I want to hear about your own child’s story!
Dear Readers,
I was initially reluctant to write a book about our experience with our son James, because I didn’t want to put him in the public spotlight and subject him to the inevitable negativity which most certainly surrounds such a topic. After thinking about it, however, I realized that what I most wanted was to find other parents who had lived through the same experiences with their own children. After our initial public ventures and reading Carol Bowman’s book, Children’s Past Lives, I realized that this was not a unique event, and wanted to find out more. I think if more parents can learn to approach their children the way Bruce and I did, we could learn more about not just the phenomenon itself, but about the eternal life of our spirits. I would love for you to share your own story with us, whether or not you’ve ever had the courage to put it down on paper or not. We are all together in this remarkable journey.
In Faith, Dre
The Soul Survivor Blog 
June 11, 2009 at 12:54 pm |
Dear Dre,
I saw your appearance of FOX News, which led me to your website. It was a chilling reminder of what I experienced with my son Nicholas, who is now 28.
When he was approximately 2 – 3 years old, he started having nightmares. I would run to his bed in the middle of the night to comfort him, and ask what was going on. He would say things such as “The plane is hit.” “It’s on fire.” “I’m going down.”
Nick developed a fascination with planes and tanks. He soon started drawing, depicting World War II era tanks and planes with amazing accuracy and detail. His pictures always included airplanes that were hit. Furthermore, the fighterplanes he drew, which were hit, carried German insignia. He also drew planes with British insignia shooting at them.
When Nicholas was in Kindergarten, his teacher took the class to the small local airport, where her friend owned a small plane. The teacher called me at home to talk to me. She was a bit disturbed and puzzled, and asked me where Nicholas had acquired his knowledge about airplanes. She told me that he had sat in the cockpit of the airplane and talked to the pilot, pointing out things and instruments saying what they were for. He also engaged the pilot in a conversation and asked questions which were quite unusual for a child his age. The both of them were amazed witnessing my son’s behavior.
By that time, I was already convinced that my son had been alive during World War II, and most likely had been a German fighter pilot.
Eventually, the dreams got scarcer, but the drawings continued, so did Nick’s fascination with World War II Germany. He collects German Military memorabilia to this day, and has an unusual connection to this time period.
Interesting to mention might be that our ancestors on my side are German.
Looking back, I wish I had tried harder to get more information from my son. I wonder if hypnosis could still access the memories.
Thank you for listening to your son, and for writing this book.
I would love to hear from you.
Regards,
Nina Maier
Ph.: 910-436-5525
June 14, 2009 at 1:59 am |
Nina,
Thanks for your feedback. Your information is compelling. We’ll spend more time speaking with you once things settle down.
Bruce
March 7, 2015 at 8:02 am |
I’ve written a similar reply lower on this page, but wanted to tell you that I as well, am sucked into the same fate.
My family background is mainly Italian/French/Irish, yet my past life is strongly connected to Germany and WW2. I’ve discovered a lot about who I was then, and am not afraid of it anymore. I collect memorabilia, some of the re-creations, and just about anything elset that reminds me of my past.
I wish I could afford hypnosis, as I wonder at times as well, if it would be sucsessful or not at resurfacing more info.
I’ve made contact with what few family members I can find who knew my past self, but you can guess their reactions. I wish it didn’t have to be this way, as hardly anyone has info on him, and the few that do.. Think I’m crazy.
– Krystal
June 11, 2009 at 2:57 pm |
My sister had experiences like this when she was a child. She will not speak of it today, refuses to allow any of us to speak of it, and she has no memory of it whatsoever. My sister was late to talk, but when she began talking it was in complete and emotional sentences. One moment she would be fine, playing with her toys, and the next she would become hysterical with either despair or grief, weeping and sobbing. At first she would tell us stories about her husband, Josen, being gone for a very long time. She expressed fear he would not return. Mom asked her where Josen was and she said he went off to fight the Crusades. The way she spoke was as if she were a grown woman. Then she started telling stories about the townspeople coming to get her and she was afraid. He husband was gone and she was alone. She had three shaggy dogs, but the townspeople had already killed them, and she was extremely distraught over losing her dogs. She said the townspeople called her a witch and was afraid they wanted to burn her. Again, she spoke as an adult, crying hysterically and grieving for her dogs. It was as if she were reliving a moment in someone else’s life. She was about 3 when this all started. It lasted for several months, maybe a year. We would do our best to console her. It was hard watching my little sister cry so hard and experience so much anguish about things that had never been part of the dialog in our house. I wish I could remember more detail. I am a Christian. I haven’t yet reconciled what happened to my sister with my faith, but I will not deny it either. It happened and it had a profound and lifelong affect on me.
October 5, 2009 at 2:11 am |
Christina,
This response is way overdue. The fact that the experience of your sister had a profound affect on you is part of your journey.
My journey of reconciling what I heard my son say and my faith is still happening. But I am past the issue of whether or not reincarnation happens. It does happen – I just do not know where it fits in the journey. I believe we will be judged once – but God gives us choices and deepending upon them we will finally be subject to God’s Judgement.
Bruce
June 11, 2009 at 5:59 pm |
I am not a parent but I thought I would share briefly the reason I was so intrigued by your sons story as I watched it on the Fox News website.
When I was a small child (aprox. ages 3-10), I had a recurring nightmare many times. I would awaken in a cold sweat screaming and thrashing about, many times waking up the entire household. I would dream that I was on a large ship, it appeared to be military ship of some kind, that was sinking and that I ended up in the ocean, fighting to stay afloat but eventually could hold on no longer and began to go under the water and subsequently drowned. It was very vivid, very real, and, at the time I recalled very minute details of what had happened to me. I could see myself as a young man around the age of 20-25, even though I myself was just a child. I still identified myself in the dream as being the young man who was drowning. I have since forgotten a lot of the dream that I repeatedly communicated to my family, all of whom thought I was simply having another nightmare. Somehow, I knew then and know now that it was more than that. I was recalling my death in a former life. I recall thinking while dreaming “Please make it stop! I don’t want to relive this!” One detail that I have never forgotten is how cold the water was, especially (pardon me being so graphic) as I swallowed it and it went into my lungs, very cold and painful, but only briefly. It is well worth noting that, as a child (and still to a certain degree today), I was deathly afraid of water for as far back as I can remember. I still cannot go into water over my head today, even though I can swim.
Most people who have known me for a long time (particularly my family) can attest to the fact that I have always had a vivid memory of my childhood, able to remember details that most others would have long forgotten. I don’t know why I have this ability, but it has faded somewhat as I have gotten older (I am now 53). I still have “flashbacks” from time to time of what I can only describe as a previous life, memories for which I cannot associate with my current existance. I also am a Christian and have had to struggle with reincarnation but have resolved within myself that it most likely is real and probably all part of God’s great plan for us all. One final note, I used to live in Dallas myself (back in the 80s) and still have friends from there and Plano. Nice place to live, but I got homesick for NC (my home state) and moved back and still reside there today. I have just purchased your book and plan to read it this weekend. Thanks for sharing your story. It kind of makes me feel that what I went through as a child was real, just as I had always felt it was.
October 5, 2009 at 2:14 am |
Rick,
Have you ever sat down and documented what you remember. Doing so may give you an opportunity to focus on those memories.
Your journey is still ahead.
Bruce
June 14, 2009 at 3:53 am |
In 6th grade Sunday School we read in the Bible that Jesus and his disciples were going to a town, and on the side of the road was a blind man begging. A disciple asked Jesus “was this man born blind because of his sins, or the sins of his father?” I immediately understood that Jesus must have taught his disciples that we live, die and are reborn, in order for such a question to be asked, and I asked the teacher about this and when we’d learn about that. The pastor who’d been listening in walked away muttering “out of the mouths of babes”.
Much later in my life, in my 20’s in the Air Force Security Service, I met a woman who I’ve been lovers with over many life times. We did not stay together this time around, but the past few times I’d been killed before we were able to share our love for each other.
The last lifetime was in Nazi occupied France, we were spies moving agents under the German’s noses as wounded. She was a nun/nurse in a field hospital. I had been found out and went to see her to ask if she’d come with me. She declined and as I was running away from a troop carrier that pulled up, was fatally shot.
The time before I was a Confederate spy, we were betrothed when I went off to war, but was shot while scouting out enemy positions.
There’s a pattern to our involvement with the country in which we lived and with each other. This time we were aware of the patterns and chose to end the cycle and cancel the debt that kept us coming back together.
Thanks for sharing your story, it helps me to be less afraid to share my experience. If we all speak up, maybe we’ll all learn and grow faster.
October 5, 2009 at 2:16 am |
Steve,
I am glad our book gave you the impetus to share your story. As we share more we will certainly learn more abbout what happens.
WE had no idea this book would have such an impact on people in many countries.
Thanks for sharing.
Bruce Leininger
June 15, 2009 at 7:10 pm |
First I want to commend you for your efforts and for listening to your son. When my son was around 2-3 years old he used to say, “When I was big…” I would always cut him off in mid-sentence and explain to him that he started out as a tiny baby in my tummy and that he has never been big, but will be big some day. I was raised Christian and was never exposed to the idea of reincarnation. I just returned from the Celebrate Your Life Conference in Chicago where I listened to expert Dr. Brian Weiss talk on the subject. He told us that the early Christians did believe in reincarnation and so did Jesus. All Jewish people believed in it up until around 150 years ago. Some still do. Most of the great religions around the world teach it. What happened to Christianity was those in power in the 300’s had it removed from the teachings. They did it for control. From my research on past lives and near death experiences, signs seem to point to the idea of going to Heaven where you will have your life review and be given the choice to return to Earth, stay in Heaven, or go to another realm. This, both Heaven and reincarnation exist. My near death experience research also supports your son’s claim that his soul chose his parents before his soul entered the body of your son. There seems to be an new evolution in Christianity happening in our time. The second coming of Christ is our new awareness of the Christ within all of us. Your story is part of that evolutionary process. Thanks for sharing. By the way, I learned of your story on a Friday night, felt compelled to buy the book on Sunday and read it by Monday. My spirit is pumped! I have had several past life dreams where I saw things and heard words that I didn’t know existed at the time of the dreams. If you like, I’ll share them with you.
Namaste,
Gina
June 23, 2009 at 11:10 am |
Gina, I had to make a comment about your posting. When my son was around 2-3, he used to say the same thing. “When I was big…” Contrary to your experience, I would never cut him off but would encourage him to continue. He told me that his name was John, he lived in a big house and had horses. I would just let him talk and ask him questions. He always answered in a matter-of-fact manner and I always knew he was speaking about a past life. Eventually “John” became his imaginary playmate who stuck around for many years. I wish I had recorded the details, but in any case I thought you might like to know of this similar story.
p.s. my son’s name is Ian, which is a form of the name John.
June 23, 2009 at 6:44 pm
Vicky, It was interesting to me that your son later had an imaginary friend with the same name as his past-life name. I have never thought of this before you mentioned it. My son’s imaginary friend was also named James, he occasionally called him Jim, but James was his past-life name in his WWII pilot life . Now I understand better why my son Austin would tell me that his friend James looked just like him, Thank you for that input.
October 5, 2009 at 2:20 am |
Gina,
We would certainly like to hear more from you. Life is slowly returning to normal so I am able to take some time to answer each of you.
I am expseically intrreasted in the Jewish faith and how that belief system views this phenomena.
Bruce Leininger
June 17, 2009 at 7:12 am |
Folks
Your feedback and sharing your thoughts is deeply appreciated. Andrea and i have always believed that the phenomena is not rare but more frequent an occurrance than we surmise.
Thanks once again for sharing your opinion and experiences.
June 24, 2009 at 6:04 am |
Hello.
Great interview on c2c. Amazing story, outstanding parents and a brave little boy.
You have most likley seen this article…….The 16th day at Iwo Jima, 3 Mar. 1945, was eventful. It opened with a strike on a reported concentration of large enemy transports at Chichi Jima. Eight FM-2′ s from this squadron participated in the attack. They made three attacks; on the first firing rockets at the shipping and on the second and third attacking AA positions to protect the torpedo bombers which were following. The shipping was identified as one medium transport vessel and small FTC class freighters. Damage was observed. On the first attack as the fighters were retiring toward the entrance to Futami Harbor, The FM-2 piloted by Lt.(jg) Huston was apparently hit by AA fire. The plane went into a 45° dive and crashed into the water just inside the harbor. It exploded on impact and there was no survivor or wreckage afloat.He was one of the squadron’s better pilots. He was quiet and unassuming, always alert and his keen eyes tally-hoed everything within sight. He was always the first to sight aircraft and shipping; he tally-hoed the only submarine sighted by the squadron. He was credited with the destruction of four airborne enemy aircraft.
Regards,
Jerry
June 24, 2009 at 4:37 pm
Jerry,
Thank you very much for your post. And yes, I have seen the above! As a matter of fact, my husband is the one who posted it originally on the Chichi Jima website in hopes of finding an eye witness to the crash of James M. Huston’s plane. The report comes from the aircraft action report that was written by the squadron leader of VC-81 after they returned to Natoma Bay from the mission in which Huston was killed. It is also included in our book, which I think you’ll enjoy since it includes lots of similar documentation. Thanks again!
Dre
June 18, 2009 at 9:50 pm |
James’ experience as a WWII pilot is bringing back many memories for me of my own son who is now 22. My youngest son, who at the time was 4 years old, and I were at a private airport one night waiting for my husband’s plane to land. All of a sudden my son said he was scared, “they” were coming to get him and hurt him. When I asked him for further clarification he said his plane crashed and they came and got him and then he made the jesture of someone slitting his throat. I knew then what I was dealing with. He used to tell my husband and me of flying a plane with a stick. He did not like the “looks” of Asians and I could never figure out why. I wish I had asked him more questions but at this time he was also “visiting” often with my dad whose plane he was flying was hijacked and crashed in 1964. This story (with “the airplane man”) took most of my attention for several years. When he got into high school his anger grew to a point that he agreed to have himself regressed by a professional recommended by the Brian Weiss foundation. His WWII life came out. His name was also James, James Patrick or JP. He flew the Hellcat. In a dog fight with the Japanese it was hit in the rear and crashed in Okanawa where he was taken prisoner, tortured and his throat slit. He was able to give me his serial number, his plane’s number was 23, he died May 28, 1945. The details he remembered were incredible. He does not remember telling me his story when he was 4 years old or of other times that he mentioned his life as a pilot. Being regressed though has brought all of it to the conscious level in great detail. Occasionally he mentions this life (and several others) casually as though he is recalling a memory from the 4th grade. As he will tell you, it’s one thing to believe in reincarnation, it’s quite another to experience it. Thank you for all your work and effort it took to tell your story. Your son is a remarkable young man. Both our boys flew in the same war and fought in the same theater and now they’re back. I pray that this time their lives are filled with peace.
Sincerely,
Anita
October 5, 2009 at 2:23 am |
Anita,
Your story is incredible. Have you ever been able to verify the name James Patrick as a pilot?
Bruce Leininger
January 13, 2011 at 2:08 pm
Hi Bruce,
I’m replying to this message because I want to ask you a question regarding your research and can’t contact you directly. In your book you mention that the aviators from the Natoma Bay stated that Corsairs didn’t operate off of the Naty Maru. When you finally found eye witnesses (aviators from another carrier) to James Huston’s crash they confirmed James was indeed flying a Corsair. My question is this, if James was stationed on the Natoma Bay and died in a Corsair, from which carrier did he embark on his final mission? If I missed this bit of information in the book, I apologize.
Great book!
Thanks,
Dave
January 13, 2011 at 6:51 pm
Hi Dave,
Corsairs did not operate off the Natoma Bay, only FM-2 Wild Cats and TBM Avenger’s. James Huston was shot down in an FM-2. When our son James was little and we asked him what kind of plane he flew, he always said “a Corsair.” This was Bruce’s “Ace in the Hole” to debunk the reincarnation theory. It wasn’t until years later when I was able to locate Huston’s sister, Anne, that she sent us a bunch of photos which contained two in which Huston was standing with a Corsair. It turned out that just before coming on board Natoma Bay, Huston belonged to squadron VF-301, an elite group of pilots who were assembled to test fly the newly configured Corsair off of escort carriers. The Corsair was the Navy’s most powerful plane at the time, but due to certain design charcteristics it was almost impossible to fly from a carrier. VF-301 was put together to test the newly reconfigured plane so that it could be used for carrier use. While they were successful, the war ended before the Corsair could be put into use from carriers. In interviewing other pilots, Bruce found out that the pilots who had flown Corsairs and then ended up flying FM-2’s felt as if they’d been demoted, because the Corsair was the big hot plane at that time. It’s sort of like if you drove a Ferrari Testerosa and then your next car was a Honda Civic. Bruce thinks this is why James remembered the Corsair and not the FM-2, but we really have no idea why he remembered certain things and not others. I hope that clears things up!
Thanks,
Andrea
February 1, 2014 at 2:43 am |
Hi Anita- You have a wonderful story. I am a producer of the television show, “Ghost Inside My Child”, which is about children with real past life experiences. The Leininger’s were featured in our first episode. I would love to speak to you further about your son’s story. I would be more than happy to send you some links to our show so you can take a look if you haven’t seen it. If you are interested in sharing your story, please email me at mychildstory@yahoo.com
Many Blessings,
Sandra
June 20, 2009 at 6:56 pm |
The story I have to add is not as dramatic as your son’s or some of the other stories on this blog but I feel it’s worth mentioning. My daughter was around three years old when one day she began speaking to me in a very grown up way and said “I’m going to be a mommy again like I was before.” I asked her what do you mean like you were before? She said “I didn’t want to come here. I was sitting on the nice man’s lap and I said I didn’t want to be borned but he told me that if I did that I could be a mommy again if I wanted. and that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to be a mommy again like I was before.” I guess she’s got a clear mission for her life’s work and possibly a need to fulfill a wish from a past life. I can visualize her sitting on the lap of Jesus having just that conversation. She was, by the way, the only one of my three children to be born past her due date. My other two arrived one month and two weeks early, and her labor was the longest….she just wouldn’t descend through the birth canal. Fighting it all the way!
October 5, 2009 at 2:25 am |
Carroll,
Thanks for sharing. Has your daughter ever said more about her previous life?
Bruce Leininger
June 23, 2009 at 2:46 am |
I saw the account of your James some years ago and found it absolutely fascinating. I have an interesting episode I’d like to share about my youngest son Spencer.
From the moment he was born Spencer seemed “spaced out”….naturally you think what’s wrong with my baby?…the doctors said he was normal..but it was if he looked “through you” for the first 4 months of his life….like he wasn’t “here”–more in an in-between place–finally around 5 months he began to engage with us and giggle etc.
However it was around this time that he began to fiercely resist being laid on his back to have his diaper changed, or being strapped into the car seat. I know this doesn’t sound especially unusual, but stay with me–He would go completely OFF….he would writhe, fight, twist up his face, scream, generally go nuts. There were times I’d have to stop the car and remove him from his car seat. i thought he was going to burst a blood vessel.
Changing his diaper was a one-handed affair to hold him down with one hand while the other hand carried out the changing mechanics, as he fought like a madman to be released from this position.
Finally one day, when he was about 20 months old, I had laid him on the carpet, and began the by now standard diaper changing struggle while he winced and writhed, screaming and squirming—-when out of the clear blue and as clear as day, my baby who only spoke a few words, in little limited fragments, bellowed– “THE INDIANS! THEY BURN MY FINGERS!”
It was beyond odd. It was perfectly shouted out in full syntax. Not to mention ‘indians” were definitely not ‘in vogue’ with my teletubbie generation baby, I dont think we had ever mentioned ‘indians’ in story or word.
And ‘burn my fingers’? What is that? If Spencer HAD known anything about stereotypical indian tortures…one would have thought maybe, scalping?
But he was only 20 months old…how would this baby know anything about that, much less, how could he suddenly speak in this complete way?
Several months passed, Spencer’s speaking developed more and I wanted to see if I could find anything else out without ‘leading him’….I asked one day about 6 months later, “Spencer, do you know about indians”? He was playing on the floor, didn’t look up but just said “They have pointers of fire”.
That was the last bit of info I ever got out of him.
But here is where the story gets really good.
For 7 or 8 years I would casually type the phrase ‘indians burn fingers” into google.com to see if anything came up around that very specific phrase. It was such an oddball thing, id never heard anything like that with “indians”.
Finally about 4 years ago I hit paydirt. Google displayed a search hit on a historical site called ‘The Raid on Hatfield’ –link here:
http://www.bio.umass.edu/biology/conn.river/hatfield.html
It told of a Wamanoag Indian raid on english colonists in Hatfield Mass on September 19, 1677– with a first person account recorded by a survivor “John Stockwell”–( apparently indian raids –many historians feel the French put the indians up to raiding the English–were common in those times and in addition to slaughter and burning the colonist’ homes, the indians would also take some english captives and march them on foot to Canada for ransom…these true accounts were commonly known as “captivity stories” and were eagerly read by the public in the 19th century…amazing what you dig up when you’re researching!)
( a brief background)
SEPTEMBER 19, 1677 – Instead of the reassuring sounds of men coming home from the meadows for their mid-day meal, the air was filled with the blood-curdling sound of a war whoop. After a year of peace, the colonists along the Connecticut River had rebuilt their homes, replanted their fields,
But suddenly all the old horror returned as attackers swarmed around the dwellings outside the stockade, burning houses, killing people, and seizing captives. The smoke from burning houses and screams intermixed with gun shots alerted the men working in the outlying fields.
