Threshold
Terminal Lucidity and the Border of Life and Death
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ISBN10: 1250782287
ISBN13: 9781250782281
Hardcover
256 Pages
$28.00
CA$37.00
Terminal lucidity is a relatively common but poorly understood phenomenon. Near the end of life, many people—including those who have suffered brain injuries or strokes, or have been silenced by mental illness or deep dementia—experience what seems a miraculous return. They regain their clarity and energy, are able to talk with families and caregivers, recall their lives and often appear to be aware of their nearing death.
In this remarkable book, cognitive scientist and Director of the Viktor Frankl Institute Dr. Alexander Batthyány offers the first major account of terminal lucidity, utilizing hundreds of case studies and his research in the related field of near-death studies to explore the mind, the body, the nature of consciousness, and what the living can learn from those who are crossing the border from life to death.
Astonishing, authoritative, and deeply moving, Threshold opens a doorway into one of life's—and death's—most provocative mysteries.
Reviews
Praise for Threshold
“This is a terrific book. Dr. Batthyany has created an enlightening examination of the phenomenon that is very familiar to those who care for the terminally ill and their families. Threshold should have a positive effect on the care of the terminally ill.”—Dr. Raymond Moody, author of Life After Life
"Captivating . . . This engaging examination of consciousness in the borderland between life and death explores our sense of self, how our identities are tied to our bodies, and what happens when those links are severed. Threshold is guaranteed to challenge your concepts of who you are.”—Bruce Greyson, M.D., Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry & Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, and author of After: A Doctor Explores What Near-Death Experiences Reveal about Life and Beyond
"Remarkable . . . [Threshold] has spectacular, shattering, and life-changing implications and consequences."—Peter Kreeft, PhD, Professor of Philosophy, Boston College, author of Love Is Stronger Than Death, Heaven, the Heart's Deepest Longing, and Everything You Wanted to Know About Heaven
"In his groundbreaking book, Threshold, Alexander Batthyany skillfully and magically describes the mystery and miracle of terminal lucidity, raising the existential question about what exactly is 'self' and what happens after one's journey of life reaches its completion."—Dr. Rudolph E. Tanzi, New York Times bestselling author of Super Brain and The Healing Self
"In a world where science has become reductionist in its scope, Threshold reminds us that our lives have deep meanings which defy quantification and which are essential to our physical and emotional well being."—Dr. Jay Lombard, author of Mind of God and Neuroscience and the Search for the Soul
"Threshold weaves together the astonishing phenomenon of terminal lucidity and remarkable death-bed experiences, with keen reflections from the perspectives of the neurosciences and existential philosophy. In so doing, author Alexander Batthyany challenges our most basic understandings of life, death, and consciousness. This compelling journey through the mysteries of the mind transcends the boundaries of biological materialism, and it underscores the profound value of individuality and human dignity. Highly recommended."—Dean Radin, PhD, Chief Scientist, Institute of Noetic Sciences, and author of Real Magic
"Threshold is a masterpiece! This book is a treasure trove of insights about terminal lucidit (TL) and its implications for understanding the bigger picture of consciousness. Dr. Batthyány delivers superb science along with fascinating examples of TL and related experiences. This book is a sentinel event establishing TL as a real and extremely important phenomenon. Each turn of the page contains convincing evidence that we are far more than simply the product of our physical brain. This book is scholarly yet remarkably easy to read. I enthusiastically recommend this exceptional book as essential to everyone interested in understanding the greater picture of consciousness and spiritual experiences."—Jeffrey Long, M.D., author of the New York Times bestselling Evidence of the Afterlife: The Science of Near-Death Experiences and God and the Afterlife: The Groundbreaking New Evidence for God and Near-Death Experience.
"[Batthyany's] in-depth, thoughtful investigation of a perennially fascinating phenomenon will garner interest."—Publishers Weekly
Reviews from Goodreads
BOOK EXCERPTS
Read an Excerpt
{1}On Being Someone, and Yet to Die
A Look Behind the Obvious
According to a proverb, when a person dies, a world dies. Someone has been here—had a sense of self, held hopes, desires, and ideals, struggled, succeeded,...