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Memorial, xvii
Preface, xxi
A Terrible Accident and the NDE which followed, xxi
A Similar Near-Death Experience, xxiv
The Purposes of This Book, xxiv
The Process and Goal: Heading Toward Omega, xxv
Who This Book Is For, xxvi
Use of "Mormon" Terms, xxvii
Responsibility and Authorship, xxvii
Acknowledgements, xxix
Part I
Latter-day Saint Perspectives on Near-Death Experiences, 1
1. Joseph Smith's Experiences and Their Aftermath, 3
The Pertinence to NDEs, 3
The First Vision of Joseph Smith, 4
Visits of the Angel Moroni, 6
The Translating of the Book of Mormon, 8
The Witnesses of the Book of Mormon, 8
Baptism under the Direction of an Angelic Messenger, 10
A View of Jesus Christ in the Kirtland, Ohio Temple, 12
The Reaction of Professional Religionists to Joseph Smith's Testimony, 13
The Ubiquitous Nature of Spiritual Experiences, 14
Joseph Smith's Impact and Accomplishments, 14
The LDS Church Today, 15
2. Mormans and Near-Death Experiences--Preparing the Way, 17
by Duane S. Crowther, MA, MBA
About the Author, 17
How Life Everlasting Was Researched and Written, 18
An Agonizing Loss--The Death of Laura Hean Crowther, 20
A Changed Direction--Adding Near-Death Experiences, 20
New Versions and Translations, 22
How Was Life Everlasting Received by the Latter-day Saints?, 22
The Beginning of a World-wide Expansion of Knowledge, 24
Books on Near-Death Experiences, 24
Some Evidences of the March to Omega, 27
Insights on the Lord's Concept of Timing of "Revealed" Information, 28
LDS Scriptural References to the Timing of Information, 29
Do Mormons Experience More NDEsThan Others?, 31
Are All These Communications from the Spirit World "Doctrine?", 35
Different Criteria and Definitions for "Truth" and "Doctrine", 37
"Shared," or "Secret?", 38
The Logic of Information Divulgence, 41
Summary, 45
3. Mormon Contributions to NDE Research, 47
Duane Crowther, 47
Craig Lundahl and Harold Widdison, 48
Brent and Wendy Top, 50
Arvin Gibson, 52
Sarah Hinze, 57
Lee Nelson, 58
Richard Eyre, 58
Kevin Christensen, 58
Other LDS Professionals Involved in Near-Death Research, 59
Personal-NDE Researchers, 60
Bias among Mormon Researchers?, 61
Summary of Mormon Contributions to NDE Research, 63
4. Near-Death Experience Correlations with LDS Teachings on Death and God, 67
by David R. Larsen, MS
About the Author, 67
Context of Chapters 4 and 5, 68
Death--An Important Subject for Latter-day Saints, 68
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, 69
We Lived Before We Were Born: The Offspring of God, 72
LDS Belief Regarding Premortal Existence, 73
Do NDEs Verify LDS Beliefs Regarding God, Heaven, and Premortal Home?, 73
Seeing, Hearing, and Touching Jesus, 74
Encounters with Our Father in Heaven, 76
NDE Evidence for Premortal Existence, 78
And a Little Child Shall Teach Them, 79
Some Experiences Not in Sync with LDS Doctrine, 80
Where Do We Go After Death? The Postmortal Possibilities, 81
Life Review and Totall Recall: A Partial Judgment?, 82
An Unpleasant Life Review, 83
Hell and Satan, 84
An Extensive View of Hell, 85
Rescue from Hell: Positive-Negative Polarity, 87
Correlation between the Prophet Alma's and Howard Storm's NDE, 88
Unbaptized Infants and Children Go to Heaven, 91
The Ministering of Angels, 92
Summary--Death and God Correlations, 94
5. Near-Death-Experience Correlations with LDS Teachings and God's Plan, 95
by David R. Larsen, MS
Some Elements of the Plan, 96
Life is a School, 99
Increased Ability to Learn, 100
Contention and Anger Management, 102
Love and Forgiveness, 103
The LDS View of Man's Ultimate Potential, 104
Early Christian Belief, 105
NDE Hints of Man's Ultimate Potential, 105
Multiple Heavents: A Hierarchy of Places, 106
Salvation for the Dead, 107
Doctrines and Evidences, 109
Summary, 114
Part II
Research on NDEs, 117
6. Representative Near-Death Experiences, 119
What Is a Representative NDE?, 119
Experiences Designed to Benefit the Involved Individual, 119
Lucinda Hecker's Drowning NDE and Later Experiences: In-depth Invterview, 120
Bill Essex's Boot Camp NDE: His Account and Follow-up Interview, 127
Analysis of Lucinda's and Bills's Experiences and Accounts, 133
7. Follow-up Interviews, 137
Why Follow-ups?, 137
David Herard's Vietnam Battlefield NDE and Follow-up Interviews, 137
John Hernandez: A Firefighter's Group NDE and Follow-up Interviews, 144
John Stirling's Motorcycle-Accident NDE and Follow-up Interview, 148
Derald Evans' Exploding-Rifle NDE and Follow-up Interview, 157
Bill English's Life Changes from NDEs, 159
8. More Follow-up Interviews, 161
Elizabth Clark's Overdose NDE and Follow-up Interview, 161
Crystal Clark's Early Childhoof NDE and Interview, 170
John W. Clark's Construction Accident NDE and Interview, 171
Vern G. Swanson's Account of His Deceased Wife's Appearance, 174
The Objective of Repeat Interviews, 176
Future Research on the Meaning of NDEs, 179
9. An Overview of the History of NDE Research, 181
The International Association for Near-Death Studies (LANDS), 182
NDE--A Misnomer, 183
A Variety of Studies, 183
The Nature of Early Research, 185
Evolution of the Research Effort, 187
Expansion of Research Beyond the United States, 189
Research in Other Cultures, 190
An Israeli NDE, 191
Jewish Views of the Afterlife, 193
Native-American NDEs in North America, 194
Native-American NDEs in Central America, 194
Corroborative NDEs and Prospecitve Studies, 196
10. Significant Happenings in NDE Reseatch: People, Events, and Ideas, 199
What is Important?, 199
Raymond Moody, 199
LANDS, 200
The Journal of Near-Death Studies, 201
Human Consciousness Beyond Death, 202
Physicist-Scientists vs. Physician Scientists, 204
Personal Interviews, 204
Unique Personal Accounts, 206
Specialized Studies, 208
Corroborative NDEs, 214
Prospective Studies, 216
NDE vs. Non-NDE Study in a Hosptial Environment, 217
Comparison of Bonenfant's Findings with Data from Gibson, 218
The RERC Study, 219
David B. Haight's Experience, 221
Part III
The Impact of NDEs on LDS Professionals, 225
11. The Nature of God and Man, 227
by B. Grant Bishop, M.D.
