Shamans and mystics all throughout history have sought to enter the after life through the process of "dying before dying," which hence inspired the Cooks o the Dead across continents and millennia. Author Stanslav Grof, in this book, argues that these depictions and ritual manuals are all bound by common threads, and that the theories of modern consciousness may be bringing us closer than ever to the realms beyond life. Redesigned and reformatted in its new edition, this classic series provides a thorough introduction to the worlds of mythology, symbols, and sacred traditions of the dead.