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Across Time And Death: A Mother's Search For Her Past Life Children
The author recounts her search for the children of the woman she believes she was in a previous incarnation
153 pages, Paperback
First published June 11, 1993
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
July 15, 2017
Jenny Cockell retained memories of a former life. In these memories, she died young and left children behind. Across Time and Death documents her acceptance of the memories and her search to find her previous family.
In childhood, my dreams were swamped by memories of Mary's death. ... All this, however, seemed inconsequential beside my fear for the children I was leaving behind." pg 1.
In the religion of my childhood, reincarnation was neither taught nor accepted. But, as I've read different books, I've come to believe that it's true.
I was so curious about it, in fact, that I participated in a past-life regression therapy session. The recording of it is mildly interesting, but mainly traumatic. I saw abuse, a lifetime of servitude and then a death that was penniless and alone in the dark.
The therapist can be heard on the recording, murmuring niceties about being "safe and secure." There was a lot of, "let it go into the light" and "breathe in and out, slowly."
Still, I walked out of that session and haven't gone to another one since. I most likely never will.
If we do indeed live again and again, perhaps there's a reason that we retain no memory of it. That's my two cents. Back to Across Time and Death.
As a child, Jenny understood her past life memories more clearly than when she was an adult. "I had no cause to doubt that these memories were real. I assumed that memories of this kind were normal, and I expected everyone else to have them too." pg 12.
Culture has such power to shape our worldview. Isn't it true that part of the process for choosing the next Dalai Lama is that the candidate has to recognize the previous Lama's belongings?
Jenny's experience with regression through hypnosis seemed to echo mine. "Hypnosis is a strange experience even without the element of regression. All sorts of memories which have been hidden deep within the subconscious and cannot ordinarily be reached can be brought to the surface. This is double edged - both a wonderful and a disturbing experience at the same time." pg 34. Yes.
When Jenny is finally able to overcome all of her doubts and fears, she then has to consider what the, now grown, children are going to think of her. "I needed to ask for help because I was beginning to panic. I wondered if I had any right to disturb Mary's children or, conversely, if I had the right to keep my story from them." pg 107. Which is a legitimate concern.
I'd recommend this book for people who are on the fence or just curious about reincarnation. If your mind is completely made up one way or another, I don't know that Jenny's testimony will mean as much to you.
In childhood, my dreams were swamped by memories of Mary's death. ... All this, however, seemed inconsequential beside my fear for the children I was leaving behind." pg 1.
In the religion of my childhood, reincarnation was neither taught nor accepted. But, as I've read different books, I've come to believe that it's true.
I was so curious about it, in fact, that I participated in a past-life regression therapy session. The recording of it is mildly interesting, but mainly traumatic. I saw abuse, a lifetime of servitude and then a death that was penniless and alone in the dark.
The therapist can be heard on the recording, murmuring niceties about being "safe and secure." There was a lot of, "let it go into the light" and "breathe in and out, slowly."
Still, I walked out of that session and haven't gone to another one since. I most likely never will.
If we do indeed live again and again, perhaps there's a reason that we retain no memory of it. That's my two cents. Back to Across Time and Death.
As a child, Jenny understood her past life memories more clearly than when she was an adult. "I had no cause to doubt that these memories were real. I assumed that memories of this kind were normal, and I expected everyone else to have them too." pg 12.
Culture has such power to shape our worldview. Isn't it true that part of the process for choosing the next Dalai Lama is that the candidate has to recognize the previous Lama's belongings?
Jenny's experience with regression through hypnosis seemed to echo mine. "Hypnosis is a strange experience even without the element of regression. All sorts of memories which have been hidden deep within the subconscious and cannot ordinarily be reached can be brought to the surface. This is double edged - both a wonderful and a disturbing experience at the same time." pg 34. Yes.
When Jenny is finally able to overcome all of her doubts and fears, she then has to consider what the, now grown, children are going to think of her. "I needed to ask for help because I was beginning to panic. I wondered if I had any right to disturb Mary's children or, conversely, if I had the right to keep my story from them." pg 107. Which is a legitimate concern.
I'd recommend this book for people who are on the fence or just curious about reincarnation. If your mind is completely made up one way or another, I don't know that Jenny's testimony will mean as much to you.
August 25, 2019
Interesting book, it was a little difficult to read as it’s about my great grandmother Mary and my grandad Sonny is featured within it the story too.
