Customer Reviews

Someone Else's Yesterday: The Confederate General and Connecticut Yankee: A past Life Revealed

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Someone Else's Yesterday is a most fascinating past-life account of the author, Jeffrey J. Keene, and his past life recollections as John B. Gordon, a confederate general. I must start out by saying that I absolutely do not like reading anything to do with history, so I was very hesitant at first to begin this book. I am, though, very interested in past life material and gave it a go. I was very pleasantly surprised as I was unable to put the book down and finished it within 24 hours!!

Keene's fascination began as he had a very strange experience while visiting a battlefield at Antietam, coincidently, the very same battlefield on which General Gordon was wounded. Shortly thereafter, a chance meeting with a psychic at a party, led him to further delve into the Civil War past and his connection with General Gordon.

Not only are the pictures of both Keene and Gordon incredibly and uncannily striking, but the fact that they both share the same six placement of scars on their bodies just adds that much more credibility to the entire story. Keene presents such compelling evidence, that one comes away with wonderment. Even parallels with their writing styles is pretty incredible!

Dr. Brian Weiss, in his books on past lives, also stated as does Jeffrey Keene stated, that soul groups tend to reincarnate in groups, and that it is not uncommon to find members of the same family as well as close friends, together over multiple life times. Ironically, or maybe not - several of the men in Keene's department, also share incredible striking resemblances to other confederate men who were with General Gordon during the Civil War.

The author has done a thorough job researching General John B. Gordon, tracing his lineage as a boy growing up in Georgia, all the way through his death in 1904. Keene, not being content with the obvious, delved as deeply as possible into as much of General Gordon's entire life history as he was able. Visiting as many places and battlefields as he could, the parallels between both lives are pretty remarkable and the evidence seems so overwhelming. The historical writings were a fascinating read, much to my surprise!

I think that it is important to note here that Jeffrey Keene did not go searching for any of this to happen to him. Keene's skepticism of hypnotic regression was also not an option for him to explore in further pursuing his recalls. Instead it was through Keene's memories, which started to come through along with unexplained happenings and feelings, which prompted him to further investigate and explore it all on his own for himself. Even though Keene was skeptical at first, the more he investigated and researched General Gordon, that the parallels started to become clearer and clearer. The book is written with intelligence and sensitivity and it is Keene's insight that we much more than our bodies which allows him to delve with an open mind and with much insight into his past life research.

Not only is this a great book for civil war buffs, but also for those who are fascinated in past life recall. Keene now has also become a much sought after lecturer on the Civil war and his research is most extensive.

I found this book to be quite extraordinary from several different angles and it would be really hard for one to dismiss Keene's account at all. Letters are also included in the book from others who have been touched by the media documenting Jeffrey Keene and these others past life recall is fascinating and compelling. I do believe that skeptics would be pleasantly surprised as well. Looking at one's own life, including my own, where one has an affinity for a particular place, country, ethnic group or even for a "collection" of objects, or feeling that "one has been here before", are subtle clues reaching from beyond to remind us that we are much more than our present bodies. As our minds and thinking become more open, I do believe that we are better able to access portions of ourselves that were previously closed down. "We are all here for a purpose although we many not be aware of that it is. There could by many reasons; to learn lessons, pay back debts to other souls or to serve as an example for others. This list has no end. I believe I am performing one of my requirements at this very moment by writing this book."

This book is amazing and it is one of the best books on past life recall that I have ever read. One also cannot help to be drawn to the author, his experiences, his research, and his insight as well. Many questions can be raised in one's own life and probably will! "No one ever dies (at least not in the way many perceive death here on Earth), and Love lasts forever."

Incredible and amazing book in every which way!

This is one of the more convincing cases for reincarnation that has come across my desk in a long time. I had already heard of Jeffrey Keene before the book came out, because he is featured in the 2002 documentary video, "In another Life: Reincarnation in America" (Gold Thread Video Productions). I was impressed with his story then, so it was a pleasure to finally be able to read the book (which came out after the video.)

Jeffrey Keene did not go searching for this experience. In fact, he was skeptical at first. He makes it clear that he did not undergo hypnotic regression (which he distrusts) but rather, the memories came to him in various spontaneous ways, beginning with a strange familiarity at the sight of a battlefield. As he describes his visits to battlefields, graveyards, and other sites, he provides the reader with well-researched historical detail. In my case, that's a good thing, since I am a not a Civil War buff and would not have made the past-life connections without the background info.

