Old Souls: The Scientific Evidence for Past Lives: Compelling Evidence From Children Who Remember Past Lives - Softcover

Shroder, Thomas

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0684851938 ISBN 13: 9780684851938

Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2001

Synopsis

For nearly seven decades psychiatrist Dr. Ian Stevenson has been travelling the world, tracking reports of children who claim to have lived before. Spontaneously they will recall vivid details about complete strangers who died before they were born, people they say they once were., And when the memories are checked against the facts of real lives, they match to an astonishing degree. It took journalist Tom Shroder years to persuade Dr. Stevenson to allow him to accompany him on his field research, the first ever to have that privilege., From the hills of Beirut, Lebanon to the slums of northern India, Shroder follows Stevenson as he struggles to understand the mysterious phenomenon of old souls reborn into new bodies. What this sceptical reporter, 'who has stared inward but had never seen a ripple of any life but his own', observes shakes him to the core.

About this title

Review:

It took award-winning journalist and ferocious sceptic Tom Shroder many years to persuade Dr Ian Stevenson--a distinguished psychiatrist and scholar who has travelled the world investigating and documenting more than 2,000 cases of young children who speak of remembering past lives--to allow him to observe his field of research. But, eventually Stevenson agreed to allow the cynical, hard-nosed journalist to accompany him first to the Lebanon, then to India and finally to the American South as he continued his research into this remarkable phenomena. And the result--Old Souls--is extraordinary. Of course, like Shroder, many are justifiably sceptical of the idea of reincarnation; after all, how often have we read of adults who, after being regressed under hypnosis, suddenly decide that they were once Cleopatra? But Stevenson's subjects--small children who, from the moment they can talk, spontaneously speak of past lives, beg to be taken "home", pine for husbands, lovers, children from another life--do not speak of vague lives from centuries ago but instead are able to give details of specific, identifiable, ordinary individuals who may have died merely months, weeks or hours before the birth of the child in question. Shroder, the journalist, constantly questions the discoveries: what if the parent had somehow suggested the idea to the child? What if the child had somehow picked up on the story of someone's death? What if the culture into which they were born encourages the idea of reincarnation? But Shroder, the man, struggles to hang on to his scepticism as Stevenson's plodding, methodical and repetitious modus operandi throws up more and more evidence to suggest that the children are telling the truth. Old Souls is a study of scientific evidence for past lives. It is also a study of a man whose dogged research into reincarnation has spanned more than three decades. But most importantly it is the story of children across the world whose lives are touched by a phenomenon that most of us will never truly understand. Be prepared to have your mind opened. --Susan Harrison

Review:

Whether or not you believe, but especially if you're a born skeptic, you'll be in good company sharing the travels of author Tom Shroder...."Old Souls" is quietly mind-boggling. --"Chicago Tribune"

About this edition

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0684851938
• ISBN 13: 9780684851938
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 264