Wow, that is really odd and reminds me of a moment with my girl when she was little.

She couldn't have been 5 or 6 at the time when she said to me "I've been here before", "I've lived before".
Now mind you we were not able to have a full conversation with her due to delayed speech until she was about 5.

I asked her "where did you hear that?"

-Her: "Nowhere, I just know".
-Me. "Did you see something on t.v.?"
-Her: "No".
-Me: "Did grandma or grandpa or aunt ____ say something about it?"
-Her: "No"

It still blows my mind thinking about it. I never took her to church, or exposed her to anything like that.
I didn't argue with her about it, just took note of it. She never brought it up since, but not going to lie, it did kind of freak me out FF years later & she's chosen to unwind in front of dh's keyboards after school, as both my late grandparents were avid piano players.
I don't dwell on it though but once in a great while wonder....

On the subject of reincarnation, its a no from me, as its utter nonesense, however, on the subject of not forcing your opinions on to your child and allowing them to think for themselves you get two thumbs up. If only all parents did this, maybe religion would be filtered out?

I think it's great that you aren't trying to tell your son what to believe. I was raised in a Christian home, went to church every Sunday and also Wednesday night youth group meetings. It wasn't until I started gathering friends from outside my hometown that I realized there's more to religion than just doing the typical actions of those who believe.

Once again thank you for not forcing your child to believe in any cetrain religion or belief

I think it's great that you aren't trying to tell your son what to believe. I was raised in a Christian home, went to church every Sunday and also Wednesday night youth group meetings. It wasn't until I started gathering friends from outside my hometown that I realized there's more to religion than just doing the typical actions of those who believe.

Once again thank you for not forcing your child to believe in any cetrain religion or belief

That sets me to wondering what I would be today if I had parents that I was comfortable talking to about deep thoughts. You and your son are lucky to have each other.

Congrats for letting your son decide for himself. He will have the opportunity to be independent and make his own decisions.

It sounds like you have a smart kid, congrats. If I found myself in your place I hope I would do the same thing.

One of the things that I like doing when talking to a kid 3 or 4 yrs old is to ask them, "what do remember the last time you were big."
Around age 9 or so, is when the memories disappear, even for reincarnation of Buddhist monks.
Life Before Life: A Scientific Investigation of Children's Memories of Previous Lives
by Jim B. Tucker

I don't believe in reincarnation. In a way, that belief is like any other belief in the afterlife - it serves to modify the behavior of the person while he/she is living.

I'm glad you let your son entertain the thought. Children are so curious and interested in all things weird and fantastic. Little kids literally don't have the brain development to really deconstruct such a complicated idea as reincarnation, but at 12 they might. So you let him take his own intellectual journey, which is great.

I think you have a wonderful, thoughtful son. X

energy moves on is all that happens

Imagine that you would retain the memories of your former lives. Then imagine the accumulated pile of happy and painful and anxious, proud, confusing, frightening and shaking memories, and all of it in your attic all at once! Eventually, you would have nothing to gain or lose. What would become of the humanity in that

Truth be told, I actually like the idea of reincarnation. I like the idea of one's "spirit" or "soul" being given another chance at life when one dies or is killed in an undesirable way. But the problem is that there is no scientific evidence, that I personally know of, that some kind nonmaterial, "thinking-conscious essence" survives death and is reincarnated into a new body. I have read many stories about people having past-life memories but I can easily find other explanations for these "experiences". I am thinking that if people are truly reincarnated, there should be strong and compelling evidence for it. All of the stories that I have read are completely anecdotal.

I really don't see much sense in Reincarnation as it's popularly taken in the west. If I were Julius Ceasar in a past life, how would that benefit me now? Unless I could remember what my past life was, it wouldn't mean much to me. Can I will my fortune to myself in a future life? Maybe reincarnation happens but unless the knowledge of those lives passes from one to the next it's meaningless.

Awesome! to learn correctly he needs to sort the fake truths and facts out in his head for himself!! Goodjob mom

Certainly the atoms that make up your body have been in many organisms before you, and will be again after you die. Some of last night's dinner is being converted into red blood cells or skin cells for instance, and when you die, the atoms that make up your body will be used by decomposers like bacteria and fungi and continue their progress through the food web. In that sense you will be reincarnated, but the collection of atoms that make you up are very unlikely to be a single unit ever again.

I'll believe in reincarnation, as being reborn in a new body after you die, when a 1 year old can speak, read, and write in an ancient language (eg. Latin or Greek) without being taught. I find it funny that those who claim to be reincarnated, say they remember events that happened in the distant past, yet can't remember how to speak in the languages of the time.

When he's old enough, you could show him the recent Battlestar Galactica. Some of the Cylons (robots) can get reincarnated, and it is realistic enough.

Your son sounds like his a brilliant child !!!
I have a nephew that's 8 and I enjoy him tremendously.