I Saw a Light and Came Here

This is a book in two parts about children's experiences of reincarnation, building on the original work initiated by Ian Stevenson in the 1960s, with whom Erlendur collaborated. As such, it serves as a good introduction to the field with many case histories analysed in terms of accurate recall, so that readers can assess these for themselves. In his part, Erlendur also discusses deathbed visions, NDEs, spontaneous contact with the departed and through mediums, and memories of birth and life in the womb. He concludes by listing the outstanding characteristics of cases of memories of previous lives, putting these in the context of other related findings suggesting continued consciousness after death. Jim Matlock adds his own set of cases, some of which cross international borders. He also discusses xenoglossy - speaking an unknown language - and some suicide cases. He then adds his own analysis of a number of factors, including violent death, length between incarnations and gender change, which seems comparatively rare. Some of his later cases seem to indicate personal control over the reincarnation process, about which he has his own ideas, including the interesting one that birthmark similarities are brought about by a form of PK on the developing embryo.