Work

New methodological directions for involving children in past life memories research

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: • Children as the primary source of data for past life memory (PLM) research are often researched on rather that with in the field of PLM. We propose new methodological directions for involving children as active agents in PLM research • We include a case study example of spontaneous reporting of past life and in-utero memories of a 6 year old child. We show how applying creative research methods and sensory ethnography can generate exciting data from the perspectives of children • Results show children to represent their past life memories through embodied, sensory and playful discourses that may be missed in traditional research approaches • We include an overview of results from the parent study ‘Investigating Extra Sensory Experiences of Children across Various Cultural Contexts’ that pertain to past life memories in children, parents and professionals who support children Past life memories in children have been studied extensively through standard qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Research to date has produced valuable data to support how we understand children’s past life memories. Children are the primary source for data collection in past life research, as the producers/facilitators of memories. Despite this, children tend to be researched on rather than with , through adult-centric approaches. In this article, we include a case study example of spontaneous past life and in-utero memories of a 6-year old child. The case study example is taken from a parent study, ‘Investigating Extra Sensory Experiences of Children from Various Cultural Backgrounds’. Through the article, we demonstrate how using creative research methods and sensory ethnography can generate important knowledge from children about their own past life memories. We include results from the parent study that show past life memory data from children, parents and professionals. We propose involving children as active agents in past life memory research and argue for new directions in the field of PLM through creative and child-friendly research.

Source: EXPLORE

DOI: 10.1016/j.explore.2025.103283

Authors: Donna M. Thomas, Elaine Rycroft, Kirsty Allan, Saima Sharif

Institution: University of Lancashire

Language: English

Topic: Paranormal Experiences and Beliefs

Subfield: Social Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $2,090

Funder: Fundação Bial