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Life After Life #1
الحياة بعد الحياة
لقد قام الدكتور ماودي خلال خمس سنين بداسة أكثر من مئة حالة اعتبر فيها المرضى أمواتاً ثم عادوا إلى الحياة وتشابهت تصاريح هؤلاء بعد ذلك إلى أدق التفاصيل وجمع هذا الكتاب الذي يؤكد مادرسناه منذ ألفي عام، أي أنه توجد حياة بعد الموت.
103 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1975
1925 people are currently reading
15876 people want to read
About the author
Raymond A. Moody Jr.
98 books241 followersRaymond Moody, M.D., Ph.D. is the bestselling author of eleven books which have sold over 20 million copies. His seminal work, Life After Life, has completely changed the way we view death and dying and has sold over 13 million copies worldwide. His latest book is GLIMPSES OF ETERNITY: Sharing a Loved One's Passage from this Life to the Next.
Dr. Moody is the leading authority on the "near-death experience"--a phrase he coined in the late seventies. He is best known for his ground-breaking work on the near-death experience and what happens when we die. The New York Times calls Dr. Moody "the father of the near-death experience."
Dr. Moody has enlightened and entertained audiences all over the world for over three decades. He lectures on such topics as: Near Death Experiences, Death With Dignity, Life After Loss, Surviving Grief & Finding Hope, Reunions: Visionary Encounters With Departed Loved Ones, The Healing Power of Humor, The Loss of Children, The Logic of Nonsense, and Catastrophic Tragedies & Events causing collective grief response.
In addition to his writing and lecturing, he is in the private practice of philosophical counseling and consulting on dying. Dr. Moody also trains hospice workers, clergy, psychologists, nurses, doctors, and other medical professionals on matters of grief recovery and dying. He helps people to identify systems of support and to cope with their anxiety, grief, and loss through better understanding of mourning and bereavement.
Dr. Moody received his medical degree from the College of Georgia and his Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Virginia where he also received his M.A. and B.A.
He is the recipient of many awards including the World Humanitarian Award and a bronze medal in the Human Relations category at the New York Film Festival for the movie version of Life After Life.
Dr. Moody is a frequent media guest and has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show three times, as well as on hundreds of other local and nationally syndicated programs such as MSNBC: Grief Recovery, Today, ABC's Turning Point, and hundreds more.
Dr. Moody is the leading authority on the "near-death experience"--a phrase he coined in the late seventies. He is best known for his ground-breaking work on the near-death experience and what happens when we die. The New York Times calls Dr. Moody "the father of the near-death experience."
Dr. Moody has enlightened and entertained audiences all over the world for over three decades. He lectures on such topics as: Near Death Experiences, Death With Dignity, Life After Loss, Surviving Grief & Finding Hope, Reunions: Visionary Encounters With Departed Loved Ones, The Healing Power of Humor, The Loss of Children, The Logic of Nonsense, and Catastrophic Tragedies & Events causing collective grief response.
In addition to his writing and lecturing, he is in the private practice of philosophical counseling and consulting on dying. Dr. Moody also trains hospice workers, clergy, psychologists, nurses, doctors, and other medical professionals on matters of grief recovery and dying. He helps people to identify systems of support and to cope with their anxiety, grief, and loss through better understanding of mourning and bereavement.
Dr. Moody received his medical degree from the College of Georgia and his Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Virginia where he also received his M.A. and B.A.
He is the recipient of many awards including the World Humanitarian Award and a bronze medal in the Human Relations category at the New York Film Festival for the movie version of Life After Life.
Dr. Moody is a frequent media guest and has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show three times, as well as on hundreds of other local and nationally syndicated programs such as MSNBC: Grief Recovery, Today, ABC's Turning Point, and hundreds more.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 779 reviews
July 24, 2021
"What Is It Like To Die?"
Usually, I like to do my research thoroughly, prior to buying/ reading a book, for I like to spend the little time I have for reading as effectively as possible. However, when I saw Life After Life in a bookshelf, the title was sufficient enough to make me grab a copy immediately. I'm really glad I did so.
"All the great religions of man have many truths to tell us."
"There was more we needed to know about life that I hadn't ever thought about."
As the author himself quite eloquently express during introductory chapter, the subject of Death is not the most popular subject one out there, and it's understandable why most would stay away for a myriad of reasons. But this is not a book on death. Rather, it's a book to change one's views and opinions on death and what comes after.
"Human language is inadequate to express the ultimate realities directly."
I knew I would love this book right from the start, for the author had this amazing way of presenting everything using a lot of facts (as much as possible) without any conjecture. This allows readers of diverse religious/ cultural beliefs to understand the contents without feeling any discomforts. Though the book might not present a large amount of research matter, or complex theories, the examples selected by Dr. Moody are well capable of driving home the key takeaways.
"The being seems to stress the importance of two things in life: Learning to love other people and acquiring knowledge."
If you ever get a change to read this book, don't miss the opportunity. Whatever your present view of Life and Death is, Life After Life will give you a lot to think about and might be able to change your life profoundly. At the risk of repeating myself - which I do each time I read a great non-fiction book - I will say, everybody should read this book, at least once.
"No matter how old you are, don't stop learning. For this is a process, I gather, that goes on for eternity."
Usually, I like to do my research thoroughly, prior to buying/ reading a book, for I like to spend the little time I have for reading as effectively as possible. However, when I saw Life After Life in a bookshelf, the title was sufficient enough to make me grab a copy immediately. I'm really glad I did so.
"All the great religions of man have many truths to tell us."
"There was more we needed to know about life that I hadn't ever thought about."
As the author himself quite eloquently express during introductory chapter, the subject of Death is not the most popular subject one out there, and it's understandable why most would stay away for a myriad of reasons. But this is not a book on death. Rather, it's a book to change one's views and opinions on death and what comes after.
"Human language is inadequate to express the ultimate realities directly."
I knew I would love this book right from the start, for the author had this amazing way of presenting everything using a lot of facts (as much as possible) without any conjecture. This allows readers of diverse religious/ cultural beliefs to understand the contents without feeling any discomforts. Though the book might not present a large amount of research matter, or complex theories, the examples selected by Dr. Moody are well capable of driving home the key takeaways.
"The being seems to stress the importance of two things in life: Learning to love other people and acquiring knowledge."
