Return From Heaven: Beloved Relatives Reincarnated Within Your Family

by Carol Bowman

What if you could see a loved one who has died, not in a future spiritual realm, but here and now, in this lifetime? It is possible, says Carol Bowman, author of Children’s Past Lives and a pioneer in reincarnation studies. Based on in-depth research and direct observation of very young children, she shows in this groundbreaking book how common it is for beloved relatives to reincarnate into the same family. Typical families share how their children -- some as young as two and still in diapers -- speak spontaneously of intimate details from the lives of a family member they never knew. These true stories shed new light on age-old questions of family Do we choose our parents? What relationships survive death? What happens to the soul after a miscarriage or abortion? Bowman offers hope for anyone who has lost a beloved relative and longs to be reunited again.

Genres: Spirituality, Nonfiction, Supernatural, Paranormal

288 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 30, 2001

About the author

Carol Bowman, M.S. is an internationally known author, lecturer, counselor, past life regression therapist, and pioneer in reincarnation studies. Her books, Children’s Past Lives (Bantam, 1997) and Return from Heaven (HarperCollins, 2001) are now classics in the reincarnation field, and have been published and read around the world in 22 foreign editions.

Carol has been a practicing past life regression therapist for adults for 30 years. She is a graduate of Simmons College in Boston. She studied with the pioneers in the field of past life regression, and holds an M.S. in Counseling from Villanova University.

TV and Radio
Carol has been a leading spokesperson for children’s past lives since the publication of her first book in 1997. She is often invited to be a guest on TV and radio, and has appeared as a reincarnation expert on Oprah, Good Morning America, The Katie Show, Unsolved Mysteries, A&E, Discovery Channel, ABC Primetime, the BBC in England, on The Art Bell Show, and on Coast to Coast with George Noory. She has lectured in Brazil, Norway, Belgium, Ireland, Spain, Canada, the Netherlands, and at the Omega Institute and the Edgar Cayce Foundation.

Reviews

[Roberta Grimes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carol Bowman has studied the past-life memories of children. While most of Ian Stevenson’s subjects remembered only their most recent lives, Bowman studied children whose present lives appeared to have been affected by traumas suffered in more distant lifetimes. She also has studied the phenomenon of children quickly reincarnating within the same family, which appears to happen fairly often when infants or toddlers die.

[Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book when I came across it during research for material to use on my book tour for The Sid Series ~ A Collection of Holistic Stories for Children. I have a grandson (Sidney) who spoke of his attempt to enter my body as my own child in 1978. I wasn't certain I had been pregnant or miscarried until he confirmed that he was the soul trying to be born to me. He was upset that I let his daddy (1979) and aunt (1983) be born to me, but not him. I explained to him (and myself!) what happened and we were both able to find peace about it.

Sid also spoke of trying to help his sister, Elizabeth, find him. He has no sister in this life. His mom miscarried twice before Baby Jonas was born this year (2009) now that Sidney is eight years old. After reading Carol's book, I searched our family tree and found an ancestor by that name. Thanks to what I learned in this book about pre-birth announcements, I now have confirmation that a soul who was very close to me has reincarnated as one of my seven grandsons. My dream two nights before he was born was in fact a visitation by that soul.

I can't thank the author enough for researching and presenting this information in an easy-to-read and very interesting book. If anyone has miscarried a baby, lost a baby at birth, or had an abortion, this book is a must-read. You will gain an understanding that has not been presented in any other book I've read on the topic.

Yvonne Perry

[Katie Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books ever.

[Priyanka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knowing that souls are born into same families did not come as a shocker. This meant that souls are often born into their primary soul groups. The thought that many aren't born into their primary soul groups saddened me. The love and support of our primary soul group is likely to be extraordinary. These are the stories we hear about people who are extremely close to their parent/ grandparent/ sibling/ spouse/ child. I never could understand them because I have not felt such a close connection with anyone in my immediate circle. However, these connections are formed for spiritual growth and in most likely hood it helps the soul evolve.

