My daughter Lottie's memories

I am new to the forum - hi everyone!

My daughter, Lottie, began telling me about her memories when she was two. I have always kept a diary and so have recorded everything she said to me, with as many direct quotes from her as possible. What she said fascinated me. I had never even thought about reincarnation but she has certainly made me think twice. It has only just occured to me that other people may be interested in what she has said! I don't know how much detail to go into at this point so I shall just sum-up what she said, and I will be happy to go into greater detail and direct quotes, if anyone is interested.

It all began when she was 2. We were out walking together when she surprised me by telling me that it was "Seventeen eighty seven". I had know idea how she knew what a year was, or how to say one!

A few weeks later while on the bus I told her that she looked like a little lamb in her fury white hat, and she started talking about taking all the fur off a lamb, and brushing the hair to get all the dust out of it, which she added was "very important". When I questioned her about this she went all quiet, looked uncomfortable and changed the subject, only answering quietly, "I don't know" to any further questions.

A while later, at home, she told me that her name used to be "Daisy". (I am using the modern spelling of the name as I have no idea what the spelling might have been if she was still talking about 1787. There seem to be many variations - does anyone know?) . Not long after this she said her name was "Robinson" - that she used to be "Daisy Robinson". (She didn't know anyone with either of those names).

Another time when we were out for a walk she suddenly told me she had once had wheels on her feet and had fallen over. When she saw a boy on a skateboard she became excited and told me that that had been what she had been on when she fell over! I told her she had never been on a skateboard before, but she insisted that she had, and that it was when "mummy and daddy and Evie weren't there" - Evie is her sister. She then told me she got married. I thought this mention of skateboards was strange, as they had obviously not been invented in 1787! When we got home I asked her about sheep shearing and she told me she used to make "blankets". She said she had animals other than sheep too. I asked her if she had been a boy or a girl. She replied, "A girl". Then she looked confused and seemed to change her mind and said, "A boy". Then she tried to make things clearer by saying, "When I got MARRIED I was a boy".
It was then I started to realise that Lottie may be talking about more than one past life!
Over the next few weeks she told us she used to be boy who lived in Germany, spoke German, and got married in France. She recalls being on a skateboard and falling off, and also seeing areoplanes and an airport. She told me her name was "Franz" (she didn't know anyone with this name, although I will tell you that we were around German-speakers in Switzerland at the time). I asked her for a surname, and a few days later she came over and quietly said "Hanzug" (I am guessing at the spelling). She never confirmed "Hanzug" was a surname, or Franz's surname, only that it was important and she didn't know why.

I think the thing that got me most though was that one day, Lottie approached me in the kitchen and said, "All the air came out of here". I didn't know what she was talking about so I said, "Out of where?". Lottie pointed to the middle of her body and said, "Here. And I died. But I don't like talking about it". She looked sad and wondered away. That shook me up as I had no idea that Lottie knew anything about death, or that people die! She mentioned it once more after that, saying that she was 30 years old when she died, and that the cause of death was not eating anything.

Lottie also mentioned that Daisy Robinson's mother's name was "Kitty". This is quite an old fashioned name, and one I am sure she had never heard (other than maybe in relation to cats). This was one of the last things she said.

Is it usual that children be reluctant to talk about their past lives, and to dislike direct questions? She often answered 'Nothing' to questions we asked her, which is a very strange answer for her. She would give information freely on her own terms, and she took it very seriously, not like when she was pretending. Also, she would sometimes take a few days to get back to me on the answer to a question, something I found to be quiet amazing as she had obviously been mulling it over in her mind for days!

She said a few other things too. I was truely amazed by all this, and still am. We were very careful not to doubt her, and never made out she was lying. We just showed gentle interest, gentle encouragement, and respected her when she didn't want to talk about it. She hasn't mentioned it for a long time now, and actually doesn't even remember saying any of this! She is 4 now and when I tell her about what she used to say she listens with interest, but admits that she doesn't remember anything about it. She is a very happy, well adjusted child.

Sorry about the long post - just realised!

 

Hello Jennywren and welcome.


Wow, it sounds like Lottie has had some very detailed recollections. Keeping a diary was a wonderful thing to do. It does sound like she was remembering more than one lifetime. And it sounds like she was sharing things with you as they came to her. The answers to what you were asking her may not have been known to her in that moment. It is amazing that she had the presence of mind to hold on to the question and come back with an answer later.


It's not suprising that she doesn't remember anything now. It seems that the younger children are, the closer the memories are to the surface. They tend to outgrow them as the old past life memories are covered up by new current life memories.


The most important life is our current one, and it sounds like Lottie is an impressive young girl. She is very blessed to have an open-minded mom who lets her be her.


