Lin Cochran

A beautiful place to write a much needed book.

When my son died on March 4, 2008, I wanted to die too, of course; but now I know Tony is alive, and so am I—alive to tell this story. I’m the only one who can write it. I’m his mother, but I’m also a retired newspaper journalist with three books published.

Suicide Angels, The Metaphysics of Suicide: Where Are They Now? is nonfiction spiritual narrative that breaks new ground and introduces new information about transformed angels—once evil giants—now charged with carrying suicides to râphâh, a place of restoration. Most of this is biblical truth; I cite scripture. I keep conjecture and supposition to a minimum.

This book expands on what we know about the afterlife, and what it means to say “in my Father’s house are many mansions.” It inspires hope in those left behind, but also serves as a deterrent for anyone considering ending it all. There is no promise of a next life. Tony knows this now.

The audience for this book is huge. Everybody dies. However, someone commits suicide in the U.S. every 15 minutes. Every completion leaves between six and 100 survivors trying to make sense of it. That does not count the 865,000 attempts that fail. These numbers do not include young people under 18.

Suicide prevention efforts are directed mostly at the young. As a society, can we suicide-proof our children? Is that even the right question?

Tony left a journal, included in the manuscript. Thank God he did because at least his family and friends know why he did it. His thinking, though screwed up, is informative in that he believed that he would be right back. Suicide Angels explores whether a belief in reincarnation makes suicide seem easy, or perhaps a reasonable response to conditions, real or perceived. It fills in the gaps concerning the destiny of the soul and contact with loved ones on other side. What do they need from us once they have killed themselves? Can they feel our suffering? Anyone touched by suicide needs this knowledge, but so does everyone concerned or merely curious about eternity.

Suicide Angels, while personal and poignant, goes beyond a mother’s grief. Research has convinced me the book makes a valuable contribution to the body of work that now exists about these subjects.