Reincarnation: the Most Intriguing Cases

Reincarnation is the belief that our souls may experience many lifetimes of existence spanning across the centuries. Cultures around the world speak of life after death and have chronicled this phenomenon in sacred writings. Ancient Egyptians, Aztecs, Greeks and Romans each described a “transmigration of souls”. Both Buddhists and Hindus abide by the laws of karma: good actions will lead to a positive reincarnation while bad intentions will create an inauspicious future. The concept of rebirth is an intrinsic part of Native Americans’ faith. Might it be plausible that such claims could be true or is this simply a case of mass wishful-thinking?

Birthmarks

Many regions in Asia have a traditional ritualistic practice of marking a loved one’s body after they have passed away. Soot is often placed on the deceased relative in hopes that they will rejoin their lineage in another embodiment. Those born with a corresponding birthmark are said to provide evidence that the departed individual has returned. One such example was illustrated in a 2012 paper submitted by psychiatrist Jim Tucker and psychologist Jürgen Keil. These men conducted a study of parents with children who were born with markings matching those applied to a family member. A boy from Myanmar, named K.H., possessed a distinctive birthmark on his left arm. His grandfather had been painted with charcoal in the exact same spot and had died only eleven months before his grandson was born. When K.H. was only two years old he began calling his grandmother Ma Tin Shwe, a name that only his grandfather had used. Strangely, the toddler addressed his mother as War War Khine which only her beloved elder had called her. While pregnant with K.H. she had dreamt that her father visited by crossing over and said “I want to live with you.”

Former Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, Dr. Ian Stevenson, dedicated his career to the quest of discovering scientific evidence of reincarnation. Through his academic work he was able to find over three thousand examples of past existences. By using advanced facial recognition as well as birthmark observation, he was able to analyze similarities between the living person and their supposed previous incarnation. He shared his findings in a publication with the scientific community after studying two hundred and ten cases. Nearly eighty-eight percent of all children had a birthmark or birth defect where a mark or mortal wound was sustained by the deceased. Postmortem reports were used as verification and supporting documentation.

Hypnosis & Past Life Regression

Hypnosis is a natural state of selective awareness involving focused attention to access the unconscious mind. Some researchers feel that this tool can lead to uncovering spiritual memories long forgotten. One of the best-known examples involves an American named Ruth Simmons. In 1952 the woman was in a session with her therapist, Morey Bernstein, when he took her back prior to her birth. Ruth abruptly began speaking in an Irish accent and said her name was Bridey Murphy. Supposedly Bridey lived in Belfast, Ireland during the nineteenth century. Ruth shared a number of details about her former life including the names of two grocers she purchased food from: John Carrigan and Mr. Farr. A librarian searched Belfast archives and discovered both men listed as local shopkeepers in the 1865 city directory.

Another bizarre hypnotic occurrence involved Dr. Brian Weiss. His association with a patient named Catherine is outlined in the book “Many Lives Many Masters“. Amid one regression Catherine informed the doctor that she was in an “in between state”. According to the reincarnate, his father and son were present. Suddenly she said that his daughter was named after his father and that his baby had died as a result of heart complication. Dr. Weiss was shocked because Katherine knew his dad’s unique Hebrew name, Avrom. She also described his son’s terminal medical condition in great detail. Since the psychiatrist was a private and professional man he never shared personal information with clients. Katherine had no way of knowing his firstborn’s demise was a defective heart at twenty-three days old. What transpired that day forever altered the course of Dr. Weiss’s career.

Physical Ailments, Deformities & Chronic Illness

There are many ailments and illnesses that individuals suffer from which cannot be accounted for by modern medicine. Some believe the root cause of many issues can be traced back to remote planes of existence. Michael C. Pollack, Ph.D., had chronic lower back pain which grew more excruciating by the day. Essential routine tasks became nearly impossible to complete. Through a specialized therapy session he learned that in three previous human forms he had been killed by being knifed or speared in the lower back. As Michael began to process what had happened to him, his physical body began to heal. Physicians were baffled by the miraculous and unexplained recovery.

Therapist Nicola Dexter found numerous correlations between present-day maladies and prior lifetimes within her clients. One bulimic patient had perished from swallowing salt water in an alternate reality. Other investigators suggest that common afflictions can be derived from preceding incarnations. Those with asthma passed away due to smoke inhalation and reoccurring migraines may be linked to perishing from head trauma. Fibromyalgia is a condition which is still not fully understood by health specialists. Some feel this disorder is the consequence of a soul not having enough resting time between various lives.

