Mary Roff had died in July 1865 at the age of 18, having suffered from fits throughout her life. It now seemed to Roff that his daughter had returned from the grave and taken over Lurancy’s body. Indeed, Lurancy was giving every sign of being Mary Roff and was constantly pleading to be allowed to go home to her parents.
On February 11 “Mary Roff” moved to the Roff household. For three months she behave exactly as if she were the dead daughter of the Roffs’ immediately recognizing friends, relatives, clothes, and belongings. She also remembered scores of events from her past, many of which had occurred up to 25 years before. When the Vennums visited, “Mary Roff” behaved as if Lurancy reemerged.
http://quazen.com/reference/biography/the-watseka-wonder-the-double-life-of-lurancy-venum/
From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by MrGhaz.
How could she remember "scores of events from her past, many of which had occurred up to 25 years before" when she died at the age of 18?
Also, Richard Hodgson was not "a notoriously skeptical researcher into psychic phenomena." He was notorious for doing a 180 and becoming an ardent believer in psychic phenomena after once claiming himself a skeptic. Furthermore, his supposed careful study of the case amounted to nothing more than interviewing whatever witnesses remained in neighborhood more than ten years after the whole thing was over. He never even spoke to Lurancy Vennum.
For better reading on the story:
http://www.mysteriouspeople.com/Lurancy_Vennum.htm
http://ghosts.monstrous.com/the_watseka_wonder.htm
It certainly would be a neat trick if what we observe as real via our senses, and the totality of existence, were one in the same.
The author is a researcher at the University of Virginia's Division of Personalities center, which studies reincarnation basically.