If you ever get a change to read this book, don't miss the opportunity. Whatever your present view of Life and Death is, Life After Life will give you a lot to think about and might be able to change your life profoundly. At the risk of repeating myself - which I do each time I read a great non-fiction book - I will say, everybody should read this book, at least once.
"No matter how old you are, don't stop learning. For this is a process, I gather, that goes on for eternity."
March 4, 2018
I had just started my first work, I was going to continue a phD and start my own business and then it hit me, we're all going to die.
I was plundering into a state of paramount depression, I found out what I was experiencing was called an existential crisis and after a week of staying at home sleeping I decided to seek truth, I prayed more sincerely than I have ever done, I prayed God (which I was questioning his existence) helps me understand and then somehow instantaneously I stumbled upon this book.
I figured out there are things beyond human understanding and there are phenomena you can't explain, the signs are there you just have to search, knock and the doors will open, ask and you will be answered, but whatever you do weather you're an atheist or devoutly religious, LOVE! not just your wife/husband or girlfriend/boyfriend, love your friends your neighbours your family...In short love humanity because this is the true meaning of this life and the one after, God exists because love exists.
I was plundering into a state of paramount depression, I found out what I was experiencing was called an existential crisis and after a week of staying at home sleeping I decided to seek truth, I prayed more sincerely than I have ever done, I prayed God (which I was questioning his existence) helps me understand and then somehow instantaneously I stumbled upon this book.
I figured out there are things beyond human understanding and there are phenomena you can't explain, the signs are there you just have to search, knock and the doors will open, ask and you will be answered, but whatever you do weather you're an atheist or devoutly religious, LOVE! not just your wife/husband or girlfriend/boyfriend, love your friends your neighbours your family...In short love humanity because this is the true meaning of this life and the one after, God exists because love exists.
June 27, 2014
I first saw this book sitting on top of my apartment complex mail boxes as I was taking out the trash. the book sat there for 2 months when I finally just picked it up to investigate and as you guessed, it was Life After Life.
I began reading it and within the 1st chapter was surprised how interesting it was because I do not usually read these types of books. I was 18 and called myself an athiest. Really I think I was just mad at god at the time but by the end of this book I admitted to myself I did believe in some kind higher power. This book really effected me.
Now I do not go to church or read the bible but there is meaning in living and I do believe in a life after this one.
Anyhoo. Great book. Even if you do not believe in this stuff, its interesting.
I began reading it and within the 1st chapter was surprised how interesting it was because I do not usually read these types of books. I was 18 and called myself an athiest. Really I think I was just mad at god at the time but by the end of this book I admitted to myself I did believe in some kind higher power. This book really effected me.
Now I do not go to church or read the bible but there is meaning in living and I do believe in a life after this one.
Anyhoo. Great book. Even if you do not believe in this stuff, its interesting.
January 14, 2026
Intriguing (3.5 ⭐️)
I only discovered this book because Robert Langdon mentioned it in The Secret of Secrets. And I’ll be honest — the premise immediately hooked me.
I’ve heard stories like this before, but I always assumed they were side effects of extreme physical trauma or stress on the brain. Yet when you layer this book’s ideas with what Dan Brown explored in his latest novel… suddenly, this becomes something else entirely.
I’ve never truly believed in this side of the universe. Still, the growing number of similar testimonies, shared patterns, and recurring experiences make it increasingly difficult to dismiss completely. It’s a daring idea — but also one that has existed since the dawn of humanity.
At first, I was confused and even resistant. I found myself mentally pushing back against the idea. But after giving it deeper thought, I realized this concept could actually answer many unanswered questions. It sounds almost insane — yet so were many truths throughout history before science caught up with them.
I wouldn’t call this the greatest book of all time, but it is undeniably fascinating and deeply intriguing. I haven’t felt this curious about a topic in a long while. Whether these experiences represent the soul separating from the body, or simply complex chemical and neurological reactions triggered during extreme moments, the fact that so many people report remarkably similar sensations is mind-blowing. It makes you wonder how deeply connected we truly are beneath our superficial differences.
I can rationalize the emotions and the auditory sensations — but the visual experiences are what truly puzzle me. The recurring accounts of people floating above their bodies and seeing doctors trying to save them are what challenge the “purely brain-based” explanation the most.
I’ve never been so grateful for my visual imagination as I was while reading this book. I could vividly picture what these people described. And honestly… if this is what death might feel like, I don’t find it terrifying. It sounds strangely peaceful.
Maybe death really is a secret we all get to discover in the end.
One of the strongest aspects of the book was how it explored the isolation these people experience after surviving. Many are afraid to share what happened to them because they know they’ll be mocked, dismissed, or labeled as hallucinating. And yet for them, the experience felt real, profound, even life-altering. I felt deeply sad for how lonely that must be — carrying something extraordinary inside you while the world refuses to acknowledge it.
What struck me most is that I know I would probably be one of the skeptics. Not mocking — but searching for logical explanations like oxygen deprivation or neurological misfires. It’s hard to accept things that break logical rules. But then again… every major discovery once broke logic too.
That said, the book does have weaknesses.
The stories are presented in a somewhat scattered and abrupt way. You immerse yourself in one account, then suddenly you’re thrown into a completely different story without much transition. This constant mental reset became tiring and occasionally confusing.
I also wanted more of the author’s own perspective or deeper scientific commentary after each section. The book often felt like: here are the testimonies, here are the shared themes — and that’s it. It ends up floating in an odd middle space: not fully scientific, not fully narrative, not fully analytical.
The Q&A section was helpful and answered some of my questions, but it also exposed gaps — especially the heavy religious influence among many of the cases, which complicates objectivity. When the book discussed people having similar experiences under heavy medication, more doubts naturally surfaced.
Things became even more intriguing when the discussion shifted to meditation and altered states of consciousness. People who intentionally access deep mental states report experiences similar to near-death encounters.
That made me wonder whether this has less to do with the afterlife and more to do with unexplored states of the brain — that mysterious machine that constantly reminds us how little we truly understand.
Suddenly, Katherine Solomon’s theories in Dan Brown’s The Secret of Secrets didn’t sound so far-fetched anymore. They actually started to feel like a plausible bridge between science and these experiences.
This topic honestly gives me a headache the more I think about it — the deeper you go, the more confusing it becomes. But maybe that’s exactly how every frontier of knowledge begins. Just like quantum mechanics: illogical, unsettling… and irresistibly fascinating.
