COMING BACK is a story about a family that weaves in themes of reincarnation, the spirit world (heaven), and guardian angels. It also includes phenomena such as death-bed visions and after-death communications, woven in as part of the story. Through roller-coaster events that the family goes through, the reader gets a taste of how soul mate groups in heaven plan reincarnations on earth and how complex it all can be.

The story also reveals how reincarnation is NOT a choice for spirits who have much to learn in terms of spiritual advancement. In other words, most people have to keep coming back to earth until they reach a certain level of spiritual growth, after which reincarnation IS a choice. The characters are appealing and the reader is drawn into their lives and their learning about how the universe is set up.

Although this a fiction piece, it uses concepts and research findings from scholarly literature about reincarnation, soul mate angels, guardian angels, aspects of heaven, abilities of spirits, death-bed visions, and the life review process after dying, to provide as accurate a view as possible of all these phenomena.

Excerpt

INTERIOR: LIVING ROOM (EVENING)

As always, the living room looks warm and cozy. Raina and Lucien are sitting on the sofa, with the children between them. Everyone is wearing formal clothes.

Lucien: I’m glad we had the memorial on the river bank.

Raina: Me, too. It was so beautiful. And very comforting to share all the lovely memories we had of Nana with her friends.

Maya: But where has Nana gone, Mommy?

Jaylen: She’s in heaven. Right, Dad?

Lucien: That’s right.

Maya: But is she happy?

Raina: I’m sure she is. She and Papa are together now.

The children look pleased. The parents hug them.

Lucien scribbles something on a piece of paper and passes it quietly to Raina. The children don’t see any of his actions.

Raina peeks at the paper, and the camera focuses in on it.

We see the words “I wonder if Ray really came that night to fetch Anita.”

Raina’s eyes grow wide and she smiles at Lucien.

INTERIOR: MASTER BEDROOM (NIGHT)

Raina is in bed, working on her laptop. Lucien gets into bed and looks quizzically at her.

Lucien: What are you working on so intently?

Raina: Wait, I’m nearly done.

She shuts off the laptop and puts it away.

Raina (excitedly): I searched for “visions before dying” and discovered that the phenomenon is real. It’s called “death-bed visions” and has been recorded for a very long time.

Lucien: How wonderful!

Raina: People often see their loved ones right before they leave the earth. In the past this was easily accepted. Today, many of the dying are heavily medicated, so they miss out on this. And when anyone does report it, others write it off as hallucinations.

Lucien (smiling): So, Ray really did come for Anita.

Raina (hugging him): Yes. Thanks for suggesting it earlier.

Lucien: And you did well in researching it so quickly.

Raina: It’s magical that they’re together, right from the moment she crossed over.

Lucien: I know now that you and I will always be together.

They kiss. Then Raina snuggles up and rests her head on Lucien’s shoulder, as he hugs her.

Raina: I realize now that Papa really had been watching over Nana these last few months.

Lucien: Yes, he was her guardian angel.

Raina: So have my parents been watching over me, too?

Lucien (eyes widening): I think you’re right.

Raina: Do you think they gave us the heavenly gifts of geese?

Lucien (laughing): Yes, I think so. They’re your guardian angels.