Customer Reviews

Into the Light: Real Life Stories about Angelic Visits, Visions of the Afterlife, and Other Pre-Death Experiences

5 star:		(64)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

Finally, a scientist and doctor that attempts to bridge the gap between science and spirituality. The 16 stories of individuals from all walks of life are extraordinary and uplifting. I spoke with Dr. John Lerma recently and was appalled when I found that a few of his colleaques and hospital executives attempted at coercing him to stop the book from being published. They felt that medicine had no place for scientific research that involved spirituality through the visions of the dying, as this would have terrible repercussions. I am so glad that Dr. Lerma went forth with exercising his freedom of speech so the people of the world would have an idea that there was something so incredible and loving that was occuring to literally thousands of humans on their death-beds. This book should be read by all as it will change the way you live, forgive and love.

Dr. Lerma's book is amazing!! I don't think there are many medical professionals who can objectively bring together the scientifc and spiritual components of death. I've read other books about this, but what I like here is that Dr. Lerma's research came from firsthand experience with his hospice patients. The commonality of experience across so many patients really made me wonder about the afterlife. I always dismissed this stuff as hallucination. Now, I am not so sure.

The stories told in this book makes you to think about
the better world to come and to open any doubts you may
have regarding angels and death - dying experience --
Bought books for several friends and they all were affected by it -- thanking me for such a gift -- the
book is a must buy book -- you won't regret it

Vincent -- Houston , Tx --

I nearly didn't buy it because of the bad reviews on Amazon UK, but once I looked at the many positive reviews on the main Amazon site, I bought it.

And I'm glad that I did. I really don't understand why the other reviewers reacted so badly...one reviewer believes in angels, but finds angel feathers inplausible, and somehow is upset because Vlad the Impaler and Hitler weren't seen in hell...and I can't see how the book is ludicrous or depressing at all!

And for some strange reason the second reviewer seems to think the book is all about glorifying Dr. Lerma, and I have no idea how they got that impression!

The book is simply a record of the observations and experiences of the terminal patients of a hospice doctor. These people who are going to die see things that others normally don't and share these experiences with doctors who won't turn around and say to them "You're barking mad...as in Woof Woof!" Why would any patient tell these very strange experiences to someone as rude as that.

Every story I read made me weep because of the positive effects these patient's experiences of 'heaven' and 'angels' had on themselves, their families and me, a reader of the book.

You won't like it if you think there is ONE religion or belief system that is the ONLY way to God...in fact, these different stories point to the broadness of the love of God.

The first story is about a nine-year old boy dying of cancer, and how his experiences brought his family back to a positive perspective for life and hope, by giving them a faith in Jesus.

The second is how a Jewish family's 4 year old son sees angels with the spirit of his two year old brother who has just died, which comforts the family and their synagogue.

The third is about how a Fundamentalist anti-gay Baptist pastor meets the angels and talks to God, and learns that he was wrong. Out of his meeting them, he realises that love is love, regardless of sexuality, and that he has not shown God as Love, but instead has only shown fear, judgment and condemnation. This one really touched my heart, as I used to be a conservative evangelical missionary until things happened in my life to make me realise the breadth of God's Love.

The fourth story is about a Buddhist couple and how an angel managed to communicate between them and their family, when the wife was unable to communicate.

The fifth story is about how two different patients seemed to find 'angel feathers', one of which was given to him, not because he was so good, but because the patient wanted to make sure that someone in the medical field had it as evidence. On p.81 it says,

'Katarina's mother continued, "Well I think this feather is shrinking. Do you think it's meant to disappear? Please, Dr. Lerma, keep it and let me know if it does. People will believe it if you tell them the story. You're a doctor, after all." I agreed, and with the feather still in the bag, I locked it in my desk drawer.'

Yes, I KNOW that angels having wings or feathers don't make logical sense...they don't NEED wings to fly if they are not physical beings anyway! But I also know people who have found 'angel feathers' too. I know it's illogical but that is the fact of their experience.

