"Life" -- a word with a thousand connotations. What does it mean? Speak of life and the impressions aroused are as myriad as the number of human beings on earth. To one person, it signifies a long and meaningless course of existence. To another, it symbolizes the enjoyment of as many earthly pleasures as possible. And for a third person, it means experiencing the wonder of the moment. Speak of "death" however, and the response is almost the same regardless of the age or condition of the listener: instant discomfort. Many will quietly leave the vicinity where this word has been spoken in an effort to distance themselves from it, as if by withdrawal they might somehow delay the inevitable . What is the source of the discomfort aroused by a simple monosyllabic word? Why the shudder when we speak of death? For most it is fear of the unknown. One day we will all cross that threshold -- this we know, but what lies beyond for most human beings is an uneasy question, and with it fear. Life as we know it is a continuum of experiencing. And what is experiencing? Experiencing is the inner perception of an outward impression which registers within the individual either in a pleasant manner, or in a painful manner, or sometimes in a combination of both in variable proportions. One can experience physical pain, i.e., disease or injury, or psychic (spiritual) pain, i.e., personal loss or discomfort. In the same way, one can experience either physical pleasure or psychic pleasure, which we call "happiness" and "joy." In the final analysis, all earthly experiencing can be divided into these two categories (pleasure and pain) or some combination of the two. But what is the purpose of all this earthly experiencing? Why do we go through the process of being born and experiencing alternately pleasure and pain in a repetitive cycle only to arrive at death? There must be a purpose to it and if there is such a purpose then there must be a reason for the moment when it all comes to an end. If death signifies the end of a meaningless cycle of pain and pleasure, then all men should naturally welcome death. So why the fear and dread? Is it because deep inside we sense there is a higher purpose to life on earth other than hitherto acknowledged? Do we intuitively sense that each experience whether painful or pleasant is meant to serve a deeper purpose than we were willing to recognize? Do we recognize, after all, that we cannot blame God for the particular circumstances and experiences of our lives and that ultimately we are responsible for our own life conditions? Do we inwardly know that one day we will have to account for each and every experience? Just as a school boy who has neglected his studies and frittered away his time dreads the final examination, so it seems many dread that final moment of accounting when they must demonstrate what they have gained through their experiences in the school of life on earth. Since the beginnings of recorded history we have celebrated birth and mourned death. This indicates the importance we place on earthly life. We have created for ourselves an impression of existence which begins with entry onto this planet and ends with our exit from it. Just as early man believed that the earth was the center of the universe around which everything revolved, so it seems that many today perceive life on earth as the focus and center of our existence. The few who challenge the existing concepts arouse only fear in the hearts of those who are thus jolted from their comfortable delusional state. Unfortunately, many religions shroud death and the beyond in mysticism. Is it possible that what we have been led to believe is not necessarily true, and therefore needs to be reexamined? In this book, Richard Steinpach has successfully brought together two worlds which have remained separated until now: the material world of science and the ethereal world of the spirit. If man consists of more than a physical body, then he must seek to understand the connections between the real "him" which is invisible and intangible, and the outer "him" which is materially visible and tangible. Seen in this light, the question of where he goes when his physically tangible body no longer exists becomes crucial. Steinpach demystifies the world beyond. He shows how the basic Laws of Nature, which manifest in the visible world, also take effect in the invisible -- but very existent -- ethereal world. He takes the extra step that has remained a stumbling block for many investigators, which is simply to apply the very same principles which activate all material processes to his investigation and explanation of ethereal processes. By basing his interpretations on what we already know about the world around us and the life we experience daily, he opens up a new vista of knowledge concerning life and death. He makes it possible to let go of the fear surrounding this inevitable event, and also brings home very clearly to the reader a sense of his own responsibility as "master of his fate" within the framework of the Laws of Creation. Ostensibly about death, this book guides the reader to a source of immense knowledge encompassing every aspect of life and provides a starting point for living consciously from birth to death and beyond.