History Main / PastLifeMemories

* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'':

%%* A major plot point in ''VideoGame/TalesOfInnocence''.

* ''The Cathars and Reincarnation'', by Dr Arthur Guirdham, is an embellished account of the author's work with a group of people living in Britain in the 20th century, but who all claimed to be the reborn souls of members of a heretical Christian sect, wiped out in the South of France in the 13th and 14th centuries. This initial book heralded a stream of sequels. [[note]]As this appears to be an embellished account of a real life event (the hypnotic regressions, that is - the jury's still out on the reincarnation being real), it's been placed under "Literature".[[/note]] Doctor Guirdham's research and methodology have both been heavily criticised, however. (See "Real Life" below.)

* In the ''Series/{{Arrowverse}}'', all Hawks have memories of their previous lives, which is how Kendra learned how to emerge as Hawkgirl. In ''Series/LegendsOfTomorrow'', Kendra's past-life memories are vital in the Legends' conflict with [[BigBad Vandal Savage]] due to her knowledge in the ancient Egypt weapons specialized to kill him from when Savage killed Princess Chyara and Prince Khufu (Kendra and Carter's first lives).

* In one of the Thanksgiving episodes of ''Series/{{Friends}}'', Phoebe is asked what her worst Thanksgiving memory is. She recalls the time she was a nurse in UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar.
-->'''Joey:''' Man, it must be so cool remembering stuff like that. I don't have any past life memories.\\

* On ''Series/RedDwarf'', Rimmer says that he once underwent hypnotic regression, and found out that in a past life he was Alexander the Great[[spoiler:'s chief eunuch]].

* In ''Bringing Me To Life'' [[spoiler:Max starts to have dreams of his past life as Neo.]]

* In the ''Fanfic/TheShadowWars'' universe, several character relationships hinge on conscious or unconscious past life memories.

* ''The Cathars and Reincarnation'', by Dr Arthur Guirdham, is an embellished account of the author's work with a group of people living in Britain in the 20th century, but who all claimed to be the reborn souls of members of a heretical Christian sect, wiped out in the South of France in the 13th and 14th centuries. This initial book heralded a stream of sequels. [[note]]As this appears to be an embellished account of a real life event (the hypnotic regressions, that is - the jury's still out on the reincarnation being real), it's been placed under "Literature"[[/note]]. Doctor Guirdham's research and methodology have both been heavily criticised, however. (See "real Life" below).

* Critical commentary in publications such as ''Magazine/ForteanTimes'', and by investigating psychologists, has suggested other mechanisms than actual literal past lives might account for the phenomena. The human being has been described as "a story-telling ape", and human imagination has been cited as something that separates humans from animals. People remembering past lives might simply be using the active imagination to plot and construct "historical novels". [[note]]Creator/RobertAntonWilson pointed out that if time does not exist as we know it in the next world, we cannopt assume past lives are in chronological sequence. Any individual's "past life" could for instance be in ''their'' past, but yet to happen in ''our'' future. He proposed that some people who remember their "past lives" are likely to become science-fiction authors. (It is possible Wilson was not being entirely serious)[[/note]]. Another, more prosaic, explanation is that people undergoing "past life regressions" are simply being led on by credulous hypnotists asking leading questions, and a sort of ''folie a deux'' co-dependency arises where a hypnotic subject obligingly provides what the hypnotist wants to hear. Therapist and patient build a convincing narrative together. [[note]]This became a very real consideration during the "Satanic panic" collective delusion of TheEighties and TheNineties, where badly-trained therapists compounded the problem with less-than-rigorous regressions on suggestible people.[[/note]] The Arthur Guirdham case (discussed in Literature, above) is cited as an example of this.

* ''The Cathars and Reincarnation'', by Dr Arthur Guirdham, is an embellished account of the author's work with a group of people living in Britain in the 20th century, but who all claimed to be the reborn souls of members of a heretical Christian sect, wiped out in the South of France in the 13th and 14th centuries. This initial book heralded a stream of sequels. [[note]]As this appears to be an embellished account of a real life event (the hypnotic regressions, that is - the jury's still out on the reincarnation being real), it's been placed under "Literature"[[/note]]. Doctor Guirdham's research and methodology have both been heavily criticised, however. (See "real Life" below).

* Critical commentary in publications such as ''Magazine/ForteanTimes'', and by investigating psychologists, has suggested other mechanisms than actual literal past lives might account for the phenomena. The human being has been described as "a story-telling ape", and human imagination has been cited as something that separates humans from animals. People remembering past lives might simply be using the active imagination to plot and construct "historical novels". [[note]]Creator/RobertAntonWilson pointed out that if time does not exist as we know it in the next world, we cannopt assume past lives are in chronological sequence. Any individual's "past life" could for instance be in ''their'' past, but yet to happen in ''our'' future. He proposed that some people who remember their "past lives" are likely to become science-fiction authors[[/note]]. Another, more prosaic, explanation is that people undergoing "past life regressions" are simply being led on by credulous hypnotists asking leading questions, and a sort of ''folie a deux'' co-dependency arises where a hypnotic subject obligingly provides what the hypnotist wants to hear. Therapist and patient build a convincing narrative together. [[note]]This became a very real consideration during the "Satanic panic" collective delusion of TheEighties and TheNineties, where badly-trained therapists compounded the problem with less-than-rigorous regressions on suggestible people.[[/note]] The Arthur Guirdham case (discussed in Literature, above) is cited as an example of this.

* Critical commentary in publications such as ''Magazine/ForteanTimes'', and by investigating psychologists, has suggested other mechanisms than actual literal past lives might account for the phenomena. The human being has been described as "a story-telling ape", and human imagination has been cited as something that separates humans from animals. People remembering past lives might simply be using the active imagination to plot and construct "historical novels". [[note]]Creator/RobertAntonWilson pointed out that if time does not exist as we know it in the next world, we cannopt assume past lives are in chronological sequence. Any individual's "past life" could for instance be in ''their'' past, but yet to happen in ''our'' future. He proposed that some people who remember their "past lives" are likely to become science-fiction authors[[/note]]. Another, more prosaic, explanation is that people undergoing "past life regressions" are simply being led on by credulous hypnotists asking leading questions, and a sort of ''folie a deux'' co-dependency arises where a hypnotic subject obligingly provides what the hypnotist wants to hear. Therapist and patient build a convincing narrative together. [[note]]This became a very real consideration during the "Satanic panic" collective delusion of TheEighties and TheNineties, where badly-trained therapists compounded the problem with less-than-rigorous regressions on suggestible people.[[/note]]

* ''Webcomic/ATaleOfTwoRulers'':
** Ganondorf awakened his past life memories in his teens.
** Zelda has memories of past lives, but they're fleeting and not as clear as Ganondorf's.