Looking for the Other Side - Hardcover

Cohen, Sherry Suib

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0517708280 ISBN 13: 9780517708286

Publisher: Clarkson Potter, 1997

Synopsis

If you're going to write a book about worlds with no answers, phenomenon that scientists can't explain and skeptics can't fathom--you'd better do it with the right equipment--the eye of a journalist, the voice of a novelist, an open mind and compassionate heart. In Looking for the Other Side, writer Sherry Suib Cohen is perfectly outfitted with these tools in her exploration of the world of the occult.

It all begins when Cohen, a journalist, takes an assignment to try and contact the spirit of her deceased mom. In her searching, she meets astrologers, past-life channelers, numerologists, psychics, and a host of other practitioners eager to put her in touch with her past, her future, and her heretofore unexplored spiritual self.

"Cohen will hook readers with her determination, wit, generosity and astonishing willingness to try anything. In the end, her personal odyssey becomes ours, and even the most devoted skeptics will find themselves rethinking what might and what might not be possible."
--Betsy Carter, Editor-in-Chief, New Woman magazine

"When I saw the words know thyself carved above the Oracle's gate at Delphi, I shivered--and didn't understand why. Now, I understand. Knowing myself would mean suspending judgment, would mean tapping into banks of information I never before thought relevant to my pragmatic lifestyle. Well, I've tapped. This book is the result," writes Sherry Suib Cohen.

And in a spirited narrative, Cohen tells us about her experiences wherein she confronts death, blame, forgiveness, faith, truth, and family, in addition to Mom. When readers finish this personal odyssey and guidebook into the unknown, they may decide, just as Cohen did, that there's something to these otherwordly spheres after all.

About this title

About the Author

Sherry Suib Cohen is a journalist, teacher, and international lecturer whose work appears regularly in many national periodicals. She is contributing editor of New Woman magazine and the author of Secrets of a Very Good Marriage (Crown) as well as books on psychology, women, and style. She lives in New York City.

From the Back Cover

"Ever been to a psychic? Ever been channeled? Had your chart read? In this spiritual walkabout, journalist Sherry Cohen puts her are-you-kidding comeback on hold to search for her mom who died last year. What happens is an astounding, intimate adventure where doubt gives way to a sense of possibility and How can this be happening? Loved this book.
--Liz Smith

"I have read many books on the subject of the paranormal, but Looking for the Other Side stands out among them. It's fascinating reading and astonishingly informative. I thoroughly loved it--it's a must for anyone who wonders if there's an 'out there' out there."
--Uri Geller, author of Uri Geller's Mind Power Kit

"Sherry Cohen's book is a service to both client and practioner alike. Cohen's is a fair investigation that distinguishes between the genuine and the scam and offers intelligent guidelines to ensure an enlightening experience for all. What is valid withstands scrutiny, and all valid spiritual practitioners will surely welcome this work!
--Sonia Choquette, author of The Psychic Pathway

"Open minds find the truth. I have experienced this in my life, and Sherry Suib Cohen's Looking for the Other Side can help you open your mind and find the truth about your life."

--Bernie Siegel, M.D., author of Love, Medicine and Miracles

From the Inside Flap

ing to write a book about worlds with no answers, phenomenon that scientists can't explain and skeptics can't fathom--you'd better do it with the right equipment--the eye of a journalist, the voice of a novelist, an open mind and compassionate heart. In Looking for the Other Side, writer Sherry Suib Cohen is perfectly outfitted with these tools in her exploration of the world of the occult.

It all begins when Cohen, a journalist, takes an assignment to try and contact the spirit of her deceased mom. In her searching, she meets astrologers, past-life channelers, numerologists, psychics, and a host of other practitioners eager to put her in touch with her past, her future, and her heretofore unexplored spiritual self.

"Cohen will hook readers with her determination, wit, generosity and astonishing willingness to try anything. In the end, her personal odyssey becomes ours, and even the most devoted skeptics will find themselves rethinking what might and what might not be po

Reviews

A light, entertaining journey through the varied genres of New Age spirituality. Cohen, on assignment for New Woman (this book grew out of her article for the magazine), attempted to discover the spirit of her recently deceased mother, whose loss left her searching for meaning in her own life. Highly skeptical of the New Age movement (which is why her mystical-minded editor gave her the assignment), she approaches her subject with healthy doses of wit and suspicion. This balance of open-mindedness and skepticism serve the author well as she attempts to navigate the myriad worlds of numerology, astrology, fortune-telling, channeling, and parapsychology. She gives some sketchy historical background about each of these practices (there are important differences, for example, between mediums and psychics), and then recounts her own experiences with practitioners of these various arts. Some, like fortune-tellers, are dismissed fairly easily, while others give her pause. She claims that several mediums recited intimate facts about her mother's life (the names of her parents, the name of her sister and that she lived in Florida, the kind of hat her brother wore); a police psychic described Cohen's new puppy perfectly just from holding the small keyring Cohen grabs to take him for a walk- -without even knowing that this was the keys' only purpose. But other experiences leave her dubious, like her efforts to recover past lives. Though persuaded that there might be something to it, she claims she was fabricating a past-life scenario out of her own imagination, assisted by the strong suggestions of her regression counselor. In the end, after encountering both charlatans and genuine practitioners, Cohen is still skeptical--but her wariness has melted to the degree that the phone numbers of numerous practitioners are listed in the appendix. Somewhat self-absorbed (in keeping with much of the New Age movement) but a fun introduction to a wacky world. (Author tour) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

A contributing editor at New Woman magazine and author of Secrets of a Very Good Marriage (Crown, 1993), Cohen here investigates the possibility of contacting her deceased mother through various paranormal means. Cohen displays a journalist's curiosity in her willingness to try new experiences, seeking the expertise of psychics, mediums, astrologers, tarot readers, numerologists, and many more. She enriches her story with a skeptic's humor. Did she find her mother? Maybe. Perhaps more importantly, she was also encouraged to learn about her own unconscious mind. A valuable list of resources, organizations, and practitioners is appended to this fun-to-read investigation. Ultimately, however, this is a supplemental work for public libraries.?Lisa S. Wise, Broome Cty. P.L., Binghamton, N.Y.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

When her mother died, Cohen was ready to put aside her skepticism and see if she could reach her mom in some otherworldly way. That journey took her to astrologers, channelers, tea-leaf readers, past-life regressors, parapsychologists, and dowsers. Those interested in the nonmaterial world will be intrigued by Cohen's search. Certainly, she encounters enough instances of events happening without rational explanations to make even skeptics stop and wonder exactly what's going on here. Although the string that ties the whole book together is Cohen's relations with her family, especially her mother, the constant harping about "separation problems" grows tiresome by the end. Still, magazine writer Cohen knows how to draw readers into the story, and she is at her best when giving practical advice about navigating the psychic world and how to avoid frauds. Does she contact her mom? Not exactly, but the phone lines didn't seem totally disconnected, either. Ilene Cooper

Edition details

• Publisher: Clarkson Potter
• Publication date: 1997
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0517708280
• ISBN 13: 9780517708286
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 239