Such	a	humaneapproach	appeals	to	me	because	it	shows	so	clearly	and	in	detail	how	the
devil	can	be	considered	our	own	creation. A	similar	approach	can	be	taken	to	Christ,	who	is	boldly	explained	in
mythic	terms	by	Timothy	Freke	and	Peter	Gandy,	
Jesus	and	the	Lost
Goddess:	The	Secret	Teachings	of	the	Original	Christians
	(Harmony	Books,
2001
),	which	puts	Jesus	in	the	context	of	the	ancient	world	and	its	belief	in
the	Goddess. Here	the	attempt	is	to	fill	in	how	early	Christians	used	Jesus	for
the	archetypal	purpose	of	fulfilling	the	myth	of	God-as-man	that	exists	in
every	ancient	culture. Chapter	6:	Ghosts
Akasha	is	the	subtlest	of	the	five	Mahabhutas,	the	five	elements	from	which
creation	is	constructed	(the	others	being	earth,	air,	fire,	and	water). Readers
who	want	to	study	the	system	of	Mahabhutas	might	begin	online	at
http://ignca.nic.in/ps_04012.htm
. For	traditional	Indian	beliefs	in	Akasha	and
how	they	affected	Western	spirituality,	see	the	online	discussion	at
http://www.saragrahi.org/
. There	are,	of	course,	many	popular	books	on	ghosts	and	communicating
with	the	dead. Mary	Roach’s	
Spook
	gives	a	readable	survey	of	these	topics,
told	from	a	skeptical	and	amused	point	of	view	that	will	either	immediately
appeal	or	irritate. Popular	books	by	psychics	that	have	reached	millions	of
readers	include	James	Van	Praagh,	
Talking	to	Heaven:	A	Medium’s	Message
of	Life	After	Death
	(Signet,	1999)	and	Allison	DuBois,	
Don’t	Kiss	Them
Good-Bye
	(Fireside,	2005). The	phenomenon	of	psychic	communication	has	been	researched	at	the
university	level	by	psychiatrist	Gary	Schwartz,	whose	experiments	have
engaged	me	personally. The	same	research	brought	Allison	DuBois	to	light
and	resulted	in	a	television	series	on	NBC,	as	recounted	in	Gary	E.	Schwartz
and	William	L.	Simon,	
The	Truth	About	Medium
	(Hampton	Roads	Publishing,
2005). Schwartz	gives	a	thorough	account	of	his	academic	research,	the
leading	findings	in	the	field,	in	
The	Afterlife	Experiments:	Breakthrough
Scientific	Evidence	of	Life	After	Death
	(Atria,	2003),	for	which	I	wrote	the
introduction. Chapter	7:	The	Invisible	Thread
Readers	who	are	interested	in	the	historical	perspective	of	the	afterlife	may
want	a	survey	like	Harold	Coward,	editor,	
Life	After	Death	in	World	Religions
(Orbis,	1997),	which	collects	essays	on	each	faith	by	various	experts. I	came
up	with	my	own	synthesis,	relying	heavily	on	a	classic	work,	Huston	Smith,The	World’s	Religions:	Our	Great	Wisdom	Traditions
	(HarperSanFrancisco,
1991),	which	is	still	a	model	of	fairness	and	ecumenical	tolerance,	not	to
mention	graceful	writing	and	valuable	insights. If	there	is	one	book	that	every
person	interested	in	religion	should	begin	with,	this	is	it. T
EXT	NOTE:
p.	105
	“There	is	no	salvation	for	those	outside	the	Church	…”	is	quoted	from	a
press	interview	with	Mel	Gibson,	cited	online	at
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4224452/
. Chapter	8:	Seeing	the	Soul
The	subject	of	spiritual	materialism	is	incredibly	important	because	so	many
people,	especially	in	the	West,	are	driven	by	ego	needs	even	when	it	comes	to
spirituality. We	turn	spiritual	to	gain	things	from	the	world	that	we	otherwise
couldn’t	through	work	and	struggle,	and	thus	we	transform	work	and	struggle
into	spiritual	processes. The	book	that	started	me	thinking	along	these	lines
was	Chogyam	Trungpa,	
Cutting	Through	Spiritual	Materialism
	(Shambhala,
2002),	which	is	told	from	a	Buddhist	perspective	but	with	a	Western	audience
in	mind. Chapter	9:	Two	Magical	Words
It	goes	without	saying	that	eternity	is	indescribable,	but	the	Vedic	rishis	were
comfortable	living	in	unbounded	awareness. Therefore	their	descriptions	are
the	most	reliable	that	we	possess	in	the	world’s	wisdom	traditions. It	helps	to
have	someone	who	continues	to	have	similar	experiences. I	would	point	to
Nisargadatta	Maharaj,	a	humble	Indian	farmer	who	became	a	renowned	guru
in	Bombay	after	enlightenment. His	book,	
I	Am	That
	(Acorn	Press,	1990),	is
one	of	the	purest	spiritual	testimonies	we	have	in	modern	times. Not	only	is	it
completely	unspoiled	by	any	trace	of	the	guru	game,	which	has	been	played
in	India	for	centuries,	but	Sri	Nisargadatta	seems	to	be	witness	to	a	very
expanded	state	of	awareness,	fully	comparable	to	the	ancient	rishis. This	is
another	of	the	few	books	I’ve	kept	by	my	side	for	years. T
EXT	NOTES:
pp. 122–26
	My	account	of	Mellen-Thomas	Benedict’s	journey	into	the
afterlife	comes	from	online:	
http://www.near-
death.com/experiences/reincarnation04.html
. pp. 135–36
	The	story	of	Dawn	J.,	the	woman	who	healed	with	miraculous	oil,
is	told	in	Cheri	Lomonte,	
The	Healing	Touch	of	Mary
	(DivineImpressions,	2005),	which	contains	dozens	of	similar	firsthand	accounts. Chapter	10:	Surviving	the	Storm
Readers	who	are	interested	in	theories	of	consciousness	face	a	bewildering
number	of	choices,	and	in	the	context	of	science	almost	all	those	choices	are
materialistic. That	is,	they	assume	that	mind	arises	from	matter. Since	I
disagree	with	the	assumption,	I	am	halfhearted	about	recommending	even	a
good	survey	like	Susan	Blackmore,	
Consciousness
:	
An	Introduction
	(Oxford
University	Press,	2004),	which	does	a	thorough	job	covering	the	many
philosophical	questions	raised	by	current	theories. The	most	praised	authors
in	the	field	seem	to	be	skeptics	who	believe	that	mind	is	actually	an	illusion
created	by	neural	activity	and	outmoded	thinking	about	the	brain. See	Daniel
Dennett,	
Consciousness	Explained
	(Back	Bay	Books,	1992),	which	argues
aggressively	for	the	proposition	that	consciousness	is	a	materialistic
phenomenon	and	nothing	more. Therefore,	human	consciousness	could	(and
one	day	will)	be	duplicated	by	a	computer. For	a	more	pluralistic,	open-minded	discussion,	see	Susan	Blackmore,
editor,	
Conversations	on	Consciousness:	What	the	Best	Minds	Think	About
the	Brain,	Free	Will,	and	What	It	Means	to	Be	Human
	(Oxford	University
Press,	2006),	in	which	twenty-one	thinkers	talk	in	conversational	interviews
about	the	whole	problem	of	relating	mind	and	brain. Finally,	for	a	perspective
that	is	more	neurological,	I	read	the	fascinating	speculations	of	Humberto	R.