Most impressive is the uncanny physical resemblance between Keene in this life, and General Gordon in the past life. (Click on the cover photo here for an enlarged version to see for yourself.) Genetically, he is no relation to the General, but, as researchers lke Ian Stevenson have demonstrated, the soul often does re-create physical characteristics in the new body. Additional look-alike sets of photos are inside the book itself. Keene also includes some photos of firefighters he has worked with in this life, who bear a strong resemblance to Civil War figures he might have known in the past life. All in all, it's a well-written book and a very good read.

Reincarnation was once something of a dogma for me, something I firmly believed in. I now view reincarnation as something more of a spiritual symbol, a reminder that we are all ultimately connected. At this level, it is a very beautiful concept, whether literally "true" or not. I am no longer so dogmatic as to whether reincarnation truly happens or not.

To that end, I must admit that SOMEONE ELSE'S YESTERDAY did not convince me that the author is literally the reincarnation of John B. Gordon, a Confederate General of the Army of Northern Virginia who died in 1904. However, for me, I believe this is beside the point. What is interesting to me is that the author would feel such a resonance with Mr. Gordon. What SOMEONE ELSE'S YESTERDAY convinced me of is that people from different times, from different regions, from different walks of life, can be intrigued by one another and care about one another. Again, I think this holds a beautiful message in and of itself. Isn't that what this world needs, for people to care about one another?

Perhaps I should give a little background on how I came to my current view. You see, from a very young age I had always felt a connection to Africa and African cultures. Eventually, this blossomed into a literal belief that I had been African in a past life. I soon became acquainted with Malidoma Some and Sobonfu Some, both spiritual teachers from Burkina Faso, Africa, from the Dagara tribe. (Books by both authors are available on Amazon. Malidoma's "Of Water and Spirit" has received a great deal of praise in spiritual circles.) Reincarnation is an accepted doctrine in their culture, and so it was a familiar subject for both Malidoma and Sobonfu, and they both aided me in coming to terms with my beliefs and what I should make of them with regard to the direction of my present life. (I believe Malidoma is thought to be the reincarnation of his great grandfather.) Malidoma told me that if I really felt I had been African in a past life, then I had to honor that belief, but I had to keep in mind what was valuable and important to me in this life. This was very meaningful for me because at the time I very deeply wanted to believe I had been African in a past life, as Africa meant so much to me.

But it was perhaps Kenneth Wapnick PhD, president of the Foundation for A Course In Miracles, who had the greatest impact on me with regard to my beliefs about reincarnation. Mr. Wapnick opened my mind to the fact that ultimately it doesn't matter whether I was literally African in a past life or not. What matters is what I make of those beliefs. At first, I was quite adamant to Mr. Wapnick that reincarnation was very true. Eventually, I came to accept it as a spiritual symbol of the connectedness of the human experience.

It's from this perspective that I view SOMEONE ELSE'S YESTERDAY. My own opinion is that it doesn't matter so much whether Jeffrey Keene is really the reincarnation of John B. Gordon. What matters is the Keene has found a symbol that is meaningful for him and connects him to a larger awareness of spirituality and the interconnectedness of all life. Mr. Keene's sense of interconnectedness comes through very well in this book, and it is very beautiful.

I believe any person interested in reincarnation, the New Age genre, or even a skeptical person simply wishing to learn about reincarnation beliefs, would find something of interest in SOMEONE ELSE'S YESTERDAY. In other words, even if you don't believe in reincarnation you may find SOMEONE ELSE'S YESTERDAY to be interesting.

I have struggled with my own reincarnation experiences my entire life and Jeff's book helped me develop the tools to deal with skeptics and believers alike. He teaches us how we are all connected and what it is like to live with this knowledge. The sources on General Gordon are well-researched and the book reads like he is sitting there telling you his story in person.

I was hooked from Page 1 to the very end, and was sorry when I finished the book; I could have kept reading and reading. Mr. Keene tells an amazing and startling story. He is so lucky to have found this past life and was able to trace and re-live it with such clarity. I know we have lived many lives on this earth, but one has to feel jealousy that another person can find out so very much about his or her own past life/lives. Mr. Keene recommends meditation before seeking out regression therapy, and I agree. May we all realize that we are travellers together through this dimension and are privileged to live on this Earth as a family.

