Reincarnation Research

A Muslim Boy Reincarnates into a Buddhist Family: The Past Life Case of Wijanama Kithsiri

How derived: Childhood Past Life Memories

Researchers: Ian Stevenson, MD and Francis Story

From: Cases of the Reincarnation Type, Volume II, Ten Cases in Sri Lanka

MG Wijanama Kithsiri was born on August 28, 1959 in the Sri Lankan village of Wehigala, which at the time was inhabited by about 1000 people. His father was WMG Ariyawansa and his mother was MJ Kusumawathie. The family was Buddhist and Sinhalese, which is the native ethnic group in Sri Lanka that makes up 75 percent of the population. They spoke the Sinhalese language. All people living in Wehigala were Sinhalese Buddhists, with no Muslims or Tamils living in the area. The family was vegetarian.

Nocturnal Episodes of Xenoglossy: Speaking an Unlearned Language

At the age of three Wijanama began sitting up in bed in the middle of the night with his legs crossed and would speak in a language unknown to his parents. On a typical evening, Wijanama would go to sleep along with the rest of the family at 9 PM. In between 10 PM and midnight, he would sit up and begin a recitation of verses in an unknown language. This would last 3 to 15 minutes after which he would lie down and go back to sleep. Sometimes he would get up and try to leave the house, though his family would stop him from departing. His parents noted that Wijanama seemed distressed during these episodes, which continued on a nightly basis to at least until the age of 13, at which time the practice was still continuing to occur.

Past Life Memories of an Incarnation in Kandy

At the age of four Wijanama started talking about a past lifetime in which he stated that he lived in the city of Kandy. Kandy is in the highlands of Sri Lanka about 25 kilometers or 15 miles from Wijanama’s village of Wehigala. He said that he had another father and mother, that they would eat sitting on a mat and that his mother would wear a covering on her head. He also stated that at his past life home, there were plenty of light bulbs, which was an unusual statement as the family’s village of Wehigala had no electricity. In contrast, Kandy was electrified. He also said that water came from a pipe near their kitchen, which could be true for Kandy which had a piped water system, whereas in Wehigala water could only be obtained from wells. Wijanama also said that he had seen moving pictures or movies, which did not exist in his rural village but were available in Kandy.

Ian Stevenson explained that Kandy is a fairly large city with a diverse population which includes Buddhists, Tamil Hindus and Muslims. The Tamil people are another ethnic group in Sri Lanka who speak their own language, Tamil. Tamils at the time made up about 20 percent of the Sri Lankan population. Muslims in Kandy also speak the Tamil language.

Wijanama expressed a strong desire to see his previous parents. Wijanama said that he developed a fever and died while still a schoolboy, though he could not remember his name in this prior incarnation. He said that he attained the third grade in Kandy.

Wijanama claimed that he had seen the Perahara, which is a religious festival that involves elaborate parades and decorated elephants. His village did not have this festival but in Kandy the parade passes along King Street. Wijanama correctly stated that at the Perahara there were huge elephants and a lot of dances.

Wijanama describes a Muslim Past Life

Wijanama made several statements indicating that he was Muslim in his previous life. When Wijanama saw a woman with a hijab or headscarf on her head, which is typically worn by Muslim women, he said, “My mother is like that.” Ian Stevenson noted that Wijanama’s recitation posture of sitting with legs crossed is a position often taken by Muslims during prayers.

He also said that he ate meat in his previous life, though he would not eat pork. This is a common Muslim dietary practice, but contrary to the habits of his biologic family, who were vegetarians. Wijanama expressed disappointment in his current living situation as he related that his past life family was much better off than his contemporary one. Once he became angry, stating, “In my other house there is plenty of sugar and I want to go there.” Wijanama also said there was ample meat.

Another Muslim habit that Wijanama displayed was keeping his head covered with a handkerchief fastened with a knot in the back. In addition, he would wear his sarong, which is a type of robe, much further up on the leg, which Muslims do so that they can wash their feet upon entering a mosque. Further, while his family ate their meals seated at a table, Wijanama would sit on the floor cross-legged and after his meal, he would rub his stomach and belch. Ian Stevenson related these dining behaviors are typical of Muslims in the area.

Wijanama repeatedly would say that he wanted to go back to his better past life house and to worship at the mosque. His past life memories appeared to be vivid and he talked about his prior incarnation in the present tense, as if he was still living that lifetime.

Identifying with his Muslim Past Life, Wijanama is Critical of Buddhist Worship

Wijanama was totally resistant to his family’s Buddhist religious customs and he felt repelled by images at Buddhist temples. He stated, “Where we worship we don’t have all these idols and statues. We have to put mats on the ground. We wash our bodies and sit on our mats and worship. There is a priest shouting at the top of his voice. No women go there.” He also said that there was a well with water at his place of worship. Wijanama made these statements before he had ever seen a mosque.

Wijanama’s description of his place of worship does correspond to a Muslim mosque, in which depictions of religious or other figures are not allowed, where worshipers wash their feet in a pool of water before entering and people sit on mats on the floor. The “priest shouting at the top of his voice” would represent a muezzin, who calls the Muslim community to prayers, oftentimes using an amplified sound system.

Wijanama is Ridiculed and called “The Muslim”

As he lived in a community made up entirely of Sinhalese Buddhists, Wijanama experienced ridicule from schoolmates because of his Muslim behavior. They would tease him and they gave him a nickname, “The Muslim.” Wijanama would respond by running home and asking that he be sent to his past life father. Nonetheless, he would continue to insist that he had been a Muslim in his past life and that he still was a Muslim.

Shopkeeper: A Probable Past Life Vocation

Wijanama routinely played at running a boutique or shop, which he would open as soon as he came home from school. He used red seed pods to represent slices of meat and pieces of paper to represent fabrics. He would pretend to sell vegetables and toys. In dreams, he said he saw his past life father bringing vegetables to the shop in a cart. Wijanama indicated that when he grew up, he would acquire a shop or boutique.

Children with past life memories often duplicate their past life profession in their play. A dramatic example involves the reincarnation case of Ahmet Delibalta | Erkan Kilic, in which Erkan, as a child, would pretend to run a nightclub, which was his past life vocation as Ahmet Delibalta. To learn more, go to:

Reincarnation Case of Ahmet Delibalta | Erkan Kilic

Sometimes his father would joke that it was a lot of trouble to have a Muslim come into the family. To this, Wijanama angrily replied, “Aren’t we all humans? Don’t say such things about others!”

Wijanama finds his Past Life Mosque in Kandy

When Wijanama was five years old his family took him to Kandy to see the Buddhist Temple of the Tooth, a landmark of the area. From there, Wijanama started to pull his mother down King Street saying that he wanted to go to the place where he worshipped. When they arrived at the King Street Mosque, Wijanama said, “This is where we worshiped.” Wijanama noted that the stairs of the mosque had been changed. This assertion was verified by an official at the mosque.

Near the King Street Mosque Wijanama saw a house and dragged his father to it. They did not knock on the door as Wijanama’s father was afraid of discussing reincarnation in this Muslim community, since reincarnation traditionally is not part of Islamic doctrine. In this area, Wijanama found the faucet of a water pipe and he stated, “We washed and bathed there.”

Xenoglossy: Wijanama’s Recitation is Deciphered

When Ian Stevenson researched this case, a tape recording was made of Wijanama’s nighttime recitation. In this recording, four words were repeated over and over. These words were:

“Allaha,” which is the Arabic word for God

“Umma,” which is the Tamil word for mother

“Vappa,” which is the Tamil word for father

Stevenson noted that Umma and Vappa are part of the vocabulary of the Tamil dialect spoken by Muslims in Kandy. Further, when Stevenson had a Muslim resident of Kandy listen to the tape recording, this individual stated that only a Muslim child could pronounce these words so properly. Stevenson interpreted the recitation as a prayer to God in which Wijanama pleaded to be reunited with this past life parents.

There were other words that Wijanama used which would indicate that he had lived in Kandy in his previous live. For example, when asked if he had enough food, Wijanama replied “podong,” which is a Tamil word for “enough.” This is in contrast to the Sinhalese word for enough, which is “aithie.”

In 1970, when Wijanama was 11 years old, he was still persisting in the behavior of a Muslim boy and he continued to play at operating his shop after school. His nocturnal ritual of sitting up on his bed and pleading to God and referring to his past life mother and father was ongoing.

Statements made by Wiljanama strongly support that he had a past life as a Muslim in Kandy. As noted, he could not recall his past life name, which made locating his past life family challenging. Further, Ian Stevenson noted that Muslims in Kandy were reluctant to help in identifying Wijanama’s past life identity, since reincarnation is not a part of their religion.

Principles of Reincarnation-Understanding Past Lives

Change of Religion and Ethnicity: Wijanama recalled that he was a Muslim boy in his past life, whereas in his contemporary life, he was born into a Sinhalese Buddhist family.

Past Life Talents and Behaviors: Wijanama demonstrated behaviors typical of a Muslim boy. Further, he had an obsession of playing the role of a shopkeeper, which likely represents his past life vocation.

Xenoglossy: In Wijanama’s nightly recitations, he used Arabic and Tamil words, though no Arabs or Tamils lived in his village and no one in his family knew or understood these words. Being able to speak a language that has not been learned by normal means is called xenoglossy. The Arabic and Tamil words that Wijanama used likely were learned during a past lifetime in Kandy, where the languages of Arabic and Tamil are spoken by the Muslim population.

Geographic Memory: Once in Kandy, Mijanama found what appears to be his past life mosque and possibly his past life home.

Source: Stevenson, Ian: Cases of the Reincarnation Type, Sri Lanka, Volume II, pages 326-360

Reincarnation Case of Titanic Designer Tommy Andrews | William C Barnes

How derived: Childhood Past Life Memories and Past Life Regression

From: Thomas Andrews, A Past Life Memory, by William Barnes

Article by: Walter Semkiw, MD

William Barnes is the author of Thomas Andrews, A Past-Life Memory. Barnes started having spontaneous past life memories when he was a child. In his book, he writes:

“At the age of four, I drew a ship with four smokestacks and told my parents, ‘This is my ship, but she died.’ I insisted my mother call me ‘Tommy’ and spoke of two brothers, a sister, aunts and uncles, none of whom my parents knew. There were also relentless nightmares-a huge ship little looming above me, piercing screams, heated arguments, the frigid water stabbing at my body, a peach-colored mass of steel falling on me-and, again and again, I would wake up crying.”

Through Past Life Regression, a Past Life Name is Recalled

“At age 25, I moved to Washington DC, where I sought the help of a counselor who used hypnosis as a means of relaxation. During the session, I heard myself arguing about ‘the ship’s design.’ At the instant I came out of the trance, I sat up and said ‘my name is Tommy Andrews.’ It was the first time I had heard the full name.

At age 38, I got married for the second time, and with my new wife, Mary Ann, moved to Arizona. Late one night, I woke Mary Ann as I argued loudly in my sleep, calling out names she didn’t recognize, all the while speaking with a pronounced accent.

Subsequently, the ongoing nightmares pulled me into a deep depression. My professional and personal life deteriorated, my self-esteem evaporated, and I contemplated suicide in the desert. After being ordered to seek help, I began an odyssey of physical, psychological, and psychiatric evaluations. In 1997, I was referred to Dr. Frank Baranowski, a psychologist who had used hypnotic age regression with great success in helping people overcome phobias.”

Barnes also writes of his state of mind at the start of regression sessions with Dr. Baranowski. “This will never work,’ I thought, smiling inwardly. ‘That was my last conscious thought.’”

However, the past-life therapy did work and the sessions helped William Barnes take ownership of his life once again. The sessions were recorded and excerpts are featured in an audio book called A Past-Life Interview with Titanic’s Designer, by William Barnes and Frank Baranowski. On it, one can hear Barnes speaking in Tommy Andrew’s heavy Irish accent as he describes the ordeal of Titanic’s sinking and he relives his death on the deck of the great ship.

