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The Original ABC Primetime broadcast on a child's past life

Hi Andrea,


I couldn't see the show here, but Carol told James's story in a lecture when she was in Belgium.
I am really happy to hear that the show was so well done. When you and your family have the courage to come out with this story, it deserves so much appreciation. And its so important for Carols work, and to make more people attentive to their childrens memories.
I hope the Bowmans can put their taped version of the show on the website somehow, I would so much love to see it !

Congratulations to James and all his relatives !:) :) :)


Love,


Eevee
 
DNA testing

Originally posted by jayjonboy
Andrea, I was wondering if you considered checking your son's DNA to the DNA of the flyers family. I know it's a stretch but there is so much about science we still don't know......I would be interested to see if they could find some kind of a link in some way by DNA analysis.... The application of DNA testing is so new, it might be a branch of reserch that could be checked into.


Granted im no expert in this field by any stretch and don't quote me on this BUT I dont think one's soul has a DNA structure in the scientific sense. DNA deals with the cell's structure so it would be a physical thing right ? From my understanding one's soul or spirit is etherial and without actual form or cells in scientific terms anyway.

Im sure there are things that James and his sister from his previous life could talk about that no one else could possibly know but them but what's the point. There will always be skeptics no matter what proof there is.

My feeling is that there is enough there in this instance that to take things any further would be overkill unless James and his family would wish to do so. If it was me, i'd just want things to get back to normal and get on with this life.

He's a little boy ( a very cute one at that) and not a science experiment :)


Love and Light,

Matt
 
>Granted im no expert in this field by any stretch and don't quote >me on this BUT I dont think one's soul has a DNA structure in >the scientific sense. DNA deals with the cell's structure so it >would be a physical thing right ? From my understanding one's >soul or spirit is etherial and without actual form or cells in >scientific terms anyway.

That is exactly right--there is no DNA test for spiritual matter. Experts in the paranormal claim to have sensors which can detect the presence of spiritual energy, but that, to me, seems like something out of "Ghostbusters." And thank you for pointing out that James is not a "scientific experiment." He is neither that nor a freak in a circus sideshow--rather, he is a healthy, happy, and intelligent 6-year-old with a very special gift. But then, I am rather biased, in that I believe each of my nieces and nephews, not to mention my own daughter, are special .
Peace,
Jeff
 
For those of you who were unable to see the piece, here is a link for a transcript on the ABC News site.

It's been a great, busy day here! More later

Andrea
 
James's Mom-

Thank you for sharing your personal experiences on national television. I know it had to be hard for you and your husband to decide to take such a special experience and share it with everyone. I recorded this program and I will be sharing it with a lot of people that I know.

Carol -
I am glad that you were able to be aired on the program as well. I wished they would have expanded this segment out further and gave you more time to talk about the experiences you had with James and some more general information. I read both of your books and I have to say that they both were an eye opener for me and I couldn't put them down until I was finished. Your work is important to people. It raises people's awareness of spirituality and soul journeys. I am disapointed that I missed your Oprah segment from about 10 years ago, and I am unable to find this segment anywhere. (Oprah show doesnt' have shows from that far back to order for video). I hope you continue on with your journey and open more people's eyes in the future. Thank you!
 
Wonderful show

Great show, Andrea and Carol! Congratulations to both of you. I stayed up for this show even though I have to wake up early for work and it was well worth it. I am sure there are many more believers in reincarnation today than there were yesterday. James came across quite naturally as immensely more credible than the skeptical professor.

As for karma, unlike religions, it treats us all equally, just like the guy who stands behind it. Whatever else it is, karma is not about retribution. Two basic truths underlie karma - one, that all our actions engender consequences, and two, that consequences are causally related to our actions. Beliefs matter only to the extent that they influence our actions. My guess is that a skeptic who leads morally upright life will soon be blessed with the knowledge of reincarnation in this or the next life. Karma is fair even to skeptics.
 
Well done

Andrea and Carol,
I think the special was quite even-handed and lent a great deal of credibility to the concept of reincarnation. I do wish that the producers had given more time to Carol's own story and the fundamentals of how to listen for past life info in children, but the special is a watershed moment for mainstream American cable TV. Andrea, special kudos to your husband and yourself for sharing James' story - you must have been so nervous how you would be portrayed- so glad it came off so well!
Liz :cool
 
Jeff,

I just wanted you to know -I am enjoying your posts! :) I appreciate the fact that you are so supportive of Andrea, Bruce and James.
 
