In 2002, two-year-old James Leininger had a nightmare about a plane crash, which led him to experience memories and dreams of being a World War II fighter pilot named Lieutenant James McCready Huston.
According to his mother, Andrea, Leininger had no prior knowledge of planes, but he would shout out about a plane crash in his sleep, kick, and point at the ceiling.
The James Leininger Reincarnation Case, in which as a Child James Remembered his Past Life as a WWII Fighter Pilot, dramatically shows how Facial Features can Remain the Same from One Lifetime to Another
— Walter Semkiw, MD (@waltersemkiw) March 9, 2020
To learn more, please go to:https://t.co/UdMKf3o1HF pic.twitter.com/5SawSQ8cgD
His parents began to believe that he had reincarnated after he mentioned flying a Corsair from a boat called the Natoma during World War II. His father, Bruce, did some research and discovered that a small carrier called the Natoma Bay was part of the Battle of Iwo Jima, and its pilot was Lieutenant Huston.
Episode 28 – Reincarnation – The Case of James Leininger
— My True Crime Obsession Podcast (@MyTrueCrimePod) June 23, 2020
In the early 2000's a young boy shook the beliefs of many when he began to recall details of a plane crash and a WWII raid that had taken place 50 years prior. Do you believe in reincarnation? pic.twitter.com/RMG7KbwtRj
Leininger’s grandmother suggested meeting a therapist who believes in reincarnation, and with her help, he was able to articulate his past.
https://t.co/ZhmdlJzds4 I am fascinated by the James Lininger story. I went on and bought the book: Soul Survivor (1
— Connie N Ahlberg (@cjnapoet) September 7, 2022
His parents eventually wrote a letter to Lieutenant Huston’s sister, Anne Barron, and she believed that Leininger was the reincarnation of her brother. However, Professor Paul Kurtz of the State University of New York at Buffalo thinks that the parents are “self-deceived.”
As Leininger grows older, his memories are fading, but he still treasures a bust of George Washington and a model of a Corsair aircraft that were sent to him by Barron. His parents say that their feelings towards him have not changed.