Recommended: “Glimpsing Heaven”

By Thursday, December 4, 2014 9 0

People who are rich in what matters usually have a spiritual side. I do. It’s a sense, joyful or at least satisfying, of being connected to something greater than Glimpsing Heavenourselves.

Taken a step further, this connectedness doesn’t end with the death of our physical bodies. It’s lodged in our souls, our consciousness that doesn’t just survive after physical death. It thrives.

Opinion, or fact? The book “Glimpsing Heaven” by investigative journalist Judy Bachrach reports that this is the documented experience of tens of thousands of people who experience clinical death, and return.

Ms. Bachrach calls them “death travelers”.  Here is the typical travel report from the other side:

  • a sense of connection to everything and everyone
  • a shower of radiant light
  • being outside of chronological time
  • an experience of unconditional love
  • desire to stay there, rather than return to the physical world
  • for some, more meaningful lives after returning

Ms. Bachrach, a professor of journalism at John Cabot University in Rome, Italy,  entered her research a skeptic. She interviewed hospice nurses, doctors and medical researchers as well as people who’ve returned from clinical death.

She found that our growing database of death travel is largely due to medical technology leaping forward in the 80’s. “If the Titanic sank  today and we got there in time, we could bring most of those frozen people back to life,” states one doctor. It’s also due to our culture overcoming its fear of discussing death and spiritual experiences, and habit of dismissing those who do. Most death travelers stay quiet about their experiences.

I recommend “Glimpsing Heaven” to anyone interested in spirituality. I do suggest that it is misnamed if you have a traditional, Christian notion of heaven. No angels are reported by death travelers. No bearded Jesus, nor even God per se. Even the  death travelers who are staunch Christians don’t report these things.

Which I  think adds to their collective credibility. Even though I’m a lifelong churchgoer, I’ve always known that if I’d been born into a different culture, I’d have been given a non-Christian framework for my spirituality..

I say: if a framework is loving and life-giving, it’s a good one. It makes us richer in what matters.

Norman Maclean writes, “Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it.”  That unifying river is the experience described in “Glimpsing Heaven”.

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9 Comments
  • judy bachrach
    December 22, 2014

    I know, I know — no angels are in my book. But I am a journalist, not a theologian. And it seems to me that as a journalist, what I have learned — thanks to the doctors, scientists and Death Travelers I interviewed for GLIMPSING HEAVEN — is pretty heartening in itself.

    Consciousness endure even after death. That’s a pretty powerful discovery.

    • Alison
      December 23, 2014

      Ms. Bachrach, I agree. I’ve got your book out on loan to a friend, as I write. And I’m happy you came over to visit.

  • JohnnyK
    December 8, 2014

    As a Christian I too believe in life after this mortal life has ended and we move on to the next stage. I will definitely get a copy of this book and may I suggest a book to you that is about this same subject. It’s called “Heaven is for Real” you can get a copy here http://heavenisforreal.net. This is a true story and a miraculous story of something that happened to a 4 year old boy and his testimony of his experience. Anyway I don’t want to spoil it for you enjoy and God bless.

    • Alison
      December 9, 2014

      Johnny, thanks for telling us about this similar book. I keep noticing that many of us rarely talk about our spirituality, but once the ice gets broken on the topic, it turns out spirituality is very important to many of us. I hope to hear from you again!

      • JohnnyK
        December 9, 2014

        Oh I’m sure you will hear from me again and again. Eventually you will be like does he have to comment on everything at least I am pretty sure that is how our common friends at The Sprocket Podcast probably feel. Anyway when I see an interesting article I will throw my 2¢ in and try not to detract from the article. However I must say many of your articles require much more thought in a response than those of other blogs due to the subject matter. I do like this in a good read though.

        • Alison
          December 10, 2014

          Johnny, that’s valuable feedback for me, that it takes more thought and effort to comment on my blog than on other blogs. I do believe that thoughtfulness is one facet of the diamond-cut life that I am chasing. Glad to have you on the chase with me.

  • My Inner Chick
    December 7, 2014

    I Definitely believe in LIFE after Death.
    I am looking forward to reuniting w/ my sister, Kay!! xx

    • Alison
      December 9, 2014

      Kim, that will be one joyful reunion.
      By the way, your current post is your best. Post. Ever. In my humble opinion.

  • Heather J @ TLC Book Tours
    December 5, 2014

    I find stories like these absolutely fascinating - I love reading about what people have experienced and how it impacted them afterward.

    Thanks for being a part of the tour.