《普通人不平凡的死後遭遇》

Visits from the other side, January 30, 2006

By	Mary-Minn Sirag (Eugene, OR USA) - See all my reviews

Paranormal phenomena, such as survival of bodily death, can be difficult to swallow without personal experience. The very mention of such personal experiences in polite conversation is often met with suspicion.

While doing hospice work, the author worked with many people who received visits from newly departed loved ones. Though most found these experiences comforting, some were taken aback by their seeming unreality. The book was written to validate such experiences so that people can focus on the comfort rather than the excoriating self-doubt and fear of going crazy.

The backbone of the book is her study, which categorizes different kinds of apparitions, the circumstances in which they occur, and personality profiles of people experiencing them. Her wealth of anecdotal examples weaves through and animates the entire book.

Ms. Arcangel takes special care to rule out more mundane poo-pooing tossed out by "skeptics" to trivialize and poo-poo these phenomena. What makes these visits even more believable to me is their extreme specificity and personal nature, though my skepticism is softened by my own personal experience with such visits.

She describes different kinds of mediums and documents her own conversations with some of them.

Her writing is clear and easy to read, and backed by solid scholarship. My only complaint is the vaguely written subject heads in the table of contents, which necessitates reading it from front to back rather than nibbling away at it, as I am so wont to. Interested above all in her analysis, I found myself skipping some of the examples.

This book is useful both for parapsychology novices and for people well versed in this field.

AFTERLIFE ENCOUNTERS: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Experiences, March 20, 2007

By	Geraldine E. Wiitala "Geri Colozzi Wiitala, a... (Rhode Island, USA) - See all my reviews

This is one of my ABSOLUTE Favorites. Dianne Arcangel is a highly credible woman and an excellent researcher. Her book is a fantastic collection of personal accounts. Her writing makes this an easy and fascinating read. As a retired HOSPICE worker, myself, I am so well aware of experiences that people who are dying will share with us. These experiences are so numerous and well-doumented by hospice workers. Reading this book will uplift your spirt and will help you through the grieving process. This is a must for anyone who has lost a loved one. I am so looking forward to Dianne writing another book.