Reincarnation in Children

This paper discusses what it is that makes us remember a past- life. It asks how and why and when does it affect a person? The definition of reincarnation states it is the rebirth of the soul in another body or a reappearance or revitalization in another form; a new embodiment. My paper contains two specific cases about two young boys that had vivid memories about their past lives. The boys' ability to recall details is amazing; and the following is a detailed summary of their accounts. (Houghton, 2000)

In the first story a young boy named James Lieninger, was born on April 10, 1998 to Bruce and Andrea, and has been recalling memories since he was 2 and a half about being a pilot in World War II. This alarmed the parents because their son had immense knowledge of aviation, which is a subject that neither of his parents knew anything about. When pointing to a model airplane in the store she said, "Look there's a plane with a bomb on it!"(Rose, 2013, Para 6) and her 2 year old replied, "that's not a bomb it's a drop tank!"(Rose, 2013, Para 6) He began to specifically recall things about his past self like his name, James Mc Creedy Huston and that he was from Union Town. He said he flew a plane, the Corsair, which took flight from the Natoma. Also that he died in the Battle of Iwo Jima as a fighter pilot in World War II fifty years earlier. (Rose, 2013)

His parents go on to explain the effects of the past life memories on James like his interests and most important his nightmares. He started having nightmares about being shot down by a Japanese plane with a red sun on it. In the article it states "His nightmares started after his father had taken him to Dallas Flight Museum, but there is nothing there that would or could have started these amazing revelations. (Rose, 2013)." James would wake up screaming "airplane crash, on fire, help, can't get out! (Rose 2013). "The nightmares were reoccurring and worried his parents about his well- being. (Rose 2013)

This made his mother and father does some research about the possibility that their son was reveling memories of a real person. First, they found out was the Natoma was involved in World War II; it was a small escort carrier and had been in the battle of Iwo Jima. They then found a report of a pilot who had also been involved with the Natoma named, James Huston. They also found two living relatives of James Mc Cready Huston and they both said that the boy's story is so close to the truth that they firmly believe him. (Semkiw 2012)

I found that applying the nature verses nurture perspective is really interesting. Although he was not influenced by anything he's recalling from this life, it is the product of being nurtured this way in a past life. So having become a pilot and having died in war was not part of his nature in his past life, it was clearly something he was nurtured to know.

In this life it is part of his nature, there was nothing his parents did to make him an aviation enthusiast. There is a good chance that in this life he will also be in the aviation business, as if his father has been in the business and started him early. I think this goes to say he was born with a natural talent or prior knowledge that makes it part of his nature. I think he could go far in his passion if his parents nurture it.

There was also the case of Cameron Maccauley who has been living Glasgow Scotland his whole life but has been taking about the Scottish island, Barra, since he was two years old. He says he lived in a white house that overlooked the beach and sea. He told several stories to his mother; Norma and he often drew pictures of the house. He claimed that airplanes used to land on the beach, he had three toilets in his house and he had a black and white dog he loved. His father's name was Shane Robertson that he had died in a car crash because "he didn't look both ways" (Rose 2013, Para 18). He also said several times that he wanted his other mother to know he was okay. (Rose 2013)

His nursery school teacher said that his parents should take him to the island and film him which caught the attention of a film company that agreed. A child Psychologist was with them when they took him, they landed on the beach like Cameron said the planes used to do. They soon found out that they were on the wrong side of the island but they found the Robertson's home on the other side. When they pulled up to the residence the boy immediately recognized the house, even the gate. They took the boy in to the house so they could explore and little and they found out he was right about the three toilets and the secret entrance in the garden he talked about so many times. (Rose 2013)

Researchers did manage to find a living relative that was supposed to have lived the same time Cameron would have, but did not remember a Shane Robertson. She did have pictures of the car