These are the best books about reincarnation and past lives.
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Best Books about Reincarnation. Photo from Unsplash/ Bekah Russom
This first section includes the best books about reincarnation that I have personally read. In the second section, I will list books about past lives that I haven't read yet but that I intend to check out.
(Click the title to see more information on each book. These are affiliate links, which I have provided for your convenience, but it does mean that I will receive a small commission if you happen to buy any of them. This comes at no extra cost to you or anything. Some of these books may be available for free at your local library or on Kindle Unlimited or thru Audible.)
Children Who Remember Previous Lives: A Question of Reincarnation by Ian Stevenson, M.D. - Professor Stevenson is one of the most respected individuals in this field, period. He's been researching reincarnation since the early 1960s and has studied it thoroughly and from many angles. He provides a lot of interesting stories in this particular book, but the primary reason I suggest it is because he does such a great job discussing the science behind it. He's very open about its weaknesses, as well, and handles the whole subject with utmost honesty.
Old Souls by Tom Shroder - An award-winning journalist details his experiences as he follows the legendary reincarnation researcher Ian Stevenson, M.D. The travel through multiple countries to interview children who remember previous lives (and their family members and other witnesses). Shroder starts out blatantly skeptical, which makes it all the more interesting to keep reading and see how his beliefs and perspectives change. While Dr. Stevenson maintains a scientific detachment in his writings about reincarnation, Shroder is able to give us behind-the-scenes insight as he brings emotions and more human elements to the factual information he presents.
The Children that Time Forgot by Peter and Mary Harrison - This books is full of anecdotes more than hard evidence, but this is what makes it one of the easier and more enjoyable books to read. If you're already convinced, or at least open to the idea, of reincarnation, this would be a fun and fascinating book for you. If you're looking for a more factual approach with cold hard scientific evidence, look for one of the books by Ian Stevenson, M.D. or Tom Shroder.
Between Death and Life by Dolores Cannon - I enjoyed this book so much and highly recommend it to anyone interested in past lives and reincarnation. Important to know in advance, Dolores Cannon is a regressionist, so whereas Dr. Stevenson has a highly scientific approach and deals with children who consciously have past life memories, Dolores works with adults and uses hypnotism to help the recall and/or get clarity on past lives. Another fascinating element that sets her apart from many is that she often talks to the clients in between lives when they are in spirit form.
Children's Past Lives: How Past Life Memories Affect Your Child by Carol Bowman - This book specifically focuses on the healing potential of remembering past lives. While it primarily focuses on how phobias can be cured, it also contains a lot of fascinating stories. I think most readers will appreciate Bowman's style of writing and will enjoy going on the journey with her as she describes her own experience with learning about and embracing reincarnation.
Children Who Have Lived Before: Reincarnation Today by Trutz Hardo -- This book reads fairly easy, as it is pretty anecdotal, which I think most readers appreciate. There are plenty of details, such as names and dates, listed for most of the stories, but this information is lacking in some of the stories and I think a lot of people consider that suspect. Hardo also puts a lot of his personal beliefs into the mix, and while I agree with a lot of it, there are some elements that don't line up with my own thoughts and beliefs on the subject. It is still absolutely worth the read though. Some of the stories will blow your mind!
Many Lives, Many Masters by Brian L. Weiss, M.D. - This was the first nonfiction book I ever read about reincarnation. It immediately sucked me in and I finished the whole thing in less than a day. I think that is why this books appeals to so many readers - it's fascinating and easy to read. That said, this book has a lot of critics because it provides a lot less science-backed information than other books on the subject.
Reincarnation and Biology Volume I Reincarnation and BiologyVolume II Where Reincarnation and Biology Intersect - these academic books by Ian Stevenson, M.D. are a whole lot pricier than most other books on the market, but that's because they were published for scientific purposes. For a long time, you could only get his books if you purchased them from the University of Virginia where Dr. Stevenson was a professor, director, and chairman. If you want serious evidence of reincarnation, these books are worth the investment.
Jesus and the Essenes by Dolores Cannon - This book is about a fascinating client that Dolores had who remembered many, many lives, one of which was the life of a teacher who lived during the time of Jesus and had direct contact with him. It sheds a lot of light on topics that have been confusing to many and makes some thought-provoking points.
The Limitless Soul: Hypno-Regression Case Studies into Past, Present, and Future Lives by Bryn Blankinship - I'm including this because it definitely has some interesting stories and a few concepts that I find particularly fascinating. I love that the author considers it "all lives" instead of "past lives" because she recognizes that linear time isn't real (I believe this, but it's still a struggle to grasp sometimes haha). I will say, however, that this is not a great book for anyone looking for concrete evidence or a more scientific approach to reincarnation. It's a quick, easy read, but it's almost flippant at times.
Other books about reincarnation I intend to read:
Life Before Life: A Scientific Investigation of Children's Memories of Previous Lives by Jim B. Tucker and Ian Stevenson, M.D.
Journey of Souls by Michael Newton, PhD
Beyond Death by Sharon Hewitt Rawlette, PhD
Reincarnation: The Missing Link in Christianity by Elizabeth Clare Prophet and Erin L. Prophet
Reliving Past Lives: The Evidence under Hypnosis by Helen Wambach
Per usual, I will also include Seth books on this list. He covers many subjects and doesn't specifically focus on reincarnation, but he talks openly about it. I like to include his books whenever the topic is brought up. Click here for the full Seth list.
Also, while Abraham Hicks doesn't particularly discuss reincarnation in any great detail, they have stated on more than one occasion that it is a real part of human experience and history. I find it fun to share that tidbit with people who are open to law of attraction but closed to things like reincarnation, ha.
Hi Jenn, I would like to see my book here some day. Some of the strongest evidence ever brought forth on the reality of Past Lives (not involving hypnosis). Birthmarks, scars and photographic evidence. A Civil War general’s reincarnation, plus a great story of a young boy, 9/11 and the reincarnation of a New York City firefighter who perished in one of the Twin Towers. The full story as told by the boy’s mother on (and to me off) a popular Reincarnation Forum starting in 2007 up to the present day. The book is titled, Fire in the Soul: Reincarnation from Antietam to Ground Zero.