After death, do humans have the possibility to “return” to the earth in different forms? Western scientists and psychological experts have systematically researched “reincarnation” for a long time, aiming to analyze the nature of the issue under scientific scrutiny.
Leading this research is a group of professors from Yale University in the United States who have collected evidence from around the world related to “past lives” or “rebirth into the next life.” They meticulously, logically, and seriously study these cases. If they discover something “unusual”, they conduct deeper analyses to explore whether it relates to “reincarnation” according to inherent belief systems.
“A fertile ground” for such studies predominantly involves children. Roberta Morgan, born on August 28, 1961, in Minnesota (USA), began recounting her “past life” when she was just a girl. Her mother thought the child was merely saying silly things and often tried to interrupt her. Nevertheless, Roberta continued to speak about her “previous parents.” She described a car that her “previous father” owned and insisted that she had lived with her “old parents” on a farm. When the girl turned four, she was taken to a thoroughbred horse ranch. Roberta joyfully exclaimed, “I have ridden many horses before.” In reality, she had never climbed onto a horse before. Additionally, Roberta asked her mother to make “favorite dishes” that her “previous mother” used to cook. She accurately described how to prepare those dishes. By the age of nine, Roberta Morgan suddenly forgot all about her “past life” and never remembered it again (?!).
Meanwhile, Samlini Permac, born in early 1962 in Colombo (Sri Lanka), exhibited a profound fear of… water before she could even speak. Whenever her mother intended to bathe her, Samlini would have severe reactions and cries. She was also very afraid of cars. When Samlini could talk, she described her “previous life” in detail. She recounted, “One day, my ‘previous parents’ sent me to buy bread. The streets were flooded, and a bus went right beside me, pushing me into the water. I tried to raise my hand above the bridge to call for help and shouted: ‘Mom!’ After that, I sank completely into an endless sleep.”
Samlini’s parents pondered over this matter extensively. After some time, they learned about a story of an 11-year-old girl who drowned under similar circumstances, precisely mirroring what their daughter had recounted. Moreover, Samlini Permac could not possibly have known about this event because, quite simply, she had not been born at that time (?!).
The two notable cases above were recounted by the famous American psychologist John Stevenson, who has studied “past life” phenomena for half a century. He and his colleagues at the University of Virginia sought to find evidence that existed as a “concrete reality”, even though they did not find irrational factors within “the Xs” and could not explain them scientifically. Professor Dr. J. Stevenson and his colleagues concluded that only one possibility existed: akin to “hallucinations” if considering current scientific analysis. Another American psychoanalyst, Dr. Scot Rogo, has also diligently researched cases related to “rebirth” or “reincarnation” for over three decades and has only proposed hypotheses without “daring” to present any definitive scientific conclusions.
Years ago, most scientists dismissed “rebirth” as a “complete hoax.” However, nowadays, many of them acknowledge this phenomenon as a method of treating psychological crises. Professor Dr. Abraham Kelsy, Head of Clinical Medicine at New York University, has used methods in his own experiments to help patients recall their “past life experiences,” thus freeing them from current entanglements.
He explains: “I have concluded that many of the current manifestations of patients are consequences of past lives, and these are the obstacles that block the vitality of present life. In my opinion, the human body always carries non-material elements that exist even after the physical body has died. This is what Eastern cultures refer to as the ‘soul.’ This ‘soul’ is reincarnated – reborn. My belief is further reinforced by detailed analyses of the “unique qualities” of each individual. Why do children in one family often differ from each other, even though they share the same parents, have the same genetic makeup, and grow up in the same environment? Many children, while playing, often have “invisible friends” whom they believe are truly present. By the age of 4 or 5, that feeling suddenly disappears. Scientists believe this is a memory of their “friends from past lives.”
No psychologist has yet been able to logically explain the differing personalities and “individual qualities” of children born into the same family. In each case, signs of influence from “past lives” are expressed, leading psychologists to propose hypotheses about “psychological distortions: such as trance-like states or those learned or read from somewhere… The ancient Egyptian royalty also often spoke of “reincarnation,” as did Emperor Napoleon of France and many other famous historical figures who often recalled “past lives” to create an impression of “divine lineage.” Most of us do not recall “past lives” even through the most advanced and perfected methods. In such cases, the concept of “rebirth” does not exist in reality. Additionally, there are many discrepancies even among those who firmly believe in “past lives.”
To date, the scientific community has not reached a consensus on the essence of this process, which is the basis for skepticism regarding the possibility of “rebirth” within each individual’s “cycle of reincarnation.”
Tran Hong
