Where Reincarnation and Biology Intersect

Rating:
Summary: Reincarnation enters academia
Review: Ian Stevensons book is a superb scientific exploration into the generally more esoteric realm of reincarnation. He has collected over 2600 reported cases of past-life memories of which 65 detailed reports have been published. It is correct, as one reviewer claims, that these reported cases are primarily from Buddhist, Hindu, African or Native American cultures where such phenomenons are more widely accepted than in the West. But this is natural, says Stevenson, as these cultures more openly will allow a child to speak about a previous life without being disbelieved or rebuked as they may be in the Christian West. Young children are very impressionable and will generally suppress whatever his or her parent or the culture does not permit them to believe in. Thus, it is reasonable to assume that there will be more such claims in these non-Western cultures to conduct such studies. One cannot accuse Stevenson of not following a scientific approach (instrumental injunction, direct apprehension, communal confirmation), his book brims with extremly detailed reports from children whose memories have been carefully collected and matched with the data of their former identity, profession, residence, and the way they died. If this is not believable science, what is? If reincarnation is a new concept to you, read and judge for yourself. If you already believe in reincarnation, read and get more rational reason to state your case.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting but . . .
Review: This is an interesting book. Much of it dove-tails with what Rabbi Yonassan Gershom has written about those who died during the Holocaust and have been reborn as blond haired-blue eyed Gentiles. Except that Dr. Stevenson's cases seem to lose their memories of the events in their previous lives at about age 7 or 8 and Rabbi Gershom's cases seem to be forever haunted by their experiences. One other thing I found disturbing about Dr. Stevenson's work is that the majority of his cases are from India, Burma, and Thailand, where reincarnation has been acceptable many centuries longer than it has been acceptable in our Western culture. It makes it much easier to doubt his cases than if the majority of his cases were from a culture that was less accedpting of the theory.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting but . . .
Review: This is an interesting book. Much of it dove-tails with what Rabbi Yonassan Gershom has written about those who died during the Holocaust and have been reborn as blond haired-blue eyed Gentiles. Except that Dr. Stevenson's cases seem to lose their memories of the events in their previous lives at about age 7 or 8 and Rabbi Gershom's cases seem to be forever haunted by their experiences. One other thing I found disturbing about Dr. Stevenson's work is that the majority of his cases are from India, Burma, and Thailand, where reincarnation has been acceptable many centuries longer than it has been acceptable in our Western culture. It makes it much easier to doubt his cases than if the majority of his cases were from a culture that was less accedpting of the theory.

Rating:
Summary: A mix of good and bad stuff
Review: This is definitely NOT the best book from dr. Ian Stevenson. The author has lost his skepticism and most of his scientific impartiality. The majority of cases included in this book lacks strong evidence sugestive of reincarnation, with the exception of a few very good cases. Because of these good cases, the book is still worth its value, but overall it is not a great work. "Children who remember previous lives" is a much better book from the same author.