I only discovered this book because Robert Langdon mentioned it in The Secret of Secrets. And I’ll be honest — the premise immediately hooked me.
I’ve heard stories like this before, but I always assumed they were side effects of extreme physical trauma or stress on the brain. Yet when you layer this book’s ideas with what Dan Brown explored in his latest novel… suddenly, this becomes something else entirely.
I’ve never truly believed in this side of the universe. Still, the growing number of similar testimonies, shared patterns, and recurring experiences make it increasingly difficult to dismiss completely. It’s a daring idea — but also one that has existed since the dawn of humanity.
At first, I was confused and even resistant. I found myself mentally pushing back against the idea. But after giving it deeper thought, I realized this concept could actually answer many unanswered questions. It sounds almost insane — yet so were many truths throughout history before science caught up with them.
I wouldn’t call this the greatest book of all time, but it is undeniably fascinating and deeply intriguing. I haven’t felt this curious about a topic in a long while. Whether these experiences represent the soul separating from the body, or simply complex chemical and neurological reactions triggered during extreme moments, the fact that so many people report remarkably similar sensations is mind-blowing. It makes you wonder how deeply connected we truly are beneath our superficial differences.
I can rationalize the emotions and the auditory sensations — but the visual experiences are what truly puzzle me. The recurring accounts of people floating above their bodies and seeing doctors trying to save them are what challenge the “purely brain-based” explanation the most.
I’ve never been so grateful for my visual imagination as I was while reading this book. I could vividly picture what these people described. And honestly… if this is what death might feel like, I don’t find it terrifying. It sounds strangely peaceful.
Maybe death really is a secret we all get to discover in the end.
One of the strongest aspects of the book was how it explored the isolation these people experience after surviving. Many are afraid to share what happened to them because they know they’ll be mocked, dismissed, or labeled as hallucinating. And yet for them, the experience felt real, profound, even life-altering. I felt deeply sad for how lonely that must be — carrying something extraordinary inside you while the world refuses to acknowledge it.
What struck me most is that I know I would probably be one of the skeptics. Not mocking — but searching for logical explanations like oxygen deprivation or neurological misfires. It’s hard to accept things that break logical rules. But then again… every major discovery once broke logic too.
That said, the book does have weaknesses.
The stories are presented in a somewhat scattered and abrupt way. You immerse yourself in one account, then suddenly you’re thrown into a completely different story without much transition. This constant mental reset became tiring and occasionally confusing.
I also wanted more of the author’s own perspective or deeper scientific commentary after each section. The book often felt like: here are the testimonies, here are the shared themes — and that’s it. It ends up floating in an odd middle space: not fully scientific, not fully narrative, not fully analytical.
The Q&A section was helpful and answered some of my questions, but it also exposed gaps — especially the heavy religious influence among many of the cases, which complicates objectivity. When the book discussed people having similar experiences under heavy medication, more doubts naturally surfaced.
Things became even more intriguing when the discussion shifted to meditation and altered states of consciousness. People who intentionally access deep mental states report experiences similar to near-death encounters.
That made me wonder whether this has less to do with the afterlife and more to do with unexplored states of the brain — that mysterious machine that constantly reminds us how little we truly understand.
Suddenly, Katherine Solomon’s theories in Dan Brown’s The Secret of Secrets didn’t sound so far-fetched anymore. They actually started to feel like a plausible bridge between science and these experiences.
This topic honestly gives me a headache the more I think about it — the deeper you go, the more confusing it becomes. But maybe that’s exactly how every frontier of knowledge begins. Just like quantum mechanics: illogical, unsettling… and irresistibly fascinating.
June 9, 2021
This was an eye-opener for me. I was exploring different belief systems at the time that I came across Life After Life . I had been reading accounts of Edgar Cayce's life and his predictions, and I was open to the possibility of NDE's and the notion of reincarnation.
I like the idea that everything has some sort of energy or spirit or personality that is not totally extinguished on the death of the vessel encapsulating it for the time being.
As children, we chant the nursery rhyme: Life is but a dream...
And we are told to row our boats gently but merrily down the stream of life.
We may never have all the answers to the eternal question of "why" or "how" of existence. And don't worry, I don't accept everything I read as "gospel" truth! I study both sides of an issue, and I prefer to remain open - to everything.
Life is more "wonder-ful" that way!
I like the idea that everything has some sort of energy or spirit or personality that is not totally extinguished on the death of the vessel encapsulating it for the time being.
As children, we chant the nursery rhyme: Life is but a dream...
And we are told to row our boats gently but merrily down the stream of life.
We may never have all the answers to the eternal question of "why" or "how" of existence. And don't worry, I don't accept everything I read as "gospel" truth! I study both sides of an issue, and I prefer to remain open - to everything.
Life is more "wonder-ful" that way!
October 23, 2018
A Milestone!
Great read without a doubt, as it accounted for evidence backed not only by personal encounters, but also by research. In all actuality, the author was the one who brought into light the term NDE at a time when it was only a hearsay. Faith is immense, and that’s what the author’s accounts have implicitly, and oftentimes explicitly, denoted. Great read and highly recommended!
Great read without a doubt, as it accounted for evidence backed not only by personal encounters, but also by research. In all actuality, the author was the one who brought into light the term NDE at a time when it was only a hearsay. Faith is immense, and that’s what the author’s accounts have implicitly, and oftentimes explicitly, denoted. Great read and highly recommended!
February 14, 2020
I read this book some time ago. I remember it as a positive early look at what happens when a person dies. Having been a nurse, the stories resonated with me. I would say Elisabeth Kubler-Ross does a more thorough job of exploring this topic, as now it is a topic that is being discussed. I think you could call Moody's work pioneering, because Death was a forbidden topic when it was published (1975)
June 23, 2011
This is my first book that I've read about people's life after death experiences. I knew that many people had such experiences and so I looked on amazon to see if any books had been written. I was surprised to see just how many books have been written. I chose to read Life after Life because it "investigates more than one hundred case studies of people who experienced "clinical death" and were subsequently revived," and then categorizes these people's experiences into events that the people experienced in common. I was pleasantly surprised to see that most people experience very similar events, no matter what their background. I especially enjoyed reading about "the personage of light" that many people encounter and the feeling of love that they feel in this person's presence. Although I've always had hope and faith in life after death, this book has increased that conviction and has taken away any fear of death that resided within my darker corners. Although the author is a professor at the University of Nevada, which should say something about his credibility, unfortunately, at the end of the book he wrote about things that lessened his credibility in my mind, such as that he has developed techniques for people to contact the dead and visit the other side, etc. I don't believe that such things can occur by man's will, only by God's. Nevertheless, I still think the book is worth reading. I look forward to comparing this to other books on life after death.
