The best books on reincarnation are Brian Weiss’s Many Lives, Many Masters for an accessible past-life story, Jim Tucker’s Life Before Life for the research on children who remember previous lives, and Michael Newton’s Journey of Souls for what may happen between lives.
Below are 14 books grouped by approach: past-life regression, the research on children, and the great traditions. If you want the basics first, read our guide to reincarnation or our guide to past-life regression. Looking for what comes after death more broadly? See our list of the best books about the afterlife.
Key Takeaways
- Start with Many Lives, Many Masters. Brian Weiss’s story is gripping and easy to read, and it opened the door for many people.
- For research, read Ian Stevenson and Jim Tucker. They studied children who spoke of previous lives, and their books show how they worked.
- For roots, read the Gita and the Tibetan teachings. Reincarnation is an old idea, and these are two clear places to meet it.
- Hold it as a question. Reincarnation is a belief and an open question, not settled science. We say where each book stands.
- Hear from Dr. Linda Backman. She joined us on the Next Level Soul Podcast to talk about past lives and in-between lives.
What Are Books on Reincarnation?
Reincarnation is the idea that the soul returns in a new body after death. Books on reincarnation explore that idea through personal stories, therapy sessions, research on children’s memories and the teachings of spiritual traditions.
Rebirth appears in Hindu, Buddhist, Jain and Sikh traditions, and in the work of many modern writers. In the West, much of the conversation grew around past-life regression and the research of the University of Virginia. For more, see our guides to reincarnation and past-life regression.
Reincarnation Books at a Glance
| Book | Best for | Approach | Voice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Many Lives, Many Masters (Weiss) | A first read | Regression story | Psychiatrist |
| Same Soul, Many Bodies (Weiss) | Healing through future lives | Regression and progression | Psychiatrist |
| Other Lives, Other Selves (Woolger) | A depth-psychology view | Regression therapy | Jungian psychotherapist |
| Bringing Your Soul to Light (Backman) | Healing and in-between lives | Regression therapy | Psychologist and regressionist |
| Journey of Souls (Newton) | Life between lives | Case studies | Hypnotherapist |
| Children Who Remember Previous Lives (Stevenson) | The original research | Research | Psychiatrist |
| Life Before Life (Tucker) | Research made readable | Research | Child psychiatrist |
| Return to Life (Tucker) | The strongest cases | Research | Child psychiatrist |
| Old Souls (Shroder) | A skeptic-friendly tour | Journalism | Reporter |
| Children’s Past Lives (Bowman) | Parents | Guide and stories | Regression therapist |
| Soul Survivor (Leininger) | A single gripping case | Family memoir | Parents |
| The Bhagavad Gita (Easwaran) | Hindu roots of rebirth | Sacred text | Translator |
| The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying | The Tibetan Buddhist view | Spiritual teaching | Buddhist teacher |
| Many Mansions (Cerminara) | Karma and the Cayce readings | Readings and cases | Author |
How Do I Choose a Reincarnation Book?
Start with the kind of evidence that speaks to you. If you like stories, pick Weiss. If you like data and careful cases, pick Tucker or Stevenson. If you want the spiritual tradition behind the idea, pick the Gita or the Tibetan teachings.
A few simple guides help:
- Skeptical but curious? Try Old Souls or Life Before Life.
- A parent with a talkative child? Try Children’s Past Lives.
- Interested in healing work? Try Other Lives, Other Selves or Bringing Your Soul to Light.
- Short on time? Many Lives, Many Masters is quick to read.
For reading across the whole spiritual path, see our list of the top spiritual books.
Past-Life Regression and the Journey of the Soul
These five books come from therapists and hypnotherapists who say their clients recalled past lives and the time between them.
1. Many Lives, Many Masters
Brian L. Weiss, MD (Simon & Schuster (Fireside), 1988)
Brian Weiss, a psychiatrist, was treating a patient he calls Catherine when she began recalling past lives under hypnosis, along with messages she described receiving from spiritual Masters. He tells the story as a skeptic who was changed by it.
It is the book that brought past-life regression to a wide audience, and it reads like a gripping, easy narrative.
Best for: First-time readers who want a story, not a textbook.
2. Same Soul, Many Bodies
Brian L. Weiss, MD (Free Press, 2005 edition)
Weiss turns to what he calls progression therapy, using hypnosis to look toward future lives as a way to heal in the present. He shares client stories and exercises.
