Drawing from their own histories and those of many others, authors Raymond Moody Jr. and Dianne Arcangel help each of us to understand our unique grieving process and show that it is possible through grief to recover and achieve our true potential. The authors illuminate how knowledge of humanity's "greatest mystery" can help to ease the pain, allowing those of us with faith in "life after life" to transcend our fear and grief as we become more spiritually enlightened in the process.
INSIDE YOU WILL LEARN:
How the grieving process can make you stronger
How to offer and receive sympathy
The difference between functional and dysfunctional grief
How to manage stress
When your suffering will end and how to rebuild your life
Filled with poignant stories of loss and growth, compassionate wisdom, and useful help, this life-changing book is a superb resource and the perfect companion to Moody's bestselling classic, Life After Life.
Author of the seminal 1975 Life After Life and renowned expert on near-death experiences, Moody teams up with grief counselor Arcangel to provide a comprehensive and compassionate manual for the bereaved. Personal stories illustrate the short- and long-term effects of the death of a loved one, an event considered life's most stressful. With a clear and empathetic understanding of grief, Moody and Arcangel move beyond Kobler-Ross's stages of mourning to explore the variations in individual experience as influenced by such specific factors as the bereaved's personality and the circumstances surrounding the death, as well as more general factors, like cultural pressure. Arguing that "Grief is not an emotion but a process with a host of emotions," and that "each person is the expert for his or her grief alone," the authors emphasize the fallacy of assigning set timetables and linear phases to grieving. Offering plenty of helpful advice how to cope with stress, how to get sympathy, etc. Moody and Arcangel gently guide mourners through the four tasks of healthy grief (and here their debt to Kobler-Ross is clear): accepting the reality of the loss, working through the emotional pain, adjusting to the changed environment and moving forward. Going beyond loss can lead to "a spiritual rebirth" through increased appreciation, humility, tolerance, passion, clarity, sensitivity, spirituality and love. (Dec.)Forecast: On September 11, the audience for this work grew by the thousands. As of this writing, an author tour to selected cities (though none on the East Coast) is planned for January.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
A perfect companion to Moody's best-selling Life After Life (HarperCollins, 2001), this poignant resource allows the reader to utilize the process of grief, loss, or bereavement in a positive manner and offers pointers on how to offer or receive sympathy. Here, Moody and coauthor Arcangel write from personal insight and experience, incorporating stories of others' dealing with grief or loss that make this seem like a work of caring. Moody's earlier investigation of near-death experiences lends depth to his observations and helps make the steps offered to diminish the pain of grief, mourning, and bereavement practical and hopeful. Arcangel, as former director of the K bler-Ross Center in Houston and a grief workshop facilitator, lends sensitivity to the treatment and discussion. A long section of supportive resources, including books, magazines, articles, newsletters, journals, associations, organizations, bereavement centers, crisis hotlines, support-group leads, and web sites is priceless in locating resources and encouraging follow-up. This powerful title is recommended for all public and academic libraries. [Look for a roundup of current books on bereavement in LJ's upcoming January issue. Ed.] Leroy Hommerding, Fort Myers Beach Lib. Dist., F. - Leroy Hommerding, Fort Myers Beach Lib. Dist., FL Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Raymond Moody, M.D., Ph.D. is the bestselling author of eleven books which have sold over 20 million copies. His seminal work, Life After Life, has completely changed the way we view death and dying and has sold over 13 million copies worldwide. His latest book is GLIMPSES OF ETERNITY: Sharing a Loved One's Passage from this Life to the Next. Dr. Moody is the leading authority on the "near-death experience"--a phrase he coined in the late seventies. He is best known for his ground-breaking work on the near-death experience and what happens when we die. The New York Times calls Dr. Moody "the father of the near-death experience." Dr. Moody has enlightened and entertained audiences all over the world for over three decades. He lectures on such topics as: Near Death Experiences, Death With Dignity, Life After Loss, Surviving Grief & Finding Hope, Reunions: Visionary Encounters With Departed Loved Ones, The Healing Power of Humor, The Loss of Children, The Logic of Nonsense, and Catastrophic Tragedies & Events causing collective grief response. In addition to his writing and lecturing, he is in the private practice of philosophical counseling and consulting on dying. Dr. Moody also trains hospice workers, clergy, psychologists, nurses, doctors, and other medical professionals on matters of grief recovery and dying. He helps people to identify systems of support and to cope with their anxiety, grief, and loss through better understanding of mourning and bereavement. Dr. Moody received his medical degree from the College of Georgia and his Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Virginia where he also received his M.A. and B.A. He is the recipient of many awards including the World Humanitarian Award and a bronze medal in the Human Relations category at the New York Film Festival for the movie version of Life After Life. Dr. Moody is a frequent media guest and has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show three times, as well as on hundreds of other local and nationally syndicated programs such as MSNBC: Grief Recovery, Today, ABC's Turning Point, and hundreds more.
Paul Perry Paul Perry is the co-author of four New York Times bestsellers, including Saved by the Light (which was made into a popular movie) and Evidence of the Afterlife. He has co-authored five books with Dr. Raymond Moody, including a memoir Paranormal, due to be published in February 2012. His books have been published in more than 30 languages around the world. Paul is also a documentary filmmaker whose work has appeared on worldwide television. His best known film, Jesus, the Lost Years was first the subject of a book he wrote for Random House, which follows the trail believed to be used by the Holy Family as they fled into Egypt to escape the murderous soldiers of King Herod. He has produced and directed several other films, including one on 18th Century piracy in Madagascar that aired on History Channel in 2011. His most recent work, Afterlife, explores mankind's most nagging question, What happens when we die? This and other questions about the Afterlife are scientifically explored through modern research into near-death experiences. Through interviews with noted researchers Raymond Moody, MD, PhD, and Jeffrey Long, MD, this documentary explores the evidence of the afterlife using insightful interviews with researchers, emotional case studies, and crisply done re-creations. "NDEs are spiritual events of staggering magnitude and complexity that have the power to change our attitudes toward death and life" says director Paul Perry. "There are reasons people are transformed when they return from a brush with death, one of which is the confidence they gain in knowing that a fresh new world awaits our last heartbeat. Another, especially for the physically ill, is the discovery that we leave our body behind and continue on as spirits free of earthy pain." Paul is a graduate of Arizona State University, Antioch University in Los Angeles, and a former fellow at the prestigious Gannett Center for Media Studies at Columbia University in New York City. He taught magazine writing at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon, and was Executive Editor at American Health magazine, a winner of the National Magazine Awards for General Excellence. Since becoming a full-time writer, Paul has written or co-written more than 20 books on a variety of topics, including biography, health, medical science, and history.
An excellent resource book for anyone who has gone through or is going through the grief process. Especially meaningful are the real stories from real people to illustrate the points the authors are making. A great book to to add to your library for future reference.
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I really appreciated that this book points out that
"Grief is not an emotion but a process with a host of emotions."
Some people think that after a certain period of time that a person should be over their grief. This is a realistic and helpful book.
I also recommend another book I found helpful and healing to use. The title is, Write From Your Heart, A Healing Grief Journal.
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