(Reviewed by Pat Luboff)
“… these shared death experiences open up an entirely new avenue of rational enlightenment on the question of life after death. They also open a new avenue for scientific studies. And as these studies are completed, it will become clear that shared death experiences are the key to proving the existence of an afterlife.”
I think everyone in the world should read this book. After I read it, what little fear I had of death absolutely disappeared. And, if death holds no fear, what else is there to fear? Isn’t it the fear behind all fears?
Dr. Moody is well-known for his previous work with people who have had a near death experience (NDE). Even though he approached that subject as a scientist, it was easily discounted by people inclined to disbelieve. They claim that the person who “died and came back” was just experiencing some sort of hallucination due to a chemical glitch in the brain.
Enter the “shared death experience” (SDE)! Since many deaths occur in hospitals, the SDEs were common among doctors and nurses. But these professionals were reluctant to openly share what they had seen. When Dr. Moody became interested in the subject, he invited anyone who had had such an experience to share it with him. Reports came not only from the doctors and nurses, but from people all over the world. He found, “These experiences are truly cross-cultural in that they happen to people of all races, colors and creeds. Yes, even atheists. “
These experiences cannot be dismissed as caused by a diseased or over-anesthetized brain. The people who have SDEs are healthy people who are in the room with a dying person. There are several traits that are common to all the SDEs. People report seeing a brighter light than they’ve ever seen in their lives, the room changes shape, a mist often rises from the dying one’s body, figures of angels or deceased relatives appear. The people who witness this are permanently changed; they feel a deep peace and love that does not go away.
Dr. Moody is continuing his research into this area. Perhaps you have an experience to share with him. He leaves us with a quotation: Joseph Campbell summed it up nicely when he said: “We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”
