From: otto@tukki.jyu.fi (Otto J. Makela)
Subject: Re: Out-of-body near-death experiences + past lives
Organization: The Crimson Permanent Assurance Company
Distribution: sci.skeptic
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1992 16:47:45 GMT

In article <1992Sep29.011831.19460@eve.wright.edu> cse3006@eve.wright.edu (MICHAEL KOTLER) writes:
   In a somewhat related subject, Professor Ian Stevenson, formerly Head of
   the Psychiatry Dept. at the University of Virginia, has spent over 30
   years seriously investigating children between the ages of 2 and 4 years
   old who remember previous lives that in most cases can be verified.  In
   several of these cases, the children recall experiences similar to the
   NDE and OBE upon death of their previous life.  This unusual and rare
   phenomenon of children remembering previous lives has been observed by
   Stevenson in seven different cultures.  He has published 7 books on
   this subject by the U. of Virginia press.  Many of his articles have
   been published in refereed medical journals.

Just out of curiosity, I did a PsycLit search on the guy, here's some
relevant articles that came up.  He'd also worked on "psycic healers"
in the Philippines.  Sorry about the formatting...  Comments ?

TI: Can children be stopped from speaking about previous lives? Some further analyses of features in cases of the reincarnation type.
AU: Stevenson,-Ian; Chadha,-N.-K.
IN: U Virginia Health Sciences Ctr, Dept of Behavioral Medicine & Psychiatry Div of Personality Studies, Charlottesville, US
JN: Journal-of-the-Society-for-Psychical-Research; 1990 Jan Vol 56(818) 82-90
IS: 00379751
LA: English
PY: 1990
AB: Analysis of data from 274 reincarnation-type cases revealed no significant correlation between (1) S's age at first speaking and the age of the previous personality (PP) at death or the length of the interval between death and birth, (2) the PP's age at death and the interval between death and birth, and (3) the number of different statements the S made about the previous life (PL) and the duration of speaking about it. In 41% of the cases, parents took measures to suppress the children from talking ab


out PLs. However, there was no significant difference between the use of such measures and the duration of the child's speaking about the PL. Possible parental roles in the propagation of ideas of reincarnation are discussed. (PsycLIT Database Copyright 1990 American Psychological Assn, all rights reserved)
KP: age & death birth interval & number & duration of previous life statements & parental intervention in reincarnation type cases; children
DE: PARAPSYCHOLOGICAL-PHENOMENA; PARENT-CHILD-RELATIONS; CHILDREN-
CC: 2390; 23
PO: Human
AG: Child
UD: 9009
AN: 77-21358
JC: 1479

TI: Two tests of survival after death: Report on negative results.
AU: Stevenson,-Ian; Oram,-Arthur-T.; Markwick,-Betty
IN: U Virginia Health Sciences Ctr, Div of Personality Studies, Charlottesville, US
JN: Journal-of-the-Society-for-Psychical-Research; 1989 Apr Vol 55(815) 329-336
IS: 00379751
LA: English
PY: 1989
AB: Examines 2 scientist's attempts to prove survival after bodily death. One scientist proposed a test with enciphered passages for which he alone would know the key word; he enciphered 2 passages. The other reset a padlock combination using random numbers that he alone knew. Since their deaths in 1979 and 1984, numerous trials have been made with key words and numbers, but none of these has enabled the passages to be decoded or the lock to be opened. (PsycLIT Database Copyright 1990 American Psychologica


l Assn, all rights reserved)
KP: decoded passages & opened padlock; proof of survival after death
DE: DEATH-AND-DYING; PARAPSYCHOLOGY-
CC: 2390; 23
PO: Human
UD: 9001
AN: 77-00012
JC: 1479

TI: Comments on "The psychology of life after death." Special Issue: Human resources in psychology.
AU: Stevenson,-Ian
IN: U Virginia, US
JN: American-Psychologist; 1981 Nov Vol 36(11) 1459-1461
IS: 0003066X
LA: English
PY: 1981
AB: R. K. Siegel (see PA, Vol 66:5195) bases his discussion of life after death on an egregious logical fallacy that when one is faced with death, the desire to prolong life has some relevance to the question of whether the person survives. Siegel bases his conclusions about the author's work on a cursory reading; moreover, Siegel's reference list contains as many popular books as scholarly books and scientific articles. (PsycLIT Database Copyright 1990 American Psychological Assn, all rights reserved)
KP: neural & biological & sensory mechanisms underlying life after death experiences & role of cerebral dissociative hallucinatory activity; commentary
DE: NEAR-DEATH-EXPERIENCES; BIOLOGY-; NERVOUS-SYSTEM; HALLUCINATIONS-; DISSOCIATIVE-PATTERNS; PROFESSIONAL-CRITICISM
CC: 3200; 32
PO: Human
UD: 9011
AN: 27-58719
JC: 1055

TI: Are persons reporting "near-death experiences" really near death? A study of medical records.
AU: Stevenson,-Ian; Cook,-Emily-W.; McClean-Rice,-Nicholas
IN: U Virginia, Div of Personality Studies, Charlottesville, US
JN: Omega-Journal-of-Death-and-Dying; 1989-90 Vol 20(1) 45-54
IS: 00302228
LA: English
PY: 1990
AB: Investigated the medical records of 40 patients who reported unusual experiences during an illness or injury. Ss were aged 11-76 yrs at the time of these experiences. Records were rated according to the evidence they provided of life-threatening illness or injury. Findings show that 18 Ss were judged to have had serious, life-threatening illnesses or injuries, but 22 were rated as having had no life-threatening condition. 33 Ss believed that they had been "dead" or near death. Deficiencies in medical r


ecords may account for some discrepancies between patients' reports and medical records. However, it seems likely that an important precipitator of the "near-death experience" is the belief that one is dying--whether or not one is in fact close to death. (PsycLIT Database Copyright 1989 American Psychological Assn, all rights reserved)
KP: belief that one was dead or near death; report of near death experiences; 11-76 yr old patients with vs without life threatening illnesses; implications for accuracy of self report vs medical records
DE: MEDICAL-RECORDS-KEEPING; NEAR-DEATH-EXPERIENCES; CLIENT-ATTITUDES; SCHOOL-AGE-CHILDREN; AGED-; HEALTH-; DEATH-AND-DYING; CHILDHOOD-; ADOLESCENCE-; ADULTHOOD-
CC: 3200; 32
PO: Human
AG: Child; Adolescent; Adult; Elderly
UD: 8912
AN: 76-40052
JC: 1566

TI: Three new cases of the reincarnation type in Sri Lanka with written records made before verification.
AU: Stevenson,-Ian; Samararatne,-Godwin
IN: U Virginia Medical Ctr, Div of Personality Studies, Charlottesville, US
JN: Journal-of-Nervous-and-Mental-Disease; 1988 Dec Vol 176(12) 741
IS: 00223018
LA: English
PY: 1988
AB: Presents the cases of 3 children in Sri Lanka who at age 3 yrs related details about a previous life. It is concluded that the Ss had information on deceased persons that could only be obtained paranormally. (PsycLIT Database Copyright 1989 American Psychological Assn, all rights reserved)
KP: details about previous lives; 3 yr old females; Sri Lanka; case reports
DE: SRI-LANKA; PARAPSYCHOLOGY-; CASE-REPORT; PRESCHOOL-AGE-CHILDREN; CHILDHOOD-
CC: 2800; 2390; 28; 23
PO: Human
AG: Child
UD: 8906
AN: 76-18534
JC: 1436

TI: Two correlates of violent death in cases of the reincarnation type.
AU: Chadha,-N.-K.; Stevenson,-Ian
IN: U Delhi, India
JN: Journal-of-the-Society-for-Psychical-Research; 1988 Apr Vol 55(811) 71-79
IS: 00379751
LA: English
PY: 1988
AB: Analyzed data from 326 cases suggestive of reincarnation in 8 cultures for 2 correlates of violent vs natural death of the previous personality whose life the S claimed to remember. Ss recalling a violent death reported a shorter interval between death and birth than Ss recalling a natural death. This effect was significant in only 1 culture (India) and for the group as a whole. (PsycLIT Database Copyright 1989 American Psychological Assn, all rights reserved)
KP: cross cultural analysis of violent vs natural death in previous life; death rebirth interval & age of recalling previous life; reincarnated adults; parapsychological implications
DE: PARAPSYCHOLOGICAL-PHENOMENA; EARLY-MEMORIES; DEATH-AND-DYING; LIFE-EXPERIENCES; CROSS-CULTURAL-DIFFERENCES; ADULTHOOD-
CC: 2390; 23
PO: Human
AG: Adult
UD: 8904
AN: 76-10503
JC: 1479

TI: Deception and self-deception in cases of the reincarnation type: Seven illustrative cases in Asia.
AU: Stevenson,-Ian; Pasricha,-Satwant; Samararatne,-Godwin
IN: U Virginia Medical Ctr, Div of Personality Studies, Charlottesville, US
JN: Journal-of-the-American-Society-for-Psychical-Research; 1988 Jan Vol 82(1) 1-31
IS: 00031070
LA: English
PY: 1988
AB: Reports 7 cases of supposed reincarnation in Asia in which preliminary information suggested that the case was authentic, but interviews with informants showed that it was not. In 3 cases, informants seem to have deceived themselves; in 2 cases hoaxes by villagers seem the best interpretation; in the 6th case, both families concerned may have given invalid testimony; and the 7th case was a hoax by a journalist. Sound judgments about authenticity almost always require independent verification of an S's 


statements. (PsycLIT Database Copyright 1989 American Psychological Assn, all rights reserved)
KP: incidence of deception & self deception; persons claiming to have experienced reincarnation; Asia
DE: DECEPTION-; DEATH-AND-DYING; PARAPSYCHOLOGICAL-PHENOMENA; ASIA-; ADULTHOOD-
CC: 2390; 23
PO: Human
AG: Adult
UD: 8901
AN: 76-00008
JC: 1357

TI: Indian cases of the reincarnation type two generations apart.
AU: Pasricha,-Satwant; Stevenson,-Ian
IN: National Inst of Mental Health & Neurosciences, Dept of Clinical Psychology, Bangalore, India
JN: Journal-of-the-Society-for-Psychical-Research; 1987 Oct Vol 54(809) 239-246
IS: 00379751
LA: English
PY: 1987
AB: When comparisons were made between reincarnation type cases (36 Ss born before 1936 and 54 Ss born in 1965 or later) on 54 variables including demographic data, features of the cases, and the investigation of the cases, significant differences occurred in only 5 variables. (PsycLIT Database Copyright 1988 American Psychological Assn, all rights reserved)
KP: demographic & case characteristics of reincarnation cases; adults born before 1936 vs 1965 or later; India
DE: PARAPSYCHOLOGICAL-PHENOMENA; DEMOGRAPHIC-CHARACTERISTICS; ADULTHOOD-
CC: 2390; 23
PO: Human
AG: Adult
UD: 8812
AN: 75-34528
JC: 1479
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