Customer Reviews

Parting Notes: A Connection With the Afterlife

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This is an extraordinary book. The 100 short "letters from the dead" concerning the ease of their passing and their new consciousness are fascinating and emotionally moving. They convincingly reflect very different personalities, time periods and even to some extent handwriting styles. The common theme or purpose is to banish the common fear of death. The messages are profound, deep in meaning and beautifully written. The quality of these writings towers over the bulk of contemporary "channeled" literature.
My instinctive reaction was that these communications were the authentic statements of real, unique personages from beyond physical death. Emotionally convincing, this wonderful book would nevertheless seem to be mainly valuable to those who already believe in an afterlife to some extent, but need reassurance. Objectively and intellectually the material is not completely convincing because of the apparently deliberate lack of details that could be verified. Also, there is a subtle sort of "sameness" to the language , including the prevalence of short, choppy sentences even from 19th and early 20th century people where the typical contemporary printed language was wordy and long-winded.
Paradoxically, the writing in many of the messages seems too beautiful and eloquent in too similar a way to be produced by ordinary persons with average education from the many time periods in the last two centuries. On the other hand, especially eloquent souls could have been chosen for this project, and anyway souls could be expected to be more eloquent than human beings. Also, these minor troubling factors could simply be due to the influence of the medium's own personality on the transmission of psychically derived information.
A minimum objective assessment is that this COULD have been
produced by unconscious sub-personalities of the medium informed by the medium's own concept of afterlife and the reading of many previous mediumistic communications in the 20th century psychic literature. But is such a reductionist explanation believable? It boggles the mind that one brain could have at any level of consciousness such implied extreme brilliance,
creativity and cleverness.
Ultimately I have to fall back to my initial intuitive reaction that this is the real thing - fascinating, wonderful and profound. I highly recommend this unique book to true believers, wish-to-believers and even open-minded skeptics who feel their heart.

This is an excellent book, but I must say that at the end I was still left wanting...and quite sad!

The author pulls you in effortlessly, and I believe she does a good job of keeping the reader interested, but it seemed as though all of her "contacts" were of the lower levels of Heaven - and I think I just needed to hear some more positive statements from beyond. However, I do believe that it's important for us still here physically to realize that the afterlife may not be all a "bed of roses". That it very well may be whatever we make it - at least to some extent.

That's what makes this book different though - It isn't just about the wonder and beauty of the afterlife - It points out how and why some souls become "lost" (not really lost forever, just until they realize that they are creating that negative reality).

After reading this book, I found myself praying for those "lost" souls - the ones who were frightened and alone. I was also scared - scared that such a thing could happen at all, and questioning why... Why couldn't/wouldn't God or their guides or angels step in and help them? The author does discuss this through the letters, but I was still left questioning.

Overall, I think this is a good book for anyone interested in the subject of the afterlife. If read along with some of the other books on the subject that deal mostly with the wonder and beauty of it, I believe it will give the reader a more balanced understanding - from which each of us can draw our own beliefs and theories.

There are obviously many ways to die and this book has messages from those who have actually experienced many of them... and survived to tell about it.

SUICIDE: "Looking back I do not remember pulling the trigger... My last thought was the realization that you would blame yourself. But then of course it was too late.",

YOUNG CHILD: "Dear mother, I know of your sadness and devastation... I write so that you may understand.",

CANCER "I had cancer... They sent me home from the hospital to die.",

ACCIDENT: "The car was in total flames... Then I saw it. A body humped over the steering wheel... I pulled whoever it was back and then realized it was me."

OLD AGE: "I think I had a birthday a while back. Somewhere around ninety I believe.",

DISEASE "I learned of my illness in my 37th year. It had a very long name but it zeroed in on one thing. Death. My death.",

THOSE LIVING A SIMPLE LIFE: "I quit school at the age of 12... I could read + do numbers, what else was there?"

MURDER "I felt a kick in my back which reminded me of how my pa whooped me when I was twelve for lying. Vaguely I heard the word -dead- from somewhere."

CRIME VICTIMS "I deserved to die. I was a thief and they were the robbers. Pretty much the same thing if you think about it... I can remember the trigger man's eyes.",

COMA "I noticed others who seemed to appear from nowhere. My coma had finished."

These are just examples that I chose from the book. There are many other kinds of deaths reported on from falling off a wagon to freezing to death to drowning, lightning, blood clot, and many others.

This book is a very easy read and that belies how really spiritually advanced the communications and the mediumship that allowed them are. Not only do these people tell about their death experiences and how they found the afterlife to be, many of them tell about how to make THIS physical life much more productive and easy, again from their points of view having already crossed over and done a life review.

It is clear by these communications that WE ARE NOT ALONE, in fact that there are people and guides to greet us in the afterlife "I had hoped for a reunion, and was not disappointed.." and "My shock made me unable to speak for many moments. This person was angelic. I was dead, yet I still was"... and "The voices become figures. I suddenly realize who they are. They are my parents. I thought they were dead!" and "I looked around at familiar faces all smiling that I had allowed myself to arrive.." and the examples that we are not alone when we cross go on and on.

It is also clear by what many say that some form of multiple lifetimes is real. Reincarnation. It is also clear that THERE IS NOTHING TO FEAR "It's a wonder to me that I feel no difference. All that fear was for naught." and that that the power of thought is very important to understand once one crosses over. "My thoughts began to appear before my eyes..." and "Thinking makes stuff happen. Knowing it early on makes all the difference" are but a few examples and within the context of these messages it makes a lot of sense.

