On Life after Death, revised

On Life After Death Elizabeth Kubler Ross, M.D. Author of On Death and Dying with a Forward by Caroline Myss "I consider her one of the heroines of our age." Caroline Myss The book is based on the author's study of over twenty thousand people who have had a near death experience. Ross, of course, did the pioneering work on the five stages of dying that has influenced the lives of countless people as they face the grieving process... Selected Quotes form the book (a series of lectures): "The opinion which other people have of you is their problem, not yours." In order to quiet the skeptics we did a scientific experiment with blind people. Those who had an out of body experience and came back... --can tell you in detail what the color of the jewelry you were wearing if you were present... the color and pattern of your sweater or your tie and so on... "...dying is only a transition to a different form of life." "God is unconditional love." All the hardships you face in life... If only you would realize that nothing comes to you in life as a negative. All the trials and tribulations... are gifts to you. ... It's like somebody has to temper the iron. It's an opportunity that you are given to grow. This is the sole purpose of your existence on planet earth. You will not grow if you sit in a beautiful flower garden and somebody brings you gorgeous food on a silver platter. But you will grow if you are sick, if you are in pain, if you experiences losses and if you do not put your head in the sand but take the pain and learn to accept it is not a curse or a punishment, but as a gift to you as a very very special specific purpose. "Death is simply a shedding of the physical body like the butterfly shedding the cocoon. It is a transition to a higher state of consciousness where you continue to perceive, to understand, to laugh and to grow." (the little girl) She told him it was such a beautiful experience when she died that she did not want to come back. ...she said what made it so special was that her brother was there with her, and held her with great tenderness, love and compassion. ... "The only problem is that I don't have a brother." ... Her father started to cry, and confessed that she did have a brother who had died three months before she was born. ... "Get in touch with your own inner self and learn not to be afraid." "You make your own hell or your own heaven by the way you have lived." ""All of us when we were born from the Source, from God, were endowed with a facet of divinity." "Also the moment after death occurred, their facial features showed an incredible sense of peace, equanimity, and serenity which I could not comprehend since it was often a death that occurred in a state of anger, bargaining or depression." "...people will also be aware that it is impossible to die alone." An American Indian woman struck by a hit and run driver... A stranger stopped to help. She asked if he could at some time he could tell her mother some 700 miles distant... that she was OK and that she was already with her dad. Some time passed and the stranger gave the dying message to the mother only to discover that the Dad had died of a heart attack one hour prior to the Indian woman's death. "In every audience of eight hundred people there are at least twelve authentic cases of people who have had such an experience..." "Should you shield the canyon from the windstorms... --you would never see the beauty of their carvings."

It confirmed what I have known in my heart since I was a child. I feel more connected to everything around me now and try to be more aware of the human condition. I feel a deeper LOVE for all of Gods creatures, the sky, the plants... everything. I drove by the same homeless man on the same corner where he has stood for several years. He is about 70 years old, carries a sign of "Hard Times" I had never seen him walk before, or at least I always avoided eye contact. This time I watched him for a moment as I was stuck at the red light. He walked with an obvious limp. I felt this overwhelming LOVE for him. I mean it literally flooded my whole body. I didn't want to give him money (because I don't know his situation, and I do not want to enable addictions) I started to head towards the Interstate when this voice literally said "you could feed him!" I went to McDonalds and got him a couple Quarter pounders and a lg water. I went back and parked where I would be able to say helw in private and give him the food. I got his attention and asked if I could offer him some warm food and water. He looked into my eyes.... and said, of course.. Thank You. He had very kind eyes. He did smell of alcohol, but hey, I don't know his life. And even more so, I don't have to walk in his shoes... My shoes have sand in them from the Beach I live on. So... God is opening my eyes to the needs of others, I have always thought of myself as a spiritual person, but I believe that I have a lot of work to do on myself. This book has opened my eyes to Gods vision of how we "can" be. It is one of the best books that I have ever read. I have re-read parts of it several times, and I just got it a week ago!!!

While many books can be easy-to-read and enjoyable, what stands out about this one is that though the author spoke about people coming back from the dead, it was all so believable. Now, for us born again Christians, there's a little extra here. This book obviates Christian salvation because Kubler-Ross states that everyone goes through the gate or tunnel or valley after death on their way to having their life reviewed and then onto heaven. Well, no hell and damnation? Apparently not. What about Hitler and all the Nazis that have passed? She implies that the purpose of this life is that everyone has to learn unconditional love. She really never mentions evil people, per se. Kubler-Ross once or twice seemed to imply that there's a purgatory but it was what I'd call a "hidden implication." That is, it went fast and you really had to read between the lines to get that, so I could even be wrong. But the gist of the book is about people who either had near death experiences or knew someone who did. I felt like the Holy Spirit didn't want me to read the book, as other born again Christians may because this book denies the need for Jesus to die for humanity. But, that said, once I got over my fears and objections, it was an encouraging and believable read. There's more but I'll leave the rest for you to get the book and read it for yourself.