But it was insightful to learn a little more about my great grandmother.
But it was insightful to learn a little more about my great grandmother.
June 30, 2025
Read this book several years ago. It is one of my all-time favorite books. Even if you don't believe in reincarnation, this will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up.
"For as long as she could remember, Jenny Cockell had known that she had lived before as Mary Sutton, a young Irishwoman ..."
"For as long as she could remember, Jenny Cockell had known that she had lived before as Mary Sutton, a young Irishwoman ..."
April 17, 2016
Turned I read it for the second time, have already read it some 20 years ago. Still interesting and intriguing.
March 27, 2008
This book is so pretty and very well written. It appeals to me on a very personal level from all the experiences and history - I recommend it to everyone!
March 23, 2009
This is an intriguing book. It's hard to imagine that what Jenny finds in the end isn't true. I've seen a TV show where the children all quite elderly now were reunited and discussing the whole thing. I think it's a nice book even just for people who are interested in all things Irish whether you believe in reincarnation or not. But, this book and one called Looking for Caroll Beckwith are two books that I feel go a long way to making past lives seem a reality.
February 25, 2022
This book has stuck with me since the day I read it almost 30 years ago. Facinating. Her attention to detail and her sensitive handling of the subject are to be cherished. An incredible story of one woman’s memories and her quest to discover why she had them, if they were real and what had become of the children. Goose bump stuff that is beautifully documented
May 20, 2019
I read this book many years ago but have never forgotten it. At the time, I was reading several books about past life regression, and this one was absolutely the best.
Every time I see a map of Ireland, I always look for Malahide.
Every time I see a map of Ireland, I always look for Malahide.
February 24, 2019
A favorite. Saw her years ago on Phil Donohue Show. Hard to refute what she remembers. Read it again recently.
March 31, 2021
The things that get published really shouldn't astound me, but then they do.
June 26, 2017
A great story, but not a great book. I found myself skimming.
July 15, 2011
Interesting story about a woman with memories from a previous life as a mother who dies leaving behind her small children. She goes on a quest to find her children who would now be adults. This book is supposed to be an autobiography based on a true story of reincarnation.
Plenty of suspense in discovering what became of her children who had been left with an abusive father. I found the story well written and intriguing from beginning to end.
Plenty of suspense in discovering what became of her children who had been left with an abusive father. I found the story well written and intriguing from beginning to end.
March 9, 2021
©1994 Very interesting true story of a woman who remembers a past life in Ireland in early 20th century. She remember the village, the street names, and the names of her children and, finally as an adult, she goes to Ireland in search of her past.
February 18, 2022
This was a very interesting book, about a mother’s search for her children from a previous life….and reincarnation. It is a very interesting read, similar to “many Lives, Many Masters”, but the author actually helps to find and unite the children from her previous life.
November 3, 2007
A must read if you are interested in past lives.
October 27, 2008
This is so good it's hair-raising. If you believe in past lives, it's a must read.
June 23, 2009
I like this subject matter and I liked the book. I liked to think I will be with my kids.
August 28, 2013
LOVED THIS BOOK
December 22, 2019
This may be one of the most amazing stories I have ever read. It left me with my mind even more open than it had been.
March 29, 2025
I spent a lifetime working in the social sciences and still occasionally pick up books like this from charity shops. There is no reincarnation, we don't have past lives or the expectation of future ones, we don't get carried off by aliens to distant planets, etc., etc., etc. And I'm doing my best not to mention Donald Trump .... aaach, damn.
The human mind is capable of amazing self-delusion, can be sold fantastically fantasized fantasies and can elaborate them into even greater complexity over time. There is a whole industry of abusive so-called therapists and hypnotherapists who will help you uncover lost memories and past lives - and many of these people are just as deluded as the ones they claim to be helping. Some of them are outright, manipulative abusers, milking the vulnerable and the gullible.
[Pause while I try not to mention Don... .]
From the first I was wondering just how abusive was this woman's childhood that she needed escape into fantasy - into the role of being a mother in her own right, albeit it a woman from another era, another community ... and a woman who was already dead?
And a lifetime of obsession with escape from self into another persona? That's bad enough, but here we have a publisher who is simply intent in selling product - surely a responsible publisher would insist on getting a competent therapist and researcher to take this narrative apart because the real story, the real best seller is in exposing how someone's delusions can be made obsessional. That would sell books, that would put bums on seats in lecture halls, that might even make a TV serial.
