But with the events still fresh in their minds, James’ parents have written a book detailing the journey of discovery that they took in trying to understand what was happening to their son and how the journey led them to believe that James was reliving the life of James Huston, a World War II fighter pilot who was killed in the battle for Iwo Jima over 60 years ago.
“Through painstaking research and conversations with war veterans and surviving family members of James Huston, Bruce and Andrea were forced to confront their skepticism and re-examine their entire belief system,” states a description of Soul Survivor: The Reincarnation of a World War II Fighter Pilot, which hit bookshelves last Friday.
“In the process, they not only managed to solve the mystery of their son’s statements. They even discovered revelations about James Huston’s life and wartime experiences that were finally to bring peace and healing to his loved ones, decades after his death," it added.
To write the book, the Leiningers teamed up with “hard-core skeptic” and journalist Ken Gross, who says he still doesn’t believe in reincarnation even after having worked with the Leiningers on the book.
“I am a secular, rationalist skeptic,” confesses Gross.
“But I have no reasonable explanation for James Leininger/Huston,” he adds.
According to a Harris Poll survey conducted late last year, approximately 24 per cent of Americans believe in reincarnation while 68 per cent believe in the survival of the soul after death.
Among Protestants, 21 per cent said they believe in reincarnation and 79 per cent said they believe that the soul survives after death.
The figures were not much different when taking service attendance into account. Even among those who said they attend religious services at least weekly, 18 per cent said they believe in reincarnation while 33 per cent of those who “never” attend services said the same.
Notably, reincarnation was the least believable item on The Harris Poll’s list of things people believe in, which included miracles, heaven, angels, the devil, ghosts, UFOs, and witches.
Topping the list was God, who 80 per cent of Americans said they believe in.
