Customer Reviews

On The Other Side Of Life: Exploring The Phenomenon Of The Near-death Experience

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

 

 

Ms. Elsaesser-Valarino takes us through a thorough analysis of the Near Death Experience (NDE) from a number of different perspectives: Philosophy, religious, physics, biology, and psychology. This book is an excellent, in-depth look at the various possibilities of NDE's. I have never read such a complete analysis of this fascinating phenomenon. I recommend this book to anyone who has any interest in NDE's.

The reasons I did not rate this book with 5-stars are:

1 - The analysis would be even more complete had it included an analysis of someone who does not believe that NDE's necessarily imply a life-after-death. Everyone interviewed leans on the side of probability that NDE's imply life-after-death. An interview with someone like a Susan Blackmore would have been very interesting and added to the objectivity of the author's position.

2 - The interview/dialog format used in most of the book is interesting, but does not lend itself to explanation, especially when the discussion get very complex and bogged down in technical details of physics, biology, etc.. A more traditional approach might have enabled the author to more fully define complex terms and constructs in a more effective way.

3 - The two testimonies I believe could have been chosen better. The ones used are marginal and uninteresting.

Although only one side of the issue is discussed (in support of NDEs), this book is a must-read for anyone interested in logical approach to an analysis of NDEs. Valarino interviews scientists from different fields (biology, physics, etc.) and discusses the scientific evidence they have found in support of NDEs, as well as some of the recent theories that have been formulated concerning the nature of the soul (or consciousness) and life after death. The content of the book deserves five stars, although I will agree the format of the book could use just a little work.

This is an excellent book. It contains a review of the NDE phenomenon and then moves on to some quite advanced ideas. Most of it is written in dialogue form, although these dialogues take the form of question and answer sessions most of the time, rather than conversations as such.

The book starts with some introductory remarks and an analysis of the NDE, followed by two interviews with people who have had NDEs. Then there is an interview with Kenneth Ring, which is nearly 80 pages long and contains much interesting material.

The next five chapters (half the book, about 150 pages) set this book apart. They consist of discussions with a number of scientists, a theologian and a philosopher, and they contain a wide range of fascinating ideas. Some of these attempt to explain aspects of NDEs, whereas others show the role NDEs play in ideas developed by the interviewees in their own disciplines.

There are no concessions made to beginners in these discussions, and some people might find them hard to follow. As I've said, this is a more advanced book on NDEs than most.

All the interviewees appear to be French, and their ideas might be hard to find out about otherwise, because their books don't appear to have been translated into English.