March 25, 2009
I read this book a looooooong time ago. It's been updated since then. It is absorbing, extremely interesting, and ultimately hopeful. I would highly recommend it.
August 6, 2021
Would be much more helpful if you had NDE or OBE. I once had this OBE during sleep paralysis, and I understood what these people were talking about. Most importantly, if you have lost someone recently this book can give you some type of closure by assuring you that they are literally in a better place and are happy, actually. Give it a read once, even if you are highly skeptical.
March 10, 2021
Μία έρευνα του Moody πάνω στις μεταθανάτιες εμπειρίες, αγορασμένο πέρσι μόλις μία μέρα μετά το θάνατο της γιαγιάς μου ορμώμενη ίσως από μία ανάγκη να πάρω μία ελπίδα ότι μπορεί το σώμα να τελειώνει εδώ αλλά η ψυχή συνεχίζει κάπου αλλού. Ωστόσο λόγω κακής ψυχολογίας δεν κατάφερα να ξεκινήσω την ανάγνωση και την άφησα για φέτος όπου εντελώς ήρεμη πια μπορώ να το διαβάσω χωρίς να μου υπενθυμίζει σε κάθε σελίδα την απώλεια μου.
Τώρα αν συνηθίζετε να μελετάτε τέτοιου είδους φαινόμενα σίγουρα θα έχετε παρουκολουθήσει πολύ πιο πρόσφατες εκπομπές, ντοκιμαντέρ και μαρτυρίες ανθρώπων που πέθαναν, -για λίγο- και μετά επέστρεψαν μιλώντας για το τούνελ, το φως και την απέραντη αγάπη που ένιωσαν να τους περιμένει "απέναντι" ανεξαρτήτως από το αν ήταν θρήσκοι, σε ποια θρησκεία πίστευαν, αν ήταν άθεοι, αγνωστικιστές, κλπ.
Αν είσαι απ' αυτούς που πιστεύουν ότι όλα τελειώνουν με τον θάνατο ίσως σε κάνει να αλλάξεις γνώμη. Αλλά ακόμη κι αυτό να καταφέρει κανείς δεν μπορεί να σου εγγυηθεί ότι αυτή είναι και η αλήθεια...
Τώρα αν συνηθίζετε να μελετάτε τέτοιου είδους φαινόμενα σίγουρα θα έχετε παρουκολουθήσει πολύ πιο πρόσφατες εκπομπές, ντοκιμαντέρ και μαρτυρίες ανθρώπων που πέθαναν, -για λίγο- και μετά επέστρεψαν μιλώντας για το τούνελ, το φως και την απέραντη αγάπη που ένιωσαν να τους περιμένει "απέναντι" ανεξαρτήτως από το αν ήταν θρήσκοι, σε ποια θρησκεία πίστευαν, αν ήταν άθεοι, αγνωστικιστές, κλπ.
Αν είσαι απ' αυτούς που πιστεύουν ότι όλα τελειώνουν με τον θάνατο ίσως σε κάνει να αλλάξεις γνώμη. Αλλά ακόμη κι αυτό να καταφέρει κανείς δεν μπορεί να σου εγγυηθεί ότι αυτή είναι και η αλήθεια...
July 2, 2013
Nothing, NOTHING has our fascination or questions more than death. DEAD? life afterward? not to mention all the various religious interpretations.
There had been too many patients that confidentially reported their own remembrances of NDE (near death experience). A flow through a tunnel or tube, dark but not scary, warm, floating, and more. He decided to interview, as it turned out, 150 people and see if their were common elements in what they "saw" and remembered.
Dr. Moody's own reluctance but desire to investigate gave him enough legitimate standing to find out just what people were saying. Where they thought they "went" and what they saw. Enough detail and verification is/was added that the person who had the experience couldn't have possibly known if what they said hadn't happened.
And this is book is not just a diatribe of a single instance that has made some people wealthy for the book deal (Heaven can Wait, Dying to be Me, are two good examples) but rather this is a selected group of as I said, 150, with detailed accounts of what happened (anonymous only because those who volunteered didn't want scrutiny or fame).
It's quite food for thought, to borrow a much maligned cliché. And a quick read. If you are with aging loved ones who are afraid, or if you are curious but scared yourself this could be valuable. We are, as you know, all dying. That is for sure.
There had been too many patients that confidentially reported their own remembrances of NDE (near death experience). A flow through a tunnel or tube, dark but not scary, warm, floating, and more. He decided to interview, as it turned out, 150 people and see if their were common elements in what they "saw" and remembered.
Dr. Moody's own reluctance but desire to investigate gave him enough legitimate standing to find out just what people were saying. Where they thought they "went" and what they saw. Enough detail and verification is/was added that the person who had the experience couldn't have possibly known if what they said hadn't happened.
And this is book is not just a diatribe of a single instance that has made some people wealthy for the book deal (Heaven can Wait, Dying to be Me, are two good examples) but rather this is a selected group of as I said, 150, with detailed accounts of what happened (anonymous only because those who volunteered didn't want scrutiny or fame).
It's quite food for thought, to borrow a much maligned cliché. And a quick read. If you are with aging loved ones who are afraid, or if you are curious but scared yourself this could be valuable. We are, as you know, all dying. That is for sure.
April 19, 2022
A doctor in search of an answer to the age old question - Is there life after death? - interviews numerous people whom have died and been brought back.
I, personally, will be forever thankful to the nurse who refused to give up on my Momma 45 years ago, while the doctor was telling my Dad that he was sorry and they did all they could to save her, the nurse (a family friend) had stayed in the room, climbed up on the bed, straddled Momma's waist, hooked her hands together and brought them down on Momma's chest with "everything in me". The paddles hadn't worked but the sheer determination and love of this little nurse started her heart and brought Momma back.
Of course, Momma was furious because she said "I was in Heaven, why didn't y'all just leave me alone."
Ah, Momma, you're there now and I miss you ... every minute of every day.
