There are several common signs of reincarnation besides past-life memories. The signs begin before birth, with dreams and pregnancy cravings of expectant mothers. A child may be born with birthmarks, birth defects or internal diseases that link him or her to a deceased person. He or she may also look like that person, in stature, eye form, facial structure, etc., although physical signs are not invariably present. As the child grows, he may engage in play that is reminiscent of the vocation, avocation or manner of death of the person whose life he recalls. He may have exhibit extreme fears or phobias for certain things, people or places, that turn out to refer to the way that person died. He may react to sights, sounds or smells that remind him of the previous life, and if he is contact with people from that life, he may recognize them and behave with as he did in the previous life.
Adults as well as children may recall previous lives. Frequently adults with memories recognize some of the other signs from their childhood, even if they did not have memories or talk about them in childhood. Adult memories tend to be cued by things they see or hear and they often come in altered states of consciousness, such as dreams or meditation. Adult memories often signal a need to confront unresolved issues from the previous life.