Even as they raced toward the village, the attackers were gone — carrying with them captives and whatever plunder they had scooped up. Twelve dead, four wounded, and seventeen captured –
Now the long trek to Canada began, 200 miles up the Connecticut River valley, across the mountains to Lake Champlain, and on to the Canadian border. These 21 captives, dressed only in summer clothing, were hurried along trails through unknown territory.
Each night they were secured by staking down their limbs and tying them up. Who had been captured? Four men, 3 women and 14 children ranging from 9 years to infancy. These people were the first English captives to make the arduous journey to Canada.
Here are some relevant excerpts from survivor John Stockwell’s journaled account:
“…we travailed up the River till night, and then took up our Lodgings in a dismal place, being laid on our Backs and staked down, in which posture we lay many nights together; the manner was, our arms and legs being stretched out, were staked fast down, and a Cord put about our necks, so that we could not possibly stir…”
“….And the Indians spoke of burning us; some were only for burning our fingers, and then biting them off…”
You can imagine how astonished I was. Of course “indians” had brought the wild west to my mind originally—but here, the details..being staked down, burning fingers…burning houses ( Spencer’s ‘pointers of fire’…flaming arrows?) in New England–the new world…all aligned.
I should add this footnote. Ive read a bit about ‘soulgroups’ reincarnating in proximity to one another-ie, your brother might be your son, your employer your spouse etc–because there are history/issues/karma? to work through.
It just so happens our family is directly descended from Myles Standish, captain of the Mayflower and the town of Duxbury Mass ( my older son’s middle name is Standish)–I think it is so interesting that Spencer’s apparent “past life” trauma was in Mass ( we live in the deep south) so that bit of real world lineage creates an extra dimension here.
Sorry for the length of this!
October 5, 2009 at 2:28 am |
Debbie,
No apology necessary. Your presistence paid off. The hairs on my arms and neck have finally relaxed. It appears you got some tangible answers. It is good that this happened and that you have shared it with us.
Bruce Leininger
June 23, 2009 at 8:43 am |
I am currently listening to your story on coast to coast am and could not just listen without sharing when I was young had a very vivid (nightmare)dream about being in a plane trying to takeoff and died and did not have a clue at the time what it meant but will never forget.Then a couple years ago I saw footage on the latest Pearl harbor movie of a plane being shot up by zero`s trying to take off.So it is obvious I am not a non believer and have only told a few people about it.I was born in 1956 and just this year was talking to my mother about it and she shared that my grandfather thought someone in his family had reincarnated also.I was to say the least astonished.I commend you on the great story and how you handled it and you are fantastic parents..I wish you the best and God bless you all……..
June 23, 2009 at 9:34 am |
I don’t recall what I’m about to say. It is what I was told by my mother and older brother. I was born in the USA in the late 40’s. As an infant to about age 3 I used to go into a panic at the sound of a B-17 or similar sounding aircraft. Mom said from the time I could crawl I would hide under beds or furniture if I heard multi-engined aircraft. I was told some of my first words were bomb and B-17. Keep in mind this occurred long before my family had a tv in the house. Mom said at age three I understood and could speak many words and phrases in French. French was never spoken in my home except by a visiting neighbor. Was I on the wrong side during WW2 in a previous life, perhaps from a European town bombed by the Allies, wish I knew.
June 23, 2009 at 10:40 am |
My son didn’t have memories of a past lfe but he remembered before he was born. Geoff was 4 years old and just started kindergarten at a small school for 4 and 5 year olds. I picked him up one day and he was so excited and he said “I saw Ryan today, I haven’t seen Ryan since before we were born!” I promised myself I would always try to remember what it was like to be a kid so I didn’t dismiss him. I said “Before y’all were born? Where were you before you were born?” He says “In space.” I still thought we were playing around and ask who else was was in space with him and Ryan. He told me ” Andee (his little sister), Lindsey (his cousin) and named several other kids he knew. I still thought they were playing “Space” at recess or something so I said “What did
y’all do in space? He said “We played and sometimes we watched y’all, but mostly we just waited to be born, I remember one time you left your moms house and Daddy left his moms houseand you met in the middle and y’alll walked together.” That got my full attention because it only happened one time almost a year before I even got pregnant with him. My husband (boyfriend at the time) worked second shift and had left his car at the dealership to have something fixed so we walked and met in the middle and walked together to have lunch at the Dairy Queen next to the car dealership where his car was. It only happened one time. I immediantly knew that was what he was talking about. I didn’t make a big deal about it and he talked about being in “space” a few more times. When he was 12 or 13 I asked him if he remembered any of it he said he didn’t. One day when my youngest daughter Courtney was about
3 1/2. I was watching something (maybe General Hospital) and a woman was having a baby, she came in and said “It hurts to be born.” I thought, wow I bet it does. Then she says “I remember when I was born, I was crying and crying, nobody could get me to stop not even you. Then this lady took me away from you and laid me down and put something in my eyes, then I got really mad and I was screaming. After that they put me with all these other babies and they were crying, I couldn’t get any rest till they brought me back to you.” I was asking her “then what happened” to see what all she remembered and she was right about everything (I don’t know how noisy the nursery was.) How would she even know babys get drops in there eyes. I would ask her to tell me about being born from time to time hoping she wouldn’t forget but one she told me she didn’t remember.
June 23, 2009 at 2:56 pm |
Your story brought up our own families experience. My eldest daughter, who is now 31, when she was about 4 or 5 years old, began having nightmares where she would be screaming in the middle of the night. We would try to wake her but she would not wake up, but was not asleep either. She seemed to be somewhere inbetween. We found the only way to get her to stop screaming was to either bring her outside in the winter cold or put her in a cold shower. She would then wake up and promptly go back to sleep. We could never get her to tell what had happened.
During the following years, she appeared to have much anger, with no apparent cause, which we could not figure out, as there were no events in our current life that could explain it. We began to seek help and approached a psychic who we felt might have the ability to tell what was happening. The woman psychic said, “Your daughter lived in a village, she was a young girl and the village was attacked by brigands. This girl was taken, raped and killed by these brigands. Since she did not survive this attack, she had no ability to express her anger in that life, so she is expressing her anger now, with no apparent cause. The only thing you can do is not react to the anger, and give her love, and eventually the anger will subside”. We did not tell her about the visit to the psychic.
About five years ago we were talking as a family about her nightmares, and she said, “Didn’t I ever tell you what the dreams were about?” We said “No”, and she said “I had this repeating dream, that I was a girl living in a village and the village was attacked by a group of men. Every time I had the dream, the dream would end in a different place, sometimes I would wake up with them attacking, sometimes, it would end with them taking me off. But it was a very scary dream.” She apparently never dreamed the ending of being killed, perhaps because it was too traumatic.
Anyway, I thought you might be interested in this story.
June 23, 2009 at 4:12 pm |
Bruce and Andrea, I wanted to add one more item.
I went to India many years ago, and there met a Catholic monk from Austrailia. I don’t rememger the order he was in. We were talking about reincarnation, and he told me the following for whatever it’s worth.
He said, “In my order, we were taught about reincarnation as a fact. The subject of reincarnation is not taught to the catholic people because it is considered by the church, to be too advanced a subject for the average person, so it is kept within the monastaries.” I was not brought up catholic, so I can’t tell whether what he told was correct, but I thought at least I would report what he said to me.
June 23, 2009 at 7:09 pm |
I was visiting my niece one time when she was 2-3. I was tired as I had been working 12+ hour days all week. She asked what was wrong and I said I was just tired because I had worked so much that week, and I had to work to pay the bills & buy toys, etc. She sighed very heavily and said “Yea, I know”. She said it with the voice of experience which made me smile and ask “how do you know?” To which she replied “from before.” I asked “From when before?” “From before when I was married,” was her reply. I had known reincarnation (more of knowledge than belief for me) for quite a while so I realized what had happened. I didn’t press it however, as her parents weren’t as open about it all as I. She is fascinated by that story to this day.
June 23, 2009 at 7:26 pm |
I am listening to the webcast of last night’s Coast To Coast AM. What a remarkable story.
Like you, I am a Christian. I even went to Seminary. There ahve always been questions in my mind that I have been researching. “The Church” doctrines will tell you that reincarnation can be thrown out with all the other “Occult Rubbish”. Sometimes, though, I think some knowledge is intentionally suppressed, and even villified, in order to keep us sheeples from asking too many questions, or waking up to a reality that does not match the “official” reality we are told is here.
At any rate, I am wonding if what my daughter told me falls in line with this topic.
There is much more than I am willing to relate here (Afterall , we hardly know each other). There is once incidence that I will relay. One day, I had come home from work and found my little girl sitting on the steps that lead upstairs. She was barely three and a half at the time.
She was quietly crying. I sat down next to her and asked her what was the matter. She told me that she really misses heaven. I tried to not overreact or do anything that front load her or scare her from continuing, so I asked her what did she like best about heaven. She said that she loved all the singing, that there is lots of singing in heaven, and the music is too pretty to hear with our ears. She said she also misses the angels. I asked her to describe them to me. She said that that is why she is crying because she could hardly remember what they look like, and the vision of them is fading from her eyes. She was grieving as if she were loosing someone she loved.
I asked her to tell me about her time with the angels. She said that they would let her fly with them.
That is not the first or only time she talked to me about the angels, heaven or the realm of God.
Another thing that got to me occurred around the same time. My wife and I were in the front seat of our car, cleaning, etc, getting ready for a long drive. I love classical music because I was raised on it, played classical piano, played French Horn for 25 years, etc.
I had NEVER talked about my past as a musician around Hannah, mostly because the topic never came up. But the radio was playing an Adagio by Betthoven, as played by Barry Tuckwell (Only the worlds best French Horn player).
Hannah looked at her mom and said, “Daddy plays the French Horn, too.”
We were floored. There is no way she could have known this.
Well, that is all I have. I just wanted to thank you for your interview, thank you for your courage, and thank you for admitting that there is more to heaven and earth than is met in our vain philosophy.
Yours,
David
June 23, 2009 at 7:37 pm |
Dear Bruce and Andrea;
I have no idea where this post is going, but only that I want to share some things with the two of you.
My experience with past lives (I won’t call it reincarnation because that word has a lot of religious and philosophical baggage attached to it) began about 23 years ago. I was in a session with a Dianetics auditor. Now, auditing is a process of remembering things from your past which disturb you and releasing the associated upset by talking about it with your “auditor”. The auditor is called an auditor and not a counsellor or what not because he or she is strictly required to listen and understand – but never to evaluate in any way or offer any opinion.
We were discussing a fall I had taken as a small child and the procedure being followed required my auditor to ask me if I had suffered an earlier and similar fall. Up until that moment in my life I had never had a brush with past life memories and had never even given the subject any thought. But as I tried to answer the auditor’s question I kept getting this persistent image of green area, a black area and a white line between them. I thought it might be a curb next to a road (asphalt, curb, grass, etc.) but that didn’t seem right.
All of the sudden I was overcome with the sensation of falling at great speed from very high up. The more I looked at it the more I realized I was looking straight down at the ground from a WWI vintage biplane and it was spinning out of control towards the ground. The auditor and I relived the experience of my crash and death several times and I felt much relief.
After the session I was practically bug-eyed with amazement. I simply did not “believe in” past lives, but I could not deny the power and impact of the memories I had just experienced. My auditor was very understanding and told me that in his experience practicing as a Dianetics auditor he had seen people “fall through” into a past life memory many times. He handed me some materials to read about the phenomena and sent me on my way.
That happened three days before Thanksgiving 1986. I spent Thanksgiving with my family and was still so electrified by the experience that I blurted it out to my sister my first night home. She and I were sitting up late talking, as we liked to do at family gatherings. What happened next really made the hair stand up on the back of my neck! Without skipping a beat she told me that she remembered that crash too, that she was a young girl and we were good friends. She was an invalid and I was very kind to her and used to come and visit and read books to her and stuff. We were cousins. Then one day I was killed while out flying my WWI surplus biplane. My mouth hit the floor I assure you! But she didn’t stop there.
She went on to tell me that my name was Tony in that life too, and that she was very angry with our Mom for naming me Tony this lifetime. She cried when my Mom brought me home from the hospital and told her she had named me Tony because my sister was just certain that would put me on the same path toward death in a plane crash again.
In fact, in 1985 (before I knew any of the above) I undertook pilot training and completed my private pilot’s license. The day I flew home from passing my FAA check ride for my license I vividly recall shutting the plane’s motor off and feeling a great sense of relief that I did not “have to” fly any more. I couldn’t account for it at the time but all during my pilot training I had been in hidden terror of dying in a crash. I had pushed myself through to passing out of sheer determination to prove to myself that I could do it. I never felt any love of flying at any point in my training. It was like I was trying to prove something. After that conversation with my sister I pretty much understood just what I had been trying to prove.
So that was my first encounter with past life memory. I had to engage in a formal process to recall it. Some recall these memories in their childhood like James. Some recall them as well as they recall what they had for breakfast yesterday – like my sister.
I would only offer one suggestion, and please forgive me if it offends. Contrary to what James believes (or has been told) past lives are not rare, they are indeed universal. I believe we are ALL ancient souls on a journey through almost countless lifetimes for reasons we are not aware of. So did Gautama Sidhartha Buddah, and he founded a whole new Religion in the hope of breaking the endless cycle of life and death. It’s not a new idea. It’s just not known much to us in the West.
James has clung to parts of his immediately previous life for some reason. He may recall even more later. But my suggestion is to continue to keep him grounded in who he is now, and moving forward in life. It’s fun to dwell on past lives – but possibly not all that healthy for the spirit.
Good luck and God Bless!
June 23, 2009 at 7:50 pm |
I find these stories so interesting and have one of my own to share. First off, let me tell you that I am also a Christian and have always had some difficulity understanding what happened to me. However, I see there are others here who, like myself, have had similar feelings and experiences.
When I was a child I began having dreams that I was a stage actress, never on screen. And I played a couple of dream roles over and over again; in one role I was dressed as a giant chicken, and in the other I was Peter Pan. I had these dreams often and was quite confused with them.
A little later on I told myself that if I was to ever write a book I would use the pseudonym “Shawn Adams” because something just seemed right about it. I have no idea where the name came from.
Years later, after I was married, my husband and I walked into a little bookstore in the Rocky Mountain town of Leadville, Colorado, and there on the bookrack was a paperback book with my face on the cover. I was floored! I’d never sat for that picture wearing those old-fashioned clothes! When I picked up the book I realized it was about various women who had made their marks on the West, but the woman on the cover was the stage actress Maude Adams. She played various roles on stage, including that of a chicken named Chanticleer, but is best known for playing Peter Pan. I have since found other pictures of her and yes, in some we look like identical twins. I don’t know if this is the “norm” or not, and I don’t understand very much of this, but it has happened to me.
I should also add that after doing some research I found that Maude died two years before I was born. Her personality was very much like my own, and we share similar likes and dislikes.
June 23, 2009 at 9:01 pm |
My son also had memories of another time when he was 2 until about 5. In short, he lived with his “Fodder” and older brother. His mother had “run off” and his brother was a professional baseball player, his “fodder” cleaned the field and kept it ready. Caelan (my son) was a baseball player too. He has been able to throw a ball very well since 18 months. He started T-Ball this year (he’s 6) and was very impressive. He talked to the daycare worker about it to the point she asked me if he had another Dad, I said no and explained that he remembered something from another time. She agreed with me with a little reservation.
The most dramatic story I heard from him was after shooting a .22 rifle with a friend at 4 1/2. The friend (an adult) helped him hold it and said he got very excited and didn’t want to stop. We left their house and I asked Caelan if he had a good time and he said “Yes, me and my grandfather used to shoot guns together all the time” That was odd because he only has a Poppa who doesn’t own a gun. I reminded him of that but he just kept telling me about his grandfather and how they would hunt together and how he missed him then he broke down while stating that him, his grandfather and grandmother were sitting on the porch and a group of people came to the porch and shot his grandfather. He said he tried to stand him back up but he couldn’t stay up and fell and died. He kept screaming “He died!” By this time we were both crying. He was so disturbed by the memory it disturbed me to the core. I tried to remind him that that was a long time ago and all was ok now. He fell asleep soon after and upon wakening he was ok.
In short I can tell you that Caelan was an abused child in his past life which has made him very grateful in this life. When he was 2 he would thank me for taking him to day care and has always told me that I was the best Mom he’s ever had. I tell him the proverbial line “Well Caelan coming from you that means a lot”. He was never too shy to speak of those memories to anyone which led to some very strange looks and questions but I stayed the course and told the truth. Like you, we are open minded and just let him talk and helped as well as we could. He remembers nothing now except that he is a baseball player. Finally after this years’ T-Ball season that statement holds true to this life because when we meet people he always introduces himself as a baseball player when he had never played until now!
There are many more stories but I think this makes the point – you all are not alone. Looking at the other posts I would say something is changing to open these things up. Why do we talk about it NOW?
Blessing to you,
Dana F
NE Louisiana
June 24, 2009 at 1:54 am |
Dear Bruce and Andrea,
In my post of 6-22, my computer inadvertently added my last name… which I DID NOT WANT PUBLISHED. I contacted WordPress and they said I needed to contact you with the request to edit. Please do so ASAP.
Thanks in advance.
June 24, 2009 at 8:14 am |
I thought a lot before posting here. I listen to Coast to Coast every night, but I already knew of this story/book.
I have no earlier memory of my lives, but I know it is true. I am first generation Irish/American, grew up in NYC my whole current life, moved away as an adult and became a Master Gardener and Chef who “just knows” how to grow things. (and cook anything) in the Ozarks.
Farming is in my Irish blood, proven as way back and beyond as written history. (when I am on Irish soil, the memories come strong)
McBrien.
That is not what I am posting about, I have “memories”? glimpses of the future.
I really believe I came back for Kyle, my husband. We can “see” things together (no drugs- I promise!- just an awesome ride of sleep dreams.)
We promised each other that we will reconnect and he will show me those cosmos again…it’s like dancing in space.(yeah I was always the lazy one)
fact or fiction, it is rip-my-heart out love after 10 years…
really really personal: I had an abortion I was forced into at 17. That night I dreamt I was floating in the stars, and a tiny voice said to me “Mommy, don’t cry. I will come back to you”
there’s more but I can’t
June 24, 2009 at 1:22 pm |
When I was a very young child, I had a strange obsession with stuffed animals. I then had no conscious memories of having lived before. Everyone who knew me knew I really hated dolls, though my mother ignored that fact and bought me one every Christmas anyway, but I LOVED stuffed animals! Way back then, early 60s, stuffed animals always came with little plastic collars on. Whenever I would get a stuffed animal as a gift and see the collar on it, I would run from adult to adult in the room asking if anyone had a pair of scissors to cut it off so the animal could breathe. I remember the feeling still of being absolutely panic stricken that the animals would die if we didn’t get the things off right away.
Some years later, I had the memory of being hanged. I was one of a number of people being hanged all at the same time, I think there were four of us. I don’t remember anything about why we were being hanged, but when the memory returned it returned full force, and I experienced the hanging all over again in every detail. It happened in England in the neighborhood of 230 years ago. Being that the memory of the hanging itself was so graphic and traumatic, I remembered nothing of what happened afterward.
I also had the memory a couple of years after that of being a Lakota woman who had married a white man, this was just before my current lifetime. In that life, I had died very young, had only been married a couple of years. I died in an accident in a big city after getting lost on my way going back home to my husband. It explained why I have always been absolutely panic stricken when getting lost while driving in a big city.
I’ve had so many other memories spontaneously come back, being a Roman soldier and being so sick of war that I allowed myself to be killed in battle just to be done with it. I’ve remembered living on an island off the coast of Greece and being killed by my sister after yet another argument. I’ve remembered having lived in Ireland twice, very peaceful lifetimes full of learning.
I’ve lost elder family members, World War II era and the generation before that as well. One has returned and is now my grandson. He’s two now. It will be interesting to see what he has to say. I will be listening carefully. I have never spoken of what I know in his presence and never will. I will just be listening. Soul groups and particularly families do tend to stay together.
June 24, 2009 at 2:00 pm |
I was brought up in life as a Christian and the belief of reincarnation was something that was never in any Sunday school class, subject of any conversation at the dinner table or ever mentioned for casual conversation. Where I became more of a believer was the conversation my (ex) wife and I had with my (then) two and a half year old daughter Krista (now 21).
Krista learned to talk at a very young age. She was always so plain and understandable in her words and the use of her vocabulary would amaze both strangers in public and family members during gatherings. She too was exposed to cable television and would only watch the programs meant for very small children. Krista was also so honest and straight forwarded for a two year old.
So it was that one particular day that Krista was sitting on the floor playing with her toys… and if I had not witnessed what she was saying to her mother, I would not have believed it.
Out of the blue and while she kept playing with the objects in hand, Krista said: “Mommy, you are not the only mommy I ever had.” “My other mommy wore a long dress with things on the bottom.”
My wife then asked her if she ever had another daddy… Krista answered with a simple “uh-huh” while nodding her head yes.
Then Krista said: “We all lived in a big house on a hill with lots of steps in the front.” “There was a stick outside with three lights on it.” which Krista then held her hands up and made a circle with finger and thumb with one hand and held her finger under the circle with the other hand.
Was the “stick” a lamp post? She did say “three” lights!?! What was the things on the bottom of the dress? Why the many steps..?.. in Indiana there were no houses on a hill that she would see!!
In another situation, Krista was seriously arguing with us that her name was not “Krista” … and would tell us the name of who she really was. Funny thing; we named our second daughter after the name Krista gave us only thinking that the previous scenerio with Krista’s identity crisis was so “cute” … now I wonder if indeed Krista was trying to tell us who she was once before.