Maturana	and	Francisco	J.	Varela,	
The	Tree	of	Knowledge:	The	Biological
Roots	of	Human	Understanding
	(Shambhala,	1998),	which	attempts	an	all-
inclusive	theory	that	follows	the	evolution	of	mind	from	a	basis	in	organic
chemicals. It	is	up	to	each	reader	to	decide	if	Vedanta,	whose	own	all-
inclusive	theory	begins	with	consciousness	instead	of	chemicals,	stands	up	to
modern	skepticism	as	I	have	claimed. The	discussion	of	the	five	Koshas	is	my	own	synthesis	of	traditional	Vedic
ideas. Those	ideas	are	easy	to	explore	online	at	Web	sites	such	as
http://swamij.com/koshas.htm
. Chapter	11:	Guides	and	Messengers
The	literature	on	angels	is	vast,	but	I	found	that	what	I	wanted	to	say	did	not
involve	the	many	historical	surveys	describing	how	angels	appear	in	various
world	religions. However,	there	are	many	fascinating	accounts	from	people
who	have	learned	to	cooperate	with	the	devas,	
creative
	agents	that	are	the
Indian	parallel	of	angels. These	are	all	New	Age	books	that	center	on
Findhorn,	a	famous	Scottish	community	that	claimed	to	use	devas	to	growcrops	on	barren	soil,	among	other	remarkable	things. See	Dorothy	MacLean,
To	Hear	the	Angels	Sing:	An	Odyssey	of	Co-Creation	with	the	Devic	Kingdom
(Lindisfarne	Books,	1994)	and	Machaelle	Small	Wright,	
Behaving	As	if	the
God	in	All	Life	Mattered
	(Perelandra,	1997)	for	two	sympathetic	stories	of
women	who	suddenly	found	that	they	could	talk	to	devas	and	use	them	to
manifest	desires. Both	are	at	polar	opposites	to	skepticism	and	materialism. Chapter	12:	The	Dream	Continues
The	literature	on	reincarnation	is	quite	unwieldy	since	it	spans	every	religion
and	spiritual	movement. The	main	source	of	popular	belief	in	reincarnation	is
probably	Theosophy,	a	movement	that	grew	out	of	nineteenth-century
spiritualism	but	also	incorporated	a	broad	range	of	ideas	from	India. See
James	S.	Perkins,	
Experiencing	Reincarnation
	(Theosophical	Publishing
House,	1977),	for	a	readable	introduction. For	me	personally,	it	was
fascinating	to	discover	how	many	spiritual	notions	I	absorbed	as	a	child	at
home	have	been	adopted	by	the	Theosophists,	and	the	New	Age	in	general. For	the	scientific	proof	of	reincarnation,	I	am	indebted	to	an	excellent
survey	article,	“Death,	Rebirth,	and	Everything	in	Between:	A	Scientific	and
Philosophical	Exploration,”	by	Carter	Phipps,	in	the	journal	
What	Is
Enlightenment? (Issue	32,	March-May	2006,	pp. 60–90). The	Web	address	is
http://www.wie.org/
,	where	subscribers	can	read	the	entire	article. This	led	me	to	the	important	research	by	the	University	of	Virginia
psychiatrist	Ian	Stevenson	on	children	who	claim	to	remember	past	lives. His
Web	site	is	
http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/internet/personalitystudies/
. On	the	same	topic	an	invaluable	book	is	Carol	Bowman,	
Children’s	Past
Lives:	How	Past	Life	Memories	Affect	Your	Child
	(Bantam,	1998),	
in
	which	a
mother	finds	that	her	children’s	irrational	fears	of	loud	noises	and	house	fires
is	cured	by	past-life	regression,	leading	her	to	explore	the	field	in	depth. A
Web	site	devoted	to	regressing	children	to	their	past	lives	is
http://www.childpastlives.org/
. T
EXT	NOTES:
pp. 173–74
	I	first	became	aware	of	the	boy	who	remembered	dying	in	a	World
War	II	air	battle	from	an	ABC	News	report:
http://www.reversespins.com/proofofreincarnation.html
. pp. 174–76
	et	passim	The	anecdotes	of	children	who	remember	their	past
lives,	mostly	derived	from	Ian	Stevenson’s	database,	are	recounted	in
Phipps,	pp. 63–70	(see	above). p.	175
	The	quotes	from	children	reported	by	their	parents	is	from	Ian
Stevenson’s	 Web	 site,http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/internet/personalitystudies/
. p.	176
	The	source	of	out-of-body	research	at	the	Monroe	Institute	can	be
browsed	at	
http://www.monroeinstitute.org/
. Another	good	article,	linking
out-of-body	experiences	and	NDEs,	can	be	found	online	at
http://www.paradigm-sys.com/cttart/sci-docs/ctt97-ssooo.html
. Chapter	13:	Is	Akasha	Real? I	had	already	started	writing	about	Akasha	before	discovering	Ervin	Laszlo’s
Science	and	the	Akashic	Field:	An	Integral	Theory	of	Everything
	(Inner
Traditions,	2004),	the	most	wide-ranging	argument	for	incorporating
consciousness	and	science. Since	my	topic	was	the	afterlife,	I	wasn’t	able	to
include	the	dozen	or	more	mysteries,	ranging	from	advanced	quantum	theory,
cosmology,	biology,	and	neuroscience,	that	according	to	Laszlo	will	never	be
solved	until	consciousness	is	taken	into	account. Readers	who	want	to
investigate	these	prevailing	enigmas	should	start	here. Laszlo	discusses	the	Zero	Point	Field,	but	there	is	a	complete	and	very
readable	book	devoted	to	it—see	Lynne	McTaggart,	
The	Field:	The	Quest	for
the	Secret	Force	of	the	Universe
	(Harper	Perennial,	2002),	which	describes
many	experiments	and	gives	detailed	anecdotes	of	various	discoveries,	in
contrast	to	Laszlo’s	method,	which	is	to	outline	and	survey	prevailing	theories
with	a	minimum	of	narrative. T
EXT	NOTES:
pp. 202–204
	Helmut	Schmidt’s	experiments,	followed	by	the	Jahn	team	at
Princeton,	are	recounted	in	McTaggart,	
The	Field
,	pp.101–16. p.	204
	“On	the	most	profound	level	…”	quoted	from	McTaggart,	
The	Field
,	p.
122.
