From: pagemail@swcp.com   
      
   In article <12g1628nv24tqc0@corp.supernews.com>, "Joe"    
   wrote:   
      
   > Well, I dunno- it's certainly a fascinating subject.   
   >   
   > In recent years I've seen a number of people near death- none looked   
   > pleased, regardless of their religion or philosophy. So I can only conclude   
   > that for most people, the experience sucks.   
   >   
   > I have read books on the subject, years ago, but can't remember their   
   > titles- and I found in one book a list of "last words" of some well known   
   > people - most were interesting if not entertaining- one guy said he never   
   > felt so good.   
   >   
   > I've checked out this newsgroup several times over the years and I recall   
   > seeing your name.   
   >   
   > Joe   
   >   
   >   
   > "Alan B. Mac Farlane"  wrote in message   
   > news:C11ECD3D.26108%alanb@sonic.net...   
   > > the ones who die ... don't get to talk about it Joe.   
   > >   
   > > just the ones who get their ticket punched for the return trip get to   
   > > talk.   
      
   There are bunches of books out now about reported NDE's;   
   one can only assume that most of the people interested in this   
   subject can't read, or don't have time to read, or -- ?   
      
   One of my favorites is "Messages From Michael" by Chelsea   
   Quinn Yarbro; its scope is much larger than NDE's per se, but   
   certainly does include the subject of "death" and what it "means"   
   etc.  I've always thought that this was the least bullshitty of the   
   books I've read about The Meaning of it All, and the most   
   intriguing -- intriguing enough, it turns out, to have attracted a   
   lot of wannabees into writing their own stuff about the source   
   that calls itself "Michael"; if you're interested, I'd suggest you   
   *start* with Yarbro, and then go look at the other stuff; this can   
   be a course in how people attempt to turn something reasonable   
   and interesting into a "system" that they can pretend to   
   manipulate in order to make other folks feel better, for a price.   
   It's kind of a crash course in how religions are developed -- as   
   attempts to create institutional structures that grant power to   
   a hierarchy of bullshitters over the gullible and the desperate.   
   Yarbro's Michael books (there are a number of them, as the   
   input has continued to flow over a period of about 25 yrs now)   
   give no one power over anyone else, make no claims to   
   offer the road to becoming rich or thin or more virtuous or   
   august than others, and can actually be re-read with interest   
   because that's what they are -- *interesting*.   
      
   I've read a couple of the "Seth" books, and various authors on   
   reincarnation etc., but none of them have "stuck" or have   
   warranted re-reading.   
      
   Just rambling along here, since it's been so quiet . . .   
      
   C   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)