Could a Little Boy Be Proof of Reincarnation?

ABC News ^ | April 20, 04 | ABC News

[churchillbuff]

Nearly six decades ago, a 21-year-old Navy fighter pilot on a mission over the Pacific was shot down by Japanese artillery. His name might have been forgotten, were it not for 6-year-old James Leininger.

Quite a few people — including those who knew the fighter pilot — think James is the pilot, reincarnated.

James' parents, Andrea and Bruce, a highly educated, modern couple, say they are "probably the people least likely to have a scenario like this pop up in their lives."

But over time, they have become convinced their little son has had a former life.

From an early age, James would play with nothing else but planes, his parents say. But when he was 2, they said the planes their son loved began to give him regular nightmares.

"I'd wake him up and he'd be screaming," Andrea told ABCNEWS' Chris Cuomo. She said when she asked her son what he was dreaming about, he would say, "Airplane crash on fire, little man can't get out."

Reality Check

Andrea says her mom was the first to suggest James was remembering a past life.

At first, Andrea says she was doubtful. James was only watching kids' shows, his parents say, and they weren't watching World War II documentaries or conversing about military history.

But as time went by, Andrea began to wonder what to believe. In one video of James at age 3, he goes over a plane as if he's doing a preflight check.

Another time, Andrea said, she bought him a toy plane, and pointed out what appeared to be a bomb on its underside. She says James corrected her, and told her it was a drop tank. "I'd never heard of a drop tank," she said. "I didn't know what a drop tank was."

Then James' violent nightmares got worse, occurring three and four times a week. Andrea's mother suggested she look into the work of counselor and therapist Carol Bowman, who believes that the dead sometimes can be reborn.

With guidance from Bowman, they began to encourage James to share his memories — and immediately, Andrea says, the nightmares started become less frequent. James was also becoming more articulate about his apparent past, she said.

Bowman said James was at the age when former lives are most easily recalled. "They haven't had the cultural conditioning, the layering over the experience in this life so the memories can percolate up more easily," she said.

Trail of Mysteries

Over time, James' parents say he revealed extraordinary details about the life of a former fighter pilot — mostly at bedtime, when he was drowsy.

They say James told them his plane had been hit by the Japanese and crashed. Andrea says James told his father he flew a Corsair, and then told her, "They used to get flat tires all the time."

In fact, historians and pilots agree that the plane's tires took a lot of punishment on landing. But that's a fact that could easily be found in books or on television.

Andrea says James also told his father the name of the boat he took off from — Natoma — and the name of someone he flew with — "Jack Larson."

After some research, Bruce discovered both the Natoma and Jack Larson were real. The Natoma Bay was a small aircraft carrier in the Pacific. And Larson is living in Arkansas.

"It was like, holy mackerel," Bruce said. "You could have poured my brains out of my ears. I just couldn't believe it.

James 2 = James M. Huston Jr.?

Bruce became obsessed, searching the Internet, combing through military records and interviewing men who served aboard the Natoma Bay.

He said James told him he had been shot down at Iwo Jima. James had also begun signing his crayon drawings "James 3." Bruce soon learned that the only pilot from the squadron killed at Iwo Jima was James M. Huston Jr.

Bruce says James also told him his plane had sustained a direct hit on the engine.

Ralph Clarbour, a rear gunner on a U.S. airplane that flew off the Natoma Bay, says his plane was right next to one flown by James M. Huston Jr. during a raid near Iwo Jima on March 3, 1945.

Clarbour said he saw Huston's plane struck by anti-aircraft fire. "I would say he was hit head on, right in the middle of the engine," he said.

Treasured Mementos

Bruce says he now believes his son had a past life in which he was James M. Huston Jr. "He came back because he wasn't finished with something."

The Leiningers wrote a letter to Huston's sister, Anne Barron, about their little boy. And now she believes it as well.

"The child was so convincing in coming up with all the things that there is no way on the world he could know," she said.

But Professor Paul Kurtz of the State University of New York at Buffalo, who heads an organization that investigates claims of the paranormal, says he thinks the parents are "self-deceived."

"They're fascinated by the mysterious and they built up a fairy tale," he said.

James' vivid, alleged recollections are starting to fade as he gets older — but among his prized possessions remain two haunting presents sent to him by Barron: a bust of George Washington and a model of a Corsair aircraft.

They were among the personal effects of James Huston sent home after the war.

"He appears to have experienced something that I don't think is unique, but the way it's been revealed is quite astounding," Bruce said.

Asked if the idea that James may have been someone else changes his or his wife's feeling about their son, Bruce said: "It doesn't change how we think. I don't look at him and say, 'That's not my boy.' That's my boy."

[Quix]

Given God's demonstrated miraculous affirmations of Paul's life after his conversion . . .

and, as former very hostile atheist Josh McDowell's scholarly assertions that there's better proof than a lot of courts convict murders to death on . . .

I have no trouble accepting Paul's assertions. They were, by the way, quite reasonably close to the events. Perhaps you forget he held Stephen's coat at Stephen's stoning.