Thanks, Deborah

I appreciate your kind words. The truth is that the entire family (Andrea has 2 sisters, plus myself as siblings) stands behind she, Bruce, and James. One brother-in-law is not 100% on board, but what family doesn't have a skeptic. I have chosen to support Andrea, Bruce, and James both in this board (where there is no opposition) and on the ABC News board (quite another matter). I have been quite conflicted over this, given that I am an Episcopal seminarian--rather than just shrug and say "no way," I choose to keep an open mind and see what happens. There are forces in creation we cannot explain; who am I to say that I know how God (or whatever name others have for the supreme diety or spiritual force) works? Too many Christians want to believe they have the only answer, whereas Jesus Himself said "in my father's house are many mansions." Who is to say that the room next to His is that of the Buddha...or one of the cheif Hindu dieties?
Peace,
Jeff
 
I thought the show was great ! What I saw of it . I got interupted during the show . I don't understand how someone could see the piece on James & still be skeptical . Also , I was impressed by the cop in the last piece . For him to be so open minded "on air" was a risk for his credability . He was great . Kathy
 
You're Welcome Jeff,

SunshineandJoy (me) has backed you up a little on the ABC threads.

But word to the wise -forums like that don't go anywhere. That format is awful -trends of thought and posts lost in a sea of confusion. And All types wonder in. I gave up on Skeptic Boards and open places like that years ago. ;)

The nay-sayers are -- most definitely ignorant about the facts -the history and the evidence.
 
Bruce and I are so pleased to see all of this positive feedback. I must say that I was extremely anxious about the way Prime Time would portray our story. In their defense, when they filmed the piece, Chris Cuomo and my son James seemed to really have a connection, and it was obvious that Chris felt our story was quite compelling. I am proud of the piece, and grateful to Clem Taylor, the producer, and the editor (who did an awesome job!) for putting together such a wonderful piece of journalism. Based on our feedback today, many were touched, and a lot of minds were opened to possibilities that were previously not considered. What more could one ask for?

Sadly, James's memories seem to fade with time, which is in some ways a blessing. I look at it like this: James came back with a mission. The sacrifice of his life should not be forgotten. His sister Anne, interviewed in the piece, has been deeply touched and changed by this experience. My husband Bruce is writing a book about the Natoma Bay and making sure that it's glorious contribution to the war in the Pacific is properly recognized. Are these the reason's James returned? Perhaps so. My only hope is that we honor James Huston's memory, and that once the mission is complete, my son, James, will go on to an extraordinary life. I hope God blesses and enriches all of your lives, and I hope that you will all stay open to the wonderful mysteries that life offers us!

Andrea
 
Andrea,

Though it is sad that the memories fade, it is also necessary, so that James' present life can unfold in a healthy way. I suspect it would be extremely difficult for my greatniece to go forward if her memories of being my brother stayed clear! As it is, the one time she slipped and said, "when I was a boy..." she knew she mustn't say anything about that, and immediately clammed up - though it was with a twinkle in her eye. My brother was not ready to stop living, or to stop being a part of his family. He had a difficult time understanding the women in his family (which estranged us, for one thing), so he came back as a woman of his family! It's the best gift he could have ever given us, and I am glad I know he has done it.

As for my own past life memories, those I had most clearly as a child I know I have lost, but there is a kind of sense memory that stays with me, and enough memories have remained - or surfaced over the years - that lets me be certain that this present persona named Sandra is not the only person I have had the privilege to be. They also help me connect with the people who I sense I have known many times before, so I know I am never alone, no matter how tough things may get.

But, on the other hand, the memories that would flesh out why I feel these connections, and bring back all the baggage from those past lives that needs to be left behind, for the most part, stay mercifully closed to me. Just as James' nightmares have faded, so have the ones that I had as a little girl. We begin new lives in order to heal, and in order to thrive.

James is having a wonderful life! And that is exactly what James Huston deserved to have, and wanted. I feel he picked a wonderful family to share that new life with!

