Tag: Ian Stevenson reincarnation

A Boy Reincarnates as a Girl, Retains Masculine Traits and Finds Her Past Life Home: The Story of Nishith De | Dolon Mitra

How Derived: Past Life Memories in Childhood

Researchers: Ian Stevenson, MD and Professor P. Pal

From: Cases of the Reincarnation Type: Volume 1, India,by Ian Stevenson, MD, pages 281-311

Article by: Walter Semkiw, MD

Click on Images to Enlarge Them

The Life and Death of Nishith De

Nishith De, a boy, was born in 1940 in the city of Burdwan, which is located in the Indian state of West Bengal. The capital of West Bengal is Kolkata, identified in the map provided to the right.

The city of Nishith’s birth, Burdwan, is now known as Barddhaman. In the map provided to the right, Barddhamar is marked by the symbol A and Kolkata is south of that point. The town of Narendrapur, which is part of this story, is south of Kolkata.

Nishith’s father, Anath De, was very rich. His mother’s name was Baudi. He  he had a younger brother, named Sisil, and a younger sister.

Due to their wealth, the family chose not to associate with those below their social class. The family socialized primarily with their closest relatives.

Nishith attended local schools and colleges. He played soccer and cricket. Nishith did not have the elitist personality of his father and made friends with people of all classes of society, the poor and the privileged.

Nishith Develops Head Pain, Paralysis and Dies in Kolkata

In the beginning of 1964, at the age of 24, while attending Raj College in Burdwan, Nishith developed pain at the back of his head, along with nausea, vomiting and fever. Local physicians were unable to diagnose his illness.

Nishith became worse after 6 months and his father arranged for him to be admitted to the Calcutta Tropical School of Medicine. Calcutta is now known as Kolkata, which is 105 kilometers or 63 miles from Burdwan.

In the hospital Nishith developed paralysis and the inability to speak. He later fell into a coma, then died on July 25, 1964 at 24 years of age. An autopsy was not done and Nishith’s body was cremated. His physicians, though, thought Nishith had died of an abscess or a localized infection of the brain.

Nishith Reincarnates as a Girl in Kolkata, the Place Where He Had Died

Dolon Mitra, a girl, was born in Kolkata on August 8, 1967, about 3 years after Nishith had died. Her father was Audaryamoy Mitra and her mother was named Kanika. She had a brother who was 4 years older than her.

After Dolon was born, the family moved 10 kilometers or about 6 miles south of Kolkata to the town of Narendrapur, which is identifed on the map provided above. Dolon started to speak between 1 and 2 years of age.

Though a Girl, Dolan Likes to Wear Boys’ Clothing and States She was a Boy Before and Had Pain in the Head

Dolan had a penchant to wear the clothes of her older brother, which were much too big for her. When she was about 3 and a half years old, her mother scolded her for this behavior. Dolan then rebuked her mother, saying:

“I was a little bigger boy in a house like the palace.”

Her mother asked what she meant by that. Dolan responded:

“Yes, Mother, I am speaking the truth. I had a younger brother and sister. I had a fat aunt and my mother was named Baudi. Take me near the Maharajah’s palace and I shall lead you to the house.”

A Maharajah in India refers to a king or ruler. The Maharaja’s palace in Burdwan is featured in the photo to the right.

For no apparent reason, Dolan then bent her neck backwards and gazed at the ceiling of the room. Her mother asked why she was making this posture. Dolan replied that when she had been in the hospital in her past life, she had pain in the back of her head and held her head in the same position.

Additional Statements Made by Dolan Regarding Her Past Life

The rebuke her mother made about wearing boy’s clothes caused Dolan to make numerous additional statements regarding her past lifetime.

Dolan said lived she had lived a house in Burdwan.  She said her father was stout and of fair complexion, though Dolan’s own father was slim and had dark skin. She said that in her past lifetime, her grandfather lived with them and repeated that she had a fat aunt. The statements made by Dolan were true for the life of Nishith.

Dolan said that her past life mother wore better dresses and put on much jewelry, which was true for the mother of Nishith. In contrast, Dolan’s mother dressed plainly without ornaments.

Dolan said her past life house was near the Maharaja’s palace. This was true for Nishith, as his family’s home was less than 300 meters or yards from the Maharaja’s residence in Burdwan.

Dolan said that her previous home was like a palace, very large and elegant, with floors made of marble or mosaics. It also had a separate shrine room, which was across the street from a teahouse. These statements were true for the home of Nishith.

She said that there were deer and peacocks at the house. It turned out that the De family had peacocks, but they did not have deer. At the park of the Maharaja’s property in Burdwan, though, there were deer and peacocks. Ian Stevenson speculated that Dolan may have confused memories of her past life home and that of the Maharaja. Dolan’s family, in contrast, had neither peacocks or deer.

Dolan said that her past life house had 2 stories and that her room had been on the first floor, just above the street or lane, near where stairs led to the house. She said that in the house there were shiny brass buckets, as well as many books, and that her father bought her many clothes. She also said that her father had “heaps of money.” These statements were true for the life of Nishith.

Dolan said she had studied at the Raj College, pictured to the right, and that she played soccer and cricket there. Dolan said she had been injured playing soccer and afterwards had pain in her leg. These statements were true for Nishith, including a knee injury incurred by Nishith while playing soccer, which led to chronic knee pain.

