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BOOKS
Have you ever sensed the presence of someone no longer alive? Polls tell us there's a 40% chance that you have. If you've lost a spouse or longtime partner, those odds rise to over 50%
***YOUR ETERNAL SELF*** Dealing with Humankind's Most Important Issue Michael Tymn (METGAT@aol.com), a blind groper, 03/01/2008 Having read literally hundreds of books offering evidence that consciousness survives physical death, I would have to rank this as number one from the standpoint of offering the reader the full gamut of phenomena supporting the survival hypothesis in clear and concise language. Every hospice should make this book available to its patients. The book deals with the most important question facing mankind – whether we are all marching toward extinction in a meaningless world or whether we are spiritual beings temporarily occupying physical bodies while participating in a divine plan. “Our culture has a desperate fear of death, as though death were somehow a bad thing – the end of existence,” Dr. R. Craig Hogan, the author, advances, pointing out that much of the money spent in healthcare today is expended on the last two weeks of life, trying to keep the body alive just a few days longer. The problem, Hogan suggests, is that humankind matured intellectually over the past two millennia, but went spiritually backward. “The result is that over the two millennia since the Axial Age, humankind has been in a spiritual dark ages,” he continues. “Religion punished anyone who spoke about spiritual things not sanctioned by the religion.” Meanwhile, a “herd of stubborn skeptics” resisted from the other end out of pure elitist arrogance. As Hogan points out, there is overwhelming evidence that we are eternal beings – evidence that if properly studied and discerned allows those accepting the afterlife on blind faith to move to true faith or conviction. At the same time, the skeptic with an open mind can move off his skepticism to belief. “People today who are still not able to accept the abundant data that the afterlife is as real as this life have not read the evidence or participated in medium activities,” Hogan explains. “They assume that the mind is confined to the brain, so evidence of the mind outside of the body couldn’t be valid, and that justifies their not reading it. Because they haven’t read the evidence, they assert that there is no evidence, and since they are not themselves aware of any evidence to the contrary, they are assured that the mind must be confined to the brain and that reinforces their belief that any evidence of the mind outside of the brain must be invalid. That circular reasoning leaves them in an ignorance of their own making.” Hogan begins by examining the most recent evidence which strongly suggests that the mind is much greater than and not confined to the physical brain. He first looks at remote viewing, mentioning some very impressive research in the area as well as his own interesting experience with this phenomenon. He then looks at out-of-body experiences, including near-death experiences, various forms of mediumship, including materializations and the direct-voice phenomenon, deathbed visions, apparitions, induced after-death communication, studies in ESP, what-have-you. He summarizes the findings of esteemed scientists and scholars both of yesteryear and today, often quoting them. He examines the arguments by the debunkers and then offers arguments debunking the debunkers. After examining the evidence for survival, Hogan discusses some of the testimony from the spirit world concerning the conditions after death. “People do not lose their individuality in the afterlife and don’t suddenly become omniscient or clairvoyant,” he states. “They don’t change. They also don’t transform into being good or angelic. They carry their fears, conflicts, and problems into the afterlife.” The environment one finds himself in depends on the person’s state of being when he leaves the earth realm. Hogan has taken the best evidence, distilled it, dissected it, and discerned it. The person with an open mind will find much food for thought in this book. Also recommended: Life After Death -- Living Proof Your Eternal Body of Light
The Beginners Guide for the Recently Deceased by David Staume Described as essential reading for the predeceased, this book is well written and discusses many different aspects of life after death and spiritual theory in general. It is the way the information is presented that perhaps is the point of difference here. The information is presented as if involved in a virtual tour of the afterlife. This book has much to offer in regards to understanding and developing knowledge of lifes only inevitable destination. The author draws much of his inspiration from personal observations and his studies in the field of science and metaphysics. Working as a naturopath and herbalist David Staume has a good understanding of life and death and the world in between. Although much of this is not new information, it is much esier to read and understand than many books on the same subject.
