The Complete Idiot's Guide to Near-Death Experiences

Cover
Contents at a Glance
Contents in Detail
Foreword
Praise
Introduction
What You\'ll Find in This Book
PART 1 - THE EXPERIENCE / THE EXPERIENCER
	1 - The Resurrected
		A Brief History
		What Is the Near-Death Experience?
		A	Closer	Look	at	Some	Near-Death	ScenarioFeatures
		But What\'s Typical?
		The Birth of a Controversy
	2. Types of Experiences
		To Each His Own
		Problems in Communication
		A Common Range of Patterns
		Some Examples of Each Type
	3. Near-Death Look-a-Likes
		Near-Death-Like Experiences
		The Unpredictability of Near-Death-Like Episode
		Indirect Near-Death-Like Events
		Empathic Experiences
		Near-Death Scenarios as Guided Visualizations
	4. The Innocents
		Child Experiences: A Breakthrough in Understanding
		A Guide at Death\'s Door
		Womb with a View
		Choosing Genes and Physical Characteristics
		Typical Behavior After the Experience
	5. Suicide Enigmas
		A Picture Too Pretty
		What Those Who Attempt Suicide Say
		Depression and Suicidal Tendencies Afterward
		The Challenge With Children
PART 2 - AFTERWARD
	6. Lives Turned Upside Down
		Feelings After Being Revived
		A New You
		The Strain on Relationships
		Lifestyle Switch-a-Roos
		Deity Reigns
	7. The Undeniable Aftereffects
		Connecting the Dots
		Common Psychological Aftereffects
		Common Physiological Aftereffects
		Synesthesia and Electrical Sensitivity
		The	Need	Factor
	8. Startling Differences Between Child and Adult Experiencers
		Don\'t Assume Anything
		Jump-Starting	Intelligence
		Far	Apart
		Talking About It
	9. Blocking Out the Experience
		Why Adults Tend to Remember and Kids Tend to Forget
		You	Be	the	Judge
		A Child\'s View
		Aftereffects Can Take a Back Seat
		Tips	to	Identify	Child	Experiencers	Who	Can\'t	Remember
	10. Medically Speaking: A Challenge to Healthcare Providers
		Please Believe me
		So	You	Said	You	Wanted	Evidence
		Suggestions	for	Healthcare	Providers
		Unique	Health	Issues
		Professionals	Willing	to	Speak	Out
PART 3 - TIME OUT FOR QUESTIONS
	11. Are the Dead Really Dead?
		Real	Tales	from	the	Crypt
		The	Newly	Dead	Who	Greet	the	Newly	Dead
		As	Dead	as	You	Can	Get
		When	Two	or	More	Die	Together
		Symbols	Surface
	12. Heavy on Research
		Raymond	A.	Moody	Jr.,	Ph.D.,	M.D.
		Kenneth	Ring,	Ph.D.
		Michael	Sabom,	M.D.
		Margot	Grey,	Ph.D.
		P.M.H.	Atwater,	Lh.D.
		Melvin	Morse,	M.D.
		Arvin	S.	Gibson,	B.S.M.E.
		Peter	Fenwick,	M.D.,	F.R.C.Psych.
		Cherie	Sutherland,	Ph.D.
		Bruce	Greyson,	M.D.
		Groundbreaking	Early	Projects
	13. Scientific Naysayers
		It\'s	All	in	the	Brain:	Biological/Physiological	Causes
		It\'s	All	in	the	Mind:	Psychological	Causes
		Having	an	Experience	Is	Not	Proof
		A	Lack	of	Agreement	Among	Researchers
		So,	Where	Are	We?
	14. Debunking the Debunkers
		It\'s	All	Subjective
		But	I	Don\'t	Want	to	Die
		Who\'s	That	Knocking	on	My	Head?
		Mr.	Sandman,	Send	Me	a	Dream
		The	Dying	Brain	Theory
		A	Few	Extras
	15. Religion\'s Got a Gripe, Too
		It\'s	in	the	Bible
		Repercussions
		The	Devil\'s	Handiwork
		We	Got	Here	First
PART 4 - TAKING A LEAP BEYOND
	16. Viewing Storylines in Different Ways
		Sometimes	We	Can	Mix	Things	Up
		How	We	Can	\"Stage\"	Storylines
		Another	Look	at	the	Need	Factor
		The	Teachings	of	Swedenborg
		A	Back-Glance	at	Shared	Experiences
	17. Some Striking Effects
		Poof!	Go	Limitations
		Poof!	Go	Illnesses
		Poof!	Goes	Death\'s	Sting
		The	Unexpected	from	Violence
		The	Unexpected	from	Death	Dreams
	18. The Importance of Otherwordly Journeys
		Exceptional	Human	Experiences
		The	\"Other	Worlds\"	of	Myth	and	Legend
		The	Four	Levels	of	Otherworldly	Imagery
		Feeling	Alien
	19. The Possibility of Altenate Realities
		Is	there	an	Afterlife?
		I	Came,	I	Saw,	I	was	Born
		Why	Do	I	Feel	Like	I\'ve	Been	Here	Before?
		An	Altered	View	of	Reality
		A	Spectrum	of	Realities
	20. Transformations of Consciousness
		A	Larger	Genre
		Higher	Consciousness
		Turbulent	Transformations
		Tranquil	Transformations
		The	Crown	Jewel	of	Enlightenment
	21. The Lights of Enlightenment
		The	Light	of	God/The	Devil\'s	Dark
		Three	Types	of	Subjective	Light
		\'\'The	Darkness	That	Knows\"
		More	of	Light\'s	Mysteries
		The	Energy	Charge	of	Enlightenment
PART 5 - BACK DOWN TO EARTH
	22. Brain/Biology Link
		Brain	Shift
		The	Limbic	System	and	Emotions
		The	Theories	of	Melvin	Morse,	M.D.
		The	Importance	of	\"Future\"
		Adaptation	or	Evolution?
	23. But Are All the Claims True?
		Don\'t	Rock	the	Boat
		The	Mighty	Sword	of	Scientism
		No	Saints	or	Angels	Here
		\"I	was	God.	God	was	Me\"
		Testing	the	Spirits
	24. Integrating the Near-Death Experience
		For	Adult	Experiencers
		For	Child	Experiencers	and	Their	Parents
		For	Significant	Others
		Integration\'s	Four	Phases
		Creative	Approaches	to	Therapy
	25. Redefining How Life is Viewed
		Implications	from	Near-Death	States
		The	Animating	Force	That	Drives	Us
		The	Reality	of	Spirit
		The	Big	Picture
		The	Law	of	Grace
	26. Message for the Millenium
		An	Agency	of	Change
		Evolution\'s	Next	Step
		The	Global	Village
		Social	Justice	and	Human	Rights
		What\'s	the	Near-Death	Experience	All	About?
APPENDIX A - BRIGHT NEW WORDS GLOSSARY
APPENDIX B - INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR NEAR-DEATH STUDIES - IANDS
APPENDIX C - FURTHER READING
APPENDIX D - WEB SITES
APPENDIX E - GETTING IN TOUCH
INDEX