Reincarnation and Past Lives

Coming From The Light

by Sarah Hinze

Average Rating:

"I really loved this book. The stories gathered by the author really touched me. After a miscarriage I read this book and it helped me to see the loss from a different perspective. I consider this book inspiring and uplifting. When I first knew I was pregnant again I took the book out of the shelf and read it again and once again it moved me. This book changes completely the way you percieve a pregnancy."

Publisher: Pocket | More reviews: amazon.com

Egyptian Book of the Dead

by Eva von Dassow

Average Rating:

"It would hardly seem necessary to add another review, but it seems it would be helpful to make a few things clear. "The Book of the Dead" is not, as some reviewers seem to think, a (not very good) encyclopedia of Egyptian life. Nor is it a compendium of mythology (the narrative content is remarkably small). Nor is it (an early but durable misconception) "the Egyptian Bible". The name applies to a number of collections of spells, prayers, hymns, and instructions (the contents varying from copy to copy, and over time), which were included in tombs. They were intended to assist the deceased in achieving a happy existence (and avoiding destruction) in the afterlife. The contents are, in this context, quite utilitarian. To the Egyptians it was "Coming Forth by Day" (as a glorified spirit), and those who could afford it commissioned beautifully executed copies as essential equipment for their long-term future. Many copies, including the Papyrus of Ani, included numerous illustrations (some exquisite) of major and minor gods, the intended owner and his family, and scenes of the (very earthly) Next World. The collection emerged from earlier bodies of tomb and coffin literature during the New Kingdom, and versions continued to be produced into Roman times.

This particular edition reproduces (beautifully) the color edition of the New Kingdom "Papyrus of Ani" published by the British Museum in 1890. That version was edited by E.A.W. Budge -- who had purchased the scroll in Egypt -- in collaboration with another Victorian-era Egyptologist, Le Page Renouf. This modern presentation is actually an improvement, since computer manipulation has allowed the rejoining of material which Budge arbitrarily separated when preparing the brittle papyrus for shipment by pasting sections on wooden blocks. (The papyrus has, inevitably, deteriorated since it was unrolled. The few modern reproductions of images from it which I have seen were a letdown after the early descriptions. James Wasserman's Preface, which mentions this problem, refers to photographs in an Egyptological series, which I have not seen.)

That first edition was always rare and expensive, and hardly ever available today, and then at a very high price indeed. It was followed in 1895 by a popular edition, prepared by Budge, containing the text in a hieroglyphic transcription, interlinear transliterations and translations, a more polished translation, and an elaborate introduction and other apparatus, including supplementary material from roughly contemporary texts, and some black and white line-drawing versions of the illustrations. This latter edition has been reissued for decades by Dover Publications, and at first glance it looks like a wonderful bargain. The arrangement looks promising, and the hieroglyphic font was a brilliant example of nineteenth-century design.

Unhappily, Budge was not only writing in the nineteenth century, he was already behind the times even then. His transliteration is utterly obsolete, and his smooth translation misleading (although the interlinear translation is sometimes helpful figuring out the original word order when comparing translations by others). His introduction and commentary are full of errors (or then-current misconceptions), and he devotes a lot of space to almost-forgotten controversies (useful to the serious student, a waste of time to most readers). I enjoy looking at it, but have never trusted it.

Budge went on to edit a "complete" Book of the Dead, the hieroglyphic text of which is still cited, and a translation of that text, still (or recently) in print (under the Arkana and other imprints) and also misleading. (There are also other editions of the 1895 version of the Papyrus of Ani, with less lavish layout.)

For anyone who has longed for the color plates of Budge's original edition, and dreamed of a modern translation of what it says, this edition will meet most demands. It does not (alas!) have a modern transliteration, but that is its only real lack. It contains a limited, but useful, commentary. There are translations, based on critically edited versions of those "Chapters" found in the Papyrus of Ani, on the same pages as the facsimiles. Like Budge's popular edition, it also contains translations of important material from other copies of the collection from the same period (known in the scholarly literature as "The Theban Recension"). The translations are based on those by the late Raymond Faulkner, which also appear, with other material, in another "Book of the Dead" translation.

So, if you are looking for an outstanding example of Egyptian funerary literature and art from the New Kingdom, you will probably want this book. If you are looking for a general introduction to ancient Egypt, a reference work, or comprehensive anthology of ancient Egyptian literature, try something else. (You will probably want to return to this if what you find there interests you, but that is another matter.)"

Publisher: Chronicle Books | More reviews: amazon.com

You Can Remember Your Past Lives

by Edgar Evans Cayce

Average Rating:

"This is another good Cayce book, and it's unfair to bash this very spiritual man without a through study of his words. If we read what Cayce specifically said regarding Jesus Christ, we see how every reading he gave in trance, as in all areas of his waking life, he never once denied Christ or his divinity or his love for us. Rather, Cayce often said that nothing we do in any lifetime is as important as loving God and our neighbor as ourselves. In one very powerful group of readings, he taught that by his suffering and death, Christ actually took upon himself all our worst karma and thus freed us from that endless Karmic-Wheel-of-Rebirth Hindu's long to be done with. If we accept this salvation of being released by Christ's sacrifice from the necessity of subsequent births, but choose nonetheless to reincarnate, we do so as servant-souls: that is, our lives become a gift we're not obliged to make. Mother Teresa is a good example of such an evolved soul who came back not for her own spiritual gain, but to lead humanity closer to God. When people questioned Cayce about the safest place to be living during the coming earthquakes/tidal waves, he would reply, "Why do you worry so about where your body will be? You should be more concerned about where you are in your relationship with HIM every day!""