Dolan said she had a blue striped shirt that was her favorite piece of clothing and that: “There is a almirah in my room, where is a blue striped shirt and pants in it. Give these to me!” An almirah means a cabinet with drawers or shelves. Later it was verified that Nishith had a favorite blue striped shirt.

Dolan described an incident in which a car was going to a wedding, struck another car and broke down. An auto accident did occur in 1960, 4 years before Nishith had died. Anath De, Nishith’s father, was driving the car with family members to a wedding reception. The car struck a tree, not another auto, which resulted in fatalities. One of those killed was Anath’s brother, the paternal uncle of Nishith. Nishith, who was not in the car, later visited survivors of the accident in the hospital and cried due the loss of his uncle.

Dolan related that in her past lifetime, she had pain at the back of her neck and head, which resulted in her being taken to a hospital. She said that she had been there for a long time. Dolan said she had fallen from a bed in the hospital and had later died there.

Nishith indeed had been hospitalized in Kolkata for head and neck pain, had fallen from his bed and was unable to get up from the floor. He then went into a coma for 15 days before he died.

In sum, hospital records from the Calcutta Tropical School of Medicine showed that Nishith was admitted on July 4, 1964 and then died there on July 25, 1964.

Nishith, from the Spirit World, Watches His Body Taken from the Hospital to a Cremation Site: Dolan’s Past Life Memory

Dolan said that she had then been carried from the hospital by friends and relatives for cremation. Indeed, relatives had carried Nishith’s body out of the hospital to a truck, which transported his body to a cremation site. Note that this statement made by Dolan indicates that the soul of Nishith | Dolan was able to observe from the spirit world events after Nishith had died.

Dolan Insists that She Be Taken to Burdwan

Dolan repeatedly asked to be taken to Burdwan. Dolan also proclaimed that she could find her past life home if she was brought to the Maharaja’s palace in Burdwan.

To satisfy her incessant requests, Dolan’s parents took her to Burdwan in October 1971, when she was about 4 years old. Narendrapur, the town where the family lived, is 72 miles from Burdwan. On this excursion, though, Dolan could not find her past life home, which made her very unhappy.

After returning home, Dolan continued to insist that her parents take her to Burdwan. Her parents eventually complied and took her there again on March 30, 1972, about 4 or 5 months after their initial visit.

Dolan’s Mother Enlists Help from Pritima to Find Her Past Life Family

To prepare for this second trip, Dolan’s parents contacted family acquaintances who lived in Burdwan. These relatives were Nilachal Samanta and his wife, Pritima. Dolan’s parents asked the Samantas if they knew of a boy who had lived in a house like a palace who had died.

The couple had not heard of such a boy, but they made inquiries in the community and learned that the past life personality described by Dolan may have been a son of a family named De, who were wealthy and prominent citizens of the city.

With this information, Dolan and her mother Kanika traveled from Narendrapur to the Burdwan, identified as Barddahman on the map featured on the right, for their second visit at the end of March 1972. Dolan’s father did not go on this trip as he didn’t believe that his daughter would find her reported past life home. He thought the journey would be a waste of time.

Dolan and her mother met Pratima in Burdwan and then went to the home of Prithwis De, assuming this person was of the family that Dolan had been referring to. Fortunately, after hearing their story. Prithwis and his wife, Mira, were receptive to the possibility that Dolan was referring to a deceased relative of theirs, Nishith De.

Dolan Spontanously Finds Her Past Life Home

The group decided to see if Dolan could find her reported past life home. Mira led Dolan and her mother to a temple not far from the Maharaja’s palace in Burdwan. They then released her to go ahead to see if she could find the past life home that she had described.

This time, Dolan succeeded in her quest by taking a winding series of streets that eventually led to a narrow lane. She followed this lane until she came to a small public shrine and teahouse on the other side of the path, which she seemed to recognize. She then pointed to a nearby house on the lane and communicated that this was her past life home. It turned out to be the house of Anath De, the father of Nishith De.

The party knocked on the door of this dwelling and Dolan, her mother, Kanika and Mitra were let in. Anath De, the man of the home, was not there at the time, but his son was, as well numerous women of the household.

Dolan Identifies Her Past Life Mother and Past Life Photo

One of these women was Nishith’s mother, Baudi, who was sitting in the living room of the house with about a dozen women of similar age Dolan’s mother asked her to point out her mother from the previous life. Dolan gazed at Baudi for some time and then said, pointing at her: “This is my mother.”

During this visit, Dolan recognized Nishith’s bedroom. She said: “This is my room.” She also found a photograph of Nishath and said: “Here am I.”

Dolan Finds Her Favorite Past Life Shirt, Keys and a Photo of Her Past Life Father

Dolan recognized the wooden cabinet that contained her past life clothing. There was also a steel cabinet in the room which Dolan correctly rejected as hers. She stated that her clothes were contained in the upper shelf of the wooden almirah, which she pointed to. She then asked for the almirah to be opened and her favorite past life blue striped shirt was found on the upper shelf

Dolan also found a photograph in the wooden cabinet featuring a group of several stout, middle aged men eating a meal. Dolan was asked to point out her father. Dolan correctly identified Anath De as her past life parent.

