This in-depth study of children who have experienced the near-death phenomenon presents data to support the author's contention that these children have experienced structural, chemical, and functional changes in the brain, resulting in greater empathic abilities and dramatically higher intelligence. These qualities are also present in children born since 1982, and cannot be tied to simple genetics. Understanding the near-death experiences of children, she concludes, can help us prepare for a quantum leap in the evolution of humanity.