November 18, 2024 | Sarah Ng

6 Bizarre Cases Of Reincarnation From History


Do You Believe in Reincarnation?

Reincarnation can be a rather controversial topic. But whether you're a believer or not, these alleged bizarre cases of reincarnation might send a chill down your spine.

Reincarnation-Msn

Dorothy Eady

The first case of reincarnation we'll be diving into is Dorothy Eady's. Born in 1904, Eady suffered a terrible accident when she was only three years old. 

Dorothy Eady also known as Omm Sety or Om SetiNational Geographic, Egypt: Quest for Eternity (1982)

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Dorothy Eady: She "Died"

Eady fell down a flight of stairs and was pronounced dead. However, this tragedy was short-lived. Just one hour later, her parents made a shocking discovery. They found Eady her in her room, playing as if nothing had happened. However, there was something strange about their little girl.

Dorothy Eady also known as Omm Sety or Om SetiNational Geographic, Egypt: Quest for Eternity (1982)

Dorothy Eady: Her Accent Was Different

Allegedly, Eady's speech pattern and accent had changed—and according to multiple accounts, she kept repeating that she wanted to "go home." But that was only the beginning.

egyptian templeNational Geographic, Egypt: Quest for Eternity (1982)

Dorothy Eady: She Had A Connection To Egypt

According to The New York Times, the following year, Eady and her family paid a visit to the British Museum in London. However, Eady's behavior was bizarre. When she saw the Egyptian statues, she bestowed kisses upon their feet. And that wasn't all.

egyptian templeNational Geographic, Egypt: Quest for Eternity (1982)

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Dorothy Eady: She Knew Something Wasn't Right

Eady's reaction was jaw-dropping when she set eyes on an image of the Temple of Seti I in Abydos, Egypt. Distressed, she cried out, "Where are the trees? Where are the gardens?" Keep in mind, this temple had been constructed in 13th-century BCE. It gets weirder.

Temple of Seti I, Abydos, EgyptRoland Unger, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Dorothy Eady: She Returned Home

In 1931, Dorothy Eady married an Egyptian man and moved to Egypt. When she touched down in her new country, she reportedly kissed the ground; she felt as though she'd finally returned home. But who was Eady, really?

Temple of Seti I in AbydosOlaf Tausch, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Dorothy Eady: She Was A Reincarnated Priestess

According to Eady, she was a reincarnation of an Egyptian priestess name Bentreshyt—and Bentreshyt had a disturbing story. Bentreshyt was only 12 when she became a "consecrated virgin of Isis." However, her life took a dark turn when she became the lover of Pharaoh Seti I. She became pregnant with his child. 

To escape the ensuing scandal and trial, Bentreshyt took her own life.

Ancient egyptian stone carving of a priestess presenting wheat crop harvest to the godsBasPhoto, Shutterstock

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Dorothy Eady: She Had No Training

Even non-believers will have a hard time disputing Dorothy Eady's unnerving story. It seems as though she truly was Bentreshyt. For instance, though she had no formal training, Eady became a translator for the Egypt Exploration Society. And the proof didn't end there.

pharaoh Seti IKeith Schengili-Roberts, CC BY-SA 2.5, Wikimedia Commons

Dorothy Eady: She Passed An Impossible Test

The Antiquities Department's chief inspector was undoubtedly suspicious of Dorothy Eady's claims. He put her to the test, challenging her to find the Temple of Seti's wall paintings. This was, in theory, an impossible task as the general public had never been notified of the location.

Shockingly, Dorothy Eady was able to find every painting. Not only that, but she also located the gardens.

Dorothy Eady also known as Omm Sety or Om SetiNational Geographic, Egypt: Quest for Eternity (1982)

James Leininger

The story of James Leininger might be one of the more famous reincarnation cases. Leininger was a four-year-old boy from Louisiana who claimed to be the reincarnation was of WWII pilot.

WWII pilotThe U.S. National Archives, Picryl

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James Leininger: He Had Horrifying Nightmares

When Leininger was only two, his parents made a chilling observation. He'd experience terrifying nightmares where he'd wake crying, "Airplane crash! Plane on fire! Little man can't get out!" But that wasn't the only clue.

reincarnationBLACKDAY, Shutterstock

James Leininger: He Was An Expert

You see, Leininger had unexplainable knowledge about WWII aircraft. When his mother called a part of his toy plane a bomb, the toddler corrected her, pointing out that it was actually a drop tank. He was correct.

Happy kid playing with toy wooden airplaneSunny studio, Shutterstock

James Leininger: His Knowledge Was Shocking

On another occasion, Leininger corrected a documentary narrator who referred to a Japanese plan as a Zero. He believed that the plane was a Tony. Again, he was correct.

Child boy toddler playing with toy airplaneOksana Kuzmina, Shutterstock

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James Leininger: He Was A Different James

According to James Leininger, in his past life, his name had also been James. He also claimed that he'd flown his plane off a ship called Natoma

USS Natoma BayNaval History and Heritage Command, Picryl

James Leininger: They Traced His Memories

Turns out, there was indeed a WWII aircraft carrier that matched Leininger's description, it was named the USS Natoma Bay. But that wasn't even the most shocking part. A man named James Huston had been a pilot in one of the ship's squadrons. Huston had lost his life in action.

Uss Natoma BayNaval History & Heritage Command, Wikimedia Commons

James Leininger: The Skeptics Blamed His Parents

Some naysayers argued that Leininger's parents were responsible for his uncanny memories of WWII. In response, Leininger's father said, “I was the original skeptic, but the information James gave us was so striking and unusual. If someone wants to look at the facts and challenge them, they’re welcome to examine everything we have."

D-Day - The Normandy InvasionExpert Infantry, Flickr

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Uttara Huddar

Born in 1941, Uttara Huddar hailed from an affluent family. She came from Nagpur, a city in India. By the time she reached the age of 30, Uttara was still single, had two master's degrees, and spoke Marathi. This was when she started vocalizing a strange desire: She wanted to discover "a place where she thought she belonged."

young Indian woman in  yellow and red coloured sareemanoj_kulkarni, Shutterstock

Uttara Huddar: She Had An Alternate Personality

It wasn't long before Uttara's alternate personality began to rear its head—and its name was Sharada. The details of this personality were astounding. Reportedly, Sharada spoke a completely different language that Uttara couldn't understand—a dialect of Bengali that was 150 years old.

ReincarnationLaineN, Shutterstock

Uttara Huddar: She Had Unexplainable Knowledge

Uttara's alternate personality Sharada knew things that were simply unexplainable. Sharada didn't have any knowledge of modern technology, but she did know everything to do with Bengali traditions. She was familiar with Bengali fashion, cuisine, geography, and practices. But this was only the tip of the iceberg.

reincarnationBrahma Kumaris, Flickr

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Uttara Huddar: She Remembered Her Tragic End

Uttara's alternate personality also had distinct memories. Most notably, she remembered how she lost her life: a cobra had bitten her toe. Even wilder? When Uttara's mother was pregnant with her, she had strange dreams of a cobra biting her toe.

cobraAnil Sharma, Pexels

Uttara Huddar: She Listed Off Their Names

Perhaps the most unsettling detail about Uttara Huddar's story is when she was able to correctly name people from Sharada's genealogical tree.

genealogical treeNew Africa, Shutterstock

Ryan Hammond

A recent case of reincarnation would be that of Ryan Hammond. In 2015, Hammond was just 10 years old. However, he made headlines when he claimed to be the reincarnation of Marty Martyn—a Hollywood actor who passed in 1964.

reincarnation conceptmarekuliasz, Shutterstock

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Ryan Hammond: He Felt Homesick

Similar to some other reincarnation stories, the young boy expressed a deep desire to go "home." Hammond would tell his mother, "Mommy, I'm so homesick."

