Do Cases of the Reincarnation Type Show Similar Features Over Many Years? A Study of Turkish Cases a Generation Apart

In order to examine stability over time in the features of cases of the reincarnation type in Turkey, 45 cases studied by one investigator were compared with 45 later cases studied by another investigator. The two sets of cases occurred about a generation apart. On the side of the subject 9 features were compared; on the side of the concerned deceased person (the “previous personality”) 3 features were compared. Overall, the two groups of cases showed closely similar features. Three differences appear due to dissimilar emphases on the part of the investigators when they interviewed informants. A fourth difference — a lower incidence of homicide in the later series — reflects increased peacefulness among the Alevis of south central Turkey in the last few decades.