SPIRIT FACES ( I am especially interested in Mark's comments about 'spirit release' work as it resonates with much of my current understanding - terrific book - worth reading) rob About Mark Thoughts of God and afterlife always seemed like wishful thinking to me. But in 1988 I was diagnosed with colon cancer. With death staring me in the face, suddenly I had to know what really happens to us after we die? I couldn’t take it on faith alone. Not that there’s anything wrong with faith, but I've always needed proof or solid evidence to convince me of something that was beyond my understanding. And afterlife was certainly beyond my understanding. At a conference in 1991 I was introduced to ITC research (instrumental transcommunication--the use of technology to get in touch with the other side), and at first I could scarcely believe researchers in Europe who claimed to be getting contacts directly from spirits through TVs, radios, phones, and computers. So after the conference ended I hopped on a transatlantic flight to visit with those researchers, and what I found changed my life forever. I've been fully immersed in ITC research ever since. If you visit my website (www.spiritfaces.com) you might understand why. You might be wondering about my first message on this Amazon blog, in which I seemed to come down a little on skeptics of my work. I was compelled to write it by a fellow who wrote the first review of my new book, "Spirit Faces; Truth about the Afterlife" on my book's Amazon page. He gave the book a negative 2-star review, saying the information in my book was all bogus, along with my research. Either he didn't read the entire book himself, or the information in the book boggled his mind. In any case, shortly after I posted my first message defending the book and swearing to the veracity of all information in it, he quickly removed his review, for which I'm grateful. Mark
A Swan in Heaven: Conversations Between Two Worlds - by Terri Daniel Do you wonder what happens "This book is pure gold, and traces a remarkable evolution that can only be accomplished with lack of ego and a tremendous spiritual bond" Scott Christiansen, Psychic Medium, Book Description A Swan in Heaven blends thought-provoking narrative with stirring afterlife messages from a 16 year-old boy who began communicating with his mother telepathically after his death. During his life, this extraordinary child was severely disabled and unable to speak. But after death his language was fluent and his words were inspired, eloquent and insightful. Notable intuitives like Edgar Cayce, Jane Roberts, Sylvia Browne, Esther Hicks and Neale Donald Walsch have shared their channeled transmissions with millions, and their messages consistently speak of loving entities who guide us from other realms. A Swan in Heaven illustrates how easy it can be to connect with these eager, non-physical teachers, who are waiting patiently for us to tune in and start listening. Danny's message of personal responsibility, love and acceptance teaches us that all human relationships are created via soul contracts made prior to our incarnations on earth. Danny's explanations of life, death and disability shine like a beacon and cut like a knife, guiding us toward higher ways of understanding our experiences. His teachings address not only the journey of the soul, but also the specific subject of intimate relationships and the power of meditation and forgiveness to transform them.
Most experiences of apparent contact with the dead do not involve mediums. They come to healthy, active people when they least expect them. Usually they're comforting. They may simply say, "I'm happy now," or "Stop grieving for me, get on with your life." But sometimes they provide startling information.
Guided by a loving spirit, a woman discovers the faraway house where her grandmother grew up. A husband searching for his missing wife senses the precise injuries that killed her. A newly deceased aunt points her chocoholic niece to where she stashed her chocolate! This groundbreaking book calmly confronts a hush-hush subject. Can some part of the human personality survive death and reach out to us? Professor Wright offers persuasive proof that indeed it does.
A Recent Review "When Spirits Come Calling" is a fascinating insight into after-death contacts. It is extremely well written, and superbly researched. The book starts with personal experiences of after-death contacts, and then through successive chapters moves on to case reports of after-death contacts gathered from Wright's own investigations. Although close-minded skeptics might discount all the occurrences as hallucinations or wishful thinking, Wright gives us several examples of knowledge and guidance from afterlife contacts, which apparently could not have been known by living people. Similar to how I presented the subject in Searching for Eternity, Wright then examines how the world religions view survival of the spirit. She finds, as I did as well, that there are a great many commonalities among the world religions and people's reports of after-death contacts. In subsequent chapters, Wright examines, "Facing up to a Cultural Taboo," "After a Suicide," "Subtle Contacts-Smells and a Sense of Closeness," "After the Death of a Child," "Lights That Blink a Message," "Misbehaving Radios, Telephones and More," "Symbolic Events," "Animal Stories," "More Help and Guidance from Loving Spirits," "Ghosts, Possession and Things That Go Bump in the Night," "What's So Different about Paranormal Dreams," "Who Becomes a Sensitive," and "Spiritual Experience and Religious Belief." All in all, When Spirits Come Calling is an easy-to-read but comprehensive book about after-death contacts and their meaning. It is well worth reading this book both for the knowledge gained and for the sense of relief it can give that being a good, kind, and moral person can have rewards not only in this life, but quite possibly in the next one as well." Donald R. Morse, D.D.S., PhD -from The Journal of Religion and Psychical Research, October 2004
