Reincarnation, the concept of a soul or spirit undergoing rebirth into a new body, is a central belief for millions globally. While narratives often focus on past lives as other humans, a fascinating and less common question arises: Do Humans Reincarnate As Animals? Instances of individuals claiming memories of non-human past lives challenge conventional views and open a dialogue on the nature of consciousness, telepathy, and the intricate web of existence. This exploration delves into a notable case study, a medical doctor’s personal telepathic experiences, and interpretations from parapsychological research and spiritual insights, seeking to shed light on this intriguing question.
The Dalawong Case: A Child’s Claim of a Snake Past Life
One of the most compelling reported cases involving a potential animal past life is that of Dalawong, a young boy from Thailand. This case was investigated by Francis Story, an associate of Dr. Ian Stevenson, a pioneer in the systematic study of children’s spontaneous past-life memories at the University of Virginia. Story interviewed Dalawong, his family, and other relevant individuals, and the case was later summarized in a pamphlet and an article in the Bangkok Times, as well as being included in Dr. Jim Tucker’s book, “Return to Life, Extraordinary Cases of Children Who Remember Past Lives.”
Investigating the Dalawong Case
Francis Story, a British citizen deeply interested in Buddhism and reincarnation, meticulously documented Dalawong’s claims. Dalawong reportedly recalled not one, but two animal incarnations before his current human life: first as a deer killed by a hunter, and subsequently as a cobra. The detailed memories he described were specific enough to allow for investigation.
The Alleged Snake Past Life Memories
As the cobra, Dalawong claimed to remember being in a cave when he was attacked by two dogs. A struggle ensued, and the owner of the dogs entered the cave and killed him. Before dying, the snake allegedly bit the human on the shoulder. The man took the snake’s body home and cooked it, sharing the meat with an acquaintance who would later become Dalawong’s father. The man who killed the snake was identified as Mr. Hiew.
Dalawong Recognizes His Killer and Seeks Revenge
A significant aspect of the case occurred when Dalawong was three years old. At a party next door, he encountered Mr. Hiew for the first time in his current life. Dalawong immediately recognized Mr. Hiew as the man who killed him as a snake. Overcome with rage and seeking retribution, Dalawong attempted to find a weapon to attack Mr. Hiew. His mother witnessed this reaction, and Dalawong explained his anger by recounting the incident in the cave, describing the attack by the dogs and Mr. Hiew’s role in killing him. When this story was related to Mr. Hiew, he confirmed that such an incident involving him, his dogs, and a cobra in a cave had indeed occurred exactly as Dalawong described.
Evidence: The Snake Bite Scar
Adding further potential corroboration to Dalawong’s claim, he reportedly touched Mr. Hiew’s left shoulder and stated that the snake had bitten him there. Mr. Hiew confirmed that he did have a scar on that precise spot from a snake bite incurred during the cave incident. Both Dalawong and his mother insisted that they had never met Mr. Hiew before the party and that Dalawong could not have known these details through normal means.
A dog similar to those that attacked the cobra in the cave according to the Dalawong case.
Later Life: Dalawong Becomes a Shaman
Jurgen Keil, another associate of Dr. Stevenson, followed up on the Dalawong case twenty years after the initial confrontation. As an adult, Dalawong was known to regularly visit the cave where he claimed his snake life ended. He would meditate there and, through this practice, reportedly gained knowledge about using herbs for healing. He became recognized in local villages as a lay medical doctor or shaman.
Ichthyosis as a Potential Reincarnation Mark
An unusual physical detail also emerged: Dalawong developed ichthyosis, a dermatological condition causing scale-like skin, particularly on his legs, somewhat resembling snake skin. Dr. Stevenson’s research had noted cases where individuals who died from traumatic wounds in a past life would have birthmarks or scars at the same location in a subsequent incarnation. He hypothesized that the mind or soul might influence the physical body in the next life. Dr. Tucker suggested that Dalawong’s ichthyosis could be a variant of this birthmark phenomenon, potentially linked to the traumatic death in the claimed snake life.