I do believe in God and I think that maybe reincarnation is something that God would give as a gift… maybe a second chance. This situation did not hurt my belief but made it stronger because regardless of the rules played… whether we live many lives or every now and then a few of us will get a second chance… something is out there for sure.
Don B.
June 24, 2009 at 4:29 pm |
Don,
Thanks for posting your story about Krista. Our backgrounds are very similar; I am a christian and was very actively involved in church (Episcopal) growing up. I never remember reincarnation being discussed in Sunday school, church sermons, or at home. Nothing in my religeous upbringing taught me TO believe or NOT believe in it; it was simply never a topic that was discussed.
It wasn’t until my son started saying things and having the nightmares that I started to consider it as a possibility. James, like Krista, was highly verbal and easily understood at a very young age, and his range of vocablary was constantly commented on by people whom he encountered. Fortunately, I was a stay-at-home mother and was there to witness most of the things he said and did, or else they would have been overlooked. I feel very blessed to have gone through this experience with my son; it has strengthened my faith and given me new meaning about God’s gift of everlasting life. What a blessing.
Dre
June 29, 2009 at 2:23 pm |
I’m 48 years old,a truckdriver. I was traveling thru Mich. last week when I heard coast to coast on the radio. I couldnt believe what I was hearing! I had those dreams around the age of 8 to 12 years old, and again around 17-18. That was when I decided to do some investigating . My dream always started as I was flying ..(in a F4 Corsair) with my squadron. We were over water in the south pacific, flying over small islands, on a patrol. I remember someone yelling over the radio that we were being jumped by zeros. I remember a big dog fight…looked like 30 planes or so around me in seprate fights, me included. I remember chasing a Zero down to the water and finally shooting him down. I had gone a long ways away from everyone else and was trying to get them on the radio, but no one answered. So I just climbed back up and headed toward the area where we were fighting, no one was around. I realized it was over and I had got left behind, so I headed for home. I remember flying with the sun at 11 oclock high, when I noticed 3 or 4 dots above me, in the sun. I started to climb towards them when I realized they were diving on me, they were zeros. We made a head on pass, I opened up the guns but ran out of ammo . I remember thinking the only thing I could do was run for it. By then they had come around and were behind me, In the dream I can remember the bullets hitting the plane, sending me into a dive, I lost control. I was to low to jump. I remember seeing an “L” shaped, small island as I was going down…thats when I woke up, usually yelling and sweating. My parents remember to this day…mom says she cant count the times she ran in my room when I was younger. When this dream came back to me at 17 , I started looking for records of corsair pilots that were shot down in south pacific, and for maps of the islands. I never found much, being as it was 1977. And forgot about it until I heard the radio show. I wanna start investigating again, thanks for being on the air and talking about this…now I know it wasnt just me.
July 1, 2009 at 9:04 pm |
My son Jasper began drawing incredibly detailed drawings of WWII dogfights when he was 6. He also was absolutely terrified of the Air Guard jets flying overhead and would not go outside without headphones for hearing protection. He would become absolutely hysterical. We never watched TV, so I had a feeling he was drawing these pictures from a place of inner knowing. He subsequently became very ill with leukemia and throughout the first year of his treatment, the drawings continued. I consulted clairvoyants about the drawings and they confirmed that he had been a kamikaze pilot in Japan and that his illness was a way for him to resolve all the lifetimes that he had been a soldier. He is now 9 and is thankfully doing very well and is now drawing Star-Wars and not exclusively WWII battle scenes. I just have so much respect for him and all the soldiers who were brave enough to come back and experience the world that they helped to create.
Thank-you so much for writing this book.
July 8, 2009 at 12:19 am |
Good morning!
I am yet to read your book, i have not been able to find it in New Zealand yet…however my husband found a link to the tv interviews a few days ago and we were excited.
Our middle son, Matthew (now 10) had, from about 12mths of age, terrible dreams / nightmares, we would go to him and have to spend some time trying to settle or wake him. They always involved “fire” but Because he was so young we never got any more verbal info. We often commented between ourselves that ‘he’d been here before”. (For example he could ‘just do things!” He rode a 2-wheeler bike from 18 months with no training wheels)
…but the most staggering thing was his irrational fear of helicopters!! He could/would hear a helicopter in the distance, way before anyone else, and just scream at the top of his lungs…we had a sandpit about 20meters from the house, but he couldn’t run in..he was rooted to the spot in absolute terror. He’d go pale and shake. We spent time telling him they were fine and he would be too, took him to see helicopters at the airport, but it did not make any difference. As he got older about 3 perhaps, he stopped screaming so much but still stood and shook. He would often have the ‘fire’ dreams on days he had seen / heard the chopper.
His/ our turning point was one day when he was 4, a friend had a motorbike accident and broke his femur(we were there) and was transported away from the scene by chopper. I was worried about how Matt was going to react but talked him through the whole procedure and he was ok, clung on like a limpet but was ok…then later that same day we went to the hospital and saw our friend. From then on the fear factor had definitely decreased to a point now that Matt has even been for a helicopter ride. He still has a fascination with choppers, and has studied them twice for school projects.
My husband and i often wondered the significance of these events… and considered reincarnation…maybe he had been in Vietnam and shot down in flames…??? I guess we will never know…
Thanks for your story!!
Trish
July 16, 2009 at 5:00 pm |
I have a friend and mentor that was born in 1949 without the vale most of us have between us and where our soul/spirit came from. James story sounds similar, especially when he answers questions. As a young child he would answer your questions honestly without taking your point of view and spiritual understanding into consideration. This can often make the answer mean something different to you, that it did an does to him. As James ages, and if can can maintain a perforated vale, he will exhibit a form of wisdom beyond his years. He will couch responses more towards the persons level of understanding and/or color them through the past life character.
Having little or no vale is extremely rare, like having and IQ over 200. Unfortunately, loving conditioning as one ages increases the opaqueness of that vale.
Great inspirational story.
July 26, 2009 at 11:26 am |
Hello,
I noted that the constellations at October 22, 1923 and April 10, 1998, are very much alike. In both cases, there is a cluster of Sun, Saturn, Mars, and Mercury in the same sign, with a close conjunction Sun/Saturn; a cluster Venus/Jupiter, in another (water) sign (separation 11-12°); and the Moon is in the same position with respect to the sun (same phase) at both days. This is very surprising. Are the exact hours of birth available? I would like to examine this point.
July 28, 2009 at 3:23 am |
Dear Bruce and Andrea,
I would like to commend you both for your courage in following your hearts in order to best parent your wonderful son and also for your fortitude in writing such a marvelous, moving book which I know will touch the hearts and minds of many.
My daughter told my wife and I from the back seat of our car when she was about 4 that she chose us when she was up in heaven because she knew we would be loving parents for her. I almost drove off the road. My son reported that he knows he has had past lives from his dreams, which he reported to us in detail. Many of them had violent endings. He is aware this contributed to episodes of anger and depression.
I am a psychoanalyst practicing on Long Island, NY where we have many psychics and those who believe in reincarnation. I am very left brained and scientific and wasn’t sure about reincarnation myself until a close colleague recommended I read Brian Weiss’ very convincing Many Lives/Many Masters. It turned my views around. Dr. Weiss a highly trained psychiatrist (he also went to Columbia) was a left-brained skeptic until he met the patient he writes about who turned his life and career around by spontaneously regressing into past lives and giving Brian messages from his deceased son and father. I highly recommend this book for Bruce, if he hasn’t already read it, as a companion piece to Carol Bowman’s books. I received training from Dr. Weiss and have since done hundreds of regressions with people of all ages, including many psychics.
In addition, I would also strongly recommend for Bruce, if he hasn’t heard of it, the Holographic Universe by Michael Talbot. Mr. Talbot approaches his subject from a highly scientific point of view. His first four chapters are about how quantum physics can explain every other-dimensional phenomenon. He reviews the work of David Bohm a colleague of Einstein’s and Kenneth Pribram. Both are highly respected scientists who independently arrived at the conclusion that this is all a hologram. They both agree that past lives etc., can be explained from this paradigm.
I look forward to any book tours you may have to the New York area.
August 11, 2009 at 5:29 pm |
Thank you for your courage and love to write ‘Soul Survivor.’ It has given me greater peace. I enjoyed so much seeing you, and your family on GMA. The following may benefit many children and adults.
I have written about how angels whisper to me, and gave me a healing method, at 40, to easily let go of the repetitive pain from my past. I had never had a problem with forgiveness, but had been stuck with the pain. In addition to it only taking 10 days for the pain of my past to be released, it also allowed a mixed-connective tissue disease I was dealing with to go into remission 2 weeks later.
Even before this, the angels had been preparing me with unusual mystical adventures—one was how to find a master concert pianist connected to Rachmaninoff to further my piano studies.
After I healed, the angels asked that I get my paper on healing to Bishop TuTu in South Africa to help with jailed ministers, and to the Archbishop of Canterbury to help with Terry Waite and other hostages jailed in Iran. Unusual circumstances happened that I never even could have imagined which I wrote about in my books.
My healing method was first recognized in 1986, by Dr. David Baron, former Deputy Director of the National Institute of Mental Health, now Professor and Chair, Dept. of Psychiatry, Temple University Medical School, Philadelphia. He then made it possible for me to be a Pain&Stress Consultant in some medical treatment centers in the LA area for many years. Dr. Baron also wrote the intro for my 2 books.
Another mystical adventure is how I was led to a well-known physicist and published author, F. David Peat, to convey ideas through the language of physics how my healing method works and how to create greater peace in the world.
I’m so happy to hear that your son is doing well now. Not all children have the opportunity to release their pain easily. Please feel free to contact me for further assistance.
August 12, 2009 at 7:51 pm |
Hello Bruce,
I have a very poweful story to share with you. I just finished reading your book and was guided to contact you. Please advise call me when you have a chance at (740) 603-6535 cell or home (740) 380-6816 or e-mail me at berta33603@yahoo.com which is where you can reach my wife Bertan and I.
I look forward to speaking with you.
Thanks and regards,
Doug Lockhart
August 13, 2009 at 2:01 pm |
Dear Andrea and Bruce,
Additional info to post of 8/11. My husband and I experienced great joy seeing you and James on GMA, and reading your story.
In 1949, when I was 5, living in Japan, where my father in the military was stationed, my mother said when I saw missionaries out in a field, I told her that I wanted to be one when I grew up. Several years later we were transferred to Germany. As a child, I got to experience there are good people everywhere.
When I was 40, and ill, some answers to healing were given to me one night after praying to God and asking, “What is missing from the minds of people that don’t do what is best for themselves and others?”
I was awakened in the middle of the night with the answer. I put this message together with some other messages I had been given earlier in life into a relaxation exercise, and a new way to go about living and working with others. This explains why many intelligent people sometimes have difficulty making healthy choices even when they know better.
The method is based on the state of Grace, with some messages that in retrospect address a particular problem identified in psychology and psychiatry as ‘double binds.’ Dr. David Baron, psychiatrist, wrote the Intro, and Reverend and psychologist Francis Marcolongo, PhD, wrote the Foreward.
My first book, ‘A Path to Light’ is written for therapists and lay people. I explain why such a simple method works so easily, citing research papers, plus the healing method, and letters from children and adults who benefited. There is also a chapter using the language of Physics to further explain.
My 2nd book, ‘Whispers in the Wilderness,’ is written in an adventure story form. I give many of the mystical experiences God and the angels led me in extraordinary ways to share the healing method, and to meet my husband a physicist/engineer.
I also have something in common with Ken Gross. In the early 70’s I was sent to New Orleans as a stenographer to work on the case of the civil rights workers missing in Mississippi. You are welcome to contact me by email, and I can give you my phone number.
With Grace, Love and Peace
Judy
August 17, 2009 at 7:36 pm |
Dear Andrea and Bruce, I finished reading your book about 2 hours ago.(started it 2 days ago) It took the first full hour for the goosebumps and tears to go away. Although I have not had experiences with reincarna-tion that I know of, I suffered from severe night terrors as a small child, the effects of which still I “feel” at times. My son and my granddaughter also have experienced the same type of night terrors, and from the explanation my son tries to give me, “feels” like my own. My granddaughter is only 5 years old, so we don’t talk to her about it, however, I have tried a method suggested by a known psychic to try to
ease her pain caused by this terrifying ordeal by talking to her after she is asleep, with a prayer to let go of the pain associated with remembering of any past lives. Her mom thinks I’m a bit silly, but the night terrors have diminished somewhat. Your book really gave me such a feeling of completeness in my search for spirituality. Thank you for daring to share your beautiful son with the world. I’ll bet “the panel” is so proud! I can’t wait for my husband to read it!
August 18, 2009 at 6:15 pm |
I don’t have any past life experiences of which I am currently aware, however I have just finished reading Soul Survivor and am excited to write and thank you for telling your family’s story. Of course your story is much more than that of James’ past life, and for that I am grateful. Somehow yours is an offering of real connection to those who came before and those who will come after us – our history, our future and most of all our spiritual connection. I thank you for your courage and conviction to spend countless hours of research and conversations with those affected, and for ultimately sharing your story. I doubt I as a person will ever be the same.
Sincerely,
Meg
October 5, 2009 at 2:52 am |
Meg,
You are a dear. If our story helps you on your journey just remember to nurture your spirit. You too are on an eternal journey.
God has been good to us. I am thankful we were able to tell this story and that we live in a country where we can write stories like this.
God Bless you,
Bruce Leininger
August 20, 2009 at 2:38 am |
Hi Bruce,
On page 202 of your book you mention your background as an Evangelical Christian involved with the Full Gospel Businessmen. I have had a very similar background and would be very interested to correspond with you via email to see how you have sorted out your experience with your son and your faith. It seems pretty clear that there is definite evidence that supports the reality of reincarnation. So I am trying to sort out how this meshes with the Bible, and would be interested in learning how your thinking has processed this whole topic.
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Bruce Leckie
P.S. If you are able to email me, please put RE SOUL SURVIVOR in the subject field, to help me notice your email from all the other junk emails that flood my inbox. Thanks!
October 5, 2009 at 2:48 am |
Bruce,
I took an approach that went something like this.
1) I believe in God and that my Salvation is by the Grace of God.
2) Jesus came to us to demonstrate the promise of Salvation for each of us.
3) After the Ascension Jesus came back and spent considerable time on earth with his disciples. As an example and as a teacher. For what reason? To demonstrate His love for us and the Truth.
4) If these three items are true and they are, then how does this promise of eternal life manifiest itself for us.
I have watched the fruit this story bears. It irrevocably moves each people closer to their God and Salvation. Not further from it.
I believe that reincarnation occurs for two reasons
a. It demonstrates the eternal life of the human spirit.
b. It is not inconsistent with the fact that God gives us free will to choose to believe. Why would God necessarily allow us to join Him in heaven but then remove all free will to choose.
Those who return do so because they want to. In James case this is what he told us. He has first hand experience – and I believe him.
This may sound simple minded to some. I hope I have helped you along the way your are traveling.
God Bless you,
Bruce Leininger
April 10, 2010 at 7:38 pm
I have a sincere question which I hope another Christian might answer. So far everything has been put in the context of ‘believe’ or ‘skeptic’. What if it is not just a matter of ‘believe’ or ‘skeptic’ but has to do with ‘discernment’. In other words, what is the actual origin of the phenomena. I do not doubt that the phenomena is supernatural, I just wonder why it is phrased in terms of ‘genuine’ or ‘fantasy’. For me, I do believe, I am just not sure where the origin of the manifestations come from. Can you relate?
My question: “is it possible that the information that the children have are
1.) psychically discerned through some paranormal gift?
2.) a ‘familiar spirit’ or ‘entity’ which is demonic is drawn to a small child and ‘possesses’ or ‘imprints’ on them for a few moments and which manifests the information and memories?
3.) or, could it be that the ghost of one who has not passed fully over comes to small children and imprints on them somehow?
So, is it really someone’s own pre-existent soul or might it be a demonic familiar spirit that knows that information or might it be a ghost who comes to try to express themselves through a small child? I just wonder why these two possibilities are not mentioned when dealing with what also might just be reincarnation.
In other words, is reincarnation the only answer to these types of phenomena?
August 25, 2009 at 3:28 pm |
I just finished reading your book…Wow! I could hardly put it down. I had received several e-mails and telephone calls after you were on Good Morning America letting me know about you, James and the book. I have believed in reimcarnation for many years now. I…like Bruce…am a Methodist. It was a Methodist sermon that made me start believing in reincarnation. The sermon was about how much God loves us…the minister stated…”more than you love you own children”! That message burned in my mind all week long…I kept thinking if God loves me more that I love my own children (who I would sacrifice my life for) then why would there be a place like hell that you would be punished for eternity. I would not do that to my children…they must pay and learn from their sin…but not for eternity. I went to the library and checked out books authored by Ruth Montomery and Edward Caycee. Basically, I do believe that God sent Jesus here on earth so that we can see what a perfect human can be like and we are to model our lives after his example. Until we get it right and close to perfection…God will give us “second chances” to work on ourselves…pay our karma. Our hell is here on earth…all of the heartaches and suffering that we go though helps us grow as Christians and gets us close to perfection…which we will never truly reach…but there will come a time when we are close and never have to come back…just be in heaven. If a soul so chooses to come back to help someone they can…but do not have to. I know my father came back simply to help my mother…he did not have to but knew she needed to learn some lessons and then he departed at age 58 and her hell of lonliness, etc. began. She had never appreciated my father and really mistreated him…but she did not realize this until it was too late because he died unexpectedly. I have a son that is 45 and a daughter that is 35. I truly believe that they have been together in a previous life in an Asian country. They both knew things as small children about the Asian style of life that there would be no way they could know it unless they had been there. There is a bond between them that is very strong even though my daughter lives here in Houston, Tx and my son lives in Denton, Tx. I myself do not believe I was in that life with them…but I know from so many things that I have been here before. One example is…when I took my daughter as a small child to the movie theater to see “Black Beauty” and the horse and little boy were trapped underwater in the ship wreckage…I felt as if I were drowning myself. I started hyperventilating and had to go to the theater lobby to catch my breath. I thought to myself that I have never felt that way when I have watched someone trapped in a fire or other desperate experiences. I believe that I must have drowned in another life.
Thank you so much for sharing the story of James with the rest of us!
Sincerely,
Sharon
October 5, 2009 at 2:35 am |
Sharon,
You have said some profound things and you have said them well.
We appreciate your kind words about our story. Tellling it was a challenging but rewarding experience.
God Bless you,
Bruce Leininger
August 26, 2009 at 6:34 pm |
I have three young grandchildren and they all seem to be in touch with the spirit world. The oldest sees ghosts/spirits often – he always has. His younger brother who is now 7 tells me that he remembers when he was in his mothers womb and also told me very a matter-of-factly one day “that when you die you come alive again”. I asked him how he knew this and he said “because I remember” and then went on doing whatever he was doing at the time as if he had asked me what time it was or something like that. He and his siblings live 3,000 miles away, are not raised in any sort of religion at all (I find them more open due to this, strangely) and live in a VERY rural area where there is not a lot of culture or any of its influence yet, the middle boy often talks about Paris, Barcelona, the trains in Europe, the Louvre Art Museum and more. He acts as if he’s a 45 year old man who lives in Paris. There is much more but wanted to post this today.
October 5, 2009 at 2:32 am |
Rachel,
Thanks for sharing. Make notes about what your childred see and say. You’ll be surprised that a story may develop that you can track.
Bruce Leininger
September 27, 2009 at 10:41 pm |
Dear Bruce, Andrea, and James,
First off, I want to tell you that the book you have written was just read by myself in little more then three hours, I was so riveted. I couldn’t put it down, a multitude of reasons why, but the foremost is is that i myself am in Jame’s shoes. I know you three have probably gotten thousands of emails, phone calls, letters and blog comments from people saying exactly that, but I still wish to share with you three.
I vividly remember and dream about my past life, well into my whole 25 years in this life. My last life ended in April of 1943 while flying a P-40F Warhawk in North Africa. My dreams, while fewer in number, are no less vivid(perhaps more so), are of people i knew, of my training days, of combat missions, of the fear and adrenaline, and finally of what I believe is my last flight, as flight lead on a ground attack mission. My parents told me I used to shout and scream in my sleep at dreams neither could understand, and throughout my years i have for some reason been able to name any and everything someone would want to know about the P-40. To the point of obsession it would seem. There is lots and lots more that I could go into, and I would love to share, but I don’t need to fill your forum up with all the details. Except for this last one. Three years ago while in flight school I had the opportunity to fly in a two seat P-40N Warhawk in Idaho. It was an experience that really is indescribable, yet people try. I was home. I could smell the plane, the sands, the sea water (P-40s were sent to North africa on the USS Ranger, an aircraft carrier.) I could hear the radio calls faint in my mind, and all I could do was cry silently against the roar of the engine. The pilot handed over the controls and it became more then a dream. I was back in 1943. I knew I wasn’t crazy. I was home in the clouds.
This book you three have written is one of the most important books I have ever read. It has shown me I am not alone, and that there are others who have experienced this. I will hold your story close to my heart, and Thank You.
Sincerely,
Morgan Kinney
PS. To James. Flying is a bug. Once you catch it it never goes away. Spread your wings (again) my friend.
October 5, 2009 at 2:31 am |
Morgan,
Thanks for sharing. It is evident that your past life still stirs in you. It will be neat to see just what our son does as he grows older. We believe he still has memories but would rather not share them.
