Same - family reincarnation stories are likely to be just stories passed down through generations. While there are some accounts that seem very convincing on the surface, like a child having memories that seem to belong to a dead relative, these can often be explained by psychological factors. For example, children are very impressionable and might pick up on stories they hear about family members and incorporate them into their own play or thoughts in a way that seems like they have 'past - life' memories. Also, the human brain is complex and can create false memories. So, without scientific proof, it's more reasonable to consider these as myths rather than real phenomena.