Across thousands of years, people have described one of the most astonishing of all human phenomena: the near-death experience (NDE), the subjective experience of an Afterlife, a place where we apparently survive death. The more powerful the NDE, the more profound the after effects. The ambitious reset their priorities. Atheists change their values. Doctors rethink their beliefs. But what if the after effects of an NDE were undeniable? What if someone suddenly developed the ability to produce high quality paintings of their NDE, a new-found skill that went far beyond the artistic ability they had before? And what if that same person then suddenly acquired the ability to compose classical symphonies after their NDE? And their symphonies were then premiered at sell out orchestral concerts, even though, to this day, they are unable to read or write a single note of musical notation. Wouldn't this be proof that even a cynic would have a hard time explaining? After his NDE, this is exactly what happened to David. And this is his story.
| Foreword |
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1 | (2) |
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Part I The Unfriendly Universe |
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3 | (92) |
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5 | (11) |
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Chapter 2 The Great Silence |
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16 | (8) |
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24 | (7) |
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Chapter 4 If I Knew You, Would I Want You |
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31 | (11) |
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Chapter 5 The Casual-Smart Dinner Party |
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42 | (11) |
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53 | (15) |
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Chapter 7 The Winged Messenger of Baker Street |
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68 | (6) |
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Chapter 8 The Knight Played Chess with Death |
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74 | (5) |
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Chapter 9 We Are Go for Lift-Off |
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79 | (8) |
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Chapter 10 The 13th Man to Walk on the Moon |
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87 | (8) |
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Part II The Friendly Universe |
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95 | (155) |
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Chapter 11 The Eagle Has Landed |
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97 | (13) |
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110 | (8) |
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Chapter 13 Abraham Lincoln |
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118 | (10) |
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128 | (11) |
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139 | (12) |
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Chapter 16 Universes Colliding |
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151 | (18) |
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Chapter 17 Play the Five Tones |
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169 | (16) |
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Chapter 18 Ariella's Invitation |
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185 | (9) |
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Chapter 19 The Changeover |
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194 | (9) |
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Chapter 20 This Means Something |
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203 | (9) |
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Chapter 21 Halley's Comet |
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212 | (9) |
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Chapter 22 Posh Orchestras, Do's and Don'ts |
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221 | (11) |
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Chapter 23 A Different Drummer |
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232 | (8) |
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Chapter 24 What Will Survive of Us is Love |
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240 | (10) |
| Appendix: The Real-Life Witnesses |
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250 | (5) |
| The Divine Light Symphony Notes |
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255 | (2) |
| About the Authors |
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257 | (2) |
| A Message from David |
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259 | (1) |
| Acknowledgements |
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In 2006 David Ditchfield was dragged under a speeding train in a freak accident. As the surgeons fought to save him, he had a profound near-death experience (NDE). When he woke up in hospital, he had acquired astonishing new abilities. He found he could paint dramatic paintings of what he had seen in the Afterlife, far beyond any artistic ability he had before. He then discovered he could compose classical music, having never received any training. To this day, he cannot read or write a single note of musical notation, and yet his debut NDE-inspired symphony, The Divine Light, was premiered at a sell-out orchestral concert to a standing ovation. He lives, paints and composes in a converted riverside mill near Cambridge, UK.
