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Looking for Carroll Beckwith: The True Stories of a Detective's Search for His Past Life
A police commander relates the tale of how, under hypnosis, he discovered that he had a past life, describing his quest to discover the truth about Carroll Beckwith, the man he had been. ~~~ From Reincarnation is the religious or philosophical concept that the soul or spirit, after biological death, begins a new life in a new body that may be human, animal or spiritual depending on the moral quality of the previous life's actions. This doctrine is a central tenet of the Indian religions. It is also a common belief of various ancient and modern religions such as Spiritism, Theosophy, and Eckankar and is found in many tribal societies around the world, in places such as Siberia, West Africa, North America, and Australia. ~~~ Although the majority of sects within the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam do not believe that individuals reincarnate, particular groups within these religions do refer to reincarnation; these groups include the mainstream historical and contemporary followers of Kabbalah, the Cathars, the Druze and the Rosicrucians. The historical relations between these sects and the beliefs about reincarnation that were characteristic of Neoplatonism, Orphism, Hermeticism, Manicheanism and Gnosticism of the Roman era, as well as the Indian religions, has been the subject of recent scholarly research. ~~~ In recent decades, many Europeans and North Americans have developed an interest in reincarnation. Contemporary films, books, and popular songs frequently mention reincarnation. In the last decades, academic researchers have begun to explore reincarnation and published reports of children's memories of earlier lives in peer-reviewed journals and books. ~~~ The word "reincarnation" derives from Latin, literally meaning, "entering the flesh again". The Greek equivalent metempsychosis (μετεμψύχωσις) roughly corresponds to the common English phrase "transmigration of the soul" and also usually connotes reincarnation..
186 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 1999
3 people are currently reading
110 people want to read
About the author
Robert L. Snow
26 books16 followersRobert L. Snow served for 38 years at the Indianapolis Police Department, retiring in 2007 with the rank of captain. While at the police department, he served in such capacities as Department Executive Officer, Captain of Detectives, and Commander of the Homicide Branch. Snow has also been a publishing writer for over 30 years. He has had over 100 articles and short stories published in such magazines as PLAYBOY, READER'S DIGEST, THE WRITER, THE NATIONAL ENQUIRER, THE SAINT DETECTIVE MAGAZINE, and others. Snow is also the author of 18 books, including SLAUGHTER ON NORTH LASALLE, SWAT TEAMS, and LOOKING FOR CARROLL BECKWITH.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
June 19, 2020
Looking for Carroll Beckwith: The True Story of a Detective's Search for His Past Life by Robert L. Snow, Commander, Homicide Branch, Indianapolis Police Dept. Uncorrected Proof, compliments of the publisher. Published 01 December 1999 by St. Martin's Press. Softcover edition. 160 pages. 5 Stars.
An interesting true story about a police captain who gets catapulted, on a kind of dare, to experience hypnotic regression to see if past life memories could be true—and not just products of an overactive imagination. What he eventually experiences is so astounding to this usually realistic man that it catapults him into searching for records on Beckwith in order to prove or disprove what he has learned in that altered state. Using his recording as a guide, he sets out upon one of the most unsettling times of his life—and does actually prove that the memories of his past life as portrait artist James Carroll Beckwith do indeed reside within his mind.
Highly recommend for those interested in the subject of reincarnation.
An interesting true story about a police captain who gets catapulted, on a kind of dare, to experience hypnotic regression to see if past life memories could be true—and not just products of an overactive imagination. What he eventually experiences is so astounding to this usually realistic man that it catapults him into searching for records on Beckwith in order to prove or disprove what he has learned in that altered state. Using his recording as a guide, he sets out upon one of the most unsettling times of his life—and does actually prove that the memories of his past life as portrait artist James Carroll Beckwith do indeed reside within his mind.
Highly recommend for those interested in the subject of reincarnation.
March 6, 2020
Pretty intriguing! The true story of an Indiana police captain's detour into the discovery of what seemed to be a past life. It turned into a long research project as he tried every whichaway to prove that what he saw in a hypnotic trance couldn't be true. This is the only book of its kind I have read on reincarnation -- one that starts with total disbelief and moves toward refusing to decide. Well worth a look!
February 20, 2012
First of all, I LOVE sh*t like this, despite the association with New Age-y, twitchy nutjobs. I read this in one sitting. It was tightly crafted with a cliffhanger at the end of each chapter and enjoyable the entire way through.
