Life Before Life is a book written by psychiatrist Jim B. Tucker . It presents an overview of more than 40 years of reincarnation research at the University of Virginia into children 's reports of past life memories . Life Before Life : A Scientific Investigation of Children 's Memories of Previous Lives is a 2005 book written by psychiatrist Jim B. Tucker , which presents an overview of more than 40 years of reincarnation research at the University of Virginia Division of Personality Studies , into children 's reports of past life memories .