It is a natural next read after Many Lives, Many Masters.
Best for: Readers who want a practical follow-up with healing at its center.
3. Other Lives, Other Selves
Roger J. Woolger, PhD (Bantam, 1988 edition)
Roger Woolger, a Jungian psychotherapist, describes how he came to work with past-life memories in therapy, and how he believes these scenes can shed light on present patterns. The book mixes case stories with his method.
It speaks to readers who like psychology and depth work.
Best for: Readers who want a psychological, depth-oriented approach.
4. Bringing Your Soul to Light
Linda Backman, PhD (Llewellyn, 2009)
Dr. Linda Backman, a psychologist turned spiritual regressionist, writes about healing through past lives and the time between lives. She draws on her work with clients to show how the soul’s story can shape the present.
She also joined us on the Next Level Soul Podcast, and you can hear her talk about past lives, soul origins and in-between lives below.
Best for: Readers interested in healing work and the time between lives.
5. Journey of Souls
Michael Newton, PhD (Llewellyn, 1994)
Michael Newton, a hypnotherapist, presents case studies of clients who described the time between lives, from death to the return to a spirit home and the planning of the next life.
The accounts come from sessions with clients, so the book reads as a collection of personal testimonies, not proof. See also our list of the best books about the afterlife.
Best for: Readers who wonder what the soul does between lives.
The Research: Children Who Remember Previous Lives
These six books look at cases of young children who speak of earlier lives, from the University of Virginia studies to one family’s story.
6. Children Who Remember Previous Lives
Ian Stevenson, MD (McFarland, 2000 revised edition)
Ian Stevenson, a psychiatrist at the University of Virginia, spent decades collecting cases of children who spoke of previous lives. This revised volume is a book-length overview of his methods and findings, published by McFarland in 2000.
It is careful, detailed and not flashy. Read it when you want to see how a researcher approached the question.
Best for: Readers who want the original scientific approach.
7. Life Before Life
Jim B. Tucker, MD, foreword by Ian Stevenson (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2008 edition)
Jim Tucker, who continued Stevenson’s work at the University of Virginia, presents an overview of the cases of children who say they remember previous lives. It carries a foreword by Ian Stevenson.
It is easier to read than the original research volumes and still careful about what it can and cannot show.
Best for: Readers who want the research in a clear, modern book.
8. Return to Life
Jim B. Tucker, MD (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2015 edition)
Tucker’s second book looks at some of the strongest cases he has studied and explains why he finds them compelling. He presents the evidence and also shares his own conclusions.
Skeptics dispute how to read such cases, so it rewards a questioning reader.
Best for: Readers who finished Life Before Life and want the strongest cases.
9. Old Souls
Tom Shroder (Simon & Schuster, 2001 edition)
Journalist Tom Shroder followed the work of Ian Stevenson and Jim Tucker across several countries and wrote about what he saw. His voice is that of a reporter who stays curious.
Because he writes as an outsider, the book is a good entry for skeptics.
Best for: Skeptics, and readers who like narrative nonfiction.
10. Children’s Past Lives
Carol Bowman (Bantam, 1998 edition)
Carol Bowman, a regression therapist and author, collects stories from parents whose children spoke of past lives, and explains how families can respond with care.
It is practical and friendly, and it is aimed at parents who have heard something unexpected from a child.
Best for: Parents and caregivers.
11. Soul Survivor
Bruce and Andrea Leininger with Ken Gross (Grand Central Publishing, 2010 edition)
Bruce and Andrea Leininger tell the story of their son James, who from a very young age spoke of being a World War II fighter pilot. They describe how they investigated what he said, with writer Ken Gross.
It is a family story first, and it is one of the best-known modern accounts of this kind.
Best for: Readers who like a single, gripping case.
Traditions and Teachings on Rebirth
These three books give you the roots of the idea, from the Hindu scripture to Tibetan Buddhism to the Edgar Cayce readings.
12. The Bhagavad Gita
translated by Eknath Easwaran (Nilgiri Press, 2007 edition)
In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna teaches that the self is eternal and moves from body to body the way a person changes clothes. Eknath Easwaran’s translation is clear and warm, with a helpful introduction.
It is a cornerstone text for anyone who wants to understand reincarnation in the Hindu tradition.
Best for: Readers who want the spiritual roots of the idea.
