, he enacted a puja (a little religious ceremony) before eating a meal, which other guests present said exactly resembled that practiced by Seth Sri Krishna and which convinced at least one of them that Sunil was Seth Sri Krishna reborn.

 

Sunil showed a great interest in money from an early age. At the age of five, he advised his father on how to avoid being cheated by rickshaw drivers. He had expensive tastes and liked comforts and luxuries such as an electric fan. He showed an interest in smoking tobacco.

 

He showed a reluctance to perform chores and bossed his siblings around. Seth Sri Krishna had had servants who performed menial tasks. Seth Sri Krishna’s widow said, "He did not like to do any work by himself; he did not even open his letters." Sunil Dutt Saxena's past-life memories and behaviors matched those of Seth Sri Krishna. The book ‘Cases of the Reincarnation Type: Ten Cases in India’ by Ian Stevenson (1975 Vol. I, University Press of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA) contains full scientific research information about this specific reincarnation case, along with 9 other reincarnation cases in India.

 

 

Myanmar Win Nyunt reincarnation case:

 

Researcher Francis Story, (Independent researcher and scholar, United Kingdom)

 

A verified reincarnation case in Myanmar (Burma). [The girl who was a boy and an older adult woman in two different past lives.]

 

This rebirth case is important because the individual could remember 2 different past lives.

 

This is a verified reincarnation case from Myanmar (Burma) as documented by Francis Story, an independent researcher from the United Kingdom. The case involves a young girl, Win Win Nyunt, and her parents, U Khin Nyunt and Daw Mu Mu.

 

In 1948, U Khin Nyunt was the Military Administrator and Sub-Divisional Officer of Pyinmana, Upper Burma. During that time, Communist insurgents were causing unrest, and when the Karens drove the insurgents out, U Khin Nyunt and his wife were captured and taken to Thandaung in Toungoo District. Meanwhile, U Khin Nyunt’s 67-year-old mother was in Rangoon, and communication was severed.

 

U Khin Nyunt had several significant dreams during this period. First, he dreamed his mother was ill and trying to communicate with him. Later, he dreamed she had passed away and saw her fully dressed for cremation, as per Burmese custom. His wife, Daw Mu Mu, also had a dream in which his mother told her she was coming to live with them, then lay down between U Khin Nyunt and his wife. This dream coincided with the realization that Daw Mu Mu was pregnant, despite the couple's decision not to have children due to the precarious situation they were in.

 

The case of Win Win Nyunt, shared by researcher Francis Story, continues with the tragic story of U Khin Nyunt and his son, Maung Maung Lay. After Maung Maung Lay’s birth, U Khin Nyunt experienced a disturbing dream in which his son’s organs were scattered in a glass case. Shortly after, the family managed to escape, but U Khin Nyunt took a different route and, upon arriving in Rangoon, learned his mother had passed away. His dreams coincided with the date of her death, and the clothes he had seen in his dream matched those she had been laid out in for cremation—new clothes he had never seen her wear.

 

Though the family reunited, Maung Maung Lay’s health deteriorated, despite receiving medical attention. Acting on advice, they visited a clairvoyant Buddhist monk, Yagyaw Sayadaw, who said, "Your son is only a visitor here," deeply disturbing U Khin Nyunt.

 

In April 1953, at five years old, Maung Maung Lay fell ill with anemia, later diagnosed as leukemia. U Khin Nyunt had another terrifying dream of a figure in black trying to take his son, which left him troubled. Both U Khin Nyunt and his wife later dreamed of his mother leaving their room, dressed in the same clothes from his previous visions. Two months later, Maung Maung Lay passed away, repeatedly asking his parents if they could save him from death. His final words were, "I shall be coming back!"

 

After the death of their son, Maung Maung Lay, U Khin Nyunt and his wife, Daw Mu Mu, were left heartbroken and puzzled by the dreams and their son's final words, “I shall be coming back!” To seek answers, they consulted a reputed Buddhist yogi in Henzada, who predicted, "Your child will come back to you after three years. But as a daughter, not a son."

 

Three years later, Daw Mu Mu became pregnant and had a dream in which she saw her deceased son returning. At the same time, a servant who was unaware of the pregnancy also dreamed of the little boy returning to the house in the same clothes he wore on his deathbed. On March 22, 1957, a baby girl, Win Win Nyunt, was born. She had a rectangular birthmark on her left ankle, exactly where Maung Maung Lay had received a blood transfusion before his death. A driver who had been fond of Maung Maung Lay pointed to a dark mark on the baby’s buttock, claiming it matched the charcoal mark he had made on Maung Maung Lay before his burial.

 

As Win Win Nyunt grew older and began to speak, she made claims that she was both Maung Maung Lay and U Khin Nyunt’s mother, Daw U Shwe. She mentioned people and events she could not have known in her current life. Her behavior, such as addressing her father as if he were her son, further convinced her parents of her reincarnation. In Burmese culture, where specific forms of address denote familial hierarchy, this was particularly striking and drew attention.

 

While U Khin Nyunt and Daw Mu Mu recounted their story to the researcher at their home in Rangoon, Win Win Nyunt was present. During the conversation, whenever Daw U Shwe’s name was mentioned, the girl exclaimed, “That’s me!” She frequently identified herself as Daw U Shwe and seemed precocious for her age, enthusiastically claiming, “Daw U Shwe—that’s nobody else but me!”

 

In Burma, there is a custom to mark deceased or dying children with the hope of identifying their rebirth by similar birthmarks. This practice is documented in works like H. Fielding Hall's ‘The Soul of a People’ and ‘A Burmese Family’. In many cases, the birthmarks on reborn children match those made on the previous child by their parents. Some propose that these marks might result from prenatal suggestion, though this theory lacks support from genetics, which generally denies the possibility of a mother’s ideas affecting the unborn child in such a manner.

 

In this case, the birthmark on Win Win Nyunt's buttock, which matched a mark made by the driver on Maung Maung Lay's body, cannot be explained by prenatal suggestion. The driver, who was the only person aware of the marking, acted out of personal affection for Maung Maung Lay, and his actions were unknown to the parents. This detail adds significant weight to the case's remarkable features. The book 'Rebirth as Doctrine and Experience' by British reincarnation researcher Francis Story contains full scientific research on this specific reincarnation case.

 

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Indian Khandelwal reincarnation case:

 

Dr. Ian Stevenson, Professor and Scientist, (University of Virginia, United States of America)

Dr. H. N. Banerjee, Professor and Scientist, (University of Rajasthan, India)

Dr. Satwant Pasricha, Professor, (University of Virginia, United States of America and National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, India)

Dr. K. S. Rawat, Professor and Parapsychologist, (Director of International Center for Reincarnation)

Researcher Dr. James G. Matlock, PhD (Rhine Research Center, Durham, United States of America)

 

A verified reincarnation case in India. [The girl who died in her past life by falling and had birthmarks in this current life where the wounds from the past life's fall were.]

 

This is a rebirth case in which written records were made before verification of the previous personality, and also, documentation of the previous person's life was found to confirm things with further accuracy.

 

This Indian case of a child who recalled a previous life is important for several reasons. It was investigated three times, independently, with the first investigator, a native speaker of the same language as the families involved, making a written record of the girl’s statements before identifying the person she remembered having been. The girl had a birthmark that turned out to correspond to wounds on the previous person, as documented in a medical report.

 

Shakuntala Maheshwari:

Shakuntala Maheshwari was born on 22 February 1960, in Kota, Rajasthan, India. She had two older brothers but was her parents' first and only daughter. Late in the afternoon of 27 April 1968, Shakuntala was playing with a younger cousin on the narrow balcony of her house, which overlooked an interior courtyard. Her mother heard her cry out that her cousin might fall, but she herself fell, hitting her head on the concrete floor about five meters (15 feet) below. Her mother found her unconscious with blood streaming from her right ear.

 

Shakuntala’s mother called her father, who returned home immediately and carried her to the hospital. Upon admission, she was unconscious, vomiting, and bleeding from the right ear. With no neurosurgeon available, her treatment consisted of supportive measures only. Her condition deteriorated, and she died nine hours later without having regained consciousness.

 

Sunita Khandelwal:

Sunita was the sixth of her parents' eight children. At her birth on 20 September 1969, she was seen to have a sore roughly 2.5 centimeters (one inch) in diameter but with irregular edges on the right side of her head. It was hemorrhaging, so her parents applied talcum powder, and after three days, the bleeding stopped. In his report of the case, Ian Stevenson described the resulting birthmark as a "hairless, slightly elevated, slightly puckered, and hyperpigmented nevus (mole)." No other member of her family had such a mark.

 

When Sunita began speaking about a previous life at two years old, she insisted on being taken to Kota, 475 kilometers (295 miles) from her home in Laxmangarh. She claimed that her mother was not her ‘real’ mother and warned that if her parents did not take her to Kota, she would fall from the roof and die as she had before. Sunita said she had been seven years old when she died and described being pushed by a cousin while asking for water. She would point to the birthmark on her head and say, “Look here. I have fallen.”

 

Sunita remembered several details about her previous life: she had two brothers but no sister, an uncle older than her father but no younger uncle. Her paternal grandfather was alive, but her paternal grandmother had died. Her previous family belonged to the Bania (merchant) caste, like her current family, but they were more affluent. Her father had a shop with a safe for silver coins, and the family owned a car and a scooter for rides. Her mother had many saris.

 

When Sunita was three years old and her parents continued to resist taking her to Kota, she began refusing to eat and became severely malnourished. Her father sought medical treatment multiple times, and the family physician noted that Sunita was "extremely agitated and disturbed," advising her father to take her to Kota. Despite this, he initially resisted and took her to a closer city, telling her it was Kota. Sunita saw through the deception and said, "This is not Kota. This is Jaipur. You are telling lies and will be punished."

 

The situation persisted until Sunita was about five years old. At that point, a lawyer friend of her parents documented some of her statements about the previous life and sent a summary of seventeen items to Indian investigator HN Banerjee at the University of Rajasthan in Jaipur.

 

Banerjee’s Investigation:

On 17 December 1974, Banerjee went to Laxmangarh to meet Sunita and her family. He spoke to Sunita about her memories and wrote out a list of them. Items included:

 

- She lived in Kota in her previous life.

