What is the Character and quality of the near-death experience? Do such experiences represent an authentic encounter with a world beyond, or are they an artifact of our brain's activity? The common qualities of the near-death experience include feelings of profound peace, out-of-body sensation, meeting with "beings of light" and with one's deceased relatives, reviewing on's life and a reluctance to return. Dr. Moody explores the significance of these experiences for our understanding of the collective unconscious, emphasizing the value of wisdom and love as being primary in human life.

Raymond A. Moody, Jr., M.D., a psychiatrist, is author of the classic Life After Life which sold over ten million copies and inaugurated research in the field of near-death studies. A professor of psychology at West Georgia College, he is also author of Laugh After Laugh and The Light Beyond.