Exploring Related Phenomena: Telepathy and Spirit Beings
The Dalawong case, while suggestive, is complex. Researchers like Walter Semkiw, MD, who studies reincarnation, have explored alternative explanations for such claims, often involving concepts like telepathy, split consciousness, and the involvement of spirit beings.
The Role of Spirit Beings in Reincarnation Research
Reports of spirit beings influencing or guiding reincarnation cases are not uncommon in the research, including in cases studied by Dr. Ian Stevenson. Dr. Semkiw himself claims to work with a spirit guide named Ahtun Re, channeled through medium Kevin Ryerson. Semkiw describes Ahtun Re as having an encyclopedic range of knowledge and the ability to make accurate past-life identifications, convincing Semkiw that Ahtun Re is a discarnate spirit separate from the medium.
Victorian era illustration possibly depicting a spirit or ghost, related to discussions of spirit beings in reincarnation cases.
A Medical Doctor’s Telepathic Experiences
Dr. Semkiw, a trained psychiatrist familiar with hallucinations and delusions, shares personal telepathic experiences that he believes are relevant to understanding phenomena like animal reincarnation claims. Most of his telepathic experiences related to information guiding his reincarnation research.
My Personal Account: A Telepathic Squirrel Encounter
Dr. Semkiw recounts a specific telepathic experience involving a squirrel in his backyard. Having regularly fed and interacted with these squirrels, fostering a unique connection, he was working in his medical office several miles away when he received a vivid visual image. He saw a squirrel on his deck, standing upright and appearing abnormally large (about 7 feet tall). Simultaneously, he received a strong telepathic impression of distress and confusion from the squirrel.
At the same time, Dr. Semkiw telepathically heard himself respond to the squirrel, “Well at least she didn’t have her dogs.” This phrase referred to his wife’s niece and her large, excitable Labrador Retrievers, who never visited their home due to his wife’s fear of large dogs. The experience was brief but profoundly bizarre and unexpected, as he hadn’t been thinking of squirrels or his niece’s dogs.
A squirrel, similar to the one involved in Walter Semkiw’s telepathic experience.
Decoding the Squirrel Message: Split Consciousness and Remote Viewing
Upon returning home that evening, Dr. Semkiw discovered the meaning of his telepathic experience. His wife’s niece had unexpectedly visited her grandfather (Dr. Semkiw’s father-in-law) that afternoon. She opened the sliding glass door near the deck to air out the house. A squirrel came to the open door, likely expecting food. Unaware of the squirrels being habitually fed, she vigorously yelled at it to chase it away, describing herself as aggressive to ensure it wouldn’t return. This incident occurred around 3:30 PM, the same time Dr. Semkiw had his telepathic vision and message.
Dr. Semkiw’s telepathic response, “At least she doesn’t have her dogs,” made sense in context: the squirrel’s fear was palpable, and it could have been worse if the niece’s large dogs had been present and also scared it away aggressively. This experience led Dr. Semkiw to conclude that a part of his consciousness was aware of the event happening miles away, communicating telepathically with the squirrel, while his day-to-day consciousness in his office had no idea.
The Concept of Split Incarnation
This phenomenon, where consciousness seems to exist in different locations simultaneously, ties into the concept of “split incarnation,” which Dr. Semkiw discusses based on his work with Ahtun Re. This theory suggests that one soul can animate more than one body at a time. Dr. Semkiw relates the experience of a friend who seemingly shares thoughts and dreams with an accomplished businesswoman he met, leading them to believe they are “splits,” “twin souls,” or in “parallel lives.” This suggests that the soul’s consciousness might be more expansive and less confined to a single body than typically assumed.
Different Interpretations of the Dalawong Case
Given the complexities of the Dalawong case and the phenomena of telepathy and split consciousness, alternative interpretations have been proposed regarding Dalawong’s conviction that he was a snake in a past life.