Reincarnation: Anniversary Phenomenon and Synchronistic Events

The case of William Burns illustrates how the Universe, or spiritual world, provides meaningful symbols and sets up synchronistic events to give us hints regarding our past life identities, destinies and purposes. As an example, William Barnes was born on April 14, 1953, the anniversary date of the sinking of the Titanic. Barnes was born on the date that the Titanic sank, 41 years after the incident. Interestingly, Titanic’s hull number was 401, which embodies the number 41. Further, on the day that Barnes was born, the first movie version of Titanic was released.

How do these symbolic and synchronistic events occur? With regard to Williams Barnes’ birth on the anniversary of the Titanic’s sinking, I believe that one’s soul or higher self can influence the date of birth, just as one’s death can be timed. This latter phenomenon is reflected in the deaths of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson on the 50^th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

In addition to reading his book and listening to his audiobook, please visit William Barne’s website, which has interesting information regarding the Titanic, such as its horn, and excerpts from his past life regressions.

William C. Barnes: Spiritual Exploratory Author

Principles of Reincarnation-Understanding Past Lives

Physical Resemblance in Reincarnation Cases: There is a similarity in facial bone structure between Andrews and Barnes, though Barnes is heavier than Andrews.

Past Life Talent and Knowledge: In his book, Barnes describes how he has innate knowledge of shipbuilding design used in the era of Titanic, which he did not learn by normal means.

Innate Past Life Talent and Child Prodigies in Reincarnation Cases-Introduction

Child prodigies and innate abilities can be explained through reincarnation. The symbol for past life talent represents the knowledge of the soul penetrating into the mind of the personality.

Article by: Walter Semkiw, MD

Reincarnation research shows that behaviors and talents can be transferred from one incarnation to another. Even artistic compositions can be unconsciously replicated from one lifetime to another, as seen in the Paul Gauguin | Peter Teekamp reincarnation case. This phenomenon can explain child prodigies.

The symbol for past life talent represents the knowledge of the soul penetrating into the mind of the personality.

Past Life Talent-Child Prodigy Cases

Reincarnation Research Home Page

Reincarnation Case of Pablo Picasso | Alexandra Nechita: Past Life Patterns & Innate Talent

The reincarnation case of Pablo Picasso is so self-apparent, that it almost solved itself. Let us briefly review the histories of Pablo Picasso and Alexander Nechita here where every detail is discussed.

Affirmed by: Spirit Guide or Spirit Being Ahtun Re in a Ryerson-Semkiw Reincarnation Research Session, 2005

From: Born Again

Article by: Walter Semkiw, MD

Alexandra Nechita as Pablo Picasso Reborn

This case was brought to my attention in a casual way. Indeed, the reincarnation case of Pablo Picasso is so self-apparent, that it almost solved itself. Let me explain how the Picasso | Nechita case evolved.

In the summer of 2004, I did a reincarnation presentation in Boulder, Colorado. A member of the audience was a friend of Wayne Peterson, a retired US Diplomat and former Director of the Fulbright Scholarship Program in Washington, DC, who has met four US Presidents: Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon and Clinton. Mr. Peterson’s own reincarnation cases can be reviewed at: Past Lives of Wayne Peterson: A Diplomat, Artist, Socialite and Doge

Wayne’s friend told me that I should investigate a young artist named Alexandra Nechita, as her work is remarkably similar to that of Picasso and it has been speculated that she may be the reincarnation of Picasso. I was advised that Alexandra’s work was being displayed in Denver, at that time, at Gallery M.

The next day, I took a drive to see Alexandra’s work and found myself dumbfounded. Though I had observed how linguistic writing patterns can remain the same across incarnations, such as in the case of John B. Gordon | Jeff Keene, this was the first time I had the opportunity to see how talent could be recapitulated by a painter in such a dramatic way. Later, I would observe how artistic talent and even compositions could be replicated in The Reincarnation Case of Paul Gauguin | Peter Teekamp

Though I am no expert in art, Alexandra’s work was so much like Picasso’s, it was simply striking. I asked the director of Gallery M whether there were any photos of Alexandra available, perhaps on a brochure or business card, and whether I could get contact information for Alexandra. The gallery director told me that no photos of Alexandra were on hand and that the artist was a private person and personal contact information could not be given out. In my next session with Kevin Ryerson, though, I asked Ahtun Re whether Alexandra was indeed the reincarnation of Picasso, which he affirmed.

In January 2006, as I was preparing to publish Born Again, on the Internet, I found that Alexandra now had a web site with images of herself. I quickly compared her facial features with Picasso’s and though not as striking as some reincarnation facial matches, I felt her facial architecture was consistent with that of Picasso. Though Alexandra is a beautiful young woman with fine features and Picasso was a rather rugged looking man, the bone structure, the overall architecture of the face and head, I found to be the similar. Later on, I found images of Picasso and Alexandra when they were both children, where a similarity in facial features can also be seen. At this point, I decided to try to contact Alexandra for her inclusion in this book. Little did I know that the subject of reincarnation had already been entertained in her mind.

Pablo Picasso as a Child Prodigy Artist

Let us briefly review the histories of Pablo Picasso and Alexander Nechita. Picasso was born in Malaga, Spain, on October 25, 1881. Picasso demonstrated artistic gifts early in his boyhood and at the age of 15, he was enrolled in Barcelona’s School of the Fine Arts. His painting, Science and Charity, won a gold medal at an exhibit in Malaga when he was 16 and by this time, Picasso had his own studio in Barcelona.

In 1900, Picasso made a brief trip to Paris, where he admired the work of modern artists such as Edgar Degas and Henri Toulouse-Lautrec. Picasso later moved to Paris in 1904 and established friendships with writers, such as Gertrude Stein and Max Jacob. Picasso also witnessed the emerging popularity of Paul Gauguin while he was in Paris and Picasso was influenced by his work.

With Georges Braque, Picasso pioneered the “Cubist” style of painting, in which landscape images were composed of what appeared to be small cubes. Picasso did sculpture in innovative ways, using a variety of common objects to create abstract constructions. Picasso also became involved in set design, working for the Ballets Russes in Rome. Picasso’s illustrious career culminated in an exhibition at the Louvre, in Paris, which occurred in honor of his 90th birthday, in 1971. With this event, Picasso was the first living artist to have works displayed at the Louvre. Picasso died in France on April 8, 1973.

Past Life Talent: Alexandra Nechita as a Child Prodigy Artist and a “Petite Picasso”

Eight years after Picasso died, on August 27, 1985, Alexandra Nechita was born in Romania. Alexandra’s father, Niko, unfortunately was not present for his daughter’s birth. Niko had left Communist Romania to seek a better future for his family in the United States, when his wife, Viorica, was six months pregnant with Alexandra. Niki would not see his wife and new daughter until 1987, when they were reunited in Los Angeles.

Like Picasso, Alexandra demonstrated artistic talent as a very young child. In fact, Alexandra began to draw as soon as her developing nervous system would allow her to do so. Alexandra became obsessed with her coloring books, which was a concern for her parents, as she didn’t seem interested in the usual things that little girls do, such as playing and skipping rope. Her first pen and ink drawings were done at age two.

A truly startling observation was made by her parents when Alexandra was four years old. Alexandra was drawing abstract figures with two faces and four eyes, as seen in the art of Picasso. Alexandra rapidly built up a collection of original works. At eight years of age, Alexandra’s first art exhibit was held at a Los Angeles public library on April 1, 1994. In a symbolic synchronistic event, on the same day that she had her first exhibit, she also saw the art of Picasso for the first time at the Los Angeles County Art Museum.

Alexandra loved the freedom of expression that she saw in Picasso’s art, unencumbered by rules. Alexandra’s career advanced rapidly from that point on. As cited on her web site:

“She attracted the attention of art critics and the media who began telling the world about this rarest of child prodigies—an artist who had mastered drawing and color, an artist who had created a visual language of her own, in a unique, lyrical, figurative, abstract cubist manner, an artist who had only recently turned nine years old.”

In fact, the press had dubbed her, “The Petite Picasso.” In 1999, at the age of fourteen, Alexandra was selected to lead the Global Arts Initiative, involving more than one hundred countries, sponsored by the World Federation of United Nations. In her still nascent voyage, Alexandra has been a guest on numerous national television shows in the United States, including CBS Sunday Morning, NBC’s Today, The Rosie O’Donnell Show, NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw and The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Past Life Patterns: Picasso’s Guernica and Alexandra’s Past Life Theory

In early 2006, I tried to contact Alexandra using information provided on her website. She was still only 20 years of age at this point in time. I was put in touch with her mother, Viorica, who was open to reincarnation.

After Born Again came out in 2006, I met Viorica and her daughter at an art exhibition that Alexandra was holding in Las Vegas. Many of the oil paintings were priced close to $100,000. Alexandra also displayed works of art created in glass and other media. The centerpiece of the exhibit was a 20 foot tall metal statue entitled, Hands and Dove, which is presented to the right. Picasso also worked in multiple media and created enormous statues such as the untitled sculpture in Chicago’s Daley Plaza, the bird like monument featured above Hands and Dove.

Alexandra’s Day of September 11 mirrors Picasso’s Guernica

At this event, Alexandra’s manager, Ben Valenty, who has represented her from childhood, was very excited to receive a copy of Born Again, which included the case of Pablo Picasso | Alexandra Nechita. He shared with me that on his deathbed, Picasso stated that a young child would be born with his talent. I got the impression that Ben himself had wondered whether this child was Alexandra. Then he gave me a copy of her recently released book, entitled Hands and Dove: The Art of Alexandra Nechita.

When I read this book, I had further insight into this theory. Inside, I found an image of her work entitled The Day of September 11, provided above.

This is a huge painting that is the size of a wall. Not only in size, but in content, this painting appeared to be an updated version of Picasso’s Guernica. To appreciate the size of The Day of September 11, look at the left side of the painting and you will see Alexandra herself standing in front of the canvas. This painting is essentially a contemporary version of Guernica which is featured below.

Just as Guernica portrayed the horror of the Spanish city undergoing aerial bombardment, The Day of September 11 captured the horror of the destruction of the World Trade Center. Both paintings feature human beings with arms outstretched skyward. Picasso placed farm animals in his painting and depicted their annihilation, while Alexandra used doves to represent the victims of the towers, who were streaming out towards heaven. Of course, one could suggest that Alexandra simply was inspired by Guernica, but recall that she started doing Picasso like art when she was only four years old, before she had exposure to the art world.

An even more revealing Nechita painting is entitled Past Life Theory, which features the horse head found in Guernica, which is the most famous and recognizable object in Guernica. In her painting, Alexandra gave this horse female breasts and in the right-hand corner of the painting, a red question mark is prominent. By utilizing one of the most famous symbols of Picasso and title of the painting being Past Life Theory, it appears that Alexandra is musing on the question of whether Picasso has been reborn in her.

Past Life Patterns

If the reincarnation case of Pablo Picasso | Alexandra Nechita is accepted, reflect on how these souls have demonstrated such characteristic patterns in their development across two lifetimes. Picasso and Alexandra both dove into art as toddlers and demonstrated genius already in their teenage years, becoming world renowned artists early in their lives.

Repetition of patterns is similarly observed in the case of Paul Gaugin | Peter Teekamp. Paul Gauguin and Peter Teekamp, as young men, both became carefree world travelers. They both then embarked on business careers as a way to support themselves. Gauguin and Teekamp both started painting in adulthood as a hobby. Both only decided to pursue art as a full time profession in maturity. Gauguin died poor and unrecognized and Peter, though an accomplished artist, is at this time relatively unknown.

Let us also reflect on how these two cases illustrate that we do indeed build upon accomplishments of past lifetimes. The Gauguin | Teekamp sketches, with the horses, women in circles, men in berets and Jesus on the cross—drawn from above, demonstrate that Peter Teekamp unconsciously replicated Gauguin’s artist development, but at an earlier age.