The sixth story is about an ex-Nazi who killed people in concentration camps. He was in a coma for 48 hours, during which it felt he spent a lifetime in a dark cave with Roman and Nazi soldiers who had done mass killings. (why only Romans and Nazis was probably because that is what as an individual he would relate to - he would know why he was there). Eventually he saw the people he killed in a different part of the place, where the light was shining, and he wanted to apologise to them. He was told that he was already forgiven, and just needed to forgive himself. But he couldn't forgive himself for what he had done, so they allowed him to relive all the pain and suffering from every one of his single victims. (This is commonly known as a Life Review in NDEs for those who don't know). And after the spirits of all his victims finished comforting him, he came out of his coma. No one put him in hell...he was there because of how he felt about what he did. But the end result is this:

'He was bathed in unconditional love; it permeated his entire being, and a message filled his cells with the understanding that God had allowed everything that has happened in order to teach humanity to stand up against evil. He was told that, because of free will, man was destined to experience darkness and goodness. God's plan for the independent soul was to learn to evolve away from hatred, fear, arrogance and pride, and move towards pure love.' - p.95

And this ex-Nazi is the one who said, 'Jesus, Buddha and Muhammad...are all there, but you don't call them by those names. They're just light beings, expressions of God's energy.'

That's 7 out of 16 chapters I've told you about, 95 pages out of 240 pages so that should be enough info for you to know if you want the book or not.

Why should we criticise Dr. Lerma if all he's doing is recording the experiences of his patients? He's not doing himself any favours by making up stories of angels! A Medical Doctor KNOWS that would be professional suicide! It's already professional suicide if you record these observations in honesty, because other doctors thinking you're mad won't get you rich quick!

Anyway, I think you should get the book. It's been a real blessing to me, since I'm going through difficult times myself...and it has filled me with hope and happiness...I can't disagree more with the reviewer who said it was depressing...A Fundamentalist becomes more loving, an ex-Nazi is forgiven, and people go to be with God regardless of their beliefs or lack of them. How is that depressing at all? It's not!

Even though I'm angry and I hate God for the stuff I'm going through, I know that in the end, I'll experience the same love that all these people have...even though I hate God as much as I do right now.

This is because of this quote from p.78

'It was at those times of despair that she felt abandoned by God. She kept asking, "How could God do this...I'm so angry at him!" One of the angels told her it was fine to act that way and to feel what she was feeling...'

So, yes, I'm also angry at God, and I have a lot of hate for God, but I know it's alright to feel like I do, because if God is really Love, then it'll be alright, and I'll be alright.

Thankfully, we are hearing about real experiences that assure us of the life beyond death. Dr. Lerma keeps it simple and tells the stories that are given to him. There is no religious bias. The conversations with ministers and priests add more information and interpretation to the stories.

Wow!!! I loved this book. I read it in 2 days. I laughed and cried . It was very helpful and touching. I had a sister that passed away in a Hospice center just last week. She was seeing and talking to Angels right up to her passing. The Doctor there recomened that I read this book, and I'm so glad that I read it. I highly recommend it to everyone.

In my case, I read this book because I am loosing a person very dear to me. I felt very comforted reading this book and then noticing the similarities between the stories in the book and the real life situation I am in. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has questions about the end of life experiences.

I can certainly see why this book has received such critical acclaim - it does communicate a very hopeful message about the existence of a heavenly repite beyond this life. However, for the most part, the author implies that you'd better have accepted Jesus Christ as your savior before your time comes. In other words, particularly in later sections of the text, Dr. Lerma's personal belief system appears to have "colored" his findings a particular shade of Catholicism, and thus loses the objective lens of scientific inquiry that this subject so desperately needs.

I found the book hard to put down once I started it. It was very interesting and inspiring toward faith in God.
There were a few things I did not understand, different from how I saw things.

Chock full of the answers to most questions being asked by us "Old People" having to do with the dying process. For you younger people now there's no excuse for not being ready to make that jump into the light a happy one even without the benefit of Hospice. It's all there for you to feed on to enjoy the ride whenever the time comes.
Gorge yourselves!, and try to make it a little easier for others that don't have the knowledge you've just acquired from this read. Share the knowledge!

In a nutshell:
Fear and ignorance = Black Hat
Love and Knowledge = White Hat