Abstract

An earlier version of this paper was presented at the Centenary-Jubilee Conference of the Society for Psychical Research and the Parapsychological Association held in Cambridge, England, in August 1982. Data are presented from 856 solved and unsolved reincarnation cases in 6 cultures. The ratio of solved to unsolved cases varied among the cultures studied, as did the frequency with which the previous personality was identified as someone already known to the S''s family. In both types of cases, Ss began to speak about the previous life at about the same age, mentioned the mode of death of the previous personality with about the same frequency, showed a phobia related to that mode of death with about the same frequency, and referred to a death that was violent with high frequency. Ss of unsolved cases stopped talking about the previous life earlier than did Ss of solved cases, and they mentioned the previous personality''s name less frequently than did Ss of solved cases. In all cultures examined the incidence of violent death among the previous personalities of unsolved cases (as claimed by the S) was significantly higher than that among previous personalities of solved cases. The possible relevance of these findings to the interpretation of unsolved cases is discussed.