For many Buddhists, death isn’t seen as an end, but rather a continuation. We believe you go from life to life, so this can help Buddhists move away from a fear of death, and instead see it as just another part of their journey which they must take. One thing that stands out in his account is that the heaven he was shown falls in line with LDS believes, including the concept of every sealed family being given a planet. I learned of this book through an LDS author (Richard Paul Evans, who wrote a forward and who is helping to publicize the book), so that wasn’t surprising. Perhaps we each experience heaven in the way we expect it to be?

Muslims believe that life in Heaven will be very different. For example, in this life we sleep to rest and eat to survive, whereas in the afterlife Muslims believe these things will be done for pleasure only, not out of necessity. We’ll experience pleasures that can’t be compared to those in our current life. In Islam we have a prayer which says, ‘God please save me from a sudden death’. This isn’t asking to become ill be any means. Instead it allows us to recognise that by becoming ill and understanding that death is near, we have been given time to make peace with our loved ones and prepare for death. Usually, when the heart stops beating, someone performs CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). This will provide about 15% of the oxygen needed to perform normal brain function. “If you manage to restart the heart, which is what CPR attempts to do, you’ll gradually start to get the brain functioning again,” Dr. Parnia said. “The longer you’re doing CPR, those brain cell death pathways are still happening — they’re just happening at a slightly slower rate.” Should we go into the light At this time of our shifting consciousness questions are being asked about the cycle of reincarnation, what the Afterlife really is, and whether the Other Worlds are really just examples of Mind Control and Collective Programming. Some people are saying that when we die we should not go towards the Light, or into the Tunnel as this means that we risk reincarnating for the benefit of deceptive self-serving multi-dimensional beings. As an atheist I do not have 'beliefs'. A belief is by definition not a fact, it is an unproven wish. Living in certain ways because the religious want to gain favour with their god or want to avoid her/his displeasure is one an atheist eschews. Atheists naturally do not believe in any form of existence after death. Most people would not suggest that their pets continue to have existence after death and we see no evidence that humans are different. When I die it means that I cease to be.

The Search for Proof

Because, until you can find true authenticity in your life, you cannot progress and find true happiness.” Vincent Tolman was found dead in the bathroom of a small restaurant. He had been dead for over half an hour at the age of 25. When paramedics arrived, they put him in a body bag and took him away. A rookie paramedic had a feeling to risk his career, break all protocols, and try to resuscitate him. Miraculously, he restarted Vincent's heart, but Vincent was in a coma for three days. He remembers what happened on the "other side" while he was dead. This book was literally life changing for me. It not only explained why the world is the way it is right now; it gave me hope in what's to come." - Richard Paul Evans #1 New York Times bestselling author For most Buddhists, the belief about where you go when you die is not that you go somewhere else, but rather that you are reborn as something and someone completely different. The idea of rebirth has been around for a very long time, since pre-Buddhist times. It was taken on board by The Buddha, and the idea of a cycle of birth and rebirth became part of his teachings. Vincent remembers what he saw when he was dead for 30 minutes and talks about the 10 principles he learned from his afterlife. This book is not just a story of hope, but it also provides advice on how we can live our lives based on what this person learned during his experience.

True account of life after death and touching heaven that is guaranteed to change your perspective on the meaning and purpose of life.According to Dr. Parnia, during this period, “You lose all your brain stem reflexes — your gag reflex, your pupil reflex, all that is gone.” Brain waves from the cerebral cortex soon become undetectable. Even so, it can take hours for our thinking organ to fully shut down. Have you ever asked yourself, "What happens after we die?" Vincent was taken by Death. He was dead for a full 30 minutes. Did he see a bright light? What does heaven look like? What Does one feel when their heart stops beating? Are you embraced by the light? Buddhists believe that how you behave in this life gives conditions for your later lives. It’s important to remember though how Buddhists believe it’s not ‘you’ that is reborn. It’s something else, another entity, another essence, which is dependent on your behaviour.

Dr Desmond Biddulph was trained in the Rinzai School of Zen Buddhism and is the president of The Buddhist Society. That is just one of the many passages I highlighted in the book as I read. I felt uplifted by the wisdom that Todd shared in his book. His experience changed his perspective completely and offered a beautiful way of understanding life.