Christophor Coppes

Christophor Coppes, author of "The Essence of Religions" (Select Books, April, 2013), has been president of the International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS) in the Netherlands since 2008. He also holds a senior position at the Dutch Central Bank in Amsterdam and holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Groningen.

He has published many scientific articles on finance while maintaining a strong interest in humanitarian issues. His first book was published in 1995 and is based on the true story of how friends and family lovingly looked after a terminally ill AIDS patient and helped him through the final stages of his life. More recently, he wrote "Messages from The Light," which is about the messages that people had during their Near-Death Experiences.

In "The Essence of Religions," Coppes examines the NDE phenomenon as if it were a religious experience, placing it in context by comparing it to the five major world religions. Coppes gives a compelling argument that the main characteristics of these religions’ view of the afterlife are analogous to the life-changing sensations and visions reported by those who have undergone an NDE. On writing the book, the author states, “'The Essence of Religions' was written to discourage the misuse of religions. This book provides the tools we need to reconsider many of the dogmas of the five major world religions that have proven detrimental to both human coexistence and our planet’s survival.”