Customer Reviews

One Last Hug Before I Go : The Mystery and Meaning of Deathbed Visions

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If a spiritually-challenged friend or relative -- one who has difficulty believing in survival of consciousness at death -- indicates that he or she is ready to let a little light penetrate the ego, you might want to consider giving this book as a gift. It offers much food for thought.

Evidence of survival comes to us in different ways -- near-death experiences, mediumship, past-life regression, and astral travel being the most often cited in recent years. However, the Death Bed Vision (DBV) is one that is equally strong and not so fully explored in recent publications.

Sir William Barrett of England wrote the best-known book ("Death-Bed Visions")on this subject in 1926. But before him, astronomer Camille Flammarion's 1922 book offered a comprehensive report on DBVs. In 1977, Osis and Haraldsson researched the subject and reported on it. Now, Dr. Carla Wills-Brandon brings us up to date. She cites many of the best case studies of Barrett, Flammarion, and Osis, but add her own interesting, intriguing and informative research, including several personal experiences that are very convincing.

DBVs inlcude reports of the dying seeing deceased loved ones waiting for them as well as glimpses of the "other side," reports by bedside witnesses who have observed spirits in waiting, and other witnesses, including doctors and nurses, who have seen the spirit body leave the earthly shell.

The non-spiritually-challenged should also find this book very helpful and reinforcing. It will give them some indication as to what to expect or look for when friends or relatives prepare to cross over, and, of course, what they can look for when it is their time to graduate to the realms of higher vibration.

Having read several hundred metaphysical books, I'd have to put this in the Top 10. I intend to give copies to my two daughters, both registered nurses. For anyone who notes that all of my Amazon reviews are five-star, I should comment that I don't do a review unless I think the book rates five stars. This one rates more than five stars, but the rating system doesn't allow for more. If you don't read this one, it's your loss.

It has seemed to me for a number of years that there is a kind of secret society among those of us who have sat with people we love who are dying, who have died. It is a holy time, in the sense that it is a time set apart from the ordinary routines and tasks. This is not to imply that it is an easy or enjoyable period at all; indeed, one may feel suspended in or out of time. The clock ticks away, but noon no longer means lunch, necessarily, and the dawning day may mark the end of a long night shift at a bedside.

This book honors the experiences of those who have sat beside the bed and, most importantly, of those _in_ the bed. It reports the variety of visions, dreams, serendipities, and expected or unexpected occurrences that attend dying. It normalizes the events many of us are skittish about acknowledging, much less discussing. In doing so, it offers a significant amount of consolation both for the things we have seen and for the individual encounter with death that awaits each of us.

It is possible that some readers of particularly fundamentalist religious persuasions would take offense at some of the ideas examined here. To them I say only that with this book, as with anything in life, it's best to take what you find useful and to leave the rest behind. As a person of deep religious faith and convictions, I can truthfully say that I found nothing here that would cause me to contravene my religion's beliefs and practices. On the contrary, this book causes a deep gratitude to rise in me for the gift of faith and for the healing presence of love.

This book provides far more than just research. There are some very intriguing parallels to all the documented cases.

This book is written in a way that it maintains the interest of the existing "Believer" and captures the interest of the curious and perhaps skeptic. Every reader can relate to some witnessed event in this book. Perhaps not aware of what may have taking place at the time....now enlightened.

I found this refreshingly real and hard to put down Especially in comparison to other popular books about the afterlife that had a commercial edge and were almost trying to "sell" a belief.

Dr. Carla has an impressive fan club of people like myself that respect her for her Spiritual insight and general wisdom of well being. I actually reccommend all of her books. She's pretty multi-tasked!

This is the first book I read on the subject and I really liked it. Dr. Carla lists tens of Death Bed Visions which are indeed convincing and beautiful. They make you realize that death is not that horrible and frightening at all. The dying person sees deceased relatives, angels, and loved ones and actually wants to go to them. They see the wonderful light that awaits for them on the other side and they see that [over there] there is nothing to be afraid of. After you read this book you will understand how unfair it is that society does not accept the DBVs and the death subject in general. How our own religion rejects them, and wonder why, since they preach that death is not the end! Let alone the scientists (and stay away from most of them) who always find a...scientific answer for every question. But as beautifully stated in the book already, if those visions are only by-products of the dying brain, how come the dying person sees only deceased ones, and never loved ones who are still alive?

I only wish I had this book when my beloved grandmother died and was so much frightened of death. I would be able to explain her a few things I learned from this wonderful book, and provide her some comfort.

It is amazing. It proved that we don't die alone at all, but a beloved deceased person or persons are there, waiting to help us make it to the other side and we are happy to reunite with them!

This was an excellent book. Very easy to follow and very interesting. I wish she would write another. A must read regarding Death Bed Visions.

This book would probably be comforting to someone newly bereaved. But for anyone interested in new, original research and intelligent analysis of the phenomenon of death bed visions, the book will be disappointing. The author has an earnest interest in the subject and she exhorts society at large to be more open to paranormal events and sensitivities. She would make a much stronger case if she had bothered to do any extensive collecting of case studies. Instead she offers her own very minimal experiences and quotes the work of those who have already done the more rigorous research and analysis. You will like this book if you enjoy an anectodal, highly personal style; there is an abundance of fluffy filler with descriptions of such homey things as padding around in comfortable pajamas, tucking the kids in bed, and fetching her hubby hot cocoa. Of course, the author is likable and you may wish she lived next door, but if you want a treatment of death bed visions with new research, an element of scholarship and some healthy skepticism, you will be frustrated!

This is an excellent book that will touch your heart and reassure you your loved ones live on.

This book is one of the best books on the subject of after life experiences. From reading all the reviews that were not 5 star, it appears that the only reason they weren't had nothing to do with the content of the book itself. It seems people objected to the whole concepts of the book because of their religious beliefs, or the fact that the author cites others research and findings. I think that's what makes the book credible. The author is simply sharing her experiences as well as presenting the experiences of others. I have witnessed in the dieing all that this author wrote about. There is truth to what was written. A wonderful book especially if you have personally experienced what she speaks of.

Just suffered passing of my brother.I wished I had read this book before his passing for I would have had the chance to ask questions and have understanding in the final days of his life.A must read book for every family before it is needed.Now I am making sure my loved ones read and research book topic so they may have comfort and understanding when the time comes.Excellent book.

I absolutley loved this book. one of my favorites of all. Gave me hope of life after death, a must read for everyone.