Sandra
 
Hello all,

I stayed up late (for me) to watch this show as well. What a wonderful family and tremoundous step to share a little boys life on national TV. Thank you!!!

The piece was remarkable! I was watching it with my husband (who was about James's age too when he began his own WWII plane crash memories) and he was getting teary eyed.

The only downfall - It was too short! LOL *SMILE*

Seriously, skeptics are going to be skeptics until they experience for themselves. However, even if a handful walked away with a more open mind that is good news.

Again, thank you for sharing and thank you ABC for airing the program.

Much love,
Julie
 
I can help with the technical aspects of streaming video from a website. I'm assuming no copyright infringement issues.

Galadriel, I don't know if it will help get my show aired more widely or not. So far it's still only been aired in Denver in Jan. of 2003. (Wisdom TV accepted it and then recently backed out, apparently when they changed hands.) I think each effort reinforces the other, and the entire thing moves forward slowly. I think this Primetime segment was a major leap forward, the culmination of a lot of public education and work behind the scenes. We have gone in the space of a few years from the reincarnationists looking flakey, to the skeptic looking foolish (and more importantly, *illogical*). That's a huge gain.
Steve S.

p.s. FYI regarding DNA comparisons, it's my prediction that there will be no DNA match, and this is because it is the incoming mind which shapes the development of the new body using the "raw materials" of physical genetics at its disposal. We see this clue in the birthmarks Dr. Stevenson studied. There was no hereditary link between the previous personality and the new incarnation, and yet the mind of the incoming person somehow imprinted the mark using the new body's DNA. When I say "mind", I don't mean conscious mind, I mean the deeper subconscious and unconscious mind, the underlying mental impressions from the previous incarnation. I think it will soon be apparent that our understanding of heredity is far too limited, leaving as it does the mind out of the equation.
 
Primetime - My son James and the spirit of James Huston

Hello Folks,

Carol, please do not faint because I am on-line. This journey of discovery that led to my discovery of the compelling set of facts with regard to the past life of my son is still not over.

I was a skeptic as one of the earlier posts indicated. But as the facts unraveled in front of me there was little left to do but change my mind about what I thought was possible.

The revelation of nine pieces of the puzzle by my son when placed in the context of the events could only point to one person James M. Huston, Jr. The details of Huston' life match the details revealed by my son. They are an exact match with - one person out of 297,000 men and women who gave their lives in WWII. Those are long odds.

What is most amazing about all of this has been the reaction of people who saw the program. In the past 2 days two men have called me and have relayed past life ocurrances in their lives. One is a Viet Nam era Naval Aviator who says he has struggled with dreams he has had for years. The second person happens to have been a member of the ship company of Natoma Bay. His son had recurring nightmares that were similar to those of my son, but he and his family were never able to discover anything tangible about the experiences that his son dreamt about.

In both instances these men thanked us for telling the story. One can only say this has been a humbling experience. Our hope is that our story helps many with the mystery of their past life experiences and also boost the faith of those that need some facts in order to believe something.

Reincarnation remains a word that I am still uncomfortable with, not because I am not a believer, but because I do not believe it is a word that is fully adequate to the task of describing this event. These events are an awe inspiring gift that only some people experience and I feel blessed that this has occurred to my family.

Reincarnation is indeed a manifestation of the Promise which God has made to all of us. Believing in it requires a tangible step of faith.

I want to thank Carol for what she has done to help us with our son. All of you are an incredible body of believers.


Bruce
 
Welcome Bruce,

Carol may not faint -but I will. :)

Thank you for your post and for researching the facts regarding your sons memories. Most of us here - are believers because of personal experience. ;) How about the word -Transmigration? ;)
 
Hi Bruce

It is wonderful to see you in here and may I thank you again (personally) for sharing James’ story with the greater audience. The far reaching implications of what James succeeded in creating the other night when his story was aired, will probably never be fully understood by him and your family (or anyone individually) - but symbolically lets just imagine James being the stone that breaks the waters surface and then we can all imagine the ripples that come from that reaction – those ripples are all the positive ways he will have reached and touched so many lives out there and just made others think of the myriad of possiblities that lay out there - ahead and within us.