Bruce Leininger
October 5, 2009 at 5:23 am |
Hi , thanks for sharing Jame’s story with us ,it is quite facinating ! I was listening to coast to coast tonight (10/04/09) it must have been a rebroadcast,and I remembered seeing your GMA interview some time ago. I wanted to relate my own experience with what at the time seemed mind boggling! My son Nathan who is now 9 was almost three yaers old when he and I were playing in his room with his assortment of cars and trucks when he said “when I was alive I rode there” and of course I said, what did you say? He repeated “when I was a fireman I rode there” where he then touched the rear step of the toy fire engine we had on the floor in front of us. I called his mother and older sister,who was about 15 at the time, into the room then asked him to repeat what he had told me, he said the same thing again and added ” I died riding there” Pointing to the rear step again he said, “We were going to a fire and the truck turned over and I died” He showed us how the truck rolled and where he was afterward. We talked about this a few days with friends and family and they were fascinated and would ask him about it but we never really dug any deeper after that, perhaps we should have. His mother and I divorced a year or so later and they live out of state now and it hasn’t been brought up since perhaps i will ask him about it and see what if any thing he remembers. Thanks again , Troy Stoneburner , Victoria, Tx.
October 23, 2009 at 6:54 pm |
I was only introduced to this story recently through our website “Bloody Bucket .com” . We are a group of WWII reenactors and enthusiasts mostly in Pennsylvania , we exchange information on books and history and our upcoming events through our website. This sounded ver interesting so I purchased the book, and I could not put it down. However I was not really surprised , I already believed. I have also found that it is not as uncommon as one might think to here someone else say they feel they were reincarnated. Though more of a feeling without clear recollection.Just this past fall I met a fellow reinactor from N.Y.at an event , he stayed in our tent and and made the comment he felt he was reincarnated and had participated in WWII. Fellow reinactors will tell you we do it to honor the veterans and so none will forget, and this is true we call it a ‘Living History’, but ask again and you’ll find that they feel drawn to the era and comfortable with it’s tembre’ it’s feel. I’ve done this before .Perhaps we might have a choice to stay in Heaven if we want or return to experience other different lives . There are so many different ones on earth to experience.
Having read your book , I wonder does James still remember James Huston. or did the ceremony at chichi
jima sooth that part of his spirit?
October 29, 2009 at 9:05 am |
Hi. I watched a Japanese TV program last night and was very much intrigued by the story. So much that I searched the internet, found your book and ordered it on Amazon.com right away.
The story reminded me of an old Japanese incident about the “Hodokubo Kid”, an 1822 incident where an 8 year old boy claimed himself to be a reincarnation of a child who died in a nearby village at the age of 6, told details of the family in the former life and about his death, all of which was proven to be true when he was taken to that village to meet his “parents”.
It created quite an sensation among the people at that time, and was researched by scholars and well documented.
In this story, Katsugoro, an 8 year old boy living in a village of what is now the outskirt of Tokyo casually asked his siblings who’s kids they were before they were born to this life. He had apparently assumed that everyone remembered their past lives and how they died.
When his parents heard the story they initially dismissed it as a child’s fantasy. However, he told his grandmother that his name in the past life was Fujizo, born between Kyubei and Shizu of Hodokubo Village about 6 miles away, and Kyubei died he later had a stepfather named Hanshiro, and that Fujizo died at the age of 6 with smallpox in great detail.
He then described how he died, watched himself get buried, and was staying with a nice old man and playing in a field of flowers all the time. Then one day the old man took him to the house he was born in and told him to be born again to this home.
When the intrigued grandmother asked a friend who had relatives in Hodokubo Village if he knew someone named Kyubei, she was startled to hear that there is noone named Kyubei now because he is dead but his wife Shizu is alive and now married to a man named Hanshiro.
The story spread fast among villagers and a man visited from Hodokubo to hear Katsugoro’s story and told him that his “parents” are alive.
Katsugoro begged his parents to take him to Hodokubo, but his father, reluctant to believe all this “silliness”, refused. However, the grandmother said that she would take Katsugoro to Hodokubo as it won’t hurt her if she gained a reputation as a silly old lady.
When they visited Hodokubo, even though this was the very first time he was there, Katsugoro lead the way, describing how the house would look and where it would be located, which was all true on arrival. When he met his “parents” they were surprised at his resemblance to their dead son. Also, as he spoke he made remarks like “That store across the street was not there before, that tree was not there before” etc. which was all true. (Katsugoro was born 3 years after Fujizo was born and was now 8 so there was about 10 years’ time between his memory and then. )
Katsugoro said that he remembered his past life very clearly until he was about 4, but at age 8 memory was getting a little foggy.
In fact when he was interviewed by scholars later, he was less articulate about his former life.
When I read your story the above immdeiately came to my mind. The amazing thing about this story and yours is that the families and firends were both alive and were able to testify about the facts told. It is not about some self appointed psychic telling you that you were a such and such person who lived 300 years ago in Russia.
Sorry that this was not about my child.
Your story did, in fact reminded me of my 15-year old son when he was very small, though not exactly about reincarnation.
He had (still has) an obsessive interest in aircraft since he was about 6 months and I took him to an aviation museum in Orland, Fl, when he was about 20 months. He was totally intrigued, and was didn’t care to go back to Disneyworld.
In fact on the way to Florida our plane developed a problem and landed at Portland, Oregon and we were waiting at the airport lobby for a coulple of hours. He was looking out the window and suddenley pointed to a spec in the sky and said “Look Daddy a Corsair!” . I did not expect the WW2 fighter plane to be there so I was puzzled but it approached the terminal building and as it flew overhead it was indeed a Corsair! (I later did some research and found that there is a flying example of the plane in Portland.)
He never told me stories of his past life but until he was around 4 years old he would talk about how he was in mommy’s tummy and how he came out (he was very specific about which sholder came out first, etc.) So maybe if he was able to remember a bit further back he might be remembering his past life?
Japanese TV said James is wanting to become a fighter pilot. My son the same and he is joining an aviation school next year. Let’s hope our sons get their wish.
In the meantime I am looking forward to reading the book!
January 5, 2010 at 10:41 pm |
Harry,
Sorry we missed your post. We never saw the show that aired in Japan – I am glad to hear it was satisfactory to you.
Let us know how much you like our book.
James does want to be a fighter pilot.
My wish is that your son achieves his dreams. Nothing better than to see your child succeed at their passionate wishes.
Bruce
October 29, 2009 at 9:09 am |
Sorry in my previous submission I wrote
(Katsugoro was born 3 years after Fujizo was born and was now 8 so there was about 10 years’ time between his memory and then. )
This should be
(Katsugoro was born 3 years after Fujizo died and was now 8 so there was about 10 years’ time between his memory and then. )
October 31, 2009 at 8:42 pm |
Dear Andrea, James and Bruce,
Thank you for your compelling story of unconditional love! Your efforts to help your son have also helped me as well as many others. I stayed up till 4am this morning finishing the book. I cried with James as I read the passage of you all in Japan and him saying goodbye to James Huston and I cried a little this morning when I woke up because I felt I made some kind of breakthrough for me.
Briefly, I had a dream when I was in my 30’s where I was in an eerie blue misty atmosphere. It was like fog or smoke, just blue fog. A man was driving me around in a jeep as we looked at many people who had just lost their lives in some kind of accident. As the years went on, I would have snatches of images with me being a pilot and waiting to fly several people somewhere. It wasn’t a commercial flight though – it seemed and felt like a mission. Well, flash to this year , June 2009 and I have a dream where I’m standing in front of a big picture window and I hear what sounded like fire crackers. I saw a plane pitching and rolling right in front of me and I began to call on God and as I did I could hear other people in the background chanting the name I use for God in my religion. The plane didn’t crash but did land upside down. I had a very similiar dream in August but I was alone chanting God’s name as I watched this plane avoid what was a sure disaster. Long story short, I knew finally that I was not responsible for everyone’s death in that disaster. The “fire crackers” were gunfire. I have carried some unconscious guilt all my life and denied myself so much for all the 51 years that I’ve been here! When I first saw the review for your book, I was compelled to read it. I’ve always been fascinated with planes and WWII and the Holocaust but never understood why I was very uncomfortable while on commercial flights. I have believed in past lives all of my adult life – even unconsciously. I have had so many “glimpses” of past lives and fortunately, my religious and spiritual beliefs support me in this but it was always up to me to dig further for why I felt like I did.
Your courage in getting to the truth behind your son’s nightmares is fantastic. So is your son. It’s great to have some kind of closure at a young age so that he can get on with other things in life. I have struggled with guilt and anguish so long that dysfunction was normal for me. And I didn’t have parental support when I was younger. I knew I had to keep silent about anything out of the ordinary when I was a kid. Can’t complain, I can go on from here and let myself get the life I really wanted without the unconscious self-sabotage. These mere words are nothing to express the grateful heart I have now. I”m sure you’ve already done this but tell James to just continue to give “ole James ” love. I’m finally giving this Andrea love and it’s breaking the old molds.
Love and Light to you all.
January 5, 2010 at 10:43 pm |
Andrea,
We are fortunate to have the chance to help others. It must be very frightening and confusing to live with the memories you have without getting closure.
We sincerely appreciate what you have shared with us.
Bruce
November 5, 2009 at 2:37 pm |
My son is 14 now, but when he was about a year and a half old I was walking around my land in the evening carrying him at my hip, and I asked him if he remembered where he lived before he came to live with me and Mom. His eyes welled up with tears and his chin quivered. I felt so bad that I had asked him this question as it apparently brought to his mind something very disturbing or very sad. Perhaps it is a blessing that for most people our past lives remain buried.
Be that as it may, I am not so blessed. I distinctly remember two past lives. One as a Viking raider who died in a battle on a beach… a terror-filled life and times I would just as soon forget. Then, a previous life as a shaman living with and a member of a small band of goat herders somehwere in europe long before recorded history. The sights, sounds, smells, laughter and everything else is as clear as if it happened last week. Most of all though was the profound sense of contentment and unity we all shared in that band of 30 some-odd people. It was truly a Golden Time. As their shaman, it was my duty to journey into the spirit realms with, I believe, the aid of some entheogenic sacrament. Who knows? In any case, I believe during one of these journies, I connected with myself in this current life and passed the memories forward.
I ask myself what have I gained or what does anyone gain from uncovering past-life memories? Upon reflection, I think it is a mixed bag. On the one hand, it is painful. Being shot to death with arrows on a forgotten beach along the North Sea is painful, trust me. So is remembering profound happiness and contentment while living with a group of friends on the banks of river, and knowing one can never go back to that peaceful age. On the other hand, acquiring seemingly first-hand memories of the joys and horrors of ages past, disposes one to possessing perhaps a certain jaundiced clarity toward the wonders and absurdities of twenty-first century life.
January 5, 2010 at 10:48 pm |
Jeff,
I believe the mixed blessing of which you speak is part of the phenomena.
My firm belief is that we should move to a higher level, but making the choice to return (and I believe it is a choice) is fraught with the downside danger. This world cannot be predicted and what we go through here shoudl temper our spirits as we move through eternity.
Bruce
November 8, 2009 at 2:40 am |
I haven’t read your book but I plan to near future.I just finished listening to the interview on Dreamland w/ Whitley Streiber.It certainly made me feel more sure about my own conclusions of things my son had said to me as a youngster.He’s 26 now but at the age of 3 he out of the blue remarked “I know why we are alive. So we can love somebody and they love you back.”
Also at the age of 18 months his dad set him in our fishing boat to use a “playpen” while dad cleaned out the garage.Andy found a casting rod and began throwing it out (wrist action and all) like a pro and reeling it in!!When he was about 5 he told me that he had a dream that he was a fish underwater and he was looking up through the water and so me but I was a little girl and there was a man standing next to me fishing.When he saw me he knew I was going to be his mother!!!!
I had always thought some sort of reincarnation scenario was in place in our lives but your story validates that belief.Thank you for the wisdom and courage to share with others!
January 5, 2010 at 10:58 pm |
Catherine,
Let us know what you think after reading the book.
Bruce
November 8, 2009 at 11:34 am |
By now you won’t be surprised to hear about yet another pilot who remembered his last flight in his next life. My son, who is now 35, began having blood curdling nightmares when he was probably 18 months old and developed asthma. When I held him he would wake up and go back to sleep and would be fine the next morning.
When he was about 2-1/2 years of age, he told me about flying, trees, a big boom and a fire. He told an animated account with considerable hand gesturing and sound effects. I got the idea but some of the details he tried to convey sounded complex. He used his first sentence at 10 months and was articulate, but the account took a lot of telling. I listened and accepted his account that was obviously important to him, even though I knew I didn’t really get all the details. After “the talk” that night, he began sleeping through the night and his asthma cleared up. We didn’t talk about it in detail again until he was an adult, but I did enough to research to find that the jet he drew had been used in Viet Nam and had a known problem with oxygen.
After “the talk” my son still loved airplanes. The only full-blow tantrum he ever had was when he saw a HUGE model of an airplane in a travel agent’s window. He insisted he wanted his plane. I understood what he meant, for reasons I’ll explain shortly. He wanted his p-l-a-n-e, so I explained that I couldn’t get him a plane like that. It cost too much money, but when he grew up he could get a plane like he wanted. He thought about it for a moment then ran to a car parked at the curb. He grabbed the handle of the car and shouted that he wanted his car. Again, I explained that I couldn’t give him a car like that but he could have one when he grew up. This was shortly after our early morning talk about the plane, the big boom, and the fire.
As an adult when he was able to have all the things I had told him he could have when he grew up, he became, among other things, a Navy plane captain. He was commended at one time for being the only person in his squadron qualified to captain several newly introduced helicopters. He has gotten at least one of the things I had told him he could have when he grew up: He flies in a plane (helicopter) everyday (first as a plane captain then as an instructor) because he loves to fly. He has a car, a truck, a motorcycle and a boat and actively uses all of them. When got older and realized he would slow down with age and needed to think of more sedate career options, he went back to school and earned his degree with a 4.0 grade point average.
When in his 20’s, my son and I discussed the events he told me about in “the talk” as a toddler. This conversation was the only time I asked him about memories. All other information about the plane, etc, was volunteered. (And, by the way, I didn’t like having television around a child and didn’t have one until he was about 5.) As an adult he no longer remembered the detail of the big “boom,” but he remembered dreams of flying over what looked like an airstrip surrounded by trees with large spotlights mounted above the ground. He didn’t remember much more about it, and he didn’t care. What’s interesting is that as a young adult he still remembered a motorcycle on his birthday cake when he turned 3. I suggest that as he gained greater ability in the world around him, the events of this life became more important to him than his previous life. Events of another life became less important as events in this life became more important.
Like Bruce and Andrea, my first concern was to handle my son’s trauma in a healthy way that would enable him to live a productive life in the way he desired. I was well acquainted with past lives because of my own experiences as a child.
When I was 15 I naively informed my mother that I knew about past lives. I say naively because I had grown up in Oklahoma and was 15 in 1963. I was aware of only two religions: Protestants and Catholics. I had never heard of reincarnation. I had a vague memory of a past life but had no idea my mother would react to my ideas about other lives with the stunning alarm and awesome speed she mustered.
She listened to me with obvious anxiety then immediately called her Nazarene minister and made an appointment. When we met the minister, Brother Lewis, my mother explained my ideas about other lives in the same tone that she explained symptoms of illnesses to our doctor. Brother Lewis, as it turned out, knew his theology. He explained that what I had told my mother was called reincarnation. Many of the world’s religions believed in reincarnation. He pulled a beautiful book off his shelf that provided a brief explanation of each of the world’s major religions.
He explained that one could believe in reincarnation and be a Christian too. Christianity requires that one accept Jesus as the savior, so a person can believe in reincarnation and Jesus. My mother was silent throughout Brother Lewis’ explanation of reincarnation, world religions and Christianity.
Brother Lewis asked if I remember anything about a past life, as if he thought I would tell him after my mother’s high-speed charge for his office. He told me that if I remembered anything, or if I had any thoughts about it, to give him a call.
My mother’s absolute silence about reincarnation that set in while Brother Lewis spoke of reincarnation and Christianity continued for 15 years. When we left the minister’s office, we didn’t say a word to each other on the drive home. We didn’t talk about reincarnation again until I was in my 30’s, and only then after my sister passed away.
Brother Lewis was a gentleman, a scholar and an enlightened soul who lit a way of truth in the world.
January 5, 2010 at 10:57 pm |
Krsanna,
No we are not surprised at other stories about pilots and are glad you have shared it with us.
Brother Lewis was not scared by the truth. Jesus is the gift that God gave us. It amazes me after what I experienced that some Christians so intimidated by reincarnation and so closed about the subject.
I simply did not believe it and in spite of my simple delial of it I was not shut off by what confronted me.
I wish I had the opportunit to meet Brother Lewis.
Bruce
Bruce
November 8, 2009 at 5:29 pm |
Andrea and Bruce, I neglected to tell you I am from Baton Rouge and currently live in St. Francisville(20 miles north of B.R.).I just posted about my son, Andy, and his insight at age 3 and his “unique” fishing abilities and dream about him being a fish and seeing me as a little girl standing on a pond/lake bank.We are of French heritage and fishing has been a big part of my extended family culture.I wonder if you have any perspectives on the theory of genetic memory?I have only read a bit on it and can see how it would definitely be a possible answer for some inherited abilities or predispositions.But the actual observations of a child in the first person as someone else, or as in Andy’s case,”something” else (a fish), I have to think reincarnation is logical.I personally believe there are SO MANY POSSIBILITIES that we can never feel like we really know the answers.Thanks again for the wonderful account of your son’s experiences.
January 5, 2010 at 11:00 pm |
Catherine,
Dear neighbor, the possibilities are endless. We have to remain open to the experience that confronts us.
Bruce
November 10, 2009 at 11:17 pm |
I have had several friends/family members with similar stories. I’ll only touch on them here. The first one about 16 years ago, a friend who, with her husband, was very much into martial arts. They had 3 boys and each boy when 2-3 years old had all made similar remarks after seeing a movie where there was a weapon. ” When I was big I had a gun but mine was smaller.” or “When I was big I had a sword but it was bigger and the handle was …” Each of her boys had more than one of these incidents and each started with “When I was big…” and then went on to describe the differences in their weapons. Next, and most fascinating, was Bobby’s memories when he was 3. He remembered being in Atlantis with his “now grandmother” and talked about his brother Artimis who “digs in the dirt” and always ending his dream recollection with “where’s my blue healing crystal? I need my blue healing crystal!!” and his other dream was in Egypt?? where he said his grandma was his sister and he talked of the white buildings with the round blue tops and white sand everywhere. another was my sisters’ two granddaughters, the older one woke upset “My father died and there was lots of blood and my dog died too, but there wasn’t any blood and Amma, you were there too but you were my sister and my Dada was my brother. the younger one remembered being my grandmother in an Indian (Native) life. And another friends’ daughter would say “I picked you and daddy” and “I knew you before I came here.”
And there are more stories with less detail that I won’t go into. What I want to share is that when you share these types of stories with people you occasionally get one back. All of this led me to do several months of past-life regression therapy with a psychologist and there is not a shadow of a doubt that this is all very real. I can’t describe it but when you “see” someone in this regressed state you just “know” who they are. They may be dressed as a pirate, a cowboy, or a milkmaid but you just “know”. And the eyes ARE a window to the soul.
Thank you so very much for all you’ve done to get this book documented and published. If it can help humanity wake up to who/what we really are, spiritual beings having a human experience, maybe it will help us to realize just how connected we truly are and how important it is to promote peace and good-will.
Blessings,
Linda
November 11, 2009 at 3:55 am |
dear leningers,
thanks for a website like this. i have just heard your interview on dreamland; thank you for fitting another piece into this puzzle of life. that book is definitely going to be a gift (so i can borrow it!). there would appear to be so much we used to know.
the only recall i can share is being around four years old: my dad had just served me and my two brothers a pancake breakfast. mom was scheduled to come home later that day from the hospital with our new little sister. i don’t remember how i did it, but the way i had separated my food into bite-sized pieces caused my dad to ask me “where did you learn to do that?” and i replied “from my father.” no further questions were asked and nothing else was said after that.
i only to remember that event because of the look on my dad’s face–it was like dumbfounded crossed with ‘how dare you’…
it may sound cliche, but so true: your book & website are great connectors of timely information.
thanks again.
mike
December 24, 2009 at 6:10 pm |
Mike,
Glad you dialed in. This past life – reincarnation event is hard to grasp. But it is yours – the journey is eternal. Honor that privilege by continuing to grow spiritually.
Bruce
November 12, 2009 at 2:11 am |
Hi,
Thank you for sharing your son’s story with me. Both of my parents read the book and gave it to me yesterday. I finished it at midnight.
My parents did not tell me until I was 13 (I am 42 now), that between the ages of 3-5 I talked of my life in France, my other mother and father, my black maid, and the dresses I would wear, and the spiral stair case I use to walk down showing off my clothes. In my waking hours, I would tell them of all the great things, but at night, I guess I had horrible nightmares of being ripped apart by animals. I remember none of this. They said they would just listen to me talk, and really ask no questions. Now they say they wish they had taken notes.
There are other dreams that I have had, but I am certain they were not about that life time. I have had a reoccuring dreams about being a 12 year old boy, and that my parents were hiding me from confederate soldiers (I think that is what they were) that wanted to take me away. They hid me under the floor boards of the housei it was kind of like a dirt crawl space. After the soldiers were gone, (I could hear them stomping over head) my mother gave me a bag of food, hid me on the back of a wagon under hay and told me to go north, and, well that is when the dream ends.