Similarly, Alexandra replicated Picasso’s development by drawing abstract figures with two faces and four eyes at the age of four. Picasso became a pioneer of the Cubist style of painting in 1907, when he was 26 years old. The media has noted that Alexandra Nechita painted in an “abstract cubist manner” when she was nine years old.

Another case that demonstrates how the pattern of being a childhood prodigy is replicated from one lifetime to another involves The Reincarnation Case of Anne Frank | Barbro Karlen, as Barbro had her first book of prose published at 12.

Principles of Reincarnation & Understanding Past Lives

If this reincarnation case is accepted, it demonstrates the following features:

Physical Resemblance: Alexandra Nechita’s facial bone structure is consistent with that of Picasso.

Past Life Innate Talent: Alexandra Nichita was a child prodigy artist, as was Picasso. She replicated the style of Picasso in childhood, works in multiple media, as did Picasso, and in The Day of September 11, she did a contemporary version of one Picasso’s most famous paintings, Guernica. Ben Valenty, who has represented Alexandra and is featured in the picture to the right, told me that Picasso, on his death-bed, predicted that a child would be born with his talent.

Anniversary Phenomenon: Alexandra had her first art exhibit at age eight and on that same day, she first saw an exhibit of Picasso’s art.

Change of Nationality and Ethnic Affiliation from One Incarnation to Another: Picasso was born in Spain and lived in Europe, while Alexandra is a native of Romania, who lives in the United States.

Gender Change: Picasso was male who reincarnated as Alexandra, a female.

Reincarnation and Change of Race: Past Life Story of an African Tribesman | Gedeon Haich and How Evidence of Reincarnation Can Help End Racial Divide: The Death of George Floyd

How Derived: Memories in Childhood

Researcher: Ian Stevenson, MD

From: European Cases of the Reincarnation Type, by Ian Stevenson, MD

Article by Walter Semkiw, MD

**Elizabeth Haich, author of Initiation, has a Son with Past Life Memories**

Gedeon Haich was born on March 7, 1921 in Budapest, Hungary. Vajdahunyad Castle, in Budapest, is pictured to the right. His parents were Subo and Elisabeth Haich. Elisabeth was raised in a Christian home, but later developed an interest in yoga and eventually she wrote a spiritual autobiography entitled, Initiation.

A section of her book is dedicated to her son’s reincarnation case and she provided quotations from Gedeon in her narrative. In European Cases of the Reincarnation Type, Ian Stevenson reproduced these quotations.

Elisabeth vouched that in his childhood, Gedeon did not have any books on Africa or other places with dark-skinned natives. He didn’t see any movies on Africa and he didn’t know any African people. She stated that Gedeon did not learn of African places or customs through normal means.

Past Life Memories, Drawings & Phobia of Swimming in a Lake

When he was 4 to 5 years old, Gedeon developed a habit of drawing people in pictures with dark brown skin. When his European mother, Elisabeth, pointed out that he was making the complexions of his figures too dark, Gedeon ignored her and continued to color them brown.

During the same period of time, Elisabeth noticed another unusual trait during an outing at their family’s summer home near a lake in Hungary. When Gedeon was asked to join other family members who were swimming in the lake, he refused.

Gedeon screamed and struggled to get free, so that he would not enter the lake’s water. Elisabeth couldn’t understand Gedeon’s fear of and resistance to swimming in the lake. She noted that Gedeon didn’t respond in the same way when entering man-made swimming pools.

Past Life Memories: Gedeon Remembers having a Family of Dark and Half Naked People

When Gedeon was 6 or 7 years old, he unexpectedly told Elisabeth that he thought he had a prior lifetime. He said he remembered being in a different country with different people. He said that he had a wife and children. He continued:

“My wife and children and other people there are not like people here; they are all black and completely half naked.” (1)

Elisabeth then asked Gedeon where he lived and he responded by drawing a picture of a hut, with a cone-shaped roof topped with a vent for smoke. In front of the hut was a naked woman with long breasts and next to the hut there was a river with waves on it. Gedeon claimed that this woman in his drawing was his wife.

Past Life Memories: Gedeon’s Past Life Wife has Long, Hanging Breasts

Elisabeth asked why he drew his wife with such long, hanging, ugly breasts. Gedeon looked at his mother as if she was insane. He retorted:

“Because that is the way they were. And they are not ugly. She is very beautiful.” (2)

Further, explaining to Elisabeth why he thought he had a past lifetime, he bemoaned:

“And listen, Mama, I am also asking how it is that every morning, when I wake up and my eyes are not yet open, I immediately have the feeling that I must jump out of bed and go hunting in order to find food for my wife and children. It is only when I get my eyes open and look around the room that I remember that I am a small boy and your son.” (3)

A Past Life Phobia of a River and Lake Monster

Gedeon continued to describe his lifetime and draw pictures that illustrated his narrative.

“We lived in little huts like these, which we built ourselves. Also, each of us made a boat for himself by hollowing out and carving the trunk of a tree.

There was a large river, but no one could go into it as we can in the lake here. A kind of monster lived in the water. I don’t remember what kind it was, but it bit people’s legs off and that’s why last year I yelled so when you wanted me to go in the water of the lake.

I was afraid that there was something in the water that could bite my legs; and even now I get that feeling when I go in the water, even though I know there is nothing dangerous living in the water here. (4)

Ian Stevenson reasoned that the monster in the river was likely a crocodile and that a past life fear of being bit by this reptile was responsible for Gedeon’s phobia of swimming in the lake near the family’s summer house.

Past Life Ability: Gedeon can Maneuver a Canoe like an Acrobat

Still at the age of 6 or 7, Gedeon continued his story. He told Elisabeth:

“And remember, Mama, how, when we bought a boat for the family I wanted to row it. You told me that I had first to learn how to row. But I knew that I can row, because I could make my tree-boat move long the water just as if it were part of me. I could even sit in my boat and flip over to one side, go under the water and come up on the other side, still in the boat.

And you said: ‘All right. Try to row. You will find that you can’t do it.’

Then you were all surprised when I, taking one oar—my arms were too short to handle both oars—showed that I could row and even maneuver the boat between other boats and between people. With my tree-boat, where I lived, I could do everything. You should have seen me! The trees were not like the ones here.” (5)

Gedeon then pointed to a tree that he had drawn, which looked like a palm tree, indicating that his was the type of tree his past life boat was carved from.

Past Life Memories: Gedeon would Hunt with a Bow and Boomerang

Gedeon also drew a picture of himself using a bow and arrow to hunt a bird that was in one of the palm trees. He also drew a curved object that he used for hunting. Gedeon explained that when he threw this curved weapon, it would return back on its own. Though he didn’t know the word, Gedeon was describing a boomerang.

A Past Life Talent for Climbing Trees

When Gedeon was 13 years old, an incident revealed a hidden skill for climbing trees. A neighbor came running to Elisabeth and exclaimed that Gedeon had climbed to the top of a poplar tree that was 20-25 meters high, which is the equivalent of 65-80 feet.

Elisabeth ran out and looked up into the tree. She couldn’t see Gedeon, due to the branches and leaves of the tree, but she could hear him. She demanded that he come down. Reluctantly, Gedeon climbed down slowly, but very skillfully. Elisabeth said he climbed down the tree “like a small monkey.” (6)

Elisabeth asked why he did something so dangerous. Gedeon replied that he had made a nest at the top of the tree and that he could eat cooked corn up there, which tasted much better than on the ground. He also remarked on the wonderful view that he had at the top of the tree.

Elisabeth told him that it was too dangerous for him to climb so high and she ordered him to build his nest on the ground. At that, Gedeon became angry and snapped at her:

“I would like to know who looked out for me when I was in the jungle and climbed trees even higher than this one to watch for animals. Where were you then?” (7)

A Past Life Talent for Drumming

When Gedeon was 15 years old, he asked his mother to buy him a drum. Elisabeth took him to the largest music store in the area, where Gedeon picked out the biggest drum in the shop.

When they returned home, Gedeon started playing the drum with what was described as astonishing skill. He played very complicated rhythms and he appeared to be in an ecstatic state while doing so, even crying as he drummed. After playing an unusual rhythm, he said to Elisabeth:

“Do you see, Mama, that is the way we could send signals and messages to each other over great distances.” (8)

Elisabeth had no idea of how Gedeon had learned to play the drum in a sophisticated way, nor did she understand how he acquired his ability to row a boat with one oar or climb “like a small monkey.”

Past Life Emotions: Gedeon Sobs When He Sees Scenes of Africa

When asked where his past lifetime took place, Gedeon, as a child, would simply state that it was in the jungle or tropics. When Elisabeth suggested to Gedeon, as an adult, that he should read about Africa, he replied:

“What is the point? I know better how things were there and don’t need to know what white men think about them. And when I do read correct descriptions, I weep, even though I try not to do so.” (9)

When Elisabeth went with Gedeon, as an adult, to a movie about dark-skinned natives, presumably in Africa, she noticed that he wept, and even sobbed uncontrollably, during the movie.

Also, as an adult, Gedeon indicated that he felt that his past incarnation was indeed in Africa, noting that he had a strong affinity for Africa, even though he had never been there in his contemporary lifetime.

The Death of George Floyd: How Evidence of Reincarnation Can Help Prevent Future Tradigies Based on Racial and Ethnic Bias

In 2020, the world was been shocked by the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer during an arrest. This officer knealt on Floyd’s neck as he was lying on the ground while handcuffed until George died by the lack of air to his lungs and compression of the arteries in his neck that provided blood flow to his brain.

Though the trial of this officer has not yet occured and we do not know what the result will be, there is a consensus that there is a bias in the United States against African-African Americans. I am Caucasian, so I have not experienced this directly, but I remember vividly an episode that demonstrates racial hate, which happened when I was in my medical training.

I was walking on a street in Denver with a dear African-American friend of mine, Keith La Grenade, MD, who was in the same medical training program in psychiatry with me at the University of Colorado.

Without provocation, a Caucasian driver of a car driving by us yelled out: “Nigger!”

I was shocked, as I had never witnessed such a racial insult to another in my life. I asked Keith: “Has this happened to you before?”

Keith answered: “All the time.”

After I wrote these passages, I had the desire to contact Keith, as we had not been in touch in many years. Sadly, I learned that he had died in 2016.

Keith La Grenade, MD Obituary

Evidence of Reincarnation Can Help End Racisim

Evidence of reincarnation shows that we can change religion, nationality, ethnic affiliation and race from one lifetime to another. When people realize this is how life works, the basis of hate and prejudice against those we see as different from ourselves disappears. Those with dark skin can reincarnate as someone with light skin and vis versa.

In this way, evidence of reincarnation can help create a more tolerant and peaceful world

Principles of Reincarnation & Understanding Past Lives

As Gedeon’s presumed past life persona in Africa was not specifically identified, his case could not be historically validated. The strength of this case rests upon the unexpected talents that Gedeon demonstrated, which one would not be expected from a Hungarian youth.

These include, as a young child, the natural ability to row a boat with one oar, climbing trees like a monkey and being able to play complicated rhythms on a drum without any prior experience or training.

In addition, Gedeon’s phobia of swimming in lakes or rivers can not be explained without a past life cause. In his past lifetime in Africa, Gedeon remembered a fear of entering a river with monsters that bit people’s legs off. These monsters were most likely crocodiles.

Phobia from a Past Lifetime: As noted, Gedeon had a phobia of natural bodies of water, which seemed to stem from his past life experience with crocodiles.

Past Life Talents & Abilities: Gedeon could steer a boat with one oar, climb trees like a monkey and drum like a professional, without any prior training or experience in his contemporary lifetime.

Reincarnation & Change in Race: Gedeon described himself, his wife and the people of his tribe as dark skinned natives that lived in a land that was most likely Africa. Gedeon, as an adult, expressed a great affinity for Africa, though he had never been there in his contemporary incarnation. He himself thought his past incarnation, indeed, took place in Africa.

