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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What past life experience does Williams experience?

2. Where does the narrator go?

3. What is the dream about?

4. What does Joel describe in great detail?

5. Who had Williams intended to meet in his most recent life?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Wil and the narrator become aware of in Maya's dream?

2. What does Webber intuitively feel as he and the narrator talk and what happens right after that feeling?

3. What is the narrator doing when he encounters Maya again and what does she tell him? What do they do?

4. What does the narrator learn in his encounter with Joel Lipscomb?

5. What happens in the narrator's initial encounter with Maya?

6. What does Joel say to the narrator about his beliefs?

7. What does Wil say he sees in Maya's dream?

8. What happens to Wil and the narrator when they move to another plane?

9. What does Webber explain to the narrator about the Experiment and his involvement?

10. What kind of work does Webber do and what does he believe about that work?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The idea of Birth Vision, Wil explains, is an explanation of commonly reported near death experiences in which a dying individual reports that his/her life has "flashed before her eyes". In the same way, the concept of Soul Group is an explanation of a similarly reported near death experience in which dying individuals experience themselves as being welcomed by a group of unidentifiable but familiar and loving souls.

1. If one was to assume that there is indeed a Birth Vision, what do you think would be the purpose of forgetting it as soon as one is born? Does that seem inefficient as far as accomplishing a task on earth? Why or why not?

2. Explain, in the context of this entire book, and in the context of what you think is true, why a Birth Vision is called that in this book. Why might it not be called a Death Vision, given the circumstances under which one has it?

3. Taking the concept of Soul Group as being true and reincarnation as being true, what do you think would be a good reason to have a Soul Group, both on earth in physical incarnation and on the other plane as spiritual entities? Use examples from the book and your own life to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

If a story can be likened to a jigsaw puzzle, the construction of a narrative telling that story can be likened to the careful placement of pieces of that puzzle in order to slowly, tantalizingly, and inevitably fill the reader with the desire to see the whole picture. In that sense, the telling of this particular story functions well, with details of meaning, incident, and relationship complimenting and illuminating each other with highly intriguing results.

1. What do you think the first sentence above means? Use examples from the text to support your answer.

2. In view of all the novels you have read or heard about or movies you have seen, explain why leaving readers with a "what happens next" question is universal. Use examples from this book and other books you have read to illustrate this principle and why it is used.

3. Do you believe the second sentence is true? Why or why not? Use examples from the text to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

There is a juxtaposition of two highly contrasting characters - the harsh, cynical Joel and the nurturing, insightful Maya (interesting that the cynic is a male and the nurturer is a female). The clear intention here, as the narrator himself realizes, is to create a vivid, embodied sense of the tension between what the narrative indicates are the main sources of energy on this plane of existence - the Fear and the desire to evolve.

1. Compare and contrast the characters of Maya and Joel. How are they different? How are they similar? Are they as contrasting as they seem? Why or why not? Use examples to show the harsh aspects of Maya and any nurturing aspects of Joel you can see.

2. Throughout the history of humanity women have always been thought of as being nurturing, because they bear children, and men as less so. Give an explanation, with examples, of how this view of women has been used to keep them in a lower status in the world than men.

3. Explain what behaviors of Joel indicate he is Fear based in his perspective and what behaviors of Maya's that might indicate she has a desire to evolve and why those behaviors seem to illustrate those two principles.

(see the answer keys)

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