- The river Chambal flowed by Kota.

- Her family were members of the Bania caste (businessmen).

- Her father owned a shop in the Chauth Mata Bazar district.

- Her father kept silver coins in a big iron safe in his shop.

- Her family’s house was in Brijrajpura.

- She had two brothers but no sister.

- She had a paternal uncle older than her father (tau) but no paternal uncle younger than her father (chacha).

- Her paternal grandfather was living, but her paternal grandmother had died.

- Her mother owned many saris.

- Her family owned a car.

- Her father used to take her out on a motor scooter.

- She drank a lot of milk in her previous life.

- When she lived in Kota, her mother made narangi ka sag by crushing tangerines into juice, then throwing pieces of tangerine into a pot of melted sugar and adding some spices.

- They also ate bijou ki barfi, made from milk and sugar, to which her mother would add peeled cantaloupe seeds.

- Every year, her parents took her to a fair near their home in Kota.

- Her father would apply mehandi (henna) to her hands.

- She had died at the age of seven after falling from a height.

- She had fallen because she had been pushed by a cousin.

- She had hit the right side of her head, where she had her birthmark.

 

Banerjee knew that narangi ka prasad was made only by the Vaishnav Hindu devotional sect, who used the preparation for offerings during religious ceremonies. Narangi ka prasad was virtually unknown in Laxmangarh. The same was true of bijou ki barfi, another food typical of the Vaishnav sect and not usually eaten in Laxmangarh. There were many Vaishnav in Kota, however, and Banerjee proposed to take Sunita there to try to verify her memories. In the end, her parents gave in and accompanied them there.

 

In Kota, Banerjee wanted to test if Sunita could find her way to what she claimed had been her father’s shop. Sunita led the way to the Chauth Mata Bazar district and stopped in front of a shop full of silver ornaments, owned by Prabhu Dayal Mahashwari. Banerjee informed Prabhu Dayal of Sunita’s claims about her past life.

 

Prabhu Dayal confirmed that he had a daughter named Shakuntala, who had died after falling from the interior balcony of their house, and validated many other details Sunita had mentioned. He then asked Sunita if she could find their home. After some initial confusion, Sunita led the group to a gate and said, “This is the door to my house.” Prabhu Dayal confirmed that it was indeed the correct house.

 

Inside the house, Sunita did not recognize Shakuntala’s mother or brothers but pointed to a picture of Shakuntala and said, “This is my photograph.” As Banerjee walked through the house with her, Sunita reacted fearfully when they reached the balcony from which Shakuntala had fallen, clutching Banerjee and saying, “I’m afraid I might fall down.” Banerjee also observed that Sunita’s birthmark resembled a healed wound and was located precisely where Shakuntala had been injured from the fall.

 

Sunita used more English loan words in her Hindi than other family members, which aligned with her claim of having been Shakuntala, whose family spoke in this manner. She also used the term "sabzi" for vegetables, consistent with Shakuntala’s family, rather than "bhaji," used by her own family.

 

Banerjee recorded 34 statements from Sunita about her previous life as Shakuntala, with the majority being accurate. The only completely incorrect statement was about Shakuntala’s family having a car. Shakuntala had been eight, not seven, when she died, but the accident occurred only two months after her birthday, so the discrepancy was minor. Sunita’s claim about henna application was partially correct; it was Shakuntala’s mother, not her father, who had applied it as part of a healing ritual. The memory of being pushed by a cousin was unverified and considered doubtful.

 

Shakuntala’s family was deeply impressed by Sunita and accepted her as the reincarnation of their daughter and sister. They invited her to visit, and Sunita did so several times over the following years.

 

Scientist Stevenson’s Investigation:

Sunita’s case gained attention from a journalist in Kota, who wrote about it for a local newspaper in January 1975. One of Ian Stevenson’s field assistants saw the story and brought it to his attention. Stevenson asked Satwant Pasricha to investigate the case. She first visited Kota in November 1975 and interviewed Prabhu Dayal, though she did not meet Sunita and her family in Laxmangarh that year.

 

In 1976 and 1978, Pasricha conducted interviews with Sunita and her family, as well as with Prabhu Dayal and his family. Stevenson became personally involved in the investigation in March 1979, and both he and Pasricha continued their work during Stevenson’s trips to India in 1981 and 1986.

 

Stevenson did not consult with Banerjee about his earlier investigation, so it is noteworthy that, with some minor exceptions, what he and Pasricha learned agrees with Banerjee’s findings. Stevenson was also able to add new details and documentation, for instance, regarding Sunita’s intermission memories. After she died, Sunita said, "I went up. There was a baba (holy man, saint, monk, spiritual man) with a long beard. He checked my record and said: ‘Send her back.’" On another occasion, she remarked, "When I fell from a small height, I got a mark, but when I was thrown down from a great height, I got no mark."

 

Stevenson obtained medical records from the hospital where Shakuntala was taken after her fall. The records confirmed that Shakuntala had fallen from the second storey of the house and was admitted unconscious, vomiting, and bleeding from her right ear, consistent with the right side of her head being impacted, which matched Sunita’s claims and the location of her birthmark.

 

Stevenson and Pasricha also sought to identify other children in Kota whose experiences matched Sunita’s memories. They reviewed hospital records but found no other children who had died from falls similar to Shakuntala’s.

 

In his overall assessment of the case, Stevenson discounted some of Sunita’s findings, such as identifying Prabhu Dayal’s shop and home, recognizing her photograph, and the place where Shakuntala had died, suggesting that she might have been influenced by those around her. However, considering the variety of correct statements Sunita made, her corresponding behaviors, and her birthmark being consistent with Shakuntala’s head wound, Stevenson agreed with Banerjee and Shakuntala’s family that Sunita did indeed appear to be recalling Shakuntala’s life and death.

 

Later Developments and KS Rawat’s Investigation:

By 1981, when Sunita was twelve years old, she no longer spoke spontaneously about her previous life. Her parents believed she still had some memories but kept them private, and they did not inquire further. Sunita continued to visit Shakuntala’s family in Kota, who received her cordially.

 

When KS Rawat studied the case in 1986 and again in 1997, Shakuntala’s family mentioned that they saw traits in Sunita’s personality that resembled Shakuntala. Sunita’s brother told Rawat that Shakuntala’s family had once offered a large sum of money for Sunita, but her parents had declined the offer.

 

Shakuntala’s family continued to invite Sunita to celebrations, and Stevenson noted this ongoing relationship even after her memories seemed to have faded. Sunita participated in the rakhi ceremony with Shakuntala’s brother, which is a ritual of renewing pledges of devotion and support. When Sunita married in July 1989, Shakuntala’s family contributed about 50% of the costs of the bride’s family and performed rituals typically carried out by the bride’s parents.

 

This scientific evidence suggests that consciousness can survive death and be reborn, as taught by the Buddha.

 

The book 'Reincarnation as a Scientific Concept: Scholarly Evidence for Past Lives' by Rawat, K.S., & Rivas, T. (2021, White Crow Books, Hove, UK) contains information about this reincarnation case. Additionally, the book 'Reincarnation and Biology: A Contribution to the Etiology of Birthmarks and Birth Defects' by Stevenson, I. (1997 Vol. 1: Birthmarks, Praeger, Westport, Connecticut, USA) also provides further details about this case.

 

 

 

 

Brazil Dulcina Karasek reincarnation case:

 

Dr. Ian Stevenson, Professor and Scientist, (University of Virginia, United States of America)

 

A verified reincarnation case in Brazil. [The girl who was a strong man in her past life.]

 

In the 1960s and 1970s, Dr. Ian Stevenson, a renowned professor and scientist from the University of Virginia, investigated an intriguing case of reincarnation in Brazil. The subject of this case was a girl named Dulcina Karasek, born in 1919, who claimed to remember a past life as a man named José Martins Ribeiro, also known as Zeca.

 

Zeca's Life:

Zeca was born in 1872 and was known for his interest in politics and revolutionary activities in his youth. Later, he settled down as a businessman and married in the southern Brazilian town of Dom Feliciano. Tragically, Zeca fell ill and passed away during his wife's pregnancy, never having the chance to meet his child.

 

Dulcina and Past Life Memories:

Dulcina was born to Georgeta and Patricio de Albuquerque, cousins of Zeca. From a young age, Dulcina was unusually strong but often fell ill. Around the age of five, she began speaking extensively about a past life. She claimed to have been a man named Zeca, who had been married, and insisted on being called by that name.

 

One day, little Dulcina looked into the mirror and asked her mother, “Why have I changed sex? I used to be a man and now I am a girl. Why are my eyes a different color now?” Her mother was taken aback, as Zeca indeed had eyes of a different color than Dulcina's.

 

Masculine Traits and Behaviors:

As Dulcina grew older, she exhibited masculine traits and behaviors. She preferred wearing boys' clothes and rode horses like a man. Her body was unusually muscular for a girl, and she developed an excessive amount of body hair, particularly on her arms, legs, and upper lip, which resembled a moustache. Her muscle development mirrored that of a man. Her breasts remained underdeveloped, and her pelvic outlet was unusually small.

 

Dulcina often expressed confusion about her change in sex. She once told her mother, “I don't understand why I have become a girl. I was a man before.”

 

Recognitions and Verifications:

When Dulcina and her father visited Zeca's family, she accurately guided them to the family's house, despite neither of them having been there before. She also recognized several family members and remembered numerous details about Zeca's life.

 

Dr. Stevenson meticulously investigated Dulcina's claims and found many correspondences between her statements and the verified facts about Zeca's life. He was struck by the unusual masculine characteristics and behaviors exhibited by Dulcina, which were not typical of a girl her age.

 

Other Information:

In adulthood, Dulcina married and became pregnant. Due to her small pelvic outlet, she had to undergo a Caesarean section. Tragically, both Dulcina and her newborn child died during the delivery.

 

Dr. Stevenson noted that girls who claim to remember past lives as boys or men often exhibit relatively large stature and more masculine appearances than other girls. In some cases, their menarche can be delayed, although Stevenson did not specify if this was true for Dulcina. This rebirth case, filled with detailed statements, recognitions, and unusual physical traits, remains one of the most compelling reincarnation cases in Dr. Ian Stevenson's extensive research.

