Customer Reviews

Ordered to Return: My Life After Dying

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I've read both of Dr. George G. Ritchie's books. His first one Return From Tomorrow, co-authored with Elizabeth Sherrill, was powerful, enthralling, positive and full of hope. I was so inspired by chapter four, when he was visited by Christ, that I completed the book in one sitting. It was with the expectation of furthering this experience that I purchased his second book, Ordered to Return.

It soon became evident, this book was not written by Sherill. The first half of the book repeated parts of his first book, giving his life after death experience. This was followed by his interpretation of that experience as he lived the rest of his life. This was interesting, but possible to put down and return to. Through a sentence here and there, his disappointments with persons and religions, that in his opinion failed to lead followers toward a loving God, began to show.

His chapter on addictions, "The Healing of an Alcoholic," was very inspiring. It described how he encouraged one alcoholic, to find God and be delivered when she didn't want either. He credited this to divine intervention.

In section three, "Searching for the Truth that Can free us to Live," he revealed his belief in reincarnation. In several places Dr. Ritchie expresses his belief in the forgiveness of all sin through Jesus' Crucifixion, but of what value is reincarnation, or to whom, was not addressed. Chapters 13-15 were depressing with rambling, disconnected thoughts, expressing his rage with organized religions and the bible, for the destruction (judgement, guilt, shame, etc.) they had caused to the patients he had been treating. This may have been good therapy for him, but a poor read for us. Since his point had been made earlier, to expand further was to belabor this point. All the good work done in the previous chapters was undone here. The reader finds himself being drawn back to antiquity to review the sins of religion, thus negating the Father's promise in the old testament not to visit the sins of the fathers on the children.

The kind gentleness that the forgiving Jesus extended to him in his life-after-death experience was not carried over by him to the sins mentioned above. This upset me a good bit. What he wrote was true but lopsided, void of the good and healing done by these same groups and writings. The effect was that I wanted to remove them and not read the book again. He wrote that his publisher asked him to rewrite these chapters when they were first submitted. One can only imagine the anger expressed in them, if the rewrites were an improvement. When Elizabeth Sherrill did the writing in the first book, Return From Tomorrow, the thoughts expressed were clear and penetrating. I highly recommend it as well as the other books she has co-authored.

If you are weak in faith or confused about God, this book will probably leave you feeling it's useless looking to any religion or to the Bible to find God or truth, which I don't think was Dr. Ritchie's intention. Dr. Ritchie does state he is a member of a church and he quotes scripture, causing confusion in a cross-purpose of ideas.

This book presents Dr. Richie's experience and what he has learned from it after a lifetime of living what he saw at age 20. His insight into today's problems and the cure is as accurate and simply put as any I've ever read. I strongly recommend you read his first book ("Return from Tomorrow") which describes his initial experience in detail before reading this one as it will give you better background information and have a deeper meaning for you. This is the book that confirms what I have felt in my heart for years. If you are searching for simple truths and answers, this is the book for you. It's sensible, matter-of-fact, down-to-Earth, and not some off-the-wall description of an after-death experience that's difficult, if not impossible to believe!

Dr. Ritchie's books are some of the most believable and rational of all the books on near death experience that I've read. He passes away at age 20 while not having realized his dreams as a young man and as his spiritual self as Jesus tells him during the near death experience. "What have you done"? Jesus asks him and it becomes evident that earthly accomplishment isn't what's at stake but what has Ritchie done for others in Jesus' name and spirit. He is sent back to and given a number of years to to accomplish more spiritually motivated things.
The author goes on to relate the trials of his young life which include having to struggle to get into and complete medical school. It's such a profoundly human story and Dr. Ritchie candidly shares his imperfections and mistakes.
He then goes on to put what he learned from the death experience into his psychiatric medical practice: the acceptance of others, the desire to help and assist in healing, humilty and warmth. I liked this part the best.
What I found refreshing is that this story doesn't seem to be as "far-out" as some of the other ones I've read. It's practical and I came away feeling comforted and uplifted. It might not take a NDE to live such an inspired life but for the author, it was his best life experience. I bought the book while experiencing grief over a death of someone close and found comfort in it. I gave it to someone else who was also feeling the loss and she hasn't been able to put it down. Dr. Ritchie is a profoundly warm, humble and eloquent writer who can inspire a re-dedication of purpose defeating the seemingly destructive force of death.

