In addition to the descriptions of fantastic love, if there's one thing that's always striking about near-death reports, it's the colors:

Virtually all accounts emphasize the otherworldly nature of tones and hues that seem like much more than what we know as "hues" and "tones"; that seem to have a life, a dimensionality, and a radiance of their own.

And so it is with poignant descriptions in new books on the subject, such as the much-publicized (for it is very detailed) Imagine Heaven. "Our earthly eyes cannot see ultraviolet or infrared colors that make up our sun's spectrum," remarks John Burke, the author. "Apparently, God's Light contains an exquisite pallet of thousands more colors, internally lighting everything. And the light is palpable -- infused with the love and joy of God."

As a fellow named (ironically) Dale Black recounts in the book, "The colors seems to be alive, dancing in the air. I had never seen so many different colors... It was breathtaking to watch. And I could have spent forever doing just that." A Dutch patient added, "I saw the most dazzling colors, which was all the more surprising because I'm color-blind. I can distinguish the primary colors, but pastels all look the same to me. But suddenly I could see them, all kinds of different shades."

Another named Marv recounted that "the sky in which I flew, and the firmament surrounding the heavens, were a wilder and bluer yonder than you would ever believe. The closest shade I can associate this otherworldly blue with is the surreal tones of the water in the Caribbean or off the coast of Hawaii at sunset...

"The colors and lights in Heaven were simply sublime. They were the deepest, richest, most gloriously lush colors I had ever seen, and some I had never seen before. Heaven is a dream-come-true for those who love all things colorful... The white in Heaven was -- forgive me! -- like none other I can compare. From a brilliant white to an opal stone to a milk-glass moon color, the white shades clustered in the sky like a huge bridal bouquet. The multiple colors would change and shift and move constantly, twirling and twisting and floating, shape-shifting in a way that fixated and enthralled me. The closest I can come to describing that light show was is like probably the aurora borealis, or the northern lights. Then again, if I compare the light show in Alaska to the light show in Heaven, it's not even close."

In another book, Tommy Rosa, a plumber who died and came back, says, "Imagine the most beautiful sunset or sunrise you have ever seen. Then imagine that the colors -- the reds, the oranges, the yellows, and the lavenders -- are so brilliant that they are pulsating before your eyes. It is like stepping into one of those kaleidoscopes you played with as a kid and seeing a laser light show, with the colors shifting, shining, and streaking. But you don't just see the colors, you feel them, because they're in your midst. The feeling is one of serenity and divinity, as though you've been wrapped in a coat that takes away all the stress, brokenness, and unhappiness you've ever felt in your life.

"Everything glows with a white but rosy tint, creating a feeling of warmth and safety. I look up and see an oddly shaped crystal chandelier decorated with unpolished, oddly shaped colored stones. They emanate light in different colors, but I can't see any power source or electricity or bulbs or wires. They are just light from within. The light from the chandelier reflects off the bare walls like they are giant prisms, giving off a rainbow effect. It is all just so lovely."

"Lovely"? That's a plumber talking?

Heaven tends to do that.

The colors, said the Dutch patient cited above, are "waiting for you and me on the other side."

[resources: Imagine Heaven and afterlife books]

[see also: Retreat announced for West Palm Beach, February 13]