 

 

Lebanese Suzanne Ghanem reincarnation case:

 

Dr. Ian Stevenson, Professor and Scientist, (University of Virginia, United States of America)

 

A verified reincarnation case in Lebanon. [The girl who remembered a phone number from her past life.]

 

Ian Stevenson, a pioneer scientist in reincarnation research, noted that Suzanne Ghanem from Lebanon stood out among the children he studied, as she remembered the greatest number of proper names of individuals from her previous life. In addition to these names, she also remembered various other details, including a phone number that was almost correct. Scientist Stevenson verified the phone number in the Beirut phone directory.

 

Ian Stevenson took care to use aliases in his writings about Suzanne Ghanem's reincarnation case because the family from her previous life was prominent in Lebanon. In his unpublished manuscript and published works, the previous life is referred to as Saada Hatoum. However, in Shroder's work, she is named Hanan Mansour, and different names are used for other past-life associates. In this particular article, the names from Stevenson's writings, such as Saada Hatoum, are used.

 

Saada Hatoum:

Saada Hatoum was born on June 6, 1932, in Kfarsalwan, Lebanon, about 25 kilometers east of Beirut, to Asaad and Zaher Hatoum. At the age of six, she had rheumatic fever. She married police officer Halim Hatoum at the age of twenty and had a daughter, Leila, a year later. Three years after that, she gave birth to a second daughter, Ghada. Despite her declining health, she had a son, Nabil, in 1962, the same year she was diagnosed with mitral valve disease, likely linked to her earlier bout of rheumatic fever. Aware of her terminal illness, she expressed her intent to reincarnate (rebirth) and remember her life as Saada in her next incarnation.

 

In 1965, an evaluation in England confirmed that Saada Hatoum had both types of mitral valve disease. In 1969, she experienced a minor stroke as a complication. She also developed blue areas on her legs, resembling bruises, which would last for a day or two, worsening when she was tired or after standing for long periods. Ian Stevenson speculated that these discolorations were caused by reduced blood clotting time due to medications, combined with pressure on the veins.

 

During the 1960s, Saada Hatoum endured two significant losses: her brother Mazid, a well-known aviator, died in a plane crash in 1963, and her father Asaad passed away in 1969. In 1970, after visiting her daughter Leila in Venezuela, her health deteriorated further. Around this time, Saada told her husband Halim, "She was going to be rebirthed and have lots to say about her previous life." With the approval of her two physician brothers, she traveled to Richmond, Virginia, for evaluation and treatment. Despite knowing that she might not survive the heart surgery, she proceeded with it. Before the operation, she instructed her brother on how to divide her jewelry, leaving a ring to one daughter and a bracelet to the other.

 

More than anything, Saada Hatoum wanted to see her eldest daughter Leila one last time before her death. However, Leila was unable to come due to losing her passport. Shortly before Saada's death on March 11, 1972, her brother tried to call Leila in Venezuela, but Saada passed away before the call went through. Her last words were "Leila, Leila." According to her husband Halim, Saada was affectionate, devoted as a wife, and intensely loving as a mother. She was a pious follower of the Druze faith, had a strong memory, and was known for her habit of pulling her skirt down below her knees.

 

Suzanne Ghanem:

Suzanne Ghanem was born on March 21, 1972, just ten days after Saada Hatoum's death, in Choueifate, a suburb of Beirut, to Shaheen and Munira Ghanem, a Druze family. Suzanne began speaking unusually early, and her first words were "Awo Leila," which later became clearer as "Hello, Leila." She would often grip a telephone receiver while repeatedly saying this phrase.

 

As Suzanne grew older, she told her parents that Leila was her child and identified herself by the first name Saada. When asked for her surname, she replied, "My head is still small. Wait until it is bigger, and I might tell you." Around the age of two, she did provide the surname Hatoum and named Saada’s other children, husband, parents, and brothers, giving a total of thirteen names. She also made other statements at a young age, such as, "My house is larger and prettier than this house," and to her father, "I love you. You are kind to me, as my father (Asaad) used to be. That is why I accept you."

 

Suzanne’s parents were aware of a family named Hatoum living in Kfarsalwan but did not know them personally. The connection was made when Suzanne overheard a family member mention a woman with the same name as Saada’s brother Mazid’s wife. She then mentioned Mazid and his death before hers. Recognizing Mazid Hatoum as the famous pilot who had died in a crash in 1963, the Ghanems sent a family friend to the Hatoums in Kfarsalwan with a list of names Suzanne had provided. The Hatoums were impressed and sent Saada’s sister Atifah to Choueifate to meet Suzanne in 1976. Additionally, a neighbor of the Ghanems who knew a Leila Hatoum in Venezuela sent her the list of names, which moved her to tears. The Hatoums accepted Suzanne as the reincarnation of Saada, and the two families began visiting each other.

 

Investigation:

On July 25, 1977, the Beirut news magazine ‘Monday Morning’ published an article titled "The Reincarnation of Saada Hatoum." This article was seen by Ian Stevenson’s Lebanese assistant and interpreter, who informed him. Stevenson and his team conducted interviews with Suzanne, her family, and neighbors in Choueifate, as well as with Majid's widow, Saada’s widower, Saada’s sister-in-law in Beirut, and Saada’s sister Atifah in Kfarsalwan. They also obtained Saada’s medical records from the Medical College of Virginia. In late 1997, Stevenson, accompanied by Shroder, made a follow-up visit to Suzanne, who was then 25 years old.

 

Statements:

Stevenson stated that Suzanne held the record for the most proper names of past-life associates remembered by a subject in his collection of cases. He wrote:

 

"I recorded a (probably incomplete) list of fifty-nine items she had stated about the previous life that she remembered. Her statements included the names of twenty-three members of the family to which she referred and two acquaintances. Moreover, she placed all but one of these persons in their proper relationship to Saada, the woman whose life she remembered."

 

According to Suzanne’s father, she was able, when little, to recite by memory the funeral oration spoken at Majid’s funeral, and it had been tape-recorded, though the tape is lost. Her brother Hassam added:

 

"When she was three or four, she gave my mother a recipe for namoura [a Lebanese dessert], one of [Saada’s] favorite recipes. And before she had learned to read or write, she scribbled a phone number. We tried calling it, but it didn’t work. Later, when we went to [Saada’s] house, we discovered that her phone number had been right, except that she had reversed the last two digits, a two and an eight."

 

Stevenson verified the number in the Beirut phone directory.

 

During one visit with Saada’s daughter Ghada, Suzanne suddenly asked whether her brother had given her and Leila Saada’s jewelry as she had directed. Only her brother and her two daughters knew the details of these bequests.

 

Stevenson recorded 54 statements that Suzanne made, giving recalled facts, of which five are incorrect and six unverified. The verified correct facts include:

 

-She lived in Kfarsalwan.

-Her husband Halim could not drive a car.

-She had a house in Beirut.

-She had a brother named Aflaton who was a doctor and treated people in a place near the Druze temple.

-She had a brother named Pythagore who was also a doctor.

-Her brother Mazid and his wife Noura quarreled.

-She had a brother named Fares who was an agricultural engineer and had a wife named Ida.

-The Hatoum’s neighbor Nadia would sit with Saada daily when she was sick.

-The house in Kfarsalwan had to be reached by stairs and had a metal frame with grapes in front of it.

-She had heart disease.

-She went to the United States in an airplane, accompanied by her brother Aristote.

-She was operated on but died, at the age of about 40 years.

 

Recognitions:

According to the ‘Monday Morning’ article, the Hatoums were initially skeptical of Suzanne’s claims, but she quickly won them over. She did this by accurately recognizing and naming relatives in a family photo album, as noted by the reporter:

 

“Suzy picked out all the relatives and named them accurately. ‘This is my brother (Aristote), my brother (no equivalent name), my brother (no equivalent name), my mother … and this is me. I think I’m wearing my black dress here. I recognize the cut. Look how thin I was.’ She paused, and the memory of pain was obvious in her eyes. ‘I was very sick.’”

 

Stevenson recorded that Suzanne also recognized five people in person: Saada’s husband Halim, her son Nabil, her sister Atifah, Atifah’s son Iad, and Nadia, a neighbor of the Hatoums.

 

Behavioural Signs:

Past-life related behaviors were prominent in Suzanne’s case from the beginning. Her first words, "Awo Leila," were spoken into a phone receiver, and her strong desire to return to her previous home was evident, as she demanded to be taken there daily. She experienced nightmares in which she heard her past-life children crying, and her frequent tears over the separation eased once she reconnected with the Hatoum family at age five.

 

Stevenson reported that Suzanne’s intense attachment to her past-life associates posed challenges. She would call Saada’s husband, Halim, three times a day and would sit on his lap and rest her head against his chest during visits. When Halim remarried to Nadia, a friend of Saada’s, he concealed this from Suzanne due to his concerns about her reaction. When Suzanne eventually discovered the truth, she confronted Halim, saying, "But you told me you’d never love anyone but me." Halim never explicitly admitted saying that to Saada but acknowledged saying something similar.

 

Suzanne’s behavior included calling Saada’s son Nabil ‘aunty’ instead of ‘mother,’ showing frustration over not being congratulated as a grandmother when Saada’s daughters had children, and preferring to be with adults rather than children. She also resisted attending school unless she could be in a teaching role.

 

Additional behaviors included her preference for long dresses, makeup, and her objections to furniture rearrangements and missing belongings from the Hatoum house. Suzanne used the term "carboni" for baking powder, as used in Kfarsalwan, rather than "carbona" used in Choueifate. Her mother reported that Suzanne knew how to thread a needle and sew without being taught, although Stevenson noted she might have learned by observation.

 

Physical Signs:

Academic reincarnation researchers generally do not consider facial resemblance as primary evidence, as it can be attributed to coincidence or heredity in cases involving family members, and it may not be present in all reincarnation cases. However, in some instances where there is no familial connection, striking facial resemblance can still occur.

 

In his book ‘Reincarnation and Biology’, Ian Stevenson included Suzanne Ghanem’s case in the section titled "Facial Correspondences with Indescribable Features." He noted that individuals who had known Saada and had seen Suzanne observed a strong facial resemblance between them, a view Stevenson also shared. He specifically mentioned that the resemblance was most notable in the mouth and chin.

 

Stevenson observed that Suzanne had blue spots on her legs similar to those Saada had experienced. For Suzanne, these spots took about ten days to disappear and continued to appear every two to three months, lasting two to three weeks, even at age nine.

 

Additionally, Suzanne exhibited a behavior related to Saada’s physical condition. She frequently complained of a weak heart, leading her parents to have her examined by a doctor, who found her heart to be normal.

 

Other information:

Suzanne's mother Munira experienced a dream about three or four days before Suzanne's birth. Munira recounted to Stevenson: "I dreamed I was going to have a baby girl. I met a woman and I kissed and hugged her. She said, ‘I am going to come to you.’ The woman was about forty."

 

Later, when Munira saw a picture of Saada, she said, "I thought it looked like the woman in my dream."

 

By age eight, Suzanne was excelling in her studies and still frequently talking about her past life, despite her mother’s attempts to discourage her, believing it was distracting her from her academics. At this point, she only called Halim every three or four days.

 

At age 25, Suzanne was asked if she still remembered her past life. She responded, “I don’t remember incidents, but the feelings are still there.” Although she had last seen Halim four years earlier, she still called him about once a week and had forgiven him for remarrying.

 

Suzanne shared a surprising story about feeling a deep connection with a young man in Kfarsalwan. He recognized her as Saada, saying he was Majid, Saada’s brother, reborn. He remembered more details than she did, and although his family had suppressed his claims, he embraced and kissed her, which made Suzanne cry.

 

When asked if she thought remembering a past life was beneficial, Suzanne replied, “Yes, it is a good thing. My previous family is relieved to know I am still here, and I am relieved to have seen my previous family again.”

 

In discussing the characteristics of individuals who are most likely to remember past lives, Ian Stevenson suggested that an unusually good general memory is a key factor. He provided two contrasting examples:

 

1) ‘Said Zahr’, a Lebanese boy, had notably few past-life memories. His previous incarnation's son reported that his father had a very poor memory.

2) ‘Suzanne Ghanem’ had an unusually good memory, particularly for remembering names. Stevenson noted that Saada, Suzanne's previous incarnation, was recognized by her family for having an excellent memory.

 

Stevenson used the Suzanne Ghanem case as an example of an international reincarnation case where the previous incarnation, Saada, died far from her home region but returned there in her next life. He suggested that this could indicate purposeful travel during the intermission between lives. This observation aligns with the Druze belief that a Druze will always reincarnate into a Druze family or community. However, Stevenson also cited non-Druze cases to illustrate this phenomenon.

 

This reincarnation case of Suzanne Ghanem is detailed in several sources:

 

- ‘Children Who Remember Previous Lives: A Question of Reincarnation’ (2001, McFarland, Jefferson, North Carolina, USA)

- ‘Reincarnation and Biology: A Contribution to the Etiology of Birthmarks and Birth Defects’ (1997, Praeger, Westport, Connecticut, USA)

- ‘Old Souls: Compelling Evidence from Children Who Remember Past Lives’ (1999, Simon & Schuster, New York, USA)

 

 

Indian Swarnlata Mishra reincarnation case:

 

Dr. Ian Stevenson, Professor and Scientist, (University of Virginia, United States of America)

Dr. K. S. Rawat, Professor and Parapsychologist, (Director of International Center for Reincarnation)

Dr. H. N. Banerjee, Professor and Scientist, (University of Rajasthan, India)

 

A verified reincarnation case in India. [The girl who was born in India and had previously lived in Bangladesh.]

 

This is a rebirth case in which written records were made before verification of the previous personality.

 

This rebirth case is important because the individual could remember 2 different past lives.

 

Swarnlata Tiwari (née Mishra) is an Indian woman who, as a girl, remembered many facts and people from her previous life, and whose former home was identified purely from her descriptions, which were written down before her memories were verified. She also performed dances accompanied by songs in a language she had never learned, apparently remembered from a second, intermediate past life.

 

Swarnlata Tiwari (sometimes spelled Swarnalata) was born on 2 March 1948 in Shahpur, northern India. At the age of three, during a trip with her father, ML Mishra, an administrative assistant, she made several statements indicating memories of a past life. As they passed through Katni, she directed the driver to turn towards "my house (her)" and remarked that the tea they were having could be better at "her house" nearby. These early statements suggested her recollection of a previous life.

 

Around the age of five, Swarnlata Tiwari exhibited recitative xenoglossy by performing dances and singing in a foreign language she had not formally learned. Initially, she performed for her mother and then for others. Over the next few years, she began sharing memories of being a member of the Pathak family in Katni with her siblings and occasionally her parents.

 

In July 1958, while the Mishra family was living in a new town, they met the wife of Professor R. Agnihotri, who was from Katni. Upon learning about this connection, Swarnlata asked to meet her and, upon meeting, claimed she had known the woman in her previous life. Starting in September 1958, when Swarnlata was ten years old, her father began documenting her statements, creating a written record of her memories before any contact with the former Pathak family.

 

The Mishra and Pathak families lived more than a hundred miles apart, in areas with distinct dialects and accents. Both families firmly denied having ever met each other. The first contact between the Mishra family and someone who had known Swarnlata's previous incarnation occurred with Mrs. Agnihotri, long after Swarnlata had already made numerous statements about her past life.

 

Investigations:

In March 1959, HN Banerjee from the Department of Parapsychology at the University of Rajasthan investigated Swarnlata Tiwari’s case in Chhatarpur, where the Mishra family then resided. He spent two days documenting Swarnlata’s memories before any contact with the Pathak family. Banerjee then traveled to Katni to locate Swarnlata’s previous family. He noted nine statements she had made about the house she lived in and found a house in Katni that matched her description, occupied by the Pathak family. A daughter of this family, Biya, who had died in 1939 at around forty years old, had a life history that closely aligned with Swarnlata’s statements.

 

In the summer of 1959, the Mishra and Pathak families exchanged visits. Several members of Biya’s family and in-laws visited Chhatarpur, where the Mishra family lived. In return, the Mishras traveled to Katni and the nearby towns of Maihar and Tilori, where Biya had lived and died. During these visits, ML Mishra documented Swarnlata’s recognition of people and places.

 

In the summer of 1961, prominent reincarnation researcher Ian Stevenson spent four days investigating Swarnlata Tiwari’s case. He conducted interviews with Swarnlata, her father, and her uncle in Chhatarpur, as well as with Biya’s three brothers, three sisters-in-law, son, and nephew in Katni and surrounding areas. Stevenson also reviewed extensive notes from a 1963 investigation by his research assistant P. Pal, along with notes by HN Banerjee and correspondence with others involved in the case, including Mrs. Agnihotri. Stevenson published his findings in the 1966 book ‘Twenty Cases Suggestive of Reincarnation’.

 

Statements and Recognitions Related to Biya:

About her former house, Swarnlata said:

 

-It was white.

-The house had four stuccoed rooms, but other parts were unfinished.

-The doors were black and fitted with iron bars.

-The front floor was made of stone slabs.

-The family owned a car (rare in the area at the time).

-A girls' school was located behind the house.

-A railway line could be seen from the house.

-Lime furnaces could be seen from the house.

 

These details were all true of the house as it had been when Biya had lived in it, prior to subsequent renovations, and were verified by Stevenson.

 

Swarnlata Tiwari made some errors with names, but they were usually close to the correct ones. For example, she referred to her past-life son Murli Pandey as Krishna, a diminutive form of Murli. Initially, she identified her past-life first name as Kamlesh, later changing it to Biya. She later explained that Kamlesh had been her name in a life between that of Biya and her current one.

 

During the first visit by members of the Pathak family to Swarnlata, they deliberately tried to test her knowledge by not assisting her in recognizing them. Hari Prasad Pathak, Biya’s brother, arrived unannounced and concealed his identity. Swarnlata initially named him incorrectly as ‘Hira Lal Pathak,’ but she recognized him as her younger brother and correctly referred to him by the pet name ‘Babu,’ which Biya had used.

 

When Biya’s widower, Chintamini Pandey, and her son Murli visited Chhatarpur, they arranged to meet Swarnlata along with nine other men, some of whom Biya had known and others she had not. Upon meeting Chintamini Pandey, Swarnlata claimed she knew him from Katni and displayed the bashful manner typical of Hindu wives in the presence of their husbands. Additionally, she recognized Chintamini Pandey among a group of men in a forty-year-old photograph.

 

Murli Pandey tested Swarnlata by insisting for 24 hours that he was not Murli but someone else and also tried to pass off an accomplice, whom Biya had not known, as Biya’s other son, Naresh. Swarnlata successfully passed these tests, confidently maintaining that she was correct about his identity.

 

During her visit to Katni, Maihar, and Tilori, Swarnlata correctly recognized three more of Biya’s brothers in their correct birth order, as well as two sisters-in-law, a family servant, a couple who were family friends, and a betel-nut seller whom she identified from a crowd. Additionally, she recognized a cowherd who had worked for the family, despite being told by one of Biya’s brothers that the cowherd had died.

 

Swarnlata asked about a tree she remembered being cut down, a parapet on Biya’s house in Maihar that had been removed, and a family friend who no longer wore glasses, as he had when Biya knew him. When shown two hats and asked which one her father wore, she correctly stated that he wore neither, but rather a turban, which was an unusual head covering for the time and place. She also recalled that one of Biya’s sisters-in-law had died before Biya, accurately identified Biya’s room in the Maihar house, and correctly pointed out a road to a river used for bathing.

 

Swarnlata correctly identified several people Biya had known from a crowd of about forty, including Biya’s father’s cousin, her brother-in-law’s wife, and a midwife, addressing her in the way Biya had. In Tilora, she identified the room where Biya had died and noted the absence of a verandah that had been present during Biya’s lifetime.

 

In 1959, during a visit to Jabalpur, Swarnlata recognized Biya’s nephew, calling him by his pet name ‘Baboo’ as Biya had, and identified a third sister-in-law. When she returned to Maihar in 1960, she recognized Biya’s other son, Naresh, despite Murli’s attempt to test her by claiming he was not Naresh but another man named Bhola. Additionally, when one of Biya’s brothers tested her by claiming she had lost her teeth, Swarnlata insisted she had had gold fillings in her front teeth. The Pathak brothers could not recall this detail but confirmed it after asking from their wives.

 

Swarnlata accurately recalled two obscure incidents from Biya’s life. She remembered attending a wedding with Mrs. Agnihotri and having trouble finding a latrine, a detail confirmed by Mrs. Agnihotri. She also recalled that Biya’s husband had taken money from her cash box, a fact known only to them, which he confirmed. There was a discrepancy in the amount: he remembered it as one thousand rupees, while Swarnlata recalled it as twelve hundred rupees. This discrepancy could be due to a memory error on either side.

 

Swarnlata displayed some confusion regarding Biya’s death. She mentioned suffering pain in her throat and dying from a throat disease, although Biya had actually been successfully treated for a throat ailment and later died from heart disease. Additionally, Swarnlata named the doctor who treated Biya as SC Bhabrat of Jabalpur, while Murli recalled the doctor as SE Barat of Jabalpur.

 

Behaviours Reminiscent of Biya:

Swarnlata’s father observed that Swarnlata exhibited childlike behavior with her birth family but behaved like an older sister with the Pathak family, even though her brothers were forty or more years older than her. She participated in the Hindu custom of ‘rakhi’, where sisters and brothers exchange gifts annually, and one of her brothers was upset with her for missing it one year. Biya’s brothers accepted Swarnlata as Biya’s reincarnation so completely that they felt a greater claim to her, given that she had been with their family for forty years compared to the ten years she had been with the Mishra family.

 

Swarnlata adjusted her behavior toward Biya’s sons based on who was present: she was reserved when with the parents or elders of the Mishra family but adopted a more informal, motherly demeanor when alone with her former sons. She showed strong emotions regarding her previous family, becoming tearful upon meeting and parting from them, and sometimes even when thinking about them. Despite her emotional connections, she remained loyal to the Mishra family.

 

Swarnlata’s Other Past Life as Kamlesh:

Swarnlata made fragmentary statements about another past life, which she said she lived between the death of Biya and her current-life birth. She said her name had been Kamlesh, she had lived in the city of Sylhet, now in Bangladesh, and had died at the age of nine to be reborn as Swarnlata. Some of her statements on the geography of the Sylhet area were found to be accurate, but she gave too little information to identify the previous person, and verification efforts were also hampered by the difficulties of traveling to Bangladesh which was another country.

 

Swarnlata said the song/dances she knew she had learned in this intermediate life from a friend in Sylhet. The language of the lyrics was identified as Bengali by P. Pal, and Sylhet is in a Bengali-speaking region. Swarnlata had lived her entire life among Hindi speakers. Pal, a native of Bengal, identified two of the songs as poems by the renowned Indian writer Rabindranath Tagore, with some of the words altered, corrupted, or missing. Visiting an educational institute founded by Tagore, Pal watched a performance of one of these songs and noticed that the music was 'very much the same' as what Swarnlata sang and that she danced in a style taught at the institute.

 

Stevenson checked for other ways Swarnlata could have learned the pieces. He noted that she had never been observed to learn them by practice, as would be required for the degree of skill she had in performing them, nor had she had chances to see them on television or at the cinema, or learn them from her parents, siblings, or any friends of the family.

 

Other information:

By 1961, at the age of thirteen, Swarnlata had stopped speaking spontaneously about her past lives. However, Ian Stevenson noted that her memories did not fade as they typically did for other children he had studied. Stevenson suggested that the persistence of her memories might be due to the Pathak family's complete acceptance and tolerance of her experiences, unlike the suppression seen in some other families.

 

Stevenson corresponded with Swarnlata from 1961 but did not visit her again until 1971, when she was 23. By then, she had earned an MSc with distinction in botany and hoped to pursue a PhD. Swarnlata told Stevenson that she had not forgotten anything about her past lives. In a later letter, she explained: “Letters or persons coming to me from Katni make me remember events of the previous life (there). Sometimes when I sing the songs of life at Sylhet, I remember the environment of that place … When I am absorbed in either of the past lives I forget the existence of the present life, but this is only for a short while and I again return to the present circumstances … When I desire to have a particular thing that I do not have then in my mind the (related) event of the past life creeps in and thus I am satisfied that I did have this particular thing in my previous life … In short, environment is the greatest factor to remember the past lives (sic).”

 

Swarnlata could still remember and perform three Bengali song/dances, as she demonstrated for Stevenson. Her father confirmed that she performed them exactly as she had as a child. Notably, she could not remember the lyrics without performing the dances, or vice-versa. Her xenoglossy was limited to recitative; she could not converse in Bengali with Pal or translate the words into Hindi.

 

Swarnlata continued to visit the Pathak family and participate in the annual rakhi ceremony. She experienced a premonitory dream shortly before Biya’s oldest brother died and found that while mourning him in Katni, "all the events of the past life were fresh" to her.

 

On 27 May 1973, Swarnlata married DP Tiwari, who later became a municipal commissioner in Indore. At the time of a subsequent interview by reincarnation researcher Kirti Swaroop Rawat, Swarnlata was working as a college lecturer. Despite the common tendency for past-life memories to fade between ages five and eight, Swarnlata reported that she only stopped gaining new past-life memories at age 25. Even in her sixties, she retained "faint" memories due to her ongoing contact with her past-life family. She continued to observe the rakhi ritual with her past-life brothers and remained connected to them emotionally. Rawat noted that Swarnlata felt a sense of belonging to both her past-life and present-life families, managing to live a well-adjusted life in both contexts. Even in her later years, she claimed to still know the Bengali songs she learned in her past life as Kamlesh and performed one upon Rawat’s request. This is one verified reincarnation case in which an individual remembered up to two previous lives.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

American Ryan Hammons reincarnation case:

 

Dr. Jim B. Tucker, Professor and Scientist, (University of Virginia, United States of America)

Researcher Dr. James G. Matlock, PhD (Rhine Research Center, Durham, United States of America)

 

A verified reincarnation case in United States of America. [The past-life Republican Party man who hated the Democratic Party in his present life too.]

 

This is a rebirth case in which written records were made before verification of the previous personality, and also, documentation of the previous person's life was found to confirm things with further accuracy.

 

Ryan Hammons is an American boy known for having an extensive number of memories related to a previous life. His case was first reported by Jim Tucker in a 2013 book and has since been corroborated and studied further by other researchers, who have fully confirmed Tucker's original portrayal and assessment.

 

Marty Martyn:

Marty Martyn, born Morris Kolinsky on May 19, 1903, in Philadelphia, was the child of Ukrainian Jewish immigrants. He had two sisters, one of whom passed away young. In the 1920s, he and his surviving sister moved to New York City, where he performed as a tap dancer on Broadway under the name Marty Kolinsky. Later, he relocated to Los Angeles, changed his name to Marty Martyn, and pursued an acting career, which did not succeed. However, he found success by opening the Marty Martyn Agency, a talent agency, and became wealthy later in life.

 

Marty Martyn was a staunch Republican who enjoyed Chinese restaurants, the beach, and had a large collection of sunglasses. He owned a substantial house with an outdoor swimming pool on Roxbury Drive in Beverly Hills. He traveled often to New York and made four trips to Europe on the Queen Mary to visit his sister, who lived in Paris. Marty Martyn was married four times and had one biological daughter with his last wife. He also had five stepchildren, including three boys whom he adopted during his final marriage. He was diagnosed with leukemia and passed away in the hospital on December 25, 1964, from a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 61.

 

Ryan Hammons:

Muskogee is a city located on the Arkansas River in Oklahoma. It is the 13th-largest city in the state and serves as the county seat of Muskogee County.

 

Ryan Hammons was born in 2004 in Muskogee, Oklahoma, nearly 40 years after the death of a man named Martyn. His parents, Cyndi and Kevin, were Protestant Christians who held respectable positions in their community - Cyndi as the deputy county clerk and Kevin as a lieutenant in the police department.

 

As a child, Ryan experienced delayed speech due to enlarged adenoids, which are masses of lymphatic tissue located between the back of the nose and the throat that help protect the body from viruses and bacteria. However, when inflamed, they can hinder breathing and speaking in young children. After undergoing surgery to remove his adenoids at the age of four, Ryan began speaking in complete sentences and soon started sharing memories that would later be linked to Martyn.

 

Ryan's first comments were about three adopted sons to whom he claimed to have given his name. He also mentioned being from Hollywood and begged his mother, Cyndi, to take him there so he could see his “other family”. He described owning a large house with a swimming pool on a street with “rock” in its name, a green car that he wouldn't let anyone else drive, and enjoying trips to the beach with his girlfriends. Ryan also had a fascination with sunglasses and often mentioned being sunburned in the life he remembered.

 

Ryan's memories continued to unfold as he shared more details about his past life. He claimed to have worked for an “agency” where people changed their names, and frequently mentioned a “Senator Fives” whom he used to meet in New York. He expressed a strong dislike for Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the Democratic president. Ryan also talked about his extensive travels, including a trip to Europe by boat, visiting Paris, and seeing the iconic Eiffel Tower.

 

The peak of Ryan's memories occurred when he was four years old, but they persisted for years after that. He would often recount his stories at nursery school and at home, especially during bath time before bed. However, these memories were not without their darker side - Ryan would sometimes wake up from nightmares, screaming, although he couldn't recall what they were about. On occasion, he would wake up complaining of chest pain and gasping for air.

 

In an attempt to help Ryan remember more and uncover the identity of the person he claimed to be, his mother Cyndi began borrowing books about Hollywood from the local library. Ryan recognized famous actresses Rita Hayworth and Marilyn Monroe, which sparked Cyndi's curiosity. When she brought home a book about the 1932 movie Night After Night, Ryan spotted a photo of an actor he claimed was his past self. Unfortunately, the actor was an extra in the film, and his name was not mentioned in the credits, leaving Ryan's true identity still a mystery.

 

In February 2010, Cyndi Hammons wrote to Jim Tucker at the University of Virginia, sharing some of Ryan's statements and a picture of an extra from the film ‘Night After Night’ whom Ryan claimed was his previous incarnation. Around the same time, Tucker had been approached by a producer from the cable television series ‘The UneXplained’ interested in documenting his reincarnation research. Tucker mentioned Ryan's case, leading to an arrangement for an interview in April.

 

When the show's producers decided to prioritize Ryan's case, they mistakenly identified an actor they believed matched the extra from ‘Night After Night’. However, this actor did not recognize any of the houses associated with the man Ryan recalled, though he did identify a house belonging to another actor, Wild Bill Elliot, whom Ryan had mentioned as a friend.

 

The identification was based on the actor's resemblance to the extra, but his biography did not align with Ryan's memories. A film archivist was hired to reassess, and it was discovered that the extra was actually Marty Martyn. Further research into Martyn's life confirmed that he matched Ryan's memories. When Ryan, at six years old, was brought to Los Angeles for a tour of places linked to Martyn, his responses confirmed that this new identification was correct.

 

Cyndi’s Journal:

At Kevin’s suggestion, Cyndi recorded Ryan’s memories in a journal. She began doing this when Ryan was five, but before contacting Jim Tucker, and continued afterwards. As of March 2016, she had listed 230 items, of which 55 (24%) had proven correct and fifteen (6.5%) incorrect or implausible for Marty Martyn; with the passage of time, the majority (140, or 69.5%) had become unverifiable.

 

Eight of Ryan’s correct statements were of such a general nature that Cyndi was able to verify them (in books or through internet searches) even before she wrote to Tucker. For instance, she was able to confirm the identities of the actors that Ryan recognized by name in the pictures from Night After Night.

 

Ryan made each of the other 47 correct statements about Marty Martyn before his name was known. These 47 statements were abstracted from Cyndi’s journal and published in a book by Leslie Kean. Statements included:

 

- He is the man in the photograph from the movie Night After Night.

- He lived in Hollywood.

- He lived somewhere with the word “rock” or “mount” in it; a street address.

- He was very rich.

- His house was big.

- There was a brick wall at the house.

- There were three boys.

- He didn’t think the boys were his, but he gave them his name.

- He had a daughter.

- He brought coloring books home.

- He had trouble with his oldest stepdaughter—she wouldn’t listen; she didn’t respect him.

- He had a large swimming pool.

- His mother had curly brown hair.

- He had a younger sister.

- He bought his daughter a dog when she was about six.

- She didn’t like the dog.

- He hated cats.

- He knew United States senator Irving Ives (Fives) of republican party.

- He used to see Senator Ives in New York (found on a map).

- He had a green car.

- He didn’t let anyone else drive the green car.

- He had many wives.

- His wife drove a nice black car.

- He was an agent; he ran an agency.

- The agency changed people’s names.

- He tap-danced on the stage.

- The stage was in New York City.

- He saw the world on big boats where he danced with pretty ladies.

- He ate in Chinatown a lot; his favorite restaurant was there.

- He got “skin burns” in Hollywood.

- He went to Paris; saw the Eiffel Tower.

- He took his girlfriends to the ocean.

- He played the piano; owned one.

- He had an African American maid.

- He knew Rita Hayworth—she made “ice drinks” (photo recognition).

- He knew that Mary lady—you couldn’t get close to talk to her (photo recognition, Marilyn Monroe).

- Bread was his favorite food.

- He had a sunglass collection.

- He was a smoker.

- He had many girlfriends and affairs—never had problems getting the ladies.

- He liked to watch surfers on the beach.

- He owned guns.

- He didn’t have a TV when he was a little boy; they had radio first.

- He hated FDR (Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a Democrat).

- You go to a room with numbers on the door before dying.

- “I’m not 5; I’m closer to 105 when I was here before” (would have been 106).

- He died at age sixty-one.

 

The assertion that he had died when he was 61 is particularly interesting, because Martyn’s death certificate gave his birth date as 1905, which would mean that he was only 59 in 1964. However, subsequent research showed that, in fact, Martyn was born in 1903, so Ryan was right.

 

After death information:

In addition to talking about Martyn’s life, Ryan spoke about what happened when he died. There was an “awesome” light he should go towards, but everyone came back in a new body to live again. When he died, he had gone to a waiting place, rather than to heaven. On another occasion, Ryan told Cyndi that he had seen her from heaven and that he had known her from an earlier life. He said that he had chosen her to be his mother so that he could take care of her in this life.

 

Ryan said he remembered being in Cyndi’s womb and asked why she had wanted him to be a girl. In fact, Cyndi very much had wanted to have a girl. Ryan added that he had seen her cry for a long time when she learned that she was going to have a boy.

 

Ryan said, “That doctor guy did a test and told you I was a boy. You got mad and said he was wrong. You just knew that I was going to be a girl. Mommy, it was Daddy’s birthday, you went to a restaurant afterward to eat, and you cried for a very long time.”

 

Cyndi soon regretted her behavior on this occasion, which so embarrassed her that she rarely talked about it, but she could not deny that what Ryan had said was true in all respects.

 

Behaviour:

Ryan’s connection to Marty Martyn was evident not just in his memories but also in his personality, emotions, and behavior. The most intense period of this identification occurred when Ryan was four, though aspects of it remained throughout his early years.

 

Ryan would adopt a mature tone and act out his memories, explaining to Cyndi, “I am not the same as the man in the picture on the outside, but on the inside I am still that man.” He was troubled by the memories he could not fully recall, often worrying about the fate of children, his other mother’s name, and the whereabouts of his sister.

 

Ryan once saw a cartoon that triggered memories of tap-dancing he claimed to have done in New York. He began humming show tunes and tap-dancing, asking Cyndi for tap shoes and performing a routine with a ‘tip tap tip tap’ beat. He also expressed a desire to wear what he called ‘agent clothes,’ including suits, dress shirts, ties, and black-rimmed ‘agent glasses.’ He took a pair of children’s 3-D glasses, removed the lenses, and wore them constantly.

 

Ryan loved to play at making movies and took charge of directing children at a birthday party when he was four, even yelling at adults for help with the acting and directing. He remembered being badly scratched by a cat, which led to his dislike and fear of cats. He also mentioned enjoying visits to Chinatown restaurants and demonstrated proficiency with chopsticks on his first visit to a Chinese restaurant, despite not having been taught how to use them.

 

When Marty Martyn was identified, Jim Tucker prepared picture sets to test Ryan's ability to recognize people Martyn had known. To ensure unbiased results, Tucker kept Martyn's name and background information from Cyndi and Kevin, so they could not influence the tests.

 

At first, Ryan, just turned six, was in a bad mood and selected pictures haphazardly. However, after dinner, he was more cooperative. Tucker showed him a set of four pictures of women and asked if any looked familiar. Ryan pointed to one but said he did not know who she was, though it turned out to be Martyn’s fourth wife.

 

Tucker then showed Ryan pictures of four men, one of whom Tucker believed was “Senator Fives”. Ryan pointed to one of the pictures, and when asked if he was sure, he affirmed that he was. The picture was of Irving Ives, a Senator from New York during Martyn’s lifetime.

 

Ryan also accurately identified a picture of Martyn as a young man, even though the pose and attire were different from his appearance in ‘Night After Night’. However, after a few more trials where Ryan began to miss, Tucker decided to end the experiment.

 

Tucker later reflected that showing Ryan the pictures one at a time, alternating decoys with targets in a randomized order, might have been more effective than the method used. Kean noted that having someone who was unaware of the individuals’ identities present the pictures could have avoided giving Ryan unconscious cues. Despite the potential improvements in the test design, Ryan made correct selections in three out of five trials.

 

Martyn’s Daughter:

Ryan wanted to meet Marty Martyn’s three adopted sons to make amends for what he felt was bad treatment, but this was not possible. However, he did meet Martyn’s daughter, who was eight when Martyn died and 57 at the time of their meeting. Ryan recognized her face but felt that her energy was different from what he remembered, leading him to say that she had ‘not waited’ for him and that he did not want to see her again.

 

Martyn’s daughter tried to be helpful by confirming many of Ryan’s personal memories. She verified details such as Martyn driving a green car that he did not allow others to drive, his dislike of cats and the fact that he had bought her a dog she did not like, and his large collection of sunglasses. While she could not verify everything due to her young age at Martyn’s death, her testimony was crucial in evaluating Ryan’s statements.

 

Psychic Sense:

Ryan is notable among children with past-life memories for having a well-developed psychic sense. While many reincarnation case subjects with ESP focus on the previous family, Ryan’s abilities were centered on people and events in his own life.

 

For example, Ryan mentioned details about Cyndi’s sibling who had died in infancy, which he had not been informed of. He also insisted on needing to buy Kevin a watch, even though Cyndi pointed out that Kevin already had one. Ryan predicted that Kevin would need a replacement by Father’s Day, and indeed, Kevin’s watch broke the day before. Additionally, on his first trip to Los Angeles, Ryan accurately predicted that they would be given white cars. There were several other similar incidents.

 

Other information:

On his second visit to Los Angeles, Ryan was thrilled to revisit the places he remembered, but the trip helped him find resolution, and he began to focus more on his present life. After meeting Martyn’s daughter, he seldom mentioned his past-life memories unless prompted. Six months after the premiere of ‘The UneXplained: A Life in the Movies’ on April 30, 2011, Cyndi found that Ryan had removed all his Martyn-related decorations, including an iron Eiffel Tower and pictures of New York. He told her he wanted to be just a regular kid.

 

Despite this, Martyn’s influence lingered in Ryan’s interests and personality. At eleven, Ryan still loved 1950s music, wanted to visit New York, was fascinated by sunglasses, and preferred button-down dress shirts. He followed politics and identified as a Republican. He also developed an interest in Judaism, which created tensions with his Christian family. However, he was no longer as fearful of cats; while he didn’t favor them, he could now tolerate them without anxiety. This Ryan Hammons reincarnation case is also one of the verified rebirth cases.

 

 

British Diane Brownlea reincarnation case:

 

Researcher Peter Harrison, (Independent researcher and scholar, United Kingdom)

 

A verified reincarnation case in United Kingdom. [The child who described a family tragedy that matched historical records.]

 

In the town of Darlington, located in the northeast of England, a young girl named Diane Brownlea lived with her family. Around the age of three and a half, Diane began to share unusual memories. She spoke of a life she had lived before, in a place called Dundee, in Scotland. Her parents were puzzled, as they had no known connection to Scotland, and Diane was too young to have learned about it from books or television.

 

Notable Statements Made by Diane:

- "I'm going to visit my granny in Dundee now."

- "I lived in Scotland in my previous life, and my grandmother lived in Dundee."

- "I fell into the water when I went to see granny in Dundee."

- "I was with my other daddy and we all fell into the water when we were on the train."

- "We all fell into the water."

 

Diane's memories were quite specific. She remembered visiting her grandmother in Dundee, traveling there by train. She would carefully pack her toy case with odds and ends, dress up her dolls, and announce, "I'm going to visit my granny in Dundee now." Her grandmother, Mrs. Pemberton, would gently remind her that she had no relatives in Dundee, but Diane insisted, "I lived in Scotland in my previous life, and my grandmother lived in Dundee."

 

About a month later, Diane shared more details about her past life. She said, "I fell into the water when I went to see granny in Dundee." When her grandmother asked what she meant, Diane explained, "I was with my other daddy and we all fell into the water when we were on the train." She repeated this story often, always with the same details. She mentioned that "we all fell into the water," suggesting that there were more people involved than just herself and her father. However, she never mentioned her mother or any siblings specifically.

 

Diane's memories seemed to align with a historical event known as the Tay Bridge disaster. On the evening of December 28, 1879, a train carrying 75 people crossed the Tay Bridge, a two-mile-long structure spanning the River Tay in Scotland. A fierce storm was raging, and as the train reached the middle of the bridge, the structure collapsed, sending the train and all its passengers plunging into the icy waters below. There were no survivors.

 

[Additional Data: The Tay Bridge disaster happened on December 28, 1879, when the first Tay Rail Bridge collapsed in a storm as a train crossed it, killing everyone aboard. Designed by Sir Thomas Bouch, the bridge had lattice girders and iron piers, but its structure was weaker than prior designs. Bouch, who had neglected to account for wind load in the design, faced criticism for the flawed construction and poor maintenance. The disaster led to new standards for wind loading in British bridge design. During a violent storm, witnesses described extreme winds, possibly gusting to 80 mph, which pushed the train against the guard rails. Sparks were seen as the train crossed, and it plunged into the river when part of the bridge collapsed, taking the high girders and supporting piers with it. Of the estimated 74–75 passengers, only 46 bodies were recovered. The disaster remains the UK’s fifth deadliest rail accident, surpassing all in Scotland except the Quintinshill disaster.]

 

Eyewitnesses reported seeing a man with three or four small children on the train that night. This family matched Diane's description of her past life family. The man was traveling alone with his children, as his wife was expecting their fifth child and had stayed behind in Edinburgh. Among the children were two girls and two boys, one of them a baby.

 

Diane's case caught the attention of Peter Harrison, an independent researcher and scholar from the United Kingdom. He investigated her claims, interviewing Diane and her family, and gathering statements. He found that Diane's family had no known connection to Dundee or the Tay Bridge disaster, making it unlikely that she could have gained this information through normal means.

 

Harrison also found historical records that supported Diane's memories. Among the passengers on the doomed train was a family consisting of a father and four children, matching the description given by eyewitnesses and Diane herself. The consistency of Diane's memories, her lack of exposure to the historical event, and the alignment of her recollections with documented history made her case a compelling one.

 

 

Indian Shanti Devi reincarnation case:

 

Researcher Mahatma Gandhi, Lawyer, Political Ethicist, and Independence Activist, (India)

Dr. Ian Stevenson, Professor and Scientist, (University of Virginia, United States of America)

Researcher Nihal Singh, (Independent researcher and scholar, India)

Researcher Suskil Chandra Bose, (Independent researcher and scholar, India)

Dr. K. S. Rawat, Professor and Parapsychologist, (Director of International Center for Reincarnation)

Researcher Bal Chand Nahata, (Independent researcher and scholar, India)

Dr. Satwant Pasricha, Professor, (University of Virginia, United States of America and National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, India)

 

A verified reincarnation case in India. [The girl who went to heaven and came back to earth once again.]

 

This is a rebirth case in which written records were made before verification of the previous personality.

 

This rebirth case is important because the individual could remember 2 different past lives.

 

The case of Shanti Devi Mathur, which occurred in the 1930s, is a notable example of a claimed instance of reincarnation. As a young child, Shanti Devi began describing detailed memories of a previous life as a woman named Lugdi Chaubey, who had died about two years before Shanti's birth. She spoke about her past life memories when she was 4 years old. Shanti provided information specific enough that Lugdi's family could be identified from her statements. When Shanti visited Lugdi's former home, she recognized family members and demonstrated knowledge of intimate details about Lugdi’s life, which impressed many. This case gained significant attention, including that of Mahatma Gandhi, who took an interest in the matter. An investigation into the case was conducted, as the details were considered too specific to be easily dismissed. The case remains one of the most discussed examples of reincarnation cases in India.

 

Lugdi Chaubey was born on 18 January 1902 in Mathura to Chaturbhuj Chaubey and Jagti Devi. At the age of ten, she was married to Kedar Nath Chaubey, a fabric shop owner. Their first child was stillborn. Later, on 25 September 1925, Lugdi gave birth to a healthy son named Naunita Lal via Caesarean section at the government hospital in Agra. However, she tragically died nine days later on 4 October 1925, at the age of 23 due to complications.

 

Shanti Devi Mathur was born on 11 December 1926, nearly two years after Lugdi's death, in Delhi, around 145 kilometers from Mathura. The remarkable aspect of Shanti Devi's life was that she began to recall memories of Lugdi Chaubey's life at a very young age, which became a highly publicized and investigated case of possible reincarnation.

 

The time between Lugdi Devi's death in Agra and Shanti Devi's birth is Delhi was one year, two months and seven days.

 

The most detailed English account of Shanti Devi's early life comes from Swedish writer Sture Lönnerstrand in his 1998 book ‘I Have Lived Before: The True Story of the Reincarnation of Shanti Devi’. According to Lönnerstrand's account, Shanti Devi did not begin to speak or even babble as most babies do until the age of four. When she did start speaking, it was in a dialect unfamiliar to her family, and she began to mention specific memories that were not from her current life.

 

She talked about cleaning silverware, a town named "Muttra" (Mathura), a picture of Krishna that she wanted back, and having a husband. On one occasion, when her mother was preparing fabric for a sari, Shanti claimed the merchant had lied about its quality, stating she knew this because her husband owned a fabric shop. She also surprised a doctor by accurately describing details of Caesarean section procedures.

 

Throughout this period, Shanti repeatedly insisted that her family and home were not her real ones. She spoke from the perspective of an adult woman who had lived under different circumstances, which caused tension with her family. This adult-like perspective, combined with her assertion that she belonged to a different family, caused significant distress for both her and her relatives.

 

At the age of six, Shanti Devi had an argument with the twin sons of her neighbor, a prestigious lawyer named Tara Chand Mathur. The boys mocked her for inaccuracies in a drawing she was making of a temple. Shanti defended herself by saying it wasn’t the local temple they knew but one in "Muttra" (Mathura). Curious about the distance, she asked a passerby, who informed her that Mathura was about a day's journey by carriage or two days on foot.

 

Undeterred by the distance, Shanti packed a small suitcase and attempted to set off for Mathura. Tara Chand Mathur intervened and brought her home. During this, she mentioned that her husband was wealthy, owned several houses, and that she had danced for him wearing ankle bracelets, which she called "chureys." Tara Chand, recognizing that "chureys" was a term specific to Mathura, began to suspect that Shanti might be recalling memories from a past life.

 

First Contacts with Prior Family:

The headmaster of Shanti Devi's school, Lala Chand, shared the belief that she might be recalling memories of a past life. He persuaded her to provide the name and address of the husband she spoke about: Kedar Nath Chaubey of 9 Chaubey Street in Mathura. Lala Chand wrote to Kedar Nath, and eventually received a response. Shortly after, Kedar Nath's cousin, Kanji Mal Chaubey, visited Shanti. Upon seeing him, Shanti immediately recognized him as her past-life husband's cousin and began recounting many accurate details about both his life and hers.

 

Convinced of her claims, Kanji Mal arranged for Kedar Nath to meet her. To test her authenticity, Kedar Nath pretended to be his brother, Babu Ram Chaubey, and asked Shanti for information that only he and his late wife, Lugdi, would know. He also brought along Lugdi's son, Naunita Lal. Various efforts were made to mislead Shanti Devi.

 

Shanti was not fooled by the deception. She correctly identified Kedar Nath, pointing out his moustache and facial birthmark, which she had previously described to her parents. She also recognized Naunita Lal and, in a deeply emotional moment, embraced him, saying her soul recognized his. This moment was especially moving, as Shanti cried in a way she had never cried before, further solidifying her claims of being Lugdi in a past life.

 

Shanti Devi remembered a hidden sum of 150 rupees from her past life as Lugdi Chaubey and asked Kedar Nath if he had followed her request to sacrifice the money to Krishna. She also inquired if he had kept his promise, made on her deathbed, not to remarry—neither of which he had done. Additionally, she asked her mother to prepare two dishes that were Kedar Nath's favorites and mentioned a well in the courtyard of her former home where she had bathed.

 

Despite these accurate details, Kedar Nath still harbored doubts. Shanti then asked her parents to leave the room and privately revealed some information to Kedar Nath. Two versions of this exchange exist: the first is that she told him she knew of his infidelity, having witnessed shared glances between him and a nurse, and later caught them in a compromising situation. The second version is that she recalled the positions and methods they had used to procreate despite her suffering from arthritis, describing intimate details from their sexual life.

 

After hearing this, Kedar Nath was convinced of her authenticity. Shanti forgave him and pleaded with him to take her to Mathura, but her parents refused to allow it.