Esteemed psychiatrist, Dr. Ian Stevenson, studied hundreds of birth defects across many countries. Over time his investigation lead him to the conclusion that most birth defects are formed by “unknown causes”. While in Turkey he met with a boy who recalled a distant time as another man who died of a shotgun wound. Upon locating hospital records Dr. Stevenson affirmed that the person had in fact been killed by a bullet to the right side of his head. The child had parallel injuries sustained by his murdered counterpart: a malformed ear (unilateral microtia) and hemifacial microsomia, an underdeveloped right side of the face.

Reoccurring Nightmares & Phobias

Millions of folks are plagued by irrational fears that seemingly derive from nowhere. Frequent phobias include falling, heights and darkness. Yet some aversions are completely perplexing and appear to defy all logic. While there are a number of complex psychological explanations for such feelings, certain instances may be attributed to horrors endured on Earth. J.D., who wrote “Healing Past Lives Through Dreams,” was severely claustrophobic and realized that when his legs and arms were restricted sheer panic would ensue. Further exploration showed him that in another lifetime he had been hog-tied by enemies, wrapped in a blanket and shoved beneath floorboards inside an abandoned building. A terrifyingly slow death ensued which would haunt him for ages to come.

Psychoanalyst, Carl Jung, proposed that dreams reveal far more than they conceal. Unlike Sigmund Freud, Jung felt the purpose of dreaming was to integrate our conscious and unconscious lives. Numerous reincarnation proponents allege certain horrific slumbering visions stem from far back concurrences. Men and women who have nightmares about burning alive very well could have perished in a fire. Drowning-related themes sometimes indicate the dreamer lost their life in a body of water. War casualties oftentimes see themselves back on the battlefield each evening after drifting to off. When our minds are in a state of rest latent memories can more easily surface. What is seen while in deep sleep is frequently a last-ditch effort to attempt healing old wounds before they manifest into physical, waking reality.

Handwriting & Linguistics

Handwriting, much like a snowflake, is unique and one-of-a-kind. Even identical twins have completely different print styles. Courts of law use handwriting analysis experts to authenticate signatures and written statements in order to convict criminals. Taranjit Singh, a six-year-old from a rural Indian village, claimed that his real name was Satnam Singh. The child stated that he was from Chakkchela, a location forty miles away. Based on the juvenile’s testimony, he was actually a Class 9 student and had been killed by a scooter on September 10, 1992. Additional minute details were known including the name of Satnam’s dad, Jeet. As the story progressed he vividly described blood-soaked schoolbooks and precisely how many Rupees had been in his wallet that fateful day.

Due to his son’s persistence, Mr. Singh decided to investigate. Weeks later a teacher surfaced and informed him that there really was a Satnam Singh and he had in fact succumbed to injuries sustained in a horrible accident. Through this newfound information Mr. Singh was able to track down the late boy’s parents. Confirmation was made on every single allegation little Taranjit had made. Astonishingly, when the youngster was shown a collection of photos he was able to positively identify Santam. Dr. Vikram Raj Chauhan, a forensic scientist, reached out the Singhs wanting to obtain further evidence. Samples of Santam’s handwriting had been taken from an old notebook. Comparisons were made to Taranjit’s and a startling discovery was made: it was a match. Colleagues who inspected the script unanimously agreed both sets appeared indistinguishable.

Thousands of miles away professor Stevenson was further examining such mysteries. Xenoglossy is an anomalous phenomenon where affected subjects are able to speak in a foreign tongue without any knowledge of the language. In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Stevenson worked with a thirty-seven year-old woman called T.E. During hypnotic regressions the woman maintained she was a peasant named Jensen Jacoby. Despite never learning the dialect, T.E. could both answer and respond in Swedish while conversing with an interviewer. Steven administered a language aptitude test, two polygraphs and a word association examination. Each assessment was passed by the intriguing lady. Friends and family were questioned and they all confirmed that T.E. had no exposure to any Scandinavian vocabulary.

Reincarnation is a very polarizing topic. There are those who believe due to religious reasons while others lean towards science and remain skeptical. Although society may never obtain hard physical evidence regarding this mysterious subject it’s important to asses the testimonies that have come forth. People in nearly every country on the planet, of all spiritual backgrounds and ages, have experienced unexplainable anomalies. However, until tangible proof surfaces, society will be left to draw their own conclusions. Perhaps with the our current technological advances that day might arrive sooner than expected.

