Customer Reviews

Transformed By the Light: The Powerful Effect of Near-Death Experiences on People's Lives

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I've read many books on Near Death experiences over the years. In fact, I have over twenty of them on the bookcase beside me as I write this. Yet, I keep coming back to this one volume (I believe that this is the third time that I've reread it.) The reason for this is that it is the most "scientific" of the studies available to the general reading public. One would expect this of a book written by a practicing medical doctor. It is scientific, yet it is objective- this is no deconstructionist hatchet job. It is a true research study conducted with impressive thoroughness. The results are presented in the text in non-technical, non-statistical language, though the full paper with all the statistical results is included in the appendix.

First of all, this Transformations study takes the existence of NDE's as a proven fact. The author's previous research with the near death experiences of children left no doubt as to that (see his_Closer to the Light_.) This book deals with the lasting, measurable effects of the near death experience on people who experienced it in childhood (less of a chance of popular culture contamination.) A comprehensive battery of tests were applied to both NDE survivors and control groups (Ellsworth Profile of Adaptation of Life Survey, Greyson Value Survey, Greyson Near-Death Experience Validity Scale, Templer Death Anxiety Scale, Reker-Peacock life Attitude Profile, Greyson Negative Near Death Experience Survey, Neppe Subjective Paranormal Events Questionnaire, Neppe Temporal Lobe Sensitivity Inventory, Etc.) In addition, the participants complete medical and psychiatric histories were examined, as was a survey of their complete lifestyle and personal history. This was a very comprehensive in-depth study of a type not attempted before or since.

The results showed that the NDE survivors had significantly lower death anxiety and a higher zest for life. Verifiable psychic ability was four times higher than the general public. There were also indications that long-term conventional intelligence increased as a result- as well as creativity increase. The anecdotal sketches also demonstrate especially clearly that humanitarian and altruistic behavior was nearly always at a high level as a result of exposure to "the Light."

Why should we care about such research? Well, it tends to comfort those who hear about it, especially the sick and dieing, even though they have not had the experience themselves. It also tends to drive home our interconnectiveness as human beings and the need to treat each other with fairness, justice, and respect. It refutes the mechanistic concept that life is without purpose or reward. Oh yes, there is also the fact that it is the objective, verifiable, truth....

I loved this book. A Seattle pediatrician reports on the near-death experiences of children he has treated. As one child explained, she didn't know who the person in the light was; she thought it was Santa Claus. Dr. Morris writes from a non-religious standpoint by including explanations by Stephen Hawking. The scientific explanations indirectly confirmed my faith.

I was raised Catholic but by my teens had some serious doubts about the afterlife. As most of my friends agreed (they wanted tangible evidence) and the opposition disagreed (they didn't need tangible evidence), it was always a standstill type of argument.

After a few people died in my life though, I felt that the issue wasn't satisfying enough. So, I started to do some research not related to the Catholic Church, as the people I knew had convictions and didn't want to discuss WHAT IF questions.

What was great about this book were several things:

(1) He mentioned he did an NDE on children and retold over a hundred stories; I found it less likely children would be able to make stories up on the spot;

(2) No one has stepped forward to debunk the author so he must have at least got his evidence together correctly; and

(3) The NDEs were, again, over a hundred people, retelling their personal tales. They were from all over the USA with different backgrounds . .. and they had similiar experiences of seeing a light and feeling comforted and getting in touch with loved ones who had passed on.

So, this book has been the first step in helping me believe there is something after death, and I feel a lot better for it. For those who want something more heavy duty, you can also check out John Edward's CROSSING OVER, which airs every weekday in the mid afternoon. No one has really debunked that guy either so there has to be more to life than just death and oblivion.

I have read so many of these books and studied so much on this subject I should have an honorary degree by now if there was such a thing. :)
Seriously though, Dr Morse' books are the most well studied on the subject of near death experiences as he has does his dedicated research for many years bed side, both medically and psychologically. The authors books have given me insight to my inner soul. Reading and studying these books gives me the feeling of inner peace. Less fear of the unknown. Less fear of the inevitable aspect of the conclusion of life, death. As I am a believer in God, this gives me a heightened sense of peace in my soul that there is a "higher place" that the soul goes as the body is at it's final resting place.

I really loved this book. I have had the unique problem of having had an experience that can only be attributed as a near death experience and a huge miracle. I wanted to be reading about near death experiences but found most books appealing more to people's need for some kind of spiritual sense than to scientific explanation. While both ends are needed, most books tend to be a spiritual base instead of looking to science and logic. This book was a god-send as it looked at experiences objectively from a scientific light!!! I would highly recommend this book!!!!!!!!!!

The field of NDEs and metaphysics is drowning in a sea of lying charlatans, all looking for fortune and fame. Dr. Morse's scientific rigor and integrity is a real breath of fresh air. Yet the book is an easy read and exciting. I've never hi-lighted so much. Out of the 6 NDE books I've read so far, it's my favorite.

I just recently read this book and it shed light on what has happened to me in the past 15 years since my out of body experience.

I was transformed and went back to school; got my degree in therapeutic nutrition and have written & published four books. I have had a lot of help from beyond in writing these books,but Dr. Morse's book Transformed by the light has helped me cope with the changes in my life.

Thank you, Dr. Morse

I love this book too.Dr.Morse is a medical DR who knows that NDEs are real.

When you first start to read a number of near-death experience books you begin to see the striking similarities in most of the experiences. After a while you become more interested in the differences and in more detailed descriptions. This book has the former but lacks the latter. If you are interested in hearing about "more" than people leaving their bodies and seeing a light then you will be disappointed.

There are only a few descriptions of heaven. One person sees horses and another their pets. Some see a garden and are impressed by all the new flowers they are seeing. For the most part most are told they have to go back right after they see a bright light. To be honest, this book is really more about what happens after a near-death experience. This documents how people's lives are changed and how some people gain psychic abilities.

Transformed by the Light will be an exciting book for anyone new to near-death experiences who wants to know what it is like to die and go to "the other side." Melvin Morse reveals interesting details about how this affects people in positive ways. Some people end up being able to foretell the future through dreams and others become more intellectual.

This book focuses on positive near-death experiences (going to heaven) and how they affected the individuals in positive ways. This is interesting but it completely ignores the negative near-death experiences I've read in other books. For some people the tunnel and the light turns into a hellish experience, while all the experiences in this book are descriptions of a loving light and beautiful gardens.

For more information on near-death experiences (good and bad) I can recommend the following:

Life After Life: The Investigation of a Phenomenon--Survival of Bodily Death
Saved by the Light: The True Story of a Man Who Died Twice and the Profound Revelations He Received
To Hell and Back: Life After Death Startling New Evidence
23 Minutes in Hell

~The Rebecca Review

From TRANSFORMED BY THE LIGHT: "I was in a garden. All the colors were intense. The grass was a deep vibrant green, flowers were radiant reds, yellows, and blues, and birds of all beauty fluttered in the bushes. Everything was lit by a shadowless brilliance that was all-pervading. This light did not cast a shadow, which I realized when I cupped my hands tightly together and the palm side was just as light as the back side."

This is exactly what I hate about some of these near-death experiences. They're devoid of shadows. Devoid of chiaroscuro. (I can never remember how to correctly pronounce that word, but at least I can appreciate the stuff.)