p.	209
	An	easily	accessible	presentation	of	the	paradox	known	as
Schrödinger’s	cat	can	be	found	online—see
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/0,,sid9_gci341236,00.html
Chapter	14:	Thinking	Outside	the	Brain
Current	speculations	about	“extended	mind”—the	possibility	of	intelligence
outside	the	brain—cover	a	wide	range	of	science. A	good	overview	is
provided	in	Part	2	of	McTaggart’s	
The	Field
,	pp. 99–179,	told	largely	from
the	perspective	of	field	theory	in	physics. For	firsthand	research	and	in-depth
thinking,	the	best	source	is	Rupert	Sheldrake,	who	made	a	first	impression
with	his	impressive	book	on	evolution,	
The	Presence	of	the	Past:	MorphicResonance	and	the	Habits	of	Nature
	(Park	Street	Press,	1995),	in	which	he
brilliantly	speculates	on	how	life	could	have	evolved,	and	continues	to	evolve,
through	its	own	self-interacting	intelligence. Undaunted	by	the	outrage	his	nonmaterialistic	theory	causes	among
Darwinians,	Sheldrake	has	challenged	them	to	replicate	his	own	experiments. His	research	into	the	telepathic	parrot	and	other	
psychic
	pets	is	contained	in
The	Sense	of	Being	Stared	At:	And	Other	Unexplained	Powers	of	the	Human
Mind
	(Three	Rivers	Press,	2004)	and	
Seven	Experiments	That	Could	Change
the	World:	A	Do-It-Yourself	Guide	to	Revolutionary	Science
	(Park	Street
Press,	2002). His	entire	output	has	been	immensely	influential	on	me,	and	I
cannot	imagine	an	open-minded	person	who	would	not	be	deeply	intrigued. I	have	only	sketched	in	the	burgeoning	field	of	information	theory,	which
is	fascinating	but	not	yet	expanded	to	cover	a	topic	as	specific	as	the	afterlife. My	introduction	to	the	subject	came	from	Hans	Christian	von	Baeyer,
Information:	The	New	Language	of	Science
	(Weidenfeld	and	Nicolson,	2003),
which	is	readable	and	free	of	higher	mathematics. Savant	syndrome	has	become	a	widely	publicized	phenomenon. My	first
acquaintance	with	it	came	from	Oliver	Sacks,	
The	Man	Who	Mistook	His	Wife
for	a	Hat:	And	Other	Clinical	Tales
	(Touchstone,	1998),	which	gives	a
neurologist’s	firsthand	account	of	meeting	autistic	children	with	extraordinary
abilities. Sacks’s	interest	in	“other	brained”	people	ventures	into	no	spiritual
speculations. Joseph	Chilton	Pearce	does,	in	
Evolution’s	End:	Claiming	the
Full	Potential	of	Our	Intelligence
	(HarperCollins,	1992). His	lengthy	first
chapter	on	savant	syndrome	links	it	to	a	nonmaterial	field	of	intelligence	that
we	all	tap	into. A	nice	online	article	on	savant	syndrome	and	its	link	to	genius,
“The	Key	to	Genius,”	can	be	found	at
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.12/genius_pr.html
. I	became	intrigued	by	memes	from	online	reading. The	Internet	is	rife
with	discussions	of	these	“mental	genes.”	For	the	definition	of	memes,	see
http://www.intelegen.com/meme/meme.htm
. For	examples	of	memes,	see
http://memetics.chielens.net/examples.html
. The	evolutionist	Richard
Dawkins,	who	invented	the	term,	discusses	it	in	
The	Selfish	Gene
	(Oxford
University	Press,	1990). My	fascination	with	memetic	theory	falls	short	of
agreeing	with	it,	however. T
EXT	NOTES:
pp. 216–18
	A	full	account	of	N’kisi,	the	telepathic	parrot,	is	in	Sheldrake,	
The
Sense	of	Being	Stared	At
,	pp. 24–27;	the	statistical	analysis	of	the
research	results	is	on	pp. 300–305. p.	220
	Amit	Goswami’s	statement	“The	universe	is	always	putting	new	wine
into	old	bottles	…”	is	quoted	from	a	personal	conversation.pp. 225–26
	The	remarkable	story	of	a	musical	savant	named	Rex	can	be	found
online	 at
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/10/20/60minutes/main957718.shtml
p.	226
	The	story	of	the	“automobile	savant”	is	told	in	Pearce,	
The	Biology
of	Transcendence
,	p.	82	(see	above). p.	226
	The	story	of	the	child	prodigy	who	is	enrolled	at	Juilliard	was	told	on
CBS	News	and	can	be	found	online	at
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/11/24/60minutes/main657713.shtml
Chapter	Fifteen:	The	Mechanics	of	Creation
The	topic	of	emergence—the	appearance	of	a	new	phenomenon	in	Nature—is
discussed	lucidly	for	the	general	reader	online	at	Wikipedia	(see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergence
). I	have	also	benefited	enormously
from	the	physicist	Amit	Goswami,	who	has	written	extensively	on	creative
leaps	made	in	nature—see	
The	Self-Aware	Universe
	(Tarcher,	1995). One	of
the	boldest	attempts	to	combine	the	physical	and	spirituality	can	be	found	in
Ervin	Laszlo,	
Science	and	the	Reenchantment	of	the	Cosmos:	The	Rise	of	the
Integral	Vision	of	Reality
	(Inner	Traditions,	2006). Both	authors	are	scientists
who	refuse	to	accept	the	schism	between	the	scientific	and	spiritual	views	of
the	world. Remote	viewing,	the	preferred	term	now	for	what	used	to	be	lumped
under	the	rubric	of	clairvoyance,	is	emerging	from	the	fringes. Readers	can
browse	a	dedicated	Web	site,	
http://www.farsight.org/
	
that
	contains	copious
information	on	the	subject. There	is	also	a	recent,	extensively	researched
book,	
Remote	Viewing:	The	Science	and	Theory	of	Nonphysical	Perception
(Farsight	Press,	2005). A	veteran	of	the	military’s	secret	remote	viewing
program,	Project	Stargate,	has	written	about	his	experiences	and	outlines	how
anyone	can	learn	the	skill	with	enough	self-discipline	and	dedication—see
Joseph	McMoneagle,	
Remote	Viewing	Secrets:	A	Handbook
	(Hampton	Roads,
2000). T
EXT	NOTES:
pp. 242–43
	The	story	of	the	psychic	who	could	see	inside	the	SQUID	comes
from	McTaggart,	
The	Field
,	pp. 142–46. p.	243
	The	experiment	in	remote	viewing	that	I	participated	in	was	run	by
Marilyn	Schlitz,	director	of	research	for	the	Institute	of	Noetic	Sciences. See	their	home	page	at	
http://www.noetic.org/
. This	site	leads	to	a	wealth
of	material	on	every	aspect	of	science,	spirituality,	and	the	paranormal. To
my	knowledge,	this	is	the	most	extensive	and	wide-ranging	institute	of	its