I, personally, will be forever thankful to the nurse who refused to give up on my Momma 45 years ago, while the doctor was telling my Dad that he was sorry and they did all they could to save her, the nurse (a family friend) had stayed in the room, climbed up on the bed, straddled Momma's waist, hooked her hands together and brought them down on Momma's chest with "everything in me". The paddles hadn't worked but the sheer determination and love of this little nurse started her heart and brought Momma back.
Of course, Momma was furious because she said "I was in Heaven, why didn't y'all just leave me alone."
Ah, Momma, you're there now and I miss you ... every minute of every day.
January 10, 2021
I should've read this book - the first serious book on 'Near Death Experiences'; the book which coined the term - before I read all those wacky kindle unlimited books on people's fabulous adventures on the other side.
First published way back in the 20th century, this book is full of extra-ordinary revelations that the author expects you to find dubious like: 'Did you know that a surprisingly large number of people have had an NDE and - get this - they all have similar experiences, like they all have the experience of travelling down a tunnel towards a white light. Isn't that crazy?'
So strange to read now that 'go into the light' is a cliché.
Which is to say that this is an interesting, serious, and even-handed book, but everything in it has now passed into pop culture, so there's not much new.
First published way back in the 20th century, this book is full of extra-ordinary revelations that the author expects you to find dubious like: 'Did you know that a surprisingly large number of people have had an NDE and - get this - they all have similar experiences, like they all have the experience of travelling down a tunnel towards a white light. Isn't that crazy?'
So strange to read now that 'go into the light' is a cliché.
Which is to say that this is an interesting, serious, and even-handed book, but everything in it has now passed into pop culture, so there's not much new.
April 10, 2021
This was such an interesting book about peoples near death experiences/out of body experiences. It's amazing how many peoples stories are similar. I highly recommend it to anyone curious about death and beyond.
January 1, 2026
An excellent introduction to life after death. I came to know of this book through a priest while he was delivering the homily during a Sunday mass and it immediately intrigued me. I am now almost convinced after reading this book that strange things happen after our death. The testimonies of people who underwent a Near Death Experience (NDE) were mind-blowing. These people reported seeing a white blinding light while they were in a state of clinical death and in some cases almost at the point of death. I saw a similar testimony of this white blinding light on a Goodreads review of a book and also on a Facebook post. It's quite amazing to see the similarities.
I enjoyed reading about parallels on NDE and afterlife from the works of Plato, Emanuel Swedenborg and The Tibetan Book of the Dead. The good explanations to objections raised by doubters were excellent. I got to know a lot of medical and psychiatric stuff. It was cool to know about this thing called autoscopic hallucination wherein a person sees a projection of himself into his own visual field. That was eerie and I didn't even know such things existed.
Still, I have some questions left unanswered. How come the accounts of the narratives of the people involved in a NDE in this book say only positive things about the afterlife which they had a brief glimpse into. No one said anything about purgatory and hell. Is there no punishment for murderers, rapists, acid throwers, dowry harassers, Hitler, Stalin, Osama bin Laden etc.? I wish the vile and wicked people would suffer for their evil deeds. Certainly I need to read more on this topic to get some clarity. But one thing is for sure, atleast for me. Strange preternatural events happen immediately after our death. So live your life meaningfully.
I enjoyed reading about parallels on NDE and afterlife from the works of Plato, Emanuel Swedenborg and The Tibetan Book of the Dead. The good explanations to objections raised by doubters were excellent. I got to know a lot of medical and psychiatric stuff. It was cool to know about this thing called autoscopic hallucination wherein a person sees a projection of himself into his own visual field. That was eerie and I didn't even know such things existed.
Still, I have some questions left unanswered. How come the accounts of the narratives of the people involved in a NDE in this book say only positive things about the afterlife which they had a brief glimpse into. No one said anything about purgatory and hell. Is there no punishment for murderers, rapists, acid throwers, dowry harassers, Hitler, Stalin, Osama bin Laden etc.? I wish the vile and wicked people would suffer for their evil deeds. Certainly I need to read more on this topic to get some clarity. But one thing is for sure, atleast for me. Strange preternatural events happen immediately after our death. So live your life meaningfully.
July 9, 2014
Интересът към такъв тип книги определено възниква у човек при определени обстоятелства и затова често може да останеш разочарован. Авторът обаче съзнава тези очаквания у четящите и ясно заявява, че това не е научен труд, а споделяне на негово дългогодишно проучване и интерес в тази област. Наистина се усеща искреността и вярата в написаното от страна на автора, който се старае в книгата да обхване всичко, което четящият може да се запита и това е хубаво, имайки предвид какво табу е темата за смъртта и колко е важно да се пише за нея и за това какво се случва след смъртта.
И забавната част е, че описаната обща рамка за преживяванията близо до смъртта, може да те накарат да си направиш лично проучване. :)
И забавната част е, че описаната обща рамка за преживяванията близо до смъртта, може да те накарат да си направиш лично проучване. :)
November 21, 2024
For about the first half of this I was not impressed at all. The book, in my judgement, plummeted right down to two stars because it was just a lot of repackaged correspondence from certain case studies, bearing little real indication of reliability. Not to be all sceptical towards a subject I in no way reject and indeed invest deep hope in, but the supposed evidence presented was nothing more than purely anecdotal. Furthermore, it wasn't even that compelling as all the stories just repeated, numerous times, the same basic events, which did not necessitate so much retelling when most people interested in this subject would have heard it all multiple times before. Simply reporting the same experiences over and over again, without much analysis, made for a hardly satisfying read.
The latter half of the book is much better though. Finally, Dr. Moody goes beyond the basic reporting of personal testimonies, and actually analyses, reflects upon and explores the implications of near-death, or temporary-death experiences. He even goes a long way in linking his conclusions (speculative though they ultimately must be) to historical perspectives on the afterlife.
Overall, while this book isn't necessarily the best on the subject out there - especially as it was published in the 1980s - it is a decent book, with enough of quite exceptional value, thanks largely to Moody's clarity of writing, to justify reading it if you happen upon it and are concerned or curious about what awaits us after death.
I picked this up because I was going through a really strange but crippling emotional fixation over dying in the weeks before. As I still am sometimes when I allow myself to linger on the subject too long, or else am trigged by something in a book or movie, I was particularly disturbed by a sense of my own mortality, as well as my wife's, and I was profoundly upset by the fearful notion of being separated (though, God willing, only temporarily) by a fatal sickness one day in the future, which I can only hope to God will never happen, at least until we have grown old together. Since marrying my wife, and now having a child too, I have more to lose than I'd ever imagined I could, and the inevitability of death, even with my faith, is often an upsetting prospect to contemplate.
