Archives: Book Reviews

Reincarnation and Biology: A Contribution to the Etiology of Birthmarks and Birth Defects – Ian Stevenson

Reviewed by Rabia Lynn Clark, Ph.D.
In JRT Issue 15, 1997

 

Reincarnation and Biology: A Contribution to the Etiology of Birthmarks and Birth Defects. Two volumes, hardcover, 2268 pages, $195.

Where Reincarnation and Biology Intersect. Synopsis, one volume, 203 pages, paperback, $17.95, cloth $59. Ian Stevenson, M.D., 1997, Westport, CT: Praeger.

It is a difficult task to adequately review a 2268-page book! I will start by saying that in this long-awaited two-volume work, Dr. Ian Stevenson has created a masterwork. For those of us who wish there were some scientific proof of reincarnation, this book has hundreds of carefully researched cases, examined with the intent of studying a segment of the reincarnation phenomenon, birthmarks and birth defects, … Read the rest

9 January 1997

Returning From the Light by Brad Steiger.

Reviewed by Wade P. Bettis, Jr., J.D.
In JRT Issue 14, 1996

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In Returning From the Light, Brad Steiger brings us his many years of writing and research as well as the personal experiences of himself and of those that he interviewed. Steiger discusses and demonstrates the many benefits of using past lives to understand and heal our present lifetime challenges of all kinds.

Steiger starts the book by discussing his own thirty-six year phobia for flying, a serious phobia which had no apparent cause and greatly interfered with his need to fly to promote his books. It was only after a spontaneous past-life recall one night in 1972, when he experienced himself as a German pilot in … Read the rest

8 January 1996

Echoes from the Battlefield, by Barbara Lane

Reviewed by Wade P. Bettis, Jr., J.D.
In JRT Issue 14, 1996

 

Lane, a clinical hypnotherapist, tells of her experiences in visiting American Civil War reenactment battlefields and camps. Her interest was stimulated by the deep commitment of the men and women who reenact these battles: “One Confederate reenactor…said he was fighting for state’s rights and that the Supreme Court had never ruled on the right to secede from the Union. I was impressed by the level of his historical knowledge…Beyond his words, however, his fervor swept over me like a wave. He was clearly impassioned about what he was doing.”

By their own admission, many of the reenactors are obsessed with their roles as Civil War soldiers. It was … Read the rest

8 January 1996

From Ashes to Healing: Mystical Encounters with the Holocaust, by Rabbi Yonassan Gershom

Reviewed by Amy Shapiro, M.Ed.
In JRT Issue 14, 1996

 

From Ashes to Healing, Rabbi Gershom’s sequel to Beyond the Ashes, follows fifteen individuals whose past-life memories of Holocaust experiences led to inner peace, strength and healing through their spiritual journeys. The remarkable and multi-dimensional stories in From Ashes to Healing exude a most satisfying sense of spiritual intimacy, as if touching the very threads out of which the cloth of soul is woven.

Recounted, among other fascinating cases, are the experiences of a Canadian goat farmer who located a clock from past-life flashbacks and a Swedish woman whose memories were confirmed when she visited the site of Buchenwald. Also discussed is the concept of the “ethnic soul,” … Read the rest

8 January 1996

True Hauntings: Spirits with a Purpose, by Hazel M. Denning, Ph.D.

Reviewed by Thelma B. Freedman, M.A.
In JRT Issue 14, 1996

 

Hazel Denning, for decades a well-known parapsychologist and the true Founding Mother of APRT, has done something truly original: She has organized haunting entities into surprisingly common-sense categories. In doing so, she shows us the many different meanings of the word “haunting” and makes it clear that these are situations that can be dealt with humanely. The sub-title indicates her basic finding: These haunting entities have some purpose, something they hope to accomplish. Denning devotes separate chapters to entities who are guilt-ridden, malevolent, benevolent, bound by love, or restless; some entities seem to be here to help, but others need help themselves from the living; still others are here … Read the rest

8 January 1996

The Boy Who Saw True, Anonymous

Reviewed by Rabia L. Clark, Ph.D.
In JRT Issue 14, 1996

 

What a treat it is to find a book that is so fascinating, enlightening, and educational that it can’t be put down until it is all read! The Boy Who Saw True is such a book. It was first printed in 1953, and is now in its 11th printing. The author preferred to remain anonymous.

It is the story of a boy who started his diary of psychic experiences as soon as he could write. He lived in the Victorian era in England, when psychic phenomena were discounted. His parents thought him odd, and never encouraged him, but he had a tutor who was open-minded. The boy was … Read the rest

8 January 1996

Loving Mozart by Mary Montano

Reviewed by Chrisanthe E. Nicholaou, M.B.A., C.M.T., C.C.Ht., Reiki Master
In JRT Issue 13, 1995

 

Loving Mozart is not just another biography of the musical genius, composer of over 600 of the world’s greatest works. It is the author’s very personal past-life experience as Austrian composer Franz Xavier Sussmayr, the friend of Mozart. Much of what we think we know as history is challenged by Montano’s sensitive narrative of her past-life memories.

The story spans four centuries and four lives. There is an intricate interweaving of the 18th century relationship of Mozart and Sussmayr with the 20th century relationship of American pianist William Kappel and the author. Montano tells the story well, in narrative sequences that move us deftly from … Read the rest

8 January 1995

Life Patterns, Soul Lessons, and Forgiveness by Henry Leo Bolduc

Reviewed by Rabia L. Clark, Ph.D.
In JRT Issue 13, 1995

Henry Leo Bolduc has been researching hypnosis and regression therapy for over thirty years. He has been a frequent speaker at APRT conferences, and travels extensively as a motivational speaker. His earlier books are Self-Hypnosis: Creating Your Own Destiny and The Journey Within. His new book covers an area which is not covered as thoroughly in any other book as far as I know. It deals with life patterns, learning their lessons, and through this insight and forgiveness, going on to a happier future.

There is an interesting chapter on how to make self-hypnosis tapes to help focus on ideals, objectives, the inner child, and remembering past … Read the rest

8 January 1995

The Spiritual Dance of Life: Where Two Worlds Meet by Teri Daunter

Reviewed by Hazel M. Denning, Ph.D.
In JRT Issue 13, 1995

 

Dr. Daunter’s sub-title, “Where Two World Meet,” says it all in one succinct phrase. This book is an exploration, done with unusual clarity, of the spiritual nature of human beings and how this spirituality manifests in a physical world.

The central statement of the book is well expressed in the Foreword: “…The cause of any mental and physical malfunction is derived from previous lives lived by the individual,” and “…all disease is a reflection of one’s mental attitude, which, as a result, creates the distress that is experienced in one’s present life.”

With a major emphasis on love as the greatest power available to us as … Read the rest

8 January 1995

Remote Depossession by Irene Hickman, D.O.

Reviewed by Russell Davis, Ph.D.
In JRT Issue 13, 1995

 

Although the concept of entity attachment/releasement per se is by no means universally accepted by all past-life therapists, it is becoming a topic of growing interest. Increasingly, when working with clients, past-life therapists are exploring the possibility that a person may be a host to one or more entities that have taken up residence in his or her body. As this concept gathers credibility among therapists, there is a growing desire on the part of therapists to be trained in the techniques appropriate to discovering the existence of entity attachments and releasing them.

This book is Dr. Hickman’s latest publication, and it is sure to stir up controversy, even … Read the rest

8 January 1995