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TLC children's past lives documentary

fiziwig

moderator emeritus
On the whole I think the documentary last night on The Learning Channel was pretty good.

I have only one minor bone to pick. After they interviewed the psychologist who "proved" that children can make up stories, and that seomtimes the details of those stories check out with real people who had died, they neglected to mention two very important details.

1. When children make up stories even an hour later they will make up a different story, but when children claim past life memories they tell the same story year after year. That's an important qualitatiive difference that wasn't mentioned.

2. In the case of the little girl who "made up" the story about a past life that checked out in amazing detail with a real person who had died he said that since they knew that this wasn't a real past life memory it proved that details could match by conincidence. But how exactly did they "know" that this story was not a real past life memory? What proof can they offer? What he should have done was invite the same children back a year later and ask them to make up another past life story. Then what if some of the children "made up" the same story they had made up a year before? And what if those stories were the very ones where the details did check out? Then what?
 
I was thinking the same thing.

I would have loved to have heard some of the other stories those children came up with.

Also, didn't the researcher say that they chose that one to follow up because it was the most detailed? I'm going to have to watch it again without distractions.
 
I totally agree Fitziwig

Long time no see everyone!

I watched that show last night with my daughter Shianne, who has spoken about her own past lives since she was 2.

I thought it was a good report, and I also noted the points you made about the Psychologist interview, but there was something that was bothering me about the whole thing as I was watching it and I couldn't quite figure it out. That is, until my daughter said, "Mommy, I don't like that scary music!"

That was it! Why do they always do that? Take a subject that is not the least bit frightening, and add that scary music to make it so? Uh, it's annoying! :mad:

Anyway, That's my 2 cents! :D

Tammy
 
:(:( Deborah pouts

My hotel didn't get the channel -- so I missed it. It sounds like they made it another "goofy" attempt at reincarnation. The music -I can hear it -even though I didn't see it - same old same old. I hope it was a little bit good.

fiziwig - your bone is a BIG bone -they miss the scientific follow through and then blame it on the concept, not themselves. The research and presentation is only as good as the people presenting or researching.

Steve -have you thought of contacting Jim Tucker or the channel that did the show and doing a follow-up?
 
After reading Deborah's post it occured to me that we've pointed out the flaws but haven't thoroughly commented on the other parts of the show, and it's overall affect.

The final example of the boy with the heart trouble that remembers being his grandfather the policeman was very interesting, and I think made a strong case. I don't know the odds, but I'm thinking the odds of that happening by random chance are pretty small. It made a certain doubter in my family really reconsider his views on soul and reincarnation. The first two cases were good as well.

The other thing that seemed to influence the family doubter was that Jim Tucker came across as an objective researcher, where his opposition came across as a biased researcher whose research on children's stories actually seemed to reinforce Tucker's point rather than undermine it. In other words Jim Tucker is said to be gathering information on a phenomena that could be reincarnation, but his opposition is stating it can't be reincarnation by documenting the same phenomena in a less thorough manner.
 
Very good points Chelle.......

Yes, you are right. We were focusing in on the negatives. I mentioned that I thought the show was good, but I didn't mention why.

Your points are very true and probably the only thing that made the show worht watching! Thank you for bringing them up! :)

Tammy
 
Thanks

For presenting what you did like about it. Helps me put it into perspective. :):)
 
Chelle,

I've seen a lot of documentaries on "paranormal" subjects and the one thing that always strikes me is that the serious researchers in these fields are always very open to alternatives and present their facts in a very "humble" sort of way.

On the other hand, the skeptics interviewed on these shows always come across with a kind of self-assured arrogance and the implied attitude that they are not only the sole guardians of truth, but that if anyone disagrees with them we should ridicule them for their foolishness, or at the very least, pity them for being misguided.

As is always the case, those who try to look wise by claiming certainty are the ones who always look like fools.

The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts. -Bertrand Russell
 
Tamera...

Just wanted to say I know what u mean about how tv shows use that scary music. Most tv shows talking about spiritual type topic, do that. Take Sci Fi show "Sightings", they use scary music, when talking about spirits, or aliens, or whatever. I don't think they should do that, it's like their trying to influence our thought of the spiritual side as frightening.

As far as this Reincarnation film on TLC, I missed it. I wanted to see it, but forgot about it. They'll probably repeat it sometime in the future. TLC and Discovery channel do repeat same shows multiple times.
 
It sounds like the same person. Hmmmm. I wonder...

I agree. They could have cut down a bit on the fluff and presented a few more cases than they did.
 
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