Past Lives

Exploring Stories of Children Who Remember Past Lives and the Spiritual Lessons They Offer

If you’ve ever heard a young child say something that made you stop in your tracks—a vivid memory of a time or place they’ve never experienced, or a deep connection to a culture or talent that seems far beyond their years—you’re not alone. More and more parents are sharing stories about children who remember past lives.

And for those who are spiritually curious, stories like these aren’t just fascinating—they might even affirm something your heart already suspected: we are more than our bodies, we are Soul—an eternal, creative being.  Unlimited.  Divine.

Why Are Children More Likely to Remember Past Lives?

According to Eᴄᴋᴀɴᴋᴀʀ, a spiritual path that explores Soul travel, dreams, and reincarnation, children are often more connected to their spiritual essence—Soul—and have not yet been fully conditioned by the material world. That purity makes it easier for them to access subtle memories from before this life.    

Take Crary and her son Cammann, guests on the Soul Adventure Podcast, who share their deeply personal experiences with this phenomenon.

A Preschooler Talks About Past Lives

Crary’s journey with past life awareness began early. At age four, she told her Sunday School teacher she remembered knowing her best friend from a past life—right down to what she used to look like. Her teacher told her to never speak of it again.

Crary was devastated. Even as a child, she knew the memory was real. That moment led her mother to seek a spiritual path that made space for these experiences—ultimately leading them to Eᴄᴋᴀɴᴋᴀʀ.

When Children Remember Things They “Shouldn’t” Know

Years later, Crary’s own son began sharing similar stories. At just three years old, Cammann picked out a football player ornament at Christmas, insisting, “I like football. I’m really good at it.” The odd part? No one in their home watched football. They didn’t even allow screen time. Yet he spoke about the sport with conviction.

Later, he recalled having a “different mother and father” and even remembered riding in the front seat while his now-mother sat in the back—flipping the roles of parent and child. These recollections came with striking detail and no prior exposure.

One particularly chilling moment came when Cammann asked his mom, “What was your grandfather’s name?” When she told him, he responded, “That’s my name.” He had remembered being called that name. Crary’s grandfather had passed long before, but the connections continued to unfold.  This included vivid memories of events like a lightning strike to the grandfather’s house, which Cam had never been told about, but matched exactly with a family story that was later confirmed by Crary’s mother.

Could Your Child Be Remembering a Past Life?

Parents who are open-minded and spiritually curious can look for some of the same signs Crary experienced:

In Cam’s case, he also gravitated toward historical figures — and one day declared he had been one. While on vacation in Savannah, Georgia, he was drawn to a simple grave and insisted they take a picture. It turned out to be the grave of a close friend of that historical figure—a coincidence too aligned to ignore.

How to Respond as a Parent

So, what should you say if your child starts talking about a past life?

According to Crary, the best approach is to listen without judgment. Ask open-ended questions.  You can say, “Oh, tell me more about that.”  Let the child share their story.

These moments are sacred.  They’re windows into Soul’s journey and clues to who your child really is—not just in this life, but in the vast and beautiful story of eternity.

The Spiritual Value of Remembering

Cam’s memories—and his mother’s own past-life dream experiences—weren’t just mystical curiosities. They provided healing and insight into relationships in their current life.

In one powerful example, Crary had a falling out with a childhood friend. Before the friend’s wedding, she asked for spiritual insight and had a dream where she and her friend were married—in another lifetime. It helped her release emotional pain and rebuild a lasting friendship. Past life recall, she discovered, can be a profound tool for compassion and forgiveness.

Using Spiritual Tools Like HU and Dream Work

To support his spiritual journey (and even overcome nightmares), Cam learned to sing HU, a spiritual mantra used in Eᴄᴋᴀɴᴋᴀʀ and other traditions. Singing HU before bed became a nightly practice—a way to invite protection and clarity in dreams.

He also created a spiritual exercise that involved traveling (in imagination) to a safe place guarded by ECK Masters, where only love was allowed. That visualization helped him face fears and sleep peacefully.

Even more recently, Cam used another Eᴄᴋᴀɴᴋᴀʀ spiritual technique to visit the Causal Plane—a realm of memory and karma—and explore orbs of past-life memories. 

He would sing the word “mana,” visualize the Causal Plane, and visit a space where past memories were stored as orbs.  It’s become one of his favorite spiritual practices.

