Near Death In The Mountains

“He wrapped the rope around his body, got ready to rappel and leaned back. Standing about five feet from him, I heard a sharp scraping, Suddenly Ed was flying. I could see him fall, wordless, fifty feet free, then strike the steep ice below…he was sliding and bouncing down. He passed out of sight, but I heard his body bouncing. There wasn't a chance of his stopping for 4,000 feet.” —From David Robert's The Mountain of My Fear In these thrillingly true tales of narrow brushes with death, Cecil Kuhne has amassed a wide range of stories that show the awesome power of the mountains. Spanning five continents, from the frosty tip of Mount McKinley in the dead of the winter, to the unexplored vastness of the Himalayas and beyond, this is a pulse-pounding collection of disaster and survival at the top of the world. Also featuring: • Joe Simpson's Touching the Void—An inspiring story of a climber who topples into a icy crevasse and, though crippled, starving and frostbitten, still manages to crawl to rescue. • Jon Krakauer's Eiger Dreams—Reaching the limits of his own climbing skills, the author makes a crucial decision whether to brave the treacherous higher altitudes or return to base. • Nando Parrado's Miracle in the Andes—The stunning first-person account of a Peruvian rugby team's airplane crash in the Chilean Andes and their harrowing journey down the mountain for help.

"Death in the White Mountains is about the hikers, climbers, and back-country skiers who have died in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and Maine. The goal in writing this book has been to find out why there has been such an appalling loss of life ... My purpose has not been to blame the victims but to find out what their stories can teach us. It is hoped that by discovering the fatal errors that led to these deaths, the number of mountain tragedies can be reduced."--Introduction.

In the tradition of Heaven Is for Real (with a twist of Into Thin Air), a new book that explores what really happens when we die. In March 1980, Peter Panagore went ice climbing on the world-famous Lower Weeping Wall, along the Ice Fields Parkway in Banff National Park in Alberta. His climbing partner was an experienced ice climber, but Panagore was a novice. On their descent, they became trapped on the side of the mountain. As the sun set, Panagore was overcome by exhaustion and hypothermia and died on the side of that mountain. In his minutes on the other side, he experienced hell, forgiveness, and unconditional love. Heaven was beautiful. In Heaven Is Beautiful, Panagore explores how his near death experience (NDE) changed his life and resulted in an intense spiritual journey that has continued for decades. It impelled him to pursue a master’s degree at Yale Divinity School focusing on systematic theology and Christian mysticism. His educational background coupled with 30 years of yogic and meditative practice and 20 years of professional work with the dying and grieving has given him unique insight, language, and perspective on heaven, God, death, life, love, beauty, and hope. In Panagore's own words: “I have told my story to audiences large and small for a decade now. . . . My story touches people’s hearts; every time I tell it the audience is gripped and silent. . . . This book is about hope. It is meant to provide real hope to the dying, hope to the fearful, hope to the hopeless, hope to the grieving.”

The world's leading expert on near-death experiences reveals his journey toward rethinking the nature of death, life, and the continuity of consciousness. Cases of remarkable experiences on the threshold of death have been reported since ancient times, and are described today by 10% of people whose hearts stop. The medical world has generally ignored these “near-death experiences,” dismissing them as “tricks of the brain” or wishful thinking. But after his patients started describing events that he could not just sweep under the rug, Dr. Bruce Greyson began to investigate. As a physician without a religious belief system, he approached near-death experiences from a scientific perspective. In After, he shares the transformative lessons he has learned over four decades of research. Our culture has tended to view dying as the end of our consciousness, the end of our existence—a dreaded prospect that for many people evokes fear and anxiety. But Dr. Greyson shows how scientific revelations about the dying process can support an alternative theory. Dying could be the threshold between one form of consciousness and another, not an ending but a transition. This new perspective on the nature of death can transform the fear of dying that pervades our culture into a healthy view of it as one more milestone in the course of our lives. After challenges us to open our minds to these experiences and to what they can teach us, and in so doing, expand our understanding of consciousness and of what it means to be human.

Prepare to immerse yourself in accounts of real near-death experiences and discover the wisdom they have to offer you. Near-death experiences (NDEs) are common, well-documented, and similar across cultures throughout the world. Current estimates are that between four and fifteen percent of the world’s population have had an NDE. Some of the fascination with NDEs comes from the fact that they often result in great leaps in personal growth. These leaps are characterized by the loss of the fear of death, the healing of deep hurts, an increase in self-esteem and compassion for others, a sense of union with all things, and a clearer sense of how to fulfill one’s purpose in life. This is a book that teaches readers how to reap the benefits of NDEs without having to experience trauma. In the course of their many workshops around the world, the authors have discovered that when one immerses oneself in accounts of NDEs, one can experience love, hope, healing, and a sense of purpose. This is the only book that systematically encourages the reader to create a spiritual and psychological healing practice based on NDEs. Each chapter includes an account of a fascinating NDE, followed by a series of questions, meditations, exercises, and video links. The reader is encouraged to contemplate these stories and their own lives. It is truly a profound guide to both living and dying. Praise for The Gifts of Near-Death Experiences “A fresh and exciting perspective to understanding near-death experiences. Everyone can benefit from learning the wisdom so clearly and eloquently expressed in this book. With each turn of the page you will find a treasure trove of insights, inspiration, and practical pointers that will really work in your life. This outstanding book is expertly written, remarkably easy to read, and enthusiastically recommended.” —Jeffrey Long, M.D., author of the New York Times–bestselling Evidence of the Afterlife: The Science of Near-Death Experiences “The Linns have written a book that is both inspirational and practical. They provide wise and gentle wisdom that lead readers into a place of growth and healing.” —Richard Rohr O.F.M, author of Falling Upward

One of the world's best-known writers on mountaineering recalls his climbing career and reconsiders the cost of this most perilous sport.

“The wind was blowing at hurricane strength-sixty-five knots and over-and increasing in the gusts to eighty knots. His boat was surfing on waves as high as a sixty-foot, six-storey building. . .Each wave that struck choked and froze him, the icy water working its way down inside his survival suit.” —from Close to the Wind by Pete Goss In Near Death on the High Seas, Cecil Kuhne collects some of the most terrifying and astounding experiences of sailors confronting the awesome, raw power of the sea. These tales-filled with everyday heroes and survivors-comprise a riveting and often breathtaking collection of extraordinary stories that show the terrible ferocity of the untamable ocean. Also featuring: • Thor Heyerdahl's Kon-Tiki- the historic and celebrated journey of the Kon-Tiki as it journeys across the Pacific. • Steve Callahan's Adrift- a solo sailor loses his boat in the Atlantic must survive in a five-foot life raft for 76 days, fighting off sharks with a makeshift spear. • Francis Chischester's 'Gipsy Moth' Circles The World-the stirring story of a one man's solo sail around the globe at age 65. • John Rousmaniere's Fastnet, Force 10-in one of the worst sailing tragedies in history, a massive rescue operation takes place amidst sixty-knot winds and forty-foot breaker waves.

In 1895 Michigan, Stan, eleven, will do almost anything to help his mother financially, even babysitting, but his long-lost father shows up and proves to be a big disappointment.