To be honest, this book doesn't entirely offer a cure to such existential fears as that. While written by a Christian (Methodist, I think he said), the book does not aim to affirm any particular interpretation or religious belief of what awaits us after death. It merely puts forward the argument that we don't just cease to exist, as atheists would have you believe.
You will probably take out of this book, the beliefs you held going into it. I don't imagine it will necessarily convince anyone who rejects the afterlife to do any more than briefly wonder. And it does not contradict what Christians such as myself believe, apart from a few, weird stories I think can probably just be chalked up to the experiencer being confused.
The latter half of the book is much better though. Finally, Dr. Moody goes beyond the basic reporting of personal testimonies, and actually analyses, reflects upon and explores the implications of near-death, or temporary-death experiences. He even goes a long way in linking his conclusions (speculative though they ultimately must be) to historical perspectives on the afterlife.
Overall, while this book isn't necessarily the best on the subject out there - especially as it was published in the 1980s - it is a decent book, with enough of quite exceptional value, thanks largely to Moody's clarity of writing, to justify reading it if you happen upon it and are concerned or curious about what awaits us after death.
I picked this up because I was going through a really strange but crippling emotional fixation over dying in the weeks before. As I still am sometimes when I allow myself to linger on the subject too long, or else am trigged by something in a book or movie, I was particularly disturbed by a sense of my own mortality, as well as my wife's, and I was profoundly upset by the fearful notion of being separated (though, God willing, only temporarily) by a fatal sickness one day in the future, which I can only hope to God will never happen, at least until we have grown old together. Since marrying my wife, and now having a child too, I have more to lose than I'd ever imagined I could, and the inevitability of death, even with my faith, is often an upsetting prospect to contemplate.
To be honest, this book doesn't entirely offer a cure to such existential fears as that. While written by a Christian (Methodist, I think he said), the book does not aim to affirm any particular interpretation or religious belief of what awaits us after death. It merely puts forward the argument that we don't just cease to exist, as atheists would have you believe.
You will probably take out of this book, the beliefs you held going into it. I don't imagine it will necessarily convince anyone who rejects the afterlife to do any more than briefly wonder. And it does not contradict what Christians such as myself believe, apart from a few, weird stories I think can probably just be chalked up to the experiencer being confused.
September 28, 2013
Experts? What in tarnation makes these folks expert if they ain't been dead, huh? I been on over to the other side--dead, that is. I saw my collsarn body from the ceiling of the operatin' room and looked down at the docs tryin' to revive me, and the bleep, bleep, bleep of the monitor let out a high pitched beep of finality when I was called kablooey, kaput and flatlined finito. I was plum done dead. That's right "Authorities" on the Survival of Bodily Death. Hell's fire, I done been there. I did not see the bright white light, no siree I saw a blurry red glob turned out bein'a tunnel that took me straight on to Hades! That's a fact, and I even been interviewed by docs of world renown. This ain't a topic lots of folks care to hear about no way because people want to believe, need to believe there's butterflies and unicorns, happy smiley face relatives, and everything is just la-ti-dah -- Guess what? It doesn't always go down that way. They kept my body on a ventilator so UNOS could harvest organs, and there I was floatin' around from chamber to chamber of the Devil's domain. Heaven? Please, that's the story folks want to hear, but fact is, hell's as real as my fingertips tappin' this keypad. I get the heebie-jeebies, jim-jams, and fantods thinkin' about it, but word's gotta get out. Go on read the accounts of my trip to Hades, how I escaped, and detail every bit of what you can look forward to in that crummy hellacious hereafter that's all hushed up. Back to Hades: Eustice Seeney Returns to HellI've also been to heaven and as a matter of fact, it ain't all it's cut out to be. Thanks to some flukes of physics, neuro-chemical fandango, and a whole lot of other stuff, I seen heaven, and know what could be in store. So there. Read this: Forheavenstake
May 10, 2012
Raymond Moody-- a doctor and someone who has never had a near-death experience himself-- presents an unbiased account of years of case studies regarding trends behind what happens to some individuals after clinical death, and resuscitation thereafter. Personally, I have a science background combined with a strong faith, and this book does a great job of revealing a, "middle way of interpreting -- a way which neither rejects these experiences on the basis that they do not constitute scientific or local proof NOR sensationalizes them by resorting to vague emotional claims that they 'prove' that there is life after death" (p. 163).
After reading this book, I have found relief and comfort in the shared experiences of death, which are described in Chapter 2. In addition, I particularly enjoyed Chapter 3, which relates the personal case studies that had been relayed to Dr. Moody to historical texts, including mainstream religions (The Bible), philosophies (Plato), and even the Tibetan Book of the Dead.
This book offers a historical, and insightful relation of some modern ideas relating to death and the potential for life after death. Because this book is the first notable book about near-death experiences, there is much defense of the research that was conducted, and the questions and skepticism that arise from these conversations are well vetted. I appreciated these sections, but I'm also looking forward to reading more books on the subject that speak are aimed more at the believers than the skeptics.
I would recommend this book to people of all types, including those with spiritual or religious backgrounds, and those without; those with an open mind to what happens near and after death, and especially to those who are skeptical of the idea that anything happens after death. I appreciate this dialogue and wish the topic of death was a less taboo topic in our society, as Dr. Moody points out.
After reading this book, I have found relief and comfort in the shared experiences of death, which are described in Chapter 2. In addition, I particularly enjoyed Chapter 3, which relates the personal case studies that had been relayed to Dr. Moody to historical texts, including mainstream religions (The Bible), philosophies (Plato), and even the Tibetan Book of the Dead.
This book offers a historical, and insightful relation of some modern ideas relating to death and the potential for life after death. Because this book is the first notable book about near-death experiences, there is much defense of the research that was conducted, and the questions and skepticism that arise from these conversations are well vetted. I appreciated these sections, but I'm also looking forward to reading more books on the subject that speak are aimed more at the believers than the skeptics.
I would recommend this book to people of all types, including those with spiritual or religious backgrounds, and those without; those with an open mind to what happens near and after death, and especially to those who are skeptical of the idea that anything happens after death. I appreciate this dialogue and wish the topic of death was a less taboo topic in our society, as Dr. Moody points out.
