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A Plausible Reincarnation of Claus von Stauffenberg
(June-October 2010 - Progress Report)
In early 2010 the Reincarnation Experiment began evaluating evidence for a possible reincarnation of the man who almost succeeded in killing Hitler in July 1944 before being executed. Claus von Stauffenberg, an aristocratic German army officer, was the key to widespread opposition to the Nazi policies and the assassination attempt. [His life has been portrayed in the movie Valkyrie with Tom Cruise, other movies, television, and books.] While a definitive identification of the reincarnation of Stauffenberg cannot yet be made, this report reveals the story of a 46-ear-old, anonymous man who could be a likely candidate. We describe him under the pseudonym Kurt.
The psychophysical model we use to establish statistical levels of confidence in a case cannot be conclusive when ambiguities remain in significant areas of evidence. For this reason we are continuing to evaluate new data before publishing a final report on this possible past-life identification. This ongoing case is a part of our German WW-II initiative to identify and evaluate a number of potential reincarnation cases related to the human tragedy of that war.
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Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg shouted "Long live holy Germany!" seconds before the bullets from guns of ten non-commissioned officers of the Guard Battalion shattered his body. He died on a sand pile in a courtyard in the early moments of July 21, 1944. He and three of his fellow officers executed with him had been arrested only hours earlier that night in the Bendlerstrasse building housing the office of the German Home Army Command and General Army in Berlin. As a leader of the attempt (known as Valkyrie) to assassinate the German Furher and bring World War II to an end, earlier the previous morning Stauffenberg had planted a bomb near Adolf Hitler in the bunker at Wolfschanze.A fellow collaborator, General Beck, had asked for a pistol to kill himself. He failed with two shots and was later given the coup de grace by a member of the firing squad. Stauffenberg, Colonel Mertz von Quirnheim, Lieutenant-General Olbricht, and Lientenant von Haeften had walked slowly, but bravely to their fate. Taken from the sand pile, the five bodies were first buried in a cemetery, but later in the day exhumed, cremated, and scattered in an open area. The subsequent Nazi round-up of identifiable participants in the plot, including Claus' brother Berthold, resulted in even more horrendous torture and executions.Since that bloody night of totalitarian butchery, millions have wondered what Stauffenberg thought as he faced the firing squad as a martyr for his vision of a New Germany. It is doubtful many would have speculated that Claus expected to be born again and to continue working for a vision that had been nurtured by a few early 20th-century philosophers and poets. As a formal Catholic he should have been expected to join his Christian God in a heavenly realm. However, the poet Stefan George and his devotees, including Claus and his two brothers, who promoted a new Germany also believed in reincarnation.* If neuroscience research into survival of human consciousness after death and emerging empirical evidence for a form of reincarnation stand the test of further scientific examination, one may reasonably imagine a different scenario for the soul leaving the smashed body falling backward on that sand pile.
*(George claimed past-lives for himself and others and wrote poems about them.)
Has the Claus "Soul Genome" Reincarnated? Could the psychoplasm that animated Claus have already experienced a rebirth in Germany? If so, is it possible to physically identify him? Would his reincarnated personality be promoting principles similar to those for which Claus died? The Reincarnation Experiment's hypothesis suggests that if his soul genome is reincarnated today, we should be able to identify its present personality and demonstrate empirical links between the present and past life. This project evaluates evidence that suggests experiences and learning from a past life are transferred to each newborn. Emerging evidence suggests that this informational and energetic inheritance is the innate foundation that predisposes the new child's development. Several key genotype factors seem to be transferred to the present body from a specific past-life, but the most important part of the inherited legacy is the individual's core personality.Obviously the newly reincarnated soul would not encounter the same social and professional circumstances it experiences in a previous life. However, many fully developed cases suggest a significant number of similar characteristics transfer to the alleged new reincarnation. These characteristics are self-evident, appearing through the influences of family, community, educational, and professional opportunities that also contribute to the child's development.Based on the results of five years of research in other cases, the Reincarnation Experiment (REXP) began an examination of the possibility that Claus had already reincarnated and that he could be identified among people born some years after his untimely* death. *(Some published cases suggest that violent deaths often result in reincarnations in a relatively short time.)
History of a Possible Stauffenberg CaseIn late 2009, a German man (whom we call Kurt as he requested anonymity) approached REXP with information that he believed pointed to his being the possible reincarnation of Stauffenberg. Some initial data and similarities between the past and present lives were quite intriguing. The beginning of his story follows.After a period of family turmoil, involving his aggressive feelings toward spouse and children, Kurt took part in family therapy. His feelings of aggression declined. That motivated him to start individual counseling and other efforts to understand himself. This led to interest in the Hindu-based teachings of a spiritual sect led by a popular Hindu guru we call Saghar Bhupen. Considering a trip to India to meet with him, Kurt felt an arising familiar fear of his own volatility. The notion that he might rise up in a meeting and attempt to kill this guru (if his some of his suspicions about the integrity of the man proved to be true) drove him to seek a deeper form of therapy.However, with a history of almost uncontrollable impulses to kill a dictator or a traitor, his similar feelings about such a celebrated religious figure made Kurt fear being hypnotized. Nevertheless, he decided he had to confront this fear of hypnosis, along with his irrational impulses. Searching the Internet for a therapist using regression techniques, he settled on one who had coincidentally been trained in regression therapy related to reincarnation.During the first two hypnotic sessions Kurt experienced images that convinced him that he was suffering from depression. In the third session he was instructed to imagine his past life. Considering he was just doing an exercise, he thought of the German eastern front against Russia during World War II. He reports thinking that four fused vertebrae may have been his karmic punishment for killing four of the enemy. The first image of his session was a blue coffin in the sun. The therapist had difficulty getting Kurt into a deep trance. But, in a relaxed state, he saw a man in uniform going down stairs in a building. Asked by the therapist to give him a name, he immediately labeled him Claus von Stauffenberg whose face was familiar to him from years reading the history of World War II.(Kurt reports that he never saw himself as an important person and had not sought great responsibility in this life. His initial view of Stauffenberg was that of a failure for his abortive attempt to kill Hitler and implement the coup. Later, he said he thought the idea that he was a reincarnation of Stauffenberg was ridiculous, but agreed with the therapist to play the role.)When the therapist asked Kurt the date of the scene, he immediately responded "July 20, 1944." (He reports that, in that moment, he felt that he wanted to dig a cave and rest there until death.) The therapist asked "How did it happen, that you came to support Adolf in the Wehrmacht?" Kurt's response was "to bring down the encrusted structures of Europe." (He later associated the phrase with Stefan George's idealism inculcated in Claus.) This regression session lacked controls to prevent contamination of the material. When the subject reported an image, the therapist immediately asked Kurt to give it a name, implying it would be his past-life name. The therapist began to reinforce that identification by again immediately asking the date associated with the scene. (See note on regression process.)Other specific requests by the therapist dealing with the Stauffenberg's wife and children, and his feelings at being shot further risked reinforcing a false past-life identification. Leading questions and Kurt's previous research on World War II could have resulted in these recent memories effecting his responses. Such a session did not make a convincing case for Kurt being Claus's reincarnation.Kurt reports being surprised by his responses in playing the role of Claus. He said he didn't want to be Stauffenberg, or anyone else like him, at all. This experience was followed by two years of depression, like a "Zombie not knowing what to do to get back into his live body." But, later on, Kurt began to wonder whether his own attraction to a charismatic personality like Saghar Bhupen might be similar to Claus' attraction to the circle that developed around Stefan George. This possible insight and Kurt's learning about the research techniques used by several American professionals stimulated him to seek other similarities between his life and personality and those of Claus von Stauffenberg. He developed a list of details about his own life that he felt mirrored that of Claus. For instance, he recalled that his conflicts with his spouse had begun just before July 21, 1999 the 55th anniversary of Stauffenberg's execution when he saw "enemies everywhere and he began to retreat inside himself, becoming emotionally colder, distraught, and unable to speak in a normal manner."Kurt decided that his episodes of hostility towards authority figures often to the point of challenging their policies or physically threatening them might have origins in past-life experiences. He said deep emotions forced him to expose such leaders when he perceived their policies to be destructive or deceitful, posing a danger to humanity. He acted this way in organizations where he worked and against political figures whose actions he saw as detrimental to a healthy and peaceful German society. Kurt posited a parallel between his passion and that which motivated Claus's opposition to Hitler and the attempt to kill him.Yet, none of these similarities (further described below) were unique enough to point specifically to behaviors and events in the life of Stauffenberg. At this stage in his research, Kurt could only point to the one past-life regression session in which he personally had introduced the name Claus von Stauffenberg.Still seeking validation, Kurt subsequently approached an internationally known regression therapist who seeks confirmation of past-life identities by a non-human voice that is interpreted by a popular channel. This therapist responded to Kurt's search for verification by asking the voice (through the channel) if Kurt was the reincarnation of Claus von Stauffenberg. The reported answer, communicated through the channel, was yes.Once again, Kurt was left with unverifiable evidence of a past-life as Stauffenberg. For the second time he had engaged in a process without safeguards against the fallacy known in science as a self-fulfilling prophecy where questions are asked with the desired answer already implied. Even if the sources or procedures used in both situations were considered to be generally reliable, there was no way for him to escape the possibility that this researcher's yes answer was partial or false.
Need for Objective EvaluationKurt was left with his list of self-developed correspondences to wrestle with the possibilities that if reincarnation is a real-world phenomenon he might or might not be the reincarnation of such a heroic public figure as Stauffenberg. Seeking more certainty, through tangible or at least verifiable information, Kurt presented the list described in this report to the Reincarnation Experiment. In Kurt's search for an answer to his question "Am I the reincarnation of Claus von Stauffenberg?" he listed all the factors in his life that seemed to mirror the Stauffenberg biography. Some were intriguing, but most failed the test of past-life idiosyncrasy. Without characteristics unique to Claus, such generic similarities could be applicable to many people. Examples of these generic items include: Both young Claus and Kurt lived in three-story houses, with big gardens, in small cities surrounded by beautiful hills. From boyhood, both loved horses and nature; they were also interested in history, particularly military history. The mothers of both were Protestants who were interested in art and both sets of parents spoke high German. Claus fathered five children and Kurt claims he had wanted four or five children. Each boy thought of himself as a brave person. They liked music, played string instruments, and loved dancing. Religious, political, and social issues interested both men. They were proud to be Germans, admiring Napoleon and his influence, but hated the Treaty of Versailles that disadvantaged Germany.One can make the argument that a large number of such general correspondences could be evidence of the same soul genome at work in two lifetimes, but they would need to be buttressed by important idiosyncratic matches to make a persuasive case of a past-life legacy.From the REXP perspective, a few of Kurt's list had the potential to be corroborative evidence, if more definitive links between the two lifetimes were identified. The evaluation protocol described on this site offered the most comprehensive methodology available. Kurt agreed to share information required to conduct a systematic assessment, subjecting his private life and innermost thoughts to the probing of a team of naturally skeptical researchers.Reexamining Possibly Unique SimilaritiesThe REXP protocol focuses on evidence that existed prior to the point when the subject comes to believe he or she is the reincarnation of a particular past life. This approach avoids the possibility of contamination of the information that may occur without the subject even being aware of it. The evaluation process also depends on third parties for as much evidence as possible for the same reason. However, the subject must participate to provide clues that only he may be aware of. To minimize contamination, we attempt to corroborate material provided by the subject by seeking documentation or independent views on it.As Kurt studied Stauffenberg's biographical material, he learned of the influence Claus' membership in the small clique attached to Stefan George apparently had on Claus's idealism and his willingness to kill Hitler when he betrayed that group's vision of a New Germany. Kurt began to speculate about his own motivation to dedicate his life to bringing the Truth of reincarnation out in the open. Would a mature Claus have done similar things?Was Kurt repeating a path similar to Claus's dedication to the overthrow of Hitler and to right wrongs his regime had wreaked on Germany? Did it mean that Kurt had a past-life link to Claus? If a reincarnation connection to Claus caused a public backlash, he had to be prepared to be a martyr. He had to get it right. What if he could not prove it? REXP offered a methodology to develop levels of confidence in a case instead of a yes or no answer.[The reader should take note of other sections of this website that illustrate the empirical approach REXP takes in evaluation of the clues and evidence.]Together, Kurt and REXP explored the implicit religious orientation of both men in their overall personalities. Stauffenberg's father was a traditional Catholic, but his mother was Lutheran. Claus followed in his father's footsteps by marrying a Lutheran countess. He attended a predominantly Catholic school that also included some Jewish students in all levels. He had good relationships with them and later worked well with Jewish colleagues. Stefan George's worldview was strongly anti-Protestant, but with a strong visionary, essentially secular orientation.
