REAL SCIENCE She was four years old when she calmly told her mother, ‘I remember a previous life. I believe I passed away after giving birth. I had three children and a husband in Mathura. I want to go home.’

Her mother froze, unsure whether to laugh, scold, or worry. Four-year-old children have vivid imaginations, but not usually with this level of detail and certainty.

At first, everyone treated it like a child’s imagination. But Shanti Devi didn’t. She spoke of Mathura as if it were a place that she remembered clearly.

She commented on her mother’s cooking, describing recipes she had never been taught. She said she once ran a clothing shop with her husband. She named streets, relatives, and children she missed very much.

Her parents tried to ignore it or attempted to explain it away. Eventually, they took her to a doctor. The examination showed nothing unusual. No signs of illness or confusion. Just a calm, articulate child describing memories she believed were her own.

By the time Shanti was seven, her statements had become so specific that her teacher decided to investigate further. He wrote a letter to the man she said had been her husband: Pandit Kedarnath Chaube of Mathura.

The reply surprised everyone. Yes, the man existed, and he owned a clothing shop. True, his wife, Lugdi Devi, had passed away during childbirth about nine years earlier, around the time Shanti was born.

Still, many believed a coincidence or prior information could explain it.

The man she claimed had been her husband sent his cousin to Delhi, asking him to pretend to be himself. If the child had been influenced or mistaken, she would likely be confused.

She was not. ‘You’re not my husband,’ she said immediately. ‘You’re his cousin. You used to visit our home.’

The cousin left deeply unsettled.

Later, Kedarnath traveled to Delhi without warning. When she saw hm, Shanti reacted in a way that startled everyone. She ran toward him, then suddenly stopped, becoming quiet and reserved, as if aware of the unusual situation.

She spoke gently. She mentioned personal habits, household routines, and familiar details that matched Lugdi Devi’s life. She even recalled private matters that were not commonly known.

Then she mentioned something that caught his attention: ‘The money you found wasn’t all of it. Some is still under the floor. And my jewelry is kept in a brass pot at the back of the closet.’

These details were confirmed to be accurate.

In 1935, a formal committee was formed to look into the case. It consisted of lawyers, journalists, scholars, and respected public figures.

Their intention was not to prove any belief. They aimed to determine whether normal explanations could account for the information. These explanations include suggestions or coaching.

They took Shanti to Mathura. Shanti, who had never traveled there in her current life, gave directions confidently. She pointed out streets, landmarks, and homes. She stopped at one house and said, ‘This is where I lived.’

It was correct.

Inside, she identified rooms and recalled how the house used to look. She even noted changes that had been made since.

When Kedarnath’s children were brought in, she recognized them immediately. She called them by nicknames and recalled shared experiences from their early years.

Observers later wrote that the atmosphere felt deeply emotional, as if people were witnessing an unexpected reunion.

The committee interviewed many witnesses and examined alternative explanations. They remained cautious. In their 1936 report, they stated that they could not find a clear conventional explanation for the case.

Shanti Devi later lived a quiet life. She avoided public attention and never sought to benefit from her story. She remained consistent in her accounts throughout her life. She passed away in 1987, still maintaining that her memories were genuine.

To this day, the case continues to be discussed. Some see it as one of the most intriguing historical mysteries, while others remain skeptical. No conclusion has been universally accepted.

What remains certain is that a young child described detailed memories connected to another family and another place. Details that the investigators at the time found difficult to explain.

Some stories don’t offer clear answers, only questions, and a reminder that there may still be things we don’t fully understand

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BOOK SALES FUND OUR NEWS PLATFORM. Award-winning novelist Michael Walsh writes REAL LIFE ROMANTIC PARANORMAL novels. These include THE PHANTOM OF OPHELIA and SOUL MATES. Best read with an open mind. https://michaelwalshbooks.wordpress.com/