Ptolemy Tompkins examines how the different spiritual traditions across the millenia have viewed death and the afterlife in his latest book, The Modern Book of the Dead. He discusses the common elements of ancient and traditional beliefs as well as the results of near death experiences, and how taken together they present an enormously convincing and encouraging argument for the continuance of life after death, with its implications as to how to live our lives today.
Respecting all traditions, Ptolemy says that this time is "one where all the formerly separate spiritual traditions are crashing into one another, creating a situation in which all the members of all the world’s faiths are being called upon to rewrite themselves WITHOUT compromising their core integrity.” He suggests that tolerance for others, rather than knee jerk denials or blanket condemnations are needed, and learning where our stories came from and how they diverged makes that the rational response.
