George G. Ritchie (with Elizabeth Sherrill): Return From Tomorrow.
Mary Neal: To Heaven and Back: A Doctor’s Extraordinary account of Her Death, Heaven, Angels, and Life Again.
Howard Storm: My Descent Into Death
Each of these books chronicle an NDE. The first two have aspects which make them compelling. I will begin with a brief look at Ritchie’s book. George Ritchie was an army recruit in the last years of WW II. In 1943, while in basic training in Texas, he got critically ill and experienced the typical NDE when he medically died and was resuscitated.
This NDE is one of the earliest I have read about, in my decades-long interest in these phenomenal occurrences. In 1943 the term, Near Death Experience, had not even been coined. By the time his story was chronicled and published, it had been recognized as a somewhat common experience of those who have been pronounced dead.
George Ritchie did not realize for quite some time that he had “died”, and he spent considerable time trying to make sense of what he was sensing. Later in his life, he encountered some of the locations he visited while in spirit, receiving confirmation of the reality of this mystical experience.
As with so many NDExperiencers Ritchie did not want to return to this life, and indeed was very angry at finding himself in this world. But after a year or more, and after intensely praying to be released from this life, asking for reasons why he couldn’t go back to the wonderfully peaceful, loving environment he had come out of, he came to accept that he really was destined to live out his human life.
He then, over a period of some months, or years, began to experience what he described as the face of Jesus in other people. And he realized he was not alone; he realized he was still being assisted by heaven’s emissaries, especially the Christ. He became a doctor, and after practicing for some eight or so years, trained to become a psychiatrist. In this capacity he found he could help people change their lives in deep ways.
In fact, the book is set up as him telling a client his story, over the weeks and months he came to see Dr. Ritchie. This client was dying of cancer, and was bitter about this. Dr. Ritchie sought to install some hope into his life through the sharing of his own story. He was successful!
Mary Neal is also a medical doctor, practicing as a spinal surgeon in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. An avid outdoor enthusiast, she and her husband were on an adventure kayaking down a river in Chile with a group. In some pretty extreme rapids her kayak became trapped between some rocks and she ended up under water. She drowned, was eventually rescued, and revived.
During the time she was “dead” she experienced an NDE. Again, she went through some pretty typical elements of NDE’s. The book, however, is almost more about her life after the NDE and how it affected her life, her practice, and dealing with deaths in her family, including a son.
It really is an incredible story. It is well-written, and keeps the readers’ interest right to the end. She speaks as a Christian, but in a totally non-preachy way. Church and religion are just part of who she is, and she projects no judgement on anyone else’s views. I never got any impression she was trying to convince anyone of travelling her path. She simply related her experience as just that: her experience, and nothing more.
Dr. Neal’s book is certainly more accessible than Dr. Ritchie’s, a much older book, but both books are worth searching for and reading. (I had to read Dr. Ritchie’s as an e-book, something I do not find particularly enjoyable.) However you find them, enjoy the stories. They are worth the effort!!
Howard Storm’s book, however, I do not recommend, at all. It is poorly written, and becomes very preachy. The reader is definitely given the impression that they must follow Storm’s path. Do not waste your time reading this book.