Also, I have often wondered why would any soul choose a difficult life. If we are allowed to choose our families, why would someone choose to be born into a brothel or prison or on the street. In this book, however, that question was answered and it made a some sense.

The simplistic and cruel definition of Karma, eye for an eye, has always bothered me. The Universe has to be inherently cruel if Karma did work that way. To create a flawed entity like a human and then punish it for the flaws is almost sadistic in nature. Despite the stories in this book, I have not arrived at any sensible idea about Karma. The search is on...

[Lori Gertz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be a very thought provoking read! I enjoyed where it took me and recommend it to anyone with an open mind about reincarnation.

[Noella · Rating 5 out of 5]

in bezit

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book I enjoyed because it fits and reinforces my belief system. I would not recommend this to someone who adheres strongly to a "once and done" belief of the nature of life. I already believe that my eternal spirit is just having an experience in this physical incarnation and if it were to choose to have another that should not seem impossible.

That said, there is no way that the author can convince you that she's not making these accounts up or that she is not being duped by people who are making them up or that the people's accounts aren't just the wistful delusions of grieving souls. Either you accept the potential for their reality or you do not.

If you do not, don't read this book.

If you do, then perhaps it is just preaching to the choir.

That's a funny analogy by the way, because most religions with choirs don't accept reincarnation as a possibility. Early Christianity believed in it but once the Romans codified Christianity reincarnation was forbidden in order to stress the gravity of appropriate behavior during ones current lifetime. All roads didn't lead to Rome. They led to heaven or hell.

This review is going way off track!

"Return From Heaven" is most compelling when it recounts the case studies of Ms. Bowman. I actually stated to just skim over her inter-case discourses.

This book discusses the actual timing of when a soul may join with the physical manifestation. And, no surprise, it varies. Just like people always do.

This point would be critical to the right-to-life movement but that is inhabited purely by "once and done" believers so they will never accept any of this.

Assuming that you are still reading this then you have some affinity for reincarnation. This book adds an interesting dimension to the endless wheel of life that some believe to be humanity's curse.

It proposes that not only do souls come back in new bodies but that they can choose those bodies and they may even, often choose to reincarnate into the same family. So a mother who loses a young child may have it again. Or a beloved relative may return as a child.

Again, the case studies are compelling and inspiring but only if you believe it is possible.

This book will not convert you.

[Patrick Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book examines case histories of reincarnation but not normal reincarnation. Reincarnation within the same family. She interviews parents who are convinced that their child is a reincarnated family member. Why are they convinced? Birth marks on the child that coincide with scares or injuries of the deceased family member. Statements by the children at a young age that they were here before and so and so, whom they never knew. Statements that accurately reflect happenings before their birth that would be unkown to them or even a secret.

Statements on miscarriages and changed thoughts about coming back. Talk about how parents are chosen. yes, this all sounds far out, it all sounds like science fiction. But the studies and the people described and their expereiences do tend to cause a person to think. If you believe in reincarnation this book will be a great read for you with more evidence that it does exist. If you are not sure what you believe you will find this book interesting. If you firmly do not believe you will not be impressed I'm sure.

It was an interesting book for me that presented many things to think on. It's a simple read and you can follow it easy. Chapters are broken down by cases and the author explains how they were brought to her attention, what she did to follow through and the information she was provided by the people involved. Not much guess work on her part that I see.

Bottom line, if it's your topic, it'll be enjoyable for you, if not, you might want to pass.

