Background
: Children are sometimes found who claim to have memories of a past life. If such alleged memories can be verified they may prove relevant for the question of the mind-brain relationship. They may indicate that memory is not only stored in the brain and that mind can exist without a brain and still retain some of its memories. These possibilities are contrary to what is presently known about memory and its dependence on brain functioning.
Objectives
: Were to test if an independent investigator comes up with comparable findings as Stevenson of University of Virginia who has published a great number of such cases.
Methods
: Consisted of interviewing children who make consistent statements about a previous life and persons who have witnessed them making such statements. Three psychological studies compared children with and without past-life memories.
Results
: In two of three presented cases a deceased person was found who fitted the child´s statements about the previous life. Psychologically these children differ from other children, showing signs of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, likely because by remembering how they died in accidents or were killed.
Discussion
: The features of “past-life memory” cases make them relevant for question of the mind-brain relationship.
Memory; child; religion and psychology; post-traumatic stress disorders; reincarnation; parapsychology