As a relative of Dr. Ritchie, I have been very fortunate to hear him personally discuss his near death experience. Reading Dr. Ritchie's books ("Return From Tomorrow" and "Ordered to Return: My Life After Dying") are a wonderful substitute for those who are unable to hear him personally relate his experience. It is an interesting dedication note that hearing Dr. Ritchie's NDE, was the seed for Dr. Raymond Moody's book, "Life After Life". Dr. Ritchie's book includes his encounter with Christ, a review of his own life and its meaning, and a visit to various spiritual realms. This book helped me to understand that life is more than merely a physical existence; it is also a spiritual journey. Dr. Ritchie's experience made Christ real and personal. It helped me to change the focus of my life by better understanding the purpose of my life.

This is not a conventional book in many ways and yet the experience of Dr. Ritchie is ordinary to begin with and then what happens to him is truly amazing. Yes, some people who are conservative or traditional may balk at some of the doctor's experiences, however the Bible itself is full of amazing and other world experiences at times. Are we so jaded and so sure as a world now that we aren't worthy of those amazing and other world experiences that we cannot accept them, even if they can transform lives for only the better? I hope not and this book is a transforming experience if only the reader now matter what his or her background will open their heart and mind.

One day in 1995 I died, and had a NDE. Ever since then, I've been reading everything I can on the subject. According to most stories I've read, I had an unusual one, not going down a tunnel, but experiencing many interesting phenomena all the same. It seems to me that there are some NDE books and magazine articles that are just hype, and published just to give recognition. I have found, through my many years and multitudes of books on the subject, that there is an underlining truth and spirit that pervades the true experiences. So, I have compiled a list of my best reads for NDE books - ones that I consider genuine and adding validating light to the personal NDE experience. I have left out compilations, these are personal narratives. I hope you enjoy them too.
Embraced by the Light ------by Betty J. Eadie
Psychic Gifts ---------by Tiffany Snow
Saved by the Light --------by Dannion Brinkley
4 Days in Eternity ---------by Wayne F.A. Marentette
After the Light -------------by Kimberly Clark Sharp

The author was just finishing boot camp when he died of pneumonia in Texas.

He doesn't really know what is happening, but, just like in dreams, he doesn't question little things like flying from Texas to Virginia. Later in life, he actually drove by the café in Mississippi he remembered from his NDE. I'll never look at a Pabst Blue Ribbon beer sign the same after this book.

George goes through the panoramic life review, and describes being taken through 5 realms, the 5th being celestial heaven.

As with everyone else who had an NDE, he came back with great spiritual insights. One of his best is, if you want to find out who your God is in this life, look back at your check stubs for the past 3 years and find out what or who you spent the most money on.

Everone who has an NDE brings back something a little bit different from everyone else, so every one of these books, no matter when it was written, is definitely worth reading.

I agree with some reviewers that his first book was better, but this also book relates Dr. Richie's experience and the content fits with other books on NDEs (and I've read many). One thing we have to keep in mind is that when you have ready a lot of NDE accounts you begin to understand that there can be wide variations in what they report. This is likely the human condition, where two or more people can witness the same thing and relate it differently, or there are just that many realities in the afterlife. As humans we can also get places and dates a little wrong. Anyway, we'll know for sure when we get there. For a clear and simple retelling of what happened, I also recommend you read his first book ("Return from Tomorrow").

Although this author's story is fascinating, I feel his conclusions may lead some people astray....or cause them great fear, especially if they have lost a loved one to alcoholism or other addictions. The thought that some people's spirits are in limbo, still craving whatever they were addicted to even after they die, is not Biblical. Some of the Lord's children are addicted, but I believe they are freed after they return to Him, just as are the ones who might have been in great suffering from cancer or other things before their death. At the beginning of the book, I really liked it but by the end, I had a very "yukky" feeling about this book and even threw it away, did not want it in my house.

Although I may disagree with a few of his concepts, overall it corresponds to all I have learned over the years about the continuation of the soul. He backs up key elements with Biblical passages. He shows how our state of the world today is in many ways far from our soul purpose. He includes footnotes for further research. He includes many of these concepts in his practice as a doctor. A few sections were somewhat boring to me, but there were so many thought provoking concepts that I marked, that I am rating it 4 stars as a beneficial read for spiritual growth.