[Randy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating. Highly recommended.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was recommended by a good friend who, like me, is totally into psychics/reincarnation/past life regression/etc. I am interested in the topic (people we love can sometimes return to us) but this book didn't do it for me like I thought it would. I definitely believe this can happen and really enjoyed some of the stories, especially in cases where the person returns and has scars where the deceased had scars. For some reason, though, the stories got repetitive after awhile. Furthermore, the writing style for each first person narrative is incredibly lame. I don’t know if it’s the author’s fault or the people relaying the stories but several times I thought, “this woman/man sounds like the biggest dork in the history of the world.” Goofy, hokey, and cheesy are all things that come to mind. Another odd facet to the book is a discussion on abortion. First, there’s some debate as to when a soul attaches and it’s implied that it happens later in the pregnancy (but can vary). Yet, some of the stories in the book include kids that were terminated and later reappeared, so that seemed inconsistent. Her proof that this reappearance happens is that there have been many young children who return and tell their parents they remember the abortion. They are able to relay in great detail what happened (this while the reincarnated kid is young, like 2 years old, and using vocabulary and scenarios way beyond his/her grasp). Then the author goes on to make a point that in an abortion the body is damaged and not the soul and this should comfort anyone who’s had to make this decision. And while I appreciate this viewpoint, the fact the kid remembers the procedure is highly disturbing. Although this was meant to comfort I think if it were me I’d feel doubly horrified. Beyond this, ultimately I had trouble with the book overall. I couldn’t connect to the stories because I just kept thinking how seriously weirded out I’d feel if I thought one of my daughters was some dead grandfather/teenage son/grandmother/brother/etc. Even though I am 100% sure my youngest has “been here” before, and I spent the first six months of her life trying to figure out HOW I knew her before because I am positive I did, I still like to think of both my kids as their own interesting and unique individuals. This is probably what prevented me from liking the book more. I just kept thinking I don’t want my kids to be anyone else but themselves.

[Katherine Parker · Rating 2 out of 5]

How can you be your own mother's mother? No, it's not a tale of hillbilly families, not an account of cutting edge embryo storage and surrogacy. It's REINCARNATION! If you think your child acts a lot like your dead uncle, it could be that he IS your dead uncle, and this book will tell you some signs to look for.

Some people go for bodice rippers, others curl up with a fantasy novel with populated by dragons and elves, and another crowd goes for some good sci-fi action set on a lonely asteroid. When I want me some junkfood reading, books about the paranormal is where it's at for me.

Seiously, I think Carol Bowman had made an honest effort to document and investigate these cases as rigorously as one can investigate them, and she does have some cases outlined that are pretty convincing. But, I am like Fox Mulder, I really do want to believe. The world would be a magical place if this is how it works.

[Slaa!!! · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book! I think the fact that it was written by a woman added a nice element to it - more emotion and story-telling, while other male authors writing books on this subject tend to focus more on science and proof. This was great.

[patricia · Rating 1 out of 5]

acho que funciona pra quem tem crença e gosta de livro autoajuda/autoestima. não eh meu casokfkdssjk. o livro eh da minha mãe e ela me entregou pra ler não me prendeu nem nada mas se ela for ler acho que ela vai gostar então ne.......

[Jackie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yes, I actually paid good money for this book. I read it a few weeks ago, and all I remember is that it was REALLY nutty (of course I probably should have guessed that from the title).

[Karen Thompson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just couldn't get into this book. I guess I have too much doubt and skepticism in my blood.

[Renee · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

This is some kind of bullshit on a whole another level. You cannot convince me that a two-year-old child can speak full sentences and discuss its previous life.

[Carla Parreira]

