Could a Little Boy Be Proof of Reincarnation?

ABC News ^ | April 20, 04 | ABC News

[churchillbuff]

Nearly six decades ago, a 21-year-old Navy fighter pilot on a mission over the Pacific was shot down by Japanese artillery. His name might have been forgotten, were it not for 6-year-old James Leininger.

Quite a few people — including those who knew the fighter pilot — think James is the pilot, reincarnated.

James' parents, Andrea and Bruce, a highly educated, modern couple, say they are "probably the people least likely to have a scenario like this pop up in their lives."

But over time, they have become convinced their little son has had a former life.

From an early age, James would play with nothing else but planes, his parents say. But when he was 2, they said the planes their son loved began to give him regular nightmares.

"I'd wake him up and he'd be screaming," Andrea told ABCNEWS' Chris Cuomo. She said when she asked her son what he was dreaming about, he would say, "Airplane crash on fire, little man can't get out."

Reality Check

Andrea says her mom was the first to suggest James was remembering a past life.

At first, Andrea says she was doubtful. James was only watching kids' shows, his parents say, and they weren't watching World War II documentaries or conversing about military history.

But as time went by, Andrea began to wonder what to believe. In one video of James at age 3, he goes over a plane as if he's doing a preflight check.

Another time, Andrea said, she bought him a toy plane, and pointed out what appeared to be a bomb on its underside. She says James corrected her, and told her it was a drop tank. "I'd never heard of a drop tank," she said. "I didn't know what a drop tank was."

Then James' violent nightmares got worse, occurring three and four times a week. Andrea's mother suggested she look into the work of counselor and therapist Carol Bowman, who believes that the dead sometimes can be reborn.

With guidance from Bowman, they began to encourage James to share his memories — and immediately, Andrea says, the nightmares started become less frequent. James was also becoming more articulate about his apparent past, she said.

Bowman said James was at the age when former lives are most easily recalled. "They haven't had the cultural conditioning, the layering over the experience in this life so the memories can percolate up more easily," she said.

Trail of Mysteries

Over time, James' parents say he revealed extraordinary details about the life of a former fighter pilot — mostly at bedtime, when he was drowsy.

They say James told them his plane had been hit by the Japanese and crashed. Andrea says James told his father he flew a Corsair, and then told her, "They used to get flat tires all the time."

In fact, historians and pilots agree that the plane's tires took a lot of punishment on landing. But that's a fact that could easily be found in books or on television.

Andrea says James also told his father the name of the boat he took off from — Natoma — and the name of someone he flew with — "Jack Larson."

After some research, Bruce discovered both the Natoma and Jack Larson were real. The Natoma Bay was a small aircraft carrier in the Pacific. And Larson is living in Arkansas.

"It was like, holy mackerel," Bruce said. "You could have poured my brains out of my ears. I just couldn't believe it.

James 2 = James M. Huston Jr.?

Bruce became obsessed, searching the Internet, combing through military records and interviewing men who served aboard the Natoma Bay.

He said James told him he had been shot down at Iwo Jima. James had also begun signing his crayon drawings "James 3." Bruce soon learned that the only pilot from the squadron killed at Iwo Jima was James M. Huston Jr.

Bruce says James also told him his plane had sustained a direct hit on the engine.

Ralph Clarbour, a rear gunner on a U.S. airplane that flew off the Natoma Bay, says his plane was right next to one flown by James M. Huston Jr. during a raid near Iwo Jima on March 3, 1945.

Clarbour said he saw Huston's plane struck by anti-aircraft fire. "I would say he was hit head on, right in the middle of the engine," he said.

Treasured Mementos

Bruce says he now believes his son had a past life in which he was James M. Huston Jr. "He came back because he wasn't finished with something."

The Leiningers wrote a letter to Huston's sister, Anne Barron, about their little boy. And now she believes it as well.

"The child was so convincing in coming up with all the things that there is no way on the world he could know," she said.

But Professor Paul Kurtz of the State University of New York at Buffalo, who heads an organization that investigates claims of the paranormal, says he thinks the parents are "self-deceived."

"They're fascinated by the mysterious and they built up a fairy tale," he said.

James' vivid, alleged recollections are starting to fade as he gets older — but among his prized possessions remain two haunting presents sent to him by Barron: a bust of George Washington and a model of a Corsair aircraft.

They were among the personal effects of James Huston sent home after the war.

"He appears to have experienced something that I don't think is unique, but the way it's been revealed is quite astounding," Bruce said.

Asked if the idea that James may have been someone else changes his or his wife's feeling about their son, Bruce said: "It doesn't change how we think. I don't look at him and say, 'That's not my boy.' That's my boy."

[Junior]

If Behe had made testable predictions, he would have published in a peer-reviewed journal so that others in the field could replicate his methodology. Instead, he went to the public. This is typically indicative of someone who doesn't feel his efforts will stand up to scientific scrutiny.

[CholeraJoe]

I'm convinced that I am reincarnated from a general's aide of Napoleon's retreat from Moscow. I can read French fluently and translate it mostly without much help from a dictionary. I never studied French in High School or College.

In school, I needed a medical article written in French translated and asked a French-Canadian nurse I worked with to translate it. Her translation was almost verbatim to mine.

I've visited France several times, it seems hauntingly familiar, especially the north-central part. I have recurring dreams of freezing to death, causing me to be exceptionally careful here in Montana.

[HitmanLV]

Genuine demonic possession is very very very rare, and fairly uncommon. To say it is 'far from uncommon' isn't supported by much evidence at all.

As for Satanism, I am aware of it. I didn't read the thread you reference but I am aware of it. Still, genuine demonic possession is very rare.

The details that the boy has are not too entensivem actually they are mundane, repeditive information. The encoding is possible and the brain is an astonishingly complex.

Further, there will be deletion, distortion, generalization filters going on - repeditive information would not be recorded a billion times, only once, and encoded and extrapolated.

You misunderstand the concept of collective unconscious, also. Think of it as everyone connected at some subconsicous level, like networked computers. Anyone can access information in someone else's grey brain cells (like one PC can access info in another networked PC) and memories, for example. This would make it easier, not more difficult, as you think.

Collective unconscious makes it easier, not more difficult, to pull this off.

Everyone's life is recorded in high fidelity, 3-D, stereo sound by the brain, subject to deletion, distortion, and generalization filters. This info is then encoded, refined, and passed along in your DNA to the next generation.

I have no idea as to the complex programming necessary to pull this off, but I will say its more likely that the brain stores this info and passes it from generation to generation, than every case (or even a small number of cases) of memories of 'past lives' is an example of genuine demonic possession.

[nickcarraway]

ping

[Quix]

I'll trust my extensive experience with possessed individuals seeking deliverance vs yours. My perspective comes from dozens and dozens and dozens of cases over 35 years. I'm curious where your fiercely held position on demonic possession comes from.

Demonic posession is quite happy to pretend to be anything but, BTW.

I have no need to provide evidence.

Besides that, tonight is turning out to be rather loaded with tasks.

Derek Prince is one of the experts I most respect. He's recently graduated from this life.

I understand your clarification of your construction on the collective unconscious.

I still differ in terms of perspective and opinion but I appreciate the civil dialogue.

[Quix]

HMMMMMM

And if we are all virtual critters in God's vast computer . . . how would we know?

[MHGinTN]

Can you envision a virtual critter actually being self-aware?... And I'm not talking 'the matrix revisited' here, without some scientific rationality.

[Rebelbase]

"Then there have been the recent resurrections from the dead in Mexico and China from Christian prayer and intervention. "

I've heard about those also.

[Axenolith]

Really!, It would have been hilarious if the therapist had just said: "S**T! It's YOU again!"

[Axenolith]

We'll have to hope this is archived when the thread "Teenager with no flying experience steals antique WWII fighter plane for joy ride" is posted sometime in 2017...

[Axenolith]

Where at?

Jeff Long incorporates this concept in his fiction work book "The Descent".

[Axenolith]

Whoops, thought you meant a site you had...

[Quix]

Have just found the book:

THE HEAVENLY MAN

about Brother Yun of China. Am curious if there will be resurrections in his experiences.

He had plenty of miracles so far . . . am only on page 56.

He set out to run home what would have been at least 2 hours worth normally. After a very few short moments of time, he was shocked to find himself arriving at his house. He had not noticed anything unusual in the process except that he found himself at his home virtually right after starting out on at least a 2 hour trek.

His wife is equally remarkable.

His humility is perhaps the most profound miracle in the heart of a mortal man.

[Quix]

Not sure. Perhaps possible.

But I don't think God has done it that way.

He seems to be much more of a preference for THE REAL THING.

But then . . . what is real!

[HitmanLV]

No friend, just on this thread. Thanks!

[HitmanLV]

In fact, there are very very few documented cases of genuine demonic possession. If you have had a genuine experience with 1 or 2 legitimate cases, I'd be surprised.

In fact, there are people who genuinely think they are possessed by demons when in fact other processes are going on, akin to mental illness, schtitzophenia, and related mental disorders.

I don't doubt that you have 'extensive' experience with people who think they are possessed by demons and other spirits. I don;t doubt you genuinely belive this to be true.

I do genuinely doubt that you have ever encountered even one case on genuine demonic possession, given its rarity.

Saying demonic possession is happy to pretend it is anything but is probably accurate, but that mentality left unchecked would lead you to find bogeymen under every bed. Clearly, most bed's have no such evil spirits living under them.

And clearly, most cases of people who think they are possessed by demons can legitimately be diagnosed with some kind of mental problem, chemical imbalance, or mental disorder.

And even more clearly, most mental illness does not have a supernatural element.

Embracing the kind of thoughts you suggest is a mentality more at home in the middle ages than in the 21st century.

I too appreciate the civility, but I hope you can recognize the fact that given the history of demonic possession (and the Jesuit Rite of Exorcism, which some folks think actually predates the Christian Era and was co-opted by the Jesuits and modified) the phenomenon is very very rare.

I don't doubt that you are sincere in your belief that you have extensive experience with demonically possessed people. Given my knowledge of it, I think you and your cohorts are overdiagnosing the condition.

I have done a lot of research on the phenomenon. It is real. It is rare. I've spoken in detail with people with some genuine experience in the matter, and even their experience isn't 'extensive,' though it represents a lifetime of dealing with the matter.

From what I have heard from people with legitimate firsthand knowledge and who I believe, if you ran into one of these demons, it would most likely summarily kick your arse and chuckle about it.

This isn't a remark to disparage your skill. Not at all. In fact, the way its been described to me, these things kick very formidable arses with ease. Exorcism of a genuine demon is serious business more like running a marathon than reading a script from a book.

I know one of those things would kick my arse! After all, there is a saying in the demon-busting business: "What you don't know can hurt you a whole lot." ;-)

Be careful. I don't doubt your sincerity, but I do suspect you are dealing with people (on both the patient and diagnoser end) with very overactive imaginations.

The odds are overwhelming that regardless of your expeirence, you have never met 'the real deal.'

[Quix]

I appreciate your perspective.

From my perspective, you are simply wrong.

My high quality PhD is in Clinical Psychology. I have extensive experiences in a diversity of settings here and abroad.

I suppose I should adjust what I'm talking about to "demonized" which can be either oppression or possession. Many of the symptoms are the same or very similar. And, the treatment is essentially the same or similar.

In one case, a Navy colleague of very slight build instantly threw another very stout Navy colleague and I who were holding each by an arm--threw us easily against the walls as though we were pillows. He also started screaming violently in a small apartment complex late at night.

I quickly discerned [DOH!] the nature of the problem and Holy Spirit rose up within me and commanded him to sit down and shut up and to avoid saying anything unless he was going to repent, confess or say the name of Jesus.

He fell back into the chair as though pushed. He grimaced extensively and appeared to be making every effort to scream but was silent.

We ended up winning that battle but he went back to his satan worshipping group which had initially seduced him into it via yoga. The yoga instructor was the leader of the satanic cult group.

I say again. I'll trust my experiences, teaching, training and perspective over yours . . . very definitely. This is but one of many experiences. I don't care to relate any more such examples to you.

I too have extensively studied the subject and have the mental health training and experiences to complement it.

If you think the demon problem was left in the dust of the Middle Ages, I think you are naive.

Again, I don't see a demon under every comic book or bed. But they are a lot more involved with a lot more people than you seem to think or believe.

Certainly some require some extensive prayer and fasting. Some require a group of prayed up discerning and silled individuals. But IF a child is LED OF HOLY SPIRIT AND WALKING IN HIS WILL AND KNOWS THEIR AUTHORITY IN THE BLOOD OF JESUS, they can deal effectively with demons. That's a significant bunch of qualifications. But I've seen it.

It may just be that you need to adjust your construction on reality.

[Quix]

Actually, there's a lot of documented cases of even demon possesion as well as oppression.

Evidently, not in the literature you read.

[HitmanLV]

Rare. Very rare. Misdiagnosed in most cases. Don't misdiagnose it. People have been hurt or killed that way.

The truth is people with poor training, active imaginations, and a bone to pick take the route that leads to overdiagnosing the phenomenon.

Your continued unwillingess to address most of my points speaks volumes.

'Extensive' experience, huh? Be careful. Don't hurt others. Don't hurt yourself.

The phenomenon is very real. Again, it is very rare. I doubt you ever encountered a genuine one.

[Quix]

I'm aware of the abuses on both sides.

I suggest that you seem to deny the fact that

a TYPE II error is just as [potentially] destructive as a TYPE I error.

I find your affinity/addiction/preference for a TYPE I error to be irrational and/or inexperienced.

I am busy tonight and don't really enjoy 'go-arounds' on this topic. It's not my favorite realm of reality and not my favorite topic. Make what assumptions you will of that.

In any case, the demonic has already escalated the last 5-10 years on the world stage and will be doing more so over the next 5-20--as the Bible indicates, as never before in history.

But I don't expect you to believe that, either.

If and when you encounter the demonic near you, I hope you have someone more skilled, experienced and knowledgeable to help you out.