Sad boyСаша Лазарев, Pexels

Ryan Hammond: He Was Like An Old Man

Ryan Hammond's mother Cyndi described him in a chilling way, saying he was "like a little old man who couldn't remember all the details of his life. He was so frustrated and sad." However, the craziest part of all was when Cyndi brought home some books about Old Hollywood from the library.

sad boy in blueTrinity Kubassek, Pexels

Ryan Hammond: He Found A Picture Of Himself

While going through these books with his mother, Hammond suddenly yelled out, "Mama, that guy's me! The old me!" He pointed to an actor from 1932's Night After Night—Marty Martyn.

assorted old photos placed on a tableSuzy Hazelwood, Pexels

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Ryan Hammond: His Mother Believed Him

It seems as though Cyndi had no doubts when it came to her son's wild claims: “I was shocked. I never thought that we’d find the person he thought he was. Ryan had talked about his other life and been so unhappy, and now we had something to go on.”

reincarnationpogonici, Shutterstock

Ryan Hammond: He Knew Things

Now, it might be difficult to believe Ryan Hammond's claims of being the Hollywood star Marty Martyn—but he did know certain things about the actor that weren't common knowledge.

man in vintage suitfran_kie, Shutterstock

Ryan Hammond: He Knew Intimate Details About Marty Martyn's Life

For instance, Hammond knew that Martyn had purchased his six-year-old a dog that she didn't appreciate. He also knew that the actor had a Black maid and never allowed anyone to take his green car for a spin. Apparently, there was a list of 47 details that Hammond got right.

Vintage Car On Capitol HillAgnosticPreachersKid, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

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Ryan Hammond: He Even Knew His Previous Address

Hammond even made a shocking statement about his previous address. He said that he lived somewhere with a "rock" in it. Where did Marty Martyn once live? 825 N. Roxbury.

Roxbury Beverly HillsAlan Light, Flickr

Sonam Wangdu

Sonam Wangdu was born in 1991 in Seattle. At the age of two, he came to the stunning realization that he was a reincarnation of the Tibetan lama, Dezhung Rinpoche I. But there were clues pointing to this destiny from before his birth.

tibetan lama boyAkeTang Photo, Shutterstock

Sonam Wangdu: Destined To Be The Next Reincarnation

Reportedly, Wangdu's mother had had visions, as well as her lama—but that wasn't all. The third reincarnation of Deazhung Rinpoche stated, "I will be reborn in Seattle." All signs pointed to Wangdu as the next reincarnation.

Seattle Skylines at night with light reflectionTrong Nguyen, Shutterstock

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Sonam Wangdu: He Left His Family Behind

In 1996, Wangdu—now called Trulku-la, meaning "reincarnation"—began a brand new life. He said goodbye to his family and journeyed to Kathmandu, Nepal to be raised by monks. He spent his days studying Tibetan Buddhism, and when he grew up, he became the head of the monastery.

Tulku Dezhung Rinpoche IV in 1999Wonderlane Wonderlane, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Vladimir Levinski

Born in the 1930s, Vladimir Levinski had an unbelievable talent. He was so good at the piano that he taught himself to become a concert pianist. He didn't need any lessons, confessing, "I have no time for them, I have a technique of my own."

Vladimir Levinski pianoPicture Post, Getty Images

Vladimir Levinski: He Believed He Was A Famous Composer

Levinski's remarkable gift led him to believe that he was actually a reincarntion of the famed pianist, Franz Lizst. But based on the evidence, it's likely that Levinski's claims were rooted in a deep obsession.

Franz Liszt (1811-1886)Franz Hanfstaengl, Wikimedia Commons

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Vladimir Levinski: His Obsession Caused Disruptions

During one of his concerts on January 23, 1952, Levinski ruffled his audience's feathers. He paused his music to speak about Franz Lizst. Seemingly out of touch, Levinski called the performance a "tremendous success" despite the discontent of the concert goers.

Vladimir LevinskiPicture Post, Getty Images


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