"For in that sleep of death what dreams may come,
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Must give us pause." Hamlet, Act III, Sc. 1, frontispiece of novel.

"Not so. I saw my body in a sack of many colors, drawn up by the silver cord. I felt a dropping sensation, heard a snapping noise—as though a giant rubber band had broken—felt myself begin to rise." Chapter 1, p. 21.

"Let me discuss it in brief then, this display of scenes. It was more than a 'flash before my eyes.' I was more than just a viewer; that became apparent very soon. I relived each moment with acute perception, experiencing and understanding simultaneously. The phenomenon was vivid, Robert, each emotion infinitely multiplied by level upon level of awareness." Chapter 4, p. 37.

"'I don't believe in survival after death,' Ann interrupted him. 'I believe that...