Don’t mean to sound like a nut job, but, these things have really happened to me. I know I have lived before.
My mom and dad asked me what I thought after I read the book. I told them that I know we have all lived before, and littleman’s recollections confirm this, and is a comfort.
December 6, 2009 at 5:53 pm |
Your book caught my eye at the library. Events of my sons childhood made me wonder …. many very similar to James. My son as a toddler had a strong draw to WWII aircraft, but his interest was the stuff used in Europe especially B17’s. I will never forget at about age 3 we went to an air show we knew would be exciting for him he and I were walking around the b17 and the veteran asked him “do you like the plane?” my little boy answered ” no, that is not right” pointing to some hatch. The veteran told me that during restoration they couldnt get the right hatch and he was right. This small boy liked to talk to the veterans and his knowledge of events were incredible until one veteran pointed out he didnt know much beyond Swineford…or something like that. I had to laugh in your book you have a photo of James with a cloth helmet. I have almost a similar one of my son with a helmet found at a garage sale I couldnt get off his head. He had a similar “cockpit”. I guess since my son never had nightmares I lived with the feeling he was an old soul and never really delved any deeper. I am proud to say that boy has grown into a well respected Army Officer who is currently serving in Afghanistan. He chooses to jump out of perfectly good airplanes into war.As his mother I tell people I always knew he would find his way to the army. How blessed I am to be his mother.
December 24, 2009 at 6:07 pm |
Jill,
The gift of witnessing this phenomenal type of event is truly a thing that has us all feeling truly blessed.
Just remember – this means that your precious child picked you to be his mother.
Merry Christmas!!!
Bruce
December 8, 2009 at 11:00 am |
Dear Andrea & Bruce,
Congratulations on writing a very moving account of your experiences.
It was such good teamwork, with James bringing all his powerful memories and you as parents having the love, patience and energy to research so thoroughly. Once it gets going, the story unfolds so beautifully.
I think Soul Survivor could become a classic bestseller, like George Ritchie’s ‘Return from Tomorrow’ and Raymond Moodie’s ‘Life after Life’. But I feel there is some room for improvement in the presentation – particularly in the first 50 pages. If you are interested in having some constructive criticism for the next edition, could you send me an email and I will reply to that? Regards, Phil Bromley – Adelaide Australia
December 14, 2009 at 1:20 am |
Dear Andrea and Bruce:
I recently received this e-mail attachment from my WW II veteran (B-26 pilot) cousin in Ohio of a model builder in New Zealand and one of the exact models is a Corsair. I thought James would would be interested in this. There is also a model club in Ohio that flies R/C models of the plane that James flew. I hope the file displays at your end.
I am also with you in your research in James story as I have searched my own past, though not until I was in my late 30’s. Even so before that I took a serious interest in the subject as my mother certainly believed in it when I was in my teens. I am now 65. I never believed in something until I prooved iot for myself and this metaphysical interest has been my most interesting of my many hobbies over the years. More later.
This is absolutely fascinating – unbelievable!
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P51 Mustang
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Using a tweezers, the controls can be moved. All cables and linkages are in place to work the wing control surfaces as well. Young Park has since carved a pilot’s face and hands from solid aluminum and built an articulated pilot to sit in the cockpit�Remember this as you look at the pics……….. All the controls work as designed, by cables, chains, linkages and levers.
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All these controls WORK!!!!!…….. And that means they work the parts of the aircraft via rods and chains as in the original aircraft!!!!
Every single part hand made and fitted.
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Don’t forget the tiny�scale……… go up again and look at the pic of the fingers and tweezers!
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Machine guns and bullets………
Detail of three .50 Cal. machine guns and ammo cans. Ammo cans are loaded outside the aircraft and then simply set into place in the wing. Their doors become the top surface of the wing. This allowed for rapid reloading by the ground crew.
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Mr. Park generously donated the first (cutaway) Corsair model to the Joe Martin Foundation. It can be seen in person in its display at the Foundation’s museum in the Sherline building in Vista, California. A collection of photos showing how the model was built and all the historical data on the Corsair Mr. Park collected to build it has also been donated and is available for viewing. In 2005, Mr. Park also donated the second corsair and it is also now on display in the Foundation’s museum.
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Showing the extent of his carving skills, Mr. Park sculpted a pilot’s head and hands out of solid aluminum. The articulated figure is dressed in a custom made uniform and can be placed in any position to give a good sense of scale to the model.
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P51 MUSTANG
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Inside the left wing you can see the .50 cal ammunition threaded into the three wing guns. Each round is machined in 3 parts�brass cartridge with copper bullet and primer and is held together with a small copper feed jacket.
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engine exhaust ports……. pic taken during assembly.
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Control wires are being threaded around their pulleys underneath the cockpit during construction. (Y. Park photo)
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The radiator air intake sits under the fuselage ready for installation. Much of the detail of some of the parts is hidden once it is assembled. (Y. Park photo)
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The wing being made.
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Each panel is hand formed over a wooden shape. The metal is annealed to the proper softness and then pounded and bent into shape. The plane is made up of many individual panels, and the fits between panels are just about perfect. (Y. Park photo)
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Here we see the panel above in it’s final position. Looks easy now, doesn’t it? (Y. Park photo)
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The form for the air intake and the final part. As is often the case in machining and model making, fixtures, moulds, formers and�jigs to make the final parts can take a long time to make and are never seen by the public viewing the finished model. (Y. Park photo)
AvCraft Engineering New Zealand Ltd
Taonui Airport
Feilding, New Zealand 4702
December 24, 2009 at 6:05 pm |
Robert,
For some reason the photos did not open. Please send to my personal e-mail. bruceapr@cox.net.
Bruce
December 16, 2009 at 10:28 pm |
I have a story that I have been trying to share for some time. As soon as I discovered your book this summer I purchased it and read it immediately. It interested me because I was curious how one might go about sharing a story dealing with such an incredible topic. I, like Bruce am a huge skeptic by nature. I will not go so far as to say what I am dealing with is reincarnation, but it is something. I emailed Carol Bowman after reading the book and we traded a few emails. She told me that it was an intriguing story but she specialized only in cases of children. So where does that leave the individuals who grew up with something of that nature? I created ejoftheworld.com recently to help further my effort. It is currently being reviewed by the Chief of my tribe, but he was uneasy (and rightly so) with it when I shared it years ago so I know not how he will react now. I feel a desperate need to share this story and thought perhaps you could offer some assistance, if only advice. Please take a look at my site and let me know what you think. Thanks
December 24, 2009 at 6:04 pm |
EJ,
How do I get to your site? No link was provided.
My personal e-mail is bruceapr@cox.net. Send me a link.
Bruce
December 17, 2009 at 9:35 pm |
Please dont blow me off as a religious fanatic. But rather one who understands our Heavenly Fathers Plan. Before this life we lived with him & all our spiritual brothers and sisters. We could see our Father In Heaven how glorifed he was and we to wanted to be just like him. Our Father In Heaven created a plan for us to gain a glorified body like his. He said we must come to a mortal planet his son Jesus Christ would create under his direction. We actually shouted for joy in the Heavens where we dwelt except for one. His name was Lucifer he had his own plan and it was not accepted. Lucifer was cast out of heaven along with 2/3s of the host of heaven who followed him. Before this earth was created phyiscally it was created spiritually first, then mortally. Lucifer was put here with the host that followed his plan to tempt us under the laws of free agency(eternal laws that God abides by). If we choose to do good and keep his commandments we will rise up to be with him. If we choose to do evil we will not receive all that he wants us to have. That is to be just like him, Glorious with a perfect resurected body. He even sent his only perfect son Jesus Christ to suffer bleed and die to satisfy the other eternal law God lives by mercy. If under his wisdom if just one of his spirit children does not get his fair chance to prove himself on this earth he may send him back to gain the experiences he missed out on so that our Heavenly Father can give him all the blessings he has earned. We all want eternal life with a glorifed resurrected body like our Father in Heaven and his perfect son Jesus Christ. If you would like to know more ask me. Clark VanWoerkom
December 24, 2009 at 6:02 pm |
Clark,
I am in complete agreement and a total acceptance of Jesus Christ as my Savior.
He delivered the gift of Salvation via his sacrifice at the behest of His Father.
God has blessed us. Merry Christmas. Jesus is truly the reason for the season.
Bruce Leininger
December 29, 2009 at 9:43 am |
Thank you so much for publishing your and of course James’s story. I saw your book when I was buying my wife a Christmas present and mentioned it to her, I then got your book for Christmas. I have just finished it (at 3:30 am) and I must say it brings up a lot of issues.
I have been involved in Living History since I was in my early teens, before that my Father and I would always go to historical sites where I would spend many very confortable hours. While I can’t remember any lives I may have lived before, I do have a very vivid memory from when I was around 4.
I was in my room and I had just woken from a nap and the only thing I thought as I looked around was “Oh not again”. Even when I had the thought many years ago now, I knew I was thinking about a bigger picture than just a childs thought. I have a strong sence that I was not looking forward to the all the things that were to come. It was, in my opinion, a very deep thought for a young child to have.
I mentioned that I am involved in Living History, the three periods that I am most strongly drawn to are the American Revolution, the American Civil War and WW2. My whole family is drawn to Living History, though my wife will not participate in anything to do with the Civil War, at one small event in Upstate New York where we were demonstrating to a crowd the medical procedures and treatment of the wounded when we had an “incident”. I was portraying a mortally wounded soldier and my wife was to come to me and sit with me and act as a nurse. All went as planned until she was told, and she knew the script, that I had been mortally wounded. At that point she was a women posessed, she came to me screaming and begged the doctor to do something, anything to save me. She was inconsolable and the emotions that were pouring out were not that of someone playing along, but someone who had been in that situation before. After that she could not watch a Civil War battle reenactment, then later just to show up would put her in a state of dispair, for which she cannot explain. I could go on…
My period that I am drawn most to is WW2, and in particular RCAF Bomber Command. It really hit home for me and I tend to get lost in the stories very easily. I watched a BBC show on a bomber crew who were living out a raid that they had been on and although no special effects were used, just the drone of the engines and the particular way a voice sounds in an intercalm. I must say, I was drawn in and was quite shaken by the end in a way that imagination cannot fully explain.
Anyway sorry for rambling on. I could and probably should write this all down.
Thank you again for writing your book and believing in your Son and your patient and carefull guidence through his current and past nightmares.
A late Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and yours.
Daniel Copeland
January 1, 2010 at 12:18 am |
Dear Andrea, Bruce, and James
I can’t relate experiences from my children as In my 53 years, I haven’t had the pleasure of having any. I can’t even say that I have my own story because there are only haunting fragments, nightmares, and suspisions that have been with me all of my life and only growing stronger in these later years.
I’ve always been a person of many diverse interests but my attention has always been dominated near to the point of obsession by anything concerning knights, swords and armor to WWII aircraft. From my earliest memories as a boy to present those are the things that I connect to the most. And by far the connection to the aircraft is by far the strongest. I became aware of your family on Dec. 22 while surfing the CNN news site. As I watched the first clip from Larry King Live, I felt as if someone was putting an iceicle through my chest. Where your son’s memories are so much more vivid than anything I’ve experienced over the years I can’t help but hope that maybe the cheese hasn’t slipped totally off my cracker! I bought your book the same day from Amazon.com and read it cover to cover today. Unfortunatly, it didn’t answer any of the questions that I have but if anything just gave me more questions. It did make me want more than ever to find the answers to quest6ions in my mind that truly have haunted me for a good share of my life. Questions like: Why have I always been obsessed with the P-40 and the P-38? Why when I stood in front of a P-38 for the first time at an air show when I was in my early thirties did I find myself going into a preflight inspection and then found a moment of excitement and joy at seeing one of my favorite planes “in the flesh” turn to extreme gut wrenching, sobbing grief. (Rather embarrasing really… Could almost hear some kid somewhere saying, “Mommy, why is that man crying?” At any rate, Andrea, my reaction was a mental “what the F” like your sister’s… So many things that I discovered that I “knew” that I don’t recall ever learning that I just can’t explain. Trying to convince a friend years ago when he let me take the controls of his plane for the first time, that I had never flown before. He never did believe me. Why the night mares still come. Why the sumer becore last, my desire to fly became a compulsion. So I started on working on a pilot’s license after all these years. Sure, I’ve wanted to, all my life but now feel like I have to. (kinda tough when your budget would have to improve to be considered a “shoestring budget”! Hopefully, I’ll solo in the spring. Flight ops are suspended for the winter)
Any way, enought of my rambling. Discovering your experiences has given me at least some hope that maybe I’m not nuts… Well, not totally!
Thank you so much
Charlie
minstrel49042@comcast.net or hollemanc@michigan.gov
January 17, 2010 at 10:05 pm |
Charlie,
I am not an advocate of regression therapy – but in your case it may help unlock some information.
Live your passion – if compulsion pushes you in the direction it is then follow it.
Bruce
January 2, 2010 at 10:08 am |
I’ve just learned about your son’s story and your book a few hours ago through web surfing. I felt I had to share our son’s story. When he was about 2 or 3, he showed a strong preference for the singing of Edith Piaf who was a French torch songstress active through WWII. It was also when he was 3 that he approached me and said, “I need to play the violin.” Not “I want”, but “I need”. He was immediately put on a waiting list for a local string school.
Three seems to be around the age where these things surface. He would sit in rapt attention while we watched a documentary about the Battle of Guadalcanal. It was a 2 hour long program, and rather dry in parts, but he loved it. He would cry along with the veterans interviewed about their past experiences. He preferred watching it to other “kid” shows. I’ll never forget the time when a friend of his, older by about 2 years, was visiting and wanted to watch SpongeBob, our son turned to him and said emphatically, “No! I want to watch these men.”
For some reason, it was always the Battle of Guadalcanal or submarines. When he was about 4, we took him on a 3 hour tour of the Battleship New Jersey. He LOVED it, and was asking the docent unbelievable questions about the ship; things which your “garden variety” 4-year-old would have no interest in, and of which a layperson would have had no experience. Then, (I knew it was coming), he asked if that particular ship was in the Battle of Guadalcanal. The docent said “yes”, but I researched it later and learned that it was on its way to the battle which was over before the ship arrived.
He would also say things like, “I remember that from a long time ago.”
When he got a bit older, he would draw pictures of submarines and his new favorite movie became U-571.
He’s 12 years old now, and doesn’t seem to be as interested in subs, though he is enjoying history quite a bit.
January 17, 2010 at 10:09 pm |
Sherilyn,
Your son most probably had a “past life”. If you have some books about Guadalcanal you might prompt some memories if your son looked at photos of the island.
Would be interesting to see what would happen.
February 1, 2014 at 2:49 am |
Hi Sherilyn- What an amazing experience! Were you able to figure out any more information? (as bruce mentioned?). I am a producer of the television show, “Ghost Inside My Child”, which is about children with real past life experiences. The Leininger’s (who have given me permission to post on their blog) were featured in our first episode. I would love to speak to you further about your son’s story. I would be more than happy to send you some links to our show so you can take a look if you haven’t seen it. If you are interested in sharing your story, please email me at mychildstory@yahoo.com
Many Blessings,
Sandra
January 10, 2010 at 6:55 am |
Hi Bruce, Andrea and James-
I don’t have a story to share, I just want to tell you how fascinating your book is. Such an amazing story. Does James still remember these events?
I also like reading about the WWII vets. I am glad to hear that you are able to tell their stories so they are not forgotten.
Thanks for sharing your story.
Elaine
January 17, 2010 at 10:14 pm |
Elaine,
No, James does not remember the events. From what we have learned from Carol Bowman and Jim Tucker, who are experts in this field of past life memories, James has had the typical experience. The memories begin to fade around age 5-6 and by 9-10 they are completely gone.
The opportunity to capture the memories of the vets and become their friends has been a blessing and privilege. My goal is to never forget them. Our book has memorialized them and their ship. Book two will focus on both.
Glad you enjoyed our story.
January 17, 2010 at 10:02 pm |
Daniel,
The “triggers” that affected your wife and seem to draw you to another were the same as James experienced. Some of his recollections were prompted by “trigger” like meatloaf, the trip to the Cavanaugh, and the incident where a toy airplane “smelled like an aircraft carrier”.
It still amazes me that all this has happened.
Keep track of everything. At some point it may give enough detail to tell a complete story.
Bruce
January 19, 2010 at 5:39 am |
I just finished your book—-thanks to you all for sharing your story.
I hav a question about one tiny part of an important episode. When you visited the site in Japan where James Huston was shot down, Dre told James Leininger that “It’s time to say good-bye…..It’s time to let go.”
This was very puzzling to me! How could James L. say good-bye to part of himself? Wasn’t the point of all of your work to find out about what made up his memories, what was part of who he is? That request seemed to deny everything else in the book, including the title: if James H’s soul survived in James L, how could anyone say good-bye to James H? Why would there be any need to do that?
Hope to hear from you.
Thanks,
Barbara
Please help me understnd. I will appreciate it.
January 19, 2010 at 4:07 pm |
Hi Barbara,
Thank you for asking; I will try to explain my thinking on this point. There were several things I was trying to do at that moment; First, I wanted there to be an actual memorial service for James Huston. Having been shot down in that harbor and dying in such a horrible way, I felt that having a service was important to bringing closure to my James and the Huston family. In any death, it’s important for the surviving family members to be able to say their final good-bye and move forward.
What complicates matters in this case it that the person we were memorializing was the spirit of my son in a former life! James was 8 at the time, and I felt the whole past-life memory experience was confusing for him. I didn’t WANT him to remember that terrible crash! And I didn’t want him to be confused about who he is. He has a life to live as James Leininger, and I wanted to try to find a way to help him end that chapter and move on. What I actually said to him was “James Huston has been a part of your life for as long as you can remember, and he’ll always be an important part of who you are. But you need to say good-bye to James Huston so you can move forward with your life as James Leininger. It’s time to say good-bye.” That’s when he broke down and started sobbing.
I know he couldn’t really say “good-bye” to James Huston, since they share the same spirit, but it was a way for me to help James make the differentiation between who he is and who James Huston was. They share the same spirit, but they are not the same person. Of all the things I’ve done for my son, this was probably the most significant. When we got back to shore, you could telll James had changed. There was a sense of relief that was palpable, and he was not the same child after that. He stopped drawing fiery, violent drawings. He became interested in Star Wars and Spider Man whereas before he was only interested in planes planes planes. And he never had another nightmare again.
I don’t know if you’re a mom or not, but if you are, you know that no one understands their own child like a mother! I knew I needed to bring some kind of closure to my son and to James Huston. The fact that doing that made such a profoundly positive change in James convinces me that I did exactly the right thing for him at that time. I hope this helps you to understand!
Thanks,
Dre
January 20, 2010 at 4:16 am |
Thank you so much for explaining that, Dre! The way you explain it here makes perfect sense, and I applaud your very circumspect and respectful way of acknowledging both Jameses. I guess that wasn’t quite clear in the book, but you’re absolutely right.
And you’re right, too that you know best what’s best for James L. I certainly wasn’t challenging your skills and talents as a mother (it’s very obvious from the book , and from the interviews I’ve seen, that you amd Bruce are very conscientious, aware, truly gifted parents). I just wondered about that bit, as that didn’t make sense to me.
I don’t have children, but I’ve been working for children for most of my professional life—as an attorney and a teacher. I believe they’re people who often aren’t taken seriously or listened to enough. I was so touched to see the deep respect and understanding with which you treat James L. He chose very well…..I really shudder to think what his life may have been like without you.
Again, THANKS for your reply. I knew you’d make sense, that I just didn’t have the whole story. I think you, Bruce, and I share the conviction that people of all ages deserve to be listened to with care and treated with dignity.
Best always,
Barbara
January 20, 2010 at 5:49 pm |
Barbara,
Andrea did a great job answering you, so I do not need to go over that ground again.
At the point in time that we figured out that James was telling us what happened and it was at Chichi Jima I wanted to go there for several reasons.
1) To actually see the place where James Huston was killed.
2) To memorialize that spot – not just for the Huston family but the other 20 men who were lost serving aboard Natoma Bay.
The location of the remains of those 20 men is unknown.
3) Being at that location would hopefully bing some closure to james and the family. But we really did not know how James would respond.
In addition, we did not want to shape his response.
The event had a life changing impact on all of us. James recognized the island as the place that his aircraft had been lost.
There is no way we can really know what he felt but we saw what he did and said.
As Andrea indicated, he left something at Chichi Jima. there is no doubt that some healing took place. The day after we memorialized the crash site I wrote the following.
The last few lines summarized my feelings then and now.
WELCOME ROCK
A sentinel of peace greeted us as we sailed into Futami Ko.
A heavenly paradise strikes our senses.
The world has passed by this Eden.
James, Andrea, Sachi, Keishi, Jun, Takao and me
We are among the lucky few to witness such beauty.
Except for a brief period of war
In the eons of time that have passed
Chichi Jima has been a place of pristine peace.
It remains so.
To be here in is to be in a dream.
Gazing upon Welcome Rock in the early morning light;
My eyes tell me this is no dream.
Near this sentinel we honored James M. Huston, Jr.
His body rests for eternity in these pristine waters.
But it was here on 3 March 1945 that his spirit was liberated.
Welcome Rock now marks a gate to Heaven.
The spirit Huston first carried to this place has returned with my son.
Courageously, James laid flowers on these waters.
A boy of eight years then stood erect and saluted.
In a steady voice he saluted as he spoke.
“Jim Huston, I will never forget you.”
We will never forget what we saw and heard.
We witnessed a spirit carrying on through eternity.
