Buzz
Every now and then, we come across stories of people who claim to be reincarnated from someone else. While many of these claims are clearly fabrications, some are harder to dismiss, especially when the individuals reveal private facts about past lives.
Belief in reincarnation varies based on one's religious, cultural, or personal views. Regardless, here are ten fascinating reincarnation tales for you to explore. Decide for yourself whether there’s any truth behind these stories.
10. Ryan
Ryan (born in 2005) was just a young boy when he claimed to be the reincarnation of Marty Martyn, who had passed away about 50 years prior. Ryan recognized Martyn in a photograph. Initially, it seemed hard to believe that someone like Martyn could have been as wealthy as Ryan described, given that Martyn had been merely a movie extra. However, Martyn did eventually acquire great wealth when he became a talent agent.
Martyn had traveled the world on large boats and purchased a grand house with a swimming pool and a piano. Ryan correctly mentioned all of these details. He also added that Martyn had two sisters, one of whom was a dancer, and that his mother had brown, curly hair. Ryan also recalled that Martyn loved sunbathing, was prone to sunburns, and employed an African American maid. All of these facts were true.
Ryan did, however, get a few details wrong in his descriptions of Martyn. For instance, he claimed that Martyn’s home address contained either “Rock” or “Mount.” Martyn’s final address did not include either of those words, but it did contain “Roxbury,” which could be considered similar to “Rock.”
9. Helene Smith
Born Catherine Muller, Helene Smith (1861–1929) asserted that she was the reincarnation of the renowned French queen Marie Antoinette. In addition, she claimed to have been reincarnated as the daughter of an Arab sheikh and the wife of a Hindu prince. Smith worked as a spiritual medium, insisting that she received messages from unseen beings.
Smith often entered trances during which she claimed to communicate with Martians. She also stated that she understood the language of Mars and would frequently speak and write what she believed was Martian. Furthermore, she created drawings depicting the Martian landscape. Her illustrations of Mars featured beings, boats, houses, plants, bridges, and lakes scattered across the Martian surface.
8. Emin Gjinovci
Kosovan Emin Gjinovci (who has varying surname spellings) asserts that he is the reincarnation of Adolf Hitler. Previously a soldier in the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), his colleagues pointed out his striking resemblance to Hitler. People now greet him with “Heil Hitler,” extending their arms just as they did for the original Hitler.
He earns his living by impersonating Hitler in his hometown of Mitrovica. A photograph with him costs between €20 and €80. He is frequently invited to events to appear as Hitler. At funerals, people, often in tears, will stop to talk with him. To fully embody the role of Hitler, Gjinovci carries Nazi swastikas and Hitler’s book, Mein Kampf. He even includes a swastika on his business card.
Gjinovci’s resemblance to Hitler goes beyond his physical appearance. Much like the real Hitler, he has a strong aversion to smoking and is known for arriving early to meetings. He also shares a dislike for the Serbs. He was a member of the KLA during the 1990s conflict against the Serbs.
Regarding his hatred of the Serbs, Gjinovci claims that he views an enemy of his enemy as a friend. Since the Serbs are his enemies, and Hitler also opposed the Serbs, Gjinovci considers Hitler to be his friend. Whether he truly believes he is reincarnated from Hitler or simply adopts this identity for business purposes remains open to interpretation.
7. Shanti Devi
In the 1930s, a young Indian girl named Shanti Devi asserted that she was the reincarnation of a woman named Lugdi Bai. Lugdi was born on January 18, 1902, married at the age of ten, and tragically lost her first child due to a stillbirth. She gave birth to a second child on September 25, 1925, but sadly passed away from pregnancy-related complications on October 4.
Shanti was born on December 11, 1926. As she grew older, she spoke very little, but when she did, she talked about her past husband and children. She mentioned her husband, Kedarnath, who lived in Mathura, and described their son. She also recalled details about her husband’s shop, their home, her clothing, and the activities she used to do with him.
Shanti’s family began taking her claims seriously after she described the way she died, with such detailed knowledge of surgical procedures that even a physician was astonished. She was too young to have had any understanding of these things. Later, her family arranged for her to meet Kedarnath’s cousin.
Shanti recognized her husband’s cousin immediately. When she eventually met Kedarnath, she also recognized him, even though she had been introduced to him as her former husband’s brother. The news of her alleged reincarnation spread throughout India, and Mahatma Gandhi appointed a team of 15 people to investigate her claims.
The investigation team traveled with Shanti to Mathura, where she identified several familiar faces, explained how things had changed since her death, and even guided them to her husband’s house, despite having never visited it before. The findings were published and attracted global attention. Sture Lonnerstrand, a Swedish man who went to India to debunk Shanti’s story, concluded that her story was indeed true.
6. King Arthur Pendragon
King Arthur Pendragon, or rather John Rothwell, who changed his name legally to King Arthur Pendragon, claims to be the reincarnation of the legendary King Arthur Pendragon himself.