13. The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying
Sogyal Rinpoche (HarperSanFrancisco, 1994)
Sogyal Rinpoche presents Tibetan Buddhist teachings on living, dying and rebirth for Western readers. It explains how the tradition understands the moments after death and what comes next.
Allegations of abuse were made against the author in 2017, and readers can weigh that for themselves.
Best for: Readers who want the Tibetan Buddhist view of rebirth.
14. Many Mansions
Gina Cerminara (Signet, 1988 edition)
Gina Cerminara studied the life readings of Edgar Cayce, who spoke often of past lives and karma, and organized what she found into case stories and principles. It was first published in 1950 and has stayed in print for generations.
It is an older, gentle book that speaks to readers curious about karma and how past choices echo.
Best for: Readers curious about karma and the Cayce readings.
An Honest View of Reincarnation Books
Reincarnation is a belief held by many people and many traditions, and it is not established by mainstream science. Researchers disagree about how to read the children’s cases, and memories that surface under hypnosis can be shaped by suggestion. Several authors here are sincere, careful and still debated.
Use these books as guides, not authorities. Keep what feels true and set the rest down. Nothing here replaces medical or mental health care; if you are struggling, please reach out to a doctor or call or text 988 in the US.
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Hear It From a Guest
Prefer to listen? This Next Level Soul Podcast conversation features an author from this list in her own voice.
Past Lives, Soul Origins and In-Between Lives with Dr. Linda Backman
Dr. Linda Backman, a psychologist turned spiritual regressionist, joins Alex Ferrari on the Next Level Soul Podcast. Watch the full episode and read the show notes.
Watch More on Next Level Soul TV
Next Level Soul TV is our own home for films, series, audiobooks and teachings on these questions. Here are six to start with.
Go Deeper with NLS Mastery: Your Soul’s Blueprint
A guided course on discovering your soul’s blueprint, the purpose and patterns you came into this life with. Karen Bell teaches it in Your Soul’s Blueprint, part of NLS Mastery. Watch the course preview below.
Sources and Further Reading
Spirituality for the Rest of Us™
Movies, teachings and community on Next Level Soul TV.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best book on reincarnation for beginners?
Brian Weiss’s Many Lives, Many Masters is the most common first pick. It reads like a story, it is easy to finish, and it brought past-life regression to a wide audience.
Is there scientific evidence for reincarnation?
Ian Stevenson and Jim Tucker at the University of Virginia documented thousands of cases of children who speak of previous lives. How to interpret those cases is debated, and mainstream science has not accepted reincarnation.
What is past-life regression?
It is a method that uses guided relaxation or hypnosis to explore memories or images that feel like past lives. Many people find it meaningful, though researchers note that memories surfaced under hypnosis can be shaped by suggestion.
Which books cover what happens between lives?
Michael Newton’s Journey of Souls and Linda Backman’s Bringing Your Soul to Light both explore the time between lives, using accounts from clients in regression sessions.
Which book is best for parents whose child talks about past lives?
Carol Bowman’s Children’s Past Lives is written for families. Soul Survivor and Life Before Life are also good reads for parents who want to see how others handled similar stories.
Which books suit a skeptic?
Old Souls, by journalist Tom Shroder, and Life Before Life, by Jim Tucker, are careful in how they present cases and let the reader decide.
Which religions teach reincarnation?
Hindu, Buddhist, Jain and Sikh traditions teach forms of rebirth. The Bhagavad Gita and The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying are two accessible places to read about it.
What is karma, and how does it relate to reincarnation?
Karma is the idea that actions have consequences. In many traditions it shapes the circumstances of future lives. Many Mansions explores this through the Edgar Cayce readings.
Do these books agree with each other?
No. Eastern traditions often point toward liberation from the cycle of rebirth, while Western regression authors tend to focus on healing and growth. Read each as one view of the same question.
Which author on this list has Next Level Soul interviewed?
We interviewed Dr. Linda Backman, author of Bringing Your Soul to Light, on the Next Level Soul Podcast. You can watch the conversation from the card on this page.
Can I explore reincarnation on Next Level Soul TV?
Yes. Next Level Soul TV has audiobooks such as Reincarnation and the Law of Karma and Theosophy: Karma, Rebirth, and the Immortal Soul, along with films and courses.
Where can I learn more about reincarnation?
Our guide to reincarnation covers the beliefs and the research, and our guide to past-life regression covers the method.
