
Are you afraid of death? I guess the answer for most people would be – yes! And for some, an emphatic, yes. In the short treatise, Near-Death Experience: Out of the Darkness Into the Light, author Bernard J Fleury examines the evidence that has been compiled regarding near-death experiences and adds some of his own, to assess whether we should be concerned about death or not. His extensive research has led him to believe that there is a commonality between near-death experiences that relates to a number of stages of near-death. The most common of these, especially among children who have experienced near-death (almost 100%) is that of children, who are untainted by societal norms and religious connotations, is that of the experience of light. That aside there are also many other fascinating research studies, some independent of knowledge of other studies, which find a remarkable commonality between the experiences e.g. light, a tunnel, the speeding up of travel through the tunnel and a light being that radiates warmth, love and peace.
Although relatively short, I did find Bernard J Fleury’s work, Near Death Experience: Out of the Darkness Into the Light, a fascinating read. For me, the author’s ability to grasp the commonality between the differing studies, many of which were large and significant and tie them together into a work which suggests that, no, there is no intrinsic need to fear death, to be satisfying and relieving at the same time. His conclusion, that we are spiritual beings, merely existing in a mechanical machine (our bodies) was very much in line with my own thinking on the subject and I was rewarded to have many of my own perceptions of this area validated by the author’s work. This is a quick read and one that is highly rewarding. If there’s one thing we all think about, as we get older (as I now am) it is – “is this it? Will there be nothingness after life?” What is rewarding from the author’s work is the idea that although we do not know what after death will hold, we can be certain it is not nothingness and in fact is a continuation, of some sort, of our spiritual being. I enjoyed this read and as part of a series, I would hope there would be more anecdotal evidence in other books in the series. I can recommend this read, highly.
