Bridey Murphy is name of a woman that U.S. housewife Virginia Tighe claimed to have been in her previous life.
In 1952 amateur hypnotist Morey Bernstein hypnotized Virginia Tighe in Pueblo, Colorado. He 'regressed' her to her alleged past life as a 19th century Irishwoman Bridey Murphy who had allegedly lived about 1798-1864. She claimed to have never been in Ireland but gave vivid accounts of Irish rural life and sung Irish songs. Unfortunately Bernstein and Tighe listened to the recorded sessions during the series, so that 'Bridey Murphy' was able to amend details as the sessions unfolded.
Bernstein published a book The Search for Bridey Murphy in 1956; in it he called Tighe "Ruth Simmons". The book and recordings made of the hypnosis sessions became very popular and was turned into a 1956 movie. The phenomenon spawned a rash of comparable reincarnations.
U.S. journalists made inquiries in Ireland and found particularly nothing. However, journalist working for Chicago American found Bridey Murphey Corkell who had lived across the street from Tighe's childhood home in Wisconsin. Tighe's "memories" as Bridey Murphy were based on her tales of her childhood experiences.
