Otherworld Journeys: Accounts of Near-Death Experience in Medieval and Modern Times
"Zaleski's command of the literature, her careful analysis of the narratives, and her recommendations for interpretation make this book a classic in the study of religious experience and popular religion."--The Journal of Religion"Zaleski...has had the excellent idea of putting recent near-death narratives in perspective by comparing them with those of an earlier period....An extremely interesting piece of work, and one that offers many shrewd insights."--John Gross, The New York Times"The most important book on the topic."--Virginia Quarterly Review"The most thorough, scholarly, and convincing study thus far published concerning the cultural and religious implications of near-death experiences....The most important book on the topic."--Virginia Quarterly Review"A sophisticated postmodern, hence nonphilosophical, book about that timeless philosophical problem.  The problem is how to explain mental objects (for example, a vision of heaven or an encounter with a leprechaun)."--The New York Times Book Review"The first historical perspective on the subject....A brilliant, historically rich, commonsensical book."--Jonathan Cott, Vogue"An open-minded and scholarly study, impressive in its intelligence, fairness, humanity, and breadth."--Boston Phoenix"A work at once scholarly and engrossingly readable....A rich and eminently successful work."--Robert Ellwood, Parabola"Wide-ranging and profound, revealing the imaginative and symbolic content of such experiences as well as their relationship to particular cultural and religious beliefs."--Library Journal"[Zaleski's] provocative book should be read by all people interested in near-death experiences."--The American Rationalist