There were a bunch of keys in the almirah and when Dolan saw them, she said: “These are the keys of the drawers of my reading room.” She then pointed to another room and said “This is my study. Who reads here now?” The room was indeed Nishith’s study and the keys she had recognized in the other room did indeed open drawers located in the study.

Dolan Identifies Her Past Life Grandmother, Aunt and Brother

Later, when Dolan was standing outside near the property’s teahouse, a swarm of people surrendered her, as neighbors heard of the visit by this possible reincarnation of Nishith. One of these people was the paternal grandmother of Nishith. This person asked of Dolan: “Who am I?

Dolan correctly replied that this woman is my grandmother from the house I had lived in.

In addition, Nishith’s aunt Laxmi asked Dolan who she was. Dolan responded, the “aunt of the other house.” Indeed Laxmi, Nishith’s aunt, lived across the street from the larger De home.

Dolan was also confronted by Nishith’s younger brother, Sisil De. Sisil just stood before her, saying nothing. Dolan then spontaneously said: “He was my younger, not older brother,” which was correct, as Sisil was Nishith’s younger brother.

After all these recognitions and identifications, the family of De household understood Dolan was describing a past lifetime as Nishith De.

Dolan’s Reincarnation Case Draws the Attention of Ian Stevenson, MD of the University of Virginia

Ian Stevenson, MD

Dolan and his mother returned to Narendrapur and reported their experiences to Dolan’s father, who subsequently contacted he a Kolkata newspaper, which published an article on this reincarnation case on May 7, 1972.

In July 1972, Professor P. Pal, a colleague of Ian Stevenson, began investigating the case. Dr. Pal brought this reincarnation case to the attention of Stevenson, who traveled to India to interview  Dolan’s parents in October and November 1972. In March 1973, Stevenson returned for further interviews of witnesses of this case, verifying the testimony provided above.

Stevenson also documented that Dolan’s family had never been to Burdwan before their first visit Dolan in October 1971 and that Dolan’s family had never known or heard about the De family before their second visit to Burdwan in March 1972.

Dolan’s Past Life Masculine Traits

As noted, though a girl, Dolan liked to dress herself and her older brother’s shirt and pants, despite these clothes being much too big for her. She also preferred to play boy’s games, rather than engage in activities typical for girls.

Of interest, Nishith’s mother, Baudi, upon meeting Dolan and witnessing her past life identifications, was upset that her son had been reborn as a girl. She was also anxious that Dolan and her kin may claim the wealth of the De family.

Principles of Reincarnation-Understanding Past Lives

Change of Gender with Retention of Masculine Traits: Nishith was a male but reincarnated as a female. Though Dolan was a girl, she liked to dress as a boy and preferred male activities.

Geographic Memory: On her second visit to Burdwan, without directions, Dolan led her party though winding streets and lanes to her past life home. Ian Stevenson retraced this path during one of his visits and vouched that it would be extremely difficult to find the De house without prior knowledge of the area.

This phenomenon, of spontaneously finding a past life residence, was also observed in the:

Reincarnation Case of Anne Frank | Barbro Karlen

Relationships Renewed through Reincarnation: Dolan was reunited with her past life family.

The Power of Souls: Twins are Murdered and then Reincarnate as Twins Again-Planning Lifetimes and The Past Life Cases of the Tripathi Twins and Ramoo and Rajoo

How derived: Past Life Memories in Childhood

Researchers: Ian Stevenson, MD, Erlander Harraldsson, PhD and L.P. Mehrota, PhD

From: Cases of the Reincarnation Type, Volume I, India, by Ian Stevenson, MD (pages 337-360)

Article by: Walter Semkiw, MD

The Lives of Bhimsen and Pitamah

The Tripathi twins, Bhimsen and Pitamah, were born in the village of Uncha Larpur in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, in 1935. Their father was Pandit Kali Shanker, a farmer, and their mother was named Ram Devi. The twins had an older brother whose name was Chandra. The family were Brahmins, the highest caste or social class of Indian culture.  The twins very close to one another and went everywhere together.

Bhimsen was the more intelligent twin, who advanced in school up to the sixth grade. As he could read and write, in adulthood, he worked part-time as the secretary of the village of Uncha Larpur. Bhimsen was considered the more aggressive of the boys.

In contrast, Pitamah was considered more simple. He never went to school.

Though both twins were good-natured, they were known to be strong, brave and would not run from a fight when provoked. They kept a licensed gun in the home of their mother, Ram Devi, which was hung on a peg on a wall.

Like their father, Bhimsen and Pitamah became farmers, along with their older brother, Chandra. When their father died, his will specified that his land be divided equally between his three sons.

Bhimsen married first and had 3 children. Pitamah married a year later and had one child.

The Murders of Bhimsen and Pitamah

In 1964, when the twins were about 40 years old, a land dispute erupted between them and men named Jagannath and Raja Ram, who lived in the neighboring town of Kurri, which was a 1 kilometer or about a half mile away from Uncha Larpur.

Jagannath had built an earthen dike on land that the twins considered their own. In retaliation, the twins knocked down the dike and then dammed up a stream that irrigated land owned by Jagannath and Raja Ram.