Ahtun Re’s Perspective: Shaman Soul Witnessing, Not Snake Incarnation
Dr. Semkiw consulted Ahtun Re about the Dalawong case and his theory that Dalawong might have had a psychic connection with snakes, leading to a misinterpretation of his past life. Ahtun Re stated that Dalawong was not a snake but had a past life as a shaman who meditated in the same cave where the snake incident occurred. In that shaman lifetime, Dalawong had a strong affinity for and telepathic connections with snakes and other animals. According to Ahtun Re, the shaman’s soul, after death, continued to visit the cave. This spirit soul was present during the altercation between the cobra, Mr. Hiew, and his dogs.
Through a telepathic connection (perhaps drawn by the snake, similar to the squirrel telepathically appealing to Semkiw), the shaman’s soul experienced the snake’s death. This soul then followed Mr. Hiew, witnessed him sharing the snake meat meal with Dalawong’s future father, and, feeling a connection to the father, decided to reincarnate as his child, Dalawong. Dalawong, as a child, accessed the vivid memories of the snake’s death as witnessed by his own soul in spirit form, not as the snake itself. The error, according to this interpretation, was Dalawong’s misinterpretation of these soul-level memories as being the snake.
Dr. Jim Tucker’s Interpretation: Consciousness Associated, Not Identical
Dr. Jim Tucker, in his book, found it difficult to accept that Dalawong was literally a snake in a past life. However, he offered a hypothesis that aligns somewhat with Ahtun Re’s interpretation: “What I can consider, however, is that a consciousness was associated with the snake while also apart from it.” This suggests that a consciousness (like the shaman’s soul) could be connected to an animal’s experience without actually inhabiting the animal’s body.
Soul Journeys and Behavioral Repetition Across Lives
Reincarnation research often indicates that souls can choose future parents and tend to repeat behaviors, talents, or interests across lifetimes. The fact that Dalawong, as an adult, returned to meditate in the cave and became a shaman aligns with Ahtun Re’s claim that he had a past life as a shaman doing essentially the same thing in the same location. While this specific past life as a shaman is not independently validated in the same way as Dalawong’s current life details, this consistency in behavior supports patterns observed in other researched reincarnation cases.
Conclusion: Telepathy, Compassion, and the Purpose of Reincarnation
The question of Do Humans Reincarnate As Animals remains a subject of debate and different interpretations. The Dalawong case, combined with phenomena like telepathy and the concept of consciousness operating beyond a single physical form, suggests that while literal human-to-animal physical reincarnation might be rare or nonexistent according to some views (like Ahtun Re’s), deep telepathic or spiritual connections between human souls and animals can occur. Experiences or memories derived from these connections might be interpreted by individuals as having been that animal in a past life.
Such interpretations, supported by the idea of the interconnectedness of all living beings, can foster empathy and compassion for animal life, aligning with principles found in faiths like Hinduism that advocate for vegetarianism. From the perspective of Ahtun Re, the purpose of reincarnation is soul evolution. A soul that has progressed through human lives, which offer unique opportunities for growth, would gain little benefit from incarnating as an animal driven primarily by instinct. However, Ahtun Re does suggest that pets developing strong emotional bonds with humans might reincarnate to be with their owners, highlighting a special type of connection. Ultimately, exploring these cases, whether interpreted as direct reincarnation or as complex interactions of consciousness and telepathy, encourages a broader understanding of life, consciousness, and our relationship with all sentient beings.
Note to Readers: Dr. Ian Stevenson’s academic work on reincarnation cases is presented on the IISIS web site in a more accessible format as “children reincarnation stories” to make his research understandable to a broader audience. For those interested in the scientific rigor of his original reports, which detail methods like using multiple witnesses for corroborated testimony, please refer to his published works.
Footnotes:
- Tucker, Jim B., Return to Life, Extraordinary Cases of Children Who Remember Past Lives, St. Martin’s Press, New York, 2013, pages 38-40
- Ibid, page 41
Or view the video on the server at: https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/Past_Life_As_Snake.mp4
