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A combination of historical, anecdotal, scientific, biographical, and, above all, spiritual information, this intriguing book is, among many other categories and definitions, a bibliography of sources about death and transcendence as well as Pillow's own research and experiences about the subjects. The author usually avoids the concepts of "death" and "afterlife," however, and focuses on the theory that life is ongoing. Therefore, no one "dies" but instead transcends the physical realm for a while.
Now in his late 80s, Pillow's questioning of the concepts of life and death began several years ago during his wife's terminal illness. At that time, he wrote, “I have peered into the abyss of insanity and grabbed at any toehold or handhold to keep from tumbling in." The author's work is interesting, particularly for its inclusion of scientific and medical information with spiritual and anecdotal tales. Children are of particular importance in the book. The author relates stories of young children remembering past experiences that precede their current lives, as well as their memories of God and the knowledge that they come from God. A particularly interesting passage tells of children's dreams and precognitions of death—their own and others. The majority of their previews of death were beautiful and reassuring to them. For example, visions of light and beauty and often a being offering reassurance are major visions that children have experienced.
Pillow encourages parents to listen without negative reactions to their children's accounts of their dreams, visions, and precognitions and to write down the details. The author candidly includes a moment with his own grandson when Pillow was “still a skeptic.” Because of this, he feels that he missed an opportunity that would not be repeated. At five years of age, his grandson asked, “Granddaddy, what if this is not the real world?" At that time, Pillow asked his grandson if he meant something like dreaming, a question which he feels was not the proper response.
To add some useful scientific weight to his views, Pillow includes facts about DNA and the development of the right and left hemispheres of the cerebrum during early childhood to demonstrate some of the differences between the unconscious experiences—including trauma—of babies and small children as well as the active, conscious development that occurs in older children and that continues into adulthood. There are also many thought-provoking passages about souls: souls present in the womb, the soul’s influence on life, souls returning to their sources after a body ceases to function, and more.
It soon becomes obvious that the author has been meticulous in his preparation for this work. For example, a plethora of research material is mentioned, and much is examined or discussed in the book. The text of 172 pages, plus a large bibliography, races along to include the major philosophies and general practices that originate from the "mainstream" religions to the chapters on reincarnation, karma, end-of-life experiences, physical death, and the journeys of souls that have "returned home" to a spiritual dwelling place. Pillow also helpfully provides the reader with a multitude of samples of spiritual experiences. The author frequently directs readers to explore the topics by reading the source material in the bibliography, which at times gives the book the feeling of an annotated bibliography, as mentioned above. However, Pillow's tour de force is much more than a reference to others' research. His years of investigation and study are apparent, and the result is a thought-provoking, emotional, and spiritual experience.