Once an ordinary biker, Rothwell’s life took a turn in 1986 when he discovered the story of King Arthur. Believing the similarities between his own life and the legendary king’s were too great to be coincidental, Rothwell declared himself as Arthur’s reincarnation. To solidify his claim, he founded the Loyal Arthurian Warband and knighted several loyal followers in a grand show of royalty.
However, living as King Arthur in the modern world came with its own challenges. For instance, Rothwell holds worship sessions at Stonehenge, but English Heritage charges him and his followers for parking their vehicles. King Arthur, however, remarked that in his previous life, no one ever asked for a fee to tether his horse at Stonehenge. So why was it different now?
He took the matter of the parking tickets to court, arguing that the charges were an infringement on his right to worship. However, the judge ruled that the parking fees were a “reasonable and legal measure.” Despite this, the king continues to assert that the fees are unjust and violate his human rights, claiming he is being forced to “pay to pray.”
5. Serge Benhayon
Serge Benhayon, an Australian, believes he is the reincarnation of the renowned Italian polymath, Leonardo da Vinci. Benhayon is the founder of Universal Medicine, a controversial alternative medical organization that has faced significant criticism for its unconventional practices.
Among his controversial claims, Benhayon asserts that his “esoteric breast massage” can cure cancer. Additionally, his £23,000 relationship workshops have been linked to numerous divorces. His daughter, Natalie, who collaborates with him, also claims she has the ability to communicate with a woman’s ovaries.
The family members of Benhayon’s patients have accused him of having a controlling influence over their loved ones. Some even drew comparisons between his organization and a cult. Despite these accusations, Benhayon remains unbothered and continues to earn over £1 million annually from his practices. Interestingly, several of his patients were referred to him by legitimate doctors.
4. James Gibson
James Gibson, a drug abuser and convicted murderer, also claims to be the reincarnation of Adolf Hitler. In 2009, at the age of 12, he lost his father in the Black Saturday bushfires that devastated Victoria, Australia. Soon after, he turned to cannabis and later progressed to using crystal methamphetamine at just 14. By the time he was 15, he was using LSD.
On April 3, 2015, Gibson murdered Glen Sullivan by striking him in the head with a baseball bat. After Sullivan collapsed, Gibson hit him again. Sullivan succumbed to brain damage and skull fractures a week later. When a witness questioned Gibson about the attack, he responded, “He killed my dad. I saw it in the smoke.”
Gibson later confessed to a psychiatrist that he believed he was the reincarnation of Adolf Hitler. He claimed that the Nazis were manipulating him and had commanded him to kill someone in order to be recognized and retrieved by a Nazi team. As a result, Gibson was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
3. Luke Ruehlman
At just two years old, Luke Ruehlman claimed to be the reincarnation of a woman from Chicago named Pam. Living with his mother, Erica, in Ohio, Luke often mentioned Pam. Initially, Erica paid little attention, dismissing Pam as a fictional friend his son had imagined.
When Erica finally asked Luke about Pam, he explained that Pam was his name in a previous life. He went on to describe how he had died in a fire and had ascended to Heaven, only for God to send him back to Earth as a baby. After conducting an online search, Erica found that a woman named Pam Robinson had perished in a hotel fire in Chicago in 1993.
While some might regard Luke’s reincarnation claim as a fabrication, two things stood out. First, Erica had never mentioned Chicago to Luke. Even if he had somehow overheard the city’s name, there was no explanation for how he was able to accurately identify a photograph of Pam from multiple pictures.
2. Boriska Kipriyanovich
In a world where many claim to be reincarnated as notable figures, it was inevitable that someone would assert they are the reincarnation of an alien. Enter Boriska Kipriyanovich, the Russian man who insists he is the reincarnation of a Martian who passed away.
Boriska states that he once lived on Mars until he perished in a nuclear war. Before the conflict, he was part of a Martian team that frequently visited Earth, even meeting with ancient Egyptians during one of their missions. He further claims that Martians have uncovered part of the secret to immortality, with technology that halts aging once they reach 35.
According to Boriska, our spacecraft are unable to detect life on Mars because the planet was destroyed in the war, with the remaining Martians now residing underground. He also mentions that Martians can breathe carbon dioxide, which makes the lack of oxygen on Mars irrelevant to their survival.
1. Rajesh
In 2005, 12-year-old Rajesh and his brother were constructing a small mud house when their father, who struggled with mental instability, destroyed it. This act enraged Rajesh, and in his fury, he hurled a brick at his father. The brick struck his father’s head, causing severe injuries. After the incident, Rajesh became mute, refraining from speaking a single word for two months.
When Rajesh eventually spoke again, he communicated in English, adopting an American accent. This was surprising, as he had previously only spoken Hindi and had never been exposed to English. He also seemed to have lost the ability to speak Hindi. Rajesh claimed he could speak English because he was the reincarnation of an unnamed American scientist.
Zee News later refuted the story, revealing that Rajesh still understood Hindi, even though he would respond in English. His English was also subpar and the accent seemed forced. Reports indicated that he had learned English by watching the Hollywood film Total Recall.
