Masayuki Ohkado – Cases of Children Claiming to Have Past-Life Memories in Japan. Friday Morning – Beyond the Brain 2023

In this presentation, after providing the general information about cases of children claiming to have past-life memories in Japan and an overview of my research, I will focus on the case of Takeharu, a boy claiming to have fought on the battleship Yamato in the Second World War. The case has three interesting features. First, it is a fairly strong case in that it has many of the characteristic features of cases of the reincarnation type. Second, the child’s statements were recorded and the investigation started before the possible identification of the previous personality was made. Third, in a number of ways, it is comparable to the case of James Leininger, one of the best-known American cases.

Prof Masayuki Ohkado, trained in linguistics within the framework of generative grammar, has been working on past-life experiences with special focus on children claiming to have past-life and other prenatal memories, near-death experiences, and related phenomena, especially those occurring in Japan. He is currently affiliated with Chubu University (School of General Education, and Graduate School of Global Humanics) as a professor and with the University of Virginia (Division of Perceptual Studies) as an external researcher.