The Forever Angels

“In The Forever Angels, P.M.H. Atwater tackles the particular challenges of the very youngest near-death experiencers, but from an innovative angle. In this novel approach, Atwater interviewed hundreds of people near the end of life who recalled having had an NDE in their first years of life. This strategy gives us an unprecedented “long view” of how NDEs influence these children over the entire course of their lives. Unlike adult experiencers, these children did not have the chance to develop “normal” attitudes and behavior patterns before their NDEs, which makes them a unique group of people, with unique traits and challenges. There is no other book like this, nor is there likely to be one.”--Bruce Greyson, M.D., Carlson Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry & Neurobehavioral SciencesDivision of Perceptual Studies

“In her new book P.M.H. Atwater writes about her study in which she interviewed 120 adult people who could remember an NDE at a very early age: at birth, as a baby, as a toddler, as a young child, or even in the womb. To those who experience near-death at such young age the story is about the life continuum, not about life after death: they all remember being still quite alive during their accidental death. The NDE at such a young age was mostly caused by coma, by drowning and by sexual abuse. Many of them had difficult family situations, and either lost or never formed any bonding with their parents. As a result of their NDE, the majority displayed enhanced intuitive abilities: they hear things, see things, know things, or feel things no one should. Moreover, they usually are highly intelligent, still miss “the other side,” have sleep issues, and have often out-of-body experiences. According to P.M.H. Atwater her new study establishes that the full pattern of aftereffects—physical, mental, emotional, spiritual—has a far greater impact on children (and adults) than anyone thought or has found before. She concludes that it takes the average child experiencer at least twenty to forty years to integrate their NDE, because they usually try to compensate, to adjust, and to ignore. This new book is a very important and valuable contribution to our knowledge and insight about NDE in very young children.” --Pim van Lommel, cardiologist, NDE-researcher, author of Consciousness beyond Life

“P.M.H. Atwater is unafraid to venture into sketchily charted territory. Using her considerable knowledge and skills, in direct staccato style, she exposes life experiences too fragile or too subliminal for others to have unmasked. The Forever Angels allows readers to listen to children who sometimes talk about visiting with God as though they had just returned from a morning with a favorite kindergarten teacher. Adults reveal ways their lives have been guided by childhood NDEs, each with personal specificity. Using strict and demanding protocol, Atwater interweaves her research with historical precedent and prescience. Read The Forever Angels, you will be guided beyond the mundane into our larger existence.”-- Lynn B. Robinson, Ph.D. author of Loving to the End. . .And On

“If you’re looking for an academic study with university funding, traditional research methodology and quantitative data, this is not the book for you. But if you want to know what really happens in near-death and out-of-body experiences in the words of real people in the real world, look no further. P.M.H. Atwater has assembled an astonishing collection of accounts that shows us not only what occurs during these events, but how they impact the individual’s development over the lifespan. A beautiful work!” -- Rev. Terri Daniel, MA, CT, founder of The Afterlife Conference, End-of-Life Advisor, Interfaith Chaplaincy, Bereavement Support

“In her truly groundbreaking book, The Forever Angels, P.M.H. Atwater has boldly gone where no researcher has dared to go before—into the lives of the newly born who have had NDEs. And what she has found gives us an important new way to view NDEs—for these children, it isn’t what we thought. PMH Atwater is the field’s most creative and tireless researcher! Actually, it’s a helluva book.”--Kenneth Ring, Ph.D., author of Lessons from the Light

“P.M.H. Atwater’s latest book, The Forever Angels, is a triumph. I was riveted from beginning to end with these amazing stories. As a three-time near-death experiencer, I am deeply grateful for this groundbreaking research. Although her work on Earth is pioneering, we are peering through a veil onto an eternal landscape. Everyone should read this book to get a powerful glimpse into the reality of life.” --Julie Loar, Award-winning author of Goddesses for Every Day

“Forever Angels delivers a fascinating review of the youngest survivors of near-death experiences. Looking back, sometimes decades later, unique patterns in their lives reveal the profound influence of their interactions with the spiritual realm at such a tender age.” --Karen Newell, coauthor of Living in a Mindful Universe and cofounder of Sacred Acoustics

“One of the most influential researchers into the mystery of the Near-Death Experience is P.M.H. Atwater. Dr. Atwater is not only a meticulous and systematic collector of anecdotal evidence with regards to the power of the NDE as a life-changing event, but she is also one of the very few authors on the subject who can combine extensive and in-depth knowledge with one very important aspect—she has experienced the NDE state not once, but on three occasions. In this book, P.M.H. has given a voice to those whose experiences during childhood and infancy has, to date, been somewhat neglected and, in doing so, has given other authors like myself, a great deal of food for thought and an intriguing new area of investigation.” --Anthony Peake, author of Making Sense of Near-Death Experiences