I won't spoil your enjoyment of it but do have two critiques, mostly because I liked it so much. First, while he does achieve an excellent inventory of facts that seem to prove his past life, I was disappointed that no other explanation was explored (e.g., tapping into the collective consciousness or out-of-body experience, space/time continuum, etc.) Secondly, I was disappointed that with the emphasis on fact finding there wasn't greater exploration of what lessons or insights this life could tell him about his own. For example, he mentions his present-life step-daughter has been with him through many lifetimes. Yet, this is never explored, nor are any other present-life personal connections or parallel life coincidences. Was his present-life wife ever connected to him?
I realize these critiques are outside the scope of this book, but, they got me thinking about reading more in this genre.
I won't spoil your enjoyment of it but do have two critiques, mostly because I liked it so much. First, while he does achieve an excellent inventory of facts that seem to prove his past life, I was disappointed that no other explanation was explored (e.g., tapping into the collective consciousness or out-of-body experience, space/time continuum, etc.) Secondly, I was disappointed that with the emphasis on fact finding there wasn't greater exploration of what lessons or insights this life could tell him about his own. For example, he mentions his present-life step-daughter has been with him through many lifetimes. Yet, this is never explored, nor are any other present-life personal connections or parallel life coincidences. Was his present-life wife ever connected to him?
I realize these critiques are outside the scope of this book, but, they got me thinking about reading more in this genre.
December 28, 2014
A great book written by a police captain who relied on his police skills and 30 years experience to prove that his past life regression was a fluke and the memories he had were from some old books or movies he once read/watched.
However his same police skills and knowledge came back to haunt him, because they proved that indeed he was the lesser known painter James Carrol Beckwith in his recent past life, and this realization shook the very foundation of his beliefs, turning his life literally upside down.
The book is by no means a literary masterpiece. The words are simple, coming from a regular guy (not a writer) and it shows. He all too often tries to make a point over and over again, and I found myself skipping over those repetitive paragraphs more than once. But then again, it does not try to be anything but an account of a person who finally 'saw the light', so to speak.
The book was first recommended to me a few years ago in Carol Bowman's past life forum. I had the book in hardcover on my shelf for a few years until I finally got a chance to read it. Well worth checking it out if you're interested in past lifes, and even more so if you actually believe in reincarnation.
However his same police skills and knowledge came back to haunt him, because they proved that indeed he was the lesser known painter James Carrol Beckwith in his recent past life, and this realization shook the very foundation of his beliefs, turning his life literally upside down.
The book is by no means a literary masterpiece. The words are simple, coming from a regular guy (not a writer) and it shows. He all too often tries to make a point over and over again, and I found myself skipping over those repetitive paragraphs more than once. But then again, it does not try to be anything but an account of a person who finally 'saw the light', so to speak.
The book was first recommended to me a few years ago in Carol Bowman's past life forum. I had the book in hardcover on my shelf for a few years until I finally got a chance to read it. Well worth checking it out if you're interested in past lifes, and even more so if you actually believe in reincarnation.
July 14, 2008
A very interesting book about a skeptical police Captain (Homicide Commander) who has memories of past lives and sets out to disprove his memories and ends up realizing the memories were real and proving it. A good book, an easy read, but with an ending that was disappointing because it was so abrupt and there was no Epilogue to follow up his story. But, all in all, interesting.
March 23, 2009
It's a subject I've always been intrigued by, and this makes a very strong argument. I loved that it's written by a hard nosed detective, who I'm sure isn't prone to flights of fancy. I love that, if it's to be believed, in his past life he was an artist, which seemed pretty far afield of his daily life. I loved going through his investigation into the whole thing with him.
June 23, 2009
I like that he was skeptical and did his own research. It was a little bit like doing genealogy research. It's odd that his wife never came around and was unwilling to look at the facts. While the topic is interesting, I thought he repeated himself a little bit. Still, it was very interesting.
December 15, 2012
Enjoyed reading this little book on a subject that has always interested me. The author is a police detective and used his background in police work to delve into the search. He laid out his findings in true black and white. Quite fascinating.
September 4, 2017
Coming from an extremely skeptical captain with a lot of credibility on the line, it's quite an incredible story.