Jagannath and Raja Ram planned revenge on the twins. They pretended that they forgave Bhimsen and Pitamah for destroying their dike and blocking the stream that irrigated their land. Under the pretense of wanting to settle a separate financial matter, Jagannath and Raja Ram invited the twins to the home of Jagannath, in the nearby town of Kurri.

When Bhimsen and Pitamah arrived, their hosts were affectionate and gave the twins milk to drink. Suddenly, a number of men came into the room and attacked the twins. First, they threw a corrosive liquid, likely acid, into the eyes of the twins to blind them.

They then subdued the twins by tying them up with ropes. While the twins were on the floor, the men pressed down on their chests and stomachs with wooden poles. Poles placed across the twin’s necks were used to strangulate them.

The Bodies of Bhimsen and Pitamah are Thrown into a Well

The attackers then threw the twins, Bhimsen and Pitamah, still bound with ropes, into a well. The twins were last seen on April 28, 1964.

Four days later, on May 2, 1964, the decomposed bodies of the twins were discovered in the well. The police who pulled the bodies out of the well determined that the twins were killed by strangulation. By the time an autopsy was done, the bodies, exposed to the heat of India, were too far decomposed for a cause of death to be determined by the coroner.

The twins, Bhimsen and Pitamah, were thought to have been killed on or about on April 28, 1964. Jagannath was about 45 years of age when of the the twins were murdered.

The Murderers are Aquitted for Lack of Testimony and Evidence, then Brag About Their Deeds

Police arrested 9 known enemies of Bhimsen and Pitamah, who stood trial for the murder of the twins. Because these 9 defendants were likely involved in the murders, none would testify against each other. As such, without willing witnesses or other evidence, the 9 defendants were acquitted and went free.

Encouraged and emboldened by their acquittal, the participants of the murders of Bhimsen and Pitamah started to talk about their crime. They admitted that they had thrown a corrosive liquid into the eyes of the twins. They also revealed that they then used wooden poles to pin the bodies of the twins onto the floor. Wooden poles were then used to press on the throats of Bhimsen and Pitamah to suffocate them. The murderers then bragged about throwing the bodies of the twins into a well.

Bhimsen and Pitamah Reincarnate as Another Set of Twins-Ramoo and Rajoo

4 months later after Bhimsen and Pitamah were killed, in August 1964, another set of twins were born in the village of Sham Nagara, which is 16 kilometers or about 10 miles from Uncha Larpur, the past life home of Bhimsen and Pitahmah. There was a primitive road that ran between the villages of Uncha Larpur and Sham Nagara, that could only be traversed in good weather.

Sham Nagara had a population of only about 100. The twins’ father was Pan Ram Swaroop and their mother was named Kapuri.

Announcing Dreams involving Two Children

Kapuri had 2 dreams prior to the birth of her twin sons, in which 2 children were involved. Though Kapuri did not place much importance in these dreams, they may have been predicting that she would have twins.

Ramoo and Rajoo Want to Go to Their Past Life Home, Uncha Larpur

Their parents named their twins Ramoo and Rajoo. When they were 2 years old, they began to speak in an organized manner.

In the first indication that they remembered past lives, Ramoo and Rajoo ran off to the main highway in their town. When they were brought back to their house, their parents asked why they ran off. The twins answered that they were trying to get back to their home. The twins expressed a strong desire to go to Uncha Larpur before they said anything about their past lives.

Past Life Memories are Stimulated by the Twin’s Recognition of an Acquaintance from Uncha Larpur

At 3 years of age, the twins, Rajoo and Ramoo saw a man from the village of Uncha Larpur whose name was Shiv Narain. The young twins touched his feet in a sign of respect. The twins’ uncle chastised them for this act on an unknown stranger. They replied that they recognized this man from their past lives in Uncha Larpur.

The recognition of this man stimulated past life memories in the twins. In discussing their past incarnations, Rajoo and Ramoo often spoke together. When one started to make a statement, the other twin would finish the sentence. As such, it was often difficult to distinguish which twin said what.

Past Life Statements

Ramoo and Rajoo made the following statements regarding their remembered past lives as Bhimsen and Pitamah:

Rajoo and Ramoo said that in their past lives their names had been Bhimsen and Pitamah. More specifically, Ramoo said his name was Bhimsen, while Rajoo said that his name had been Pitamah.

Though Pitamah | Rajoo was considered the less intelligent twin in both lifetimes, Rajoo was the one who offered the most details of the twins’ past lives.

The twins said that in their past incarnations they had a brother named Chandra and that they lived in the village of Uncha Larpur.

The twins said that they had studied up to the sixth grade under a teacher named Thakur Tilak Singh, in village of Marhana. These statements were true for Ramoo, who was Bhimsen in a past life.

The twins said one of them had married a girl from Bahawalpur and the other had married a woman from Atrauli. Bhimsen | Ramoo had indeed married a woman from Bahawalpur, while Pitamah | Rajoo had married a girl from Atrauli.

The twins said that one of them had son named Netra Kishore, which was true for Bhimsen | Ramoo.

The twins said that one of them had a son named Drona, short for Dronacharya, which was true for true for Pitamah | Rajoo.

The twins said that they owned 60 bighas of land (there are about 7 bighas to an acre), which was essentially correct for the amount of land Bhimson and Pitamah had owned.

