The Case of Ms.Y

One prominent case of reincarnation is studied at Temple University in the class of "Death and Dying" is the case of Ms. Y. This is excerpted from the book "Karma & Reincarnation" by Hiroshi Motoyama. Motoyama discloses that this is not the family's real name due to privacy reasons and anonymity. The author begins by discussing that he does past-life regression therapy, which basically puts a person into a state of hypnosis in which they will most likely not recall when they come to normal consciousness again. During this time people sometimes recall a past life and are able to elaborate and, as said in the previous entry, recall very detailed facts including names and the origin of the previous life.

In this case, Motoyama talks about how Ms. Y came to him because she was experiencing a fit of deep depression. With this is in mind, Motoyama proposed that she try past life regression therapy. During the session, Ms. Y remembered a time 350 years prior to when her father in this life was a samurai at that point in time and she was his daughter. During this lifetime, her father was very well revered but she was having problems in this life. The problem was star-crossed love, her family forebode her from marrying the man she loved very much in her teen years, this threw her into a manic depressive state at the time and she killed herself. (Motoyama 2-3)

Motoyama closely worked with the family for quite some time researching the history of this family that Ms. Y spoke of 350 years prior to. They visited the town that the samurai (Hachirouemon Nakanose) was from in Suwa. They did a lot of research and eventually found the tomb and the family lineage of Nakanose and verified that he did have a daughter who had killed herself over the loss of an unattainable lover.

This case helps dispell the myth that past life regression therapy can cause only false memories. Motoyama knew that Ms. Y had never been to Suwa and had no knowledge of any families in that area, so it was highly improbable that Ms. Y had researched this family and knew the details simply from that. Also, this is not a family who is well known, so it was very unlikely Ms. Y had heard of the family and simply made a story to go along it. All the research the Motoyama did to prove or disprove this case proved helpful and after much digging in libraries and temples, Ms. Y was able to prove that this past life could have actually happened (Motoyama 5).

I found this case very interesting because the age Ms. Y came down with symptoms of depression in her current life is when she had taken her own life because of grief and sorrow in her past life (about 20 years old). I also admired how Motoyama did intensive research to prove or disprove Ms. Y's memories of a past life. Ultimately, I would say that this is a valid case and Motoyama is fairly well revered since his book is being studied at Temple University in the class "Death and Dying"

Citation: Motoyama, Hiroshi. Karma and Reincarnation. Encintitas: CIHS, 2009. Print.