kind,	and	I	have	been	inspired	by	their	work	for	twenty	years.p. 244
	“Then	at	thirteen	minutes	…”	quoted	from	an	online	interview	with
Cleve	Backster	in	which	he	also	discusses	his	astonishing	research	on
telepathy	in	plants—
http://www.derrickjensen.org/backster.html
. p.	248
	All	the	Tagore	poems	are	from	Deepak	Chopra,	
On	the	Shores	of
Eternity:	Poems	from	Tagore	on	Immortality	and	Beyond
	(Harmony,
1999).INDEX
The	page	references	in	this	index	correspond	to	the	printed	edition	from
which	this	ebook	was	created. To	find	a	specific	word	or	phrase	from	the
index,	please	use	the	search	feature	of	your	ebook	reader. Aboriginal	peoples,	96,	226
Acceptance,	114,	115
Addiction,	13
Adversaries,	99
African	gray	parrot,	216–18,	268
Afterlife:
and	bad	deeds,	74
belief	in,	194
choice	in,	173
Christian	view,	26,	61
and	consciousness,	42,	58,	194
control	of,	182
creation	of	own,	42,	47,	53–54
creative	possibilities	in,	83,	91
dawning	of,	40–42
desire	to	join	loved	ones	in,	10
and	disconnection,	185
expanded	awareness	of,	97–103
Indian	view,	2,	97
and	Judaism,	61
meaningful,	32
nature	of,	26
positions	on,	51–53
powers	needed	for,	113–17
punishment	in,	72
questions	about,	100
and	religion,	41
responsibility	for,	75
self-exploration	as	preparation	for,	102
Tibetan	Buddhist,	38
as	transformation	chamber,	177
Western	view,	2
See	also
	HeavenAging,	223
Agnostics,	51–53
Air	element,	3
Akasha:
and	awareness,	102
and	choice,	88,	103–4
dreams,	84
explanation	of	universe,	205–13
as	field	of	consciousness,	87–89,	106,	167,	203,	211
interpretation	by	various	cultures,	94-95
memory,	220
questions	about	afterlife,	100
reality	of,	195,	197–213
as	source	of	creativity,	95
and	states	of	consciousness,	128,	129–30,	135
Allies,	99
Anandamaya	Kosha,	148–49,	153
Ancestor	worship,	96
Angels,	157–68,	265
Animals,	4,	7,	200
Animal	telepathy,	215–18,	268
Annamaya	Kosha,	147–48,	152
Appreciation,	74
Archetypes,	142,	160,	220
Astral	bodies,	5,	7–8,	15
Astral	planes,	4–11,	13,	14,	16,	176
Astrology,	240
Atman,	30–31,	97,	104,	108
Atoms,	181,	198,	207,	219–21,	238–39,	241
Atwater,	F.	Holmes,	176
Autonomic	nervous	system,	230
Awakening,	39–40,	96,	97
Awareness,	10,	12,	15,	117,	238
change	of,	135
expanded,	97–103
gradations	of,	183
hereafter	as	state	of,	2
of	levels	of	existence,	29
in	pure	consciousness,	141,	151
self-awareness,	76,	114,	115,	188,	195,	201,	202
silence	of,	153
unbounded,	125,	263Backster,	Cleve,	244
Bardo,	38,	39,	41,	183,	257
Beauregard,	Mario,	222
Beauty,	144
Beliefs,	227–28,	232,	233–36
Believers,	51,	52,	75,	113,	194
Benedict,	Mellen-Thomas,	122–26
Big	Bang,	27,	125,	162,	172,	199,	206,	212,	239
Binding	effect,	179–81,	230
Biology	of	Transcendence,	The
	(Pearce),	225
Birth,	24,	239
Bliss,	65,	127,	144,	148–49,	150,	153,	164,	186
Bodhisattva,	15
Body. See
	Physical	body
Book	of	Revelations,	144
Bowman,	Carol,	175,	266
Brahman,	5
Brain:
beyond	boundaries,	224–27
cells,	222,	224
and	consciousness,	226,	241
death,	37,	43,	62,	215
drugs’	effect	on,	42
electromagnetic	field,	241–42
and	enlightenment,	232
filtering	of	information,	226
as	inert	object,	237–38
inner	clock	of,	27
karma	on,	179–82,	184
neural	impulses	in,	132
neuronal	activity,	172,	180,	184,	221,	222,	241–42
of	savants,	225
thinking	outside	of,	195,	215–36,	268
tumor,	122,	126,	143,	225
See	also
	Mind
Buddha,	13,	65
Buddhism,	38,	39,	102,	152,	183,	231
Bush,	George	W.,	62
Castaneda,	Carlos,	132
Catholicism,	71,	104,	105,	136,	259
Cats,	215–16Causal	planes,	14
Cells,	24,	48,	147–48,	222,	224
Cerebral	palsy,	223
Change,	115,	141,	172,	179,	181
Chaos,	199
Chhandas,	162
Children,	76,	174–76,	225,	226,	257,	266
China,	96
Choice,	99,	103–6,	173,	183–84,	186,	188
Chokyi,	Lingza,	38–39,	258
Christ. See
	Jesus
Christianity,	25,	26,	31,	47,	61,	71,	72,	75,	88,	105,	171,	172,	259
Church	attendance,	49,	259
Clairvoyance,	242,	270
Clear	Light,	38,	41,	121
Collective	consciousness,	142,	143
Columbia
	space	shuttle,	49
Communication,	164
Complementarity,	208,	244
Compulsion,	13
Consciousness:
action	in,	152
Akasha	as	field	of,	87–89,	106,	167,	211,	229
and	angels,	161–62
boundaries	of,	26
and	brain,	226,	241
after	brain	death,	37,	43
in	causal	planes,	14
and	creation	of	afterlife,	42,	58
creation	within	itself,	87,	137
of	delogs,	41
devata	effect,	164
energy	field,	242,	244
evolution	of,	76
field	of,	247
and	Five	Koshas,	144–51
and	formation	of	other	worlds,	29
at	home	in,	151–53
in	India,	4,	5
and	knowledge,	30
low	ebb	of,	75
and	meditation,	7minimal,	62
in	near-death	experience,	124–25,	126
of	physical	objects,	126,	127–28
powers	of,	114
pure,	126,	127,	129,	135,	136,	141,	144,	149,	151
reality	created	from,	195
rishis	on,	195,	199,	202,	229
Satan	as	creation	of,	75
of	subtle	objects,	126–37,	141–45,	165
survival	after	death,	237–38
theory,	204,	264
as	universal	principle,	199
Contraction,	103
Control,	115,	182
Cornell,	Eric,	42
Creation,	122,	125,	129,	149,	161,	163–64,	237–49
Creative	leap,	58,	83,	238–41,	270
Creativity,	12,	95,	179,	187,	219
Crossing	over,	37–43,	49,	84,	87,	97,	175
Culture,	41,	42,	75,	76,	96
Dalai	Lama,	171
Dark	matter,	163
David	(biblical	figure),	60–61
Dawkins,	Richard,	228
Death:
Christian	view,	25
closeness	of,	28
communication	with	dead,	110–13,	261
difference	from	life,	109–17
fear	of,	31,	143,	255
as	fulfillment	of	purpose	on	earth,	26
Indian	parable	of,	1,	21–23,	35–36,	45–47,	55–57,	69–70,	81–83,	93–94,
107–9,	119–21,	139–41,	155–57,	169–70,	251–54
materialistic	view	of,	30
miracle	of,	24–33,	37
mystery	of,	24–25
sudden,	8,	9,	109–10
survival	of	consciousness	after,	237–38
See	also
	Afterlife;	Dying;	Near-death	experiences
Delhi	(India),	3
Delogs,	38–39,	41,	122Dementia,	223
Departed	spirits,	110–13,	143,	220,	261
Depression,	224
Desire,	8,	11,	88–89,	114,	115,	142,	160
Destination,	99
Deva,	156,	164,	265
Devaloka,	161
Devata,	162,	164
Devata	effect,	163–68
Devil. See
	Satan
Directedness,	10
