Cameron Robertson has a story that’s hard to believe; at only five years old, he claims to have lived a former life on Barra, a remote island in the Outer Hebrides. His stories of his childhood on the island are detailed and vivid — so much so that his mother, Norma, is convinced there must be some truth behind them. She sets off with her son in an attempt to discover more about his past life, an investigation which forms the basis of ‘My Piece of Sky’, an upcoming documentary from the BBC.
The documentary follows Norma as she attempts to uncover the truth behind Cameron’s stories. She first visits psychologist Dr Chris French, editor of The Skeptic magazine, who suggests that Cameron might have acquired knowledge about Barra through TV or a family friend and thus invented the stories himself. Norma searches for other explanations and speaks with educational psychologist Karen Majors who tells her that Cameron’s descriptions are similar to fiction created by other children but with one crucial difference – he believes them himself.
Norma decides to investigate the possibility of reincarnation and visits leading expert Dr Jim Tucker at the University of Virginia who has investigated countless statements of reincarnation from children across the world. One such case comes from America; Gus Taylor claimed he was his own grandfather returned to his family when he was 18 months old and had memories that could not be explained by any other means. This gives Norma hope for her own son’s situation.
In an attempt to substantiate Cameron’s memories, they travel back to Barra in search of the house he describes from his previous life – though they fail to find it initially, Norma is eventually given details by a local historian that match Cameron’s description perfectly. When they visit the house, Cameron recognises every part – yet despite their best efforts, tracing Shane Robertson proves difficult and frustratingly elusive.
Finally, Norma meets Gilly – a woman who spent time in ‘the summer house’ during her childhood at around same time as Cameron does – will this meeting provide answers?
‘My Piece of Sky’ follows this incredible true story as Norma attempts to unravel the mystery surrounding her son’s past life on Barra – it promises extraordinary insights into child psychology and reincarnation while exploring questions about identity and memory we all face in our lives. Tune into BBC One this Saturday evening at 9pm GMT for this captivating exploration into one little boy’s remarkable story – you won’t want to miss it!
