★★★★★ 5
Dr. Woollacott’s bold and fascinating book breaks new ground ...
Format: Hardcover
Dr. Woollacott’s bold and fascinating book breaks new ground in the current debate about whether consciousness is created by the physical brain, or whether consciousness is “primary,” an elemental force that exists independently from the brain.
What impressed me is that I could view her book through two very different perspectives: it’s at once both scholarly and a very enjoyable read. As I read her book, I found myself going back and forth between enjoying the stories and examples she provided, and the scientific evidence and analysis she offers. I was truly surprised to see that there are quite a few MD’s, psychologists, and neuroscientists doing rigorous, peer-reviewed research into these areas. Dr. Woollacott not only summarizes this research very clearly but provides many compelling case-studies quoted in this research that seem impossible to explain in terms of our current understanding of the brain.
In addition to crafting a careful and thoughtful review of the research that supports the reality of NDEs, reincarnation, and energy healing, Dr. Woollacott also describes some of her own highly mystical experiences. This is perhaps one of the strongest elements in a book that has many compelling aspects to it. By telling her own story of being “awakened” by an Indian swami and of then having classic mystical experiences that most of us think could only have happened “way back when,” she adds her own impressive data point to the discussion about the nature of consciousness. I was fascinated to see how this experience was so powerful that it instantly turned her from an atheist into a person who knew beyond doubt that “something else” was going on. But then again, almost all the stories in this book were both dramatic and convincing.
I wouldn’t be surprised if this becomes one of those “milestone” books. The research she surveys and the personal transformation she shares are dramatic enough and credible enough to provoke intense conversation and debate. It’s hard to ignore what you’ll read in this book (unless you’re a scientist who prefers belief to data). As they say, once you’ve seen this material, you can’t unsee it.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2015
