Around these parts, we have a tradition to do a paranormal episode at Halloween. We’ve done psychic powers, ghosts, and now… reincarnation. What are we to make of the stories—sometimes told in NYT-bestselling books—of children who appear to remember details of their past lives? What about the many peer-reviewed scientific papers that claim that something supernatural is going on here? In this EXTRA-SPOOKY episode, we find out.
🎃 Happy Halloween! 🎃
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Show notes
The University of Virginia’s Department of Perceptual Studies
And the University of Edinburgh’s Koestler Parapsychology Unit
Jim Tucker, child psychologist and reincarnation researcher
Tucker’s 2025 paper on the >2,500 reported cases of reincarnation
2024 review of cases on the “reincarnation birthmark” issue
Michael Sudduth’s 94-page debunking of the James Leininger case
Response from Jim Tucker on Leininger
Reply from Sudduth
Sudduth’s blog post on the same issue
Steven Novella on memory, children’s learning, and supposed reincarnation
Credits
The Science Fictions podcast is produced by Julian Mayers at Yada Yada Productions.