Thank you for sharing. :thumbsup:

 

Hi Jennywren, and welcome to the Forum!


It is clear that she remembered a great deal of good information, and you had great foresight to write everything down. That will be a priceless treasure for both of you.


It's hard to say which memory goes with which; but, I can tell you that her knowledge of the "sheep-to-blanket" process is right on. During the spring shearing, the wool was then spun by women without washing the fleece. This helped to maintain their resistance to water. So, they had to shake it and pull the most desired part of the fleece for carding. After being spun the wool would be returned to the owner of the sheep, or would go directly to the weaver. Up until about a hundred years ago, weavers were usually men, because they had to belong to a guild, which actively discriminated. That could have been what caused her some confusion, because she may have suddenly realized that she wasn't a girl at that time.


Regarding names, they were most often written down phonetically until dictionaries became widely available during the early 19th Century preceding the industrial revolution. This makes genealogical research very difficult, because the name could be spelled in many different ways depending on the pronunciation in various regions. A rare name like Henry Parkhurst, for example, could end up being Harry Parkis as they would have pronounced it in New Jersey, USA. The name, Franz Hanzug, is, as you may know, is a real German name, which unfortunately belongs to hundreds of people in Europe, but is not often heard in the United States, except for Texas; probably because it might have become anglicized. Beginning with the First World War, many German families around the world changed their names, which makes tracing them even harder. Daisy Robinson, however, might be a little easier; although that family name is quite prevalent in English speaking countries.


If you have any additional information, you might be able to fill in some of the gaps over time; and I sincerely congratulate you for having as much as you've described. The fact that you wrote down her physical and emotional reactions, as well as whatever she said, has provided more information than is usually available. At four years old she might still remember some small thing that could be the Rosetta Stone that enables you to place it all in the proper context. So, keep referring back to this Forum, and read whatever you can find in the resources offered here.


-Nightrain

 

Welcome, Jennywren, and thanks for sharing about Lottie!


She has had very detailed memories, and I think you've reacted perfectly to them. :thumbsup: You've described very common signs of children sharing past life memories. They are often confused or even disturbed by the memories, as it can be difficult to understand that something that they remember so clearly isn't "true" now. Also, memories, such as dying, can be difficult to deal with.


Many children are not comfortable with answering questions about their memories, but will blurt out something every once in a while spontaneously. Some parents have found out the best times to discuss the memories are, for example, the bedtime or when they are given a bath, when they are relaxed and calm.


It's great that you wrote everything down, never told her she was lying, and didn't push her to tell more about her memories. I'm sure Lottie will treasure your notes when she grows up, and they might also help her understand something about her and her life one day.


Karoliina

 

Hi everyone, and thanks for all your replies! I really want to read Carol Bowman's books but am having trouble finding a bookshop big enough to stock books on such a specialised subject. I think I will have to order them on-line. I am glad people think I handled the situation well, as I really didn't have a clue! She seemed to want to talk about it, but without feeling like it was an interogation, so I just went with what she wanted.


She IS a very special little girl. She is very bright, hit all her milestones early, and I believe she may be showing classic signs of a child with a high IQ, or 'gifted'. I have really been enjoying reading the other accounts on here of children's past lives. I really didn't realise how common it was! I have noticed that many of the children described on here sound 'gifted'. There are many different character traits of gifted children but a few of them can include nightmares, trouble sleeping, intense fears, excellent memories, vivid visualization, enjoying expressing themselves through art, and being more mature than is usual for their age. A lot of children on here sound like this! Does anyone think there may be a connection between being gifted and remembering past lives?!


I have a few more points to add about Lottie, although I don't have much time now as the girls really want to get ready and go out for the day (they are a busy pair). I will just quickly ask this though:


As a baby, Lottie would act strangely when you showed her her own reflection. Either her bottom jaw would drop down in shock and she would look completely surprised at her own face, or she would burst into tears and turn away, hiding her face in her hands or your shoulder. When I recently reminded my husband of this he said, "Maybe she didn't like her new face?". This gave me the creeps! Does anyone else have any experience of a baby reacting so strangely to their own reflection? She LOVED other faces, of adults and babies alike, it was only her own reflection that prompted such a negative reaction. It happened dozens of times, over months, and yet there are plenty of psychologists out there who claim that children do not know it is their own reflection until they are two years old! She knew. Did anyone else get this?


Thanks once again and will write soon!

 

It's a good idea to order Carol's books online. :thumbsup:


I haven't seen any reasearch on this, but based on the stories on this forum it seems possible that children, who talk about their past life memories, have somewhat advanced skills and thinking patterns for their age. All I can say from my own experience is that my children seem completely "normal", ie. not "gifted", and my first-born, a 3-year-old girl hasn't been talking about past lives at all. I think I of all people would notice.