March 5, 2017
As an undergraduate majoring in philosophy, Raymond Moody, attended a meeting in 1965 with Dr. George Ritchie, who spoke about his experience of being pronounced dead twice due to pneumonia in an Army hospital in 1943. Ritchie claimed his consciousness survived and traveled out of his body during more than nine minutes when he was clinically dead. Ritchie's presentation and demeanor had a profound effect on Moody. I can relate to this since I attended the same meeting and came away with the firm conviction that Ritchie was sincere and truthful in what he believed happened to him.
Moody was so inspired that he spent the next forty-five years studying what he called "near death experiences" (NDE). During and after attaining a Ph.D. and M.D., he interviewed hundreds of people who survived NDE's. Where possible, he checked their medical records and related corroborating and invalidating data. He noticed striking similarities in their stories and came away convinced of the existence of an afterlife, but he doesn't force this conclusion on the reader. This book does not purport to be a clinical scientific study. It merely summarizes the interviews anecdotally and sets forth Moody's observations and conclusions. A flaw in the book in my view is that it gives short shrift to possible natural explanations for these phenomena, but it is otherwise a fascinating read. Originally published in 1975, the book helped launch the spirited debate and analysis about NDE's that continues today.
Moody was so inspired that he spent the next forty-five years studying what he called "near death experiences" (NDE). During and after attaining a Ph.D. and M.D., he interviewed hundreds of people who survived NDE's. Where possible, he checked their medical records and related corroborating and invalidating data. He noticed striking similarities in their stories and came away convinced of the existence of an afterlife, but he doesn't force this conclusion on the reader. This book does not purport to be a clinical scientific study. It merely summarizes the interviews anecdotally and sets forth Moody's observations and conclusions. A flaw in the book in my view is that it gives short shrift to possible natural explanations for these phenomena, but it is otherwise a fascinating read. Originally published in 1975, the book helped launch the spirited debate and analysis about NDE's that continues today.
April 25, 2022
This book has been a great comfort to me. Last month I lost my mum to a rare and aggressive cancer just six weeks after diagnosis, and our lives have been completely turned upside-down. I’m 24, my mum had just days turned 52. Not only is she my mum, she is my best friend, and I can’t even really begin to describe that pain, the big aching hole in the middle of everything. That’s where this book really came to help me, extending a hand over the chasm. My mum and I have always been very spiritual–spiritual, not religious–believing in the soul, its existence apart from the physical body, and some place we go after our physical lives on earth. Professor Moody’s book is truly fascinating: drawing from over 500 near-death experiences (he actually coined the term) and quoting approximately 150, it indicates the stages we go through on the brink of death. No matter the cause of death (evidently before resuscitation) in the cases explored here, it’s incredible how many of the same features crop up in each testimony. Moody is careful–he’s a medical doctor and psychiatrist–to signpost his thesis with evidence, to meet any and all resistance with evidence, which I really respected and which ultimately made me feel quite at peace. I know my mum is still with me, and I know I’ll see her again. If you’ve lost anyone close to you, or are simply just interested in the topic, then I highly recommend this book.
April 15, 2013
Dr Moody was the first to scientifically investigate NDEs in hospitals around 1975. He has been followed by many other researchers, scientists and doctors.
What is remarkable in all these books, written by different doctors/scientists/researchers from different countries and culture, is that the thousands of people interviewed after their NDEs recount all more or less the same things.
When you combine this research with the information gathered through hundreds of books on reincarnation and what happens in the spiritual world, saying the same things as well, you can only conclude that the phenomenon of reincarnation and life in the spiritual world is now proven.
What is remarkable in all these books, written by different doctors/scientists/researchers from different countries and culture, is that the thousands of people interviewed after their NDEs recount all more or less the same things.
When you combine this research with the information gathered through hundreds of books on reincarnation and what happens in the spiritual world, saying the same things as well, you can only conclude that the phenomenon of reincarnation and life in the spiritual world is now proven.
November 5, 2020
Não é o primeiro livro que leio sobre o tema.
O que procuro?
A serenidade de me garantirem que não vou ter medo (um sentimento que me apavora desde a infância - medo do susto).
São testemunhos de meia centena de pessoas que estiveram em morte aparente e cujas lembranças do que se passou são muito parecidas.
O que mais me tocou foi esta frase de um dos entrevistados:
“Não importa a idade que tenha.Não deixe de aprender pois esse processo continua durante toda a eternidade “.
Se for verdade é muito importante.
Sempre me preocupou a ideia do desaparecimento de todo o conhecimento adquirido ao longo da vida.
September 13, 2020
Short easy paperback read. I enjoyed the opinions of Dr. Moody and his insight into several different paranormal NDE’s and out of body experiences. He interviewed hundreds of people and gave brief glimpses into many of these situations in his book. I would have preferred him to give more background around each of these stories but he was very direct and to the point in each narrative. He was convinced that these events are real and not dreams. He was also convinced that this common phenomenon would be heavily researched in the future. Sad to say this has not happened yet.
January 27, 2024
Lecture intéressante pour tous ceux qui souhaitent connaître davantage sur les expériences de mort imminente (ou, en anglais, near-death-experiences). Incroyablement, tous les témoignages partagent quelques traits communs. L’auteur liste et analyse ces traits sur la vie après la vie; pour en citer quelques-uns : les sentiments de calme et de paix, le tunnel, le contact avec d’autres, l’être de lumière, les souvenirs de la vie… Ce livre n’a pas pour objectif de prouver quoi que ce soit et n’a pas du tout une approche religieuse. Toutefois, je le recommande pour tous ceux qui croient encore que la vie termine avec la mort. C’est très rassurant de savoir qu’après la mort terrestre nous attend une vie remplie d’amour et de lumière. J’ai moi-même une collègue dont son père a pu apercevoir cela… À vous de vous faire votre propre opinion.
February 16, 2023
The book collates various accounts of contemporary Americans who had close encounters with death. Due to subjectivity and ineffability of the matter, also linguistic constraints in delineating higher states of consciousness, the phenomenon of reaching the threshold of death seems atavistic and superstitious to many a scientific mind. But the parallels in the Tibetan book of the dead, Plato’s Dialogues, Holy Bible and other substantial sources will leave even the impassioned men of science scratching their heads.
