The Essence of Religions: A Glimpse of Heaven in the Near-Death Experience - Softcover

The phenomenon of near-death experiences (NDEs) is relatively new, having originated in large measure because of the advent of medical techniques, over the last few decades, for resuscitating those who have suffered a cardiac arrest. Sporadic cases of those who had apparently died and then come back to life go back for millennia, but the vast majority of such cases have occurred in the last half-century. The initial professional view of these elaborate journeys as hallucinations or dreams has given way to a widespread scientific recognition that the similarities of these extraordinary recollections across a wide range of medical conditions, personal and cultural backgrounds and prior belief systems (religious, scientific, etc.) suggest a common underlying reality as their basis. The consensus among those scientists who study them is that they are not simply tricks of the dying brain, or brain-based phenomena at all. In fact, they often share similarities with the stories of religious mystics and prophets over millennia. I suspect that much of our religious literature elaborating on the spiritual realm originated in near-death and similar mind states. Christophor Coppes, chairman of the Dutch branch of the International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS), has provided a scholarly assessment of the similarities and differences found in the world's five major religions when compared with the prominent lessons learned from near-death experiences. Although the real essences of each of the five main religions can be found in NDEs, not all essences of NDEs can be found in each of the religions separately. He rightfully concludes that the NDE seems more comprehensive than each of the religions individually. As we move away from worn-out dogma from both the religious and scientific realms toward a contemporary synthesis of understanding about our existence, Christophor's refreshing and comprehensive analysis of major religions in light of the profound lessons from numerous NDE journeyers offers a rich new tapestry of understanding that I find most valuable. -- Eben Alexander III, MD, author of NY Times #1 Best seller Proof of Heaven

The Essence of Religions was written to discourage the misuse of religions. This book provides the tools we need to reconsider many of the dogmas of the five major world religions that have proven detrimental to both human coexistence and our planet's survival. Furthermore, it seeks to replace these misguided belief sets with a more unifying and uplifting outlook that will benefit mankind as a whole. The author urges our alignment with "The Light" of unconditional love that can be found in the teachings of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism--and The Light of compassionate love in visions recounted to us by those who have undergone near-death experiences (NDEs). The author of The Essence of Religions, Christophor Coppes, examines the NDE phenomenon as if it were a religious experience, placing it in context by comparing it to the five major world religions.