Children Who Remember Past Lives Are Here to Teach Us

You don’t have to believe in reincarnation to be moved by these stories. But if your child ever says something that makes you pause—a memory that doesn’t seem to fit, or a truth that feels bigger than this life—consider listening with an open heart.

As Cam, now a teen, puts it: “I recognized that I wasn’t just a physical being, that I was Soul.  And I had many past lives, and I’ll have future ones too.”

“I recognized that I wasn’t just a physical being, that I was Soul. 
And I had many past lives, and I’ll have future ones too.”

Resources for Further Exploration

If you are thinking Crary and Cam are the exception to the rule, check out the Washington Post article The children who remember their past lives. 

As host Doug Kunin noted, that article showed several examples of children sharing historical facts far remote from their current life experience. Of the stories shared in the article, Kunin commented:

“Those are the facts. We invite you to come to your own conclusions. This article opens up almost 4,000 comments from people all over. There are skeptics, agnostics, people who have had experiences. But mainly it opened up the door for people to say, ‘I’ve had some unexplained experiences in my life. How could that happen?’ ”   

To answer that question for yourself, check out these Eᴄᴋᴀɴᴋᴀʀ resources:

Freedom from Recurring Karmic Patterns Relating to Past Life Experience

Many of us notice certain patterns in our lives—repeating challenges, emotional loops, or relationship dynamics that seem to come full circle again and again. Why does this happen?

Recurring experiences can be viewed through the lens of karma and reincarnation. We live many lives, and the lessons we haven’t yet learned tend to show up again—just in different forms.

A study of past lives can also help heal your pain points today, giving you freedom from old habits, fears, attitudes, even desires, which originate from the past but are limiting you today.

You can move beyond these limits into the most fulfilling life you could ever imagine. We’re going to tell you how.

Common Past Life Patterns People Experience

Many people unknowingly carry spiritual patterns from lifetime to lifetime.  Some recurring patterns are especially painful.  Loneliness is one of them.

Sri Harold Klemp, the spiritual leader of Eᴄᴋᴀɴᴋᴀʀ explores this topic by responding to the following person’s concerns:

I am beset by a terrible loneliness at times but am at a loss to explain it. I am an isolated person—not that I want to be; it just seems to always work out that way. This has been with family, friends, and mates, as well as jobs and people connected to them. Everything is very short-lived, and it doesn’t seem normal. I do the best I can, but no matter what I do things are always interrupted and ending all the time.

As far back as I can remember, it has always been this way. Whatever is going on I know has to do with some past life I lived.

Response: Most of the karma we make is from this lifetime, although periodically there is a longstanding condition hanging on from another lifetime.

Imagine, if you will, the life of a leper in Palestine shortly before the Christian era. Anyone with a diagnosis of leprosy faced a life of separation from his family and friends. The repeated reactions of horror and disgust by citizens when coming across lepers would be enough to leave a deep scar for centuries.

Anyone who reincarnates into the present life from such an existence ought to look on the positive side. What a blessing to no longer be regarded as a scourge among people because of a disfiguring disease! Just this thought alone ought to make one appreciate a healthier body in this lifetime.

Do the Spiritual Exercises of ECK, and Divine Spirit will work with you.

How to Heal Recurring Patterns in My Life

Transformation can begin when we actively seek healing and guidance. One of the most powerful yet underused tools? Our dreams.

Sri Harold Klemp answers a seeker’s inquiry:

How can one heal oneself in the dream state?

Response: It is possible to get a healing for many conditions, like poor health, emotions, or mental stress. But not always. The study of dreams in ECKANKAR begins with the fact of past lives. All conditions are due to karma, and some will last a lifetime, such as the loss of a limb. A study of dreams can help people learn the spiritual reason their life is as it is, and what they can do to improve their lot.

A way to heal oneself begins with a spiritual exercise. At bedtime, sing the word HU. Softly sing this ancient name for God for five to ten minutes. Also create a mental picture of your problem. See it as a simple cartoon. Beside it, place another image of the condition as you feel it should be.

The second week, if you’ve had no luck seeing a past life, do this dream exercise for fifteen or twenty minutes. Take a rest the third week. Repeat this cycle until you succeed.

Keep a record of your dreams. Make a short note about every dream you recall upon awakening. Also be alert during the day for clues about your problem from other people. The Holy Spirit works through them too.

So be aware and listen.

DOWNLOAD free resources. Explore past lives to better understand your life today!

Further reading: The Washington Post article, The children who remember their past lives. Published May 2, 2024. Written by Caitlin Gibson.