We are blessed to witness this miracle.
God has delivered this eternal gift to each of us.
Bruce Leininger
Futami Ko, Chichi Jima
5 September 2006
March 1, 2014 at 6:16 am
I noticed that after 2011 you stopped responding. What happened?
January 20, 2010 at 11:50 pm |
Hi Bruce,
That is a beautiful poem, so powerful.
Cheers, Phil
February 6, 2010 at 8:22 pm |
Phil,
The focus of my writing effort is to use as few words as possible. I am an information junkie and love the process of wading through mounds of data to get to the information I need. But for most, that is a boring drudgery. If I share all the info it will bore people to sleep. Currently I am working on book number two. My tentative title is “One Lucky Ship”, but recently I have pondered a new title “A Navy of Angels” a book about all twenty souls that were liberated while serving aboard NATOMA BAY.
All the very best to you.
Bruce
January 21, 2010 at 3:48 am |
It’s lovely, so spare and yet so eloquent. It should have been in the book.
Many thanks for sharing it, and for your very generous responses to your readers.
Best always,
Barbara
January 22, 2010 at 6:26 pm |
Barbara,
Thanks. The experience at Futami Ko was life changing for James and us.
One seldom recognizes life changing events when they occur, but there was no mistaking this one.
Bruce
February 12, 2010 at 1:50 am |
Revbh’s remarks and your responses are interesting. I don’t think the question of the two Jameses’ identity is a trivial one. Did James say anything more about the between-life state that he experienced other than what little is in the book?
March 16, 2010 at 2:22 pm |
Dear Andrea, Bruce and James
I have just finished reading your moving book – thank you ever so much for sharing your story with the world!
As a child from a Brazilian Christian family who have always believed in reincarnation as a natural path for every single person on the planet, and who have just started to study it seriously again, I feel happy to be able to share your book with many friends to whom I try to explain my beliefs. To me, life after death is a fact.
There is no mystery in reincarnation, it actually makes life, God and evolution make sense. I guess you may have come across this doctrine during your research, but in case you haven’t, here is where I found all answers to all questions I could have about existence: it is not a religion, but much more than a way of life or a code of moral and ethical behaviour; we call it Spiritism.
Here is a good starting point in English if you or any of the reader of this blog would like to learn more: http://www.allan-kardec.org/
Future,
Paula
April 17, 2010 at 12:21 am |
Reply to Vincent: After carefully reading your thoughtful post, your alternative “possibilities” to reincarnation are far more complex and bizarre than the simple fact of reincarnation. Each of your three alternatives subsumes a supernatural element. I’m honestly curious about why you might consider a complex set of supernatural factors more plausible than simple reincarnation. Demonic possession has quite specific manifestations that do not correspond with persons who profess memories of past lives. I wonder if you have any actual training and/or experience with demonic possession as it contrasts with memories of past lives? Or, are you pinch hitting in subjects with which you have neither extensive knowledge nor experience?
April 19, 2010 at 10:03 am |
I read about Soul Survivor just before Christmas 2009 and my youngest son, Luke, bought it for me. I started to read the book and just could not put it down until I got to the end. Reading it spookily reminded me of the dreams I had experienced as a very young child. Dreams in which I had walked on to a sandy beach at night, walking through a gap in the Tamarisk trees on the edge of the shore. The beach was sandy but was riven by the waves and I remember walking on this strange surface. The moon was high in the sky and I recall looking at the moon and then being aware that someone was behind me and then I was choking because someone had grabbed me by the neck and was strangling me…….and I also used to ‘fly’ at night in my ‘dreams’ – I would swoop and dive over mountains, fields, rivers, etc. and although I had never been in an aeroplane I knew exactly what the earth looked like from an aircraft. It was only the first time that I went up in an aircraft that I realised that I had indeed seen it all before!!! I have experienced many strange things in my life, as a child I used to hear my name – Susan – Susan – Susan- until one day I stomped in to my parents bedroom and said What do you want? Mum and dad dragged themselves up in to a sitting position and Mum asked me why I had said what I had. I told her she kept calling my name and so I wanted to know why she had called me. Her reply was – Don’t worry, it wasn’t me but this happened to me when I was young too. So I toddled off to bed and went back to sleep. I often sensed things and could pick up vibes from places I visited. On holiday in Dovercourt with my cousins and uncles and aunts I was given the top bedroom in the attic with my cousins, Jane and Christine. Each time I walked up the final set of stairs to the attic I would shudder. Jane asked me why I did this and I said I could sense something in the air above my head. She said nothing but I kept going on about it!! On the last day of our stay we met some local boys (same age as us – about 10) who asked where we were staying and when I pointed to the house – just up from the beach and directly next to open green space – they all said ‘Not THAT HOUSE – a man hanged himself in the attic!!! Two years ago a radio presenter asked people to ring in if they had ever experienced anything they couldn’t explain. So I rang in thinking I was talking to an intermediary but later found out I was talking to a live radio audience. I was asked for my experience and I explained that I thought I had walked through a type of hologram. I could see real life going on around me, but superimposed on top of what I could see as real life was another experience involving the exact same place – an underground railway station. I was seriously freaked by what I saw and rushed in to work. I told my colleagues what had happened in detail and then later that morning I went to the cloakroom and when I returned all my colleagues were hanging out of the window saying ‘Come Sue and see what’s happening’. So I did, and there I saw what I had foreseen several hours before. Fire engines, firemen and much activity and panic. I was literally amazed because I had foreseen this a few hours earlier. The person on the radio turned out to be a clairvoyant (a well known one Richard Lawrence) and he just said Susan you are totally clairsentient – you need to develop this as you have a gift. To date I haven’t done this but I just know certain things when I meet people or see a place I haven’t seen before. And very occasionally I do hear things. Once I was on a train returning home from visiting Jane in Bournemouth (UK) and a voice in my head said ‘Janet is pregnant’. I got home about 30 minutes later and the first words my mum said as I opened the back door in to the kitchen were ‘Janet is pregnant’ – upon hearing this I burst out laughing and said ‘Actually I was told that on the train in Raynes Park’ and mum laughed too saying ‘I always knew you were a witch’.
Thank you for reading this – Sue Bellord
July 29, 2010 at 4:34 pm |
Hi Bruce and Andrea, I have your book and I’m almost finished reading it. The link above is for a site that carries some Airshow DVD’s. I recommend that first one to you for James ~ The Sussex Airshow 2002-2003 “The biggest little airshow in the world”. It was my parent, Paul Styger, who put on the Airshows here. He is still living, btw. The last one was in 2004 ~ the 32nd. Speaking for myself, I have believed in reincarnation for decades and was brought up in the Baptist church here.
Thanks and God bless you.
Jack
July 30, 2010 at 3:13 pm |
Have you heard of Family Radio? I’ve been listening to it for about 30 years. According to Harold Camping’s study of the Bible the world will end next year ~ 2011, with the “Rapture” being on May 21, 2011 and the full end of the world on Oct. 21, 2011. Btw, I personally went through a charismatic time with speaking in tongues too. I was disappointed though, when the “prosperity preachers” did not want to open their wallets to me when I really needed it and I still do want help.
August 8, 2010 at 3:38 am |
Dear Andrea, Bruce and James,
I finally picked up a copy of Soul Survivor today and haven’t been able to put it down. I’ll probably finish reading it tonight. Thanks for sharing this story. This is probably one of the best documented stories of reincarnation that I’ve read.
My own interest in reincarnation began after reading about Dr. Ian Stevenson’s work with traumatized children in Virginia in the 1980’s. He described how young children could recount details of past lives and even mentioned that they had picked their parents while in heaven.
Throughout my life, I’ve had three very vivid dreams that I can recount all the details of, still today. I believe that they were glimpses of past lives. But that is a different story.
I wanted to tell you about a conversation I had one morning with my then three year-old son some thirty years ago. He quite casually mentioned that he remembered going to a circus and seeing a girl performing with a dog on a high wire. The girl fell and was hurt. His mother and I had taken him to a circus in Germany when I was stationed there a year earlier as a member of the US Army. So I said, “Mark are you talking about the circus that Mommy and I took you to in Germany?” He replied in a very matter-of-fact manner, “No, I was grown up then, you and Mommy weren’t there.” He made that statement with all the conviction that it was quite natural that he had been grown up before and was now a child. Having just read the article on Dr. Ian Stevenson some weeks earlier, I knew not to respond respond in a negative fashion. I tryed to ask him a few more questions about this experience he had, but he didn’t have much more to say about it. He never mentioned anything about it again.
August 20, 2010 at 8:42 am |
Thank you for the interesting book. When I was a child, I was obsessed with WWII aviation. No one in my family was involved in any way with aviation, had any interest in the topic, or had any interest in or to ties to military history. I was not as much interested in jets or other types of aviation, but specifically WWII fighters. I read books about it; I dreamed of it; I thought of it; I felt that I was born too late; I longed for it strongly enough that it was painful; and that keen interest lasted into adulthood. What seemed like an answer to a prayer for me was the advent of multiplayer WWII air-combat simulators, which gave me peace in that regard.
I have no idea if your son feels anything like that. But if he does, he’s old enough now to be able to partake in such online simulations. See http://www.ahevents.org/events/scenarios.html if you are interested in such things.
Again, thank you for the interesting book, and best wishes to you and your family.
October 19, 2010 at 3:42 pm |
Thank you for this story. I have been reading many many books on past life and seeking proof. I have read everything from Dr Newton’s Journey of Souls to Destiny of Souls, Seth books to Dr Moody s Life after Life books.
Although all of this other work is really interesting and i do believe in it (i was 90% sure), this story put me at the 100% point that we humans are not temporary and our consciousness survives physical death.
That is – we do have souls. I also agree with Bruce that there are those on other side that do want this story told to show humankind that we are more than just temporary biological entities. Thank you for sharing this amazing story.
November 22, 2010 at 3:59 am |
I have almost finished the book. It appears that you actually did write a book about Natoma Bay. So, you did meet the test of honesty when you inquired so many times (during your research/investigation) under the guise of writing a book about the ship et al. Well done. Army Air Corps!
January 26, 2011 at 7:22 pm |
Hi! I don’t know if you still read the things people write in this blog, but… I’m from Brazil and I’ve just finished reading your book. I’m a spiritist, so I believe in reincarnation. James’ story is fantastic! But what called my attention the most was how your pursuit for answers affected those veterans lives. What you did, leading them to a closure (especially to John Richardson), really amazed me. Congratulations for this wonderful story.
My best wishes to you and James.
March 6, 2011 at 5:32 am |
To Whom It May Concern:
I’m an editor work for a Chinese print newspaper, we are very interested in this topic of reincarnation, we’d like introduce your book to our reader, and we want to know if we can be authorized to use the pictures you’ve released on this website, we’ll indicate the source.
Thanks for your reply
Best regards
March 11, 2011 at 8:53 pm |
Hello! Recently I was in a bookstore in a town I was visiting and saw your book on the shelves. I was immediately intrigued but did not make the purchase as I was traveling. When I returned hope I searched my local bookstore in vain for the book, I could not remember the title or the author and the sales clerk could not help. I received a gift card for Christmas for a big box bookstore and found the book on line and ordered it. I read the entire book in a day and a half. What a compelling story. I had a similar experience with my son when he was two years old. He did not suffer from nightmares, but from the time he could talk he consistently asked me about his “other mother”. “Where is my other mother?”, he would ask. He would also ask about his other house. I have to admit that his apparent longing for his “other mother” was more than a little disconcerning for me. At times my feelings were downright hurt. But hs insisted that I was not his only mother and that his otther mother looked nothing like me. She had red hair and I am a brunette. Our house was small and his other house was larger and painted red. Like James he talked of piloting a plane and being in the army and dying in a plane crash. I never pushed the issue and eventually he stopped asking about his other mother. He is twenty now and has no memory of ever asking me these questions or commenting on being in the army. But, I remember it well as does his sister who is eight years older than he. I believed then, and believe even more so after reading your book, that he was remembering things from a past life. Thanks so much for sharing your story.
February 1, 2014 at 2:47 am |
Dear Cindy- Your story is fascinating, and resonates with a lot of parents who have experienced similar phenomena. I am a producer of the television show, “Ghost Inside My Child”, which is about children with real past life experiences. The Leininger’s (who have given me permission to post on their blog) were featured in our first episode. I would love to speak to you further about your son’s story. I would be more than happy to send you some links to our show so you can take a look if you haven’t seen it. If you are interested in sharing your story, please email me at mychildstory@yahoo.com
Many Blessings,
Sandra
March 24, 2011 at 7:34 pm |
Hi, I discovered the book “Soul Survivor” at my local borders book store. It was kind of hanging off the shelf which I could see from a distance so, I picked it off the shelf and saw the cover which stopped me in my tracks. The Corsair flying through the blue and clouds. When I read “the reincarnation of a WWII fighter pilot” I felt chills run up my spine. I am 58 now born in 52′ I had a repeating nightmare as a child. It was the same dream every time. I was flying my fighter aircraft, a gull wing carrier Corsair in combat. I was hit, my face was on fire as I spiraled into the Sea where everything went black. I had this dream over and over again. I drew pictures of my airplane in battle shooting at other planes with a red meatball on the wings. My mom and dad both asked me how I knew this plane. I replied it was mine. They took me to my Uncle Ron who was a Navy fighter pilot- F4Phantom. He told my parents what kind of plane I was drawing and that I couldn’t have possibly ever seen one. I said, the wings were gull shaped to allow for the oversized prop. I also told them about the pull to the left coming off the launch and how you’d have to line up your approach by looking out of the side of the canopy just before lining up for final. My parents and Uncle were the only people to know my dreams. I have told no one until now because of your book. My God! This has haunted me my entire life and now to know there is someone else who flew the very same plane. I wish sometimes I could recall more. I only remember my death and my trusty aircraft. Thank you so much for sticking with your son James and revealing his amazing story. I was born and raised christian but, have always believed in reincarnation because of my own experience. Much thanks again. Steve Johnson
April 20, 2011 at 9:07 am |
I enjoyed reading “Soul Survivor” two times. I wanted to make sure I didn’t overlook any pertinent facts that would have altered my conclusion. I concluded that your are being totally honest about the events you and your son have experienced.
After reading “Soul Survivor” a second time,
I still have two questions that concern me.
Why did you name your son James?
What if you hadn’t named him James?
I sincerely wish you and James the best
of whatever the future has in store for you.
Respectfully,
Andy Anderson
The seond time was to search for answers just and scanned over it once more
May 16, 2011 at 9:12 pm |
I can’t express how important I believe this book to be. I am a business consultant of more than 30 years. I have read extensively in many areas of business – and in Health, Wealth, Happiness, and Success. I’m not a doctor. I’m not sure there isn’t some exaggeration here. But, both Dr. Levine and what he says “feels” right. And, even if it isn’t, it is a wonderful checklist of things to watch our for and check against. I plan to purchase additional copies for members of my family. I plan to recommend this book to those who attend my seminars.
May 25, 2011 at 2:11 pm |
I can appreciate that you took a lot of time on this. Great job!
May 31, 2011 at 6:55 pm |
I am glad to get email reminders to check this blog site because it renews in me a feeling of comfort and peace every time i read others’ experiences with this phenomena.In Nov.2009 I wrote an account of my son’s “dream” of being a fish looking up through water and seeing me as a little girl on the bank and KNOWING I was going to be his mother.I did not include in that post that also when Andy (my son) was about 3 1/2 when one night while in the bathtub(he LOVED being in water) he said, “I know why we are alive – to love somebody and they love you back.” Well, I just knew something profound was going on with this child. I guess this forum of others’ accounts of so many different scenarios of ” reincarnation ” has validated what I have come to embrace. That is, the complexity of the creations of an Almighty God is far removed from the simple comprehensions of human beings.
Thanks again for sending me email reminders of Soul Survivor blog!!!!
July 1, 2011 at 5:25 pm |
I just finished reading your book and cannot thank you enough for the courage to tell your story. I especially relate to Bruce’s crisis as he sorts through this spiritually.
I have been strongly involved with evangelical Christianity since 1975. I considered myself born again in the evangelical sense and could share the gospel with anyone. In the last six years I have attended a church that challenges many evangelical pillars of thought and I can see now it was preparing me for what was to come.
In the past year and a half I have been seeing a hypnosis therapist for what I thought was simple help in dealing with stress, grief, and so on. I knew nothing of past life regression therapy and that was not promoted by the psychologist. My world has been turned upside down as I have found profound changes in my life through exploring the lives of my past. (I struggle now to even write this). I cannot push under the rug the people, names, life images, I have seen.
I related so much to Bruce’s struggle. Thank you, thank you. Only two people know what I now believe. (this is hard for me even to post but I know I need to) I think this book will help me find others with similar changes of thought and ultimately help others find peace. Your story is not just a story of fascination. Your story is helping others and I hope someday my story will help others too.
August 18, 2011 at 4:30 am |
I agree with Janet H. The book is fascinating, but more important it is a great gift. This family has allowed world of people to begin to more truly know and accept .themselves.
September 3, 2011 at 6:19 am |
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January 17, 2012 at 8:50 pm |
You know, I just finished your book (finally). I’ve avoided it for the simple fact that I didn’t want to be the emotional wreck I am right now.
When I was 35, I suddenly developed a fear of flying. Not flying in itself, but I was afraid that once I got up there, I’d crash. So, while I was studying CranioSacral Therapy, I found myself on the table reliving a similar scenario: flying somewhere over a South Pacific atoll, gorgeous day to be in the air, all was right with the world. Next thing I “look to my left and see the Japs barreling down on me”, strafing me with bullets. I’m hit in the wings and along the side of the body of the plane and start spiraling downward eventually crashing into a jungle-like setting. I didn’t die immediately, but shortly after impact with a broken back and the enemy’s ground troops circling my plane.
Was it real? Yeah, I think so. I’ve walked a number of people through similar situations involving WWII in my practice. I just wanted to let you know I”m so grateful that James has you as parents and you are willing to break through the barriers with him to help him heal.
In peace,
Kelly Lowe, LMT/CST
Atwater CA
January 27, 2012 at 2:07 pm |
Would like to reapond to Clyde Friedman’s July 28, 2009 post: Mr. Friedman,
I feel compelled to comment on your post. In 1980, my husband and I bought an old farm house in PA built in 1864. The home needed extensive work. In one of the bedrooms, there was an old fireplace which had a huge round mirror hanging over the mantle. The mirror was in such bad shape that we got rid of it. A year and half later we had a son. Two and a half years later while I was giving him a bath, he calmly said, “I picked you. I picked you to be my mother. “His comment made me smile and I said, “You did.” He said, “I looked down from heaven and knew you would be a good mother to me, so I picked you.” I smiled and told him thank you. His next sentence totally floored me. He said, “What did you do with the mirror?” I asked him, “What mirror?” He said, “The mirror that used to be in my bedroom?” There is no way on Earth that this little child could have known about that huge old mirror. We did not take any photos of the mirror or we never talked about it. I wish now that I would have listened better and asked him more questions. He never really said anything out of the ordinary after that but this child was so smart. He recited his ABC’s at 18 months. He could always say the alphabet backwards faster than you could say it forward. He aced all his school classes to include 100% in organic chemistry in college. He loves to sing and from the minute he could talk, he would sing. He is now a struggling singer living in New York. Maybe, I can get you to regress him and find out about his past life.
One of my Facebook friends told me that she thought that I was an old soul and we were connected in another life. I just laughed because I don’t have any recalls from another life. She told me to read Many Lives, Many Masters, by Brian Weiss. I bought the book and loved it. I ordered every book he wrote and passed them on to my son and mother. Dr. Weiss has totally changed my life and believe it or not, I am at peace with myself and am not afraid of dying anymore.
I searched YouTube for reincarnation and found James ‘ wonderful story. It brought tears to my eyes. I was immediately fascinated by the Leiningers and hooked on James. My husband is a fighter pilot. One day before work, I searched through my TV programs and taped a segment of “Unsolved Mysteries.” The synopsis mentioned children’s past lives. That day at work, out of the blue I ordered books by Carol Bowman after I did an Amazon search on reincarnation. When I watched the segment of Unsolved Mysteries that night, I was shocked to see it was about Carol Bowman, the very same author of the books I had just ordered. Who or what was trying to tell me something?
I just finished reading Soul Survivor yesterday. I think it was on page 153 where James tells Bruce that he picked him to be his father. And with the exact words my son used to me, he said, “I knew you would be a good daddy to me.” I really had a tear jerking moment and was so touched by those words. I cried through the whole story and felt such heartwarming joy over my whole body. Bruce and Andrea, thank you with all my heart for getting this story out to us. Please give James a hug from me.
January 29, 2012 at 4:45 pm |
First I have to say I thought I was watching and listen to my own son who is now 8 years old. At 2 he started having horrible night terrors. Just like James he would say things I couldn’t make out. He all of sudden he started drawing pictures of army tanks and war.. Then that’s all he talked about. He to could tell us things that happen and what tanks where used for what. He could name the weapons used without ever seeing or knowing about them. He told me one day that he was 16 years old and died at war. He was German killed by the Japanese. His drawling where always about a blooded war scene. His teachers would even say wow he just drawls war scene and talk about WWII. As he is getting old it is less but he still loves WWII. He plays video games that are WWII and he’ll say things like that isn’t the way it really happen. But he doesn’t remember names just gets really STRONG feelings. But he said after seeing James story and can relate to him. When he was born a nurse came to me from the nursery and said there is something about Colin. It is has if he is an Old Soul… He would always be wide awake and never sleep like normal newborns. As if he was taking everything in and pondering about things. Thank you so much for talking about this and making us feel we are not alone on our journey…
Love and Light,
February 1, 2014 at 2:46 am |
Hi Nicole- Thank you for sharing your story. I am a producer of the television show, “Ghost Inside My Child”, which is about children with real past life experiences. The Leininger’s (who have given me permission to post on their blog) were featured in our first episode. I would love to speak to you further about your son’s story. I would be more than happy to send you some links to our show so you can take a look if you haven’t seen it. If you are interested in sharing your story, please email me at mychildstory@yahoo.com
Many Blessings,
Sandra
February 20, 2012 at 10:07 pm |
Hello.