January 16, 2009
Looking for Carroll Beckwith--leaves no doubt that reincarnation exists for all of us.
January 31, 2013
After reading this, the concept of reincarnation appears indisputable to me.
April 25, 2018
This rating is based on the quality of writing. If you get past the constant rambling, it’s actually a great book. Super interesting story line!
November 22, 2021
A police colleague challenged Bob Snow to try hypnotic regression therapy, and he finally gave in. Snow, a Joe-Friday-just-the-facts-ma'am captain in the Indianapolis Police Department, didn't take the therapy seriously, even after his hour-long hypnosis revealed that he might have had at least three past lives, including that of an obscure, turn-of-the-century artist. But then, Snow, on vacation with his wife in New Orleans, stumbled upon the identical painting that "he" remembered having painted as that artist in a past life. "Looking for Carroll Beckwith" tells the story of Snow's therapy session and how he spent months using his detective skills in an effort to disprove that he had lived previously as artist Carroll Beckwith. You'll have to read the book — it's a quick read —to learn if he succeeded. (I had the table next to Bob Snow at the recent Indiana Public Library Author Fair. As we talked, I asked him to recommend one of his many books for me to read. Although he has authored many books since this one was published in 1999, "Looking for Carroll Beckwith" is the one he recommended.)
February 2, 2025
I suppose I'm a skeptic until I actually experience this for myself. That being said, I would like to experience this for myself.
Usually, when you hear people going through this they find that they were some famous person from the past like Cleopatra or Napoleon. Robert, on the other hand, found that he had been a fairly obscure portrait painter who was always worried where his next dollar was going to come from. The whole story is very interesting. Makes one ponder not only the hereafter, but what preceded and the whole "why" of it. I mean, it sounds like one giant recycle program. No wonder heaven is never portrayed as overly crowded. Anyway...
Thanks, Robert, for sharing this with the world.
Usually, when you hear people going through this they find that they were some famous person from the past like Cleopatra or Napoleon. Robert, on the other hand, found that he had been a fairly obscure portrait painter who was always worried where his next dollar was going to come from. The whole story is very interesting. Makes one ponder not only the hereafter, but what preceded and the whole "why" of it. I mean, it sounds like one giant recycle program. No wonder heaven is never portrayed as overly crowded. Anyway...
Thanks, Robert, for sharing this with the world.
June 4, 2024
This is an outstanding read. Determination, attention to detail, and tenacity paid off. His case for reincarnation is rock solid. Of 28 identifiable points for corroboration, all 28 have been confirmed. 100%.
I was fortunate to be able to interview the author about his story. He talked about some amazing paranormal events that happened during his time in the Police Department and the downside of going public with his story. His case is a wonderful addition to the archive of reincarnation accounts.
I was fortunate to be able to interview the author about his story. He talked about some amazing paranormal events that happened during his time in the Police Department and the downside of going public with his story. His case is a wonderful addition to the archive of reincarnation accounts.
June 11, 2022
OUTSTANDING
August 26, 2016
This review is not based on the ideas regarding past-life regression and rebirth presented in this book (which I eagerly opened as a book club selection) but about the quality of the book itself.
I hoped for a well-written, engaging, and lively story about history, psychology, and paranormal encounters. Instead, I read the stuffy memoir of a man struggling to overcome his prejudices toward unconventional ideas and the people who believe in them. After undergoing hypnosis, Indianapolis Police Department Captain Robert L. Snow sees what his psychologist believes are memories from his past lives. He sets out to disprove the memories of one past life in particular, that of the turn-of-the-century American painter J. Carroll Beckwith, but as evidence stacks up, he finally concludes the memories are real. He believes he once lived his life as Beckwith, and this book is the narrative of his gathering proof.
Throughout the book, Snow constantly reiterates his doubt and skepticism and his status as a law-enforcement officer in rambling paragraphs; in doing so, he attempts to prove his sanity and rational thinking so that the reader will trust him. Instead, he comes across as cocky and belittling. Even after stating that he believes he has proven he is Beckwith reborn, Snow remains dismissive of people and things he does not understand. He calls Impressionist painting and free-verse poetry “an attempt to create art without the hard work.” He questions the “mental status” of other people who believe in past-life regression, holding firm that they must be “strange” or even “crackpots” and is surprised when he meets “rational” believers instead. Perhaps most surprisingly, he is even dismissive toward Beckwith. He describes this award-winning painter who exhibited his work in major US and European cities and studied with some of the best American artists of the time—not to mention was a devoted husband—as someone who “never did anything really important in his life.”