More Praise for When Spirits Come Calling "This book offers a new perspective to those people who believe this life is all there is. The evidence in these many personal stories is overwhelming. The recognition of cultural and religious taboos that create negative disbelief is clearly conveyed. On the other hand, it is apparent that human awareness of psychic contacts has been part of human history since the beginning." Lois Barton, book review in West by Northwest.org online magazine
"This book is a valiant effort to dispel the fear that surrounds the event of death. The stories of those who have experienced or witnessed communications with the departed reveal the strange and curious forms it can take, from disembodied voices to objects moving on their own. Wright delivers a powerful message: like it or not, survival of the spirit is a stubborn fact of life, one that no amount of 'intellectual' denial can erase. The author brings a unique perspective to her subject, as a former skeptic who began serious research after having contact with her deceased husband." Review in NAPRA Review
"Professor Wright has been collecting social science data on afterlife communication since 1991....Her book is based on in-depth interviews with normal, everyday people who've sensed contact with the world beyond death. In it, they share their insights and stories in their own vivid words." Review in Borders Newsletter
"Superbly written and well researched. When Spirits Come Calling will open your heart to the wonder and mystery of spontaneous experiences involving deceased loved ones and the living." Louis E. LaGrand, Ph.D., Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus, State University of New York, and author, Gifts from the Unknown
"Intelligent, open-minded and very readable." John Beloff, Ph.D., author, Parapsychology: A Concise History; editor, Journal of the Society for Psychical Research, 1982-1999
"Guaranteed to raise goose-bumps among even the most cynical.... Makes you rethink your understanding of how broad the limits of life may be." Shevach Lambert, past president, Temple Beth Israel, Eugene, Oregon
"Professor Wright's probing interviews make it clear that seeing an apparition, or sensing the presence of a deceased loved one is not merely some kind of extrasensory perception, but rather is a genuine encounter with a surviving intelligence. I highly recommend this fascinating and carefully researched book." Russell Targ, laser physicist, co-author, Miracles of Mind: Exploring Nonlocal Consciousness and Spiritual Healing
"In this ground-breaking book, you sense the author's sincere compassion for her interview subjectsa welcome contrast to more conventional studies that assume that people who experience such phenomena must be reacting irrationally to the death of a loved one. Wright does not distort her subjects' accounts to make them fit the secular (atheistic) assumptions associated with so much contemporary science. A real gem, empirically bold, well-reasoned, yet humble in the face of a great mystery." Michael Dreiling, sociology professor, University of Oregon
"Contains a wealth of moving personal stories presented in an incomparably warmhearted yet cool-headed manner, and illuminated by the author's sensitive and searching cross-cultural analysis." Madronna Holden, Ph.D., anthropologist and educator, Linfield College
"The world of science looks for proof by experimental findings and discounts anecdotal reports because of the very uniqueness of each report. However, the method of science begins with observation. Sylvia Hart Wright has taken an important first step. She has noticed the frequency with which people told of encounters with loved ones who had died.... [Their accounts] tell us something important and perhaps universal about human consciousness." Paula Bram Amar, Ph.D., consulting psychologist, expert on biofeedback
"Offers compelling evidence to us postmodern agnostics, atheists, and skeptics that we are not aloneand that is good news!" Charles Sturms, professor of intercultural studies, Northwest Christian College, and Disciples of Christ minister
Resting In Peace Is Optional Alan G. Hall passed away on December 29, 1999 from a pulmonary embolism at the age of twenty.
Resting in Peace is Optional is the true story of Alan’s experiences after learning that there is not only an existence after death, but an Afterlife beyond all imagination. Alan has given numerous signs of his continuation to his family, and shares his story with the hope that it will help others seeking answers about the spirit world, and communication with departed loved ones.
The best thing about this book is the pure and simple way in which it is written. As the story unfolds in the first person view it catapults the reader into the mind of Alan, sharing both his frustration and joy as he seeks to communicate with his mother from the other side. Another even more unique aspect is that we are given a virtual tour of the transition from the physical body to the spiritual plane of existence.
Rather than being written as an author’s conception of what life after death might be like, instead this book gives an exact first-hand account of what many people encounter after they die. Alan gets up close and personal as he shares all of his feelings and the difficulties he faced when he suddenly found himself “dead.” Nothing is hidden or “sugar-coated” in this journey, everything is expressed in the most intimate detail. Humorous at times, it also shows that our personalities survive physical death and that an individual’s views or opinions remain intact.
Many books about spirituality or life after death struggle to make a connection with the mind of the reader. After all, the ultimate goal of a book is to enable the reader to fully experience, feel, and relate to the events about which it is written. This book does a superb job of conveying the personal feelings and emotions of the writer to the person reading it. In addition, this story includes many references to our modern culture of technology and demonstrates how frequently attempts at communication by our loved ones can go unnoticed. The perseverance and determination of Alan to communicate with his mother is quite striking. Alan shares his frustration as he tries various techniques to communicate; yet he remains resilient until he ultimately succeeds.