Disconnection,	185
Discrimination,	114,	115
Dissolution,	96
Distinctions,	114
DNA,	24,	49,	172,	178,	200,	201,	220,	238,	239,	245
Dogs,	215,	216
Don	Juan,	132
Doubt,	58,	115,	131,	255
Dreams,	6,	84,	128,	131,	132,	142,	143,	144,	157
Dream	time,	97
Drolma,	Dawa,	37–38,	39,	41,	257
Drowning,	8
Drugs,	42
Duke	University,	247
Dying,	7,	256
and	arrival	at	eternity,	121
conscious,	183
cure	for,	35–43
departure	of	soul,	4,	25
and	mind	field,	232
over	weeks	and	months,	9
personal	nature	of,	29
qualities	one	can	bring	to,	32
and	reality,	98,	121,	210
seeing	life	flash	before	one’s	eyes,	8–9,	184–85
See	also
	Death;	Near-death	experiences
Earth,	212
Earthbound	souls,	73
Earth	element,	3
Ecosystem,	146,	152,	200–201Ecstasy,	65,	124,	149
Ego,	102,	144,	148,	149,	150,	153,	164,	233,	262
Einstein,	Albert,	143,	197
Electromagnetic	field,	241–42
Electron,	163,	181,	201,	205,	209,	223,	244
Elijah	(Elias),	104
Eliot,	T.S.,	66
Emergent	properties,	238–39,	270
Emerson,	Ralph	Waldo,	104
Emotions,	176,	221
Energy,	198–200,	205–6,	212,	213,	219,	233–36,	238,	242
Enjoyment,	10
Enlightenment,	231,	232
Epiphanies,	142
Essence,	49,	66,	68,	108,	141,	229
Eternal	bliss	consciousness,	245–46
Eternity,	6,	9,	15,	26–29,	64,	96,	106,	121–37,	210,	263
Ether,	197–98,	205
Euthanasia,	62
Evil,	71–72,	76,	77,	124
Evolution,	11,	14,	15,	76,	77,	115,	235,	238
Expanded	awareness,	97–103
Expansion,	103
Expectations,	42,	43,	47,	71,	98
Experience,	234
Extended	mind,	195,	268
Faith,	16,	49–52,	62,	63
Faith	healing,	135–36
Familiarity,	120
Fantasy,	160
Fear,	31,	115,	143,	255
Feedback	loop,	123
Field,	The
	(McTaggart),	204,	267
Fire	element,	3
Five	elements,	3,	7,	261
Five	Koshas,	144–51,	161,	164
Five	senses,	7,	46,	83,	127,	210
Flesh,	172–73
Forgiveness,	76,	233
Freedom,	13,	71,	72,	87,	88,	115,	122,	147,	186–89
Frequencies,	2–3,	5,	6,	15Fulfillment,	99
Fundamentalism,	49,	62–63,	105
Gandhi,	Mahatma,	105,	152,	171
Gap,	200,	244–45,	247
Garden	of	Eden,	96
Genetics,	172,	200,	245
Genius,	226,	269
Ghosts,	7,	73,	81–91,	113,	261
Gibson,	Mel,	105
Gnostics,	104,	260
Goals,	99
God,	47,	60–61,	68,	71,	77,	88,	95–96,	126,	162,	193–94,	220,	260
Godhead,	96
Good,	71–72,	77
Gospel	of	Thomas,	63
Goswami,	Amit,	219–20,	270
Gratitude,	74
Gravity,	199,	206
Greece	(ancient),	96
Grief,	110,	143
Gross	senses,	7
Ground	state,	246
Guilt,	75
Habit,	97,	113
Hamlet,	130–31
Happiness,	64–65,	120
Healing,	135–36,	165,	168
Healing	Touch	of	Mary,	The
	(Lomonte),	135
Heaven,	62,	68,	70,	83
belief	in,	194
Christian	view	of,	71,	105,	259
Christ’s	conception	of,	60–61,	64
as	destination	for	soul,	95
and	erosion	of	traditional	faith,	49
as	expectation,	43,	47–48
in	Hinduism,	106
images	of,	57–60
in	near-death	experience,	90
and	religious	beliefs,	52
and	Vedanta,	58,	130Hell,	47–48,	52,	59–60,	69–73,	75,	79,	106,	144,	194,	260–61
Hereafter. See
	Afterlife
Heroism,	160
Hinduism,	29,	105
Huxley,	Aldous,	29
“I	am,”	120–21,	129,	150,	185,	188,	237
I	Am	That
	(Nisargadatta	Maharaj),	263
Idealism,	160,	193
Ideas,	220,	221,	224
Identity,	148,	177,	186,	195,	220,	233,	235
Idiot	savant,	225–26
Ignorance,	46
Illusion,	108,	109,	121,	132
Images,	122,	123
Imagination,	128,	142,	157
Immortality,	29,	46
Impermanence,	120
Impressions,	231
India:
ambivalence	about	karma,	14
belief	in	reincarnation	in,	174,	184
bodhisattvas,	15
contradictory	spiritual	teachings,	12
parable	of	death,	1,	21–23,	35–36,	45–47,	55–57,	69–70,	81–83,	93–94,
107–9,	119–21,	139–41,	155–57,	169–70,	251–54
region	of	Devaloka,	161
seeing	life	flash	before	one’s	eyes	in,	9
Vedic	perspective,	16
view	of	afterlife	in,	2,	97
view	of	consciousness	in,	4,	5
view	of	eternity	in,	29
Infinity,	6,	16,	125
Information,	219–20,	226,	228,	233,	238,	239
Insects,	177–78
Insight,	12
Inspiration,	128,	142
Intellect,	144,	148,	215,	227
Intention,	114,	115
Inter-life	phase,	40
Internet,	255–56
Intuition,	128Islam,	96,	105,	229
Jahn,	Robert,	203–4
Japan,	96,	171
Jesus,	60–61,	63–65,	73,	84,	167,	260,	261
John	the	Baptist,	104
Joy,	149,	150,	164
Judaism,	61,	105
Jyotishis,	240
Karma:
binding	effect	of,	230
on	brain,	179–82,	184
and	reincarnation,	178–79,	183–86
and	soul,	9,	12,	14,	78–79,	171
unpredictability,	178–79,	188
and	wages	of	sin,	71–77
and	witnessing,	13
Karmic	debt,	72,	74
Karmic	suffering,	73
Kindness,	65,	66
Knowledge,	30,	42,	48
Koshas. See
	Five	Koshas;	
specific	Koshas
Krishnamurti,	J.,	231,	232
Language,	147
Laszlo,	Ervin,	205,	206,	210,	213,	220,	267,	270
Life	force,	144,	146–47
Life-forms,	200,	219
Life	story,	98
Light,	197–98,	205,	206
Local	events,	6
Lokas,	4,	29,	161,	185
Lomonte,	Cheri,	135
Loss,	141
Love:
and	bliss,	150
and	meaningful	life,	74
in	mind	field,	215
as	recognition	of	soul,	109
to	outwit	death,	32
universal,	67as	vibration,	10
Lucifer,	75
Luria,	Alexander,	177
Mahabhutas,	3,	261
Maha	samadhi,	253
Malignancy,	126
Manomaya	Kosha,	147,	150,	152–53
Mantra,	116
Materialism,	30,	42,	63,	193,	262–63
Matter,	198,	199,	201–6,	208,	213,	219
Maya	(goddess),	108,	109
McTaggart,	Lynne,	204,	267
Meaning,	90–91,	99,	160,	227,	231
Medications,	42
Meditation,	7,	95,	117
Memes,	228,	229,	230–31,	232,	269
Memory,	87,	113,	147,	176–77,	195,	220–22,	223,	238,	239
Metaphysics,	63,	194
Michelson,	Albert,	197
Mind:
addiction	to	repetition,	97
and	devata	effect,	164
extension	beyond	brain,	195,	215–36,	268
field,	218–24,	227,	228,	231–33,	243
fragmented,	232
and	freedom,	122
in	Indian	parable,	70
invisible	structure	of,	89–90
Manomaya	Kosha,	144,	147,	149,	150,	152–53
and	matter,	202–5,	213
observer	effect,	208–9,	210
parallels	in	universe,	200–201
and	pure	consciousness,	129
restricted	potential	of,	103
as	same	as	world	and	Karma,	188
thoughts	of,	187,	200,	219
Minimal	consciousness,	62
Moksha,	106,	122,	188
Mona	Lisa
,	158
Morgana,	Aimee,	217–18
Morley,	Edward,	197Movie	stars,	159–60
Musical	prodigies,	226
Muslims. See
	Islam
Myths,	76,	142,	160,	220