Melhores trechos: “…Se retornamos a mesma família num período de tempo relativamente curto, retomamos o problema no ponto em que o deixamos antes de morrer…
Nos primeiros anos de vida, certas crianças confundem o passado com o presente e se identificam com as lembranças e o corpo de suas vidas passadas. Por isso cabe aos pais mostrar-lhes essa diferença, repetindo-lhes que se encontram num novo corpo. Suas almas parecem entender a distinção…
À medida que o número de casos crescer e a reencarnação ganhar respeitabilidade, a perspectiva das vidas passadas poderá virar de cabeça para baixo a psicologia e o estudo do desenvolvimento infantil… Cada encarnação nos oferece a oportunidade de melhorar nossos erros, por mais cruéis que tenham sido, em vez de sermos eternamente condenados por eles. E também nos confere inúmeras oportunidades de compreender o que quer que precisemos aprender sobre a condição humana. Por isso, o objetivo da retrospectiva de vida e do processo de planejamento é escolher uma encarnação com a medida certa de desafios e oportunidades de aprendizagem e desenvolvimento…
As crianças ainda não foram treinadas ou condicionadas para não acreditar naquilo que sua percepção sinaliza. Por isso, ver e conversar com avós, pais ou irmãos que já morreram é, para elas, uma situação comum. Tais conversas não são como aqueles monólogos associados a brincadeiras imaginárias, mas diálogos com pausas apropriadas em que a criança demonstra estar ouvindo com atenção. Algumas vezes, ela transmite mensagens especificas que causam perplexidade nos adultos porque contêm informações ou detalhes precisos sobre a pessoa morta, dos quais a criança não teria conhecimento…
Se cada espírito tem o objetivo fundamental de se elevar, em cada cruzamento nos juntamos a outros espíritos e temos a oportunidade mutua de crescer, evoluir e nos tornar seres humanos mais amorosos, compassivos e capazes de perdoar. Em alguns desses cruzamentos, encontramos as chamadas almas gêmeas – aquelas com as quais compartilhamos laços profundamente positivos no passado. Geralmente pensamos numa alma gêmea como um namorado ou um cônjuge, mas pode ser qualquer pessoa: uma criança que ilumina nossa vida, um professor que nos indica o caminho, um amigo querido que nos compreende de forma irrestrita. São espíritos que nos afetam de maneira tão profunda que assumem um lugar de destaque em nossos corações por toda a vida. Podemos também encontrar relacionamentos difíceis, desafiadores e até perigosos nesses cruzamentos. Um marido agressivo, um chefe que nos persegue ou um adversário que nos engana podem ser professores involuntários de lições dolorosas, porém necessárias. Relacionamentos difíceis como esses nos forçam a mudar de direção, defender a nós mesmos ou encontrar forças e recursos interiores que desconhecíamos. Embora no momento possa ser difícil acreditar, numa perspectiva cósmica também existem propósitos e amor nesses encontros…”

[Delene · Rating 3 out of 5]

My uncle who lost his wife 3 years ago gave me this book to read. There are several case studies in the book that can’t be explained away as coincidences. But I’m still not convinced.

[Sara Casalino · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so fascinating! It just blows my mind.

[Fran Ferreira · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bom, eu tenho esse livro tem muito tempo, comprei em uma época que comecei a despertar para a literatura. Na época comprei vários livros sem saber o tema e esse estava na compra junto com um outro lido, enfim, no ano passado amadureci o interesse de ler sobre outras "religiões"/crenças para tentar entender o porque as pessoas são atraídas, se sentem confortáveis a seguirem alguma religião/crença. Conforme for me dando vontade, vou lendo.
Como o objetivo da leitura é entender e aprender, não fui com julgamentos para ler, acredito que isso me bloquearia. Claro que tenho minhas observações particulares em que acredito ou não ou em como acredito, por isso vou descreve sobre o livro e não sobre minhas conclusões pessoais.

Bom, o livro é formado por relatos em que a autora veio recolhendo nos seus anos de pesquisa, e em como ela foi aprendendo e ajudando as pessoas ao longo dos anos.
O livro é curto porém não achei uma leitura arrastada, fluiu bem, dá para ler em um dia de forma tranquila. Não tive dificuldade alguma de entender o que a autora queria passar. Sinceramente nunca parei para pensar em nichos para a reencarnação, o que no fim faz sentido, já que tudo na vida tem um hahahahahah.
Houve três momentos em que "marquei" para entender o que estava sendo passado versus os que acredito, foi interessante.

Boa leitura e compreensão a quem fizer.

[Karen T · Rating 4 out of 5]

3-1/2 stars! I was a little disappointed with this book compared to her first one, “Children’s Past Lives,” which is one of my favorite books. I would’ve liked if she had researched her stories in more detail, instead of speaking about research from Dr. Stevenson, Raymond Moody, etc. I was also hoping that Carol Bowman would’ve hired the hypnotherapist from Florida, that she mentioned in “Children’s Past Lives,” who hypnotized her own children, to do her own type of research with the families she interviewed for this book. I still enjoyed this book and the stories she shared, despite the lack of detailed research I was hoping for.

[Crystal Wormser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating.