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The phenomenon of soul exchange offers compelling evidence for reincarnation. Over 40 years ago, in the Cà Mau district of Bạc Liêu province (South Vietnam), a story unfolded that captivated public attention and the media. Mr. Nguyễn Thành Cương even adapted it into a play, which was printed and distributed for the public to contemplate the mysteries of the divine.
In 1914, in Vĩnh Mỹ village, Bạc Liêu province, there lived a young woman named Trần Thị Phuông, about 20 years old, the daughter of village notable Trần Văn Thừa. She was kind-hearted but prone to spells of delirium, often talking to herself and occasionally experiencing episodes resembling death.
One day, she seemingly died and then revived, but she spoke with a North Vietnamese accent and sang opera songs, which lasted for a few days. Another time, she again appeared to die and then revived, speaking Chinese and claiming to be Lý Thắng, a 13-year-old from Hunan province. This also subsided after a few days.
Yet again, she seemingly died and revived, but this time, she didn’t recognize her parents. She claimed to be Trương Thị Cưu, the daughter of village elder Hiếu from Cà Mau, and insisted on returning to her parents there.
Her parents sent someone to Cà Mau to investigate, and indeed, there had been a Trương Thị Cưu, daughter of village elder Hiếu, who had died 15 years prior. Intrigued, elder Hiếu sent his son, Gấm, to Vĩnh Mỹ to assess the situation. Upon seeing Gấm, Phuông immediately called him by name and inquired about her parents. Gấm returned and relayed the story to his parents, prompting Mrs. Hiếu to visit Phuông personally. She asked Phuông about private matters, and Phuông answered accurately. Mrs. Hiếu then said, “If your soul is truly that of my daughter, go down to the boat and bring me something that belonged to her as proof, and then I will believe.”
Phuông went to the boat and retrieved a mosquito net, claiming that she (as Thị Cưu) had sewn it before her death. Convinced, Mrs. Hiếu finally believed that it was indeed her daughter’s soul. However, the situation was complicated: it was Thị Phuông’s body but Thị Cưu’s soul. Unsure how to proceed, she brought the matter to the district chief, H. Ng. B, seeking his judgment. Unable to resolve the matter definitively, he ruled that Phuông should divide her time between both families.
When Phuông returned to Cà Mau with her parents (in spirit), she recognized everyone in the family and demonstrated knowledge of weaving cotton mats, a unique craft of Cà Mau.
Regarding this strange phenomenon, Thị Cưu’s soul (in Thị Phuông’s body) explained that when she had fallen ill and seemingly died, she wasn’t truly dead, but her parents had buried her prematurely. Upon regaining consciousness, she couldn’t escape the grave and perished. Her restless spirit, not yet destined to die, searched for a new dwelling until it encountered Phuông’s body, which was compatible, allowing her to return to life.
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The “Religio-Philosophical Journal,” published in Chicago, featured an article by Professor Hodgson titled “A Strange Story from Watseka”:
“In 1877, in Watseka, Illinois, 18-year-old Mary Roff fell gravely ill. Two months after her passing, a family named Vannum moved to Watseka with their one-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Lurancy. The Vannums had previously lived in Watseka but had moved away for a time. Lurancy had never met Mary Roff. Six years later, the Vannums returned to Watseka and settled there permanently.
Mary Roff’s mother and Lurancy’s mother had met once by chance but had no further contact, as they lived far apart.
When Lurancy turned 18, she fell ill with the same affliction that had claimed Mary Roff. Coincidentally, the doctor treating her was the same one who had attended to Mary. During her illness, Lurancy mentioned seeing apparitions, including one named Mary, whom she had never known.
One day, Mary’s spirit seemingly entered Lurancy’s body, demanding to see her parents and relatives and refusing to stay in Lurancy’s home.
Intrigued by this bizarre turn of events, Dr. Stevens informed Mary’s family. They rushed to Lurancy’s house. Although Lurancy had never met them before, she greeted them with joy, exclaiming, “There’s my mother and my sister Nervie!”
Lurancy then went to live with Mary’s family. She recognized all of Mary’s acquaintances. Upon seeing Mrs. Darker and her daughter Nelly, with whom Mary had been close, she called them by name. When shown a velvet hat that Mary had often worn before her death a year prior, she pointed to it and said, “This is the hat I wore when my hair was short.” She also mentioned an incident where she had cut her hand with a knife and spoke of a beloved dog that had since passed away. Everything Lurancy recounted about Mary’s past was accurate.
Strangely, after moving in with Mary’s family, Lurancy no longer recognized her own parents and relatives. When they visited, she had to be reminded who they were. If they wanted her to visit them, Mary’s mother had to accompany her. This soul exchange lasted for four months. Then, Mary’s spirit left Lurancy’s body, allowing Lurancy’s own spirit to return. This back-and-forth continued for 15 days until Lurancy finally regained full control of her body. She then refused to stay with Mary’s family and returned to her own parents. From that point on, she had no recollection of Mary’s memories.”
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