The human mind is capable of amazing self-delusion, can be sold fantastically fantasized fantasies and can elaborate them into even greater complexity over time. There is a whole industry of abusive so-called therapists and hypnotherapists who will help you uncover lost memories and past lives - and many of these people are just as deluded as the ones they claim to be helping. Some of them are outright, manipulative abusers, milking the vulnerable and the gullible.
[Pause while I try not to mention Don... .]
From the first I was wondering just how abusive was this woman's childhood that she needed escape into fantasy - into the role of being a mother in her own right, albeit it a woman from another era, another community ... and a woman who was already dead?
And a lifetime of obsession with escape from self into another persona? That's bad enough, but here we have a publisher who is simply intent in selling product - surely a responsible publisher would insist on getting a competent therapist and researcher to take this narrative apart because the real story, the real best seller is in exposing how someone's delusions can be made obsessional. That would sell books, that would put bums on seats in lecture halls, that might even make a TV serial.
February 23, 2024
Najpierw obejrzałem film, więc ciekawy byłem jaka jest książka... no jest zupełnie inna bo to nie powieść (muszę jednak przyznać, że historię w filmie też fajnie "ufabularyzowali", dość udany film). Ale książka też jest... przyjemna. Wciąga, nie przynudza, nie jest za długa ani za krótka i co najważniejsze: nie ma tu tego kaznodziejstwa, które tak mnie potrafi zirytować ;) Autorka opisuje swoje przeżycia w sposób nienachalny, po prostu pisze co czuła, o czym śniła, jak zaczęła poszukiwać rodziny, co odkryła i co z tego wynikło. Pisze że nikt nie musi się z nią zgadzać - co mi się podoba, a nie jakieś: "poczułem duszę syna i już jest oczywiste, że istnieje życie po śmieci" ;)
(czytana: 11-19.02.2024)
5/5 [8/10]
(czytana: 11-19.02.2024)
5/5 [8/10]
November 11, 2023
Not typically the kind of book I would read, but it was given to me, so I gave it a shot. I don’t necessarily believe in reincarnation, but tried to read it with an open mind. Fascinating story if you can convince yourself that it’s true. Also nice that the family she was trying to find accepted her beliefs of her being their reincarnated mother. Came off as a bit absurd to me. Glad it was a short book.
July 4, 2025
very interesting and very unusual. could have done with some editing and distilling, especially when Jenny writes about her feelings and mental progress with the whole concept - she repeated herself far too much on this; the point was already made. nevertheless a decent read. I would have liked to know more about what happened to Mary's husband and when/how he died.
May 19, 2024
Apesar das várias partes repetidas que me fez ler na diagonal, foi interessante. Tenho um fascínio por relatos de pessoas sobre a reencarnação. Teria preferido ver o filme adpatado com Jane Seymour, pois seria muito mais emocionante!
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August 26, 2024I read this book many years ago. It was one of the first books I read in the subject of reincarnation and past life memories. I found it compelling and believable then, and even more so now as I’ve read many books and articles on the subject.
October 17, 2021
Interesting read.
August 1, 2024
Something to think about
October 14, 2024
Intriguing. Compelling case for past life memories.
July 27, 2025
I love true stories like this.
October 19, 2025
Finished Yesterday’s Children by Jenny Cockell last night, and I enjoyed reading it.
It’s a memoir about Jenny, who has vivid memories of her past life as an Irish woman named Mary. Mary died young and left behind her children, and Jenny spends years trying to find them again. She even uses past life regression hypnosis to explore her memories.
I found it so fascinating, especially how she managed to research everything back then without the internet. It shows how deep a mother’s love can be, so strong that her concern for her children followed her into her next life.
I’m personally a firm believer in reincarnation, and stories like this bring me a lot of comfort. They remind me that life moves in cycles, like the seasons. Winter might be death, but spring always follows.
It’s a memoir about Jenny, who has vivid memories of her past life as an Irish woman named Mary. Mary died young and left behind her children, and Jenny spends years trying to find them again. She even uses past life regression hypnosis to explore her memories.
I found it so fascinating, especially how she managed to research everything back then without the internet. It shows how deep a mother’s love can be, so strong that her concern for her children followed her into her next life.
I’m personally a firm believer in reincarnation, and stories like this bring me a lot of comfort. They remind me that life moves in cycles, like the seasons. Winter might be death, but spring always follows.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews