Alternative Explanations for Reincarnation Evidence with James G. Matlock

James G. Matlock, PhD, an anthropologist, is coauthor (with Erlendur Haraldsson) of I Saw a Light and Came Here: Children’s Experiences of Reincarnation. He is a regular contributor to the online Psi Encyclopedia sponsored by the Society for Psychical Research in London. He has authored dozens of academic papers concerning reincarnation and related areas.

Here he notes that alternative explanations for the reincarnation evidence based on the memories reported by young children have come from both within and without the parapsychological community. Explanations that involve some form of psi include “archetypal synchronistic resonance” and “living agent psi”. Explanations offered by outsiders primarily focus on error and fraud. Matlock urges all critics to pay close attention to the details of the case reports.

New Thinking Allowed host, Jeffrey Mishlove, PhD, is author of The Roots of Consciousness, Psi Development Systems, and The PK Man. Between 1986 and 2002 he hosted and co-produced the original Thinking Allowed public television series. He is the recipient of the only doctoral diploma in “parapsychology” ever awarded by an accredited university (University of California, Berkeley, 1980).

(Recorded on November 12, 2017)

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