Beyond Disbelief, an Essay by Carol Bowman
I wrote this essay, with much help from my husband, Steve, as my entry to an essay contest sponsored by Robert Bigelow and the Bigelow Institute for Consciousness Studies. The contest asked for entrants to answer the question:
What is the best evidence for the continuation of consciousness beyond bodily death.
I jumped on this opportunity to consolidate all that I’ve witnessed and learned in the last three decades from working with parents and families, and to make the case that children’s past lives truly is the best evidence for what happens after death. Steve and I worked hard and took great care to write a clear, enjoyable essay.
This essay goes beyond just answering the question in terms of scientific proof and evidence. It ventures further to propose that the best evidence is what convinces people—normal people, and not just scientists and researchers—to change their deepest convictions about their own death or the death of people they love.
This essay is 25,000 words, the limit set by the contest rules (a typical non-fiction book is about 75,000 words). It’s a little book. But it’s not a difficult read. I’ve kept the logical argument to a minimum, and filled most of the essay (starting with American Parent) with stories, and cases that bring to life what it feels like for these families when their child suddenly starts talking about “when I died.” Some of the stories are shortened versions of cases first published in my two books, and some are published here for the first time.
Enjoy!
Carol and Steve Bowman
November, 2021