Really interesting, although a little repetitive.

All in all, I enjoyed Moorjani's story - it was fascinating, and she did a great job answering the questions at the end of the book. ( )

Engrossing story about a woman who nearly died of cancer then experienced a miraculous recovery. The account provides some evidence that our physical well being may, in some cases, be linked to our beliefs. ( )

I went back and forth on this one. The good is that she has valuable advice and perspective to offer. She has a unique way of talking about the importance of your emotional state, being love, being magnificent and sharing that magnificence with the world, allowing things to happen but keep doing what you love and the right things will happen. This was in contrast to using positive thought and attempting to attract what you want by wishing it. Her view is a useful one. If it was a religion, I would call it the Religion of Leo (the astrological sign), because it reminds me of that sign's propensity to be warm, loving, beaming with radiance like the sun in the sky, but for which others get the impression they are self-centered or living like the world revolves around them. Despite those misgivings of some people, I actually value her perspective.

There was a lot to dislike unfortunately. She writes well, but emotionally flat--which doesn't sit ideally in a description of a near-death experience. My personal disappointment was with the lacking spiritual, or otherworldly details in her out-of-body experience. When I read this genre I am most intrigued by what one encounters on the other side. I imagine it's hard to put into words feelings of infinity or just how pure unconditional love can be. But I wanted more description. I was disappointed that part of the precious space for describing the out-of-body experience was instead used to formulate an analogy, and that was left to suffice. The analogy may be useful, but that can come later.

The out-of-body experience was lacking characteristics that I've come to recognize as earmarks. So it made me feel that she generalized too much or left out important details. When she described that she sensed the essence? or presence? of loved ones, but gave no description of it, that was too vague for me, and seemed inconsistent with other accounts I've read.

The serious problem with the book is how far she takes her extrapolations. She went beyond the veil, felt infinite unconditional love, she was the love, she was divinity, divinity was her, felt the connectedness to everyone and everything, etc--but that doesn't mean that you saw everything there is to see, and gained all the knowledge there is to gain. For example, she didn't see a Hell, so now she simply pronounces there is no Hell--while many others who have died have seen Hell, experienced Hell in gruesome detail. Her account is that there was no judgement from the unconditional love. But even within this context Hell can still exist if only in the form of a person who is judging themselves.

The worst part is the floatsam like the magic of how she got her book deal, met Wayne Dyer, a recounting of the similar details from Wayne Dyer and then his secretary, etc.--which was obviously used to fluff the page count. ( )

This book was really instrumental for my growth in terms of teaching me how to love and embrace myself. Anita assured us in her own beautiful way that we are all perfect just the way we are, and that we need to do more of what makes us, US. She gave an example of how she used to dye her hair a multitude of colors during her teen years while idolizing Cyndy Lauper and described how that was shunned in her reserved Indian culture. She was made to feel ashamed for her behavior but later reflected that that was just a pure expression of who she was. We should all embrace that facet of ourselves, even if it is not accepted by societal norms. I walked away from her book feeling as if I was a wonderful and perfect creature who was made in the light of perfection; it really helped me embrace myself and foster self-love which is actually pivotal in the face of loving others. ( )

I found the book interesting but repetitive. ( )

I have signed up for Hay House's book reviewer program at [...], and my first review is of Anita Moorjani's Dying to Be Me. This book first came on my radar through a blog post from Danielle LaPorte; and since I have just had kidney cancer surgery in the past year, issues of death and mortality are still very much on my mind.

We get to know Anita long before her cancer diagnosis and see her struggle with resolving conflicts between Hindu cultural expectations and forging her own path, eventually establishing a fulfilling career and finding the love of her life. After a few peaceful years, Anita saw her best friend and her husband's brother-in-law go through painful chemotherapy and eventual death due to cancer. Then she discovered a lump on her shoulder. She is diagnosed with lymphoma and tries to figure out which alternative healing methods to use, but finds herself confused by conflicting theories.

Her health steadily declines, and after four years, she eventually ends up in the hospital, not expected to live through the night. Her near-death experience leads to an encounter with her father and her best friend, who had both passed on years before. She is given the chance to choose death or life. When she regains consciousness, the doctors soon discover her cancer has not only gone into remission, but even disappeared. She learns to let fear go and replace it with joy.

Even though I have never been sure I understand near-death experiences or even believe in them, I would definitely recommend reading this book if you can open your mind to beliefs that may challenge your own. I am not sure I believe that emotional or psychological triggers contribute to getting cancer. ( )

I really enjoyed this book as an amazing story and journey. However the strongest thing I got from this book is the message about being instead of doing. It is very hard to do but when I find myself trying to control something or someone (if I am aware of it) I try to remember to just be. Let it be seems to be the song words to fit in with this book. ( )

This was an amazing book about a young woman's Near Death Experience. It was interesting from not only a a spiritual and medical perspective, but culturally as well. Anita is a Hindu raised in China living amongst British people -- Anita never felt like she fit in and had difficulty with the subservient female role expected of her. She blames her cancer on her many fears. After her visit to the other side, Anita was able to return to complete health in a matter of weeks (astounding!) and she has a whole new outlook on life. Well written and thought-provoking, I really enjoyed this journey.

"I used to suppress my upsetting emotions a lot, because I used to believe that they would attract negativity in my life. In addition, I didn't want to concern others, so I tried to control my thoughts and force myself to be positive. But I now understand that the key is to always honor who you truly are and allow yourself to be in your own truth." (p. 158)

"Every segment of time is totally unique, and as each moment has passed, it can't be replicated in this physical plane. I've learned to be comfortable with that and to live in the moment." (p. 158)

"When I step in to the realm of ambiguity I'm really at my most powerful. Letting go of all previous beliefs, disbeliefs, dogma, and doctrines puts the infinite universe at my disposal and works to give me the best possible outcome for my life. This is where I receive the most internal clarity. It's where magic happens." (p. 166) ( )

Riveting! Great for anyone who has lost someone near and dear to them who wants to understand where they went ... ( )

For me this is the Book of the Year. Everywhere on the Net I encounter interviews and videos with Anita Moorjani, and even quotations by her. And this is well-deserved – we all need to hear of her experience.

Wayne Dyer was involved in “discovering” Anita and helping to get her book published, and has written the foreword to this book.

Anita informs us of her upbringing – born of Indian parents in Singapore but residing in Hong Kong. She was exposed to several cultures and spoke both English, Cantanese and Sindhi fluently.

She managed to avoid an arranged marriage, and eventually finds her “true love”, Danny, whom she marries.

But Anita’s problem is that she is a people-pleaser and is always trying to do what others believe is best, thus finding it impossible to be her true self.

One of Anita’s biggest fears was that she might develop cancer, and her best friend died of the disease, which made her even more fearful. And so she did contract cancer, Though she tries various healing modalities, they are to no avail, and eventually she slips into a coma. This is when she begins to be aware of everything those connected with her are doing and saying. She is at death’s door, but has never felt so good! She had unlimited perception and “360-degree peripheral vision”.

She felt “all moments” at once. “I was aware of everything that pertained to me – past, present, and future – simultaneously.”

She feels she understands the Universe. She realizes that “God isn’t a being, but a state of being … and I was now that state of being!”

She was completely enveloped in unconditional love and acceptance. She saw that she was “a beautiful being of the Universe”. She deserved to be loved simply because she existed. She became aware that we are all connected – everything in the Universe was connected. “The entire Universe is alive and infused with consciousness, encompassing all life and nature.”

In this book not only does Anita describe her NDE in absolute detail, but also explains all the insights she takes back with her from it. Before she wakes from the coma she is told that if she chooses to return to life, she will be healed completely, and this is what happened, despite the doctors doing their best to seek out traces of cancer somewhere or other in her body.

There is a chapter on “Why I got Sick … and Healed”, “Infinite Selves and Universal Energy”, “Allowing and Being Yourself” and, finally, “Questions and Answers”.

Anita’s NDE was a glimpse of our Oneness, and she experienced becoming the Source.

She realized that even the worst criminals, including murderers, are victims of their “own limitations, pain, and fear”. In the other realm we are all One, all the same.

Anita Moorjani is wonderfully articulate, and the book is a joy to read. Absolutely everyone should read this book, particularly of course those afraid of death. They will not be afraid ever again. Anita went through her ordeal in order to experience her NDE and inform you and me and the whole world of the amazing love, acceptance, joy and bliss of the afterlife.

Anita’s final instructions to us are: Go out and live your life fearlessly! ( )

Listened to this book. I enjoyed it all the way up until she started her philosophy. It was too new agy for me. I believe the Lord healed her and we have little to do with it. ( )

If anything can be viewed as life-changing experience, NDE (Near-Death Experience) should be at the top of the list. This book is an extraordinary account of such an experience and the incomprehensible consequences that it brought to the life of the author, far beyond the miraculous healing of her body from cancer. There will be people who would look at this narrative with skepticism (I had some within my close circle who did), but for me it was an extremely inspirational read. It reminded me of another extraordinary book - "My Stroke of Insight" by Jill Bolte Taylor, a Harvard-trained neuroscientist who underwent a transformational experience of a kind, even though no NDE was involved. The message in both books is similar, to an extent. Anita Moorjani makes you think of such concepts as joy vs fear as a leading component of our life, of the importance of functioning in the "being" mode vs in the "doing" mode, of the difference between self-love and selfishness. And then there is this wonderful concept of synchronicity the existence of which even I sometimes feel - "things falling into place effortlessly..." - and which occurs only when one is in tune with the universe - through meditation, mindfulness, etc.

Another crucial point she makes is the fact that we don't have to live in anxiety about what comes next. There is a way of not doing that. "My sense is", the author states, "that the very act of needing certainty is a hindrance to experiencing greater levels of awareness. In contrast, the process of letting go and releasing all attachment to any belief or outcome is cathartic and healing". Once in a while, throughout the book, ideas and notions get repeated again and again, using different words, but this repetitiveness (to which the author herself admits) is in no way to be judged: it's the result of her desire to explain her most extraordinary experience to the reader, to clarify something that fails to be defined, and yet it happened.... ( )

I waited in high anticipation for this book after hearing Dr. Wayne Dyer talk about if often on his radio show. It was not a disappointment. I highly recommend this book for everyone on the planet to read.

We live in a society that is so afraid to talk about death. But after you read Anita's near death experience and what she learned, you will see death in a whole new, beautiful light. Even though she describes her experience so amazingly well, I still wish I could literally get in her head and body to know how she feels. Her description of pure, divine love on the other side is so astounding.

Though I've come to believe we will always be connected with those that we love even after they physically leave us, Anita's book really helped me to truly believe this even more - and gave me comfort that when we leave this planet, we will have so much more to see and do - in a brilliant, spectaular new way. ( )