Signs of Reincarnation Course Starts January 30th

Parapsychology Foundation Research Fellow, Dr. James G. Matlock, will be teaching his annual online course Signs of Reincarnation starting January 30th, 2017 and running for 15 weeks.

Signs of Reincarnation is an online M.A.-level discussion course that covers all aspects of reincarnation studies, including ideas about reincarnation in different traditions, research methods for studying cases, the results of research with children’s and adult spontaneous cases, regression under hypnosis, and past-life readings of psychics and mediums. It addresses criticisms of the research and different interpretative frameworks that have been put forward for the research findings, through original lectures and readings from the reincarnation research literature.

Matlock’s course is conducted on the widely-used Moodle distant learning platform through The Alvarado Zingrone Institute for Research and Education. Designed to appeal to all those with a serious interest in reincarnation studies, students in previous courses have included people with past-life memories and researchers.

Dr. Jeffrey Mishlove, the Dean of Programs in Transformation Psychology at the University of Philosophical Research, had this to say about it: “Having completed Jim Matlock’s course, Signs of Reincarnation, I can say that I am not aware of any other educational resource that offers such a comprehensive overview and analysis of the research data that has been collected over a period of many decades. Not only does Matlock review the most salient cases, he explains why each case lends weight to various interpretations and theories of ostensible reincarnation. Furthermore, in the process of preparing this course, Matlock has developed his own theory of reincarnation and he argues convincingly as to why it offers the most parsimonious explanation of this complex and fascinating body of knowledge. While the course focuses primarily on the published cases within the reincarnation literature, it also draws upon the larger fields of anthropology and cultural history.”

A student of metaphysics who took the course wrote “The course has high personal impact, and has enhanced my understanding immensely of the concept of spiritual growth. I found the class to be both challenging and fun and had a well established base line that shed light on an area of life, in a way that I had not experienced before. Thank you Jim for your communicator skills and ability to format this course in such a manner that my ideas have been changed by the lectures  and readings which flowed succinctly toward provoking thought and wonder, of a topic that is so much a part of our daily life.”

The course is set up so that students can access the materials and discussion forums at any time, allowing for participation from all parts of the world. There are no prerequisites, although it helps to have a college background and to be able to read and write well in English. All lectures and readings are provided in PDF format for download to desktop computer, tablet, or other device. Self-paced over the 15 weeks, students are expected to commit between 6 and 8 hours per week. There are optional written assignments at the conclusion of each week and a certificate of completion is awarded at the end of the course.

Here’s a list of the units for each week:

1. Introduction to the Study of Reincarnation Signs
2. The Belief in Reincarnation
3. Research Styles and Interpretative Frames
4. Child Studies: Episodic Memories, Statements and Recognitions
5. Child Studies: Behavioral Signs of Reincarnation
6. Child Studies: Physical Signs of Reincarnation
7. Child Studies: The Interval Between Death and Rebirth
8. Child Studies: Cross-Cultural and Cross-Historical Patterns
9. Child Studies: The Psychology of Past-Life Memory
10. From Child to Adult: The Developmental Continuum
11. Past-Life Memory in Induced States of Consciousness
12. The Contributions of Shamans, Psychics, and Mediums
13. Mind/Brain Relations, Survival of Death, and Reincarnation
14. Postmortem Survival and Reincarnation: Philosophy and Theory
15. The Process of Reincarnation

The regular registration fee is $300. For students and those who live on fixed incomes, the course costs $150. Research assistantships and other in-kind arrangements may be available. All registrants will receive an ebook copy of I Saw a Light and Came Here: Children’s Experiences of Reincarnation, due to be published on February 1.

For more information go to the courses page on Dr. Matlock’s website by clicking here.