 

Official First Investigation:

The case of Shanti Devi drew the attention of Mahatma Gandhi, who visited her home and invited her to his ashram. He then appointed a ‘Committee of Inquiry’ consisting of fifteen distinguished individuals, including national political leaders, congressional members, notable lawyers (one of whom was Tara Chand Mathur), journalists, businesspeople, and government officials, all known for their impeccable character.

 

On 24 November 1935, at the age of nine, Shanti Devi realized her dream of returning to Mathura, accompanied by her parents and members of the committee. As their train approached Mathura, she expressed joy and remarked that the doors of the Dvarkadish Temple would soon be closed, using a phrase typical in Mathura, “Mandir ke pat band ho jayenge.”

 

Upon arriving at the platform, Shanti Devi encountered an older man dressed in traditional Mathura attire, whom she had never met before. Without hesitation, she came down from Mr. Gupta’s lap, touched the man’s feet with deep respect, and indicated to L Deshbandhu that the man was her ‘Jeth’ (the older brother of her husband). This spontaneous and natural reaction stunned everyone. The man was identified as Babu Ram Chaubey, the elder brother of Kedar Nath Chaubey, further confirming Shanti Devi's claims.

 

During her visit to Mathura, Shanti Devi was asked to lead the way to the places from her past life. She guided the horse-drawn carriage to Lugdi's former home, correctly identifying landmarks along the way and noting changes that had occurred since Lugdi's death. Once they reached the house where Lugdi had lived after her marriage, Shanti recognized Lugdi’s father-in-law and even recalled specific words he had once said to Lugdi.

 

There was one apparent discrepancy—Shanti insisted the house had been yellow, but it was now white. However, the current occupant confirmed that the house had originally been yellow and had been repainted. Inside, Shanti accurately described the previous layout of the furniture and correctly identified Lugdi and Kedar Nath's bedroom. She also demonstrated knowledge of Mathura's dialect by understanding words such as "jai-zarur" (commode) and "katora" (a type of pancake).

 

The group then proceeded to another house where Lugdi had lived before her death. There, Shanti ran up to a young man who turned out to be Lugdi’s brother. After questioning her, he became convinced that she had indeed been Lugdi in a past life. Inside this house, Shanti appeared familiar with the layout, expressing disappointment when she found her old worship room being used for storage and her clothes missing. She was handed a jewelry box, and she accurately distinguished between items that had belonged to Lugdi and those belonging to Kedar Nath's current wife. In the courtyard, Shanti was confused to find only stones where she remembered a well being, but when the stones were removed, the well—now almost dry—was revealed.

 

When asked about the 150 rupees she claimed to have hidden, Shanti led the group to her former room and pointed to a spot on the floor. Upon digging, an old-fashioned underground storage container ("galla") was found, but no money. It was later learned that Kedar Nath had retrieved the money after Lugdi's death.

 

Shanti also stopped the carriage at another house where Lugdi’s family had lived during her childhood. There, she initially mistook Lugdi’s aunt for her mother but soon recognized both her and Lugdi’s father. She shared specific memories with them, including promises that had not been kept, convincing them she was Lugdi.

 

Finally, Shanti was taken to the Dwarkadhish temple and other places she had previously mentioned, where most of her statements were verified. The Committee of Inquiry published its findings in a 26-page booklet in 1936, concluding that Shanti Devi was indeed the reincarnation of Lugdi. The report also included an account by Kedar Nath’s cousin, Kanji Mal Chaubey, detailing his first meeting with Shanti.

 

Other Investigations:

The report on Shanti Devi's case generated widespread interest both in India and internationally. On 2 April 1936, she returned to Mathura at the request of writer Nihal Singh, who took her to additional locations she had known, which were not part of the Committee's initial visit. During this trip, most of her memories were again found to be accurate.

 

Sushil Chandra Bose conducted interviews with Shanti Devi and her father in Delhi, and with Kedar Nath Chaubey in Mathura. He later published these transcripts in a 1952 monograph. Bose was particularly interested in Shanti Devi's "intermission memories," referring to what she remembered between her death as Lugdi and her birth as Shanti.

 

Ian Stevenson, a notable researcher in reincarnation, also investigated the case. In a 1960 paper, Stevenson noted that Shanti Devi made at least 24 statements about her memories that were confirmed to be accurate.

 

Indian reincarnation researcher KS Rawat first met Shanti Devi in 1986 and conducted interviews with her younger brother Virash Narain Mathur, Kedar Nath’s close friend Ramnath Chaubey, and other relatives of Lugdi. Rawat's findings have been published in multiple works. He also appears in a video that includes interviews with Lugdi’s son, brother, and sister, who share further details about what Shanti Devi had remembered.

 

Intermission Life Memories:

In a 2005 paper titled "The Life Beyond," researchers KS Rawat and Titus Rivas presented transcribed excerpts from five interviews with Shanti Devi, focusing on her intermission memories—those from the time between her death as Lugdi and her rebirth as Shanti. These interviews were conducted by various individuals between 1936 and 1987, including Bal Chand Nahata, hypnotist Jagdish Mitra, Sushil Chand Bose, and later researchers Rawat, Ian Stevenson, and Satwant Pasricha. Also, the interview on October 30, 1987, by researcher Rawat was recorded on a videocassette.

 

The time between Lugdi Devi's death in Agra and Shanti Devi's birth is Delhi was one year, two months and seven days. (1 year, 2 months, and 7 days.)

 

Shanti Devi's intermission life memories shared consistent elements across these interviews; some are mentioned below:

 

-At the time of her death, she was doing a meditation concentrating on a mantra.

-Gradually everything became dark.

-Then, after some time, a bright light appeared.

-She felt no pain at the time of death.

-Coming out of the physical human body in vaporous form or a vaporous body.

-She saw the arrival of three or four young-looking people wearing yellow robes.

-She was put in a square or rectangular vessel or vehicle.

-She went up and up.

-She went with them till the third plane. To the fourth she went alone.

-She felt her body is heavy due to the high desire for human life.

-She saw beings with blazing light. (She used the term "light beings.")

-Seeing an extremely beautiful garden on the way up.

-Coming across a beautiful pure river.

-Beings with blazing body light auras disappeared, and new ones similar to them appeared again and again.

-There was a silver color light.

-Silver color light was in constant motion.

-It was all full of light. It was all day and light, very mild, and smoothing and enlivening light.

-Passing through three planes, ultimately being taken to the fourth. (She traveled through three planes before reaching a fourth.)

-She saw highly advanced living beings.

-Absence of any sense of time. (She had no feeling of time.)

-She felt like all living beings are connected by someway.

-Presence of Saints (holy men, ascetics, spiritual men) on all four planes. (She saw saints on all four planes.)

-Saints had white color beards.

-Meeting a certain bright, godly entity (divine, deva, celestial) on the fourth plane.

-Reading of a review of her actions performed in earthly life by this (previously mentioned) Godly entity.

-There was a very bright staircase made of gold and silver.

-Divine beings in the fourth plane were more advanced and brighter than other three planes.

-Divine beings were like flames in lamps blazing with light.

-The environment was divine.

-She thought about her son and wanted to see him.

-She thought of being Kedar Nath's wife again.

-She remembered the yellow house. She remembered her past experiences on Earth.

-She was drawn into the womb.

-When she came into the womb, the light disappeared.

-In the womb, she was blind and deaf.

 

Other information:

Shanti Devi continued her schooling but decided not to marry, adhering to the Hindu custom that widows should not remarry. By the age of 21, she experienced a dark period, possibly triggered by inquiries from investigators about her intermission memories. During this time, she had frequent dreams about Lugdi’s death and was often heard crying at night.

 

Unlike most cases where past-life memories fade around age five and disappear by the teenage years, Shanti Devi's memories persisted into adulthood. This unique situation led her to live with the experience of two lives simultaneously. With maturity and time, she came to understand that she was recalling two distinct periods of her multi-life existence.

 

In conversations with Swedish author Sture Lönnerstrand, Shanti Devi said that her overwhelming desire to cling to human life was the reason for her rebirth. She said, “I was not empty enough … I had so many desires and yearnings … I wanted to come back to Earth … If I hadn’t longed so desperately to come back, I would not have needed to incarnate again (on earth), but would have been reunited with God, Brahma and eternal life.” (She personally believed that Heaven worlds or Brahma worlds are eternal worlds, which is a wrong view.)

 

In many interviews, she said, "I made a mistake." She also explained, "I was not empty enough of desires to live in those divine environments. And I lacked sufficient spiritual karmas to remain in heaven."

 

Also, she described her death as a more gradual process than what observers had perceived. Shanti Devi recounted witnessing her own funeral as a tiny, discarnate speck, experiencing a state without time or space but feeling that all existence and her multiple lives were contained within her. She later felt herself "wedged in between something," which she realized was her present mother's womb.

 

In her adult life, Shanti Devi devoted herself to teaching Hindu religion and philosophy, sharing her experiences and advocating for the concept of reincarnation. She passed away at the age of 61 on 27 December 1987, just four days after being interviewed by Indian researcher KS Rawat. This scientific evidence suggests that consciousness can survive death and be reborn, as taught by the Buddha.

 

The following sources and books contain full scientific research information about this specific reincarnation case:

-'I Have Lived Before: The True Story of the Reincarnation of Shanti Devi' by S. Lönnerstrand (1998), originally published in Swedish as 'Shanti Devi, en berättelse om reinkarnation' (1994) and later digitized by the Internet Archive (2017)

-'The evidence of survival from claimed memories of former incarnations' by I. Stevenson (1960), a journal article that examines Shanti Devi's case and other reincarnation experiences

-'An Inquiry in the Case of Shanti Devi' by L.D. Gupta, N.R. Sharma, and T.C. Mathur (1936), an early account of the case written shortly after the investigation

-'A Case of Reincarnation' by S.C. Bose (1952), another account of Shanti Devi's case written by one of the investigators

-'The life beyond: Through the eyes of children who claim to remember previous lives' by K.S. Rawat and T. Rivas (2005), a journal article that explores the phenomenon of children claiming to remember past lives.