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A review by avalinahsbooks
Shine on: The Remarkable Story of How I Fell Under a Speeding Train, Journeyed to the Afterlife, and the Astonishing Proof I Brought Back with Me by David Ditchfield, J S Jones PH
4.0
How I read this: Free ebook copy received through NetGalley
NDE stories are nearly always inspiring, and that's why I couldn't turn down a chance at reading and reviewing this one when I was invited to. The bulk of the book isn't about the NDE - rather, it's about the time before it (the time the author was struggling with life) and the time after it (the time it took to heal - more mentally rather than physically, and more from the effects of his life before rather than just the accident itself.)
It is a strong story for sure. There is a lot on what stages David had to go through during his therapy to get over some of the inhibitions and blocks he had in himself that were stopping him from moving forward.
There is also a tendency in this book to focus on the spiritual side - but by no means in terms of religion - there is nothing of religion here. But there is a belief in the far-reaching consciousness of existence - something bigger than us, something humbling. I believe the author has tried very hard to convey this sense in all his work ever since he had the accident - in his paintings as well as his music, and even this story.
Perhaps the most moving part of this story, when you think about it, is to know that the author lost basically most of the use of his arm after the accident, and yet, the fact that he can barely use it anymore rarely even comes up in the story. It's as if what he gained spiritually from the NDE experience is just so much more important to his life than the fact that he has been permanently physically affected and can't really live the way he did before. With most accident stories, you will hear a lot about how hard it was to get over the new disability, the pain and the sudden impossibility to do things that came naturally and easily before the accident, as well as how the healing went. But in this book, this is mentioned so little that you almost forget what he's gone through physically (which I can imagine must've been an ordeal). That really stood out for me - but only after I finished the book did I realize how odd it was not to have heard more about it, when it so clearly makes up a lot of the author's life after his accident. It only goes to show how much he must've gained from his spiritual experience and how its meaning is bigger to him than the ways he is now more physically challenged than he was before. (This is just my take on it though, it might be that the author had other reasons for not sharing it.)
At the end of the book there is an interview with his friends and relatives and what they think about what happened to David. That was also interesting to read. David also has a website where you can listen to his symphony and see some of his paintings - it really brings his story together and sort of brings it from just the pages of the book into our own reality.
It is a wild, inspiring and unusual story to say the least. Also written in a captivating way, it was a good read and if you're into reading about soul-searching and life-changing events, you should read it.
Triggers
I must warn that the first third of the book is very upsetting. David is experiencing a real breaking point in his life where things just fall apart, and that's even before his accident. It's really sad. And as for the accident... I don't know when I became this emotionally frail wreck that cries even at books, apparently (not even movies anymore!), but I cried at the part where David gets crushed under the train. I mean, I knew it was coming, that's what the whole book is about, and I knew he survives - but I cried, and it wasn't just a few tears (yeah, okay, I wept.) It was just so heart-breaking and terrifying. Not to mention morbid and gory (he had a terrible wound). While it may be worth reading for what comes after, if you are sensitive to this kind of thing then you should know that it's really quite tough to stomach. The therapy that David goes through was also not very easy to read and could prove triggering to some people - he suffers a lot of anxiety and feelings of inadequacy, inferiority (also he feels very bad about having dyslexia). I certainly got triggered by some of it myself and I can see others finding it tough to relive. So while the book is inspiring and humbling, it's also really, really hard to read if you're not in a good place right now, so keep these triggers in mind.
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
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NDE stories are nearly always inspiring, and that's why I couldn't turn down a chance at reading and reviewing this one when I was invited to. The bulk of the book isn't about the NDE - rather, it's about the time before it (the time the author was struggling with life) and the time after it (the time it took to heal - more mentally rather than physically, and more from the effects of his life before rather than just the accident itself.)
It is a strong story for sure. There is a lot on what stages David had to go through during his therapy to get over some of the inhibitions and blocks he had in himself that were stopping him from moving forward.
There is also a tendency in this book to focus on the spiritual side - but by no means in terms of religion - there is nothing of religion here. But there is a belief in the far-reaching consciousness of existence - something bigger than us, something humbling. I believe the author has tried very hard to convey this sense in all his work ever since he had the accident - in his paintings as well as his music, and even this story.
Perhaps the most moving part of this story, when you think about it, is to know that the author lost basically most of the use of his arm after the accident, and yet, the fact that he can barely use it anymore rarely even comes up in the story. It's as if what he gained spiritually from the NDE experience is just so much more important to his life than the fact that he has been permanently physically affected and can't really live the way he did before. With most accident stories, you will hear a lot about how hard it was to get over the new disability, the pain and the sudden impossibility to do things that came naturally and easily before the accident, as well as how the healing went. But in this book, this is mentioned so little that you almost forget what he's gone through physically (which I can imagine must've been an ordeal). That really stood out for me - but only after I finished the book did I realize how odd it was not to have heard more about it, when it so clearly makes up a lot of the author's life after his accident. It only goes to show how much he must've gained from his spiritual experience and how its meaning is bigger to him than the ways he is now more physically challenged than he was before. (This is just my take on it though, it might be that the author had other reasons for not sharing it.)
At the end of the book there is an interview with his friends and relatives and what they think about what happened to David. That was also interesting to read. David also has a website where you can listen to his symphony and see some of his paintings - it really brings his story together and sort of brings it from just the pages of the book into our own reality.
It is a wild, inspiring and unusual story to say the least. Also written in a captivating way, it was a good read and if you're into reading about soul-searching and life-changing events, you should read it.
Triggers
I must warn that the first third of the book is very upsetting. David is experiencing a real breaking point in his life where things just fall apart, and that's even before his accident. It's really sad. And as for the accident... I don't know when I became this emotionally frail wreck that cries even at books, apparently (not even movies anymore!), but I cried at the part where David gets crushed under the train. I mean, I knew it was coming, that's what the whole book is about, and I knew he survives - but I cried, and it wasn't just a few tears (yeah, okay, I wept.) It was just so heart-breaking and terrifying. Not to mention morbid and gory (he had a terrible wound). While it may be worth reading for what comes after, if you are sensitive to this kind of thing then you should know that it's really quite tough to stomach. The therapy that David goes through was also not very easy to read and could prove triggering to some people - he suffers a lot of anxiety and feelings of inadequacy, inferiority (also he feels very bad about having dyslexia). I certainly got triggered by some of it myself and I can see others finding it tough to relive. So while the book is inspiring and humbling, it's also really, really hard to read if you're not in a good place right now, so keep these triggers in mind.
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
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