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Christian Nonfiction. New Age. Religion & Spirituality. Nonfiction. HTML:If you caught a glimpse of heaven, would you choose to come back to life? Investigative journalist Judy Bachrach has collected accounts of those who died and then returned to life with lucid, vivid memories of what occurred while they were dead, and the conclusions are astonishing. Clinical death�??the moment when the heart stops beating and brain stem activity ceases�??is not necessarily the end of consciousness, as a number of doctors are now beginning to concede. Hundreds of thousands of fascinating post-death experiences have been documented, and for many who have died and returned, life is forever changed. These days, an increasing number of scientific researchers are turning their studies to people who have experienced what the author calls death travels �?? putting stock and credence in the sights, encounters, and exciting experiences reported by those who return from the dead. Through interviews with scores of these "death travelers," and with physicians, nurses, and scientists unraveling the mysteries of the afterlife, Bachrach redefines the meaning of both life and death. Glimpsing Heaven reveals both the uncertainty and the surprising joys of life aft… (more)
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Some common claims include a lucidity of experience even among people with brain damage like Alzheimers, a feeling of deep bliss, and feeling of going home. Speechless communication with other beings is often reported. Traditional Christian teachings are usually contradicted; warnings of eternal damnation or promises of a blessed eternity to the faithful hold no water with those who have been there and back, and most return with no fear of death. A very common word on the lips of survivors when recounting what they experienced is “love,” but this experience has no correlation with religious attendance. It just doesn’t much matter what you believe. It happens to Christians, Jews, Buddhists and Hindus. It happens whether you believe in an afterlife or not; whether you believe in God or not. Only two of the people Bachrach researched encountered Jesus in the afterlife, and none met up with the devil.
However, some death travelers do still report a deepening of faith. One person recounted that she discovered she was “perfect, endowed with love,” and later realized that so is everyone else. She had never before understood the passage in the Bible about being created in God’s image, and it finally made sense.
The one thing that I found not comforting about Bachrach’s research is how commonly death experiences cause divorce. People who have experienced death often undergo a radical change in priorities. Selfish desires make way for universal concerns–they feel united and at one with rest of the world–and this new focus is hard for spouses to understand.
But are these experiences “real”? We still don’t know, but the experiencers usually insist they are. Bachrach fairly examines the pros and cons and doesn’t pretend to be an expert, but her bias shows. She believes.
National Geographic Society, © 2014, 249 pages
ISBN: 978-1-4246-1514-8
First of all I want to say that I enjoyed the book. I liked how the author included ‘near death experiences’ that were of a hellish tone as well. It seems like authors are afraid to approach that subject and that it is almost taboo to a degree; unless it is for the over religious. I enjoyed the descriptions that were shared and liked how different they were from one another. The chapters and subjects were excellent and grouped together well. I liked how topics were analyzed, but not overly scrutinized. I could tell that the author was logical about things, but at the same time really wanting to believe in a higher power of some kind. This book was a very unique read for me since I have not read a book quite like it before. It was a little more analytical for me when it came to ‘near death experiences’. At times I did think she came off a little condescending, but I felt like the author was a person trying to find a needle in a hay stack. There seemed to be a sense of frustration scattered throughout the book as well. I still enjoyed the book and am very happy that I read it. There was a story about an older woman with dementia that came close to home for me. It was very comforting to me since I take care of my grandmother who has Alzheimer’s and often talk to her about the afterlife when she brings it up. I must thank both Goodreads and the author for this book since I did win it in a giveaway. I strongly recommend it. Thank you for the opportunity!