June 2001
Passage by Connie Willis
I stayed up till 4 o'clock in the morning to finish this book. I could not put it down. I never stay up that late but I couldn't let it go. I was entranced. I had to find out how the story ended. To me sleep is an incredibly pleasurable experience so it has to be an exceptional book to keep me from it.
Passage follows researchers into the psychology and biochemistry of near death experiences. The characters are engaging and believable in their dedication to their work and their lives in a hospital environment. It takes place in present time with just a tick up in technology to let the story happen. Even though her characters are somewhat skeptical scientists, Willis managed to move the story along without offending the mystic in me.
I really believe in the power of the biological body. Why shouldn't there be a biochemical correspondence to mystical experiences? But is the biology the whole of it? And why not explore that. You cannot debunk a personal experience. People know what they know.
I have a number of friends who have had classic NDE's and they had very vivid experiences with subsequent life changes. The book I liked the best on Near Death Experience was PMH Atwater's Coming Back to Life (which is out of print but she has a new one out: Complete Idiots Guide to Near Death Experiences.) My thoughts on NDE's are that the same experiences can be had as a result of meditation so why go so close to death, such precarious situation, to accomplish it. The light, the feeling of well-being, the communication with the Divine, and the subsequent expanded intuitive perception are all benefits of meditation -- not in an instant, of course, but sustained long-term meditation practice is a much healthier, more well-balanced option to an NDE.
Where we travel to in dreams, coma, and death are endlessly fascinating subjects, and Passage presents them with the fast pace of a mystery-adventure. I highly recommend it.
(c) 2001 Marcia M. Sacks
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