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing | More reviews: amazon.com

Reincarnation: The Boy Lama

by Vicki Mackenzie

Average Rating:

Tells of the life, death and rebirth of Lama Yeshe, the most significant Tibetan lama and also the inspiration of Bertolucci's Little Buddha.

Publisher: Wisdom Publications | More reviews: amazon.com

After-Death Communication

by Emma Heathcote-James

After Death Communication describes direct contact between the living and the deceased, undertaken without the intervention of an intermediary such as a psychic or medium. A product of years of painstaking work researching the phenomenon of ADC, this extraordinary work collects hundreds of deeply poignant, first hand accounts from those who have been directly contacted by deceased loved ones. The reader is left to decide whether or not these are mere hallucinations or if they are manifestations of something more significant. Response to Heathcote-James' new research has been genuinely startling, revealing that an amazing proportion of the population believe that they have had after-death experiences. The weight of evidence may well change the way readers consider the supernatural.

Publisher: John Blake | More reviews: amazon.com

Past Lives, Present Dreams

by Denise Linn

Average Rating:

"I am really glad that I discovered Denise Linn! I have been reading alot about reincarnation/past life regression lately - it's something that makes so much sense to me! I have read all of Brian Weiss after seeing him on the Howie Mandell show! I really like his books and I got a tape of his also. He's a very good read as well. But I've read them all and I still need help!Ms. Linn has a wonderfully different way to discribe her experiences and to suggest ways to relax and regress! I am a very hard nut to relax - I'm too "busy" and I need to get all the suggestions that I can! Ms. Linn has given me the "blue light" method which I think will help and she reaffirmed many others - in different words and emphases! I am not done yet with this book - but it's a fast read and I will be done soon so that I can try what she suggests and pass it on to my sister!"

Publisher: Wellspring/Ballantine | More reviews: amazon.com

Past Lives Future Lives

by Jenny Cockell

Average Rating:

"Jenny Cockell can "remember" other lives. Her memories support the idea held by many believers of so-called New Age spirituality that there is no time but that time is a framework for our current perception of reality.

Though it seems that she can see "through time" to her past and future lives, the main concept is that she simply can access other parts of her "spirit" or "soul" which are experiencing other realities. She's not a prognosticator. It's more like we are locked in a room with four walls and no windows living this existence and are completely unaware that we are also experiencing other existences in other locked rooms simultaneously. Jenny Cockell's room has windows where she can see other existences as she experiences this one.

While a few reviewers have said her "predictions" lack credibility, I feel her future perceptions of a planet with greatly reduced population due to environmental damage come across as highly credible, particularly in light of the fact that this book was written before the effects of environmental hormones on fertility were popularly known.

Her writing is not well-polished but I think that's because she's not trying to be a great author. She's not trying to woo you with her scintillating story but simply to relate her story so that others can understand what she has been experiencing all her life. If you want a fascinating novel, you'd best look elsewhere. If you want to hear an honest and very readable account of a woman's sincere and uncommon percpetion of reality, this book is for you."

Publisher: Fireside | More reviews: amazon.com

Exploring the Eternal Soul: Insights from the Life between Lives

by Andy Tomlinson

Average Rating:

"Andy Tomlinson is a highly successful writer. He is modestly willing to describe other professionals working in the past-life and life-between-lives field as "pioneers" but does not appear to know that he is also a true pioneer in his chosen field. This is a brilliant book. It builds a strong case for the existence of spiritual healing, and provides a direct but simple account of how we may access the spirit realms. The powerful overtone of the book is concern for self-healing and self-awareness. Although it appealed to me as an author and professional regressionist, it has lucid writing which makes for easy reading, and is sure to fascinate readers who are new to regression studies"

Publisher: O Books | More reviews: amazon.com

Karma and Reincarnation: The Wisdom of Yogananda, Volume 2 (v. 2)

by Paramhansa Yogananda

Average Rating:

"I give this only 1 star as it is simply Swami Kryriananda's copying some of Paramhansa's writings, which one can get without making money for an in-between. However, what irritated me was no where in the ad for this book was it said that this book came from a former member of Yogananda's organization who had gone out on his own and is now making money from merely repeating his guru's words without stating anywhere on the book that this comes from not Yogananda, but from a man who would not state openly that he makes it appear that this comes directly from Yognanda and not from his copying it. "

Publisher: Crystal Clarity Publishers | More reviews: amazon.com

Family Karma: The Real Ties That Bind

by Kevin J. Todeschi

Average Rating:

Drawing upon contemporary family relationships as well as family relationships for individuals who received guidance from psychic Edgar Cayce, Family Karma demonstrates that rather than being some kind of debt or punishment, karma is simply the memory individuals possess from past-life relationships, oftentimes with members of their own family. Using actual case histories from spouses, children and parents, siblings, and a variety of family relationships, this fascinating work explores such topics as how past-life memory works, how it effects us in the present (both positively and negatively), how individuals can overcome their personal karmic memory, and how it is possible to turn karma into grace. Reincarnation and karma are the means through which individuals can gain an awareness of themselves, their relationships to all others, and ultimately their relationship to the Creator. With this in mind, Family Karma demonstrates the exacting nature of individual responsibility and it allows for the ever-present hopefulness of personal free will. It also enables each individual to eventually come to the realization that life is a completely lawful experience and that God is truly as fair and as loving as we have always wished for our Creator to be.

Publisher: A.R.E. Press | More reviews: amazon.com