Memory of Elsewhere

Ian W. Toal is a registered nurse in Barrie, Ontario.

The impetus for this book was a near-fatal car accident that the author
suffered in 1994. During her recovery period, she experienced “a
floating bliss which was more real to me than possibly anything else in
my life had been ... During this time I was completely in the present
... and it was certain of two things ... that there’s no difference
between life and death. ...[and] it didn’t matter in the least if I
lived or died.” This beginning prompts Murray’s examination of life,
religion, and many of the philosophies that guide us in our spiritual
journey.

A major problem with the book is that it is disjointed. The author’s
accident quickly recedes, and what follows is a stream of unconnected
ideas and thoughts whose purpose is unclear. Some people may derive
comfort or satisfaction from Memory of Elsewhere; others will find it
self-indulgent and annoying.