November 9, 2024
My body is a cage.
"Life is like a prison sentence. But in this state we don't understand what a prison our body can be for us. Death is like a release, getting out of the prison. That's probably the best I could compare it to."
I'm not sure if I'm convinced by this book, but I know for sure that the facts it presents are interesting to read and think about. And the quote above perfectly reflects the experiences of people who have had a near-death experience.
"Life is like a prison sentence. But in this state we don't understand what a prison our body can be for us. Death is like a release, getting out of the prison. That's probably the best I could compare it to."
I'm not sure if I'm convinced by this book, but I know for sure that the facts it presents are interesting to read and think about. And the quote above perfectly reflects the experiences of people who have had a near-death experience.
May 22, 2012
Although this book goes against what I believe in some ways, and has not convinced me otherwise, it is still an interesting read, and given the increasing interest in near-death experiences, familiarity with this influential and easy-to-read study can be very enriching.
For what this book is, an explanation of the findings from a study regarding people's near death experiences, it isn't bad. It is very readable and approachable. It presents Moody's findings clearly with sufficient excerpts from his actual interviews. It is not a huge sample (only about 150, if I recall correctly), but it is large enough to be relevant
There certainly isn't enough to convince anyone that the afterlife Moody's subjects claim to have seen is an accurate reflection of the truth. If one has a reason to believe differently (as I do), there's nothing compelling enough to seriously challenge you view. However, it is a very thought provoking book, and at the time, it was a pretty influential study. A number have criticized its many cliche's (bathing white light, seeing dead relatives, etc.), but keep in mind that this book is almost 40-years old, and preceded many studies that have made these things "cliche." It's an interesting read, and it ishelpful for people of any religious belief who have an interest in the differing views of the afterlife to be familiar with these types of empirical studies. This book is a great place to start.
For what this book is, an explanation of the findings from a study regarding people's near death experiences, it isn't bad. It is very readable and approachable. It presents Moody's findings clearly with sufficient excerpts from his actual interviews. It is not a huge sample (only about 150, if I recall correctly), but it is large enough to be relevant
There certainly isn't enough to convince anyone that the afterlife Moody's subjects claim to have seen is an accurate reflection of the truth. If one has a reason to believe differently (as I do), there's nothing compelling enough to seriously challenge you view. However, it is a very thought provoking book, and at the time, it was a pretty influential study. A number have criticized its many cliche's (bathing white light, seeing dead relatives, etc.), but keep in mind that this book is almost 40-years old, and preceded many studies that have made these things "cliche." It's an interesting read, and it ishelpful for people of any religious belief who have an interest in the differing views of the afterlife to be familiar with these types of empirical studies. This book is a great place to start.
February 4, 2013
This was a challenging, and thought-provoking read, which posed as many questions as it attempted to answer.
The primary reason for reading this book was to try and find an answer to the following question: "can human consciousness survive bodily death"? I have been asking this question for a number of years, and I have approached a number of authority figues in relation to this question, and I all have ever received has been either obfuscation, or a guarded "yes", dependent upon one's conduct in the present-life.
It would seem to be a remarkable, and almost inexplicable feat for consciousness to survive bodily death, but having read the cases contained within the book, the almost formulaic repsonses given by those whom have either died, or have come close to death, does make for startling reading, and has brought me a step closer to a considered answer to the question above.
The key problem that the Author runs into is the problem of "proof". At the time of writing, it has not proven possible to provide evidence of the existence of an afterlife within the socially-accepted boundaries of modern science. The current inability to quantify the afterlife, means, in the majority of cases, that studies in this field are dubbed "pseudo-scientific" or as being simply delusional.
The Author does try to answer a number of questions that have been raised over the years since the book's original publication, and also evidences a number of comparisons between drug-induced hallucinations; dreams, and out of body experiences, all of which seek to challenge the orthodoxy that the subjects involved can be explained either medically or by reference to religious faith. However, within the accepted norms of the day, we have no definitive proof of an Afterlife. The question and answer session does go some way to pointing to an academic rigour which is missing from most other works within the field.
The highlight of the book surprisingly, resides not within the incredible personal accounts of the Afterlife, but within the chapter on psychological explanations for the aforementioned experiences, which is one of the most rigorous and thought-provoking chapters that I have read thus far. Having recently read Koestler, I certainly feel that any "proof" of the existence of the Afterlife resides within the critical distinction between the Brain and the Mind,and thus our understanding of the Ghost in the Machine.
This was a fascinating read, and I certainly feel that I making progress with my professed aim of answering the question: "can consciousness survive bodily death".
The primary reason for reading this book was to try and find an answer to the following question: "can human consciousness survive bodily death"? I have been asking this question for a number of years, and I have approached a number of authority figues in relation to this question, and I all have ever received has been either obfuscation, or a guarded "yes", dependent upon one's conduct in the present-life.
It would seem to be a remarkable, and almost inexplicable feat for consciousness to survive bodily death, but having read the cases contained within the book, the almost formulaic repsonses given by those whom have either died, or have come close to death, does make for startling reading, and has brought me a step closer to a considered answer to the question above.
The key problem that the Author runs into is the problem of "proof". At the time of writing, it has not proven possible to provide evidence of the existence of an afterlife within the socially-accepted boundaries of modern science. The current inability to quantify the afterlife, means, in the majority of cases, that studies in this field are dubbed "pseudo-scientific" or as being simply delusional.
The Author does try to answer a number of questions that have been raised over the years since the book's original publication, and also evidences a number of comparisons between drug-induced hallucinations; dreams, and out of body experiences, all of which seek to challenge the orthodoxy that the subjects involved can be explained either medically or by reference to religious faith. However, within the accepted norms of the day, we have no definitive proof of an Afterlife. The question and answer session does go some way to pointing to an academic rigour which is missing from most other works within the field.
The highlight of the book surprisingly, resides not within the incredible personal accounts of the Afterlife, but within the chapter on psychological explanations for the aforementioned experiences, which is one of the most rigorous and thought-provoking chapters that I have read thus far. Having recently read Koestler, I certainly feel that any "proof" of the existence of the Afterlife resides within the critical distinction between the Brain and the Mind,and thus our understanding of the Ghost in the Machine.
This was a fascinating read, and I certainly feel that I making progress with my professed aim of answering the question: "can consciousness survive bodily death".
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