Just by sharing you have all helped other parents be more aware of what their children are communicating and conveying to them, stuff that is often put down to “fantasy talk” and just ignored. Think of all them children who have been given a voice to share these things and just be listened too…all the fears and soul scars that may be avoided as a result. It is such an immense thing through such a seemingly small act – but it also took a lot of courage to put you and your family out there and for that I cannot commend you all enough :)

I hope you continue sharing in here and keeping us up-to-date on all the things that happen to your family as a whole and as a result of the show airing, like sharing the story of the two phonecalls you have already received. We are all such curious creatures in here ;)
 
Reincarnation and flakiness

Personally, I think some of the flakiness is in the mind (I am not sure which "mind" ;) ) of the believer in reincarnation. When I first came to America, it was to study at the bastion of conservatism, Utah. My graduate student advisor was a big wig in the Mormon church. He knew that I, coming from India, believed in reincarnation. Yet, he never treated me as flakey. We had most rewarding student teacher relationship I can imagine.
When I say "mind", I don't mean conscious mind, I mean the deeper subconscious and unconscious mind, the underlying mental impressions from the previous incarnation.
Such usage of simple words like mind is, in my view, one of the reasons why flakiness is associated with reincarnation. Reincarnation is a fact that has been known for over five thousand years in astonishing depth and we should stop pretending that it is some new fangled knowledge that we have just stumbled on. Without fumbling with pseudo-intellectual jargon such as 'deeper subconscious and unconscious mind', age old wisdom tells us that all karmic residues including mental impressions and intentions are carried over by causal body (kAraNa sharira) of the person and govern the development of the budding subtle and physical bodies of the reincarnating individual.
 
Another great thing about the show: so many new people to welcome! Hello, hello, hello...:D

Steve,

Have you ever thought about showing the show as part of a video film festival to get feedback or build interest? I attended a local video film festival a couple of weeks ago (you and I live in the same area) and it was fascinating; the makers and audience got and gave immediate feedback, and the audience got to see some gems!

I agree with you that the DNA would never match, but that the consciousness (deeper mind) does influence the new body. You can see that in my avatar, the resemblances between Esther Waterhouse and myself; I noticed in the pictures of the two James that there is some resemblance between the two of them. But I am glad that each persona only resembled, and didn't match: I like being taller than Esther! ;)

Sandra
 
Kelly and Deborah,

Transmigtraton is interesting. A simple analogy seems do better for me. Bear with me for a second. This phenomena of reincarnation is like tasting a fine wine. I enjoy people who try to describe the experience of tasting and drinking a fine wine by reducing that experience to words. While the effort to share what it means with others is admirable, the taste and savoring of the wine is a complete experience. It is difficult to reduce this experience to words because the experience is too full of things that stimulate a range of senses and thoughts.

In my response to one man, who was a crew member on Natoma Bay, that sent an e-mail yesterday thanking us for this story I responded:

The event of having the spirit of an Angel manifiest its spirit in my son has been a gift. But there is a Navy of Angels awaiting each of us. When it is our turn to move on to the next level of consciousness to make a great landing on that heavenly deck it will our turn to catch the wire. We will then get our own set of wings.

I like the mystery of all of this, because at some point you must step forward on faith.


Sorry if I have rambled. There are many things racing through my mind at this moment.
 
Kris,

I enjoyed your comments about the flakiness surrounding much of the discussion about the event of Reincarnation. This is one reason why I do not like the word. It conjures up a meaning that depends upon individual understanding of the word or the world in which they live.

As James father I had to step out of that box myself. The compelling nature of experiencing this raised my skeptic meter to a very high level. For those that know me, they are astonished but not surprised. My doggedness about finding answers to questions I have about all things I encounter, in this case, resulted in answers I did not like, because they were contrary to what I belived. As the statements made by my son became verifiable facts that I had no choice.

This event has been enriching and a blessing that it is difficult to reduce to words, much less one word.

Bruce Leininger
 
Sadly, I missed the show, but have been following the threads here on it. You have done a wonderful thing by sharing your story. Had I seen a show like that, I would have been open to the signs my own daughter showed, and instead of brushing her off, thinking it was a child lying, or an active imagination, I could have helped her grow in her abilities.

You are to be commended in taking this huge step.

Mama2HRB
 
Great Story ...

