The Last Laugh: A New Philosophy of Near-Death Experiences, Apparitions, and the Paranormal
By Raymond A. Moody Jr.
Charlottesville, VA: Hampton Roads, 1999. Paperback, xviii + 196 pages.
Raymond Moody, author of Life after Life and other books that have contributed to popular interest in near-death experiences (NDEs), has written a new book in which he distances himself from those who took his earlier work as proof of life after death. The book has two themes. First, Moody identifies those who he says have misused his work: parapsychologists, skeptics, and Christian fundamentalists, all use NDEs to prove they are right. The second theme of the book is that the paranormal is "entertainment." Moody talks about how a sense of play opens up the possibility of new ways of knowing and concludes with a recommendation that we explore ways to induce these experiences safely, so that anyone can obtain the benefits of an NDE.
-MIKE WILSON
July/August 2000