New Clothes for Old Souls: World Wide Evidence for Reincarnation

Guy Lyon Playfair surveys reported cases suggestive of reincarnation from Brazil, Sri Lanka, Lebanon and elsewhere, concentrating on children who describe alleged previous lives. Some accounts include apparently accurate names, family details, recognitions, birthmarks or unusual language abilities, while others involve twins and memories associated with violent or premature deaths.

The book also traces the development of modern reincarnation research, discussing the work of Ian Stevenson and other investigators who collected and assessed such reports. Its later chapters consider whether the evidence is better understood as fact, fantasy or mistaken interpretation. An appendix by Erlendur Haraldsson examines three Lebanese cases involving children who claimed to remember past lives.