I believe most children will learn it's their own reflection in the mirror in their first year, but I think Lottie's reaction sounds a bit unusual. Both my children have been so excited to see themselves in the mirror as babies. Maybe Lottie really was shocked to see something she wasn't expecting, if she hadn't truly realised she had been born to a new body.


Karoliina

 

Hi everyone,


Thanks for your replies and interest. I am really enjoying your forum. I thought I would add something else Lottie told me, which I found very interesting.


When Lottie woke up from a nap she started talking about the date 1787 again. As she had willingly brought the subject up herself I decided to ask her a question, but a light-hearted one (she had been sad when speaking about her death previously), so I asked her if she knew any songs or music back then. She immediately said, "London Bridge is Falling Down". My first thought was that this song was from a later date, maybe the 1800's, so I thought that couldn't be true. However, when I researched into the history of this song I found that the earliest written version dates from around 1744! Lottie has always loved this nursery rhyme, and I now get the strong impression that it is because this song is familiar to her from a past life!


I have only recently become aware (thanks to your forum) of how children can be affected by a past life, and how old traits and habbits can show through. I wonder if anyone here thinks the following is significant?


Lottie said that when she died she died because she "didn't eat anything". Ever since she has started eating Lottie has had a big appetite and a love of food. As a newborn she would breastfeed hungrily for anything up to an hour at a time, and showed a very keen interest in solids before she was 4 months old. As a toddler she got easily distressed, verging on panic, if you told her that we had forgotten to bring a snack with us when we were out. "I'm hungry", or, "Can I have something to eat?" were almost every second sentence out of her mouth throughout the day. She always ate a huge amount, an example of one breakfast when she was two years old was toast, cereal, yoghurt, a banana and an apple. Everyone I knew said it was unusual for a young child to eat this amount at one sitting. I wonder now if it is due to a lack of food in a previous existence? (She is not overweight, by the way, she is very lean and healthy).


Also, when she spoke about being married in a past life, she sometimes, even now, bursts into tears and says "I've got no-one to marry!". I wonder if this is just a normal toddler phase, or if she is really actually sad and feels alone in this life. I try to reassure her and tell her she will meet someone in the future, and this seems to help a little. Does anyone have any advice?


Thanks again. It's so nice to be able to tell all this to someone!

 

It could have been a famine where she didn't have anything to eat.. They were common in the west too, until communications were improved in the late 19:th century. I found this mention of a famine in north america when googling famine 1787: http://museum.gov.ns.ca/blackloyalists/17751800/events1775/famine.htm

 

Hi ChrisR,


She doesn't eat quite as much as she use to, although she still has a very good appetite and maintains an intense interest in food. She will still often cry if you withhold food from her. She currently requests three courses at breakfast every day! She still gets what I would consider 'over dramatic' if she asks for more food and you tell her it is all gone. I told her today, as you suggested, that there will always be plenty of food for her to eat, and she simply nodded. I think deep down she knows that, although she does ask for food or say she is hungry very absent-mindedly. When I ask her "Are you ACTUALLY hungry?" she sometimes thinks about it and says "no". She just says it automatically, like it's a habbit.


We never did find out the circumstances surrounding "I died because I didn't eat anything". It could have been self-inflicted, illness, environmental, or other reasons, but we really don't know.


I don't think she ever will mention any of this again as she really seems not to remember anything about it now. Do you think it's ok for me to tell her her memories, or do children forget for a reason? Should I let her forget?

 

Thanks for this information, Indian. Very interesting, especially considering the very specific date. She never told us what country she was in when she died unfortunately, so any conclusions we could draw would be purely guesswork. That is why I have all but given up trying to track down a historical person who actually existed. Where to start?! I'm sure there have been plenty of little boys called Franz on skateboards in Germany, and there are definately many Daisy Robinsons' throughout history, but I couldn't begin to try and find out which one based on such tiny snippets of information. It's so frustrating!


Thanks for researching for me though! It's great to find so many people here that have a keen interest in the subject.

 

Thanks ChrisR, I really don't know why I feel like I should bring the subject up with her. Maybe I feel like it is too important to forget, although she seems to have forgotten anyway! She seems interested in the subject, even at age four, and sometimes likes to discuss it as a concept. Despite not being able to recall her own actual memories she is interested in hearing what she has said in the past. I don't know what she thinks or feels about reincarnation. To be completely honest, I don't even know what I think about it! I never had any previous interest in reincarnation, and hadn't considered it 'real'. Now, faced with memories from my own child, I have been forced to consider it. I don't know what to think. I am kind of stuck in a no man's land between not completely believing in reincarnation, but at the same time thinking my daughter (and other children) are telling the truth. It is a strange and contradictory position to be in. I totally believe that unless we can proove that reincarnation is not real, we must treat children's memories of their past lives as seriously as if they were proven fact. It would be grossly unfair to thousands of children to write off their memories as fiction if we do not really know for sure that it is. I am far too open minded for that. It is definately worthy of further research. I have been reading of Dr Ian Stevenson's travels and experience and it is extremely fascinating. I intend to read into it as much as I can. And needless to say I am all ears and all notebooks and all pencils for if and when my second daughter mentions anything!