Another important reincarnation case that shows how evidence of reincarnation can help create a more peaceful world, where a person was killed for being a Jew in a Nazi world, but reincarnated as a Christian, is the:

Reincarnation Case of Anne Frank | Barbro Karlen

Footnotes

1. Stevenson, Ian: European Cases of the Reincarnation Type, McFarland, 2003, page 116
2. Stevenson, Ian: European Cases of the Reincarnation Type, McFarland, 2003, page 116
3. Stevenson, Ian: European Cases of the Reincarnation Type, McFarland, 2003, page 121
4. Stevenson, Ian: European Cases of the Reincarnation Type, McFarland, 2003, page 116
5. Stevenson, Ian: European Cases of the Reincarnation Type, McFarland, 2003, page 116
6. Stevenson, Ian: European Cases of the Reincarnation Type, McFarland, 2003, page 103
7. Stevenson, Ian: European Cases of the Reincarnation Type, McFarland, 2003, page 118
8. Stevenson, Ian: European Cases of the Reincarnation Type, McFarland, 2003, page 118
9. Stevenson, Ian: European Cases of the Reincarnation Type, McFarland, 2003, page 121

Past Life Story of Louise Vanderbilt | Wayne Peterson-Spirit Being or Soul Guidance in a Reincarnation Case with Psychokenisis

In childhood, Wayne Peterson had vivid memories of a lifetime in which women wore nineteenth century clothing and where parties were held in a large sandstone, mansion-like house. Decades later, while working as a US Diplomat and and Director of the Fulbright Scholarship Program, through guidance from the spirit world and an episode of psychokinesis, Wayne was able to identify his past life as Louis Vanderbilt, wife of Frederick Vanderbilt, a member of the American Vanderbilt dynasty which includes CNN’s Anderson Cooper.

How Case Derived: Past Life Memories in Childhood and Spirit Being Guidance

Researcher: Wayne Peterson

Article by Walter Semkiw, MD from Born Again

Little Wayne remembers a Past Lifetime with Women in Billowing Gowns and a Man named Fred: A Past Life Vision of the Vanderbilt Mansion

Wayne Peterson has experienced memories of a past lifetime in which he was Louise Vanderbilt, wife of Frederick Vanderbilt, a member of the American Vanderbilt dynasty. Through marriage, Louise was a relative of Gloria Vanderbilt, who is the mother of CNN’s Anderson Cooper. Click on facial comparison images to enlarge them.

In contrast to the childhood remembrances regarding his Francesco Foscari past lifetime, Wayne’s memories of the Vanderbilt lifetime were more direct and visual. Wayne narrates the turn of events:

“My earliest memories in childhood included detailed images of a time when women wore long billowing gowns and people still used horse drawn carriages. I remembered specifically a large sandstone house, a man named Fred, friends arriving for social gatherings, a large reception area with a high ceiling and floors of white stone.

Central to all this I remembered most a woman that was the center of all related activity. The mystery lady was the center of several scenes that were repeated again and again during my earliest years and continued even to this day. I used to wonder who these people were and wondered why they appeared so real to me.

As a young child I believed these people were part of my current life. Why they never visited our home I could never explain. I actually believed they would arrive one day and they would remember me and unexplainably, I would be very happy. I assumed that in my earlier years as an infant I had perhaps experienced these people with my parents and had now forgotten most of those intimate experiences. It was the only way I had as a child to explain the vividness of these people I visited in my dreams. However, these people never did appear in this current life and I remained at a loss to explain their appearance in my mind. I had no knowledge of reincarnation at that early preschool stage of my life.”

Wayne, who was born in 1942, reflects that these memories were especially odd since in the 1940’s, there was no television, nor did he any see motion pictures, that might have fueled his imagination. He reflects that nothing in his real time experience of a small town in central Wisconsin correlated to his visions. Clothing, houses and social manners were entirely different in Wisconsin than what he experienced in his memories.

Yet a man named Fred, women in billowing gowns transported in horse drawn carriages and the large sandstone house, were very real to little Wayne. Perplexed, Wayne asked his mother about these people and the house that he remembered. He asked if he had been ever taken to such a place as an infant. The answer was always no. Though he could not explain the source of his memories, these memories continued to be a source of comfort, and he maintained a nostalgic emotion for a person named Fred.

A Flashback of a Past Lifetime on Fifth Avenue in New York City in Front of the Old Vanderbilt House

As a young adult, Wayne Peterson joined the Peace Corps and was on route to Brazil. His flight to Rio de Janeiro was via New York City. Since Wayne had never been to this big city before, he arranged to have a few days in NYC, to take in the sights of the Big Apple. On his second day in NYC, at about noon, Wayne was walking down Fifth Avenue. He was impressed by the crush of people. Let us now allow Wayne to narrate the scene, as he stood on the sidewalk of Fifth Avenue:

“Suddenly a woman with a hat and white gloves across the wide sidewalk waved her hands in my direction and shouted, ‘Louise, Louise, over here, it’s me.’ She kept shouting Louise and I froze. I instantly believed she was calling me. For whatever reason, I suddenly believed I was Louise.

All my attention focused on this strange woman moving in my direction through the crowd. In my mind I was someone else, someone named Louise. I believed the woman moving toward me was an old friend, but the face did not look familiar.

Nevertheless, there was a great relief within my mind, I thought that finally someone recognized the real me. Not the young man from Wisconsin, but a woman named Louise. It was as if I had been a victim of amnesia and suddenly someone shocked me into reality. Unfortunately, the moment of intense excitement passed when the woman in the hat and gloves brushed past me and grabbed an elderly woman standing directly behind me.

Instantly, my mind was on overload and I could not move or think. I was still having a moment as Louise and I looked at these two women and thought, you fools, why don’t you remember me? I am the real Louis. How long I stood and stared at these two women enjoying their renewed acquaintance I do not know, but eventually my logical mind returned and I was forced to question my actions and thinking.

Embarrassed and bewildered, I returned to my hotel room. In the hotel I relaxed on the bed and for some hours pondered what had just happened. Why, I kept wondering, did I think I was Louise? Why was it so real to me and so important that I be Louise? I pondered this strange experience during my entire stay in New York, but found no answer until years later. Nonetheless, I was content that I was Louise in a past life about the turn of the century and that Fred was my husband.”

Wayne feels Past Life Frustration due to Fred’s Shyness

“What I knew of Louise and Fred was not only a few visions from this presumed past life, but I could feel emotions that were from Louise. I intuitively knew she was often frustrated with Frederick at social events. Louise would be in the huge reception area of the house greeting guests. She wore several dresses that I could remember in great detail. I always envisioned Fred in white tie and jacket with tails. He appeared to be perfectly comfortable dressed in that attire. but whenever possible he escaped to the small office/library. I can vividly remember the library door. Inside the library it would be quiet and Fred would be seated in the high backed sofa that hid him from the view of anyone at the doorway exit. Eventually, Louise grew tired of making excuses to the guests about Fred’s absence.”

Wayne Unexpectedly refers to his Vanderbilt Past Life Relatives

In these past life reminiscences experienced when he was a very young man, Wayne Peterson still did not know who Fred and Louise were specifically. Decades later, in the 1990’s, a hint came when Wayne was visiting an upper class friend in New York City, whose name was Mary. This upper class friend insisted that Wayne join her on a vacation at her Irish house on the South coast of Ireland. Mary said that they would have a wonderful time and added that her friend Gloria would be joining them also.

Wayne asked, “Gloria who?” Mary replied, “It’s my friend Gloria Vanderbilt.” Let us allow Wayne describe his reaction to this statement regarding Gloria Vanderbilt, whose photo is provided to the right:

“Instantly my logical mind was again paralyzed just as it had been years before when in New York City that elderly woman shouted the name Louise. Another personality or another identity took over my consciousness and I said, ‘Great, Gloria and I can chat and gossip about our family relatives.’

There was a silence from my friend Mary and I began to realize what I had just said. Mary asked what I meant by common family relatives and I babbled nervously about something while trying to think up any good excuse for my ridiculous statement.

Eventually, I explained that I thought Gloria had an interesting family tree. After terminating that conversation I realized that for a few moments I was transported into another life. It was so total that I really believed I was a relative of Gloria Vanderbilt and we could indeed gossip about family members. Why, I kept wondering again, why did I say such a stupid thing with such conviction?”

Spirit Being, Spiritual or Soul Guidance: A Book Magically Moves and Attaches Itself to Wayne’s Hand-A Case of Psychokinesis

“In the days that followed my conversation with Mary I began to wonder if there ever could have been a Frederick and Louise Vanderbilt. No, I reasoned the odds against it were simply too remote to even bother to explore. Nevertheless, some weeks later while wandering in my favorite bookstore, my attention was attracted to a book on the wealthy families of the 1800’s and early 1900’s. I noticed the book only because it was on the lowest shelf and protruding into the aisle by some 4 to 5 inches.

Although I pushed the book into its proper alignment several times with my foot, the book continued to spring forward multiple times before I finally picked it up and read its cover. I even explored on my hands and knees what was in the shelf which forced the book out into the isle. There was nothing but an empty space behind the book.

Curious, I briefly looked at the price of the book, which was expensive, and I immediately wanted to place it back on the shelf. For whatever reasons, I could not give up the book although my mind wanted to place it back on the shelf. As I could not get my hand to release the book, I reasoned I had to buy it in order to leave the store. When I tried to give the book to the cashier so that he could make the sale, the cashier had to pull with both of his hands to dislodge the book from my grasp, despite my desire to let go of it. After paying for the book, I was angry with myself for having no self-control over purchasing a book I did not want. I took the book home and placed it on my own bookshelf thinking that this is one book that I will probably never read, and therefore it was a total waste of money.”

Wayne identifies his Past Life Home with Women in Billowing Skirts and a Man named Fred Vanderbilt

“However, later that night I had a dream that I must read this new book. Unable to sleep because of this nagging notion, I went downstairs and opened the book. At first nothing captured my imagination but soon I opened a page that totally took me by surprise.

There in full color was a photo of the very room I had always envisioned as a child. The distinctive ceiling, the fireplace and white marble floor and the very same sofas I so clearly remembered. It was all there as if only yesterday I had stepped out of that room.

The next page was even more revealing. Again, in a color photo, was the library/office I knew so well. The pale green sofa that Fred would hide in during social events and the two beautiful desks that were part of a his and hers arrangement. Transfixed in wonderment, I thought about the strange attachment I had to this scene and what I might learn from this extraordinary experience.

I began to read the article that went with the photos. The room was part of the Vanderbilt Mansion, which was built by Frederick Vanderbilt in Hyde Park, New York in the late 1800’s. Wouldn’t it be a strange coincidence, I thought, if this Fred Vanderbilt had a wife named Louise? As I read down the page, I was overwhelmed when I read that Frederick was married to Louise H. Anthony. The following pages were most revealing, especially when I saw the color photos that followed…The photos brought to life the rooms that I remembered from my earliest memories as a child. I realized that I had opened a book that revealed all the secrets of a past life.”

Spiritual or Soul Guidance: Reincarnation Geographic Memory on Fifth Avenue

Wayne also read that though their sandstone Hyde Park mansion (pictured near the top of this page) was their favorite, their main home was on Fifth Avenue, in New York City. Though this home in NYC was torn down, the location that Wayne had his “Louise” experience on Park Avenue as a young man indeed the location where the Vanderbilt home had been located on Fifth Avenue. The fact that Louise Vanderbilt lived on Fifth Avenue sheds further light on young Wayne’s experience on Fifth Avenue, when the elderly woman in white gloves called out “Louise,” and Wayne was transported to his past incarnation as Louise.

I term this phenomenon of a geographic setting triggering past life experiences as Geographic Memory, which is also observed in the: Reincarnation Case of John B. Gordon | Jeff Keene

Wayne Peterson & Louise Vanderbilt have a Common Interest in Metaphysics

Wayne also learned that Louise and Frederick were very interested in metaphysics, including Theosophy, as is Wayne in contemporary times. In his current incarnation, Wayne is a scholar of the work of Alice Bailey. Louise was also a great fan of the grand ladies of 18th century France, especially Marie Antoinette. Louise Vanderbilt had even filled her bedroom with French reproduction furniture.

