Customer Reviews

To Hell and Back

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To Hell and Back is not a religious book, even though it is about life after death. Dr. Rawlings (the author) is not a theologian or a pastor, but a cardiologist. Dr. Rawlings writes of the experiences of his own patients brought back to life. Here are some excerpts from his book.

With the advent of new resuscitation techniques people can now be brought back to life after being dead several minutes. Just what happens after death. Eleven million Americans have reported near death, or out of body experiences. The typical description involves a beautiful light at the end of a tunnel. Many Christians are convinced that the light is Jesus Christ, because they often saw a figure on a cross. Some others perceive a heaven conforming to their own particular faith. Remarkably, others see the bright light turn into a ring of fire (pg 10).

Among the resuscitees who claim to have had a spiritual experience, the experience becomes so real that the victim is transfixed by every detail. While there are many positive experiences, there are also, as we shall soon see, many negative experiences (pg 32).

WHY DO SO MANY PEOPLE SEE LIGHT? Why do people almost always report seeing a light and feeling only peace & serenity after a near death experience? Many religions associate their leader with light, and as mentioned in the Christian faith, both God and Lucifer claim to be light. It is crucial in near death experiences to identify this source of light -- whether the light is a true representative of God, or a luring mirage of evil that imitates God as an all forgiving force (pg 59). Christians often perceive the light as Jesus, while a Jewish person might perceive the light as a representative of Johva God, yet a Hindu might envision Brahma, Vishnu, or Shiva, etc... (pg 61). But misrepresentations do in fact occur. One day I (Dr. Rawlings) performed CPR on a man who had been shot in the chest during a bank robbery. During CPR this man told me that he had an out-of-body experience, during this time he said he encountered the heavenly light, he was surprised at what surrounded him. There was no ridicule or rejection, the sordid parts of his life were not examined, and no mention was made of the couple he had killed three years before during a robbery. (pg 61). I (keith mason) think that many of the experiences which seem to be positive, are positive only because it is a trick from Satan himself tricking people into believing that there only is peace and serenity after death (regardless if a person is Christian, Moslem, Atheist, Hindu, Jewish, or whatever); in this way people of all faiths are tricked into believing that there is no accountability, or no judgment. The book is full of people who have had near death experiences, (both positive and negative). Skeptics dismiss these near death experiences as the result of a oxygen-depraved mind, while Theologians think that often these people are seeing none other than Satan himself... (pg 47).

NOT EVERYONE SEES LIGHT. Not everyone sees light and reports peace and serenity. Dr. Rawlings explains it this way: As a general rule people remember that which is good, and forget that which is bad, and so if the interview is delayed just a little bit -- much less days, weeks, or months after the fact only the positive experiences will be found (pg 33).

Case in point. As stated earlier, many people see this tunnel of light turn into a ring of fire. Here are a couple of examples:

I (Dr. Rawlings) was watching a monitor to guide a pacemaker into my patients heart when it happened: his heart stopped. This is the story. The patient recounts his story in this way: I blacked out and then you (Dr. Rawlings) hit me on the chest saying 'excuse me.' ... Somebody was yelling. Something crashed over my left shoulder, everybody went crazy. And then I was out of it. I was floating, pitch black, moving fast. The wind whistled by and I rushed toward this beautiful blazing light. As I moved past, the walls of the tunnel caught fire. Beyond the blazing tunnel a huge lake of fire was burning like an oil spill. Elongated shadows showed that people were moving aimlessly about like animals in a zoo enclosure. Down the hill I saw an old friend who had died -- the last I recall they were dragging the river for him, 'hi there Jim' I called out. He just looked at me, didn't even smile. They were taking him around the corner when he started screaming: I ran, but there was no way out. I kept saying 'Jesus is Lord, Jesus is Lord.' Suddenly I was back in my body, as you were putting in the stitches. (pg 72). Another account is found on page 75. It goes like this: I was guided to a place in the spirit world called Hell. This is a place of punishment for all those who reject Jesus Christ. I not only saw Hell, but felt the torment that all who go there experience. The darkness of Hell is so intense that it seems to have a pressure per square inch. It is an extremely black, dismal, desolate, pressurized, heavy, type of darkness. It gives the individual a despondent feeling of loneliness. The heat is a dry, dehydrating type: your eyeballs are so dry they feel like red hot coals in there sockets. Your tongue and lips are parched and cracked with intense heat. ... The loneliness of Hell cannot be expressed. (pg 75). Yet another story follows: I (Dr. Rawlings) was giving CPR to a patient when the following incident occurred. I inserted a pacemaker through the shoulder and guided it through the vain into Charlie's heart. His heart stopped so I began to pound on the his heart, but as I did blood spurted out, I stopped to adjust the pacemaker. And as I did, Charlie's eyes would roll back in his head, he would sputter, turn blue, and convulse. This happened several times. Once while I was stopped to adjust the pacemaker Charlie screamed, 'Don't stop, don't stop, I'm in Hell, I'm in Hell.' Hallucinations, I thought at first, but most victims say, 'Take your big hands off me, your breaking my ribs,' but he was saying the opposite 'For Gods sake don't stop! Don't you understand, every time you stop I'm in Hell. When he asked me to pray for him I felt downright insulted. I told him to shut up, I'm a doctor, not a minister or a psychiatrist. Then the nurse gave me that expectant look. What would you do? That's when I composed a make believe prayer. I made him repeat the prayer to keep him off my back. Say it! Jesus Christ son of God, Keep me out of Hell. And a very strange thing took place. He was no longer that wild-eyed screaming lunatic. It was then that I too (Dr. Rawlings) became a Christian (pg 37).

