Where do we go from here? TIME brings you a visually inspiring exploration of humankind's speculation about the afterlife, from the Christian view of heaven to its myriad spiritual and literary versions: Valhalla, Nirvana, Shangri-La and many other concepts of paradise. The quest is not just a spiritual one, but a scientific and eyewitness journey as well. Fully 85% of Americans believe in heaven, according to Gallup, and now TIME takes you on an unforgettable quest into what it may look like. Our quest for understanding the afterlife include: What are the common elements (and key differences) in how cultures around the world view the afterlife? Ware Near-death Experiences and why do so many people report similar accounts? Do we have a psychological need to believe in life after death? How did the biblical version of heaven take shape? What are the best literary depictions of heaven, from "Pardiso" by Dante to "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold.

When the wicked have traveled a course of sin, and discover they have reason to fear the God;s judgement and wrath for their sins, they begin to wish there is no God to punish them, then by degrees they persuade themselves there is no God, and then they set themselves to study the arguments to support their opinion. This excellent book by John Bunyan covers the subject matter of the existence of heaven and hell as well as studies and dispells the arguments presented by sinners who argue there is no heaven and hell. Most do not know that Bunyan wrote some 60 books, and poetry too. And also almost a well-kept secret is that his doctrine was so biblically laced that many good men would call him too severe. He believed in, and taught, ALL the doctrines of grace, including double-predestination, or reprobation. Why then is he not smeared with the name of hyper-Calvinist like Goodwin, Gill, and others? I guess the same people ought to call Luther a hyper-Lutheran, for he believed and taught it, too. Why begin a review of Bunyan's writings with such a view of his doctrine? It is to show that a Pilgrim's Progress can come only from someone who believes and teaches ALL the counsel of God, without flinching, yea, with loving-kindness. Illegally, He sat in a jail cell over a river for 12 years with his Bible, Galatians by Luther, and another book or two. He had the choice of feeling miserable and murmuring, or of filling his time, thoughts, and energies with studying that Bible, and seeking a way to be of help to his more comfortable, but less dedicated, brothers and sisters. Listen, dear saints, you can't do any better than reading Bunyan. Like Gurnall, he covers everything here and there, and with a sweetness that can come only from God. What a shame that his large heart should be encased in such small print. But, like digging gold, it is worth the time and trouble to dig spiritual gold. Bunyan (1628-1688) rose from an humble beginning to being a preacher to a little house church, to 12 years in jail because he would not agree to quit preaching, to a huge church in London. He wrote 66 books, nearly all while in jail.

After a profound Heavenly encounter, Laurie Ditto has discovered that seeing eternity can ignite your purpose on earth. This book is an invitation to see Heaven for yourself. When you glimpse God's Kingdom, every earthly moment is marked by a clear vision of His heart and an awareness of your glorious hope. Living in the light of eternity changes everything God gave Laurie Ditto a terrifying, first-hand vision of hell--an event she details in her book, The Hell Conspiracy. But this vision was followed by an equally overwhelming experience--a tangible encounter with the glories of Heaven Through these visions, Laurie has discovered that seeing eternity can ignite your purpose on earth. This book is an invitation to see Heaven for yourself. When you glimpse God's Kingdom, every earthly moment is marked by a clear vision of His heart and an awareness of your glorious hope. As Laurie recounts her powerful encounters - along with the profound, Bible-based insights they inspired - you will learn to: Operate in your "heavenly place" identity. Walk in the favor of Heaven, by immediate obedience to Jesus' voice. Fill your everyday life with the purpose and joy of Heaven. Unveil the mystery of the "Bridal March". Believe for the impossible as you bring Heaven to earth. When you encounter Heaven, every circumstance is filled with purpose and power

Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) is one of the greatest European writers, whose untrammelled imaginative capacity was matched by a huge base in embracing the science of his era. His texts also paint compelling visual images. In Visions of Heaven, renowned scholar Martin Kemp investigates Dante's supreme vision of divine light and its implications for the visual artists who were the inheritors of Dante's vision. The whole book may be regarded as a new Paragone (comparison), the debate that began in the Renaissance about which of the arts is superior. Dante's ravishing accounts of divine light set painters the severest challenge, which took them centuries to meet. A major theme running through Dante's Divine Comedy, particularly in its third book, the Paradiso, centres on Dante's acts of seeing (conducted according to optical rules with respect to the kind of visual experience that can be accomplished on earth) and the overwhelming of Dante's earthly senses by heavenly light, which does not obey his rules of earthly optics. The repeated blinding of Dante by excessive light sets the tone for artists' portrayal of unseeable brightness.

Are you facing adversity, testing and trials? Heavenly answers for the weary heart. Wendy Alec, prophet and seer, recounts a series of extraordinary, supernatural encounters with the Father, following a season of deep, personal trauma.

For one brief moment, this author stepped into eternity. Visions of Heaven will take you on a journey as Jane Moe is taught how to recognize the Lord's Church when she encounters it later in life.

There's an ethereal magic to standing beneath a dome, neck craned, looking up at a vision of the heavens created by some long-ago figure of genius. From the Pantheon to the Hagia Sophia, the power of the dome seems transcendent. Photographer David Stephenson's magnificently kaleidoscopic images of dome interiors capture this evanescent drama, and make Visions of Heaven one of the most spectacularly beautiful books we've ever produced. Traveling from Italy to Spain, Turkey, England, Germany, and Russia, among other countries, and photographing churches, palaces, mosques, and synagogues from the second to the early twentieth century, Stephenson's work amounts to a veritable typology of the cupola. His images present complex geometrical structures, rich stucco decorations, and elaborate paintings as they have never been seen before. Brilliantly calibrated exposures reveal details and colors that would otherwise remain hidden in these dimly lit spaces. Visions of Heaven shows more than 120 images, including the Roman Pantheon, the Byzantine churches of Turkey, the great domes of the Renaissance, the decorative cupolas of the Baroque and the Rococo ages, and a nineteenth-century synagogue in Hungary.

First Published in 1993. The present volume covers the currently identified Christian visions of heaven and hell (excluding D ante’s Divine Comedy) from western Europe during the Middle Ages from the late sixth through the fourteenth century.

Bob and Penny Lord have gone to Europe to research the lives of eminent saints and blesseds, focusing on visions of heaven, hell, and purgatory and presenting a case for the reality of these teachings of the Catholic Church.