An ecumenical worldview is reflected in Claus' writing and behavior. Kurt manifests a similar attachment to a religious or spiritual orientation without being rooted in a particular dogma. His parents practiced a limited, holiday-focused approach to Protestant Christianity. Young Kurt wanted them to go to church more often, but when it came time for his own confirmation ritual he upset the priest with his questions about Virgin Mary that almost disqualified him for the ceremony. As an adult he seeks god in all religions, including Hinduism and Islam, and tends to be universal and ecumenical.In comparison, both men exhibit a pattern of overt deference to authority figures to cover their private emotional and intellectual idealism when expedient. But, they feel a deep sense of serving a significant mission in life. Each feels called to serve the larger society, but his objectives and methods depend on circumstance.For Claus, military service fit his family's aristocratic traditional place in society. However, he interprets his particular duty as helping build a new society based on utopian ideals in which he would play a special role. The focus of his specific obligations changed when it became clear that the utopia originally promised by Hitler became warped. At that point, he felt that he had to resist the monster he had once supported and reach for a higher goal.Kurt's life has followed a similar trajectory, military duty, volunteering for national service, and then publicly demonstrating against national energy policies that he saw as a danger to the nation. When he was exposed to regression therapy and reincarnation research while dealing with his own personal problems he felt the disciplines needed higher standards. The same reform personality influenced his decision to get involved and try to develop more credible techniques, with the hope that reincarnation knowledge would advance society's progress.Kurt even wrote of his participation in the reincarnation research project as a mission. He sees himself as a " servant of the world (but at) the same moment as a member of (the) prophets." He believes prophets do not claim their role loudly, with a sense of entitlement, but with self-conscious calm, as if appointed."He sees this sense of "being chosen for an important task in the interest of one's people" resembles a description of Claus as " a model of an intelligent and brave German officer, a man like a hero of antiquity, who was fully aware that he was sacrificing himself."* Claus himself told a colleague " we still have a mission... that had fallen to me."*[Count Hardenberg quote from Stauffenberg by Peter Hoffmann, p. 234]Portrait of Young KurtSeeking evidence of youthful memories, behaviors, or personal preferences that might reflect a past-life legacy is very important in evaluating a case. Matches of precocity (where knowledge is exhibited that cannot be attributed to learning in this lifetime) are very significant. [See discussion of the phenomenon and examples in the book The Soul Genome.]Kurt identified some childhood ideas about himself or interests that appeared to be innate, with no apparent family or societal influences to have implanted them. He reports an untutored sense that he had an elder brother. But his parents had only one son. He also reports saying to himself Im in the wrong family. Such reports may suggest early memory traces. Unfortunately, we do not have verification by others that such comments were actually expressed. Thus, they cannot be considered empirical evidence.Kurt's family, like most German families after the war, were trying their best to forget the horrors that had consumed Europe during the 1930's and 40's. Many family secrets, whether victims or oppressors, were deeply hidden by mothers and fathers hoping to give their children a normal life. Kurt's family is no exception. The secret the fact that Kurt's grandfather had planned to kill his whole family if the Russians had gotten too close proved to have no relevance. The fact that Stauffenberg had differed with Hitler's policies toward Russia did not appear to relate to Kurt's discovery of the family secret. However, young Kurt did exhibit an avid interest (independently corroborated) in Germany's immediate prewar and World War-II history.Kurt considered examples of childhood bravery defined as taking dangerous actions without regard for personal risk as a possible genome trace from Claus's well-known, wartime history of courage. Born in a country at peace, Kurt's life must be examined for comparable intentions and behaviors in a context quite different from the Stauffenberg era.Kurt reported "When I was 10 years old, two friends and I were watching the planned demolition of a nearby farmer's barn. A crane with a concrete ball started movement to swing the ball into the barn. It was obvious that the barn could be destroyed with one hit. With the barn doors wide open, I knew it was the last chance I had to run through it. Without saying a word to my friends, I started to run. I was aware that I would be killed if I fell, but that attracted me. All the children cried in fear and the crane driver was very angry, but I managed to do it. When the kids asked me why I had done it, I didn't know myself. I just felt lucky that I had survived." Can this be seen as an impulse triggered by a latent, past-life memory of the