This is a short book, only 85 pages long, of four essays and transcriptions of talks by Dr Kubler-Ross the author of the ground breaking book 'On Death and Dying'. Here she fearlessly aproaches the topic of life after death. For those who already believe that death is not the end of their life story this will be an affirmation of their belief. For those who do not believe it gives a credible account of Kubler-Ross' experiences, speaking as someone with a medical and scientific background who has worked in the field for many years.

The late Elisabeth Kübler-Ross was a psychiatrist, prolific author and expert on death and dying. As short as "on Life after Death" is, it captures a lifetime of experience in dealing with the question of what happens when a person dies. The book is a collection of lectures by the author on the many aspects of life's most inevitable event; what Kübler-Ross offers is a vision of what happens at death that is optimistic, based on many, many observations of not only the natural dying process but also of out-of-body experiences (OBE) and near-death experiences (NDE). She explains that "There is one thing everybody has to learn before he can return from where he came, and that is unconditional love. If you have learned and practiced this, you have mastered the greatest lesson of all." The author's sensitivity to and empathy with the subjects of her cases studies reveals that she has indeed mastered this lesson. Whether or not one accepts her verdict on the meaning of death and the afterlife, one can hardly deny the value of this book in giving hope to the dying and the bereaved. This is a lady who has spent quality time with the dying and given of herself to ease their pain and suffering; she also witnessed the Nazi concentration camps where she saw the depth to which humanity can sink. This is a short but moving read and an eye-opener to the transformational possibilities of life if death is not the final word. If she is correct, then the words of 1 Corinthians 15:55 make sense: O death where is thy sting?

The grieving process, since the death of my husband, has been very difficult for me. After almost a year. I began to question the existence of God. I lost my faith and was in complete despair. I new I couldn't and didn't want to go on if I was never to be with my husband and other departed family members. I couldn't face the idea that when we die, that's it! Little 'signs' began to put me on track. One was a TV documentary on the little town of Lily Dale, N.Y. I did some research about life after death and the grieving process. I got on Amazon.com and found this book. I like that it is fact based, was scientifically researched. It is beautifully written and easy to read. It encouraged me to do a lot of soul-searching. I have my faith back and believe I will be reunited with my husband again.. I'm still grieving but I'm not afraid any longer. I'm at peace knowing he is o.k. and that God has more for me to do here. I believe this book led me back to, and substantiated my core beliefs. For someone who does not believe in life after death, it's still a good read.

These are personal essays by Dr. Ross, not a scientific book, keep that in mind. They are very short, but insightful and inspiring about her work with death and dying, plus more. Purpose on Earth, life lessons, acting with compassion, and seeing the bigger picture are among the topics. Would highly recommend for anyone, essential reading for human beings.

I read Dr. Ross’s book “On Death and Dying” as a 3rd year medical student 50 years ago. It has helped me counseling my patients and family members. This book is lovely extension of her prior.

Dr Elisabeth Kubler Ross has spent her valuable life studying death and sharing the same with those alive.

高齢になり，必然的に死期が近づいてくるに従い，誰しも「自分が完全に”無”になるかも知れないことに，不安その他の種々の感情を抱くものであろう。この幾つもの博士号を取得した女性が，多くの人々の”旅立ち”の瞬間を看取った際に体験した（もしくは聞き取った）という”死後の楽園のような世界”のことを説明してくださると，ひょっとして死後の世界は本当にあるのではなかろうかなどと思ってしまう。

Uhm … not at all what I expected. I am a die hard fan of EKR and this book opened my eyes even wider … way better than expected. Highly highly recommend.

He leído este libro en tres idiomas y no me canso de leerlo, porque es un libro que reconforta el alma cuando has perdido a seres queridos. Elisabeth Kübler Ross fue una psiquiatra suiza que trabajó muchos años al lado de enfermos terminales en Estados Unidos. Recopiló las experiencias cercanas a la muerte de miles de personas y a raíz de este trabajo personal con los enfermos publicó varios libros llenos de significado sobre la vida y la muerte o vida después de la vida. Hay casos que te impresionan de verdad, sus palabras desbordan sinceridad y son como bálsamo para el alma que ha perdido un ser querido en este plano y tiene miedo a que la muerte sea real y definitiva. Este libro demuestra que no es así y que nuestros seres queridos están en un plano con mucha más luz y amor que éste y que jamás nos olvidan. Altamente recomendado para los que como yo habéis perdido recientemente a seres queridos.

I would recommend this book to everyone who can read but especially to anyone who is in the process of grieving a loved one. Everyone is different in the way they grieve but this book has personally helped me enormously. One very important message that shines through is that it is impossible to fully live in the present unless one looks at and forward to what is beyond our dying ....dying which is the only certainty we have in life. Also , for me this book is a beginning for further reading by other authors into near death experience and spiritual experience... It is easy to read ....deceptively so..I find I constantly go back to it and discover further depth as some sentences really sink in to my mind. .