This has significance in relation to another past lifetime that has been identified for Wayne, that of Claude Ledoux, who was an artist and architect associated in the Court of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. The Claude Ledoux | Wayne Peterson reincarnation case is featured in Born Again. Louise died in 1926, in Paris, which was one of her favorite cities. Frederick lived out his remaining years largely in seclusion, passing away in 1938.

Reincarnated Fredrick Vanderbilt in Contemporary Times

Frederick, by the way, has also been identified in contemporary times. Fred turns out to be a friend who Wayne Peterson has known for years, who shares with Wayne an interest in metaphysics. Though Wayne had known this person for a period of time, his identity as Frederick Vanderbilt was not determined until the year 2004. At that time, Frederick and Louise Vanderbilt were consciously reunited, 78 years after they were separated by death.

Summary & Reincarnation Case Analysis

Key elements of this case include Wayne’s vivid memories in childhood of a lifetime in which women wore nineteenth century clothing and where parties were held in a large sandstone, mansion-like house. Later, in adulthood, Wayne had memories of being a woman name Louise, which were triggered by standing at the very spot where Louise and Fredrick Vanderbilt lived on Fifth Avenue in NYC. Though this event initially seems coincidental, it is likely that this event was orchestrated by spirit beings, or perhaps Wayne’s own soul.

Guidance to a past life geographic location, which triggered discovery of a past lifetime, also occurred in the case of Reincarnation Case of John B. Gordon | Jeff Keene.

Guidance by spirit beings was even more evident in the scene at the bookstore, where a book was magically pushed out of a bookshelf repeatedly. When Wayne grasped this book, he was unable to release it, which led to him purchasing this book on nineteenth century homes against his conscious will. In this book, Wayne found the house and rooms that he so vividly saw in his memories as a child. The home was owned by Fred and Louise Vanderbilt, which allowed Wayne to solve the past life puzzle that he had struggled with since childhood.

Of note, this case, if accepted, demonstrates that gender can change from one incarnation to another, though facial features, bone structure of the face, remains consistent.

Principles of Reincarnation & Understanding Past Lives

If this reincarnation case demonstrates the following features:

Physical Resemblance in Reincarnation Cases: Wayne’s facial features are consistent with those of Louise Vanderbilt, despite the change in gender.

Reincarnation & Change of Gender: Louise was a woman, who reincarnated as Wayne, a male.

Reincarnation & Geographic Memory: Wayne had a past life flashback at the spot on Fifth Avenue where Fred and Louise Vanderbilt had a home.

Spirit Being & Soul Guidance in Reincarnation Cases: The architectural book that featured the Vanderbilt Hyde Park home, which allowed Wayne to solve this reincarnation case, magically moved from a bookshelf and then attached itself to Wayne’s hand, which forced Wayne to purchase it. This represents psychokinesis, where an physical object is moved by psychic means, in this case apparently by a spirit guide. Psychokinesis is prominent in the reincarnation case of Daniel D. Home | Uri Geller, which is featured in Born Again. A dream then prompted Wayne to read the book in the middle of the night.

In addition, the incident on Fifth Avenue where Wayne had a past life flashback was likely orchestrated by a spirit being, or perhaps by Wayne’s own soul.

Reincarnation, Innate Talent & Past Life Behavior: Louise Vanderbilt studied astrology and Theosophical literature. Wayne has continued this interest by becoming a scholar of the Alice Bailey material. In addition, Wayne is a published author on spirit beings with his book, Extraordinary Times, Extraordinary Beings.

Renewal of Relationships through Reincarnation: Louise and Frederick Vanderbilt appear to have been reunited through reincarnation. In contemporary times, they are both heterosexual men, who are friends without any romantic involvement.

Past Life Ability, Spirit Being, Mediumship & Spiritual Guidance in the Reincarnation Case of Rosario Weisz | Henrietta Roos-Weisz

Henrietta Roos was born in 1903 in Amsterdam, Holland. Early on, she demonstrated a natural talent for drawing, painting and music, later in life she was able to patch memories and discovered she had a close connection with Goya in the past lifetime.

How Derived: Spiritual Communication

Researcher: Ian Stevenson, MD

From: European Cases of the Reincarnation Type, by Ian Stevenson, MD

Article by: Walter Semkiw, MD

Introducing Francisco Goya & Leocadia and Rosario Weisz

Francisco Goya was born in 1749 and became one of the most famous Spanish painters in history. The Spanish king, Ferdinand VII, appointed Goya as the Court Painter. Goya, unfortunately, found King Ferdinand a tyrant and in 1819, he decided to move away from the court in Madrid to a home in the countryside, outside of the city.

To his new home outside of Madrid, Goya brought a cousin, Leocadia Weisz, who was born in 1790 and was thus 40 years younger than Goya. Leocadia was married previously and had two children, Guillermo and Rosario, through that marriage, but her husband had abandoned the family. Rosario was born in 1814, just before her father left the home.

Rosario was 5 years old when she and her mother moved in with Goya in his country home outside of Madrid in 1819. Leocadia, who was initially hired as a housekeeper, became Goya’s mistress.

In 1824, Goya was alarmed by King Ferdinand’s repression of a liberal political movement and decided to leave Spain altogether. He moved to Bordeaux, France, where he bought a house and brought Leocadia and Rosario with him. The two women cared for Goya until he died in 1829.

After Goya’s death, Leocadia and Rosario moved back to Madrid, where Rosario pursued a career as an artist. Rosario became a copyist of paintings at the Prado museum. She was later appointed as a Professor of Drawing to Queen Isabella II.

Ian Stevenson has related that Goya had a known habit of painting very fast.

Past Life Ability: Henrietta’s Innate Talent for Art

Henrietta Roos was born in 1903 in Amsterdam, Holland. Early on, she demonstrated a natural talent for drawing, painting and music. At the age of 5, she used a crayon to draw an accurate portrait of her father. At 12 years of age, she did an oil painting of two birds and at the age to 16, she started painting miniature portraits. When she was 18, she painted a portrait of her mother. Henrietta wanted to pursue a career as an artist, but her parents disapproved and would not allow her to do so.

At the age to 22, Henrietta married Franz Weisz, a Hungarian pianist. Henrietta noted that she was more attracted to his name than his personality. The marriage allowed her to pursue her desire to be an artist and at the age of 24, she entered the Dutch Royal Academy of Art, where she focused on painting.

Her talent was noticed and for three years in a row, she was awarded the Royal Award from Queen Wilhemina, which allowed her to go study in Paris.

Past Life Attraction: Henrietta’s Affinity for the Name Weisz

Henrietta divorced Weisz at the age of 30. Though the custom in Holland was for a divorced woman to reassume her maiden name, Henrietta resisted. She told her mother, regarding the name Weisz:

“I don’t know, it is a strange feeling. I can’t explain, that name suits me. I feel one with it, it is more me than my own name Roos. Each time I call my self that way I have the feeling I’m talking about someone else.” (1)

She then moved to France and became fluent in French in a short period of time. For the next 20 years, she made her living as a painter in France, even serving as an official copyist for the Louvre Museum in Paris.

Mediumship: A Spirit Being Speaks to Henrietta and Paints a Portrait through Her in the Dark

One evening in the year 1936, when she was 33 years old, Henrietta went to bed early, as she was feeling ill. Suddenly, a voice spoke. The voice seemed to be coming from the center of her forehead. The voice said:

“Don’t be so lazy, get up and work.” (2)

Henrietta didn’t know what to make of this and she tried to ignore the voice, but it returned and made the same statement a second time. Henrietta still stayed in bed and tried to go to sleep. The voice then spoke a third time, but more vigorously and emphatically:

“Don’t be so lazy, get up and work.” (3)

Henrietta finally heeded the voice and got out of bed. She put her easel under the tiny electric light in her small room. She then felt a force enter her, which made her move the easel to the darkest corner of the room, where she could not see anything at all. Let us let Henrietta describe what happened next:

“My palette, still full of paints, was on the table, also a little canvas board. This I took—and I started to paint, hardly knowing what I was doing, in a feverish haste, for 45 minutes, when suddenly I felt my right become immensely heavy. I had to put down my brushes.” (4)

Henrietta was then finally able to go to sleep. When she awoke, she remembered the voice and that she had been painting in the dark. She wondered if it was all a dream. She jumped out of bed to look at the easel and found a beautiful portrait of a young girl with a far away look. The sight made Henrietta shiver. She was puzzled by this turn of events.

This painting of a beautiful woman is featured on the cover of Ian Stevenson’s book, European Cases of the Reincarnation Type, and is provided above and to the right.

A Clairvoyant Tells Henrietta of her Past Life Relationship with Francisco Goya

Henrietta quickly summoned a friend to see the portrait, who was astonished at the quality of the painting. Her friend exclaimed:

“Oh, Henriette, oh dear, this is wonderful, this is great! You know what we’re going to do? We’ll take it to a meeting for psychic research. Every Thursday afternoon they have a clairvoyant, extraordinarily gifted, and you take your little canvas along.” (5)

At the meeting, Henrietta found the clairvoyant to be a simple and poor looking elderly woman. Henrietta placed her canvas with portrait of the beautiful girl on a table next to the elderly woman, where others had also placed objects for the woman to examine. The clairvoyant took Henrietta’s painting and she fell into a trance. Henrietta said that the old woman closed her eyes and became very pale. Her lips trembled and the old woman very slowly said:

“I see very large golden letters—a name is spelled to me, G—O—Y—A…now he speaks to me. He says: He was a great Spanish painter. He had to fly from his country from his enemies, and it was you who received him in your home in a big southern city in France—until the end of his life. He still is so thankful for this that he wants to guide you—but he is not satisfied, you resist too much, you are too much tied up in your academic education—you never relax and let him guide you, you make it very difficult for him—he therefore made you paint in the dark, so that you couldn’t see what you were doing.” (6)

Henrietta and was impressed with the clairvoyant’s accurate statements. The elderly woman somehow knew that Henrietta was an artist, that she had an academic education in art and that she had done the painting of the girl in the dark.

Spiritual Guidance: Henrietta is Led to Information about a Past Life

Henrietta knew nothing about the personal life of Goya. The same day that she went to the clairvoyant, she had been invited for the first time to the home of a famous French musician. When she arrived that evening, the musician, coincidentally, had a biography on Goya on his bookshelf. She borrowed the book and when she got home, Henrietta opened it to somewhere in the middle of the book.

Again, as if by guidance, the book opened on a page that described how Goya lived with Leocadia and Rosario Weisz in Bordeaux, France, a large city in Southern France, who took care of him until his death.

Through this biography of Goya, the elderly clairvoyant’s statements seemed to be thus verified. Though the information gained, Henrietta finally understood why she had such an emotional attachment to the name Weisz. She had the same name, Weisz, even spelled in the same way, in a past incarnation in which she nurtured Goya in his latter years.

Once she understood this connection, the attachment to the name Weisz, which she retained for three years following her divorce, ended. From then on, she signed her name on paintings as “Henrietta Roos,” not “Roos-Weisz.”

Mediumship: Other Instances in which Henrietta served as a Medium for Francisco Goya

Henrietta had four other experiences in which it appeared that Goya was painting through her. In these instances, she painted very rapidly and produced beautiful pieces of art with ease. Recall that Goya had a tendency to pain very fast.

The most dramatic example involved a wealthy client in Nice, France, whose family hired Henrietta to do his portrait. Henrietta was very fatigued and when then entire family, including children and pets, surrounded her and her easel to watch her paint the portrait, she felt it was impossible for her do the painting.

In her despair, she made a strong mental plea to Goya to help her. Almost immediately, she started to paint rapidly and within a few minutes, produced and amazing likeness of her subject. It became one of her most acclaimed paintings.

