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25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Editorial comments by co-author, January 31, 2001
Cosmic Cradle presents the initial findings of a 10-year interdisciplinary research project on the soul's passage from heavenly worlds into the mother's womb. This breakthrough book offers a new holistic paradigm to explain pre-conception, the most mysterious phase of human life which occurs prior to biological conception. It blends ancient and modern pre-conception experiences to create a new synthesis - a bridge between 165 cultures and sacred traditions around the world. Two hundred inspiring stories are told by modern parents, gifted children, Near-Death Experiencers, Christian saints, Eastern saints, Tibetan lamas, ancient Greek philosophers, as well as indigenous peoples (Native American, Australian Aborigine, African, etc.). Insights shared in Cosmic Cradle include: 1. Souls seeking families - parents (ancient and modern) report meeting their children before conception. As an example, some parents communicate with the souls of their unborn children prior to conception via a dream, waking vision, or an intuitive insight. 2. Cosmologies - describe where our souls dwell prior to entering our mother's womb. 3. Cosmic Contracts - prescribe a person's future plan for their lifetime on Earth. 4. Gifted individuals - memories of 58 persons who recall planning earthly life (natural memories, not based on hypnosis). For instance, some individuals recall being in a heavenly world and looking down and choosing parents at the moment of biological conception. 5. Veils - cause most people to forget pre-earthly life while they sojourn on Earth. Insights presented in 750 pages are supported by 1100 footnotes for the 532 bibliographic references in 35 chapters. An index helps find material easily. The 165 illustrations add flavor to the enjoyable reading.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An admirable combination of personal experiences with ancient traditions, September 24, 2005
A counterpart of the Near-Death Experience is the conscious memory of a spiritual pre-existence that may occur mainly among young children. Elizabeth and Neil Carman have produced a very extensive and richly illustrated overview of more than 700 pages of anything related to this topic. They give attention to the most diverse cultures and thinkers. Of course many authentic experiences surrounding a pre-existence are included as well.
The mere fact that a concept is almost universal obviously does not mean that it must be true. Almost any ethnic group used to believe that the sun revolved around the earth rather than the other way round. For this reason, the book continually combines personal experiences with ancient traditions. These often overlap, e.g. in stories among the Australian Aboriginees about spirits in the Dream World that try to get in touch with possible future parents. If a father does not dream about his children-to-be, his wife will not be able to get to pregnant.
During NDEs people may also get impressions of souls who want to be born and sometimes they are reminded of the task they accepted to make this possible. This matches so called announcing dreams in cases of children who - after birth - recall a past life. I particularly liked a survey of traditional theories that might explain why most of us do not have any conscious memories of a pre-existence (anymore).
Based on their study of the relevant literature, the Carmans conclude, just like e.g. Pim van Lommel, that human consciousness and memory may exist independently of brain activity.
An example of memories of another world concerns Katarina (pp. 522-526). As a child she recalled that she had come from a world of pure light where she used to enjoy the freedom of not having to endure the limitations of a physical body. In this world she decided to choose for a particular life and a specific family. Another example is that of two-year-old Alan (pp. 550-551). When his aunt Lida died, he asked his mother who had 'taken' her. His mother told him that it was someone his aunt had known. 'Alan's face lit up. "Oh I know what it's like! Grandpa Clark brought me when I came to you. He'll probably take me back when I die."' In this life, Alan had never met his Grandpa Clark, as the latter had died 10 years before his birth.
Books are never perfect, and of course this book is no exception. The authors sometimes refer to cases that don't possess a lot of evidential value. Also, they close the book with sometimes odd spiritual tips, especially where they recommend avoiding loud music, rap and rock and roll (p. 663). However, I certainly hope that the subject of a spiritual existence prior to earthly life will become a lot less exotic through the admirable efforts of Elizabeth and Neil Carman.
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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Cosmic Cradle Really Rocks, September 21, 2000
Cosmic Cradle is a stunning achievement, comprehensive in scope, and spiritually illuminating! In one stroke, the authors have succeeded in lifting out of obscurity a world literature--ignored during the recent era of scientific materialism--representing virtually all cultures and religions from ancient to contemporary times. An introductory overview brilliantly and concisely documents the historical depth and paradigm-shattering significance of communications between parents and babies before conception. The logical succession of chapters which follow artistically blend ancient and contemporary sources of authoritative personal reports and prove that the experiences of preconceptual communication is a universal human experience. This work of encyclopedic proportions is the rare fruit of thirty years of passionate and scholarly exploration of human consciousness, the neglected step-child of 20th century psychology. Elizabeth and Neil Carman have thrown open a golden door.
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