Verified by 
When science doesn’t find something, there are two possibilities: The not finding of something that doesn’t exist and the case of even though something exists, it can’t be found. They are different. For instance, about past and future lives and not being able to prove them scientifically, it is just that scientists cannot find them, but that doesn’t prove that they don’t exist.
- His Holiness the fourteenth Dalai Lama
Over the years, I have worked with more and more intuitive children whether they seem to be remembering past lives, report seeing angels or have some other mystical experiences. Some parents call me in a tizzy thinking their child is having serious psychological problems while other parents contact me overjoyed with this discovery. Wherever you fall on this continuum, I wanted to explore the idea that more and more young children are “coming in” to Planet Earth sharing unexplainable often psychic or paranormal experiences.
Since I specialize in helping these intuitive children I recently became aware of a book, Return to Life, by Dr. Jim Tucker from the University of Virginia. He’s a psychiatrist and has spent years gathering evidence of amazing cases of young children remembering vivid (and verifiable) facts about what seems to be their past lives. What’s so interesting to me is that when the “issue” the child is plagued by gets resolved then their present life can go more smoothly.
Having the opportunity to connect with Dr. Tucker, I asked him a little about his new book and work, which I share below.
(MH): Can you tell me what got you interested in children who remember past lives?
(JT): I had never given past lives any thought before getting involved in this work. After I completed my training in child psychiatry, I was in private practice and not feeling completely fulfilled by it. When I got married, my wife was open to things like reincarnation, and I began exploring the question of life after death. I contacted Ian Stevenson’s research division at the University of Virginia to ask about volunteering some time for a new study they were doing on near-death experiences, which eventually led to this work.
(MH): With my eastern studies and personal experiences the idea of past lives isn’t a big stretch. For those who need more evidence, what do you share?
(JT): The evidence lies in the cases of children describing the details of a past life with such accuracy that we can go back and verify the details of that a person lived and died as they explained.
(MH): Has there been a case that completely amazed you? And if so, can you share a little bit about that one?
(JT): James Leininger is a case that has received some press. He is a boy from Louisiana who began having terrible nightmares about a plane crash around the time of his second birthday and then told of being a World War II pilot who was killed over the Pacific. His father spent several years researching the situation and eventually identified the pilot James must have been describing. I was able to study both the records of the pilot and the documentation of James’s statements that was made before the pilot was identified, and they matched extremely well.
(MH): Have you been seeing more and more cases of children that either recall past lives? Or parents willing to come forward and share their experiences?
(JT): Yes. With the internet, parents of children who describe past lives can find out about our work much more easily than in the past and we are now hearing from them frequently.
(Me): If you could tell parents, teachers or adults one thing about children (especially those that remember past lives) what would it be?
(JT) Parents need to know that their children’s statements don’t indicate psychological problems and that despite some of them being quite troubled by the memories at an early age, such memories usually fade by the time children are 6 or 7.
(MH): Thank you, Jim.
*** Please feel free to comment and start a discussion on this subject. I love intelligent debate.
By Maureen Dawn Healy
Maureen Dawn Healy is a popular author, speaker and counselor working with sensitive & intuitive children. Her books include: Growing Happy Kids (2012) and The Energetic Keys to Indigo Kids (2013) along with blogging for PBS and appearing on programs such as Hank Azaria’s Fatherhood Series on AOL and Mom.me this month. More info: www.growinghappykids.com or @mdhealy