They said that one of them wore a ring, which was true of Bhimsen | Ramoo.

The twins said that they owned a licensed gun. Further, Rajoo said that the gun was placed on a peg on a wall in the room of their past life mother, Ram Devi. Rajoo added that a belt with bullet cartridges was also kept hanging on the wall near the gun. These statements were accurate, as the gun and cartridge belt owned by Bhimsen and Pitamah were indeed kept in the room of their mother, Ram Devi.

Rajoo and Ramoo Remember their Past Life Murders

Rajoo was the first twin who spoke about their past life murders, stating that a village leader in Kurri named Jagannath, with his friend Raja Ram, killed the twins in their past lives.

Rajoo said that in their past lives, they dismantled an irrigation trough that watered the fields owned by Jagannath and Raja Ram.

Rajoo said that Jagannath was angry at first about the destruction of the irrigation trough, but later became friendly. When the twins were invited to the home of Jagannath in Kurri. Rajoo said when they arrived, Jagannath sent the women of the house away. Rajoo said Jagannath was initially affectionate to the twins and gave Bhimsen and Pitamah milk to drink.

When they twins started to drink the milk, they were surrounded by a group of men who grabbed them. Rajoo added that the men threw acid into their eyes to blind them. The attacking men and then tied the twins up with ropes.

Rajoo said that his past life brother, Bhimsen, got loose from the ropes and escaped from the house, but returned when Bhimsen realized that his brother, Pitimah | Rajoo, was still in the house and was being killed. Rajoo added that another assailant was named Hori Lal.

These statements regarding the murders of the twins were accurate, based on what the murderers themselves told others after their trial ended in acquittal. Recall that there were 9 men who stood trial for the murder of the twins, including Jagannath, Raja Ram and Hori Lal.

Rajoo added that they, the past life twins, were then placed into sacks and were subsequently thrown into a well. Ian Stevenson noted that when the bodies were found in the well, they were not in sacks. Stevenson thought it was plausible that sacks were used to hide the bodies while they were being transported from Jagannath’s home in Kurri to the site of the well.

Most sacks in the area, used for transporting crops, have the name of the owner printed on them. In disposing the bodies of Bhimsen and Pitamah, it would be necessary to remove the sacks to avoid incrimination.

The twins continued to talk about their past lives at least up to 9 years of age.

The Twin’s Parents Repress Ramoo and Rajoo’s Past Life Memories

The parents of Ramoo and Rajoo made no attempts to verify their twins’ past life memories and never took them to Uncha Larpur, as there is a superstition in northern India that predicted grave misfortune to children who remember past lives. One such consequence included that these children would die young. As such, parents would repress children’s past life memories by gentle suppression or even by physical punishment, such as beating the child.

The parents of Ramoo and Rajoo thought it was appropriate to beat the twins whenever they started talking about their previous lives. When this did not work, they switched to the lesser demand that the children not talk about their past incarnations outside of the family. In addition, the twins’ parents and told them to deny remembering past lives if strangers asked. They made an exception for Ian Stevenson’s interviews

Another reason that the parents of Ramoo and Rajoo suppressed their sons’ past life memories was concern that the murderers of the past life twins could intervene and harm Ramoo and Rajoo to suppress testimony regarding the killings.

Ramoo and Rajoo Spontaneously Recognize their Past Life Mother and Brother

Verification of the twins’ past life memories only occurred when those who knew Bhimsen and Pitamah heard about the past life recall of Ramoo and Rajoo. For example, Ram Devi, the past life mother, came to see the reincarnated brothers in Sham Nagara. Ramoo and Rajoo recognized her on sight and both the twins and Ram Devi wept when they met.

The older brother of Bhimsen and Pitamah, Chandra, also came to see Ramoo and Rajoo, who the twins also recognized on sight. In fact, Chandra was a primary source of verifications of the reincarnated twins’ past life memories.

Ramoo and Rajoo Confront their Past Life Murderers

Just as their parents feared, a number of the alleged murderers came to Sham Nagara to meet Ramoo and Rajoo, who the twins did recognize. Stevenson speculated that the murderers must have been lured by a combination of curiosity and anxiety. Stevenson was not able to get information on how this meeting between Ramoo and Rajoo and their past life murderers went, but Stevenson noted it could not have been pleasant.

Past Life Behaviors and Abilities

Ramoo was considered the more intelligent twin. In contrast, Rajoo was assessed to be simple. This corresponds to the natures of the past life twins, as Bhimsen | Ramoo was more intelligent and went to school, where he learned to read and write. Pitabah | Rajoo, on the other hand, never went to school. It is interesting that that the twin who was considered less intelligent, Rajoo, was on the one who first accessed past life memories.

Ramoo and Rajoo were constantly together, just as were Bhimsen and Pitamah, and they showed much affection for each other. One would not eat unless the other was also present to share the meal. If one twin went somewhere by himself, the other would call him to come back.

Ramoo and Rajoo also had the tendency to confront a situation aggressively, much like Bhimsen and Pitamah did. As an example, when a low-caste person, who knew Bhimsen and Pitamah, traveled from Uncha Larpur to Sham Nagara meet these reincarnated twins, this low-caste person taunted the twins regarding their defeat in a past life brawl or dispute. Ramoo and Rajoo then became furious and rushed towards their antagonist and exclaimed:  “God has made a small, but we can still devour you.”

