Book Review by  Karin Schumacher Dyke

Atwater, P.M.H. (1994).  Beyond the Light What Isn’t Being Said About Near-Death Experience.   Secaucus, N.J.:  A Birch Lane Press Book.

Sample

Ms. Atwater has interviewed at least seven hundred near death survivors a multiple of times to find out about their experiences.  Of these people interviewed, “105 of these seven hundred people reported having had a hell-like or unpleasant near-death experience (p. 7).”  The rest have reported pleasant near-death experiences.

Methodology

Ms. Atwater used her initial research of interviewing 200 near-death experiencers, along with interviews of additional subjects to come up with the findings in this book.  She had done the previous research by administering questionnaires in at least two mailings, she interviewed them in their homes, and then, for this study she cross-checked this archival information with the new information she presents in this book.

Abstract

In this book, Ms. Atwater reveals that she herself is a survivor of three near-death experiences where she almost died but then was resuscitated.  She tells of her experiences and that this is how she came to study near-death experiencers.  She presents the typical scenario of a near-death experience, which is of a pleasant nature.  She presents the hellish near-death experience.  In addition, the book contains chapters on:

 “transcendent experience, near-death-like experience, anomalies (of near-death experience), the aftereffects and implications of near-death including psychological and physiological aftereffects, the light of enlightenment, brain/mind (effects), revelations, and making the adjustment (after a near-death experience) (p. vii).”

Important Concepts and Definitions

Pleasant (heaven-like) near death experience – “Heaven-like scenarios of loving family reunions with those who have died previously, reassuring religious figures or light being, validation that life counts, affirmative and inspiring dialogue.  Usually experience by those who most need to know how loved they are and how important life is and how every effort has a purpose in the overall scheme of things (p. 46)”.

Unpleasant (hell-like) near-death experience- “Encounter with a threatening void or stark limbo or hellish purgatory, or scenes of a startling and unexpected indifference, even “haunting” from one’s own past.  Usually experienced by those who seem to have deeply suppressed or repressed guilts, fears, and angers, and/or those who expect some kind of punishment or discomfort after death (p. 27).”

Operationalizations

Major Findings

Data was reported that suggested changes in the near-death experiencer that had profound effects on the family. Overall trends point to the near-death experiencer changing in several ways.  These can best be described as the near-death experiencer changing in respect to how they expressed love, how they dealt with life, how their personalities changed, and how gender effected these changes.

When the near-death experiencer expressed love after his experience, he did it in a way that was not personal in the family. It is reported that family members become confused by the near-death experiencers, “inability to personalize love and a sense of belonging (p. 119).”  The person seems to be “in tune” with everyone in the universe.  Their sole purpose is to spread the message of universal love.  This brings the family to conclude that the person is being disloyal and that they don’t matter.  This is reported by Ms. Atwater to bring about divorce in many cases. 

Another disturbing thing to families is that the person who has the near-death experience seems to be more naïve than before.  They are often swindled by others who pray on their naiveté.  This causes family members to become angry, embarrassed for the person, or even disgusted with their behavior.  This causes family turmoil.

There is a distinctive personality shift that occurs.  Those people who before their near-death experience were described as “laid back” now become driven and those that are driven become more “laid back”.  This behavior change tends to either be accepted by the family and everyone becomes a part of the change, or this ends the family and the marriage ends in divorce for the family. 

Genders experience these changes differently.  Females become more out-spoken, men more caring.  Men who had the “hellish” experience were less likely to make changes in their live to change the outcome in death than women who experienced the same thing were.