What are your theories about reincarnation? Do you think you have lived before? Share your thoughts in the comments!

For centuries legends of ghost ships have fascinated the masses. Haunting true stories of the Mary Celeste and Flying Dutchman perpetuate an age-old mystery. There are countless cases of unnerving oceanic anomalies, as seen in film, literature and through oral recollections. One of the most disturbing of such tales is that of the S.S. Ourang Medan. Her ultimate fate is nothing less than bizarre and continues to perplex modern-day mariners.

Located in the Indian Ocean, between Malaysia and Sumatra, is a trade route known as the strait of Malacca. Each day nearly two hundred and thirty ships navigate this narrow stretch of sea. It is one of the busiest ports in the world responsible for transporting a quarter of the world’s traded goods. Pirates plagued the area for years and stories of vanishing boats added to Malacca’s mystique. One particular vessel would give the channel a chilling reputation which remains over seven decades later.

The Strait of Malacca is one of the busiest ports in the world.

In June of 1947 passing barges received a series of troubling SOS signals. While the source of the call was unknown their message was clear and concise: “All officers including captain are dead, lying in chartroom and bridge. Possibly whole crew dead.” Following the distressing message was an eruption of Morse code tones which could not be deciphered. A final bone chilling statement was then made: “I die,” accompanied by a deafening silence.

All nearby ships were instructed to remain alert and report anything unusual to authorities. Despite the cooperation of many seafarers, nothing out of the ordinary was initially discovered. Dutch and British commanders worked hastily to triangulate precisely where the alerts had been transmitted from. They were able to pinpoint Ourang Medan in a remote part of the ocean, miles away from all established shipping lanes.

An American merchant vessel, Silver Star (formerly known as Santa Cecilia), was closest to the estimated location. Crew members immediately set off on an altered course and headed towards the distressed boat since its message had been so dire. Only a few hours later she was visible drifting aimlessly on the horizon line. Upon closer inspection of the hull it became apparent that there was not any visible external damage. Several attempts were made to contact the occupants to no avail.

S.S. Silver Star was the closest ship to Ourang Medan’s estimated location.

When the apprehensive rescue party embarked the ship they were greeted by a nightmarish scene. Littering the deck were dozens of corpses. Each man had an expression of sheer terror with bulging, panic-strickened eyes and mouths agape in silent screams. Every deckhand’s arms and legs were extended in distorted positions as if they were trying to fight some unknown source. Even the resident dog had his lips peeled back in an aggressive teeth-exposing snarl.

Silver Star’s squadron anxiously meandered through the interior. Inside of the bridge they found the captain’s body. Remaining officers were discovered dead in the wheel house and chart room. Engineering staff remained at their designated stations and the operator who made the initial emergency call was sprawled out over his transmitter. Just like their comrades on the upper deck, these men also had looks of utter horror and bizarre limb contortions. While it was obvious all crew members had suffered agonizing deaths, it remained uncertain what caused such grisly demises.

Equally mystifying was the state of the deceased. Although an SOS had been recently made, the bodies were decomposing at an alarmingly unnatural rate. Even stranger was the frigid temperature engulfing the entire barge. During that hot summer day temperatures had reached well over one hundred degrees. Readings performed upon the schooner revealed a bone-chilling forty degrees. The entire search team were completely perplexed as to what had happened to those poor souls aboard Ourang Medan.

Temperature readings performed on the vessel were over 60°F lower than the surrounding area.

A decision was ultimately made to tow the watercraft back to port. However, shortly after departing smoke began to billow from the tethered boat’s lower deck cargo hold. Immediately a quick-witted commander cut the connecting rope. That critical decision would save countless innocent lives. Within seconds Medan exploded with such tremendous intensity that she was propelled from the water. Pieces of the vessel began to break apart as she sank into the murky abyss, never to be seen again.

Since this enigmatic occurrence countless investigators have searched for answers. Some have made connections to the infamous Philadelphia Experiment and suggest covert military testing is to blame. Others speculate that the ship was transporting Tabun, an extremely toxic nerve-suppressing chemical manufactured during World War II. Skeptics question whether these events ever took place.

An official US Coast Guard report was released in a May 1952 issue of Proceedings of the Merchant Marine. As time continues to pass the truth of Ourang Medan becomes increasingly difficult to ascertain. She and her crew took their secrets with them when they descended into the dismal depths. With modern sonar technology constantly evolving the wreckage may eventually surface. Until that day arrives, this is a case that will ultimately remain unsolved.