Native	Americans,	171
Nature,	42,	146,	152,	179,	241
Near-death	experiences	(NDEs),	7,	37–43,	51,	52,	73,	84,	90,	122–26,	144,
176,	257–58
Nervous	system,	230
Neuron,	172,	180,	184,	221,	222,	241–42
Neuroplasticity,	222,	223
New	Age	movement,	104
Newton,	Sir	Isaac,	194,	198
Nietzsche,	Friedrich,	228
Nisargadatta	Maharaj,	263
Noncommital	people,	51–52
Nonresistance,	114
Nonviolence,	74
Numinous	creation,	142
Observation	without	judgment,	231,	233
Observer	effect,	163,	208–9,	210
Obsession,	13
Obsessive-compulsive	disorder	(OCD),	223–24
Open-mindedness,	52,	53,	114,	231–36
Out-of-body	experience,	176
Oversoul,	104
Oxygen,	200,	237,	241
Pain,	70,	97,	188,	235
Parables,	1
See	also
	Death,	Indian	parable	of
Paradise. See
	Heaven
Parapsychology,	256
Passion	of	the	Christ,	The
	(movie),	105
Path,	99
Patterns,	211,	222
Pearce,	Joseph	Chilton,	225,	226,	256,	269
Perception,	116,	117,	122
Perennial	philosophy,	29
Persistent	vegetative	state	(PVS),	62,	63Personality,	83,	233,	235
Photon,	205,	207,	210–11
Physical	body,	5,	7,	27,	63,	87,	135,	144,	147–50,	152,	164
Physical	objects,	126–28,	131,	151–52
Physics,	197–99,	202,	205
Plants,	244
Pleasure,	46,	70,	97,	188,	235
Polygraph,	244
Powers,	113–17,	128
Prana,	144,	146,	149,	150
Pranayama	Kosha,	146–47,	152	[ck]
Prayer,	246–47
Projection,	159–64,	166
Proton,	212
Prozac,	223–24
Psychics,	110–12,	202–3,	242–43,	261–62
Punishment,	72,	75,	185
Pure	consciousness,	126,	127,	129,	135,	136,	141,	144,	149,	151
Puritanism,	104
Purpose,	99,	100,	114
Puthoff,	Hal,	242–43
PVS. See
	Persistent	vegetative	state
Quantum	field,	202–5
Quantum	mind,	222,	224
Ramana,	23,	35–36,	45–47,	55–57,	69–70,	81–83,	93–94,	107–9,	119–21,
139,	141,	155,	251–54
Randomness,	206,	211
Rational	thought,	131,	143
Reality:
and	acceptance,	114
of	Akasha,	195,	197–213
changing,	152
and	dying	process,	98,	121,	210
and	freedom,	87
in	Indian	parable,	36
and	projection,	159
Sat	Chit	Ananda,	245–46
and	self-awareness,	115
and	soul,	77
truth	of,	29and	unity,	31
Rebirth,	96,	97,	105–6,	173,	239
Reincarnation,	11–13,	104,	105,	170–89,	220,	265–66
Relationships,	13–14,	115
Religion,	49–52,	63,	193,	194,	259
Remission,	126
Remote	viewing,	242,	270
Repetition,	97,	98
Responsibility,	75,	76,	185
Retrograde	amnesia,	177
Reverence,	74
Reward,	185
Rishis:
on	Akasha,	84,	98,	203,	229
and	awareness,	141,	263
beliefs	of,	30,	77
on	bliss,	148
on	consciousness,	195,	199,	202,	229
definition	of,	29
on	eternity,	121,	122,	125,	127,	210
on	expanded	awareness,	97
field	of	all	fields,	246
first	principles,	247
and	Jesus,	63,	64
on	Karma,	182
and	Koshas,	144,	147,	161
mental	structures	revealed	by,	235
on	need	for	shift	of	allegiance,	130
and	observer	effect,	163
as	observers,	162
and	“other	side,”	68,	98,	113
on	projection,	159
on	punishment	in	afterlife,	72
on	reincarnation,	178
on	source	of	mind,	219
on	suffering,	71,	74
teachings	on	afterlife,	173
teachings	on	ideas,	220
teachings	on	self-exploration,	102
use	of	subtle	powers,	114
on	wholeness,	150
See	also
	VedantaRitchie,	George,	73
Rumi,	25
Sacred	visions,	142
Sadness,	120
Sages,	8,	12,	13,	29
Saints,	8,	12,	13,	157
Salvation,	105,	124
Samadhi,	253
Samskara,	231,	232
Satan,	73,	75–77,	95,	194,	261
Sat	Chit	Ananda,	245–46
Satyavan,	21–22,	55,	82,	83,	107–9,	139–41,	156,	169–70
Savant	syndrome,	225–26,	268–69
Savitri,	1,	21–23,	32,	35–36,	45–47,	55–57,	69–70,	81–83,	93–94,	107–9,
119–20,	139–41,	155–57,	169–70
Schiavo,	Terri,	62–63
Schmidt,	Helmut,	202–3,	204,	210
Schrödinger,	Erwin,	209
Schrödinger’s	equation,	209
Schwartz,	Jeffrey,	222,	224
Science,	51,	62,	63,	194,	195,	241,	246,	247
Science	and	the	Akashic	Field
	(Laszlo),	206
Secular	culture,	76
Seer,	162
Self,	46,	115,	226
Self-awareness,	76,	114,	115,	188,	195,	201,	202
Self-exploration,	102
Self-image,	98
Self-judgment,	75,	185
Self-realization,	14
Self	system,	144–51
Self-worth,	74
Senses,	7,	46,	83,	127
Separation,	147,	148,	150,	151
Sequencing,	200
Serotonin,	224
Shadow	self,	142
Shakespeare,	William,	130
Shaman,	84–87
Sheldrake,	Rupert,	215–18,	243,	268
Shubda,	245Silence,	95,	125,	150,	153,	246,	253–54
Sin,	71–77,	105,	173
Skeptics,	51,	52,	74,	113,	194
Smith,	Huston,	41
Solid	objects,	3
Somatic	nervous	system,	230
Sorcerers,	132
Soul,	63,	68,	77
as	always	near,	37
in	astral	plane,	5
attachments,	9
bodhisattva,	15
bonds,	13
Christian,	31
compared	with	Atman,	30–31
creativity	of,	66,	239
departure	when	dying,	4,	25
as	disguised,	77
eternity	as	source	of,	121
identity	of,	237
and	karma,	9,	12,	14,	78–79,	171
lack	of	evil	within,	124
liberated,	122
and	love,	109
qualities	of,	64–66,	78,	93–94
regression,	171
and	relationships,	115
revelation	of,	78–79
seven	destinations	of,	95–96
slumber	of,	7–8,	9–10,	12
and	states	of	consciousness,	126–29,	137
and	subtle	senses,	117
survival	beyond	death,	46–47
upward	trajectory,	12,	14
in	Vedanta,	31,	37,	77
weight	of,	25
Sound,	7
Source	of	everything,	241–45
Space,	3,	197–98,	206,	211–13,	235
Spirit,	5–6,	10,	16
Spiritual	issues,	194
Spiritual	materialism,	262–63Spiritual	planes,	4
Spirit	world,	96
SQUID	(superconducting	quantum	interference	device),	242–43
Stability,	172,	179,	181
Stanford	University,	242
Stapp,	Henry,	222
Stevenson,	Ian,	174–75,	176,	266
Stroke,	223
Structure,	233,	235,	236
Subtle	breath,	144,	146–47
Subtle	objects,	126–37,	141–45,	165
Subtle	senses,	7,	117
Sudden	death,	8,	9,	109–10
Suffering,	10,	12,	71,	72,	73,	75,	77
Suicide,	8,	73
Survival,	215
Swann,	Ingo,	242–43
Symbolism,	160,	230
Tagore,	Rabindranath,	17,	33,	248
Talent,	13
Talk	therapy,	224
Technology,	193
Telepathy,	176,	215–18,	268
Teresa	of	Ávila,	Saint,	67
Theory	of	relativity,	143
Theosophy,	105,	265–66
Thought,	187,	200,	215–36,	219
Three-in-one	state,	162,	163
Tibet,	38,	39,	171
Tibetan	Book	of	the	Dead
,	183,	186,	257
Tibetan	Buddhism,	38–39,	144,	182–83
Time,	27,	198,	206,	210–13,	235
Total	recall,	177
Traits,	230