Another incident in which the young twins showed bravado occurred when a villager from Uncha Larpur came to Sham Nagara to meet the brothers. Ramoo and Rajoo recognized this person, who they apparently had a past life quarrel with.

Ramoo ran up to this person and shouted: “Why have you come here?” The visitor replied with an insulting remark and Ramoo then picked up a brick to throw at the visitor, but someone intervened and prevented Ramoo from launching this weapon. Recall that Bhimsen | Ramoo was the more aggressive of the past life twins, demonstrating a parallel in temperament.

Ramoo and Rajoo Meet their Past Life Sons and Act in a Paternal Manner

When the reincarnated young twins met their past life sons, they took on a paternal attitude.

Their past life children were addressed by the reincarnated twins as “sons.” They also said that Bhimsen’s son should occasionally pay a visit to the native village of Bhimsen’s wife.

When the past life sons told the reincarnated twins that their past life house had decayed and had become decrepit, the twins instructed their past life sons to rebuild the house with proper care.

Past Life Birthmarks

Ramoo and Rajoo had pigmented or dark streaks, about 2 millimeters wide, that ran horizontally across their lower chests and abdomens. Ramoo had 5 such marks, while Rajoo had 2 marks. Their mother, Kapuri, said that these dark, horizontal streaks were present from birth.

Ian Stevenson speculated that these birthmarks could have been due to the ropes used to tie up Bhimsen and Pitimah. Alternately, the birthmarks could have resulted from the poles used to press the Bhimsen and Pitimah against the floor and suffocate the twins.

Ian Stevenson, MD Determines the Families in these Reincarnation Cases Had No Prior Contact

Stevenson noted though the village of the past life twins, Uncha Larpur, and that of the reborn twins, Sham Nagara, were only 10 miles apart, he found that there was no social connection or any interactions between the two families before Ramoo and Rajoo spontaneously started talking about their past lives.

Chandra, the older brother of Bhimsen and Pitamah, told Stevenson that he and his family had never been to Sham Nagara prior to the emergence of the past life memories of Ramoo and Rajoo, and that they had no friends or family members in Sham Nagara.

In sum, Ian Stevenson concluded that Ramoo and Rajoo had no way to know about Bhimsen and Pitamah through normal means.

Principles of Reincarnation and Understanding Past Lives

Planning Lifetimes and Relationships Renewed through Reincarnation: The twins Bhimsen and Pitamah reincarnated as the twins Ramoo and Rajoo. These cases demonstrate the extraordinary ability of souls to plan lifetimes to be reincarnated with loved ones.

Birthmarks Associated with Past Lives: Ian Stevenson hypothesized that the horizontal pigmented lines that Ramoo and Rajoo were born with on their chests and abdomens reflected marks made by ropes used to tie up Bhimsen and Pitamah, or the poles used to pin them to the ground.

Spirit Beings in Reincarnation Cases: The mother of Ramoo and Rajoo, Kapuri, had dreams before they were born in which two children were involved, possibly foreshadowing the birth of her twins. It appears that from the spirit world, Bhimsen and Pitamah where announcing that they would be reborn as the children of Kapuri.

Split Incarnation or Parallel Lives: Ramoo and Rajoo were born only 4 months after Bhimsen and Pitamah were murdered. If souls are involved in the process of conception, which I believe is true, then the souls of Bhimsen | Ramoo and Pitamah | Rajoo were animating two bodies at a time.

The Reincarnation Case of K.G.J. Weerasinghe | Indika Guneratne: How a Baby Elephant Helped Solve a Past Life Investigation

How Derived: Past Life Memories in Childhood

Researchers: Ian Stevenson, MD and Francis Story

From: Cases of the Reincarnation Type, Volume II, Ten Cases in Sri Lanka, by Ian Stevenson, MD 

Article by: Walter Semkiw, MD

The Life and Death of K.G.J. Weerasinghe

Weerasinghe was born in 1888 in village of Wehelgoda, which is 2 miles east of Matara, a city located on the southern tip of the Sri Lankan coast. Matara, at the time, had a population of about 75,000 people and is located 200 kilometers or 125 miles from the capital city of Colombo.

Weerasinghe had only four or five years of schooling but was obvously very intelligent, as he built up a large and successful businesses as a lumber merchant and building contractor. After saving his money, he eventually became the wealthiest citizen of Matara, employing some of his family members. He also had servants, one of whom had the name Premadasa.  Weerasinghe had a safe or money-box where he kept cash and valuables. He also owned a gun, which he used for hunting. His home was burglarized once, which is another reason Weerasinghe possessed a gun.

Weerasinghe’s Love of Elephants

Weerasinghe owned several houses and estates in the country, where he kept cattle and elephants. Elephants worked in hauling lumber. He also had elephants at his home compound in Matara, which was located near railroad tracks.

Weerasinghe had a great fondness for these giant beasts and he instructed that on weekends, the elephants were not to be put to work until he arrived in the morning to feed and play with them. The elephants, including a baby pachyderm, would squirt water at their owner, which delighted Weerasinghe,

Owning elephants in Sri Lanka can only be afforded by the very wealthy and this fact was instrumental in investigating this reincarnation case.