adrenal charge one gets from successfully facing danger in war?Sometime between age 9 and 12, Kurt and a neighborhood boy decided to play Tarzan by swinging with a rope from one tree to another. When the other boy refused to dare it, Kurt had to try it. The first effort ended up with his falling to the ground. The second one threw him against the tree trunk at high speed. Fortunately, a branch slowed him down and he didn't break any bones.Kurt saw these experiences as mirroring written reports of young Claus' lack of fear around horses and wagons, dangerous rock climbing, or steep ski runs. He sees the above events as demonstrations that he in childhood, as Claus reportedly did, wanted to be a hero. (His commitment to pursue the research of a case as provocative in Germany as that of von Stauffenberg also suggests either courage or foolhardiness if there is a difference.) Several documented cases suggest that personality traits like risk-taking or courage in the face of danger are part of a psychoplasm legacy. In this case, do such actions represent a boy with latent memories of being a soldier who needed to demonstrate he was brave? Or, do they simply show an adventuresome boy expressing himself? Even if such behavioral tendencies do have a past-life origin, Kurt's actions cannot be linked specifically to Claus.During the evaluation of the case, Kurt described two relevant behavioral events that occurred after the regression session that introduced Claus into his life: One involved racing a train to the crossing. The other had him pulling his two children across a prohibited road between two groups of racing cyclists.Kurt regards these incidents as reminiscent of Stauffenberg's rush to escape the "Wolf Lair" after he had deposited the bomb near Hitler. Claus had to cross two military checkpoints to reach the airplane to return to Berlin after the explosion. He brazened his way through them.Kurt says his actions were involuntary and asks if this could be the same personality that helped Claus thwart efforts to block his escape path. We cannot be sure. They could have roots in a past-life, psychological disorders, or simple recklessness. Early childhood phobias or dreams often appear to be related to alleged past-life memories. Kurt reported he had a relatively joyful and sheltered childhood, but stated he had a possibly relevant fearful dream. According to Kurt, at age 11 he dreamed "a criminal dressed in black threw him on the ground in a supermarket. He sat on Kurt's chest and threatened to shoot him, but allowed him to pray first. Praying caused Kurt (in the dream) to become calm, with a feeling of thankfulness that he had had time to pray."After that dream, Kurt states, he never had fear of death. He tentatively offered this dream which an analyst might see as an anxiety attack as a flashback to Claus' last moments on the sand pile facing the firing squad. This could also be an example of reinterpreting earlier memories after one has adopted the notion of a past-life.Examining Biometric Evidence for ReincarnationAmong traditional accounts of possible reincarnation, people have reported physical resemblances between the living person and his alleged identity. Now deceased, the renown Ian Stevenson was the first to systematically document some of these similarities. Other researchers have recently begun to look for general resemblances and to photograph them. However, the Reincarnation Experiment was the first project to use the science of biometrics to compare just how much likeness exists. Our careful use of biometrics has made it possible to distinguish truly similar facial and other skeletal architecture from casual look-alikes. See more details at this link on this site.Facial and Body Biometrics. In most cases the REXP protocol uses six measures of facial features (with underlying bone structures) to develop three ratios of variance. [Read further explanation.] In this case with photographs of Claus at odd angles we measured five facial architecture ratios. The variances between Kurt and Claus are .042, .059, .078, .061, and .084 for an overall average of .065. We have found that most cases with high personality and idiosyncratic correspondences also have biometric variances that fall below the .04 range.Similarities in the .01 to .04 do not prove or disprove reincarnation, but they suggest confidence in the reliability of the other factors. REXP statistical analyses of the odds that the close similarities in robust cases reveal only a very small chance that such low variances are random or chance events. These odds require an explanation like reincarnation. Youthful blond hair and big eyes characterized Claus and Kurt who had similar youthful features. In a review of other apparently stable genotype influences, REXP examined the hair and ear patterns from more mature photographs of Claus and Kurt but found only slight similarities. (Higher correspondences usually show up in stronger cases.) The hand/finger ratios (also involving bone architecture) vary by almost 15%, indicating a significantly different genotype.Another area of physical similarities first noted by Stevenson, and subsequently included by REXP, involves unique birthmarks, unusual body features, deformities, and or medical issues. It now appears from a large number of well-documented cases published by the University of Virginia