Another example where it appeared that Goya took possession of Henrietta’s body occurred in 1960. She had been hired to do a painting of a subject from a photograph. Henrietta describes the scene:

“I had been wanting to paint this portrait many times in the past. The moment I wanted to start it something kept me from doing so, and each time I put down my brushes before even starting the first lines. This time I was not even thinking of doing it—and suddenly (it was a matter of seconds!) I was in front of my easel and did the portrait in a day and a half. Everything around me vanished. The whole world could have changed. I even forgot to eat. When my phone rang, I answered that I couldn’t talk. It was the same furious pace as I had felt when doing the…’girls face.” And another strange feeling is that now I’ve done it, I am constantly wondering how I did it.” (7)

This portrait was also considered among one of Henrietta’s best. Ian Stevenson observed that these events in which Goya appeared to take over Henrietta’s body occurred over a period of 40 years. Henrietta did not feel that Goya directed her or influenced her in her daily life between these occurrences.

Theses instances of Goya taking possession of Henrietta’s body to assist her in painting portraits is reminiscent to me of my experiences with Kevin Ryerson, a well-known trance medium who has been featured in Shirley MacLaine’s books. When Kevin goes into a trance and allows spirit beings to take over his body, they too can use Kevin’s body to make illustrations and diagrams during public demonstrations. After Kevin emerges from trance, he has no memory of what occurred during the session. In contrast, Henrietta seemed to be conscious of what was happening when Goya possessed her.

Past Life Identity: Was Henrietta Leocadia or Rosario Weisz?

Goya stated, through the elderly clairvoyant, that Henrietta had taken care of Goya in his home in Southern France. That same day, a biography on Goya was opened to the page that described how Leocadia and Rosario Weisz had taken care of Goya until his death in Bordeaux, France. From the information given, it was not clear whether Henrietta was Leocadia, the mistress of Goya, or Rosario, the daughter of Leocadia.

To make this determination, Ian Stevenson analyzed the personalities of Leocadia and Rosario to see which matched the character of Henrietta.

Stevenson found that Leocadia was hot-tempered, social, extroverted and a fan of circuses and fairs. She did not paint and did not seem to have much interest in art. Leocadia’s personality, thus did not match Henrietta’s personality, who as quiet and afraid of crowds, such as would be found at concerts, circuses and fairs.

Rosario, on the other hand, was not temperamental, was affectionate and was described as bright and cheerful. Rosario loved animals, as did Henrietta.

Like Henrietta, Rosario as a child had a natural talent for painting and music. Like Henrietta, Rosario did miniature portraits, which Goya praised in a letter:

“This amazing child wishes to do miniatures, and I wish it too; for it is perhaps the greatest phenomenon in the world to do what she does at her age.” (8)

Biographers have noted that Goya had a great attachment to Rosario and even referred to her as his own daughter. This attachment could explain Goya’s desire from te spirit world to assist Henrietta in her artistic development.

After Rosario and her mother returned to Madrid following Goya’s death, Rosario became a copyist of paintings at the Prado museum, just as Henrietta had became a copyist at the Louvre.

In 1840, Rosorio was appointed Professor of Drawing to Queen Isabella II. Later in 1840, she unexpectedly came down with a fever after she was caught in a riot. A biographer attributed the fever to extreme fright, which Rosario experienced when confronted with the angry mob. This reaction is consistent with Henrietta’s fear of crowds. Rosario died soon after, on July 31, 1840, at the young age of only 26.

Due to the similarities in personality, artistic and musical talent, and Goya’s known affection for Rosario, Ian Stevenson concluded that it was most likely that Henrietta Roos, also known as Henrietta Roos-Wiesz was Rosario Weisz in a past lifetime. The interval between Rosario’s death and Henrietta’s birth was 63 years.

Principles of Reincarnation & Understanding Past Lives

If this very intriguing reincarnation case is accepted, it demonstrates the following principles:

Spirit Being Involvement, Spiritual Guidance & Mediumship: The most striking aspect of this case is that it appears that the spirit of Francisco Goya took over the body of Henrietta Roos on several occasions to help her produce beautiful works of art. Recall that Henrietta did the first channeled painting in the dark, indicating that it was Goya who was doing the painting.

In addition, Goya, from the spirit world, was able to communicate to Henrietta through a clairvoyant, giving her information on who he was and why he was helping her. Goya said that he was guiding her in gratitude for Henrietta taking care of him in a large city in southern France.

Another example of apparent spirit guidance is that Henrietta found a biography on Goya at a musician’s home, on the very same day she had the session with the clairvoyant. When Henrietta opened the book, she spontaneously fell upon the exact page that described how Leocadia and Rosario Weisz indeed took care of Goya until his death in Bordeaux, France. It was as if Goya was guiding her to the book and page where Henrietta could find herself in her past lifetime with Goya.

This is reminiscent of the case of Louise Vanderbilt | Wayne Peterson, as Wayne was guided to a book in a bookstore which when he picked up, he literally could not put down. Against his conscious will, Wayne reluctantly bought the book and later that night, found the key to identifying his past lifetime as Louise Vanderbilt inside that book. Spirit Beings can be very forceful in their guidance of human beings.

Past Life Ability & Talent: Rosario and Henrietta shared that same childhood talents for art and music, indicating that Rosario and Henrietta had studied these disciplines in prior incarnations. Rosario and Henrietta both painted miniature portraits, they both became museum copyists for paintings and both were given special recognition by royalty for their artistic ability. Rosario became a copyist for the Prado and Henrietta became a copyist for the Louvre.

Rosario was appointed Professor of Drawing to Queen Isabella II of Spain, while Henrietta was awarded the Royal Award from Queen Wilhemina of the Holland three years in a row.

The parallels in talent, artistic development and career paths between Rosario and Henrietta are quite amazing. This case is reminiscent of the cases of Paul Gauguin | Peter Teekamp and Claude Ledoux | Wayne Peterson, in which artistic talent and artistic development was also replicated from one incarnation to another.

Another, less dramatic example of ability from a past incarnation involves Henrietta’s ease of learning French when she moved from Spain to France. As Rosario, she had lived in Bordeaux, France, since she was 10 years of age and must have been fluent in French in that incarnation.

Reincarnation & Change in Nationality: Rosario was born in Spain and lived in France while caring for Goya in his self-imposed exiled. Henrietta was born in Holland, though she moved to France to pursue her career as a painter.

Footnotes

1. Stevenson, Ian: European Cases of the Reincarnation Type, McFarland, 2003, page 238
2. Stevenson, Ian: European Cases of the Reincarnation Type, McFarland, 2003, page 238
3. Stevenson, Ian: European Cases of the Reincarnation Type, McFarland, 2003, page 238
4. Stevenson, Ian: European Cases of the Reincarnation Type, McFarland, 2003, page 238
5. Stevenson, Ian: European Cases of the Reincarnation Type, McFarland, 2003, page 239
6. Stevenson, Ian: European Cases of the Reincarnation Type, McFarland, 2003, page 239
7. Stevenson, Ian: European Cases of the Reincarnation Type, McFarland, 2003, page 241

Past Life Story of Francesco Foscari | Wayne Peterson: Spirit Being, Spirit Guide & Soul Guidance in a Reincarnation Case

Though Wayne never took an art lesson, he found he could create beautiful paintings. His artwork focused on scenes of Venice, reflecting his past lifetime as Francesco Foscari.

How Case Derived: Past Life Memories in Childhood, Spirit Being and Intutive Guidance

Researcher: Wayne Peterson

Article by: Walter Semkiw, MD, from Born Again

Little Wayne Won’t Respond to his Name and Declares his Real Name is Francesco Foscari

Wayne grew up in the 1940s, in rural Wisconsin, outside of Green Bay. As a child, he began having subtle memories of past lives, so subtle, that he didn’t realize that reincarnation was the basis for these memories. For example, as a small boy, when people asked him what his name was, Wayne would refuse to tell them, since he strongly believed that he had a better name which identified “the real me.” Regarding the situation, Wayne explains:

“This was a battle of wills between my parents and me for years. When they would say, ‘His name is Wayne,’ I would immediately say that it is not. My mother would often challenge me to provide another name, but I could never remember what my name should be, although I knew that I had another name.

It was not until I was twelve years old that I decided that my real name was Francesco Foscari. This was not a name fetched from thin air. For several years the name Foscari floated around in my head as a word. Eventually I put it together with Francesco because it sounded right. I had a deep emotional attachment to the name. As a young teenager, I was determined that when I became an adult, I would officially change my name to Francesco Foscari.

All teens at some point probably think about changing their names to imitate a movie star or to a more romantic sounding name. With me, however, it was a name I had never heard or seen written anywhere. In fact, Italian names did not exist in our community in Wisconsin; so it was odd that I should find an Italian name so magnetic.”

Note how similar young Wayne’s experience was to that of Barbro Karlen, who as a young girl told her parents that her name was not Barbro, but Anne Frank. The difference is that Wayne didn’t realize that his attraction to the name Francesco Foscari was related to a past incarnation, for Wayne didn’t have visual memories of that lifetime. In contrast, Barbro Karlen did have clear memories of being Anne Frank. Also consider that when Wayne stated his name was Francesco Foscari, he did not have an easy way to know who Foscari may have been, as this was decades before Internet search engines became available.

Just as Wayne related that the name Foscari floated around in his mind for years, Peter Teekamp also heard the words “Go-gone” echo in his mind during his childhood. It took Peter years to realize that these words referred to his name, Gauguin, in a past lifetime.

Wayne finds he can Paint like a Master & Creates Past Life Scenes of Venice

Wayne relates that the years went by and after he joined the US diplomatic service, he traveled to Venice, where he experienced distinct feelings of déjà vu, feelings that he had been there before.

Though he had never took art classes, in adulthood, he found that he could he could paint with great skill. He found he was particularly good at depicting the architecture of classic buildings, though for some reason, he chose to only paint scenes of Venice. When friends asked why all of his artwork involved Venetian scenes, Wayne could not provide an explanation.

The painting featured above and to the right is a representation of Venice done by Wayne in the 1980’s, which was completed before he learned who Francesco Foscari was and before he realized that he had a past lifetime as Foscari. The image features the Doge’s Palace, where Foscari lived in for a period of time. In other words, Wayne painted a scene from his own past lifetime as Foscari, though he was not aware of the past life connection when he created this painting. Recall that in the case of Paul Gauguin | Peter Teekamp, Peter unconsciously recreated sketches that were done by Gauguin.

The Spirit Being or Spirit Guide Maitreya shows Wayne his Home from his Past Lifetime in Venice

A breakthrough came in 1990, when Wayne, over 40 years after his initial attraction to the Italian name Foscari occurred, received a telepathic communication from the spirit being named Maitreya. Wayne has had experiences with this spirit being since the 1980’s, as described in his book, Extraordinary Times, Extraordinary Beings. Maitreya asked Wayne if he would like to see his past lifetime in Venice. Wayne said that he would.

Wayne then saw scenes in his mind from a past incarnation as if he was watching a movie. Wayne said that he could observe himself moving around in an old house, but he had no ability to use his will to direct his path in the house. It was as if he was on a ride, observing images from this past incarnation.

Wayne relates that he distinctly saw the interior of a house that he had lived in. He realized that he was the man who owned the house and he started experiencing the emotions that the man was feeling. He felt great sadness and somehow, he knew he would die that night. He saw himself wearing a long red brocade robe, which he later learned was the official attire of a Venetian senator.

Wayne then looked out a window of the building and saw that he was on the second floor of a huge house that ran alongside a small, funnel-shaped canal, which emptied into a very large waterway, presumably the Grand Canal of Venice. Wayne then moved down a hallway and looked out a window that had a view of the rear of the property. He saw that a wall separated his house from a small street, which connected to a distinctive white arched bridge that crossed another small canal.

Wayne also heard a woman speaking to him from the lower level of the house. He realized that she was speaking Italian and that he understood her, though in his contemporary lifetime, Wayne doesn’t speak Italian.

Wayne finds his Past Life Home and Past Life Identity

After experiencing what appeared to be past lifetime in Venice, in a house on the Grand Canal, Wayne bought books on houses of Venice, focusing in particular on buildings located on the Grand Canal.