Generosity to Premadasa and Others

Weerasinghe, once he established his wealth, was generous and was able to give houses and whole estates to his employees, including his business manager and his servant Premadasa. He was also supportive to his nephew, his older brother’s son, and took in this nephew and his wife to live with him. The couple had a daughter named Padminie.

Weerasinghe’s “Benz”

Weerasinghe liked to live on a grand scale and he regularly would buy a bigger house and a larger, more luxurious automobile. He started out with a small Austin and in 1957, he put in the paperwork to purchase a prestigious Mercedes Benz vehicle, but he backed out at the last minute when the price suddenly rose. He also had Ford and Chevrolet trucks, which were used for his lumber business. Weerasinghe liked to boast about his accomplishments and possessions. He indeed had become what in Sri Lanka is known as a “mudalali,” which refers to an aggressive, action-oriented and successful businessman.

A redeeming quality was his kindness to Buddhist monks. He himself was a devout Buddhist who built several temples, rest houses for pilgrims and who donated estates to Buddhist temples. He made almost weekly trips to the holy site where the Hindu God Kataragama is worshipped by both Buddhists and Hindus. Each year thousands of pilgrims took the train to Matara to pray at the Kataragama temple. Weerasinghe also loved children and was generous to them.

Gambling, Drinking, Womanizing and Rage

Weerasinghe was an enthusiastic gambler and he could afford to wager large sums of money. He also widely participated in lotteries. Between 1958 to 1959 he won nearly 100,000 Rupees at cards, which was an enormous sum. He was so skilled at cards that professional gamblers refused to play with him.

He enjoyed alcohol and was a heavy drinker for many years, though after 1945, he reduced his consumption. Still, he drank alcohol every night with friends, consuming whiskey and arrack.  In addition, he chased woman when it pleased him.

Weerasinghe had a temper, though his rages were short-lived. Still, many feared him. He threatened to beat his servants when they disappointed him, though he never did so. Once, he had an argument with someone who was gambling with him and Weerasinghe severely beat this man. In revenge, this individual threatened to shoot Weerasinghe, though friends dissuaded this course of action.

Marriage, Adoption and Demise

Weerasinghe married B.E. Abeynayake, but it turned out to be a difficult union. She objected to his gambling, drinking and womanizing, which resulted in frequent arguments. Due to their conflicts, Weerasinghe forbade her family members to enter their home.

In 1960, he decided to separate from his wife and he sent her away. Weerasinghe’s brother later helped the couple reconcile and she returned to the family’s home in Matara. The couple had no children, so Weerasinghe formally adopted Padminie as his daughter, thus assuring her financial security for the future.

Weerasinghe had diabetes and had to be hospitalized several times for this condition. In December 1960 he complained of pain in his toe and he had his servant, Premadasa, drive him to Colombo where he was admitted into the central hospital. There he developed urinary retention and deteriorated rapidly. He died on December 18, 1960 at the age of 72. Those present at his bedside when he passed included his older brother and Premadasa. Padminie, who was 11 years of age at the time, was not present when her adoptive father died.

He had a large funeral with four adult elephants in attendance, dressed in white, which was Weerasinghe’s favorite color, as well as the color of mourning in Sri Lanka.

Weerasinghe Reincarnates 18 Miles from his Place of Death

Indika Guneratne was born on July 26, 1962, less than two years after Weerasinghe died. His father, a farmer, was G.D. Guneratne and his mother’s name was S.D. Harriet. The family lived deep in a jungle that featured rubber plantations in an area called Korale Ima, which is 30 kilometers or 18 miles from Colombo. The family lived in a small house on a rubber plantation.

When Indika was a little over three years of age, he started to talk about a previous life and claimed that he had lived in Matara. In comparison to the modest circumstances of his parents, Indika said that he had been wealthy, had a much larger and more beautiful house than his current home and that he owned elephants.

He complained that the Guneratne home did not have electricity, in contrast to his past life home where he could turn on lights by moving something on the wall, presumably a switch. He noted these lights did not leak, in contrast to the kerosene lamps that the Guneratne family used. He also commented on the paucity of meat and the poor quality of the fish at their dinner table, as well as the shabbiness of his mother’s clothing.

Past Life “Benz,” Telephone, Bundles of Money, Railroad Tracks and a Servant Named Premadasa

In addition, Indika said that in his past life he owned a car and trucks. He specified that his car was a “Benz.” Indika, as a child, had an avid interest in automobiles and noted differences between his past life cars and those he inspected around their village.

He also said that he had a telephone at his past life home, an item not possessed by the Guneratne family. Indika even demonstrated how he used it by putting his hand near his mouth and saying “Hello,” which is a word commonly used in Sri Lanka when answering the phone. This, indeed, was the word that Weeasinghe had used when answering a phone call.

Indika told his parents that he had “bundles of money” and that if they took him to Marata, “then I can give you the money.” When something angered Indika, he would threaten to go to Matara. Indika also shared that he had a servant named Premadasa.

In referring to the location of his past life home, he related that it was near the railroad tracks in Matara. His parents were astonished that he used the words “railroad tracks” as at his young age, Indika had never seen a railroad train or tracks and his parents didn’t believe that anyone around him had ever used these words. He also related that there had been a burglary at his past life home.