[ohiobushman]

I want to be come back as Anna Kournikova's undies.

[Quix]

Plausible to me.

[Quix]

Thanks.

[Quix]

Didn't feel bad before.

But thanks. I enjoy erudite comments . . . to a point.

[Quix]

"in the spirit of Elijah" doesn't seem to resonate with you, I guess.

[Hajman]

I believe Acts is the only book where 500 is mentioned.

Ah, yes. Thanks for the correction. I missread the post I replied to.

-The Hajman-

[stands2reason]

And that means he's wrong how exactly?

BTW have you ever read his opinions on Scientology or global warming?

[HungarianGypsy]

When I was about 18 I used to have dreams about a girl from the South named Sarah Morgan. When I talked about it I was told not to talk about people who don't exist. My father even took me for a visit to my former psychologist who said the dream just had something to do with being upset that my mom had left home. On the way home I asked if I could go to the library and looked up Sarah Morgan in the system. A book had just been ordered as a reissue. A Civil War Girl's Diary. It was from the journals of a Southern girl named Sarah Morgan (her uncle was J.P. Morgan. it's been a long time since I read it, so I assume that was right).
I still don't believe in reincarnation. I think that spirits leave their imprints on the world and some people pick up on these memories and others do not. It's just a personal theory of mine.

[CyberAnt]

But .. you can't put those scriptures up against what Jesus said, "It is appointed once to live and once to die", and come out with the same answer. How do you square that with your idea of reincarnation ..??

[stands2reason]

ROFLMBO!!!

[RonHolzwarth]

re: "in the spirit of Elijah" doesn't seem to resonate with you, I guess."

No, for two reasons.

1) The Bible does not say that.

2) I'm Jewish.

And, Jewish Mysticism thought allows for the "possibility" of reincarnation, but it is not to be the focus of our lives, we are in the here and now.

[BriarBey]

Mr. Holzwarth....IF it had said that Elijah was reincarnated as John the Baptist in the flesh...then I might give credit to your theory. It also says if your eye or hand offends cut or pluck it out.....are you eyeless and handless? I'm not. Jesus spoke alot of parables that made no sense to the people because they tried to interpret it literally and according to their own hearts. Doesn't work. IF second chances are given then the death of Christ was pointless, because we could just all do it over and over and over again till we get it right. There is NO getting it right...that is why we have grace and mercy and a sacrifice who did GET IT RIGHT!! Thank God. Mankind just has to be patting himself on the back for something, trying to grab all the credit for anything. We are a stiff necked pridefull self absorbed people. Quit hopeing for a second round in life and accept the gift you were given....it didn't cost you anything but faith!!

[RonHolzwarth]

reply to: "you just said: "But .. you can't put those scriptures up against what Jesus said, "It is appointed once to live and once to die", and come out with the same answer. How do you square that with your idea of reincarnation ..??"

I'm not SURE either way, actually. I think that focusing attention on the idea of reincarnation is irrelevant anyway, I'm Jewish. Whether or not we are reincarnated as Jewish mysticism teaches sometimes happens, or not, is not very relavent to our lives. For who can know the ways of the LORD?

As for your claim that Jesus said: "It is appointed once to live and once to die", you better check your Bible again.

Seems that particular quote does not appear in the Revised Standard Version.

[RonHolzwarth]

You: We are a stiff necked prideful self absorbed people.

Me: That is for sure!

You: Quit hoping for a second round in life

Me: I DO NOT WANT TO BE REBORN HERE!!!

You: Accept the gift you were given...

Me: Yes! It is a wonderful world that the LORD has created for us! While I do have my issues, I am sure thankful for my health and the lucky stroke of being born here in America! I try to do the right thing, but don't always follow though, but uhhhh,,, I'm Jewish. That means, I can't count on a life after death, after that, everything is in the hands of the LORD.

[Confed]

You said: Not to bust your rant, but the gifts were sent AFTER he had devuldged the information.

Good to see somebody noticed this... Howlin to the rescue!
There is just too much that we don't know or understand to act like there is nothing to this and ridicule it.

[churchillbuff]

ABCNEWS' Chris Cuomo.

Familiar name. ?

[Ready4Freddy]

A lot ot Tibetans seem to think so......

Could a Little Boy Be Proof of Reincarnation?

[kitkat]

***BTW have you ever read his opinions on Scientology or global warming? ***

I've read enough about him in the local papers to know that he's anti-religion, and that he'd like to turn this whole area into a nest of socialism.

[CyberAnt]

I use the Amplified Bible - which is purported to be the most accurate Greek translation of the original Hebrew.

What I don't understand is why you now say that "focusing on reincarnation is irrelevant anyway".

Jesus warned us to "rightly divide the Word of Truth.

You said: "For who can know the ways of the LORD?"

Jesus said, "It has been given unto 'you' to know the mysteries and secrets of the kingdom". The "you" Jesus was speaking about were the people who would receive Him as Savior and Lord .. true Christians.