Reduced death distress and greater meaning in life among individuals reporting past life memory

Sincere, nonpsychotic people who report recalling memories from previous lives risk the stigma of mental illness. Accordingly, we tested hypotheses about possible psychological benefits that people reporting past life memory (PLM) may receive, such as reduced distress about their own mortality and enhanced existential meaning. To test these hypotheses, we recruited 40 participants who reported PLM and compared their death distress and meaningfulness of life data with that of 35 participants who reported having memories from only one life (i.e., their current one). Participants completed questionnaires regarding death-related distress (fear, depression, or anxiety regarding personal mortality) and meaning in life (presence of meaning and searching for meaning). Participants also rated the vividness of their PLM and certainty that their experiences signified PLM. Consistent with our hypotheses, relative to the control group, the PLM group reported lower death distress and greater presence of meaning in their lives. Vividness of PLM correlated with certainty that the memory was a PLM. Reduced death distress and enhanced meaning in life may partly explain why some people interpret certain unusual experiences, such as vivid dreams and déjà vu, as memories from previous lives.