Summary

The perspective of the near-death experience can help guide us at every stage in the journey of life — from conceiving consciously and instilling healthy self-esteem in children, through providing adolescents with the big picture and preparing them for life’s quest, to creating meaningful work and loving relationships in our adult life, leading to a deeper spiritual understanding and service to life in our maturity, and finally preparing us to complete our human sojourn and move into the next dimension. Being guided by this perspective, we can know that we made the best of the precious gift of life that was given us, and that when we have our life review we will be able to see the growth we achieved and the blessing our life has been.

I am grateful for the NDE’s wisdom, for its effect on the clients I work with and on myself. I thank all the experiencers as well as the NDE researchers, for the valuable contribution they have made, and all the lives they have touched.

Catherine Burton, PhD, is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Hawaii. She has consulted to, and has conducted trainings for, corporations, government agencies, and community organizations in personal, organizational and community development.