I truly enjoyed the program. I was actually expecting much less from ABC so I was pleasantly surprised. The skeptic was funny though. Like most elitist snobs, I am sure he is convinced that he is smarter than the rest of us. I feel that skepticism is very healthy, because there are alot of con artists out there. But this guy was just closed minded. These people refuse to believe in anything beyond our five senses. From his comments, it sounded like he never even interviewed the family. So how can he even make an educated decision. Pathetic !!!!
 
I love the wine analogy - words can help others understand certain elements of the wine and it's taste, but it will never encompass the essence of the actual taste and what we experience through all our personal senses and self - perfect :)

Also this is exactly why it is so hard to try and explain the concept to other people...you truly have a wonderful way with words Bruce.
 
hello,

wow!! I have not been to these boards in such a long time... last time I was here I was tracking the subject from Mattsgma and her 3 year old grandson!!

I wish I had known about the PrimeTime piece. You can actually watch the video of it on their website but you have to be a paid member of them or real player Superpass... I am not going to pay just to watch that one segment... hopefully in the near future it will be available somewhere for free.



Ameera
 
Prime Time, James

Dear Andrea and Bruce,

I am a physician and the author of "Return of the Revolutionaries: The Case for Reincarnation and Soul Groups Reunited." In my book I summarize independently researched reincarnation cases, such as your son's. I also present a cohort reincarnated from the time of the American Revolution. Nobel Laureate Kary Mullis, neurosurgeon Norm Shealy, and authors Wayne Dyer, Marianne Williamson, Neale Donald Walsch, Caroline Myss, Kevin Ryerson, James Twyman, Uri Geller and Shirley MacLaine have all agreed to be reincarnation cases in my book. I would be happy to send you a copy, if you are interested.

I am speaking at expos around the country and would love to present your son's case as part of my presentations. One of the things that I focus on is how facial features remain consistent from lifetime to lifetime.

I am on the board of the International Association of Regression Research and Therapies (IARRT) and am speaking at the IARRT conference July 1-4, 2004. The conference is designed around cases featured in my book and is entitled, "Spiritual Revolutionaries: Evidence of Reincarnation."

I am also work with Kevin Ryerson, the trance medium made famous by Shirley MacLaine. As mentioned, Shirley is a case in my book and she invited me on stage with her last October, to discuss reincarnation, my book and her case in my book, in front of her audience. Kevin Ryerson, Norm Shealy, MD, and Caroline Myss, all veterans of Oprah and all cases in my book, have agreed to go on Oprah with me to support the reincarnation research. Jeff Keene, Bob Snow, Bill Barnes and Barbro Karlen, the reincarnation of Anne Frank, have also agreed to go on Oprah.

You may review sample cases on my web site, www.johnadams.net. I would love to get in touch with you to collaborate.

Sincerely, Walter Semkiw, MD
walter@johnadams.net
 
Sandra,
Regarding film festivals, I entered four of them when I finished my documentary, and didn't get accepted into any of them. Most of them cost money to enter (Sundance would have cost me about $1,350 to enter by the time I put the show on the format tape they requested, but most are about $35-$50), and I couldn't afford to enter large numbers of them. Now, I think my show is too old (completed 2002), plus it's aired once, so it doesn't fit most of the rules. The reasons such a film gets rejected by film festivals parallel the reasons it gets rejected for broadcast. I've identified perhaps 6-7 documentaries that have been produced on this subject, and there probably have been others, and to my knowledge none of the independently-produced ones (i.e., the ones without a skeptic every 10 minutes) aired--in this country, the US. In Europe it's a different story. That's why this Primetime segment is such a monumental breakthrough.
Steve S.
 
Past lives is no surprise!

I am always amazed that so many people do not believe in past lives. The only one I believe that I remember is my previous one to this one and it was a World War II memory and was revealed one time when I was hypnotized. I was a young man who worked with horses in the West - Wyoming or Montana and in the war I was killed while on a horse during some kind of battle. I was really mystified by this because I didn't know that there were any mounted soldiers during World War II. In fact I didn't know much at all about WW II, but I found out later that yes indeed there were mounted soldiers in Europe (I believe) in WW II. All I remember is that one moment I was there and then it was black and I was gone. Thank you for being on this forum and sharing your story
 
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