TLC Book Tours: Glimpsing Heaven

Sypnopsis:

If you caught a glimpse of heaven, would you choose to come back to life? Investigative journalist Judy Bachrach has collected accounts of those who died and then returned to life with lucid, vivid memories of what occurred while they were dead, and the conclusions are astonishing. Clinical death—the moment when the heart stops beating and brain stem activity ceases—is not necessarily the end of consciousness, as a number of doctors are now beginning to concede. Hundreds of thousands of fascinating post-death experiences have been documented, and for many who have died and returned, life is forever changed. These days, an increasing number of scientific researchers are turning their studies to people who have experienced what the author calls death travels -- putting stock and credence in the sights, encounters, and exciting experiences reported by those who return from the dead. Through interviews with scores of these “death travelers,” and with physicians, nurses, and scientists unraveling the mysteries of the afterlife, Bachrach redefines the meaning of both life and death. Glimpsing Heaven reveals both the uncertainty and the surprising joys of life after death.

My Review:

I think it's only natural to be curious about the experiences of those who have briefly experienced death and have come back to life, and that curiosity is what led me to agree to review Glimpsing Heaven by Judy Bachrach. It ended up being a really quick read as I read it in less than a day.  It was interesting of hear first hand accounts of several people who had vivid memories of dying and then coming back to life.  Their experiences were all unique and different, but one theme that tied most of the experiences together was the sense of peace and calmness that they experienced.  I can't say that I give death and dying all that much thought, but I have lost loved ones so it's comforting to read about the experiences of the people interviewed by the book as, for the most part, they came back feeling less frightened of death.

I do think that the title of the book is a bit misleading as I think the use of the word "Heaven" implies that there is more of a spiritual or religious theme to the book.  However, I did not find that to be the case as the author interviewed individuals with religious affiliations as well as atheists. That's not a critique of the book but just an observation. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from TLC Book Tours. I was not compensated for this review, and the opinions are my own.