This isn’t a story about my child. This is a story about me. I have a whole different set of memories from a different lifetime. For me, they came out when I happened to visit the farmhouse that I actually lived in, apparently during a previous life, in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. I was 15 years old and my mother and father had just gotten divorced. She had gotten the use of this farmhouse that hadn’t been lived in, in a very long time, on the outskirts of town, and we went to spend a weekend there. As soon as I walked in the door, I knew I had been there before. I kept asking my mother when had we lived here, but she kept insisting that we had never been here previously. I told her that my brother and I used to get yelled at jumping in and out of the wood bin in the kitchen, because we’ll get splinters. I walked in the kitchen, and there was the wood bin, and the same old familiar hand-pump for well water right over the kitchen sink. She was adamant that we had never been to this place, but the memories kept flooding in.
Then my recollections moved into the realm of the impossible. I told her about coming back from boot camp just before being shipped off to fight in World War 1, and told her that because she (I was still placing my current mother into my previous life’s mother’s role here), was so worried about me not coming back, that I had painted my bedroom window a truly awful barberpole blue and white pattern, promising that I would come back someday to fix it; because it’s so awful that I would HAVE to come back someday. So off we trumped up into the bedroom with me leading the way, and there it was in all its glory, the blue and white barberpoled window. While my mother kept saying, “How in the world did you know…”, I kept commenting on how OLD the paint looked. To me it seemed it hadn’t been that long ago that I painted it, and here it was all cracked and peeling, and obviously a great deal of time had passed. I kept on spilling memories until she shook me by the shoulders and told me she didn’t know what was going on with me but what I am saying is impossible. “People don’t COME back,” she said. Like Bruce Leinenger, she had trouble accepting this too.
But I did come back. Not in this lifetime, however, yet I did keep my promise to my mother and I did actually come back…all those years later.
It seemed that visiting the site where I apparently had lived before not only unlocked those memories, but over the span of my life, more memories have eventually come back. And I know now that some of my personality traits that I possess now were there in the previous life too.
For example, I have always been so honest that I tend to speak my mind without engaging my brain first, and my mouth has managed to get me in trouble from time to time. It happened then as it still happens today; although I have since learned to “screen” my thoughts before impulsively saying something I’ll later be sorry for. Well, on the day that I died, that memory came back to me too. I think I was probably in France, and I had opened my mouth and insulted someone over me…perhaps the First Sergeant or the platoon Sergeant, I don’t know exactly. I was put on KP duty, and he went with me to make sure I got the most hated job…peeling potatoes. I had already peeled a pile of potatoes when we came under attack. The sergeant ran by me and ordered me to go get my rifle and fight. I asked him “what about the potatoes?” and he said I am a soldier first. So I went into battle. I got hit. I was mortally wounded, and as I lay dying, I can remember the last thing I said was that at least I didn’t have to peel any more of those damned potatoes.
I can also remember other things, like being a very young child sitting on the top rail of a wooden fence watching people pass through a red covered bridge.
Unfortunately for me, no one is alive from that time period and it isn’t so easy to track down. I once did find a database showing dozens of people from Stevens Point who died in WW1, but without a name to attach myself to, that’s as far as I got. If my mother was as helpful as James’ wonderful parents were (Bruce and Andrea), we would have at least had an address and could have researched city records. To her, however, reincarnation was taboo, and I’ve never brought the subject up with her anymore.
It also explains some other things. For example, why I was so driven in this life to join the Army and have a 27 year career in the military.
Personally, I feel that in the afterlife, the choice is given to us to come back if we feel the desire to, for example, to finish a life cut too short. I feel that was just as true in James Leinenger’s case as it was in mine, whoever I was. I feel that the only way I am going to find out more about myself is to undergo past-life regression hypnotism. (My mother doesn’t believe in that either though, so I’ll have to keep it to myself if I do). I was hoping I could get in contact with someone who might be able to help.
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March 13, 2012 at 4:44 am |
I just lost my dear girlfriend about a month ago and I would like to share my story with you. About 3 weeks after her death, i woke up in the morning and I got this thought about her coming back as my daughter. I believe I got this thought from her. A few days later, i contacted a reputable psychic medium, Kimberly Bunch to channel to my late girlfriend. And she saw that in 5-6 years, i will hold a baby and this baby’s soul is my late girlfriend’s. The medium was not sure whether this baby will be mine or she will be someone else’s. But I know it will be mine because I already got that thought/idea that morning. I didnt tell the medium about that thought before the channeling. I always believe in reincarnation and past lives. When my daughter is here, I will prove that she is my late girlfriend. And I would like to share my story with the world just like you did with your son.
July 23, 2012 at 9:17 am |
How can I get in touch with you? I’m really interested in learning who I might have been in a past life, if it’s possible….. thanks 🙂
November 4, 2012 at 3:23 pm |
How happy it made me feel to see that James’ parents were so supportive, even though they didn’t believe in reicarnation. I had similar experiences as a child, and it has taken 30 years to resolve the trauma of the flashbacks associated with several past lives, themselves filled with traumatic sadness. The common thought is that these past lives, when they present in the current life, are a product of Dissociative Identity Disorder. Until one struggles to come to know and accept these past lives, the affects can be quite debilitating. However, with acceptance comes love. And isn’t that what we’re all really called to do…love ourselves and others? A turning point came when I discovered Children’s Past Lives. For the first time, I saw that I was not alone, and it could be named and confronted in a soul-centric manner, rather than with just the limited scope of traditional psychotherapy, which relies almost completely on the limited capacity of the intellect.
Thank you James, for sharing your story. Thank you Mom and Dad for sharing your son. He is and will be an inspiration to many. Many best wishes and much love!
January 4, 2013 at 3:13 am |
I finished Soul Survivor last night. I am not ashamed to say I wept in the last couple of chapters. We will all know and see one day what I was shown, There is more to come. I experienced an NDE in the winter of 1984 in the mountains of Wyoming. My grandfather ( passed 4 years earlier) was there to meet me ….but I was given a choice…and here I am today wondering why I did not go. What have I not yet done?. Your story touched my soul. Peace be with you..
August 5, 2013 at 3:07 am |
I had an experience with my son Talon, when he was 4, I made him some cookies, and when he was eating them he told me “My other mom’s cookies are better.” I asked him What? His father and I had been together since we were 19, there was no other mother. I told him you don’t have another mother, and he said yes I do, her name is Dannie. And he ran off to play, I told my husband and my mother what had happened, and my husband said, he just has an overactive imagination. My mother thought some lady at preschool was telling him that SHE was his mother. So I just kind of wrote it off, but he talked about her more and more, and so I started asking questions. I have always been a believer in past lives so I got curious. I found out that he had a sister, and he couldn’t remember his father because he would say that his NOW father was his THEN father. But he told me that they were very poor, and that he didn’t have any toys, but you can tell he loved his mother so much. My son has always had plenty to eat with me, but has always acted like he was starving. My mother has always said that she thought I was starving when I was pregnant, because he would eat like he would never get another meal. He would also take the bag of bread and hide under the table and eat it. Also, he has a fear of me leaving and not coming back. He would freak out if I was going somewhere and didn’t take him. I would have to tell him, I am going to work, I
l’ll be back later. And he would let me go, to this day he has to know where I am going and when I am coming back. After asking him a lot of questions and him not really wanting to answer most of them, he told me that his mother left him at home and never came home again. My mother and I think that he starved to death. He doesn’t remember Dannie now, or his other life, but he still has his bread fettish, though he knows he doesn’t have to hide under the table to eat it.
February 5, 2014 at 12:11 am |
Twilight-
This is so fascinating. I produce a show about children who have had past life memories, and I would love to talk to you more about your son’s experiences. (The show is “Ghost Inside My Child”, the same show that featured Andrea, Bruce and James Leininger) Feel free to email me at mychildstory@yahoo.com or call me at the office- 323-410-7580
Best,
Sandra
January 19, 2019 at 5:02 am
Hahah I am so sorry, I haven’t been on here in years obviously. My son is 12 now, he still loves bread and will grab a slice afterschool for a snack. He still freaks out every once in awhile if he feels separated from his family. He missed his bus today, I ran up to the school after 15 minutes of him not being home at his usual time. He was there at the office, I went in and he looked fine. A little pink in the cheeks, I could tell he was flustered. As soon as he seen me his eyes filled with tears, but held it together until we got in the truck to go home. Mind you our house is on the same street about 1000 feet away. Sorry it took so long to get back to you, I would have called, it must not have been meant to be.
September 27, 2013 at 9:56 pm |
Dear Leininger family:
I am simply at a loss for words. I am 66 years old. All my life like James I had a recurring dream. I was on a island with a seawall in front of me and a lagoon to my back, screaming in pain. I astonished my mother at 3 by identifying the rank of a Marine Master Gunnery Sargent in dress blues on a street in Detroit. I have lived and been tormented by this recurring dream of that island all my life. I correctly identified it at 5 by looking at a picture of the seawall on Tarawa. I was told I was imagining things . I have shared this with only two people other then my parents my entire life.
One of the two gave me a copy of Soul Survivor. I read it today in one sitting. I could not put it down. I was crying, laughing and saying out loud ” Im not nuts Im not nuts”. I have a spirituality and I never ruled out reincarnation but up until a hour ago I never thought it could be true. I never understood the dream, why I named my toys things that no one in my family understood. Why I always loved all things Marine. Why my area of concentration as a History major in college was WW2 and the Pacific.
Im stunned, overwhelmed and somewhat joyous at this revelation I have just experienced. It seems from reading other comments I am not alone. Your book was beautifully written and absorbing. I wish I would have known this years ago as it would have possibly made living with this a bit easier. For the first time in my life I am actually looking forward to what my wife calls ” the dream ” to see if it still scares the hell out of me.
I wish James a long a fruitful life, I wish you both the best and thank you not only for solving something that has tormented me but for honoring so many that should never be forgotten.
My God, now I know.
Don Dawkins
November 13, 2013 at 3:24 am |
My mother claims that when I was a child I would say strange things to her like describing things we would do when I was big and she was little. Once I asked her if she was going to take a towel to bible study after she had very secretly planned to be baptized. I remember having recurring dreams of being chased through a castle and falling out a window and dying, around the age of 5 or 6. More recently, I’ve described this castle to my mother and she says that her and two of her sister’s have dreamed of the same castle. Then I discovered that castle actually exists. It’s the Český Krumlov Castle. Upon seeing pictures of it, i realized i knew it. It was the castle fdom my dream, just like i had described in detail. Upon further research, it happens to be the place where a girl named Marketa Pichler was brutally murdered and thrown from a window. I have read about her and every time I do, I cry. I feel so oddly connected to her,I can’t even describe it. Like an invisible thread ties ms to her and i feel what she felt. Our family line can be traced back to that area. I always assumed she had been a relative, but perhaps I was actually her.
On another note, my daughter who is now 6, said to me when she was 3 or 4 that she remembered before she was born. I ashed her where she was before she was borh , and she said, very matter of factly, “with God.”
November 13, 2013 at 3:47 am |
More of the story, if anyone is interested..
In 1607 don Julius Caesar D’Austria, the troublesome illigitmate son of Emperor Rudolf II, who had be given the castle, evidently became close with Markéta Pichler, the daughter of the local barber Zikmund Pichler and his wife Lucie. Don Julius invited Markéta to live with him with the permission of her parents. But after some time he became angry with her, beat her, cut her several times with a knife and because he thought he had killed her, threw her from a window onto the rocks. This event was also noted by the Rosenberg chronicler Václav Březan : “She was so terribly damaged that she was no longer a single piece of body, and in this condition she was thrown by him to the rocks. But it wasn´t meant to be her last hour, because she fell on a rubbish heap which saved her life. Once she was healthy again she hid herself from him, but he kept returning to her mother so Markéta had to go to him again.”
When Markéta became healthy, don Julius asked her father to give him Markéta back, but he refused to do so, fearing for her life. Don Julius put him into prison and threatened to kill him if Markéta wouldn´t come. After 5 weeks of prison, Markéta´s mother agreed to bring her daughter and brought her to the castle on Sunday. The next day, on Monday 18th February 1608, don Julius in a fit of anger brutally killed Markéta and disfigured her dead body. This tragic event was also recorded by Václav Březan: “on the 18th of February, Julius, that awful tyrant and devil, bastard of the Emperor, did an incredibly terrible thing to his bed partner, the daughter of a barber, when he cut off her head and other parts of her body, and people had to put her into her coffin in single pieces.”
February 5, 2014 at 12:56 am |
Greetings! It’s wonderful to hear all of your stories.
I produce a show about children who have had past life memories, “Ghost Inside My Child” (our show featured Andrea, Bruce and James Leininger) if your interested in sharing your story, or would like to see an episode of our show, feel free to email me at mychildstory@yahoo.com or call me at the office- 323-410-7580
Best,
Sandra
February 5, 2014 at 5:54 pm |
A friend who knew nothing about my internal angst but knew I was a serious student of WW2 bought me a copy of ” Soul Survivor “. I was born in 1947 (67 yrs of age) and always had a recurring dream. My parents tried to get me to talk about it bur it was so terrifying that I never did with them. I knew as a 10 or 11 year old that it wasn’t just a bad dream but kept quiet about it as I thought I might be mentally unbalanced. Over the years as I went to college and began advanced studies of the 20th century my dream and what soon became obvious as knowledge I should not know caused me to go into therapy. My therapist was intrigued but non committal. After reading ” Soul Survivor ” I wept. I wept for all the years I carried this inside unable to share with anyone. And I wept for ” him “. This unnamed, unknown Marine that died horrifically in a faraway place. I may never know ” his ” name and complete circumstance of why he resides inside me but this book has given me a gift. The gift of understanding. And for that I am eternally grateful.
February 22, 2014 at 2:49 am |
Dear Andrea and Bruce
When my daughter showed me your interview and the incredible details concerning your son James, I felt compelled to write to you in connection with my past experiences, although perhaps this does not come under the category “I want to hear about your child”.
In 1981, my wife Lina and I travelled to the United States for the purpose of visiting many WW2 5th Air Force veterans, as well as to deposit with your Archives an alphabetical listing of men from the 5th Air Force who lost their lives in Papua New Guinea. At that time I was the curator of the war museum in Port Moresby and was working closely with the US Army with their MIA program. The list I had prepared was the first attempt to record the names of those who made the supreme sacrifice specifically in Papua New Guinea.
As we approached the United States mainland on 20 August 1981, I had this incredible feeling that I was “coming home” despite me having been born and raised in Australia! This feeling soon past as we prepared for landing at LAX.
Eight months later, through a series of coincidences, I was able to get the US Army team into the crash-site of a B-24 from which the remains of the 22 crew and passengers were later successfully recovered. This success was due in part to a feeling I had that an aircraft was lying in that vicinity, and secondly, when the villagers brought out some relics I was able to decipher a series of numbers they had written on a piece of the aircraft’s fabric. These numbers meant nothing to the Army personnel, so they handed it to me. I also could not make anything of it, until a voice told me to reverse the numbers, and that is how B-24D 42-41081 was identified. (Susan Sheehan wrote a book on this event, “A Missing Plane”.)
Here comes the unusual part – this aircraft disappeared on 22 March 1944 – I was born on 30 December 1944. Note the time frame!
I would very much like to make contact with you as I have a number of other unusual events that could possibly lead to a previous existence. I posted this in one of your Blogs earlier this month but it is still awaiting moderation.
Kind regards
Bruce
March 9, 2014 at 2:46 am |
Dear Andrea, Bruce, and James,
Although I do not have a child (I am only 17), nor have I any memories, I am deeply intrigued by reincarnation, and have recently been researching the Buddhist faith after many years of discontent within my Catholic upbringing. I can’t explain it, but I just KNOW that there is something in my past, though I can’t recall anything, I feel like I have lived for many many years even though I am only on the brink of adulthood. Today, I saw your and James’ story on the television and I had an overwhelming urge to come in contact with you. I’m not sure of any questions I want to ask, but for sure I want to see if there is any way James could relate with how I feel to maybe confirm my inhibitions. If any of you could maybe reply or contact me, I would be eternally grateful. Thank you so much for being so open with your story and I hope the best for all of you.
March 9, 2014 at 9:12 am |
Dear James, Andrea and Bruce,
I hope you are well! I want to say I loved your book immensely!
Where do I start? What would you think of me? I don’t really know myself! I am 53 years of age, born a Roman Catholic, but to me Catholicism was always so “Black and White!” I am in the process of writing my life story! There are goals and dreams that I have not realized (dreams of a 13 year old kid!), hindsight is 20/20, I hope to review my life, to help push me forward in my life! And then we can talk about our own dreams and goals in life, that we have our own time frame to reach them! Or do we? Like those planes (corsairs) on the aircraft carriers, all lined up ready to fly, they want to take off, but there is a higher power (their commander’s) that have their own time frame for them to leave the ship! To be synchronized and coordinated. And so in our lives, and throughout the Universe their is a Higher power that is orchestrating his/her own time frame for things to happen! People to succeed, people thrown into confusion, egos over inflating, countries too have egos as well, over inflating! Eventually experiences that we are all linked, and ONE (A WHOLE!)! So I have been keeping the faith!
i remember as a child (2,3,4 years old?) not really sure of my age, but we still lived in Menlo Park, California. Mom, who was divorced from dad, when I was 2, moved us to San Francisco in 1965 (I was 5). Before the age of 5, I remember going or being at a park that was named Yellowstone Park, I remember buffalos, and I remember in my ‘Minds Eye’ arches, later in life I would see the St. Louis arches in photos and they were the arches I saw as a child. Places that I felt a Deja Vu experience with. A feeling of familiarity! Going on a family trip to Nevada, seeing sedimentary rock formations, layers of rock, as a child, looked, and I knew in my mind, that they had been I guess, cities, forests, surfaces stacked on themselves! I mean I knew, I don’t know how, but those layers were of living surfaces in the history of the earth’s life! I continued with life and grew older, and tucked those experience away!
In 1966, my mom had been able to buy a house in the Sunset of San Francisco. In 1970 she was able to get us kids (a younger sister, and older brother) into St. Anne’s of the Sunset! In 1973, Bruce Lee exploded, onto the American market. It was a feverish time, I was so inspired by Bruce Lee, that the next week, after the Premiere of “Enter the Dragon,” my brother and I joined a martial art school! It so happened to be a Chinese Kung Fu school (Choy Li Fut, was the style). And remember during that time the series “Kung Fu,” (with David Carradine) was on TV!
Choy Li Fut Kung Fu was from the Shaolin Temple, which is a Buddhist Temple! The monks where highly trained in Kung Fu (which means -“Hard Work”). Making a long story (my journey) short!
I took to Buddhism, the Reincarnation part! Let me just say if one throws (or drops) a pebble into a pond, or when your son in his previous life, when his corsair hit the water, the entrance of the pebble and the entrance of the plane create a ‘Rippling Effect’ of the water!
If we trace the history of man backward, in his TOTALITY we will come to one point! We are experiencing the ‘Rippling Effect’ of the evolution of Man!
Why did Columbus get credit for discovering America? We now know that there were other peoples that were here first – I do not mean the Native American’s, but the Vikings, and the Chinese! As well as countless others, but in the Master’s plan, man was to move over here through Columbus!
We are playing out God’s Plan! How we do that! Will determine “Teacher’s” coming to help mankind to set us on the Path to God!
When we pass on, our bodies that are made up of the five elements, return to the elements and are reincarnated; if you will into new forms here on earth! So, let’s say that you are a manager of a store, as a manager you have to experience all the different departments that make up your store! So, you are trained for several weeks in each department, so that you will understand what goes on in that department!
Let’s just say that when we die we go to God (Heaven), we become one with God! Now God represents manager, to understand or be one with God, we have to experience every being that he has created!
We live in a Universe of opposites, in other words without light, we would not know dark, without man we would not know women etc. So the opposite of a thing gives birth to it, or naming something gives birth to its opposite!
Take the symbol of the yin and the yang. A perfect circle with two fish symbols suggesting movement, with the black fish shape it has a small white circle in it, and the white fish shape it has a small black circle in it. Where the black fish shaped is considered “Yang” (man), and the white fish shaped is considered “Yin” (woman).
But each YANG has a little of the yin in it, and the YIN has a little of the yang in it! Though opposites, they are flowing together in seeking perfect harmony (balance) as one! This harmony one can experience by doing Tai Chi, in doing or performing the form (movements) the end of one movement is the beginning of another, flowing throughout the form: the one distinguishes between soft and hard, yin and yang, developing a harmony within the body taking in the energy (chi) through a state of relaxation (sung, not complete relaxation) and breath from the universe through the vessel (body). Realizing the relationship one has with his/her body, the environment, and all living things around, and with the universe!
So, throughout our beings, environment, earth, universe it is trying to create Harmony (balance), we are going through a process!
