Becoming Osiris: The Ancient Egyptian Death Experience

An in-depth examination of the ancient Egyptian approach to death and its relevance to the modern near-death experience • A thought-provoking account of the numerous initiatic stages of the immortalization process • Examines the Ritual of Embalming and the Ritual of the Opening of the Mouth, both central to the ancient Egyptian death experience • Includes numerous illustrations from the rich field of Egyptian funeral art In their well-known Book of the Dead, the ancient Egyptians left humanity one of the most comprehensive looks at the death experience and the afterlife. Without sacrificing the rich complexity of pharaonic thought, Stephane Rossini and Ruth Schumann Antelme provide an accessible, thought-provoking account of the numerous initiatic stages of the immortalization process and the magical self-defense techniques necessary for the soul to achieve its ultimate objective as a solarized being. The true significance of the ancient Egyptian view of death cannot be entirely comprehended without knowledge of the practices that preceded those described in the Book of the Dead. Becoming Osiris presents an informative account of both the Ritual of Embalming, which transforms the deceased into a latent Osiris, and the Ritual of the Opening of the Mouth, which restores to the deceased his faculties. Though thousands of years old, these texts have an astounding contemporary relevance. With numerous illustrations from the rich field of Egyptian funeral art, Becoming Osiris presents a comprehensive guide to the fascinating Osirian odyssey that is the ancient Egyptian death experience.