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Children who speak of past-life experiences: is there a psychological explanation?
Abstract
Children who claim to remember fragments of a past life are found in some countries. Various explanations have been put forward as to why the alleged memories develop, ranging from reincarnation to 'therapeutic resource'. This study puts to the test the role of some psychological characteristics and the circumstances in which the children live, such as fantasy, suggestibility, social isolation, dissociation, and attention-seeking. Thirty children in Lebanon who had persistently spoken of past-life memories, and 30 comparison children, were administered relevant tests and questionnaires. The target group obtained higher scores for daydreaming, attention-seeking, and dissociation, but not for social isolation and suggestibility. The level of dissociation was much lower than in cases of multiple personality and not clinically relevant. There was some evidence of post-traumatic stress disorder-like symptoms. Eighty per cent of the children spoke of past-life memories of circumstances leading to a violent death (mostly accidents, also war-related deaths and murder). It is discussed if this imagery-when experienced repeatedly-may serve as a stressor.
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“Haraldsson also reported slightly elevated levels of fantasy proneness among Lebanese children when investigating this phenomenon (Haraldsson, 2003).”
From Impact of children’s purported past-life memories: a follow-up investigation of American cases (2024) · cites this paper as Haraldsson, 2003
In the citing paper
“However, studies with Sri Lankan (Haraldsson et al., 2000) and Lebanese (Haraldsson, 2003) children have similarly found elevated, but non-pathological, dissociation scores among children with purported PLMs compared to children with no memories.”
From Impact of children’s purported past-life memories: a follow-up investigation of American cases (2024) · cites this paper as Haraldsson, 2003
In the citing paper
“Research with adults shows how some features of their childhood past life memories persist into adult. 54”
From New methodological directions for involving children in past life memories research (2026) · cites this paper as [54]
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Evaluation of the evidence for the trauma and fantasy models of dissociation.
Dalenberg, C. J., Brand, B. L., Gleaves, D. H., Dorahy, M. J., Loewenstein, R. J., Cardeña, E., Frewen, P. A., Carlson, E. B., & Spiegel, D. (2012) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/a0027447 · Cited by 667
(2005) · doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195154054.001.0001 · Cited by 586
Haraldsson, E. (2006) · Nordic Psychology · doi:10.1027/1901-2276.58.2.171 · Cited by 54
“Some of them resemble rare cases of children who claim to remember a former life (Stevenson, 2003; Haraldsson, 2001, 2003).”
BackgroundSelf-citationChildren´s reports of past-life memories: a review
Tucker, J. B. (2008) · EXPLORE · doi:10.1016/j.explore.2008.04.001 · Cited by 34
French, C. C. (2017) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9781315247366-3 · Cited by 27
Metadata
- Authors
- Haraldsson, E.
- Affiliations
- University of Iceland (IS)
- Corresponding author
- Haraldsson, Erlendur
- Venue
- Psychology and Psychotherapy Theory Research and Practice
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2003-03
- Volume
- 76
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 55-67
- ISSN
- 1476-0835 (ISSN-L)
- 2044-8341
- OpenAlex
- W1965276419
- Cited by
- 49
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2025: 4 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 3 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 7.41
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychology and Psychotherapy Theory Research and Practice (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Fundação Bial
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Paranormal Experiences and Beliefs
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
- Keywords
- past-life memories, children, reincarnation, dissociation, daydreaming, attention seeking, suggestibility, social isolation, post-traumatic stress disorder, Lebanon
- MeSH terms
- Child, Psychology, Child, Dissociative Disorders, Female, Humans, Life Change Events, Male, Memory, Psychological Tests, Psychological Theory, Speech, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Suggestion
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