Moody's work on 'Life After Death' documents in real epistemic terms a plethora of cases that boil down to 15 stages that are common and eight of which most people go through. From conversations with people who've had heart by-pass or other Near Death Experiences (NDEs) I am sure there is much merit in his work. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross was a great student and scholar from UCLA who I met and heard talk of these things. In final analysis I find much of quantum physical world has best descriptions of what kind of realities other dimensions allow. However, we are all not able to understand that which we are not physically involved with, so allow me to visit with 'Seth Speaks' by Jane Roberts as well as L. Ron Hubbard, Jr. for a moment; he says:

"The explanation is sort of long and complicated. The basic rationale is that there are some powers in this universe that are pretty strong. As an example, Hitler was involved in same black magic and same occult practices that my father was. {This might explain why Allies used Hubbard and Crowley, Dion Fortune and Ian Fleming in a counter psychic group.} The identical ones. Which, as I have said, stem clear back to before Egyptian times. It's a very secret thing. {We covered a lot of it in 'Science' from 'Genesis of Grail Kings' and a Christian mystery school called Rosicrucianity.}. Very powerful and very workable and very dangerous. Brainwashing is nothing compared to it. The proper term would be 'soul cracking.' It's like cracking open soul, which then opens various doors to power that exist,' satanic and demonic powers…

{My younger brother is a thirty year member who has signed a billion year soulful contract. He thinks L. Ron Jr. is antithesis of a 'realized being' and all Scientologists HATE him. That is a pretty good recommendation in itself, if you look closely at this organization that uses every hypnotic and other mind-control method available to milk people of everything including their soul. If it isn't 'organized crime' I don't know what is! Yet, in scheme of things they tell more truth than most who they imitate - like psychiatry and education. Ritalin is a favourite rallying point of theirs.}

Simply put, it's like a tunnel or an avenue or a doorway. {Meditation takes one through this to white light that afterlife portends. In this process physical individual on Scientology pathways never gets to next realm, unless at OTO [Ordre Templis Orientalis] 'fin-de-siecle’ suicidal retirement plan, that Hubbard studied in Crowleyan Thelemic school as noted in many documents - but Scientologists say he was working as an undercover agent. FOR WHOM?!}. Pulling that power into yourself through another person--and using women {In Crowleyan adaptation of Star-Fire Ceremony which uses 'Scarlet Women' for monthly menstruum so full of hormones like melatonin. Hubbard also was a Rosicrucian.}, especially -- is incredibly insidious {Even Crowley thought Hubbard was a nut to think he could command goddess Babalon to do his bidding.}. It makes Dr. Fu Manchu look like a kindergarten student. It is ultimate vampirism, ultimate mind-phuck, instead of going for blood, you're going for their soul. And you take drugs in order to reach that state {The drug thing is OUT now that L. Ron Sr. was drugged out of his miserable existence.} where you can, quite literally, like a psychic hammer, break their soul, and pull power through. He designed his Scientology Operating Thetan techniques to do same thing. But, of course, it takes a couple of hundred hours of auditing and mega-thousands of dollars {Current data suggests coursework to 'the Bridge' runs over $300,000 dollars. My brother gives donations to causes like prison programs and mental health as well. His daughter is a slave at Clearwater HQ, who works for nothing, etc.} for privilege of having your head turned into a glass Humpty Dumpty--shattered into a million pieces. It may sound like incredible gibberish, but it made my father a fortune {The Church(?) got $600,000,000 from his estate and it was likely to have been a murder according to some knowledgeable officials.}." (2)

Never Fear! ***********

Look through phone directory and you will see hordes of jobbing alternative practitioners. Aromatherapists, Reiki experts, Shiatsu (no, it isn't a little dog!) and any number of other self-certificated experts all clamouring to have a go at curing your bad back or saving your rocky relationship.

Should you lose your appointment book, never fear! Find out what future has in store by consulting someone who will (for a fee) read your Tarot cards, your palms, tea leaves or probably with a little persuasion (or an extra fee!) contents of your trash can.

Doctors are yesterday's news. Better to call a hypnotherapist, colour therapist, graphologist or numerologist who can at one and same time (for a fee) tell you all about your past, your future - and whether you even have a future.

Expensive *********

When you wish to relax at end of a hard day you can play special relaxation tapes of whales, waves breaking on shore or Australian aborigine didgeridoo music. Your home will of course have been designed down to smallest detail by a knowledgeable, highly-trained and very expensive Feng Shui consultant who probably charges more than your lawyer! Has world gone mad???

All of aforementioned distractions and more fit neatly into loose category of New Age. A lot of people are very serious about New Age interests and contrary to what you may think, I would be last to want to trivialise their beliefs. Whatever works for them is fine by me. Except for one thing. New Age practices have become so heavily commercialized that original spiritual components have pretty well lost their integrity by now and, in West at least, are little more than products and services in a very competitive market.