While this book will excite, comfort, and inspire many, it may not appeal to those with very rigid views about life, religion, or the afterlife. It conveys a great deal of knowledge about how things work as perceived from the Other Side. However, clearly this book will be of great comfort and inspiration to many who want to understand. And... it will certainly help all.... those who understand now... and those who are skeptics or even cynics... once you yourselves cross. You will remember the messages in this book and they will help you.

Again, highly recommended for everyone, those who are spiritually aware, and those who are skeptics looking for another example of life after death to consider. This is a very worthwhile read. Hopefully this author will publish some more books. I can't wait.

I really liked this book. I've read a lot of books on the afterlife but this one has something that goes beyond the sugar coated messages from other mediums. Heaven, like life, is what you make it. Life is for learning and you take those lessons with you. The letters pretty much explain (or not) what the other side is like (at least the lower heavens) and what the soul is seeking (the source of our being).
The fact that some letters were written like people in a hurry, with no time, taking care of their families etc, separates the young souls from the older ones. Most people cling to their earthly existance (even in death) and miss the whole point and thus have to keep coming back. Death is not to be feared but life should be lived to the fullest extent possible. The more we learn here, the closer we get to the source.

I have just finished reading Parting notes by April Crawford... WOW. The first part of the book opens with a little story about a girl who loses her grandmother, who she was very close to. She is given a gift that the grandmother wished for her to have. This part is fiction,Or is it because in reality this book is the gift given to us all. Many people ask the question, what is it like to die, is there really life after life. Well what better way to find out than from spirit themselves. I have worked with spirit for approx 17 years as a medium, I have read many books. But none that are really so simple yet shows you the complexity of life itself. Death is just a transition into another vibration. It is true I have had an outer body experience. I personally cannot recommend this book enough. Take your time and listen to what is being said within those pages, they are very precious lessons. For all you know one of those notes could be from one of your friends or relatives :-)

Finally, I have found a book that tells the truth about what it is like to die and it is so up lifting!

If you are interesting in spirituality and metaphysics. If you love the Seth books by Jane Roberts, you will want to read this book. I just ordered 5 copies to give my friends and family. This is not the usual new age fluff or religiously based "heaven" and "hell" kind of stuff. If you want the truth about what it is to contemplate dying and what happens after, if you are interested in the spiritual approach, this is a really great book!

Parting Notes is an OK book, but so many people just focus on their own lessons they learned, which makes for an interesting story, but I am always looking for more - how does this apply to me? Do I have to have die or have an NDE myself? I liked Tiffany Snow's book better, just one chapter about her great NDE, but alot about connection to the other side, and how anyone can open up, if they learn how. I'm not saying Parting Notes is a bad book, really, but I guess I was just expecting more. Some stories in Notes were really gray - no "life" in them. Just blaugh.

This book contains over 100 individual accounts FROM the other side via the extraordinary deep trance psychic mediumship of April Crawford.

This book goes well beyond the "tunnel of light" stories to what is really experienced, what has been experienced, at least by these individuals who chose to communicate and give their messages to the world. This book includes helpful insights into how to understand and maneuver in the Afterlife as well as many practical insights on how to get the most out of each physical life.

Simply one of the most true and complete books on the subject of what it is like to die and what it is like just after that I am aware of having ever been published.

This book will help anyone interested in "What is it like to die?" as well as anyone interested in mediumship and the nature of consciousness. Several things are clear. We all continue, we can meet our loved ones again, and again, and.... there is no need to fear physical death.

I will point out that in some circles I am well known as a Metaphysics discussion host and somewhat of an expert, in relative terms, about the subjects of deep trance mediumship, reincarnation, life after death, and the nature of consciousness.

This book is for those of you who are interested in the truth. Explorers. It may not appeal to those who are looking for the standard NDE version of the transition, which is often we die, we go through a tunnel of light, we meet our relatives, we enter heaven, and that's it. This is simply not the case. At least not usually. Non-physical life is more individual than physical life. Thought and belief systems are major contributors to the after physical life experience. If you are not open to this idea, perhaps you will enjoy other more basic books on the afterlife.

All that is in this book is true. Now, it is no secret particularly for those of you who have come here from one of my discussion groups... but I will mention it here anyway... that I wrote the introduction to this book. For anyone who desires more information, you may wish to search the Internet for websites about the author, April Crawford, or about the book "Parting Notes", where you will likely find more sample pages... including audio samples of actual trance mediumship sessions on April Crawford's site... and other information about this process.

By the way, my favorite review of this book is by Dave, who billed himself as a skeptic.

Best wishes,

Tr.

Myself and my daughter have personally been to this authors house for readings about 7 or 8 times. We know her and her husband very well. For anyone who has any doubts, let me assure you, she is a true medium. The book is for real. She has a gift that I could only wish to have. The positive effect that she has on people and their lives goes well beyond anything money can buy.

Briefly I found this book amazing and beautifull.The short notes from departed souls have such depth and honesty and feeling.I have been reading the book to suitable music and as I read it felt as if the words were alive in my brain; as if I was hearing them speak to me.At times I was caught up in strong and exsquisite emotions.In a subtle way it has changed my life.I'm telling everyone about it.