Near Death Experience

‘Death’ is a word, a state, that intrigues and scares many. Nobody knows what happens after one dies though there are many who claim to have the answers. However, even these people cannot be 100 percent sure. Nevertheless, everybody wants to know what happens when one dies?

I too belong to the category of people who want to know what happens after death as I recently lost a very dear person of mine. There are many people who have had Near Death Experiences (NDE) and have been able to get a glimpse of the ‘other world’. I have read a lot of material about death online and luckily I came across this book called ‘Dying to Be Me’ by Anita Moorjani. This book is about a lady who had cancer, went in coma, had an NDE and came back to life cancer-free. As unbelievable as it may sound, this lady actually became cancer-free by just experiencing the ‘other world’.

Anita was a normal cosmopolitan lady born of Indian parents, who stayed in Hong Kong. Through this book, she shares her journey from being a child to a married woman to a stage where she had cancer.

After having undergone numerous therapies and treatments, she went in coma. This is where the amazing part starts. She explains how she went to the ‘other world’ where she met her father and best friend, both of whom she had lost some time back. At that time, her physical body was ravaged with cancer and was in immense pain. However, the moment she crossed over, she started feeling great and was pain-free. Her life, the numerous people she met in her journey so far, the places she visited, the choices she made – all flashed in front of her, woven as a thread. In no time, she could understand why she was born, where she was born, why she did what she did, and above all, why she had cancer.

Contrary to popular belief, she realized she had cancer not because of only medical reasons, but because she had lived her life out of fear: fear of failing to conform to expectations and societal norms. Once Anita experienced the ‘other world’, she realised she was special and did not have to pretend to be what she was not. She also realised that she had a bigger cause (of helping people heal themselves) of being on Earth; hence, she chose to come back. When she did come back, she just stopped trying to fit in. She just let herself be. She just followed her heart and within a few days, her body was cancer-free.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand what happens after death; anyone who wants to know what could cause cancer and how to heal it, anyone who wants to understand the reason for his/her existence; and anyone who fears following his/her heart. Anita beautifully explains her background – the people she had in her life, the choices that she made, the compromises she made, etc – upto her getting cancer. Thereafter, she explains her struggle with the disease, what she learns in her state of NDE and what she did after she came back. In the end, she also explains the lessons learnt and answers many of the frequently asked questions about death and after life. This blog cannot do justice to what this book has to offer. You have to read it to understand. And, you won’t regret it.

Before I end, I would like to add a caveat. This is not a paid review as much as it may seem like that. I have never blogged about books and this is my first time because this book has somehow struck a chord with me. I was and still am searching for answers about death and where my dear one went. This book really helped soothe my nerves. In fact, it has done much more. It has given me answers about other things such as grave diseases like cancer, reason for our existence, etc. I would highly recommend it to all. It would be worth your time.

Every man dies; not every man lives. This book can help you live before you die. One day your life will flash before your eyes like it did for Anita Moorjani. Make sure it is worth watching. Anita already has. Hope you and I too can.

(Shobhika Puri is a freelance writer.)