Glimpses of Heaven
Dream Visitations from the Afterlife—and a Visit to Eternity
Glimpses of Heaven is a sympathetic personal account of multiple encounters with “departed souls” that are used as evidence for God and faith in eternal life.
Inspired by a profound religious experience said to include a visit to the afterlife, Thomas Hardesty’s Glimpses Of Heaven addresses paranormal and philosophical issues.
Ten chapters are devoted to visitations from Hardesty’s deceased loved ones, including family members and pets. These supernatural encounters are conducted in a dreamlike state that connects the world of the living with those who have passed on. The book explains how this phenomenon works in easy-to-understand, non-technical language. Psychic connections with the dead are described as a function of both science and faith, a way of bringing spiritual messages to the material plane, and departed souls pass on messages that affirm the presence of a benevolent, Christian afterlife. The discussions also touch upon a broad range of Christian topics, with moving descriptions of heaven and hell and articulate arguments for the inclusion of spirituality in science.
Anecdotes describe the circumstances and significance of each loved one’s death, emphasizing strong emotional connections that act as conduits for spiritual visitation. The more powerful the connection, Hardesty argues, the more likely the manifestation. As such, Hardesty’s father makes more than one visit.
Sensory evidence of visitations include smells and feelings, all described in clear, objective language. Accounts of others’ deaths are reported as mini-anecdotes, with well-rendered dialogue, characterizations, and settings internal to them. Although the book’s perspective favors a Christian afterlife, its arguments are neutral and unemotional. Its recounting of pedestrian, everyday details—afternoons playing cards, attending church, and setting up “lawn chairs in a neighbor’s gravel driveway to watch the Cardinals play home games on crisp Saturday afternoons”—makes it more credible, as the details are too ordinary to have been invented. They act as a foil to the book’s paranormal elements.
Without drawing on research or other paranormal sources, the text relies on Hardesty’s personal experiences, and it becomes difficult to discern whether the visitations are real or are based in wishful thinking. Without a white light moment, or a guide for those wishing to attempt similar dream-state meditations, the book rests as a reported account of one person’s experience with the paranormal. Its veracity is dependent on the details provided: Hardesty’s claim is not tested by any outside experts, and other people’s perspectives are not included.
There are no contrasting arguments regarding the afterlife, either, though the lengthy introduction addresses questions about the existence and nature of God, Satan, and the human soul. The introduction is the most thought-provoking part of the book, a contrast to the emotional stories of loss that Hardesty shares later.
Glimpses of Heaven is a sympathetic personal account of multiple encounters with “departed souls” that are used as evidence for God and faith in eternal life after death.
Reviewed by
Claire Foster
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
