Past Life Memories and Life After Death | Scientific Research at UVA with Marieta Pehlivanova, PhD
What happens when the University of Virginia’s Division of Perceptual Studies studies near-death experiences and children’s past-life memories using rigorous psychiatry and neuroscience research methods?
In this episode, Marieta Pehlivanova, PhD, Research Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, explains what DOPS is, how near-death experiences are defined and measured in research, and why many experiencers need support after returning.
We also explore children who report past-life memories, what makes a case verifiable, why many kids stop talking about these memories around ages 5–7, and what long-term follow-up studies suggest.
Dr. Pehlivanova shares a striking research finding on gender nonconformity in children who report an opposite-sex past life, plus where the science is going next, including lab-based memory testing, trauma-related questions, neuroimaging, and prevalence research.
This conversation is for anyone navigating grief, questioning consciousness, or looking for grounded, evidence-based discussions of life after death.
Chapters: Time Stamps
00:00 DOPS is not “paranormal investigating”
02:54 What UVA’s Division of Perceptual Studies studies
11:48 Near-death experiences: definition + common features
13:22 The Greyson NDE Scale and measurement
14:22 Supporting NDE experiencers and reducing stigma
20:01 Children with past-life memories and DOPS history
21:42 Research finding: gender nonconformity and past-life cases
26:57 Do kids “forget” past-life memories? Adult follow-up data
30:16 How DOPS evaluates cases and what makes them verifiable
38:11 Eastern vs Western cultures and reincarnation beliefs
41:40 Where the research is going: memory, trauma, neuroimaging
49:02 Strong U.S. cases: James Leininger and Ryan Hammons
56:41 What changes minds and why skepticism persists
1:07:46 Psi and consciousness beyond death
1:11:34 Where to follow DOPS and get updates
#PastLifeMemories #NearDeathExperience #LifeAfterDeath #UVA #DOPS #ConsciousnessResearch