After much searching, Mr. Peterson found the house he had seen in his visit, which was next to a funnel shaped canal, which opened into the Grand Canal, and that featured a white arched bridge in the back. The house was exactly as Wayne had seen it in his past life memory. Wayne was amazed when he found that the house was built by Francesco Foscari, a politician and a Doge of the Venetian Republic, who lived from 1373-1457. Wayne’s pronouncement to his parents, as a child, that his name was no Wayne, but Francesco Foscari, finally made sense.

The image provided above and to the right shows the house that Foscari build. If you enlarge the image by placing your cursor over it, you will see the white arched bridge that Wayne saw in his vision. Use your arrow keys to scroll up and down on the image.

Wayne Intuitively finds his Past Life Grave

In a subsequent visit to Venice, Wayne tried to find the burial place of Francesco Foscari. Since Foscari was a Doge, a leader of the state, Wayne reasoned that Foscari would be entombed in St. Mark’s Cathedral, where other Doges were buried. Foscari, though, was not there.

Wayne was then intuitively led to the Franciscan Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, usually just called the Frari, which is pictured to the right. Wayne walked up to the alter, where a red cord and sign prevented visitors from proceeding further. Despite the barrier, Wayne had the intuition that he would find the tomb of Francesco Foscari behind the alter. Wayne crossed the barrier and went behind the alter, where he indeed found Foscari’s tomb.

Summary & Reincarnation Case Analysis

Key features of this case include childhood memories of a name from a past lifetime, Francisco Foscari. Wayne found that he could paint large, architectural paintings, though he never took an art lesson in his lifetime. Wayne noted that his early paintings all involved scenes of Venice.

Several decades later, Wayne experienced vivid images of himself in a large house in Venice, which were telepathically facilitated by the spirit being Maitreya. Wayne then found the house in a book on dwellings along the Grand Canal of Venice. This house, Wayne learned, was built by Francesco Foscari. Wayne later was intuitively led to the tomb of Foscari in Venice. Facial features of Wayne and Foscari are consistent.

An interesting feature of this case is that Wayne has created replicas of the artwork one may expect to find in the home of a Doge of Venice. Further, through his artwork, Wayne has transformed his home in Las Vegas into a Venetian palace. He did so before he had the vision, supplied by Maitreya, which led him to find the house built by Francesco Foscari.

As such, Wayne unconsciously created a home interior reflecting his past life as a Doge of Venice. All the artwork on Wayne’s walls and ceilings, pictured to the right, was done by Wayne himself. This image may be enlarged by clicking on it.

Though he never took an art lesson in his contemporary lifetime, Wayne was drawing upon the talent earned in another incarnation, that of Claude Ledoux, which is featured in Born Again.

Principles of Reincarnation & Understanding Past Lives

Physical Resemblance: Wayne’s facial features are consistent with those of Francesco Foscari.

Innate Past Life Talent: Though Wayne never took an art lesson in his life, he found he could create beautiful paintings. His artwork focused on scenes of Venice, reflecting his past lifetime as Francesco Foscari. Wayne even painted the walls and ceilings of his home to create his own Venetian palace. As noted, Wayne’s talent appears to have been developed in his lifetime as Claude Ledoux.

Spirit Being, Spirit Guide & Soul Guidance: Wayne’s reincarnation case was solved through the intervention of a spirit being, who Wayne identifies as Maitreya, who telepathically provided scenes of Wayne’s past lifetime in Venice. After seeing his past life home in Venice through this intervention by Maitreya, Wayne was able to find this house in a book on homes on the Grand Canal of Venice. The home belonged to Francesco Foscari, which was the name Wayne, as a child, told his parents was his real name.

In addition, Wayne was intuitively led to the tomb of Foscari in the Frari in Venice.

Go to: Reincarnation Case of Louise Vanderbilt | Wayne Peterson

Past Life Story with Innate Talent, Deja Vu, Geographic Memory & Religion Change: Reincarnation Case of an Islamic Persian | Peter Avery

Peter Avery, was born in Derby, England, on May 15, 1923. In World War II, he served in the Royal Indian Navy which he left after the war.He attended the University of London, graduated in 1949 with a degree in Arabic and Persian languages which catapulted him to a career as Training Manager for Arabic and Persian languages for the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, and it was this job that gave him the opportunity to discover his past lifetime in Isfahan.

How Derived: Geographic Memories

Researcher: Ian Stevenson, MD

From: European Cases of the Reincarnation Type, by Ian Stevenson, MD

Article by Walter Semkiw, MD

Reincarnation Case with Change of Nationality & Religion: Muslim Iranian to British Christian

This case provides a dramatic example of geographic memory, in which Peter Avery had innate knowledge of the streets of Isfahan, as well as of the original design of Shalimar Burg, including the location of its original entrance. Though Peter’s specific past life identity could not be found, these past life memories, which were verified, support the validity of this reincarnation case. In addition, it involves a significant change in religion and nationality. Peter Avery appears to have had a past lifetime as a Muslim in Iran. In contemporary times, he was born in England and was presumably a Christian.

Geographic Memory in Reincarnation Cases: A Form of Deja Vu

Geographic memory can be considered a form of déjà vu, where an individual has the feeling that they have been at physical location before, though the individual in fact has never been to that location in their contemporary lifetime.

Some instances of déjà vu may be due to a past lifetime in which time was spent in the geographic area that stimulated the feelings of déjà vu. Ian Stevenson has pointed out that déjà vu is very common and some surveys show that over 60 percent of people have experienced déjà vu. (1)

Navy Officer Peter Avery Trains in Arabic Languages

The subject of this case, Peter Avery, was born in Derby, England, on May 15, 1923. In World War II, he served in the Royal Indian Navy. After the war, he attended the University of London, where he graduated in 1949 with a degree in Arabic and Persian languages.

With these skills, Peter took a job as the Training Manager for Arabic and Persian languages for the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. He was stationed in the city of Abadan in the southwest region of Iran. For the first six months of his assignment, he was confined to Abadan and the surrounding oil fields.

In the winter of 1949-1950, a manager from the company’s London office, Mr. John Evans, was planning to tour facilities in Iran and he needed an interpreter to travel with him. Peter was assigned to escort Mr. Evans on a trip to Isfahan, in central Iran.

Peter was delighted to be given his assignment, as he would finally get to see more of Iran. As noted, Peter had never been out of the area surrounding Abadan.

Past Life Memories of the Streets of Isfahan

In Isfahan, over breakfast, Peter described to Mr. Evans, in detail, the route that they would take from their hotel to the city’s bazaar and to Maidan-I Shah, a public square that was part of a palace complex built by Shah Abbas I between the years 1590 to 1595.

Mr. Evans was surprised by Peter’s extensive knowledge of the streets of Isfahan, as Peter had never been there before. Peter admitted that he seemed to know the way naturally. Peter had not consulted guidebooks or maps to determine the way to the bazaar and Maidan-I Shah; he just seemed to know the way.

As they embarked on their walk through the city, Peter’s proposed route was entirely accurate. This is reminiscent of the case of Anne Frank | Barbro Karlen, as Barbro, at ten years of age, was able to lead her parents from their hotel on a 10 minute walk through the winding streets of Amsterdam directly to the Anne Frank House, even though she had never been to Amsterdam before. Similarly, Peter had led Mr. Evans through the streets of Isfahan to the bazaar and Maidan-I Shah.

A Past Life Flood of Emotions at Madrasa Mader-e Shah

The last place that Peter took Mr. Evans that morning was Madrasa Mader-e Shah, a theological complex built by Shah Sultan Hussein in 1706, which Hussein dedicated to his mother. A blue domed mosque sits in the garden of the complex. As soon as Peter and Mr. Evans walked into the courtyard of Madrasa Mader-e Shah, Peter experienced a flood of emotions. Let us let Peter himself narrate the turn of events:

“I burst into uncontrollable sobbing under an overwhelming impression that I had somehow come home. I sat on the parapet of a pond. Mr. Evans very tactfully walked away. He said afterwards that this seemed the best he could do, until I could dry my eyes and rejoin him. Little passed between us about the episode which, in front of one of my employers, embarrassed me, although he showed no sign of disapprobation and seemed quietly understanding. Thus culminated a morning throughout which I had all the time felt a strange familiarity with a city I had never visited before, and the geography of which I had no former conscious knowledge.” (2)

This flood of emotions is similar to what occurred in the case of John B. Gordon | Jeff Keene, when Jeff was intuitively led to a spot called Sunken Road, which is a section of the American Civil War battlefield named Antietam. At Sunken Road, without knowing why, Jeff also started to cry uncontrollably. He felt grief and rage at the same time. Later, he learned that he had almost been killed in the Civil War at that very spot at Sunken Road, in his past lifetime as John B. Gordon.

Past Life Memories: Innate Knowledge of the Original Architecture of Shalimar Bagh

Peter had one other experience which seemed to stem from a past lifetime or lifetimes in Iran and India. It was in 1944, when he was serving in the Royal Indian Navy during World War II. Peter were 21 years of age at the time. An Indian officer on his ship had befriended him and invited Peter to visit his family, who lived in Lahore, which is now part of Pakistan.

The friend knew of Peter’s great interest in Islamic literature and culture and he wanted Peter to meet his father, Khan Bahadur Muhammad Shafi, who was a principle of a school for Asian studies and a scholar of Islamic history.

In Lahore, they visited the Shalimar Bagh, a garden complex which was built by the Islamic Mughal emperors. Peter was accompanied by his friend’s father, the scholar Bahadur Muhammad Shafi. Peter had never been to Shalimar Bagh before, nor had he read about its layout.

Past Life Memory: Peter Identifies the Original Door at Shalimar Bagh

Peter and Mr. Shafi entered Shalimar Bagh through a doorway in a surrounding wall. Peter innately knew that this was not the original entrance. He told Shafi that the original doorway was in the wall opposite them, on the other side of the enclosure. Mr. Shafi told Peter that he was indeed correct.

Later, Peter commented that the pavilion, or small building, in the center of the garden was not part of the original design. Mr. Shafi also confirmed Peter’s statement, noting that the pavilion was originally part of an emperor’s tomb complex and that it was moved to Shalimar Burg by Ranjit Singh, a Sikh who ruled Lahore from 1799 to 1839.

As such, Peter’s proposed past lifetime, in which he became familiar with Shalimar Burg, must have occurred before 1799, prior to the pavilion’s move from the tomb complex to Shalimar Burg.

Reincarnation & Déjà vu Experience in the Shalimar Bagh, Lahore

Peter wrote about his experience at Shalimar Burg:

“Although not as shatteringly moved as I was to be in Isfahan, by my sense of déjà vu, in the Shalimar Bagh in Lahore I certainly had a similar feeling of having been there before: of knowing the place intimately; of returning, as it were, home, to somewhere where I had once been ‘at home,’ but this feeling in the Madrasseh in Isfahan was more penetrating then that in Lahore, where it was confined to the garden and did not extend to the whole environment.” (3)

Peter’s experience at Shalimar Burg also is reminiscent of what happened in the Anne Frank | Barbro Karlen reincarnation case. Recall that Barbro she led her parents to the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam at the age of ten, though she had never been to Amsterdam before. On approaching the Frank house, Barbro noted that the entrance had been changed, which was true. She also knew that photographs that Anne Frank had clipped out of magazines of movie stars should have been on a particular wall. These photos had been taken down to be mounted behind protective glass, so they were not present when Barbro and her parents visited the Frank house. A tour guide, though, confirmed that Barbro was correct regarding where the photos normally would be found.

Just as Barbro knew details of the structure and interior of the Anne Frank house from a past incarnation, it appears that Peter knew of the original design of Shalimar Burg, apparently from a past lifetime or lifetimes in Iran and Pakistan.

Past Life Passion: Peter Becomes a Cambridge Lecturer in Persian Studies

From 1958 to 1990, Peter served as a University lecturer in Persian Studies at Cambridge University. After that, he continued as a Fellow of King’s College, Cambridge, where he became established as a famous scholar of Persian studies. Peter is most well known for his translations of Persian poets Hafiz and Omar Khayyam. In addition, he wrote extensively on the history of Iran, from its earliest origins to contemporary times.

