Within the Light

This book is different from most others like it; for one thing it goes into more detail, with the NDE experiencers describing their NDE's in their own words in lengthy interviews with the author. It handles the topic in a very down-to-earth and informal way, and has a wide variety of different people discussing their experiences and how their lives changed as a result of them. I found this book uplifting and truly inspiring; it's a shame it's out of print.

The introduction begins with defining NDE's. I am going to quote some because without this knowledge you will have no idea what "Within the Light" is talking about."The near-death experience is said to occur when a person is close to death (or in many case actually clinically dead), yet is resuscitated or somehow survives to recount an intense, profoundly meaningful experience. The near-death episode itself is typically characterized by a feeling of peace, an out-of-body experience, the sensation of traveling very quickly through a dark tunnel, generally towards a light, an encounter with the spirits of deceased relatives or friends or a "being of light," an instantaneous life review, and for some, entrance into a "world of light.""Within The Light" has 5 main chapters: 1) Childhood Experiences 2) Suicides 3) Frightening Experiences 4) Point of No Return 5) On the Other Side. It is concluded by an afterword, endnotes, bibliography, useful addresses and an index.One of my favorite sections is in Chapter 5 (On the Other Side.) In my opinion this person's afterthoughts from her own NDE sum it up best. "I used to think you just died and that was it. But now I have no fear of death at all. I see it purely as a homecoming, it is just a total reunion, so much love and happiness. Intuitively I'm sure we go on and continue to keep learning. We continue to grow on another level..."I haven't experienced an NDE myself but I am a very deeply spiritual person with similiar experiences of my own...... "SEEK THE LORD, ... GROPE FOR HIM AND FIND HIM, THOUGH HE IS NOT FAR FROM EACH ONE OF US; FOR IN HIM WE LIVE AND MOVE AND HAVE OUR BEING ... WE ARE HIS OFFSPRING" ...THE HOLY BIBLE ACTS 17:27-28