New Books and Media

From the back cover: In Greek mythology, the river Styx represents the boundary between the land of the living and the land of the dead. In this book, leading experts in the field of near-death studies describe what people experience on the banks of this river. The authors teamed up to present innovative and cutting-edge research on a rich variety of end-of-life experiences, near-death experiences, coma experiences, and after-death communications. In addition to bearing enormous practical significance for healthcare, these interrelated experiences indicate that consciousness is more than a byproduct of brain chemistry. On the banks of the river Styx, consciousness may emerge from the dying brain like a phoenix, spreading its wings towards new horizons.

From the back cover: Dans ce nouvel ouvrage, Mallory Clément, chercheur indépendant en parapsychologie, explore avec rigueur et engagement les phénomènes de hantises, d’apparitions et de poltergeists à travers le prisme de la phénoménologie. Fort de son expérience de terrain, de ses lectures critiques et de sa participation à l’A-IMI, l’auteur propose un état des lieux éclairé des recherches sur les expériences exceptionnelles (ExE), tout en dénonçant les biais idéologiques et les lacunes des discours pseudo-sceptiques dominants. S’appuyant sur une solide bibliographie académique, Mallory Clément examine les hypothèses scientifiques contemporaines – qu’elles relèvent de la survie de la conscience, de la physique ou de la psychologie – et souligne la pertinence d’une approche pluraliste pour comprendre ces manifestations qui échappent aux cadres explicatifs classiques. Il démonte les raisonnements circulaires des critiques orthodoxes et oppose à leurs affirmations péremptoires une phénoménologie documentée, rigoureuse et ouverte. Ce livre s’adresse aux curieux exigeants, aux chercheurs en devenir, aux passionnés de l’étrange et à tous ceux qui refusent de voir dans le paranormal un simple divertissement ou une survivance de croyances archaïques. Loin d’éluder les objections, Mallory Clément les intègre à une réflexion critique et nuancée, plaidant pour une véritable science du paranormal ancrée dans l’écoute, la rigueur et le respect des témoins.

From the back cover: What if memory does not end with the brain, and identity is more than what we live in a single lifetime? This book takes readers on a journey beyond Darwin’s Theory of Evolution to explore the hidden structures that allow knowledge, skills, and memories to reappear in unexpected ways. From children who recall lives they never lived, to individuals who gain extraordinary abilities after trauma, these mysteries point to something deeper at work. The Theory of Continuity, developed from the Atomic Structure in Linguistics, offers a new way of seeing how meaning endures, reactivates, and connects us across time. Written for curious minds, this book invites readers to reconsider what it means to exist, to remember, and to remain human.

From the publisher's website: Have you ever thought of someone just before they called? Or experienced a coincidence that felt too unlikely to be true? It’s all too easy to dismiss synchronicities or signs like these as chance. But what if they weren’t? And what if, by learning to tune into them, you could access a guiding wisdom that would help you overcome challenges and cultivate personal growth? In this groundbreaking book, world-renowned neuroscientist Dr. Tara Swart explains how. Bringing together breathtaking real-life stories with teachings from cognitive psychology, near-death experiences, and much more ...

Further information at the publisher's website: HarperOne.

Review by Bernard D. Beitman.

From the back cover: It began with whispers in a dimly lit room. In the 1840s, the Fox Sisters―and the legions of mediums they inspired―ignited the Spiritualist movement that swept through Victorian parlors and presidential campaigns alike. Contacting the dead wasn't merely a parlor trick: It was a political statement, a declaration of self that still echoes. Séances attracted suffragists and scientists, skeptics and charlatans, giving women a voice in a society that often refused to hear them. But as Spiritualism surged, it also blurred the lines between faith, fraud, feminism, and financial opportunity, drawing figures as varied as Harry Houdini, Victoria Woodhull, and even modern self-help gurus into its ever-expanding orbit.

From wartime séances to the rise of televangelists, from Victorian ghosts to goop-approved wellness rituals, When We Spoke to the Dead unearths the forgotten roots of today's obsession with manifestation, mysticism, and the power of belief. Exploring America's deep-seated hunger for the unseen―whether through politics, personal empowerment, or grief―this book traces how the supernatural, once condemned as heresy, became the ultimate commodity.

From the publisher's website: A social, historical and scientific exploration of ghost-hunting, and why our fascination with the paranormal is as timeless as the ghosts we hope to find. The history of ghosts is ancient, but the history of active ghost-hunting is relatively recent, and investigations into the paranormal have developed hand-in-spirit-hand with scientific discoveries, from radio waves to smartphone apps. Now, more than ever, we want to find our own ghosts. Is it to help process grief? Become influencers? Or ease our fears of death?