Lastly, I have always had my questions about my Catholic faith, Buddhism appealed more to me. Ten years ago I started to join a Baptist Christian church here in Los Angeles, one night they were showing Mel Gibson’s “Passion of the Christ!” I sat watching it, and when Jesus was Crucified, he was taken down from the cross and put into a tomb. Immediately, in my mind’s eye, as if written on a blackboard, the word “TOMB” was written! Instantaneously the “T” disappeared, and a “W” took its place spelling the word “WOMB!”
I was enlightened!
Goodnight I wish you well!
Nick P.
March 9, 2014 at 11:44 am |
Hi Megan,
There are many books on the subject but you may want to read There is a River, the story of Edgar Cayce, as a primer to reincarnation.
Rob
March 31, 2014 at 4:53 pm |
Hello Leininger’s,
I hope things are going well for you. I appreciated your book both for its evidence for a case of reincarnation and also the encompassing tale of extraordinary WW II efforts.
I contact you with a suggestion. Because of a number of experiences in my own life – beginning as a young child with intense dreams, a phobia, and some unusual body details – I came to the conclusion that I had previously died in an unpleasant fashion.
I have since tried to investigate the general case for such a phenomena. This summer I got a second paper published on this. That paper was perhaps particularly significant as it was published at the new medical website, Cureus. If you are interested that paper can be viewed at,
http://www.scribd.com/doc/161425585/Premodern-Transcendental-Perspectives-on-the-Missing-Heritability-Problem-and-Some-Intelligence-Conundrums
(Cureus has since changed their formatting and this derailed some of my paper’s formatting, so scribd is the best place to see it.)
The paper is written tersely with an eye on getting science insiders to see the possible import of this old idea. No one – starting with scientists reviewers – could rebut the paper’s mysteries and in a comment on the paper John Adler (a Stanford neurosurgeon who initiated Cureus) wrote, “[p]resumably somewhere in the intersection of both worlds [religion and science] will lay the truth”.
If you would like to see the scientific opening for reincarnation then you might find my paper (an in particular the spectacular behavioral conundrums) interesting. If you have any questions feel free to e-mail me.
Sincerely,
Ted Christopher
tchrist7@rochester.rr.com
May 6, 2014 at 9:05 am |
Hello everyone,
This is a story I am frequently told by my mother and older brothers, I myself; cannot remember a thing.
I began speaking in full and elaborate sentences before the age of 2 possibly 18 months, my first proper sentence was “mumma! I want a tattoo!” Haha I’m 17 now and that sentence is believable to come from my mouth. When I was about 2 I first said to my mother, my only mother, “mummy? Where is my other mummy? The one with the blonde hair?” My mother was shocked I asked this for several days to my mother and brothers, with no response. My mum decided one day to teach me ring-a-ring-a-rosie, as she teaches me the song she says “a tissue, a tissue, we all fall down” I promptly correct her and say “no mummy, don’t you remember?! It’s ‘ashes ashes we all fall down'” to which I go into elaborate detail about the ashes which would fall from the sky and tonnes of people would be dead in the street. She went to the library and searched about my theory and came upon past lives. Eventually, I brought up my mummy with the blonde hair again, she asked me “where does she live?” “How old is she?” “How did you get here?” I would respond, we live in a home with a large deck and maids and describe them in full detail, I explained how my ‘father’ had gone away to fight. My mother, asked me how I got here, I said “I don’t know, I just remember my mummy crying and saying she loved me. Rocking me. Then I got to pick you! My new mummy! I love you even more than I loved my old mummy!” She mentioned it a few more times and we spoke of my mummy. I would ask her why my other mummy locked me in the room… A year went by, I was about 3- 3.5 years old. My mum asked of my mummy with the blonde hair, I laughed and said “what? You’re my mummy! Gosh mum. Your hairs black! Not blonde!” She cried. My mum didn’t want me to forget. My mum knew how much I loved my other mummy, she wanted closure for me. She wanted me to remember how much I loved my other mummy and how great she was. I have no recollection of any of this. My mother also mentioned, that when I was about 5 I said to her, “I love it when I can see your golden eye. It’s so pretty!” Myself and my brothers all said it around the same age. Bizarre. Anyway thank you for reading! xx
May 19, 2014 at 3:59 pm |
Dear Andrea and Bruce
hi guys my name is shay, i have a 4 yr old who is going threw all of this although i have not got the full story on his life i am still learning. my son has been telling me stuff about a past life. when he was 2 going on 3 yrs of age he starting telling me about he mom and how pretty she was , i had got him a jump rope for the summer and he started playing with it and ran to me saying “mama this is so fun i use to play this in the streets with my brother ” i looked at him and said “no baby you do not have any brothers” he then told me yes i do i left it at that and let him go on and keep playing . He has never just told me the whole story i always get little parts at a time . few months later he told me that he use to have a job and he really miss working i tried asking where did he work all he told me is that he was strong and good at working . within that same month or so he told me he use to know my great aunt i ask him how he told me because his mom use to know here and that they stayed in a pink house . i’ve never stayed in a pink house so i was looking really crazy at him . now just the other day he told his cousin that his dad name is pobe . i really do not know what he is talking about and i really do not know how to go and ask him please help me out
May 24, 2014 at 1:25 pm |
My daughter will be 3 next month. She mentions sometimes that she is a boy and asks who I and her father are And what are our names. She talks in her sleep and almost always cries when she’s asleep but never wakes up. When she is talking to me, sometimes she will ignore me almost sudden, an loose her train of thought and being talking about something else. She likes me to repeat exactly what we are doing, where we are going, and who we’re going with. She is scared of certAin things with no explanation. We never scream around her but when I punish her she closes her ears and says it’s too loud. What does this mean ?
June 23, 2014 at 10:58 pm |
Science has explained Reincarnation with the Laws of Conservation, No energy can ever be lost or gained only transformed. When a human dies, 100% of the time its due to organ failure, if someone died of no energy when they where resuscitated they would have a blank memory of everything and that does not happen. If they do, its usually caused by brain damage. I hope this helps James case, I’m sure everyone but James harbors some doubt about it but just remember, Physics is life and life is physics, physics only quantifies life by placing a number on it, it will never add or remove anything to life, only explain it in numbers.
September 30, 2014 at 12:49 pm |
Hi, Jeff and all. I’m a Japanese. Buddhism are common in Japan and reincarnation is a basic knowledge for buddhists. But generally, few believes in it for sure. I wondered why it is so. Compared to western people, I feel it is not so common among Japanese people to have memories of the past lives. My hypothetical answer is, it is because of cremation. That is also a common practice in Japan to burn the dead completely to ashes. I suppose that may match your brain damage theory.
June 23, 2014 at 11:31 pm |
I, myself, was one of those past-life children. I grew up with two sets of memories, each just as real as the other. My mother was always heavily religious, and so naturally, she was always against the possibility that I reincarnated from a WW1 soldier. I even remember when and how I died. The amazing thing is, I have the exact same personality I did the first time around.
My best advice to those of you who have past-life children is to never shoot them down. Be supportive and keep a logbook of things that are said. They need you to believe them and be there for them.
There is so little known about what happens to the soul after death (other than what the various religions believe), that I think the only way to get to the bottom of it is if you can find a past-life regression hypnotist and consult him/her. They may not want to put your child under until he or she is older and more mature. To this day, I’m still trying to find such a person for myself, and possibly my son, who like me, was plagued by (in his case) terrifying memories until it all came back to him. He too was from WW1, and I wonder if we knew each other in another time.
Anyway, just be supportive, at all costs, and encourage your child as much as you can. And especially, record it. I think it’s a lot more common than most people realize.
Tony
July 27, 2014 at 8:34 pm |
So crazy…. I wish I had past life memories. I’d love to find a past-life regression hypnotist.
August 8, 2014 at 11:02 pm |
Hello,
I’m hoping to get in touch with you Bruce, Andrea and James! If your past life identifications are correct by Brian Stalin, I would be Bruce’s and Andrea’s great, great grand daughter, and James’ great grand daughter. Can you guess who I am? I’m currently working on my own reincarnation story with 2 others who’s are tied into a few of my incarnations and I think your story might tie into ours as well. How can I contact you so we can share information and discuss our project?
Elizabeth Marie
August 26, 2014 at 3:52 am |
Wow such a story.It is so nice to hear all the other stories.Would it ever be possible to meet any of your family.Not only am I amazed at James but you parents are very exceptional special people.I live in northern Minnesota.I am retired from 3M company.Was a helicopter mechanic in the Army in 1955.James’s story the way you have carefully written about it, offers new focus on all the religions.Makes me happy.Again I think you are all outstanding “spirits” and great people. 218-999-9305
August 28, 2014 at 9:45 am |
I am blessed with two wonderful daughters, Lucy my first and Sophie my second born. They are now teenagers, but I do remember it so well, when Sophie was 3 or 4 years old, she’d often make comments about when she was”SAM”. Various occasions , things like certain foods, she responded:”But mum, I never liked that, not even when I was Sam.” She told me, she liked football when she was Sam, spicey food and things I adly can’t all think of anymore now.
August 28, 2014 at 9:56 am |
Oh, a couple of things maybe, I remeber:she was always strangly reluctant to answer any of my questions regarding “Sam”, but that’s what she gave away: Sam had a dog (golden retriever, or labrador by the sounds of it), Sam spoke english as well as spanish, he lived in Florida, he died When crashing into something with his motorbike. He was 22 (but she said she wasn’t sure about the age. She said it was not too long ago before she was born (her y.o.b.is 2002) she thought not longer than a year before.
August 28, 2014 at 3:03 pm |
Well, my story isn’t really as interesting or shocking as some of those others I have read on here, but it is relevant.
When I was a child, just learning how to speak, I would often use the phrase “When I was big…” followed by some adult activity eg. “…I would go to the bank.” or “…I would pick up groceries”. My parents, my father in particular, found these remarks very amusing. My dad, to this day (I’m 22), will chuckle and tell me about how I used to do this.
I ended up getting the phrase “When I was big…” tattooed to my leg because I find it meaningful in an abstract way (something along the lines of “aspire to greatness”), not because I’m trying to connect with a past life or anything like that.
I had no idea there were so many cases of this occurring in children, and some of these stories are remarkable. I just posted on here to contribute to the community I guess.
Thank you for sharing,
Peter
September 16, 2014 at 7:03 pm |
Growing up I always had a natural attraction to WW2 military things – I have read many books and watched most movies during my life so far but but never realized this attraction until a major life event in my late 30’s. The event led to a calling to become aware of myself, my spiritual self, and in doing so I began to piece together some things.
I will try to keep it brief and simple, which is a challenge because I am not a good story teller and tend to over complicate things rather quickly.
I have a brief but extremely vivid recollection, a dream, which I have had many many times as far back as I can remember and into my mid 30’s. This recollection has mostly ceased to come to me since I began to understand it more – since I began to realize my spiritual existence.
My ‘dream’ memory takes place on a battlefield, I don’t know where or when exactly, but it is definitely a very active firefight. I vividly recall that I was behind some type of artillery or tank – I believe it was a tank, I recall fellow men off to my right, behind an embankment of some sort, firing their weapons out ahead of the tank and for a reason I can only speculate on, I went running out in front of this tank – all I could hear was the loud chaotic noise of gunfire and as I moved into the open, just to the front and right of the tank, I felt bullets rip into my legs above my knees, taking me to the ground and just as suddenly as that happens, every time I have this memory ‘dream.’ I suddenly am jolted awake, sitting up in my bed and grabbing at my legs where the bullets struck me. My whole body is trembling, I am in a heavy sweat gasping for air, as I realize it was a dream.
The bullets that tore my legs apart, were aimed at me, at the tank, at my fellow men, and I can only speculate that I was part of an advancing team trying to overtake the enemy position. I believe that as I went down I was struck again with a killing shot.
I was born with a hearing loss in both ears and there really is no medical reason or speculation as to why I was born with this loss. I tried to join the Marine Corp when I was 18, only to be failed at the medical exam. I can still hear and see the elderly doctor telling me, “You won’t hear the enemy sneaking up on you” and he failed me – I would not be joining the military.
My fascination for WW2 things didn’t die, at all. I tried getting into older military things, like WW1, Civil War, etc… but those events didn’t interest me. I have read a bit on Vietnam, but mostly what interests me there is the story of Carlos Hathcock, Marine Sniper. No other war event has ever peaked my interest. There are 2 movies, Hanks and Spielberg movies, “Saving Private Ryan” and “Band of Brothers” (mini series) that have a significant impact on me and I really can’t explain why. Specifically, the mini series “Band of Brothers” has a tremendously deep touching impact on me. I have watched this film over and over again and every time I feel this deep connection that I just can’t explain. I credit this deep impact to the incredible determination to accurately display events by Hanks and Spielberg – but in this series, there are short interviews with veterans of whom I can’t explain how it touches my soul.
Since my late 30’s, I have learned a lot about life and reincarnation and what is really interesting to me is the knowledge that after death, as we know it here, we go through a process which leads us to be born here again – before we are born here, however, we are faced with a limited choice of who, what, and where… meaning, our past live’s and greater hierarchical powers guide us to what we need in the next human experience, and we are presented with various opportunities from which we will gain those experiences – and we get to choose. I was aware of this before I read “Soul Survivor” and found it quite interesting that James spoke of it. I have this strong feeling that my hearing loss is part of the greater plan to help me achieve necessary experiences and to keep me from the military attraction and quite possibly another short human life.
I grew up in a moderately religious household. I was confirmed Lutheran. I was taught to believe that when we die we will either go to Heaven or Hell.
That organized nonsense is far behind me. The Holy Bible clearly speaks of rebirth, I see it now that I am spiritually aware.
September 23, 2014 at 11:54 pm |
My 20yr old son died recent. I’ll make short,I was downstairs laying on couch. I thought my older son was up. I heard mom 2times I said what. He kept.yelling mom then come up look at this crystal. Then I ran up,I was shocked no one was home. There are so many like this hope this is what you want
November 3, 2014 at 11:07 am |
I don’t remember a lot but when I was little about 2 or 3 or so I used to tell my parents about my past life. When we went places I told them I had been there before and told them details about it. I remember my dad smoking a pipe but my dad never did that. My parents just pushed it off as nothing but I did it all the time. I don’t remember anything except sitting on my dads lap and him smoking a pipe. But that wasn’t my dad cuz he didn’t do that. Weird.
November 7, 2014 at 5:32 am |
cainrand, I’d love to know which verses in the Bible you found that talk about reincarnation. There’s a book on that which I’d like to buy soon…. I think we have misunderstood so much of the Bible, or it’s been altered…
November 20, 2014 at 10:27 pm |
My little boy is almost two and a half, he does lots of strange things that make me think he been here before.
One of the strangest; as soon as he learnt the word baby he began telling me that I was his baby, he would get really cross with me if I corrected him. Then he began calling me Amy, he still does, only ever Amy, never mum / mummy / etc (although he is able to say all of those words). My name sounds nothing like Amy and we dont know anyone else by that name, also no character that he is fond of in books or cartoons named Amy. Very strange.
November 25, 2014 at 2:34 am |
Hello. I am almost done with your book, but this Sunday I saw this piece on 60 Minutes: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/a-forgotten-corner-of-hell. These volunteers look for sunken planes from World War II battles. Maybe you can get in touch with them to look for James’ plane. I just want to say that being from India I didn’t find your book shocking, since I heard a story like this from my own mother about her cousin, but what did hit me was when James III said he chose you. My son died when he was 10 and I always knew he chose us.
January 13, 2015 at 7:20 pm |
I recently contacted Ghost Inside My Child and will be doing an interview with them, soon. I am willing to share “his” story with others, but people and disbelieving, ignorant and judgmental. A spiritual experience is positive, special and sacred…. or at least it should be 🙂
January 21, 2015 at 12:06 pm |
I love your story, my child is 11 and she desperately wants to be a pilot in England what can I do where can I go?
March 7, 2015 at 7:44 am |
Dear Dre,
I’m 30 come this May, and for the past 4-5 years, I’ve been discovering piles of information about my possible past life. I wish I had the parents to support me like you did with your son, because it’s beyond terrifying doing this alone! I do Mediumship now, but only with friends and family as I haven’t gotten my name out into the public very much.
I’d like to touch base with you or James if possible, because a lot of what I’m feeling is overwhelming. I feel no one will believe me, save for the other few people I have met in the metaphysics community (which is sadly quite small for me at the moment).
I’d like to admit as well, that James is not the only one from WW2 who’s come back to talk and try to be heard. Just try picturing how to explain to people that you were a man, and that you were alive over 60-70years ago! That’s where I’m at. At least James was still a male, lol.
Hope to hear from you,
Krystal F.
June 30, 2015 at 10:53 am |
I live in Newcastle with my 2 kids Georgia (17) and Charlie (4) both claimed to remember past lives, Georgia used to say “remember when I was a boy and you weren’t my mammy?” Charlie claims to have been a big man, still called Charlie with a big beard, loud voice and he was a daddy, but then he told me he was killed by wolves, he has always been terrified of wolves and asked if we had them here and needed me to reassure him wolves wouldn’t come into the house. This fear started very young before he could articulate the rest of the story. Charlie told me this when he was 3
July 6, 2015 at 6:27 pm |
I came across the story of your son when researching about children and reincarnation. I had the same experiences as your son. But in my case, the person in question is very well-known and therefore people just don’t believe me. I am a Christian just like you. Contrary to your son I never had nightmares. It is a pity that nobody will believe me as this my case can be a breakthrough in reincarnation. I have this person’s mannerisms, tastes. If people could just see me and compare my mannerisms to this person’s mannerisms, they would see that I’m the reincarnation of this person. But there’s so much involved. The few things I have told other people are just the beginning of something very big, where the names of other well-known persons will be cleared. These well-known persons are world wide icons. The person I am the reincarnation of was friends with these well-known persons. This person is a world wide icon. Bigger then a celebrity. God bless you and your family.
September 20, 2015 at 6:30 pm |
Hello my name is Latoya Denby
The dreams begun as a child i use to have the same recurring dreams about being in this house surrounded by flowers and, i felt sadness and music playing like a organ possibly, from the style of the inside of the home it appeared be around the turn of the century possibly between 1910 and 1920…. I only began to realize and understand that someone had die after a few years of having this dream, now mind you these dreams began before i was old enough to understand what a funeral was and here i am in this same room with this reoccurring dream always by myself then after multiple having these reoccurring dreams… it was like the story began to reveal its truth …i finally saw a casket and for some reason understood it was me ..not sure why but it appeared that the furniture had been move out the way to make room for the funeral which was held at home..never saw anyone just the casket the music and the somber feel in the air and it felt so familiar like i once lived there theses dreams began around the age of 2 and continued until i was about 6 or 7 years old ..then around the age of 9 i started seeing the light and the tunnel and people began to come to me and take me with them almost soul traveling only to be sent back to me body each time …i felt the light i saw the light …each time it communicated with me it was telepathically…my room was full of like it radiates from me i can’t explain it but it is almost like i have a portal that has been activated within me that allows me to soul travel but each time i am with a guide that takes me to the other side and they always return me to my body and say it isn’t time…long stir short over my last few doctors appointment I’ve been asked the same questions by a few different doctors wanting to do a sleep study on my because of my extreme feeling of being fatigue…they believe i may stop breathing in my sleep …now they know nothing of my experiences but the believe i may not be breathing properly…and like a light bulb it dawned on my after all these years is it possible that all of my access to the other side may be coming from me having multiple near death experience from my lack of oxygen at night …i am constantly trying to cross over and being sent back to my body..this has been going on since i was the age of 2 and i can still remember things from that age which is strange…i need advised and help… I’ve never shared my story with anyone besides my family and close friends.
January 13, 2018 at 8:19 pm |
Hi Leiningers,
I hope things are ok with you.
I got a featured article in the academic journal Religions this past summer. It looks at the larger evidence (or footprint) associated with a possible reincarnation aspect of life. It also contains a number of overt suggestive cases from the accepted (or noncontroversial) literature. If you are interested you can see it here,
http://mdpi.com/2077-1444/8/8/155
Good luck,
Ted Christopher
January 19, 2019 at 5:43 pm |
Hi Leiningers et al,
I add a response to my earlier notes. I present the counterargument to the pursuit of stories of children-who-remember-past-lives.
While I have greatly appreciated the documentation of cases, including some super-suggestive ones like that of James, I still think the bigger picture needs attention. Somewhat in parallel you can see the considerable efforts to demonstrate psychic abilities. (If you haven’t already read Elizabeth Mayer’s “Extraordinary Knowing” do so. It is great sincere book showing remarkable psychic insights.) But with the past-lives connections, as with the psychic phenomena, the bigger question is “So What?”. If somehow every once in a while some psychic blips surface – including memories from a previous life – what would that amount to in the bigger scheme of things?
Yes, a general (and overdo) acknowledgement from scientists that such rare blips do actually occur would be nice. But they could rightly also asks, “So What?”. Their belief (and the default belief for many in the modern world) is that materials and their dynamics (including of course DNA and its activities) are the bottomline.
If Who We Are and What Happens To US are largely given to us via DNA then congratulations to science.
But that is where the fundamental problem facing science is, and it is also where I would suggest the big potential significance of reincarnation lies. If continuity across lives is happening in a big way that is a huge deal. That is what the above Religions paper introduces. It also introduçes some reincarnation-consistent phenomena taken from the accepted literature. Finally it presents evidence that all of us have memories from the in-between state (explicit memories from a previous life are rare). In both cases, though, we tend to lose these memories quite early and have only a backdrop of some spiritual/religious intuition as adults.
Take care,
Ted Christopher
Rochester, NY
p.s.: I had to list a website to post a comment. That website is old and dated.