Have you ever heard a child say something so eerily specific about a place, time or experience they couldn’t possibly know? Stories like “I died in a fire” or “That’s not my name – my real name is Sam” have been reported all over the world. They raise the subject of children’s memories of past lives and a powerful question:
Could some children really be remembering their past lives?
In this article, we take a deep dive into these reports. We’ll explore global case studies, respected academic research, and spiritual interpretations – and consider what these children’s stories might be teaching us about who they and we really are.
What are past life memories – and why do children remember them?
Across many spiritual traditions, it’s believed that our soul continues beyond this lifetime – learning, growing and choosing to return again in different human forms. This idea is known as reincarnation, and it is something that we believe is real here at The Creative Choice. You can read different articles here about it, such as: Common threads in near-death experiences, or my Review of “Proof of Life After Life”.
Most cases of reincarnation are reported from people under hypnosis or after an NDE, but why do some children seem to remember their previous lifetimes in their conscious, waking life? And why do most of us forget?
According to many researchers, children are:
- Closer to the spiritual realms because of their recent transition from it
- Still developing the filters that adults develop over time to block unconscious memory
- More emotionally honest and likely to speak spontaneously without fear of ridicule
In short, they haven’t yet unlearned what they came in already knowing.
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Whispers from the womb: what children remember
Psychologist and author Sarah Hinze has spent decades documenting children’s recollections of the spiritual world. In her books, including “Coming from the Light” and “We Lived in Heaven”, she recounts stories from parents whose toddlers spoke about “the light before”, “God’s nursery”, and even “watching mummy from the sky” before being born.
One girl described sitting in a meadow in the sky, surrounded by light beings, waiting for her turn to be born. Another child told her mother, “I picked you. I saw you were sad and I wanted to help.” These aren’t isolated cases. Hinze gathered hundreds of similar stories across multiple cultures, often from children too young to have been influenced by religious or metaphysical beliefs.
In most cases, these memories fade around the age of 6 or 7, especially if they’re not nurtured or taken seriously. But they often appear spontaneously in early childhood – sometimes triggered by music, dreams, or moments of deep calm.
Famous case studies from around the world
One of the most well-known academic researchers into this phenomenon was Dr Ian Stevenson, a psychiatrist from the University of Virginia. Over 40 years, he documented more than 2,500 cases of children who reported past life memories – many of which included verifiable details.
Here are just a few examples:
1. Ryan Hammons – Hollywood Reincarnation
Location: Oklahoma, USA
Child’s Age: 4 when memories began
Claim: Ryan vividly recalled being a Hollywood movie agent from the 1930s–40s. He gave specific details about working with actors, living in a big white house with a swimming pool, and dying suddenly in a hospital.
Verification: Dr. Jim Tucker at the University of Virginia investigated the case and identified the man Ryan described as Marty Martyn, a real agent who died in 1964. Details like the street name, number of children, and events were verified.
Source: Return to Life by Jim B. Tucker, MD
2. Shanti Devi – Remembering Her Previous Family
Location: Delhi, India
Child’s Age: 4 when she began speaking of her past life
Claim: Shanti claimed she had lived in Mathura, had a husband named Kedar Nath, and died during childbirth. She named her previous hometown, her husband’s profession, and even her own previous name.
Verification: A government investigation led by Mahatma Gandhi’s colleagues found her story shockingly accurate. When she met her “former” husband, she recognised him and gave accurate personal details only his late wife would have known.
Source: 20 Cases Suggestive of Reincarnation by Dr. Ian Stevenson
3. Cameron Macaulay – The Boy from Barra
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Child’s Age: 2–3 when memories started
Claim: Cameron repeatedly told his mum he was from Barra, a remote Scottish island, and had lived in a white house by the sea with a black and white dog. He missed his “other mum” and insisted he wanted to go back.
Verification: A trip to Barra revealed a house matching his description. Locals confirmed that a man who died in a car crash had lived there – consistent with Cameron’s claim of dying by “falling through.”
Documentary: Extraordinary People: The Boy Who Lived Before (Channel 5)
4. James Leininger – WWII Pilot
Location: Louisiana, USA
Child’s Age: 2 when dreams and drawings began
Claim: James began having intense nightmares about plane crashes and described being shot down by the Japanese. He gave his name as James, flew a Corsair, and his ship was the Natoma Bay.
Verification: His parents researched and found that all the details matched a real WWII pilot, James Huston Jr., who died in 1945. Veterans who had known Huston confirmed the story and even met the family.
Source: Soul Survivor by Bruce and Andrea Leininger
5. Sam Taylor – Grandpa Reborn?
Location: USA
Child’s Age: Around 1.5 years old
Claim: Sam told his dad he “used to be your daddy” and accurately described his grandfather’s life and death – including a specific detail about where he had been shot (on his body) and a family miscarriage no one had told him about.
