Beyond and Back
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| Beyond and Back | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | James L. Conway |
| Produced by | Charles E. Sellier Jr. |
| Written by | Stephen Lord Ralph Wilkerson |
| Music by | Bob Summers |
| Cinematography | Henning Schellerup |
| Editing by | Kent Schafer |
| Distributed by | Sunn Classic Pictures |
| Release date(s) | 1978 |
| Running time | 95 minutes |
| Language | English |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Beyond And Back is a 1978 documentary released by Sunn Classic Pictures that deals with the subject of near death experiences. This was one of the first movies to explore this subject and pose the question "Is there life after death".
Contents |
[edit] Experiences of resuscitated patients
The feature film was narrated by Brad Crandall and claimed to have used actual accounts of what researchers now refer to as near-death experiences or NDE's. Generally speaking, a patient who has experienced an NDE has clinically "died" (lost some or all vital signs) but then has been revived through the use of modern medical technology or procedures (such as CPR). Some people who have experienced an NDE have given very vivid accounts of their experiences which, in turn, has caused some in the medical field to take interest and initiate research projects into the phenomenon.
For example, when Ernest Hemingway was a young soldier serving in World War I, he was badly wounded by an exploding shell during a battle. He claimed to have felt his soul leave his body, fly around for a bit, and then he returned. The famed author later drew upon this actual experience in his novel A Farewell to Arms.
[edit] The dark tunnel and the light
Many others told of going through a long dark tunnel and seeing a bright light at the other end that they knew was a divine being. They spoke of seeing a review of their entire lives and knowing that they were being given a second chance to return to their former lives. This feature further revealed a study that the producers claimed had been done by scientists involving terminal patients. These dying people were said to have been placed on a special bed attached to a sensitive scale. Doctors determined that in each case there was a loss of a few ounces at the exact moment of death. The doctors were said to have wondered if that could possibly have been the soul leaving the body.
[edit] A reported unpleasant NDE
At the climax of the film, an account was given of a young woman who had a near death experience after attempting suicide. In the words of narrator Crandall, it was a horror story. The young woman drove her car off a cliff and told of flying through a long dark tunnel and being attacked by demonic beings and snakes in a place where it was utterly bleak and terrifying. She was shown her family and friends grieving over her death and the children she was supposed to bear. The young woman screamed out that she wanted to live and awoke alive. The producers of the film indicated that this type of experience is common with people that try to take their own lives. However, studies by Kenneth Ring do not support this opinion.
[edit] Recent criticisms
One part of the film has been debated in recent years. In 1931, the famed inventor, Thomas Edison, lay dying. It was reported that just before expiring, he opened his eyes and exclaimed "It is very beautiful over there". Many observers and commentators felt he was seeing Heaven. However, as critics to this view have subsequently pointed out, at the moment of this utterance he was looking at the meadow outside his bedroom window. Edison was said to have often commented about how "beautiful" it was; many critics believe, therefore, that this Edison quote has been taken out of context.