The writing in general, while lively in the first third of the book, becomes increasingly dull as Snow repeats the same thoughts, internal struggles, and facts about his case. He explains irrelevant points in great detail. The library slips he filled out, that he thought a short walk to the library would be a long one, that he didn't know how much information was on a microfilm spool but then he found out when he loaded the first spool: these insignificant descriptions distract from the narrative and slow the pace of the book.
At the end, Snow attempts to find meaning in his discovery; if only he had found a lesson about trivializing things he doesn't understand, and realizing that, even as a successful metropolitan police captain, he, like all of us, still has a lot to learn about life—whether this one or any other.
I hoped for a well-written, engaging, and lively story about history, psychology, and paranormal encounters. Instead, I read the stuffy memoir of a man struggling to overcome his prejudices toward unconventional ideas and the people who believe in them. After undergoing hypnosis, Indianapolis Police Department Captain Robert L. Snow sees what his psychologist believes are memories from his past lives. He sets out to disprove the memories of one past life in particular, that of the turn-of-the-century American painter J. Carroll Beckwith, but as evidence stacks up, he finally concludes the memories are real. He believes he once lived his life as Beckwith, and this book is the narrative of his gathering proof.
Throughout the book, Snow constantly reiterates his doubt and skepticism and his status as a law-enforcement officer in rambling paragraphs; in doing so, he attempts to prove his sanity and rational thinking so that the reader will trust him. Instead, he comes across as cocky and belittling. Even after stating that he believes he has proven he is Beckwith reborn, Snow remains dismissive of people and things he does not understand. He calls Impressionist painting and free-verse poetry “an attempt to create art without the hard work.” He questions the “mental status” of other people who believe in past-life regression, holding firm that they must be “strange” or even “crackpots” and is surprised when he meets “rational” believers instead. Perhaps most surprisingly, he is even dismissive toward Beckwith. He describes this award-winning painter who exhibited his work in major US and European cities and studied with some of the best American artists of the time—not to mention was a devoted husband—as someone who “never did anything really important in his life.”
The writing in general, while lively in the first third of the book, becomes increasingly dull as Snow repeats the same thoughts, internal struggles, and facts about his case. He explains irrelevant points in great detail. The library slips he filled out, that he thought a short walk to the library would be a long one, that he didn't know how much information was on a microfilm spool but then he found out when he loaded the first spool: these insignificant descriptions distract from the narrative and slow the pace of the book.
At the end, Snow attempts to find meaning in his discovery; if only he had found a lesson about trivializing things he doesn't understand, and realizing that, even as a successful metropolitan police captain, he, like all of us, still has a lot to learn about life—whether this one or any other.
September 27, 2012
I read this book per the suggestion of the local library.This was the book they are reading for their October book club. I admire Mr. Snow's premise for his book I believe that it took great courage to put his findings in writing. However, I do not believe he has sufficiently supported his hypothesis. I have come to this conclusion for two reasons. The first reason is that I too am a graduate of Indiana University. I have taken quite a few sociology and psychology courses where we had a tremendous amount of reading. I have read several articles that I have later tried to find outside of the university but have been unable to locate. In other words it would not be a surprise to me if he had read about Carroll Beckwith in some literature he was privy to while attending the university. The second reason that I do not believe he supported his findings is because when given the benefit of the doubt he still does not sufficiently correlate his findings with how he came to the conclusion that he is Carrol Bewckwith. Like Mr. Snow I have had some experiences that are considered "creepy" or paranormal to the the average person but from my experience these events are not explainable. It is my belief that Mr. Snow tries to hard to explain the unexplainable. Suppose he did not receive the information while attending the university but does that make him Carroll Beckwith? In my opinion he has two different variables and one hypothesis. I have had what I refer to as dejavous experiences but that does not make me the person I am having these experiences with. Had Mr. Snow done a handwriting analysis or teeth analysis then that would be a better way of suppporting his claim that he is Carroll Beckwith. I
April 22, 2011
Could not finish this one. I'm from Indianapolis ... so I thought I would give it a read. NOPE!
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews