Threshold, Alexander Batthyany
Threshold, Alexander Batthyany
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Threshold
Terminal Lucidity and the Border of Life and Death

Author: Alexander Batthyány

Narrator: Eric Meyers

Unabridged: 7 hr 36 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/12/2023

Synopsis

Terminal lucidity is a relatively common but poorly understood phenomenon. Near the end of life, many people—including those who have suffered brain injuries or strokes, or have been silenced by mental illness or deep dementia—experience what seems a miraculous return. They regain their clarity and energy, are able to talk with families and caregivers, recall their lives and often appear to be aware of their nearing death.

In this remarkable audiobook, cognitive scientist and Director of the Viktor Frankl Institute Dr. Alexander Batthyány offers the first major account of terminal lucidity, utilizing hundreds of case studies and his research in the related field of near-death studies to explore the mind, the body, the nature of consciousness, and what the living can learn from those who are crossing the border from life to death.

Astonishing, authoritative, and deeply moving, Threshold opens a doorway into one of life's—and death's—most provocative mysteries.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press Essentials.

About Alexander Batthyány

Prof. Dr. Alexander Batthyány is Director of the Research Institute for Theoretical Psychology and Personalist Studies at Pázmány Péter University, Budapest and is faculty Professor for Existential Psychotherapy at the Moscow Institute of Psychoanalysis. He is Director of the Viktor Frankl Institute in Vienna. He is author or editor of more than 15 books. His academic work has been translated into 10 languages. He has been invited to give lectures around the world. Batthyány divides his time between Vienna and the Hungarian countryside, where he and his wife and daughters are developing an alternative intentional community.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Jamie on April 27, 2023

This is beautiful and well researched. When I did hospice I saw this a few times myself. People "rally" a day or two before they pass on. They can suddenly walk, remember people, and wrap up some loose ends. We knew to watch for it and prepare the family for the end. Usually after they rally they st......more

Goodreads review by Jackie on August 24, 2023

What an absolutely fascinating topic. I’ve long heard of this phenomenon from friends with their families/friends who are nurses, but have not experienced it first hand. The book is filled with anecdotal stories, while also touching on the ways that these stories are being verified. It touches on nea......more

Goodreads review by ashsmashstars on October 26, 2023

This is a deep dive and fascinating read about things that have been proven with science and things that have not. A thin line that we walk between life and death, lucid or not. Anyone can pick up this book and learn something new!......more

Goodreads review by Ian on November 14, 2023

Preamble The rally, or the last hurrah, which in recent years has been termed terminal lucidity, refers to where a person, typically suffering from dementia or some other neurological disorder, suddenly and seemingly miraculously reverts to their pre-dementia original selves. This usually occurs shor......more

Goodreads review by Madeline on August 19, 2023

And cue the existential crisis coming a day before my birthday… This was a really interesting topic to cover. I’ve known of this happening in those close to death for a while now and experienced with my grandma, but I’ve never really known the history or layers behind it. I thought this did a really......more

Quotes

“This is a terrific book. Dr. Batthyany has created an enlightening examination of the phenomenon that is very familiar to those who care for the terminally ill and their families. Threshold should have a positive effect on the care of the terminally ill.”
--Dr. Raymond Moody, author of Life After Life

"Captivating... This engaging examination of consciousness in the borderland between life and death explores our sense of self, how our identities are tied to our bodies, and what happens when those links are severed. Threshold is guaranteed to challenge your concepts of who you are.” --Bruce Greyson, M.D., Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry & Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, and author of After: A Doctor Explores What Near-Death Experiences Reveal about Life and Beyond

"Remarkable...[Threshold] has spectacular, shattering, and life-changing implications and consequences." --Peter Kreeft, PhD, Professor of Philosophy, Boston College, author of Love Is Stronger Than Death, Heaven, the Heart's Deepest Longing, and Everything You Wanted to Know About Heaven

"In his groundbreaking book, Threshold, Alexander Batthyany skillfully and magically describes the mystery and miracle of terminal lucidity, raising the existential question about what exactly is “self” and what happens after one's journey of life reaches its completion."--Dr. Rudolph E. Tanzi, New York Times bestselling author of Super Brain and The Healing Self

"In a world where science has become reductionist in its scope, Threshold reminds us that our lives have deep meanings which defy quantification and which are essential to our physical and emotional well being."--Dr. Jay Lombard, author of Mind of God and Neuroscience and the Search for the Soul

"Threshold weaves together the astonishing phenomenon of terminal lucidity and remarkable death-bed experiences, with keen reflections from the perspectives of the neurosciences and existential philosophy. In so doing, author Alexander Batthyany challenges our most basic understandings of life, death, and consciousness. This compelling journey through the mysteries of the mind transcends the boundaries of biological materialism, and it underscores the profound value of individuality and human dignity. Highly recommended." -- Dean Radin, PhD, Chief Scientist, Institute of Noetic Sciences, and author of Real Magic

"[Batthyany's] in-depth, thoughtful investigation of a perennially fascinating phenomenon will garner interest." --Publishers Weekly

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