Dr. Raymond Moody has spent four decades studying death and the afterlife. In this fascinating book written with Paul Perry, he offers an up-close and personal look at his life and his work. Born in 1944, he first encountered a dead person when he was four. Over the years, the mysteries surrounding death propelled him to study philosophy although for a while he was obsessed with astronomy. The turning point in his quest for answers came when he heard George Ritchie's story about death and rebirth. In 1972, Moody was accepted into the Medical College of Georgia.
He already had done plenty of study on near-death experiences when Ballantine Books contacted him about writing a book on the subject. Moody has discovered eleven traits characterizing the near-death experience including feelings of peace and quiet, the dark tunnel, meeting others, coming back, telling others, the effect on lives, and new views of death.
Life After Life was published in 1975 and this path-finding book went on to sell 10 million copies. But with success came tribulations. He was bombarded with angry and hateful letters from religious fundamentalists and even worse, he was afflicted with myxedema, a serious thyroid disease that was painful and disorienting. At one point, this disease drove him to attempt suicide.
It took nearly a decade for the field of medical study Moody had launched with his bestseller to take near-death experiences seriously. Looking for fresh avenues to explore, he became interested in the phenomenon of past-life regressions and then with mirror gazing and special chambers designed to facilitate visions. Moody sees the Theater of the Mind facility he created in Alabama as a center for the advancement of education and spiritual growth.
For more information on these projects and his study of shared-death experiences, visit his website: www.lifeafterlife.com.
