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Dr. Ian Stevenson.

DaftChrisDaftChris Spiritually conflicted. Not of this world. Veteran
edited October 2012 in Buddhism Today
Oh good God! ANOTHER rebirth thread?

Actually, not so much. My question is, how credible to you think Dr. Ian Stevenson is with his research on reincarnation? To be honest, his research is a big reason why I do believe in some form of rebirth. His findings are a little too detailed to be coincidental. Hell, even Sam Harris has said that "either he is a victim of truly elaborate fraud, or something interesting is going on".

Of course, this doesn't PROVE reincarnation; as far as we know it may not even exist, but I do think Dr. Stevenson made some very convincing cases for it.

Comments

  • DakiniDakini Veteran
    This topic has come up before. I think that just the fact that he began studying and documenting cases, just that, itself, was pioneering work. There will always be detractors, including here. His work is now being continued by another researcher, who's also written a book about his own work. I like their research method; they don't just accept every case verbatim. They do a lot of research to find alternative explanations for why a child would remember living in a family they've never met.
  • BhanteLuckyBhanteLucky Alternative lifestyle person in the South Island of New Zealand New Zealand Veteran
    I did some research too, to see if I could trust him and his methods. And the info I found indicated that he is pretty well respected as a researcher, and his methods are good. Some detractors of course.

    His book is the reason I believe that it is reasonable to believe in rebirth/reincarnation.
  • SonghillSonghill Veteran
    Dr. Ian Stevenson's research is very scientific. If anyone objects to it, according to Dr. Robert Almeder, they are irrational.
  • musicmusic
    The guy rocks. Rebirth is true. Case closed.
    Dakini
  • DaftChrisDaftChris Spiritually conflicted. Not of this world. Veteran
    @music

    Sarcasm?
  • fivebellsfivebells Veteran
    DaftChris said:

    Oh good God! ANOTHER rebirth thread?

    At this point, it's another Ian Stevenson thread.
    DaftChris said:

    how credible to you think Dr. Ian Stevenson is with his research on reincarnation?

    I wrote about this here last year. The answer is "Not very." If you're serious, I recommend you check out Chapter 16 of Edwards's Reincarnation: A Critical Examination. You can get it used through amazon for 39c at the moment. Whether you're serious or not, don't let it take time from meditation practice, because the question has no impact on the practice.
    Citta
  • zenffzenff Veteran
    edited October 2012
    In a paper written in 2006 by two people (Edelmann and Bernet) they make an attempt for designing a protocol for reincarnation research.

    It simply acknowledges that the data (the original expressions of past-life-memories by a child) can be polluted by an enthusiastic audience and their suggestive way of interviewing the child, by information coming from other more obvious sources, and the demand to produce better information than picking what you wish to hear from the random gibbering of infants.


    Although ideal reincarnation research has not yet occurred, it is in principle possible
    to achieve this goal.

    http://www.imprint.co.uk/pdf/Edelman.pdf
  • musicmusic
    http://www.techeblog.com/index.php/tech-gadget/mind-blowing-story-of-james-leininger-a-world-war-ii-pilot-reincarnated-as-a-boy
  • jlljll Veteran
    he is an academic with no hidden agenda as far as i can see.
    we should look at his effort as what it is; a scientist investigating rebirth scientifically and presenting the results he found.
    DaftChris said:

    Oh good God! ANOTHER rebirth thread?

    Actually, not so much. My question is, how credible to you think Dr. Ian Stevenson is with his research on reincarnation? To be honest, his research is a big reason why I do believe in some form of rebirth. His findings are a little too detailed to be coincidental. Hell, even Sam Harris has said that "either he is a victim of truly elaborate fraud, or something interesting is going on".

    Of course, this doesn't PROVE reincarnation; as far as we know it may not even exist, but I do think Dr. Stevenson made some very convincing cases for it.

  • PrairieGhostPrairieGhost Veteran
    edited October 2012
    '"First, I have been formed a comely person,
    In the court of Caridwen I have done penance;
    Though little I was seen, placidly received,
    I was great on the floor of the place to where I was led;
    I have been a prized defence, the sweet muse the cause,
    And by law without speech I have been liberated
    By a smiling black old hag, when irritated
    Dreadful her claim when pursued:
    I have fled with vigour, I have fled as a frog,
    I have fled in the semblance of a crow, scarcely finding rest;
    I have fled vehemently, I have fled as a chain,
    I have fled as a roe into an entangled thicket;
    I have fled as a wolf cub, I have fled as a wolf in a wilderness,
    I have fled as a thrush of portending language;
    I have fled as a fox, used to concurrent bounds of quirks;
    I have fled as a martin, which did not avail;
    I have fled as a squirrel, that vainly hides,
    I have fled as a stag's antler, of ruddy course,
    I have fled as iron in a glowing fire,
    I have fled as a spear-head, of woe to such as has a wish for it;
    I have fled as a fierce hull bitterly fighting,
    I have fled as a bristly boar seen in a ravine,
    I have fled as a white grain of pure wheat,
    On the skirt of a hempen sheet entangled,
    That seemed of the size of a mare's foal,
    That is filling like a ship on the waters;
    Into a dark leathern bag I was thrown,
    And on a boundless sea I was sent adrift;
    Which was to me an omen of being tenderly nursed,
    And the Lord God then set me at liberty."'

    http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/mab/mab32.htm

    Mabinogion, translated by Lady Charlotte Guest
  • RebeccaSRebeccaS Veteran
    So who is he? Any interesting links to his work?
  • SonghillSonghill Veteran
    Fivebells"
    I wrote about this here last year. The answer is "Not very." If you're serious, I recommend you check out Chapter 16 of Edwards's Reincarnation: A Critical Examination. You can get it used through amazon for 39c at the moment. Whether you're serious or not, don't let it take time from meditation practice, because the question has no impact on the practice.
    Oddly, the content of Edward's crude work doesn't match the title. How many pages does he devote to Ian Stevenson reincarnation research? Well let's find out. Emphasis added.
    Reincarnation logically entails some form of survival, so it is appropriate that a book dealing with reincarnation (especially one with philosophical pre- tensions) treat the survival problem more generally. Many readers, however, may wonder about the amount of space given to out-of-body and near-death experiences. They may also be disappointed to find serious reincarnation research of the sort associated with Ian Stevenson given such short shrift. Stevenson receives most of one chapter and a small portion of a second, for a total of about 30 pages. This compares to 38 pages devoted to Elisabeth Kiibler-Ross and 27 pages devoted to Stanislav Grof. http://goo.gl/8qsWD
    This is from a critique of Edward's book by James G. Matlock, Department of Anthropology, Southern Illinois University.
  • DakiniDakini Veteran
    edited October 2012
    zenff said:

    In a paper written in 2006 by two people (Edelmann and Bernet) they make an attempt for designing a protocol for reincarnation research.

    It simply acknowledges that the data (the original expressions of past-life-memories by a child) can be polluted by an enthusiastic audience and their suggestive way of interviewing the child, by information coming from other more obvious sources, and the demand to produce better information than picking what you wish to hear from the random gibbering of infants.



    Although ideal reincarnation research has not yet occurred, it is in principle possible
    to achieve this goal.

    http://www.imprint.co.uk/pdf/Edelman.pdf
    Sometimes kids spontaneously say things, without any adult prompting. Curious things do happen. And Stevenson's successor, Jim Tucker, examined all possible alternative explanations for each case he documented, such as child overhearing adult conversation, and other potential adult input. I don't recall if Stevenson did the same, or not. But I think these studies are worth doing.

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