As I said earlier, Dr. Rawlings is not a Theologian, or a Minister, rather an unbiased Doctor who has written the findings of the patients he has resuscitated.

I highly recommend reading this book.

After a close brush I had with death, I read many books on near death experiences. All were very optimistic about death. They essentially gave the general impression that no matter what I did in my life, all my experiences and actions were either just learning experiences for my spiritual growth, or I was not going to be held accountable for my actions because in the big scheme, they did not matter.

Then I read "To Hell and Back: Life After Death Startling New Evidence, by Maurice Rawlings". While I found this book very upsetting, I also find it to be one of the most important books I have ever read. It provides very strong evidence for the existence of a very real hell. Like most people, I'd prefer there was no hell, but if there is one, I want to know about it NOW, not find out after I die when it is too late.

The most compelling concept that gives his patients' hell accounts such credibility is the very well documented psychological phenomenon of humans forgetting (repressing) memories of severe experiences, to protect their sanity. I know personally that severe experience memories are repressed because my mother has told me of severe experiences she has witnessed me go through while I was awake but of which I still have absolutely no conscious memory.

Since the author was an objective observer, he was able to recall the patient's pleas for help to be saved from hell. While later, these very same patients only remembered the "good" part of the experience that usually proceeds entry into hell. They had to repress the hell experience because the certainty of going to hell is so overwhelming. They HAD to block it from their conscious memories to go on with life, otherwise they would go insane.

The very best part of reading this book for me is that it has helped me keep ever aware of how ultimately important it is to develop and pursue a genuine integrity-filed relationship with God. I must with all my might answer the God question now, while I am alive, and not wait for death to find out the truth. As the author says in the book (paraphrasing) "the most important day of your life is the day you die". That is the day all negotiations and opportunities for escape from hell end; The moment of truth.

So read the book to get a balanced look at near death experiences, and to increase your sensitivity to the personal implications of the existence of a very real hell after death.

Dr. Rawlings provides a badly needed perspective on the religion of Near Death Experiences (NDEs) that followed in the wake of Dr. Kubler-Ross' more famous publications. Rawlings makes 2 major points:

1 - Many, perhaps 50%, of NDEs are negative. The light gives way to misery, the tunnel is lined with flames, etc. The folks who come back from death's door, having experienced these NDEs, almost uniformly turn their lives around drastically, and decide to obey God'd guidance for their lives.

2 - There is a systematic bias against the reporting of negative NDEs. This bias comes from several sources:

* Individuals tend to repress negative memories. If these experiences are not recorded immediately after they occur, an individual's memory can play tricks with the data.

* The individuals and close family members are often strongly motivated to stay mum. Confessing to such an experience basically implies that your whole previous life was not lived well. Not many folks are ready to make such an admission.

* The researchers like Kubler-Ross who write the famous books do not want to admit data that would contradict their theories about the afterlife. Dr. Rawlings has offered his data to them, but they never incorporated them into their analyses.

While he offers us much in this book, Dr. Rawlings clearly did not want to share his royalties with a competent ghost writer or a good editor. I could never figure out whether the first-person pilot anecdotes were about Rawlings or some other person. Rawlings could have helped us by talking about his pilot's license and experiences (or lack of them, I suppose) in order to help us understand the context of the anecdotes, but he was not forthcoming.

Furthermore, Rawlings frequently goes on long, long tangents that stray very far from the points he's really trying to make. For example, after a few NDE anecdotes, he suddenly launches into a several page analysis of when it's appropriate to administer CPR and when it's not. This analysis belonged in an appendix. In a similar vein, he also flits about, criticizing first one loosely-related theology (spiritism) to another (Hinduism) to another (astrology). The only connection I can gather from his text is that he opposes them all.

Finally, he sometimes presents data without giving us a theory to interpret it. Most notably, several times he mentions that NDEs in India often revolve around encounters with Hindu deities. Are they demons? Are they angels? Is it really a polytheistic universe? Help us out, Dr. Rawlings!

Anyone who is interested in near death experiences, or who doesn't believe in the viability of hell should definately read this book. New Age thinking, and near death experiencers such as Dannion Brinkley tell us that God is non judgemental, and we only judge ourselves. Though they may be well intended this is a dangerous message, as we are all accountable for our deeds. This book explains the diabolical force behind the messages so often misleading the well intended at this critical time. Straighten out your hearts and minds, please read the book.