Where did Peter’s passion for Persia and Islamic studies come from, given that he was born in England, which is predominantly a Christian nation?

It appears that his love for Persia, Iran and Islamic studies stems from a past lifetime or lifetimes in Iran and Pakistan, given his innate knowledge of the original design of Shalimar Burg, in Lahore, Pakistan, his innate knowledge of the streets of Isfahan, in Iran, as well as the flood of emotions that he experienced in Madrasa Mader-e Shah, in Isfahan, Iran.

Peter Avery died on October 6, 2008 in England.

Principles of Reincarnation & Understanding Past Lives

Peter Avery did not remember any names from his proposed past life experience in Iran and Pakistan and as such, he was not able to identify who he may specifically have been in the past. As such, this case could not be historically validated. Still, his déjà vu experiences and innate knowledge of geographical locations that he had not previously visited in his contemporary incarnation are consistent with past life memories.

This demonstrates the following features:

Past Life Geographic Memory: Peter had detailed knowledge of the streets of Isfahan, Iran and knew of the original design of Shalimar Burg, in Lahore, Pakistan (pictured to the right), though he had never been to these places in his contemporary lifetime. Peter stated that he also did not gain this information through maps or books.

In addition, he experienced a flood of emotions Madrasa Mader-e Shah, which is located in Isfahan, Iran (pictured below and to the right), including the overwhelming feeling that he had come home.

It is likely that these experiences stemmed from a past life or lifetimes in which he had spent time in these geographic locations in Iran and Pakistan. The distance between the cities where he experienced geographic memory, between Isfahan and Lahore, is approximately 1000 miles or 1600 kilometers. Based on when the pavilion was moved to Shalimar Burg, Peter’s past lifetime, when he visited this garden complex, must have been before 1799.

It is unclear whether travel between Isfahan and Lahore in the seventeenth century was common. If it was, then Peter’s experiences could have occurred in one prior incarnation. If travel between these cities did not occur in that era, then Peter likely had two prior incarnations, one lifetime in the area of Isfahan, Iran, and another in the area of Lahore, Pakistan.

Past Life Innate Interest and Talent: Peter became a fluent in Persian and later became a world recognized scholar in Persian and Islamic studies. It is likely that his talent for the Persian language and his love of Persian and Islamic literature, history and culture stem from a past lifetime or lifetimes as a Muslim in Iran.

Reincarnation & Change of Nationality and Religion: Though Peter Avery’s religion is not specifically identified in Ian Stevenson’s case report, it is likely that Peter was raised in a Christian family, given his last name and birth in England, a predominantly Christian country.

If Peter did have a past lifetime or lifetimes in Iran and Pakistan, and if his passion for Islamic culture stems from a Muslim past incarnation, then this case demonstrates a significant change in nationality and religion from one lifetime to another.

As we observe events such as the destruction of he World Trade Center in New York and the ongoing conflicts between the Taliban, Al-Qaeda and Judeo-Christian cultures, this case can teach us a valuable lesson.

This reincarnation case demonstrates that we can be Islamic in one lifetime and Christian in another, as well as Iranian or Pakistani in one incarnation and British in a subsequent lifetime. These realizations should make us see ourselves as universal souls that are not limited to one religion or nationality. This realization can help create a more peaceful world.

Note to Readers: Ian Stevenson. MD was a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Virginia who wrote in a very academic style, as his target audience was fellow scientists. On the Reincarnation Research web site, his past life identity cases are presented as children’s past life-reincarnation stories to make his academic work easier to understand. For those interested in appreciating the scientific rigor of his research, such as his use of multiple witnesses to establish corroborated testimony, please refer to the original reports written by Dr. Ian Stevenson.

Footnotes

1. Stevenson, Ian: European Cases of the Reincarnation Type, McFarland, 2003, page 231
2. Stevenson, Ian: European Cases of the Reincarnation Type, McFarland, 2003, page 234
3. Stevenson, Ian: European Cases of the Reincarnation Type, McFarland, 2003, page 234

Past Life Story with Phobias, Innate Talent & Religion Change: Reincarnation Case of a Young Holocaust Victim | David Llewelyn

David died as a young Jewish boy in a Nazi concentration camp, David reincarnated into a Christian family though David’s biologic father, Solomon, was Jewish, David was not aware of this. If Nazis and German people knew that one could be born Jewish in one lifetime and Christian in another, would the Holocaust still have happened.

How Derived: Memories in Childhood

Researcher: Ian Stevenson, MD

From: European Cases of the Reincarnation Type, by Ian Stevenson, MD

Article by: Walter Semkiw, MD

David Llewelyn has a Secret Jewish Father but is Raised Christian

David Llewelyn was born in Chester, England, on September 1, 1970. His mother, Susan Llewelyn, was Welsh. At the time that David was born, she was married to Jeffery Llewelyn, but David’s biologic father was Solomon Rosenberg, a Jewish man who Susan had an affair with for a period of two years.

Susan hid the affair with Solomon from her husband, Jeffery. As such, David was raised as the son of Susan and Jeffery. The couple stayed together at least to the time that David was nine years of age and as such, David was raised in a Christian culture. Susan and Jeffery Llewelyn eventually divorced.

Susan noted that Solomon Rosenberg saw David a few times, but he never took interest in or responsibility for David. Growing up, David was not aware that Solomon was his biologic father.

Susan contacted Ian Stevenson, MD about her son’s reincarnation case after she heard him on a BBC television program on reincarnation in 1982. Following a period of correspondence, Stevenson traveled to Chester, England to meet with David and Susan.

Past Life Memories: Deep Pits or Holes with Bodies

As a young boy, David had nightmares of large, dark, deep holes which contained bodies. He smelled the stench of dead bodies and he was afraid that he would fall into the holes. There were people with guns.

At times, David would run crying to Susan describing the camps, guns and the dying people he saw in his dreams. He complained of an unusual odor in his bed room.

Past Life Memories of a Gas Chamber

At home, the family cooked on an electric stove. When they visited an aunt who cooked with gas, David said, it “was like the smell in my room at night, it’s going to smother me.” (1) The Nazis had used gases, such as carbon monoxide or hydrogen sulfide, to kill concentration camp victims.

David also had past life images arise in his mind during waking hours. These images included people who were prisoners of war who lived in wood huts. David thought these people were Jewish.

Past Life Memories: David Recalls Being Placed into a Pit

When Ian Stevenson interviewed him, David said that he had past life memories in which he was being put into a pit as a young boy. He remembered looking up to the top of the pit where he saw another boy looking at him. He thought the boy was a companion who might save him. There were other bodies in the pit. (2) This image recurred many times and David told Stevenson that he remembered the terrible odor of the camp.

Stevenson noted that in Nazi concentration camps, children 14 years of age and younger were killed, as they were deemed unfit for work. Stevenson noted that at the concentration camp of Treblinka, “children were thrown into a ditch, sometimes still alive, where they are consumed by fire. Alternately, they could be thrown into a ‘regular mass grave.’” (3)

Past Life Ability & Knowledge of Jewish Customs: Writing from Left to Right, Kosher Food and Kippahs

A most dramatic aspect of this case is that when David began to read and write, he would spontaneously read and write from right to left, which his how the Hebrew language is read and written. No one had taught him to do so, rather, he was taught to read and write in the usual English manner, from left to right. Though teachers would correct him, he continued to have this Hebrew habit of writing from right to left until he was 11 years old.

David, as a child, surprised his mother by asking whether food she was serving had blood in it, an apparent reference to Kosher processing of meat. No one had told David about Kosher customs. When he and his parents went to another city when he was nine, David looked at a building that looked like a church. He told his parents, “They wear caps there. Jeffery, Susan’s husband, then noted that the building was a Jewish synagogue. David was referring to Kippahs that Jewish people wear.

Past Life Phobias of the Star of David, the Color Yellow, Camps & German People

When David drew pictures, he would always include a star, though at the same time, he seemed to have a phobia of stars. When he was 12 years old, Susan took David into a shop where he saw a necklace with a Star of David attached to it. David then started to cry and ran out into the street. Susan ran after him and asked what disturbed him. David said that the necklace with the Star of David was “beckoning to him.” (3)

David also had a strong aversion to the color yellow. Susan stated that David “hated” yellow. The Nazi’s made Jews wear yellow stars on their clothing, so that they could be distinguished from gentiles. David also had a strong fear of camps. When Susan told him that people have very pleasant vacations at camps, David replied:

“No. There is no happiness there. People are caged in and cold, hungry, and frightened. They’ll never get out.” (4) David said that the people in camps were like skeletons, they were bald and they had no food. David would say in despair, “I’m worried for the other people. Why did it happen? Why did it have to happen?” (5)

Susan, David’s mother, insisted that David did not learn of the Holocaust, Nazi concentration camps or Jewish customs as a child in their home. When David was older, she noticed that when David saw Germans on television, he became fearful and angry. Similarly, he displayed fear and anger when he saw German people on a vacation trip that he took with his mother to the island of Corfu.

Summary & Past Life Case Analysis

David’s past lifetime in a concentration camp could not be validated historically, as he did not remember his name or give other specific details from which could allow verification.

The strength of this case rests on David having innate knowledge of Jewish customs, such as reading and writing from right to left, and memories of scenes characteristic of Nazi concentration camps. David’s mother, Susan, strongly denied that David could have learned this information by normal means.

Regarding whether David somehow acquired this knowledge from Solomon Rosenberg, his biologic father, through some type of genetic memory, Dr. Stevenson commented:

“Even the most ardent geneticist would not suggest that genes would transmit the habit of reading and writing from right to left, concern about whether food has blood in it, and images of a concentration camp.” (6)

Principles of Reincarnation & Understanding Past Lives

This reincarnation case demonstrates the following features:

Past Life Talent & Knowledge: When he began to read and write in the English language, he did so from right to left, which is the technique used for the Hebrew. Though teachers tried to correct this practice, David persisted in this practice until he was 11 years of age. He seemed to have innate knowledge of Kosher food and Kippahs.

Past Life Phobias: David had fears of the Star of David, the color yellow, vacation camps and of German people.

Change of Religion and Ethic Affiliation: In his past lifetime, David died as a young Jewish boy in a Nazi concentration camp. In contemporary times, David reincarnated into a Christian family. Though David’s biologic father, Solomon, was Jewish, David as a boy was not aware of this paternal relationship since Susan, his mother, kept her affair with Solomon secret.

A dramatic and very compelling reincarnation case of this type is the Anne Frank | Barbro Karlen reincarnation case, as Anne too was persecuted as a Jew in a Nazi concentration camp, yet she reincarnated as Barbro Karlen to a Christian family in Sweden. If the Nazis and German people knew that one could be born Jewish in one lifetime and Christian in another, the Holocaust could never have happened. In this way, evidence of reincarnation can help create a more peaceful world.

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Footnotes

(1) Stevenson, Ian: European Reincarnation Cases of the Reincarnation Type, McFarland, 2003, page 82
(2) Stevenson, Ian: European Reincarnation Cases of the Reincarnation Type, McFarland, 2003, page 82
(3) Stevenson, Ian: European Reincarnation Cases of the Reincarnation Type, McFarland, 2003, page 84
(4) Stevenson, Ian: European Reincarnation Cases of the Reincarnation Type, McFarland, 2003, page 85
(5) Stevenson, Ian: European Reincarnation Cases of the Reincarnation Type, McFarland, 2003, page 83
(6) Stevenson, Ian: European Reincarnation Cases of the Reincarnation Type, McFarland, 2003, page 83
(7) Stevenson, Ian: European Reincarnation Cases of the Reincarnation Type, McFarland, 2003, page 85
(8) Stevenson, Ian: European Reincarnation Cases of the Reincarnation Type, McFarland, 2003, page 85

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**Elizabeth Haich, author of Initiation, has a Son with Past Life Memories**