About the Author, 227
The Impact of NDEs on the Author, 228
Nagging Questions, 228
Beverly Brodsky--An In-depth NDE, 229
A Different Realm of Time and Space, 229
Andy Petro's NDE, 230
A Paradox of Truth, 230
The Nature of Christ and God, 231
Universality of the Light, 232
The Characteristics of Light, 233
God's Light, 234
Duality of Light and Existence, 235
Interconnectedness of the Living Cosmos, 236
A Cosmic Dance, 237
The Paradox of Reality, 238
Intelligence and Creation, 239
No Joy without Opposition, 240
My Increasing Faith, 241
12. The Therapeutic Value of NDEs, 243
by Lynn D. Johnson, Ph.D.
About the Author, 243
A Personal Note, 244
What Is Psychotherapy?, 144
Finding Truth, 246
Interviewing Those Who Had NDEs, 247
Therapeutic Value, 249
Death and Meaning, 250
Understanding Suffering, 251
Using Permortal Choice Respectfully, 253
Respecting Freedom of Choice, 254
Another Psychologist's View, 256
Degredation and Redemption, 257
Requisite Disclosure, 261
13. The Need for Proper Research Methods and Techniques: An LDS Sociologist Views the NDE, 263
by Harold A. Widdison, Ph.D.
About the Author, 263
Background, 264
My Introduction to NDEs, 264
Cost-Benefit Studies, 265
Sociology--Areas of Study and Limitations, 266
Cultural Effects, 268
Science and Religion, 269
Enigmas of Science, 271
The Rush to Legitimacy, 273
Problems Associated with NDE Research, 273
Representativeness of the Data, 274
Examples of the Improper Use of Statistics, 275
The Interactive Effect, 279
From the Experience to Its Interpretation and Meaning, 280
Different Impacts of Being Transformed by the Near Death Experience, 282
The Impact or Misuse of NDE Information, 285
Interesting Findings, 285
NDEs and Research Efforts, 286
Fruitful Areas for Future Research, 286
Conclusion, 289
14. The Life-Changing Aspects of Teaching about NDEs, 291
by Sandra L. Cherry, M.S.
About the Author, 291
Course Development, 292
Course Texts, 294
Course Effects on Students, 295
Students Who Had NDEs, 296
Results of Surveys on Changes in Attitudes and Beliefs, 302
Chart: NDE Course Effects on Students, 304
Observations about the Surveys, 306
Part IV
Comparisons, Religious Effects, and the Future, 309
15. NDEs that Add Insights to Mormon Theology: A Comparison with Key Elements of LDS Theology, 311
The Light, 312
The Plan: Everything Has a Purpose, 313
Love, 315
Life's Review, 316
Families and Geneology, 319
Knowledge, 322
Premortal Life, 323
Reincarnation?, 325
Opposition: Pain and Joy, 326
Satan, Demons, and Hell, 327
Encounters with Deity, 330
A Being of Light, 332
Different Levels in the Spirit World, 334
A Beautiful City of Light, 335
Choise as Part of the Plan, 336
Spirits Seen in Different Forms, 337
Other Events and Examples, 341
16. The Religious Impact of Some NDEs: Individuals Who Became Mormons as a Result of NDEs, 343
Interesting Conversion Cases, 343
Jack Wait--A Friend from High School, 346
Elane Durham, 353
A Remarkable Healing, 353
Revelation and the Power of God: Why is the LDS Church?, 355
Which Is the Best Religion? The Religion that Brings You Closts to God, 358
17. How Close Is Omega?, 361
Mormons and NDEs, 361
Common Elements or Stages of the NDE, 361
Why the Many Parallels between NDEs, 363
What of Omega?, 363
Other Evidence in Support of the Omega Theory, 365
Mormon Contributions to the march to Omega, 370
This Book as a Tributary, 371
Other LDS Correlations with Near-Death Experiences, 372
Some Deviations, 374
So, What of the Future?, 375
Future Research, 376
Conclusions, 378
Omega Found?, 380
References, 383
Latter-day Saint Scriptures, 383
Other Latter-day Saint Writings, 384
Near-Death Literature, 385
Indexes
Index of Persons Cited, 393
Index of Elements of Near-Death Experiences and Research Cited, 402
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