M.J. Rose

What use is an afterlife when we have a heaven right here on earth where we float disembodied and live forever as digital code? Are we already being downloaded into immortality in cyberspace?

The Pearly Gates of Cyberspace: A History of Space from Dante to the Internet by Margaret Wertheim is a comprehensive investigation into the idea of virtual reality as a return to the medieval concept of non-physical space (like the “virtual” realms of heaven and hell), and about the possibility of interpreting computer technology in traditionally religious terms. Whether there is a conclusion to be made on this mysterious and intriguing subject remains to be seen. Can one compare the afterlife to cyberspace who has not actually been to heaven or hell? Perhaps only those of us who recall past lives or who have experienced near-death are truly qualified to ponder this subject…

(Amazon reviews)
In Pythagoras’ Trousers, science writer and feminist Margaret Wertheim took an astute look at the social and cultural history of physics. She explored how the development of physics became intertwined with the rising power of institutionalized religion, and how both of these predominantly masculine pursuits have influenced women’s ability to join the physics community. Now she has turned her attention to virtual reality, looking at similarities between how we view it today and how art and religion was viewed in medieval times. Her assertion is that rather than carrying us forward into new and fabulous other worlds, virtual reality is actually carrying us backwards–to essentially medieval dreams. Beginning with the medieval view, with its definition of the world as spiritual space, Wertheim traces the emergence of modern physics’ emphasis on physical space. She then presents her thesis: that cyberspace, which is an outgrowth of modern science, posits the existence of a genuine yet immaterial world in which people are invited to commune in a nonbodily fashion, just as medieval theology brought intangible souls together in heaven. The perfect realm awaits, we are told, not behind the pearly gates but the electronic gateways labeled .com and .net. How did we get from seeing ourselves in soul space (the world of Dante and the late medievals) to seeing ourselves as purely in body space (the world of Newton and Einstein)? This crucial transition and the new shift propelled by the Internet are convincingly described in this challenging book.

Buy the book on Amazon.

Read more about Wertheim’s compelling new book in a Salon.com article: Is the Internet the new heaven?

The Great Book of Natural Liberation through Understanding in the Between, or as we Westerners refer to it – Tibetan Book of the Dead, written by Padma Sambhava in the late eighth century, vividly describes the “betweens” (Bardos) or after-death transition states. It serves as a practical guidebook for the recently dead as he travels through the death experience toward liberation or enlightenment, or back to earth in another incarnation.

The documentary film The Tibetan Book of the Dead is narrated by none other than Leonard Cohen whose calming deep voice guides us as we experience from a private perspective how the Book of the Dead is used and understood by Tibetan Buddhists: “Death is real, it comes without warning and it cannot be escaped. An ancient source of strength and guidance, The Tibetan Book of the Dead remains an essential teaching in the Buddhist cultures of the Himalayas. Narrated by Leonard Cohen, this enlightening two-part series explores the sacred text and boldly visualizes the afterlife according to its profound wisdom. “A Way of Life” reveals the history of The Tibetan Book of the Dead and examines its traditional use in northern India, as well as its acceptance in Western hospices. Shot over a four-month period, the film contains footage of the rites and liturgies for a deceased Ladakhi elder and includes an interview with the Dalai Lama, who shares his views on the book’s meaning and importance.”

Watch a segment of Part I of the documentary: The Tibetan Book of the Dead: A Way of Life –

Purchase the DVD (parts I and II) on Amazon – The Tibetan Book of the Dead (A Way of Life / The Great Liberation)

Purchase the Book of the Dead on Amazon – The Tibetan Book of the Dead translated by Robert Thurman

“Imagine that as you leave your body at death, you hear the voice of a loved one whispering in your ear explanations of everything you see in the world beyond. Unlike other translations of Bar do thos grol (or The Tibetan Book of the Dead), Robert Thurman’s takes literally the entire gamut of metaphysical assumptions. Thurman translates Bar do thos grol as The Great Book of Natural Liberation through Understanding in the Between. It is one of many mortuary texts of the Nyingma sect of Tibetan Buddhism and is commonly recited to or by a person facing imminent death. Thurman reproduces it for this purpose, explaining in some depth the Tibetan conception of postmortem existence. Over as many as 12 days, the deceased person is given explanations of what he or she sees and experiences and is guided through innumerable visions of the realms beyond to reach eventual liberation, or, failing that, a safe rebirth. Like a backpacker’s guide to a foreign land, Thurman’s version is clear, detailed, and sympathetic to the inexperienced voyager. It includes background and supplementary information, and even illustrations (sorry, no maps). Don’t wait until the journey has begun. Every page should be read and memorized well ahead of time. –Brian Bruya (Amazon reviews)”

(The International Association For Near Death Studies) The most compelling, up-to-date video on NDEs, “The Day I Died”, produced by the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) in 2002, can now be purchased in the United States. The video features in-depth case studies of NDEs including a dramatic veridical (verifiably accurate) out-of-body experience, the most recent research studies, and balanced interpretations of NDE experiences from both skeptical and “believer” perspectives – virtually everything an inquiring mind would need for an introduction to NDEs.

Watch the video online at The Daily Grail.