 

VERY interesting. Your little girl sounds very self aware. Maybe as the years go on, she'll find some way to tell you more. GOOD FOR YOU!

 

Most amazing conversation of my life


Oh my goodness. I have just had a conversation with Lottie that just blew me away and I HAVE to share it on here right now.


As Lottie has told me several times that she has forgotten about her past lives, I had given up all hope of hearing anything more about the subject. However, I wasn't prepared for what just took place. I grabbed a pen and paper and scribbled down (with shakey hands) the converastion as it was happening.


I had been talking about Misty, my pet dog who lived with my mum and dad, and who has recently died. Here is the converation I had with Lottie:


Lot: Misty is dead. I wonder if she is going to come back as another dog?


Me: I don't know. Do you think she will?


Lot: Yes. Because I had past lives.


Me: So do you think that she is another dog now?


Lot: No, not yet.


Me: Why not yet?


Lot: When did she die?


Me: A few weeks ago.


Lot: She won't be a new doggy yet I don't think.


Me: Why not?


Lot: Because you spend a bit of time dead first, like a few weeks or a few months or something.


Me: Oh. How do you know?


Lot: I don't know. I just do.


Me: Oh. Did that happen to you?


Lot: Yes.


Me: Where were you after you died?


Lot: I didn't exist.


Me: But your memories must have survived for you to remember your past lives now?


Lot: Hmmm... I find it hard to describe.


Me: Can you try?


Lot: I went into thin air.


Me: How do you know you did that?


Lot: Because my memories that were lost somewhere remembered it. I just drifted up into thin air at night when nobody was out.


Me: And then what happened?


Lot: I went up into the sky, breaked yourself up into bits of dust.


Me: What happened to the dust?


Lot: It floated all over the place, and after one month I came back to Lottie.


Me: What did it feel like when you broke up into dust?


Lot: I don't know. I was lying still because I was dead.


Me: But you must have been aware of breaking up into dust?


Lot: What does 'aware' mean?


Me: That you noticed it.


Lot: Yes I did, but I didn't really feel it.


Me: Oh. Who were you before you were Lottie?


Lot: I've beed [been] so many people in the past that I can't remember them all, and I can't remember the person I was when I broke up into dust and then was Lottie.


Me: ...What did it feel like to die?


Lot: Nothing.


Me: Wasn't it scary? I think I would be afraid.


Lot: No, it wasn't scary.


Me: Did you see any other people when you were dead?


Lot: When I was dust other people made friends with me.


Me: What did the other people look like?


Lot: Dust aswell.


Me: And what did you do while you were dead?


Lot: I was getting ready to be Lottie.


Me: What did you have to do to be ready to be Lottie?


Lot: Change.


Me: What did you have to change?


Lot: My life.


Me: ... Lottie, do you feel like this is new information, or have you always known it?


Lot: I've always known it. No. It's new information... I don't know. It's really, really hard to describe.


Me: Are you scared of dying now?


Lot: No, I'm not scared. It does make me sad though because I like being on the Earth.


Me: Did you always go to the same place when you were dead?


Lot: Yes. I mean no. I'm not sure. I just liked being home.


Me: Where's home?


Lot: In Australia. [This is where we currently live]. I did have a home when I was dead, but I prefer being on the Earth. At home.


She then skipped off into the kitchen and asked if we could make some cakes now.


I was completely stunned. I was shaking slightly, and could actually feel adrenaline in my body. My arms and hands felt really weak too and I had butterflies in my tummy. I made cakes with her, but I can tell you, my mind wasn't on cake making!


I couldn't get over how serious she had been while talking to me. She is usually such a cheeky little thing, and if she is joking with you you can see it in her eyes, and the way she grins. But this time I looked straight into her eyes and there was not a trace of joking there at all. I kept waiting for her to break into a cheeky smile and let me know she was winding me up, but it never happened. She just looked right back at me and had such a serious look in her eyes that it made me feel uncomfortable. I am just stunned. It's late, and I should go to bed, but I had to share this right now. I don't think I am going to be able to sleep tonight anyway...

 

Thank you very much for sharing. :clapping: