Roy Stemman - The Big Book of Reincarnation: Examining the Evidence that We Have All Lived Before

Copyright 2012

by Roy Stemman

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this work in any form whatsoever, without permission in writing from the publisher, except for brief passages in connection with a review.

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2011941641

ISBN: 978-0-9818771-6-7

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This book is dedicated to the memory of Ian Stevenson, MD, whose pioneering work in reincarnation research features prominently in its pages

What this book sets out to do is answer two questions that every thoughtful individual will have asked themselves at some time in their life: do we live after we die, and if so, will we be reborn on earth? As you will soon discover, there is a huge body of evidence that has been accumulated over the past fifty years that suggests very strongly that life does continue beyond death, and that, in some instances at least, individuals have been reborn with memories of their previous earthly existence.

That simple statement has enormous implications, which, if accepted, would have an impact not only on most religious beliefs but also on a wide range of social issues, such as abortion and euthanasia. It also raises fundamental questions about the very nature of our consciousness and the possibility of a spiritual dimension interacting with the world in which we live.

Those who actively explore this fascinating subject can be divided into two groups, reflecting very different sources of past-life memories:

First are the scientists who investigate reports of children who begin talking about a previous life at a very early age. I refer to such cases as spontaneous because they arise naturally, without prompting or searching. Often these youngsters are able to provide names of people, places, and significant events in that former life. However, those memories usually fade after a few years, and so the handful of researchers specializing in this research need to learn of them as quickly as possible. They need to get to the children while they can give more information and their family members and others can provide eye-witness reports about what has already been said and what investigations have taken place. Gathering quality data in such circumstances, where long distances have to be travelled and lengthy translations made, can be extremely challenging, so I have the utmost respect for those who undertake this research. As well as meeting the leading researchers within this book, you will find their full details in appendix 1, where I provide not only their academic credentials but also comments on some of their findings.

Second are those individuals who use techniques that enable adults to explore their subconscious in the hope that they can go back in time to a former life. Most use hypnosis to induce this state of mind, though there are other methods. The vast majority of these individuals are therapists, though a few are simply interested in looking for evidence of reincarnation. Past-life regressionist is the most appropriate term to apply to those using such skills for either purpose. Again, you will find references to a number of past-life regressionists and therapists throughout the book, but I also include a list of a number of leading figures in this field in appendix 2.

I should observe at this point that the scientists studying reincarnation are generally skeptical of regressionists' results, arguing that the mind has a fantastic ability to invent and fabricate apparently credible stories. That's an area that I cover in some depth, along with an examination of alternative explanations for claims of reincarnation.

Last, I must assure you that it is not my purpose to convince you that reincarnation occurs for all of us. I don't know whether that is the case. I am satisfied, however, that some of the cases I cite are sufficiently evidential to conclude that reincarnation is by far the best explanation to accommodate all the known facts. What I have set out to do is to share the wealth of information about reincarnation that is available, presenting it in a way that is easy to comprehend, exploring in the process the questions and issues that are likely to be uppermost in readers' minds.

If even one of the cases discussed convinces you that it provides acceptable evidence of reincarnation, that realization could give you a whole new perspective on lifeand deathin which case, your soul's journey is about to take you on an exciting new path of discovery.

Roy Stemman
June 2011

Belief in reincarnation is far more deeply entrenched in Western civilization than some orthodox religions might care to acknowledge. Dismissed by many as a New Age fad that will fade with time, its popularity nevertheless suggests that in matters relating to religion and spirituality, growing numbers of people are prepared to mix and match the beliefs and teachings that most appeal to them, regardless of the dictates of the religions to which they profess allegiance or in whose churches they worship.

In 2003, the National Study of Youth and Religion, Wave 1, survey in the United States revealed that virtually half of the 3,290 English- and Spanish-speaking teenagers, ages thirteen to seventeen, and those parents who participated either definitely believed in reincarnation (453 = 13.4%) or thought it was possible (1,210 = 35.9%), compared with an almost equal number who did not believe (49.4%), with just a little over 1% not having an opinion.

Six years later, a poll by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion and Public Life (published December 2009) Christians say they believe in reincarnationthat people will be reborn in this world again and again. It breaks those figures down further: roughly 10 percent of white evangelicals believe in reincarnation, compared with 24 percent among mainline Protestants, 25 percent among both white Catholics and those unaffiliated with any religion, and 29 percent among black Protestants. The title of the Pew Forum reportMany Americans Mix Multiple Faithssays it all, and its summary points out that many blend Christianity with Eastern or New Age beliefs such as reincarnation, astrology, and the presence of spiritual energy in physical objects. It reports... sizeable minorities of all major US religious groups say they have experienced supernatural phenomena, such as being in touch with the dead or with ghosts.

We already know that at least half of the world's population, as followers of the teachings of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and various other Eastern religions, accepts reincarnation. Now, it seems, a quarter of the rest of the global familyassuming the American statistics are mirrored in other Western countriesmay also share that view.

How have we come so far? Indeed, have we gone too far? There will certainly be those who recoil in disbelief at the muddle-headedness of such large numbers of people refusing to be confined to the teachings of their churches or the guidance of religious leaders on the subject of reincarnation. Perhaps this rebellion is because belief in the existence of a soul that can return to earth to experience many lives has been around for far longer than most of the major religions. So, let us start this exploration of a subject that clearly fascinates or is relevant to billions of people by examining reincarnation from a historical perspective.