Further information at the publisher's website: Bloomsbury Sigma.

Review by Nemo C. Mörck.

From the publisher's website: From cursed houses where restless spirits whisper in the dark to shadowy apparitions lurking in the corners of forgotten places, Ghostly Encounters: Terrifyingly True Hauntings delves into eerie and unexplained tales that still baffle, intrigue, and terrify us to this day. Encounter malevolent poltergeists who wreak havoc on unsuspecting families, ghostly figures bound by tragic pasts, and haunted locations steeped in mystery and fear. Explore legends of cursed objects, spectral warnings, and the unrelenting presence of those who refuse to leave the mortal world behind.

Further information at the publisher's website: Visible Ink Press.

Review by TyLean Tuijl.

From the publisher's website: Some paranormal phenomena and powers of the mind are real, but mainstream science dismisses it all as fantasy. The Science of the Paranormal looks toward the overwhelming evidence that something weird and wild lies behind our everyday reality. Credible witnesses have seen paranormal activity with their own eyes. Scientists have studied it in their labs. And everyday we see depictions of it in popular media like Stranger Things and X-Men. 

Further information at the publisher's website: Skyhorse Publishing,

From the publisher's website: Robert. Annabelle. Peggy. The very names of these dolls can strike fear into your heart. Fiona Dodwell, who has been gripped by the idea of spirit-possessed dolls for years, dives into real world and fictional examples of toys gone bad—playthings meant to comfort children but instead make life a living hell. Fiona presents a comprehensive collection of true-life cases of haunted dolls, including lesser-known ones such as Mandy and Okiku. She also explores the killer dolls that have inspired endless horror movies and books. To chill your spine even further, Fiona shares interviews with Child's Play writer and director Don Mancini, actress Jennifer Tilly, Patti Negri of Ghost Adventures, Jayne Harris of Help! My House Is Haunted, and many, many more. Creepy, addictive, and meticulously researched, this book takes paranormal enthusiasts on a thrilling journey into the dark and fascinating world of haunted dolls.

Further information at the publisher's website: Llewellyn.

Review by Fred Andersson.

From the publisher's website: Tapping into a growing interest in American culture with the occult and new spiritualism, this book is the first scholarly work devoted entirely to the unique place of Ouija in American culture. On the one hand, Ouija has at different moments in history pointed to a deep fascination and openness with the supernatural in the American psyche. On the other hand, Ouija resides squarely outside of orthodox religious belief, and, as we shall see, garners suspicion and even outright rejection from various Christian traditions especially. Thus this cardboard doorway to the supernatural continues to reflect some of the most interesting paradoxes in American life. Bringing together an international team of scholars, this book shows that what qualifies as religious remains an open question, and how Americans continue to grapple with what practices lie within and without the traditions they inherit and pass on.

Further information at the publisher's website: Routledge.

Review by Nemo C. Mörck.

From the publisher's website: The phenomenon of near-death experiences (NDEs) has fascinated humanity for centuries but remains famously difficult to define and study. This book presents a unique source, integrating historical, clinical, psychological, and neuroscientific approaches toward a modern scientific understanding of NDEs. Featuring exciting clinical and experimental details about processes in dying brains, it examines the physiological and psychological underpinnings of this extraordinary phenomenon. Chapters offer science-based accounts of NDEs as a natural part of the human condition informed by our biology and the remarkable capacities of the brain. By proposing that the origin of NDEs can be found in the physiology-dependent mental processes of the experiencer as expressed in altered states of consciousness, this book provides up-to-date insights for psychologists, psychiatrists, neuroscientists, and philosophers alike.

Further information at the publisher's website: Cambridge University Press.

From the publisher's website: In the summer of 1998, FBI agent Bob Hilland reluctantly picked up the phone to call the famous psychic John Edward. Bob didn’t expect much from the call, but he was working on an unsolvable cold case and had nowhere else to turn. What Bob never imagined was that the call would lead to a shattering of all his preconceived notions, a huge break in the cold case, and an unlikely crime-solving partnership that spanned twenty-five years. As Bob and John took on more cases together, they slowly learned how to rely on each other and trust their skills, ultimately finding not only justice for the crimes they solved, but resolution and healing in their own lives. Centering on the investigation of the gruesome John Smith murders that rocked the nation, Chasing Evil is a heart-stopping story of murder, justice, and finding help in unexpected places.

Further information at the publisher's website: St. Martin's Essentials.