The near-death experience : a reader /

The 24 essays and book excerpts in this volume provide a comprehensive, interdisciplinary study of near-death experience (NDE), including cases and interpretations. Documentation of NDE goes back to the time of Plato and continues to stir public interest on talk shows as people connect by sharing their stories of "coming back from the edge of death." What has happened? Why is it not always a pleasant experience for all people? Why are there the same basic bird's-eye scenarios? Answers come from writers such as Raymond Moody and Betty Eadie, who focus on the spiritual nature of NDE. Carl Jung's psychology of the inner self, based on his NDE, is among the essays' highlights. Additional writings, such as the essay by Karl Jansen, focus on the role of chemicals the brain produces in times of crisis. Because the topic is popular, many libraries will already have the complete books by the authors included in this collection, recommending this for only the most comprehensive collections.‘L. Kriz, West Des Moines Lib., Ia. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.