Few people understand the courage it takes to look at a past life when one stumbles across it unexpectedly. Most do not realize the initial shock at not only having the emotions and memories, but at finding pictures of yourself and friends as well. Nor do many people truly understand the amount of fortitude and unconditional love for others it takes to write a book like this.

As I sat in my office several years ago with my own memories, along with matching pictures of over 25 people I had spontaneously recognized; I thought I was the only one who'd ever had this kind of experience. A few minutes later, after a coincidental phone call from a friend, I ran across a picture of Jeff Keene on the internet - and was very relieved to find out that I was not alone, after all.

For those not familiar with past lives, Someone Else's Yesterday is a compelling account of the discovery of reincarnation (as well as the resulting spiritual insights) from an incredibly honest and down-to-earth person - a person who could be anyone; your father, uncle, brother, or friend. For those more familiar with reincarnation, Jeff's story offers some of the most convincing physical proof ever published. And for those who've had their own past life or other extraordinary experience, Jeff's book may give you the courage and inspiration to speak about it, and maybe even tell others.

(...)

What we have in Someone Else's Yesterday is a war diary, as real as anything written by Patton or Grant in its repercussions, in its effect on the human psyche. The only difference is that this war happened in a former lifetime.

Jeffrey J. Keene presents convincing evidence that he had been, in a past life, the renowned Confederate general John B. Gordon-whose engagements included Antietam, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg. Keene's comparisons-physical, mental, and circumstantial-are striking, but even more powerful are the emotional memories carried over of the hell of 'bloody constraint.'

I applaud Mr. Keene for his courage in writing this multi-lifetime report. His words are infused with utter sincerity and conviction. I cannot imagine anyone not being moved by his story of reincarnation and the eternal resilience of the human spirit.

Richard Salva--author of Soul Journey from Lincoln to Lindbergh [UNABRIDGED]

I really enjoyed this book... it is the most convincing book on the subject of reincarnation that I have ever read.If you have any doubts about past lives, this should remove them all.
It includes some remarkable photos that will amaze you. It gives us insight into the American Civil War where over 600,000 of the bravest of our brave lost their lives.
it takes us on a journey to the battlefields,to the horror that was Antietam and to one of our greatest heroes of the war, Confederate Gen. John B. Gordon...

For the past fifteen years or so, I have been trying very hard to understand this world, and as those of you reading this probably know, the more you read, the more you understand how little you actually do KNOW. However, I have come to the point of about 99% certitude when it comes to reincarnation. The meticulous research of Dr. Ian Stevenson and Dr. Jim Tucker working with children, the very large volume of past life regression research available, reports from near death and out of body experiences, the past life matches of Dr. Walter Semkiw, and now these brave souls who step out in public and tell their personal stories. Anyone who has heard the endless Shirley MacLaine jokes knows what courage it takes to go public with such stories. I can only admire and appreciate these people for sharing their experiences with those of us who are not afraid to consider them.

I know a little about Mr. Keene beyond what is in this book, and I would describe him as one of those solid people, a man with courage and decency, a person one can depend on. There is nothing I know about him that would make me suspect his story is in any way fabricated or exaggerated. And to add credence to those statements, he was given a lie detector test by the Sci Fi Channel's "Proof Positive" and passed with flying colors.

Jeff Keene's story of a past life as Civil War General John B. Gordon has it all. The overwhelming emotional reaction to something from the past; the remarkable similarity in appearance; physical marks on Mr. Keene's body in the exact locations of wounds on General Gordon's body; feedback from psychics supporting this past life, "coincidences" that I doubt are coincidences; similarity in personality including courage, integrity, and compassion; and more. What else are we to make of this other than reincarnation? To anyone willing to take off the blinders of our Western culture, this is simply the most logical explanation.

Many people are afraid to take a look at reincarnation, but the truth will be the truth whether you look at it or not. If we all go off to our respective corners with our respective views on life and refuse to consider any others, how will we ever get together? All of us must at some point take up the challenge of seeking the truth wherever that journey made lead them. Besides, reincarnation can be incorporated into all of the world's major religions without completely tearing them apart.

Someone Else's Yesterday is about Jeff Keene, but it's also about you and me. A few people like Jeff Keene have been given a window into this knowledge. Take advantage of that window and look into his past knowing he is an example, not an exception. Read this highly entertaining and enlightening book and share it with others. It's a blessing.

This book is one that I could not set down. Jeff's story was very intriguing and was more than worth the price of the book. If you have an open mind, give it a try!