Transcendence,	96,	97,	102
Transcendental	movement,	104
Transformation,	2,	3,	6,	24,	219–20,	233,	237,	239
Transmigration,	96,	97
Truth,	74,	115,	215
Twins,	244Uncertainty,	179
Unconscious	impulses,	13
Understanding,	114,	185
Unfulfilled	desires,	8
Uniqueness,	178
Unity,	31,	162,	233
Universe:
Big	Bang,	27,	125,	162,	172,	199,	206,	212,	239
binding	effect,	181
coordination	of,	205,	207
dark	matter,	163
evolution	of,	238
“in-formed,”	220
re-creation	of	self,	173
Sat	Chit	Ananda,	246
self-awareness,	195,	199–202
unpredictability,	210
Unpredictability,	187–88,	210
Vacuum	state,	246
Van	Lommel,	Pim,	37,	42,	258
Vedanta,	122,	256
on	afterlife,	47,	83,	194
on	Akashic	dreams,	84
and	angels,	162
as	applicable	to	present	time,	30
on	bliss,	65
on	consciousness,	87
on	eternity,	64,	106
and	freedom,	71,	87,	88
and	God,	60
and	heaven,	58,	130
key	assertions	in,	213
on	shifting	of	allegiance,	131
soul	in,	31,	37,	77
as	teaching	of	rishis,	29,	63
Vedic	perspective,	16,	72
Vedic	scriptures,	104,	105
Vibrations,	3–4,	7,	10,	27,	125,	198,	207,	245–46
Vigyanmaya	Kosha,	148,	153
Violent	death,	8
Virgin	Mary,	135–36,	144Virtual	fluctuations,	198,	200
Virtual	reality,	27,	205
Vishnu,	139–41
Vitality,	146–47,	152,	164
Water	element,	3
Wells,	H.G.,	60
Western	culture,	2,	229
“What	Will	You	Give?”	(poem),	33
Wheeler,	John,	246
White	Tara	(goddess),	39
Wholeness,	146–50,	152–53,	166,	232
Willingness,	114
Wisdom,	46
Witnessing,	13,	14,	231,	233,	235,	248
Wittgenstein,	Ludwig,	25
Worldview,	228,	229–36,	232,	233
Wrongdoing,	74,	76
Yama	(lord	of	death),	1,	21–22,	45–46,	55–57,	69,	83,	108,	139–40,	155,	169–
70
Yoga,	116,	150–51
Zero	point,	198,	206–7,	212,	239,	241
Zero	Point	Field,	199–202,	212,	213,	220,	241,	267ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
My	longtime	editor,	Peter	Guzzardi,	encouraged	me	to	write	a	book	on	death
and	dying,	which	evolved	into	this	book. As	always,	his	instincts	were	astute,
and	he	has	been	an	invaluable	guide	every	step	of	the	way. To	David,	Carolyn,	Felicia,	and	the	entire	staff	at	the	Chopra	Center,	I	am
reminded	every	day	of	your	dedication	and	kindness	to	me. Thank	you. To	my	family,	who	gives	me	more	loving	devotion	than	I	could	ever
return	in	a	lifetime.Deepak	Chopra	and	The	Chopra	Center	for	Well	Being	at	La	Costa	Resort
and	Spa,	Carlsbad,	California,	offer	a	wide	range	of	seminars,	products	and
educational	programmes,	worldwide. The	Chopra	Center	offers	revitalizing
mind/body	programmes,	as	well	as	day	spa	services. Guests	can	come	to
rejuvenate,	expand	knowledge	or	obtain	a	medical	consultation. For	information	on	meditation	classes,	health	and	well-being	courses,
instructor	certification	programmes,	or	local	classes	in	your	area,	contact	The
Chopra	Center	for	Well	Being	at	La	Costa	Resort	and	Spa,	2013
Costa	Del	Mar	Road,	Carlsbad,	CA	92009,	USA. By	telephone:	001-888-424-
6772,	or	001-760-931-7566. For	a	virtual	tour	of	the	Center,	visit	the	Internet
website	at	
www.chopra.com
. If	you	live	in	Europe	and	would	like	more	information	on	workshops,	lectures
or	other	programmes	about	Dr.	Deepak	Chopra	or	to	order	any	of	his	books,
tapes	or	products,	please	contact:	Contours,	44	Fordbridge	Road,	Ashford,
Middlesex,	TW15	2SJ. Tel:	+44	(0)	208	564	7033;	fax	+44	(0)	208	897	3807;
email:	
info@spiritualityworks.com
;	website:	
www.spiritualityworks.com
If	you	live	in	Australia	and	would	like	more	information	on	workshops,
lectures,	or	programmes	presented	by	Dr.	Deepak	Chopra,	please	contact
What’s	On	The	Planet	Pty	Ltd,	PO	Box	161,	Brighton	Le	Sands,	NSW	2216,
Australia,	or	email	
deepak@theplanet.com.auThis	ebook	is	copyright	material	and	must	not	be	copied,	reproduced,
transferred,	distributed,	leased,	licensed	or	publicly	performed	or	used	in	any
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1	3	5	7	9	10	8	6	4	2
Published	in	2008	by	Rider,	an	imprint	of	Ebury	Publishing
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Ebury	Publishing	is	a	Random	House	Group	company
Copyright	©	Deepak	Chopra	2006
Deepak	Chopra	has	asserted	his	right	to	be	identified	as	the	author	of	this
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Life_After_Death_by_Deepak_Chopra.txt
Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        Such	a	humaneapproach	appeals	to	me	because	it	shows	so	clearly	and	in	detail	how	the
devil	can	be	considered	our	own	creation. A	similar	approach	can	be	taken	to	Christ,	who	is	boldly	explained	in
mythic	terms	by	Timothy	Freke	and	Peter	Gandy,	
Jesus	and	the	Lost
Goddess:	The	Secret	Teachings	of	the	Original	Christians
	(Harmony	Books,
2001
),	which	puts	Jesus	in	the	context	of	the	ancient	world	and	its	belief	in
the	Goddess. Here	the	attempt	is	to	fill	in	how	early	Christians	used	Jesus	for
the	archetypal	purpose	of	fulfilling	the	myth	of	God-as-man	that	exists	in
every	ancient	culture. Chapter	6:	Ghosts
Akasha	is	the	subtlest	of	the	five	Mahabhutas,	the	five	elements	from	which
creation	is	constructed	(the	others	being	earth,	air,	fire,	and	water). Readers
who	want	to	study	the	system	of	Mahabhutas	might	begin	online	at
http://ignca. nic. in/ps_04012. htm. For	traditional	Indian	beliefs	in	Akasha	and
how	they	affected	Western	spirituality,	see	the	online	discussion	at
http://www. saragrahi. org/. There	are,	of	course,	many	popular	books	on	ghosts	and	communicating
with	the	dead. Mary	Roach’s	
Spook
	gives	a	readable	survey	of	these	topics,
told	from	a	skeptical	and	amused	point	of	view	that	will	either	immediately
appeal	or	irritate. Popular	books	by	psychics	that	have	reached	millions	of
readers	include	James	Van	Praagh,	
Talking	to	Heaven:	A	Medium’s	Message
of	Life	After	Death
	(Signet,	1999)	and	Allison	DuBois,	
Don’t	Kiss	Them
Good-Bye
	(Fireside,	2005). The	phenomenon	of	psychic	communication	has	been	researched	at	the
university	level	by	psychiatrist	Gary	Schwartz,	whose	experiments	have
