"I Miss My Son from My Previous Life": The Haunting Story of a Girl Who Wants to Return to Her Past Life

Shanti Devi (Shanti Devi) is an Indian woman born in the 1920s who claimed from childhood that she was not Shanti but a woman named Lugdi Bai. Her early life was perfectly ordinary until she began to talk at the age of four. That was when a dramatic turn occurred in her life and for her family. By the age of four, Shanti was asserting to her parents that her real home was in the village of 'Mathura,' and that they were not her true parents. She used to tell her family about her husband from her previous life, Kedar Nath Choubey (Kedar Nath Choubey), her residence in Mathura, the streets and locations of various shops in the village, and various details from her previous life, such as hobbies, favorite foods, and even how she died ten days after giving birth to her second son. She claimed her former husband worked as a merchant, wore reading glasses, and had a wart on his left cheek.

Her parents considered her claims to be mere childhood fantasies and nothing more. However, Shanti's longing persisted, and at the age of six, she ran away from home, attempting to reach the village of Mathura, 160 km from her hometown, Delhi.

When she was eight, Shanti's mother could no longer ignore her daughter's claims, and Shanti's cousin, Vishnunath, set out to investigate the case. To everyone's amazement, her cousin discovered there indeed was a person matching the name of her husband at the address Shanti described. Furthermore, it was discovered that Kedar Nath did indeed have a wife named Lugdi who had died at childbirth a year before Shanti's birth. Vishnunath decided to send a letter to Kedar Nath to tell him about Shanti's claims and detailed recollections from her past life as Lugdi. Shortly after, the widower responded, confirming that her descriptions were true. The families decided to send the widower's cousin to Shanti's home, pretending to be the husband from her previous life, to test if she could identify the trick. Shanti did not fail the test, and immediately knew he was not her husband, correctly identifying him as the cousin.

It was decided to arrange a meeting at Shanti's childhood home between Shanti and her husband from the previous life, along with their mutual eldest son. To trick Shanti once again, Kedar Nath was introduced as Kedar Nath's brother. Shanti immediately stated it was Kedar Nath, not his brother. She then turned to her mother and said, "I told you he has a wart on his left cheek." At the moment she met her son, Shanti burst into tears. She ran to the child and tried to hold him in her arms like a baby, despite him being more than her height; she hugged him and referred to him with affectionate terms.

At the meeting, she described the complex surgeries she had to undergo after the birth of their second son, adding medical details she could not possibly know. Kedar Nath asked her questions about her life as Lugdi, and she recited details and events known only to him and Lugdi. He was moved to tears, declaring he was convinced she truly was the reincarnation of his wife. A family member present recounted, "It was as if Lugdi, his wife, was speaking to him from the afterlife."

When Shanti's incredible story spread across India, Mahatma Gandhi, India's political and spiritual leader, appointed 15 researchers to study the case. The story became a national sensation in India. At age 9, Shanti was asked to travel with her parents and prominent researchers to the village of Mathura. Surprises began as soon as the train arrived at Mathura station. Shanti showed the way to her former home, despite having never been to the village. On reaching her house from her past life, she noted, "Now it is painted white, but then it was yellow." She also knew where Lugdi had hidden money and pointed out changes she noticed along the way in the village.

Shanti recognized her previous life’s parents from among a group of 50 people, hugging them and breaking into tears. She also recognized Lugdi's sister among a crowd.

Researchers involved in the study agreed that Shanti somehow retained memories of her life in Mathura and could find no logical explanation for the phenomenon. Later, Dr. Ian Stevenson, head of the Psychiatry Department at the University of Virginia and an authority on research into past life memories, studied her case and the people involved. He wrote that the statements Shanti made as recollections of her past life corresponded with verified facts.

Memories from past lives are a fascinating phenomenon, suggesting our world is not merely physical and earthly, but spiritual as well. Paranormal phenomena like these illustrate there exists in humanity a component beyond the physical body, the soul.

Why Do We Have Reincarnation?

Judaism explains there is an essential purpose hidden behind the spiritual cycle of a soul returning for another life. Originally, the soul resides in a spiritual chamber in higher realms, called the 'soul chamber,' until the moment comes when it is decided it will descend to our world into a body and live an earthly life. Before descending to our world, it is reminded that its duty is to fulfill the will of its Creator, Hashem, for which it was created. When it successfully completes its mission, it will be awarded everlasting spiritual delight beyond our comprehension. However, if it forgets why it was created and leads a life astray from Hashem, it will face various correction paths at its life’s end. One such path of correction is 'reincarnation,' effectively giving the soul another chance.

The sages of Israel explain from the verse in the Prophets "For three transgressions of Israel, yea for four, I will not reverse it" (Amos 2:6), that an individual is given only three opportunities to descend to this world and correct themselves in the pursuit of faithful adherence to the Torah of Israel and achieving their set spiritual goal. If in the three opportunities provided, the individual fails to ameliorate themselves even a little, they are not granted another chance to reunite through reincarnation.

What are soul sparks? Which soul will a person rise with at the resurrection of the dead? And for which transgression does one not merit rising at the resurrection? Rabbi Zamir Cohen answers everything in a short and fascinating video: