European Cases of the Reincarnation Type

Many cultures accept that a person may die and then come back to life in another form, but Westerners have traditionally rejected the idea. Recently, however, surveys conducted in Europe indicate a substantial increase in the number of Europeans who believe in reincarnation, and numerous claims of reincarnation have been reported. This book examines particular cases in Europe that are suggestive of reincarnation. The first section provides a brief history of the belief in reincarnation among Europeans. The second section considers eight cases from the first third of the twentieth century that were not independently investigated, but were reported and sometimes published by the persons concerned. The third section covers 32 cases from the second half of the twentieth century that were investigated by the author. Many of these cases involved either children who exhibited unusual behavior attributed to a previous life, or adults who experienced recurrent or vivid dreams attributed to a previous life. In the fourth section, the author compares European cases suggestive of reincarnation with those of other countries and cultures.

The late Ian Stevenson, M.D., was a research professor of psychiatry at the University of Virginia. He lived in Charlottesville.

Ian Stevenson, M.D.

Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 278
Bibliographic Info: 16 photos, appendix, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2009 [2003]
pISBN: 978-0-7864-4249-2
eISBN: 978-1-4766-0115-1
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments     v

Preface     1

Notes for the Guidance of Readers      3

Part I. European Beliefs About Reincarnation     5

Part II. Uninvestigated Cases from the First Third of the 20th Century     13

Part III. Investigated Cases from the Second Half of the 20th Century     49

Part IV: General Discussion     249

Appendix     255

Bibliography     259

Index     267

• “An important book…compelling…recommend[ed] very strongly…an important development in the ongoing discussion and research on the nature of human nature”—Journal of Scientific Exploration
• “Fascinating reading”—Journal of the Society for Psychical Research