"It now borders on the fantastic to realize that clinical death experiences have become the only experimental link between ancient prophesies and modern science." ~ Dr. Maurice Rawlings

To Hell and Back goes beyond a casual discussion of near-death experience (NDE) and takes the topic of life and death to engaging spiritual levels, even to discussions of out-of-the-body experiences (OBEs). Dr. Maurice Rawlings highly entertaining writing style is infused with biblical research and comparisons between religious experiences. Verses and quotes are well placed and do not take over the topics, but seem to enhance the research.

Initially skeptical himself, the author encounters experiences that are too real not to be believed. As he discusses why negative experiences are not discussed, we start to realize the true reasons people are not talking as much about the visions of hell as the peaceful vistas of heaven:

"The typical description involves a beautiful light at the end of a very dark tunnel...others saw the same tunnel and the apparent light turn into a horrible ring of fire..."

This book contains both experiences and goes beyond drug induced OBEs and convincingly explains why people not on any drugs experienced NDEs. As a doctor, the author enters this arena from a position of strength and deftly describes experiences that read like an ER reality show. The descriptions of Hell are not overly detailed, but enough is told that you get the general idea.

What does death feel like?
What percentage of people encounter a positive experience?
Do people of different faiths experience NDEs in basically the same way?
Is it too late to come back to earth when you realize you have ended up
in the wrong place? Surprising answers...
Do atheists sometimes go to heaven and confessing religious people to hell?
Do some people go to neither place?
How can you ensure that you will have a good life after death?

The authors' life experience truly enhances the stories in this book and his first-hand knowledge brings a sense of trust to the topic. He not only viewed sudden deaths for three and a half decades, he also spent two year in nursing homes studying the experiences of terminally ill patients.

Some of the main topics discussed in this book include: Reincarnation, Suicides, Beings of Light, Typical NDE situations, Main Religions, Past Lives, New Age Consciousness, Freud & Jung, Spirits, Astral Travel, The Kundalini, Esotericism, Pantheism, Relativism, Popular Culture (movies, etc.), Current Cultural Phenomena (still seems very relevant even years after publication), The Education System, Unexplained Phenomena, Demonic Possession, Demonic Oppression and The Fight between Good and Evil.

A good understanding of these Life and Death issues will enable a more complete understanding of your current reality. This book answered many of my questions and will help me as I make decisions in the future. If you have delved into any of the spiritual areas the author suggests you avoid and have had strange, frightening and unexplainable experiences, there is still hope for recovery and time to redirect your life.

In the search for spirituality, there are some paths you may consider "not" taking after reading this book. In the end, what you will truly be asking yourself is: "Do my current beliefs make it safe to die?"

~The Rebecca Review

I enjoyed this book. After my daughter died, I so desperately looked for something that would tell me she still existed. I believe in God's word and yet, I was still searching. This book helped me accept that God is in control and that we live on. It goes against what the media wants us to believe, he steps out and tells his side of things without worry of condemnation by man. It's a great book!...

Dr. Maurice Rawlings is a cardiologist and explains much data from first hand experience. He does not delete data, though it may be hard to explain, and has even offered data to other authors on the subject who have rejected it because it threatens already made conclusions. He addresses the subject and its potential impact on Christianity, New Age, Freudian and Jungian psychology, and other viewpoints.

If any of you, like my old self, use to go to palm readers, psychic advisors, and so on, please read this book. It answered alot of my questions on cults, psychics, UFO's, etc. It scared me straight. Good and Evil are clearly defined. I Highly recommend this book to everyone who has any intrest in the occult and believes in God. You have a choice. You serve one or the other. Two thumbs up. I rate this book a 10.

Lucifer: literally, light-bringing. Could the light that many people claim to encounter during a near-death-experience be something other than a being of love and forgiveness--as they seem to assume--perhaps actually something malicious and deceptive? Thats the warning in Rawlings' book. The author bases his belief on the numerous accounts he has collected of NDE returnees who related hellish experiences. Could it be that not everything is as rosey on the "other side" as we have been led to believe by other NDE books?

Yes, the book could use some editing. Yes, the author does get off on tangents such as CPR, his religious beliefs, and judgements of other religions. Yes, there is a shortage of these negative NDE's in the book. Finally, I found his experience with an out-of-body-experience while piloting a private plane suspiciously similar to that written by Charles Lindgbergh in "The Spirit of St. Louis." But these criticisms are very minor compared to his new perspective on NDEs, and the very possible value of his warning.

Intriguing work which has great meaning and significance in the life of the author. Rather than trust exclusively in what the media filters out for us on a topic such as Near Death Experiences, Rawlings invites all to turn to the real source: God's Word. Although many might want to discern the reality of such experiences from reported incidents, we all would do well to understand our own reality in Biblical terms. Additionally, Rawlings has a fine section on other "out-of-body experiences.