Past Life Habits

Indica shared that he had taken alcohol in his previous life and that his past life wife had objected to this habit. His father asked how he would ask for a drink. To this question Indika replied, “arraku bagayuk,” which is a phrase used in Sri Lanka meaning “pour me a small drink of arrack.” It was noted that this was a very unusual phrase for a young child to know.

On Sundays he would say: “I must go to Colombo to buy saris for my wife and clothing for my children.”  When his mother asked him if he knew how to buy saris he said that he knew. Later it was confirmed that Weerasinghe indeed would go to Colombo on Sundays to shop for saris his wife and clothing for other family members.

Indika Relives Elephant and Other Past Life Memories

Indika would describe with glee how in his past life he played with his elephants, including how his baby elephant would squirt water on him. It was as if Indika was reliving these moments and his father observed that: “Though his body appears to be here, his mind appears to be there,” meaning in his previous life at Matara.

There were also other times when Indika seemed to forget where he was and act as if he was actually in Matara. During these episodes, he would say:

“Where is my money-box?”

“Where is my gun?”

Indika said that he had a child in his previous life, apparently referring to his adopted daughter Padminie. When asked how old his child was, Indika stretched his hand as high as he could, indicating that she was that tall. Recall that Padminie was eleven years old when Weerasinghe died.

When Indika incurred an injury to his lip, he told his mother to inform “his wife.” When she asked how to find his wife, Indika replied he would go to Colombo and then to Matara. He noted that his car would be there. He would ask for his past life wife at other times when he did not feel well.

When asked by his parents how he came to live with them, Indika related that he had an argument with his wife and then came to his new home.

Ian Stevenson, MD Investigates this Reincarnation Case

Based on this information, Indika’s father make inquires of friends who had lived in Matara or who knew people in that city. He learned that there was an individual in Matara who fit the description that Indika gave and that this person’s family name was Weerasinghe. Indika’s family did nothing further to try to locate or contact the Weerasinghe family.

Indica stop talking about his previous life at the end of 1966, when he was about 4 ½ years old.

About two years later, in January 1968, Ian Stevenson, MD first learned about Indika’s past life memories when he received a letter regarding the case written by V. F. Guneratne, an apparent relative of Indika’s family. Stevenson traveled with his colleague, Francis Story, to meet Indika and his family in March 1968.

After meeting with the Guneratne family in Korale Ima and compiling the statements made by Indikka regarding his previous life, Stevenson, Francis Story, Indika and Indika’s father traveled the 100 miles or so from Korale Ima to Matara to further research the case. Though an acquaintance of Indika’s father indicated that a Matara businessman named Weerasinghe matched the description of Indika’s past memories, Stevenson wanted to see if other businessmen in Matara could be candidates for Indika’s past life persona.

A Search for Wealthy Businessmen with Elephants

The key clue was a wealthy businessman who owned elephants. Stevenson’s investigation revealed only two other deceased businessmen who owned elephants in Matara. Stevenson concluded that Indika’s statements did not correlate to these two individuals and it was concluded that Indika’s past life identity must have been that of Weerasinghe.

The group then made their way to the home of the Weerasinghe family. Stevenson beforehand ascertained that Indika’s family and the Weerasinghe family had no prior contact and indeed, when the two families met, Stevenson’s impression was that both families acted as if they were encountering each other for the first time. Stevenson concluded that Indika could not have known the details of Weerasinghe’s life by normal means.

Indika, though, did not make any concrete identifications at the Weerasinghe home. Stevenson attributed this to the fact that Indika, now about six years of age, had stopped talking about his past life almost 2 years beforehand.  In the series of 1200 validated childhood past life memory cases studied by Ian Stevenson at the University of Virginia, the child, on average, loses memories of the past life at 7.5 years of age.  Stevenson concluded that Indika was not able to make identifications of past life relatives in Matara simply because it was too late, that Indika had lost access to memories of his life as Weerasinghe.

Past Life Personality Traits Persist

Ian Stevenson noted there were many similarities in the personalities of Weerasinghe and Indika. Both had:

The favorite color of white

A fear of burglars

A tendency to save money

Great fondness of elephants and an interest in cattle

Respect for Buddhist monks

A fondness for meat and high-quality fish

An avid interest in motor vehicles

A tendency to be boastful and bragging

A hot temper

A fondness for dogs and dislike of cats

Ian Stevenson visited the Guneratne family again in 1973, when Indika was 11 years old. Though he had stopped talking about his past life when he was four and a half years old, Indika still displayed the behaviors of his past life persona. He continued to demand high quality food and clothes, had an avid interest in elephants, lottery tickets and automobiles, which he would try to start, and he still had a quick temper. When Stevenson asked Indika wanted to become when he grew up, he replied, surprising no one, a “mudalali,” that is, his past life profession as an aggressive, successful businessman.

Principles of Reincarnation-Understanding Past Lives

Past Life Talents and Behavior: Indika had the same personality traits and interests as Weerasinghe, including a tendency to save money to accumulate wealth.

Relationships Renewed through Reincarnation: Indika was able to meet his past life family.

Source: Stevenson, Ian: Cases of the Reincarnation Type, Volume II, Ten Cases in Sri Lanka, pages 203-234