Verification: His parents were initially sceptical but admitted there were too many correct and intimate details for it to be guesswork.
Source: Return to Life by Dr. Jim B. Tucker
Patterns found in these stories
Researchers like Dr Jim Tucker, who continued Stevenson’s work, found some common themes:
- Children speak early – most start sharing past life memories between ages 2–6
- They give names, places, and professions of former lives
- Phobias or preferences often link to their past death (e.g. fear of water if drowned)
- Birthmarks or physical traits sometimes appear where a wound occurred
- Memories fade by age 7, especially once formal schooling begins
These patterns are reported globally – in cultures that believe in reincarnation and those that don’t.
Spiritual interpretations – what could be happening?
From a spiritual perspective, these children are not just anomalies. They are gentle reminders of who we really are and the truths behind our existence on Earth.
1. We are eternal souls having human experiences
Many teachers and texts affirm the idea that our consciousness exists before and beyond this current life:
- The Law of One (Ra Material) teaches that we incarnate to learn lessons in love, wisdom and unity
- Dolores Cannon‘s clients in hypnosis often recalled multiple lifetimes and life-between-lives states
- Esther Hicks (Abraham) describes us as extensions of Source Energy who choose new life experiences
- The Seth Material by Jane Roberts asserts that time is non-linear, and we live many lives simultaneously
These accounts align in one powerful truth:
We are not just our bodies or personalities – we are vast, evolving beings of light and energy.
2. There is a place we go between lives
The period between lives is often described as a realm of review, healing, and preparation. Children who remember this often speak of:
- Choosing their parents
- Seeing a “library” or “school” where they learned
- Being sent back to Earth with a mission or purpose
Author Sarah Hinze has collected many accounts of pre-birth memories where children recall being with angels, choosing their life paths, or watching their families from the spirit realm before birth.
Do all children have past life memories?
Certainly not all children remember or talk about past lives, but some children do have fleeting impressions, strong preferences, or unexplainable knowledge. These might include:
- Being drawn to certain historical periods
- Feeling emotional in specific places without knowing why
- Having vivid dreams or visions that feel like memories
As adults, we often dismiss or forget these moments. But if we listen closely to children, especially when they are very young, we might hear echoes of something older than this life.
Ask yourself if you have ever felt drawn to, or repulsed by a certain historical time or a location? I know I have. I personally cannot watch programmes or films about the American Civil War and I’ve been like this as long as I can remember. I don’t really like war films in general, but I actively turn off things that deal with this subject, especially if they are about the battles or conditions of the soldiers. Does that mean I was a soldier in that war? Perhaps, but I know it turns my blood cold to think about it, so I personally choose not to.
The veil of forgetfulness – why don’t we all remember?
Spiritual teachings often refer to a “veil” that separates our earthly awareness from our soul’s full memory. This veil serves a purpose – it allows us to fully immerse ourselves in the human experience.
Esther Hicks, channelling Abraham, explains:
“You knew who you were before you came here. But you also knew that forgetting would be part of the adventure – so that remembering could be sweeter.”
From a biological standpoint, early memory is fragile. Our brains don’t begin forming long-term memories until around age 3 or 4, and even then, they’re often fragmented. That’s why most of us can’t really remember anything before our 4th birthday (unless it was really traumatic). So when young children do share coherent stories of pre-birth or past lives, they stand out as all the more remarkable.
What can we learn from these stories?
Whether or not you believe every story a literal truth, I believe that they offer something precious:
- A chance to broaden our understanding of identity and consciousness
- An invitation to explore life with curiosity instead of certainty
- A reminder to treat every soul – including our own – with reverence and compassion
These children remind us that life might be far more magical, layered and interconnected than we’ve been taught to believe.
Your own child within
If you’re reading this and wondering whether you once knew more than you do now… you’re not alone.
Many spiritual seekers feel a pull back to something they can’t quite name – a kind of inner knowing they’ve buried or forgotten.
Perhaps the real power of children’s memories of past lives is this:
They help us remember who we are.
Not just as adults trying to make sense of the world, but as souls, dreaming across time – holding a blueprint of love, wisdom and purpose deep within us.
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Sources & Further Reading:
- Hinze, Sarah (2006). We Lived in Heaven.
- Tucker, Jim (2013). Return to Life: Extraordinary Cases of Children Who Remember Past Lives.
- Stevenson, Ian (2001). Children Who Remember Previous Lives.
- Newton, Michael (1994). Journey of Souls.
- Hicks, Esther & Abraham (various works)
- Cannon, Dolores (2003). Between Death and Life.
- The Tibetan Book of the Dead
- The Ghost Inside My Child – TV programme – see https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHkel-60RmiXIshbdlpiGQLyAF7jdRsA5
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- The illusion of the right path and a single life purpose
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