engaged	me	personally. The	same	research	brought	Allison	DuBois	to	light
and	resulted	in	a	television	series	on	NBC,	as	recounted	in	Gary	E. Schwartz
and	William	L. Simon,	
The	Truth	About	Medium
	(Hampton	Roads	Publishing,
2005). Schwartz	gives	a	thorough	account	of	his	academic	research,	the
leading	findings	in	the	field,	in	
The	Afterlife	Experiments:	Breakthrough
Scientific	Evidence	of	Life	After	Death
	(Atria,	2003),	for	which	I	wrote	the
introduction. Chapter	7:	The	Invisible	Thread
Readers	who	are	interested	in	the	historical	perspective	of	the	afterlife	may
want	a	survey	like	Harold	Coward,	editor,	
Life	After	Death	in	World	Religions
(Orbis,	1997),	which	collects	essays	on	each	faith	by	various	experts. I	came
up	with	my	own	synthesis,	relying	heavily	on	a	classic	work,	Huston	Smith,The	World’s	Religions:	Our	Great	Wisdom	Traditions
	(HarperSanFrancisco,
1991),	which	is	still	a	model	of	fairness	and	ecumenical	tolerance,	not	to
mention	graceful	writing	and	valuable	insights. If	there	is	one	book	that	every
person	interested	in	religion	should	begin	with,	this	is	it. T
EXT	NOTE:
p. 105
	“There	is	no	salvation	for	those	outside	the	Church	…”	is	quoted	from	a
press	interview	with	Mel	Gibson,	cited	online	at
http://www. msnbc. msn. com/id/4224452/. Chapter	8:	Seeing	the	Soul
The	subject	of	spiritual	materialism	is	incredibly	important	because	so	many
people,	especially	in	the	West,	are	driven	by	ego	needs	even	when	it	comes	to
spirituality. We	turn	spiritual	to	gain	things	from	the	world	that	we	otherwise
couldn’t	through	work	and	struggle,	and	thus	we	transform	work	and	struggle
into	spiritual	processes. The	book	that	started	me	thinking	along	these	lines
was	Chogyam	Trungpa,	
Cutting	Through	Spiritual	Materialism
	(Shambhala,
2002),	which	is	told	from	a	Buddhist	perspective	but	with	a	Western	audience
in	mind. Chapter	9:	Two	Magical	Words
It	goes	without	saying	that	eternity	is	indescribable,	but	the	Vedic	rishis	were
comfortable	living	in	unbounded	awareness. Therefore	their	descriptions	are
the	most	reliable	that	we	possess	in	the	world’s	wisdom	traditions. It	helps	to
have	someone	who	continues	to	have	similar	experiences. I	would	point	to
Nisargadatta	Maharaj,	a	humble	Indian	farmer	who	became	a	renowned	guru
in	Bombay	after	enlightenment. His	book,	
I	Am	That
	(Acorn	Press,	1990),	is
one	of	the	purest	spiritual	testimonies	we	have	in	modern	times. Not	only	is	it
completely	unspoiled	by	any	trace	of	the	guru	game,	which	has	been	played
in	India	for	centuries,	but	Sri	Nisargadatta	seems	to	be	witness	to	a	very
expanded	state	of	awareness,	fully	comparable	to	the	ancient	rishis. This	is
another	of	the	few	books	I’ve	kept	by	my	side	for	years. T
EXT	NOTES:
pp. 122–26
	My	account	of	Mellen-Thomas	Benedict’s	journey	into	the
afterlife	comes	from	online:	
http://www. near-
death. com/experiences/reincarnation04. html. pp. 135–36
	The	story	of	Dawn	J. ,	the	woman	who	healed	with	miraculous	oil,
is	told	in	Cheri	Lomonte,	
The	Healing	Touch	of	Mary
	(DivineImpressions,	2005),	which	contains	dozens	of	similar	firsthand	accounts. Chapter	10:	Surviving	the	Storm
Readers	who	are	interested	in	theories	of	consciousness	face	a	bewildering
number	of	choices,	and	in	the	context	of	science	almost	all	those	choices	are
materialistic. That	is,	they	assume	that	mind	arises	from	matter. Since	I
disagree	with	the	assumption,	I	am	halfhearted	about	recommending	even	a
good	survey	like	Susan	Blackmore,	
Consciousness
:	
An	Introduction
	(Oxford
University	Press,	2004),	which	does	a	thorough	job	covering	the	many
philosophical	questions	raised	by	current	theories. The	most	praised	authors
in	the	field	seem	to	be	skeptics	who	believe	that	mind	is	actually	an	illusion
created	by	neural	activity	and	outmoded	thinking	about	the	brain. See	Daniel
Dennett,	
Consciousness	Explained
	(Back	Bay	Books,	1992),	which	argues
aggressively	for	the	proposition	that	consciousness	is	a	materialistic
phenomenon	and	nothing	more. Therefore,	human	consciousness	could	(and
one	day	will)	be	duplicated	by	a	computer. For	a	more	pluralistic,	open-minded	discussion,	see	Susan	Blackmore,
editor,	
Conversations	on	Consciousness:	What	the	Best	Minds	Think	About
the	Brain,	Free	Will,	and	What	It	Means	to	Be	Human
	(Oxford	University
Press,	2006),	in	which	twenty-one	thinkers	talk	in	conversational	interviews
about	the	whole	problem	of	relating	mind	and	brain. Finally,	for	a	perspective
that	is	more	neurological,	I	read	the	fascinating	speculations	of	Humberto	R. Maturana	and	Francisco	J. Varela,	
The	Tree	of	Knowledge:	The	Biological
Roots	of	Human	Understanding
	(Shambhala,	1998),	which	attempts	an	all-
inclusive	theory	that	follows	the	evolution	of	mind	from	a	basis	in	organic
chemicals. It	is	up	to	each	reader	to	decide	if	Vedanta,	whose	own	all-
inclusive	theory	begins	with	consciousness	instead	of	chemicals,	stands	up	to
modern	skepticism	as	I	have	claimed. The	discussion	of	the	five	Koshas	is	my	own	synthesis	of	traditional	Vedic
ideas. Those	ideas	are	easy	to	explore	online	at	Web	sites	such	as
http://swamij. com/koshas.
The Afterlife Experiments: Breakthrough Scientific Evidence of Life After Death
What is the name of the book that the author wrote an introduction for?
Chogyam Trungpa
Who is the author of the book "Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism"?
Consciousness: An Introduction
What is the title of the book that the author is skeptical about, as it argues that consciousness arises from neural activity?
Cheri Lomonte
Who is the author of the book "The Healing Touch of Mary"?
The Field: The Quest for the Secret Force of the Universe
What is the name of the book that the author wrote an introduction for?
Humberto R. Maturana and Francisco J. Varela
Who is the author of the book "The Tree of Knowledge: The Biological Roots of Human Understanding"?