I met Carol Bowman (photo) during the 6th International Spiritist Congress in Valencia, Spain, in 2010. She is not a Spiritist. She is a researcher who has found plenty of evidence of reincarnation among children and adults. Her generosity and open mind took her to the Spiritist event, where she shared her research with people from many countries. This is the interview Carol Bowman gave us:  The idea we have of the Americans

Yes. Americans are just like any other people. Some lean towards spirituality, others are very materialistic and don’t believe in anything beyond the material world. But my experience as someone who grew up in the United States in the 60s is that many of us were going through a big spiritual revolution. We were looking for something, for eastern religions and spirituality. There are millions of people in the US who are very spiritual. 

We know that you began your research thanks to your children… 

Yes, in my first book I make reference to the fact that my two children had memories of their past lives, but I haven’t had the time yet to write about what my daughter remembers. 

You used to be a Catholic. What is your religion now? 

Jewish. 

Was it difficult for you to reconcile your religion with the concept of reincarnation? 

Not really. Some Jews believe in reincarnation because it is in the Kabbalah. Actually, my grandfather was a kabbalist, even though he never talked about it. It is a tradition that goes back to the XII Century at least, when they began to write about the mystical teachings in Spain. They believed in reincarnation. 

So you decide to research and your belief now is based in factual evidence, not on blind faith? 

Yes, I began to believe in life after life when I was a student. I knew reincarnation was a fact, was real, but it became more evident to me when I became ill and remembered events from a previous life. I was cured and I understood that awareness of that previous life played an import role in the recovery. That was one year before my children talking about their memories of past lives. When my son had his memories and was cured I realised the health potential of understanding reincarnation. 

Many people have preconceived ideas and think Spiritism deals with superstition and voodoo. Don’t you fear you will be labelled as a witch, or someone involved in evil practices, for attending a Spiritist event? 

No, not at all! There is nothing to fear. I was very curious, especially as I know reality has other dimensions, where the spirits, the energies are. Thanks to my reincarnation studies I know that our conscience, a form of energy, goes on when we die. Memories also survive, and we bring them back with us when we reincarnate. 

Have you read the books of Allan Kardec? What did you make of it? 

I read The Spirits’ Book a long time ago. I thought it was in many aspects very XIX Century. I know some mediums in the US, some are very good. I think that what they believe in is very attractive and interesting. It is not to say it is out of date, but I have a more straightforward understanding of what goes on after death. 

How do you see the people here, the atmosphere? I am curious as you are the first non-Spiritist I meet in a Spiritist congress. 

I love the people! (Laughs) They are amazing. I talked at a Spiritist congress in Boston last year, where I met Vanessa Anseloni [Brazilian psychologist and neuroscientist based in the US], who invited me to come here. She asked me if my book had been translated into Spanish. It had been translated to 16 languages, but not to Spanish. She then arranged that. I feel really at home. 

You seem very straightforward… 

For some things. For other things I am quite complicated. 

You are married and has two children. What does your husband think of your research? 

I have been married for 37 years, and with the same person… (Laughs) Well, my husband saw the evidence. He supports me, after all he saw the developments with our children, he was there. And he always believed in the existence of spiritual life. But he is a very rational and cautious person, a businessman. 

What do you think you should be doing next in this area? 

It is likely that I will write another book. I feel the need to be alone, go to the computer and write everyday. It will probably be a book about how the memories of past lives affect our current life, from birth to adult age. It will show how the memories change as people get older. I will publish some evidence from my therapy with adults. 

How do you compare your work to that of Edith Fiore, Ian Stevenson?

I do something different, I reach a different audience, a select, sophisticated group of people. Spiritists are well educated, they study the Spiritism, reincarnation. 

But we are simple people. 

Yes, in some ways, but you are sophisticated and are able to have a better understanding of these issues. I feel I was born in the United States probably to be able to present all that evidence as a mother, as someone people can have empathy with, someone who is not presenting a new life philosophy, but palpable evidence. If our children say they can remember their past lives, we must believe them. 

Do all children have dreams and memories of past lives? 

Yes. I believe I can reach many people due to the fact that I am in the United States, which is an international reference. If a person, or a child, go through something similar, they can use the internet to identify what is going on and get help. They will find out that there is nothing wrong with them, it is only memories from past lives. It is a true experience, it is real, and it is very simple.

This interview was originally published in Jornal de Espiritismo da ADEP – Associacao de Divulgadores de Espiritismo de Portugal.