<DIV><I>It’s a Wonderful Life</I> (1946), <I>Resurrection</I> (1980), <I>Poltergeist</I> (1982), <I>Beetlejuice</I> (1988), <I>Ghost</I> (1990), <I>Groundhog Day</I> (1993), <I>The Sixth Sense</I> (1999) ? these are only a few of the influential movies in recent decades dealing with the afterlife. But beyond entertainment, do they mean anything? The authors of this wise and well-informed guide believe so. They explore how popular motion pictures, from <I>Outward Bound</I> (1930) to <I>Hereafter</I>, play a perhaps unconscious role in guiding humanity toward its evolutionary comprehension of the meaning and purpose of death. They draw on the <I>Tibetan Book of the Dead,</I> Buddhism, and depth psychology to review some of the most spiritually powerful films ever made. Death is, say the authors, at once the most immediate locked door and the ultimate frontier, a staggering paradox that invites us to search for deeper understanding based upon a level of consciousness beyond thought. After reading this book, you’ll never view <I>Casablanca</I> or <I>The Wizard of Oz</I> the same way again.<BR></DIV>