Division of Perceptual Studies and other researchers (including REXP) that such genotypic patterns may carry over from one lifetime to another.There is no record of unique and similar features visible in both Claus and Kurt at birth that have been identified. However, Kurt's initial collection of potential medical evidence suggested that he might have had an early health history similar to that of Claus. (See discussion below.)Phenotype Factors. A phenotype is the manner in which the underlying genotype expresses itself in a particular environment. In reincarnation theory, the phenotype is also seen as the expression of the inherited psychoplasm (soul genome) in a new set of life circumstances.Two weeks after birth, Kurt developed a strong allergy to milk, cloth, and the seeds of flowers, grass, and trees. This led to asthma problems. When it became serious enough to the physician to prescribe an injection, he was allergic to the injections to control the asthma, requiring anti-injection medication. These difficulties made for a frail childhood, but he persisted in the rough and tumble of childhood games.Claus also suffered fragile childhood health, involving infectious diseases suggesting a weak immune system. This did not stop his determination to be tough. Since allergies like those suffered by Kurt are also a response of the immune system, one could postulate a matching psychoplasm trait. However, since many are plagued with childhood illnesses or genetic traits that make them less robust than others, this alone does not suggest a specific past-life legacy.The next step was to consider evidence of physical symptoms evident in Kurt's early life that could be considered to have resulted from an inherited soul genome (psychoplasm) with residual effects of Claus's wounds from his combat or execution. A few possibilities stand out.Kurt reported that until age five his left eye suffered from an unexplained and untreatable trembling. At age 12 he developed an aperiodic rash on his hands, that was easily aggravated by stress and lasted until age 41 (when he had his first past-life regression therapy). He reports the rash covered three fingers of his left hand and all of the right hand (with swollen epidermal cells oozing liquid). REXP confirmed the rash breakouts with two family members, but the specific locations on the left hand could not be verified. Kurt posited that the locations of the eye trembling and the rash matched the wounds Claus experienced in 1943 on the battle front in Tunisia. Standing in his jeep, Claus was directing his German soldiers under fire from American and British fighter-bomber attacks. When his vehicle came under fire he threw himself to the ground and was hit in multiple places.First treated on site by a passing Grenadier physician, he was taken to a nearby field hospital. There his right hand was amputated. His little finger and ring finger on the left hand were removed as well. And his damaged left eye had to be taken out. (These wounds later made it difficult for him to manipulate the explosives intended to kill Hitler.)Kurt also developed a list of perceived parallels between his medical history and the trauma of Claus's execution. At age 10 Kurt learned he had four fused vertebrae which has hindered his flexibility to the present. He now thinks the condition might be related to the damage done to Claus' body during the July 21 execution and carried over in the psychoplasm. (Such carry-overs have been identified in many cases by various researchers.)Another instance, Kurt feels that his life-long tendency for his skin to be burned by very little exposure to the sun each year may be related to Claus death. He sees it as possibly connected to von Stauffenberg's experience of his execution, analogous to reports by dying people that they feel they're burning (A YouTube example is that of a young woman shot during the June 2009 Iranian political demonstrations crying "I am burning" as she died.) The question for which we do not have a definitive answer is: Can the symptoms experienced by Kurt described above be subconsciously, energetically, or epigenetically connected in some manner to the physical trauma suffered by Claus? While no scientific discipline currently has the tools to provide a testable explanation, it does not preclude a past-life connection.In the context of present reincarnation theory, entanglements of quantum-level consciousness could link the psychoplasms of Claus and Kurt. However, such an influence may not be limited to a sequential reincarnation from Claus to Kurt. It could just as well involve a soul genome connection with someone who was close to or involved in Claus's experience (a fellow soldier or medical officer). Or, the influence could be one of morphogenetic (information) fields created by battle trauma or an emotional archetype developed by the martyrdom of Claus.Given the generic nature of much of the above information, and alternative explanations for the data, each area of evidence must be incorporated into an overall picture to determine if it suggests a past-life connection. Using the REXP case ratings summary sheet we weigh how much each of the above phenotype factors appear to be credible evidence pointing to a link between two lifetimes. When the factors in this case are compared with more self-evident cases, the overall phenotype score is weak.
Personality CorrespondencesGood reincarnation cases have a number of specific areas of evidence that point to unique potential linkages between two lifetimes. They include (1) very close physical biometrics and other genotype factors, (2) specific memories, skills, talents, knowledge, habits, and behavior patterns parallel to the alleged past-life, and (3) fundamental mental, emotional, interpersonal, and creative traits that combine to form a recognizable personality profile.The biometric and phenotype factors in this case were found to be weak. No significant evidence has come forth for this case in the specific areas described in the previous paragraph. We were left with an examination focused on personality factors and the general, but similar biographical correspondences.Since all such ratings are based on some level of subjectivity, REXP attempts to collect input to four areas: Mental, emotional, interpersonal, and creative. Given enough information about the career and avocational interests of both parties one can compare the underlying set of interests and motivations in the subject and the alleged previous personality.Biographical information from the significant documentation of Claus' life made it possible to develop his performatype or creative-factor profile. In interviews of Kurt and his family members and documentary material from him and former colleagues three people rated Kurt in the six areas shown on the performatype rating scale. The results for Claus and Kurt were compared. Only one area (Social) saw agreement among all raters of a match between the two. However, significant overlaps were noted in three areas: Enterprising, Investigative, and Artistic. This suggests a significant match in skills, values, and interests between Claus and Kurt. For the three psychological rating scales, the process involved three raters for Kurt (including two members of his extended family who knew him well) and two analysts studied a variety of public sources about Claus. To maintain the standard of "blind assessments" each analyst developed his or her impressions independently. The separate reports were then synthesized to arrive at a set of composite ratings for both Kurt and Claus. Only at this point were the personality scores assigned to Kurt and Claus compared to each other.The strongest match was in the ego profile area with four (out of six) categories, two very strong and two moderately close. Mental profiles showed two strong and one moderate match. The interpersonal factor had one strong and two moderately strong matches.Scores from a Myers-Briggs Type Inventory were obtained as additional evidence of similar personalities. Kurt took his own test and Claus's test responses were given by a surrogate who used various biographic sources. The scores, respectively INTJ and ISTJ, add strength to the personality ratings. A stand-alone combination of the four personality-factor comparisons warrant a "likely" level of confidence in a match.One idiosyncratic trait common to Claus and Kurt may be relevant to the soul-genome legacy concept. Both were attracted to sect-like groups with charismatic leaders. Stefan George has been labeled by scholars as "part-guru, part cultural icon, part cult leader." Saghar Bhupen has been described by scholars as "guru, spiritual avatar, and cult leader." Claus accepted George's claim of quasi-divine powers and Kurt initially believed in Sahgar Bhupen's claim of divinity.To be accepted into the inner circles of both groups requires a form of surrender of one's personal identity. Devotees must swear fealty to the leader who considers himself beyond challenge by normal humans. Special costumes and personal demonstrations of obeisance are required in rituals of initiation. Important personal decisions are subject to the leader's review. Each group has its own worldview that encourages a sense of being "the select," with a special role in the world, and beyond. Coincidentally, both leaders have homoerotic aspects.In Claus's case he decided to transfer his commitment to the idealism of George to Hitler's initially compatible vision for Germany. When he saw that Hitler's actual policies were betraying that vision, he began the path to insurrection and the assassination attempt.In Kurt's case (he reports), when he saw alleged evidence of Saihgar Bhupen's behavior contrary his public teachings, he began to be afraid that he might attempt to physically attack, and possibly kill him. This violent specter caused him to abort a planned visit to meet the guru. (Kurt then decided to directly promote a spiritual vision not connected to any one group.)Kurt suggests that his irrational impulse might be a soul genome residual of Claus's act against Hitler for his betrayal of the original George circle's ideals. Regardless of whether such a link exists between the two, their personalities share a tendency to cede personal autonomy to a visionary leader, align their lives and goals with his priorities, and then turn on him when their expectations are betrayed.