Everywhere we turn we see books and television shows about ghosts, but the end result is usually the same: The answer to the ultimate question remains shrouded in mystery. In contrast, Alan’s written recollection tells us what it’s like to be a “ghost.” He tells us of the different places that he travels to, the things he desires, and the changes that must finally come about in his personal journey towards understanding before he finally enters the spiritual plane.
Anyone interested in learning how to communicate with their loved ones or understand how to become aware of the signs of communication will find this book an extremely valuable read. In cases where the grief of the loss of a loved one has taken its toll, this book has the ability to restore hope and strengthen the bond of love. Irrespective of our personal beliefs, everyone can come away a little bit richer from the experience of reading this book.
As a communicator with spirit, I have found this book to be one of the purest that I have ever read – definitely considered a “must read.”
Keith J. Clark - http://www.itcbridge.com/
 THEY DIDN'T KNOW IF HE WOULD LIVE.
HE DIDN'T KNOW HE WAS DEAD. Under the Tree - A Novel by Greg Stone
A novel set in the world of the near-death experience.
"If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them" -- Isaac Asimov
Breakthrough: An Amazing Experiment in Electronic Communication with the Dead Konstantin Raudive, New York: Taplinger, 1971.
This is the book that brought information about EVP to the public. Voice phenomena were accidentally discovered in Sweden by Friedrich Jürgenson in 1957. Jürgenson showed Raudive how to record the voices and the book is the results of six years of research into the phenomena. A dead persons voice appears during playbacks of tape recordings on which no such voices were audible at the time of the original recording. These voices often state their names and may be identified as male or female, but all speak very much faster than is normal and employ a curious speech rhythm. In the course of his research, Dr Raudive was joined by eminent scientists, physicists, psychologists, and theologians, many of whom were university professors. Before undertaking the publication of this English-language edition, the publishers have requested other respected scientists and scholars to verify procedures and findings related in Dr Raudive’s book. The discovery of this phenomenon – later called the Electronic Voice Phenomenon – is a breakthrough of unquestionable importance.
"We can have facts without thinking but we cannot have thinking without facts" -- John Dewey
Dianne Arcangel
How many people experience apparitions? “According to research statistics, at least 11% of the general population experience an afterlife encounter (AE) at least once during their lives,” declares former psychiatric hospital therapist Dianne Arcangel who has studied the phenomenon for more than five decades. “I believe the number is greater, however, because most people do not understand what encounters are. Many have witnessed apparitions, but are not aware that they have.” In Afterlife Encounters, Arcangel described the features of encounters, including: what, specifically, they are; when and where they are most likely to occur; who is most likely to perceive them, and the purpose for AEs. Most importantly, Arcangel’s groundbreaking five-year international survey, the first of its kind, revealed the positive effects afterlife encounters have on witnesses. Beyond research findings, Afterlife Encounters presents more than 90 real-life reports from Arcangel’s growing database of over 10,000 accounts. As an international spokesperson, Dianne has appeared on numerous talk shows, such as Oprah, Geraldo, Sally, Rolanda, etc.; and she has been featured in national and international television documentaries, such as NBC’s Ancient Prophecies, the Learning Channel’s Forces Beyond, CBC’s Man Alive, and many more. The belief that humans survive bodily death in some form is universal. Long considered superstition, several lines of evidence now suggest that this belief is valid. Dianne Arcangel's Afterlife Encounters adds to this body of knowledge, and will provide hope and comfort for anyone who reads it. —Larry Dossey, M.D., father of mind-body medicine and New York Times
Practicing Conscious Living and Dying: Stories of the Eternal Continuum of Consciousness
By: Annamaria Hemingway ISBN 978-1-84694-077-4 Published by O Books - http://www.o-books.com/ Publishing date: January, 08. An uplifting collection of spiritually illuminating texts and powerfully thought-provoking real life stories, showing death as an integral part of life. These touching observations of closeness to someone who is in the dying process, and personal accounts of near-death experiences and after-death communication, illustrate how coming to terms with the inevitability of death is actually a life-affirming experience.
These emotionally evocative and inspirational experiences address timeless questions and help expand our limited awareness of the nature of consciousness.
They show how each of the individuals concerned has come to understand that death teaches us that the preciousness of life must be lived with a sense of purpose and meaning, as a celebration of our existence.
~: Suggested Readings :~
The Dhammapada Translated for the Modern Reader by Eknath Easwaran
The Bhagavad Gita Translated for the Modern Reader by Eknath Easwaran
The Tibetan Book of the Dead W.Y. Evans-Wentz
The Cloud of Unknowing Edited by William Johnston
Dark Night of the Soul St. John of the Cross Translated and Edited, with an Introduction, by E. Allison Peers
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