Dr. PMH Atwater knows the near death experience (NDE) intimately, as she died three times in 1977 and lived to tell the tale. With no formal training in these circumstances, she felt compelled to share her experiences and became the author of an unlikely bestseller, Coming Back to Life.
     Dr. Atwater (known as PMH) followed up with a number of other landmark books on NDEs and related experiences. These include Future Memory, Children of the New Millennium, and Beyond the Indigo Children.
     This current book is in a completely revised edition with an impressive Introduction by Dr. Kenneth Ring, one of the foremost pioneers of NDE research.
     Coming Back to Life is a fascinating insight into life after an NDE. PMH has interviewed more than 4,000 NDE survivors on how they have coped with their survival. This involves coming to terms with what happened, changed life circumstances, changed relationships and changed perceptions by others and of themselves. The changes are monumental.
     NDEs are not unique events. Chances are that you have had an NDE or know someone who has. You may not have told anyone about it, or heard your friend or loved one’s story. One may also undergo an experience similar to an NDE in other circumstances. These are called transcendent experiences and may be due to a religious experience, high levels of stress, illness, through drugs or other substances.
     The number of individuals who have NDEs is likely to increase due to improving medical resuscitation technology. These circumstances are hard for survivors to describe and can be life changing.
     This book examines the after-effects of such experiences. You will find some short reports of NDEs, but most of the material focuses on the changes in the survivors’ lives afterward.      
     It begins with a section on the variety of after-effects as gleaned from the multiple interviews that PMH conducted with survivors. She follows up with her own story since her three NDEs in 1977. It has not been a smooth road for her, but her compulsion to tell her own story and talk to others about their own experiences has woven a community that is gaining some coherence.
     Researchers now take notice. I would categorise the style as ‘straight talk’. As an experiencer of several transcendent episodes, I can relate to the after-effects described. They range from time disorientation, emotional changes, spiritual and psychological shifts, as well as changes to how the brain processes information.
     PMH does not whitewash the problems involved here. The survivor can often become resentful at ‘coming back’ and wishes for death, leading to a depressive or angry state. Reactions to an NDE can range from the resentful to the grateful, depending on the type of person and their individual experience.
     Although most reports of NDEs involve the ‘light’ and meetings with loved ones and a supreme love, this is not always the case. Some people have dreadful NDEs with hideous content. PMH was one of the first writers to include the negative reports, for which she was soundly criticised by those who seem to be in denial.
     PMH outlines the major side effects then examines them in detail. They cover all the areas with special chapters on spiritual implications and brain shifts.
     A commonly reported after-effect is a change in time perception. This can include what seems to be future viewing, but it is not related to clairvoyance or any psychic phenomenon. (PMH has written a book on this phenomenon called Future Memory.)
     Most survivors report a different perception of love. It is universal, impersonal and stripped of all emotion and ties to relationships. Families and loved ones can find this difficult to deal with.
     The chapter titled ‘How to Help Near-Death Survivors’ is one of the most useful. It gives a list of the most common negative and positive reactions to NDEs and a five-point plan for families, colleagues and loved ones to accept and help the reorientation-to-life process. PMH gives an estimate of SEVEN years for the survivor to come back to earth!
     In her conclusion, PMH compares the transcendence of eastern and western philosophies and religions. She also compares the scientific mindset from the Newtonian to the present day Quantum. She reminds us that we are living in times of rapid change. Transformation of consciousness for many is imminent, whether we like it or not. She suggests that we use the transcendent model of NDEs to help with this coming change.
     I could not finish this review without recommending her excellent Resource Suggestions in the back of the book. It lists publications on NDEs and all related areas, recommends various therapies to help survivors and families, as well as information on religion, spirituality, psychic matters, leading edge science, and many other areas of interest.
     PMH has become a leading expert, lecturer, and writer on the Near-Death Experience. All her expertise shines through in this well-edited book that focuses on the after-effects of NDEs. She also reveals a profound spiritual faith that comes from her heart.
     This book is not for those looking for sensational stories on NDEs, although there are some surprising reports. This is a book for survivors and those who care about them. It will both hearten and strengthen. To know you are not alone is one of the most important things to ‘steady the ship’, so to speak.