Tentative Findings (Subject to Further Evidence)The biometric and physical evidence collected thus far does not point to a strong soul genome link between Kurt and Claus. Only the mid-level confidence score for a personality-profile match could support a "likely" connection, but it's subjective nature makes it the least reliable of the three areas of evidence.The third, idiosyncratic area of evidence requires memories, knowledge, beliefs, skills or behavioral patterns found in both lifetimes. No significant examples were discovered in this area. Therefore, it could not add to the overall confidence level in the case.The only sources presenting specific extra-dimensional clues (see description) pointing to a specific past-life connection are discussed above: The regression session where Kurt named Claus von Stauffenberg and the channeled agreement from a third party could have been predisposed to the Stauffenberg identfication.While expected areas of evidence are non-existence or lacking robustness, in this writer's view, some idiosyncratic factors indicate that Kurt inherited subconscious psychological ties to the Claus von Stauffenberg soul genome. This is particularly evident in Kurt's psychosomatic symptoms coincident with the wounds to Claus's eyes and hands and perhaps with his execution. It is also evident in their common susceptibility to charismatic leaders, surrendering to one set of ideals and then finding the courage to confront the leaders who betray them. The significance of other similar traits cannot be easily dismissed. They have a particularly strong common willingness to dedicate themselves for causes they believe in. While they are prepared to fail, each also has a desire to be a hero for their efforts. Their concern for all levels of society and the overall well-being of their nation motivates risk taking and the acceptance of missions without regards for personal security.For these reasons, we must conclude that the case does not reach the Reincarnation Experiment's parameters for a definitive past-life match. Lack of sufficient tangible evidence precludes a statistical confidence rating of a "likely" or "very likely" past-life identification. However, the overall report contains sufficient idiosyncratic factors to suggest that Kurt is a "possible" reincarnation of the Claus psychoplasm and a "highly likely" reincarnation of someone in the von Stauffenberg soul cohort. Given an ambivalent conclusion, this case is open for further developments in Kurt's research or the identification of stronger cases. The later option is important due to the possibility that a different, stronger past-life connection may be identified for Kurt during his ongoing research. It is possible, perhaps even likely, that Kurt's immediate past-life was someone close to Claus during his life or someone affected very much by Claus' death and martyrdom.NOTE: For these reasons, we have encouraged Kurt to continue to develop his own case and to assist others who may develop clues to the reincarnation of Claus or the reincarnations of members of the Claus von Stauffenberg soul cohort (his immediate family, close associates, or participants in German WW-II resistance groups). Contact with Kurt by anyone wishing to pursue one of these options can be made by email through the author of this report.
Caveats or Qualifications to the FindingsReaders are advised to keep in mind that at this time we humans have no scientific methodology that can prove or disprove the theory of reincarnation in general or in specific cases. This best we can do (as attempted by the Reincarnation Experiment) is to collect and validate empirical evidence suggestive of a reincarnation mechanism that cannot be explained by chance or other proven natural processes. Many theories have been constructed based on information from subjective human methodologies or unverifiable communications from alleged extra-dimensional sources, but they cannot be proven to third parties.At this stage, no one can honestly declare that anyone is or is not the reincarnation of any specific person who lived in the past. Therefore, one should not conclude from this report that we have or have not proved the reincarnation of Claus von Stauffenberg or that we have or have not identified Kurt's past life. You must make your own conclusion.Our goal has been to demonstrate a methodology that allows researchers assuming reincarnation is real to establish a level of confidence in a specific past-life legacy. We appreciate the cooperation of Kurt in this process and trust that this report is a small step forward in improving our understanding of the reincarnation phenomenon.
Paul Von Ward, Coordinator of the Reincarnation Experiment (October 15, 2010)
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