The Boy Who Died and Came Back: Adventures of a Dream Archaeologist in the Multiverse

by Robert Moss

Travels in Many Worlds with a Master StorytellerJoin Robert Moss for an unforgettable journey that will expand your sense of reality and confirm that there is life beyond death and in other dimensions of the multiverse. Moss describes how he lived a whole life in another world when he died at age nine in a Melbourne hospital and how he died and came back again, in another sense, in a crisis of spiritual emergence during midlife. As he shares his adventures in walking between the worlds, we begin to understand that all times — past, future, and parallel — may be accessible now. Moss presents nine keys for living consciously at the center of the multidimensional universe, embracing synchronicity, entertaining our creative spirits, and communicating with a higher Self.

Genres: Nonfiction, Spirituality, Biography, Mythology, Memoir, Metaphysics

330 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 15, 2014

Reviews

[Jim Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like Robert Moss I am a writer, and like him I have made the decision to write what my readers need to know, not what they want to hear. Often when working on something that no one has asked me to write and which my agent has told me is a waste of his time and mine I think, if this thing can change the life of one person in a major positive way then it is worth my time to write it. For me this is one of those books, though I expect it to do that for a lot of people.
I haven't counted, but I think I've read maybe ten of Moss's books, and I wouldn't have kept reading if they all weren't fascinating and worthwhile, but this one tops them all. The most and the best of his teachings are packaged here in the most accessible way, as he has told his own story, the one which proceeds on many planes with many meanings.
Others who have reviewed this book have described the contents and there is no need for me to repeat those, but I want to express my thanks for this marvelous work. I've practiced techniques learned from his other books for years, but I expect this to move me up at least one round of the spiral, and probably more. Thanks, Robert.

[Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why did I enter this book in both fiction and non-fiction? Because, in my reading, it was both. Robert Moss is an amazing storyteller. This book is less of a biography and more a collection of his dreams--lucid, nightime, shamanic. This book is not a traditional biography, although there are elements of a life story.

Moss describes the times he died physically, ventured from his body, and returned. In one story, his life away was so enjoyable, he mourned having to come back. While he was gone, he lived an entire lifetime, became a father and grandfather, and at his death ritual, returned to the body of the 9-year-old boy having his appendix removed.

The stories are beautifully told and range from interesting to impossible to believe (at least for me.) What I loved was Moss's incredible knowledge of folklore, myths, and origination stories of many cultures, regions, and indigenous people. His knowledge is beyond encyclopedic, and his generosity in sharing makes the book worth reading.

For me, reading the book for its story-telling was a far better outlook than trying to take it as a lesson guide on dreaming. It's not a workbook, it is one person's amazing collection of dreams.

[Fefi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Questa lettura è stata molto strana, non so se credere a tutte le avventure oniriche dello scrittore che, con il potere del suono di un tamburo sembra abbia vissuto in altre epoche, in altri mondi, in altri corpi, sia morto e rinato diverse volte, abbia incontrato tanti personaggi illustri della poesia e della storia e sia ritornato con altissimi livelli di conoscenza che ha trasmesso in seminari collettivi.
Comunque alcuni dettagli interessanti sul mondo onirico e sulla simbologia ci sono, così come tanti dettagli sui riti degli sciamani.
Credevo che ci fossero anche delle spiegazioni su come provare a fare quello che fa lui (ad esempio riprendere un sogno da dove lo si era lasciato o mettersi in contatto con un Io superiore) e, invece queste sono contenute in altri suoi libri, mai pubblicati in italiano.
Alla fine, è come se fosse un suo diario personale che si legge abbastanza velocemente (sempre se interessati al tema spirituale)

"Sognatore alla deriva nelle ombre:
quando cadrai in un buco che si apre nel tuo mondo
qui potrai danzare fino a creare un mondo nuovo.
Quando la luna viene strappata dal cielo con un morso
da uomini che hanno tra i capelli dei bruchi famelici
qui potrai farla spuntare di nuovo.
Ci saranno giorni in cui dimenticherai.
Ci saranno notti in cui non crederai che questo luogo esiste
e lo lascerai scolorire nel tuo cuore come un sogno sfinito.
Potrai perdere il monte, ma il monte ti ritroverà ,
con la voce del vento e il colore delle foglie dell'autunno,
con il sapore della pioggia, o una vecchia canzone alla radio,
con una poesia impaziente, o un sogno che non puoi scacciare.
Il Falco può darti un segno piumato, e le ali per seguirlo.
Il Lupo Bianco può chiamarti qui, nella luce del Pacificatore,
dove nel cuore di granato del monte la tua anima è guarita
e la tua bussola interiore è tornata, e tu riscopri te stesso
nella famiglia migliore, una famiglia più forte del sangue
e lo straordinario è semplice perché lo lasciamo esser tale.
Il popolo del sogno ci sarà sempre, per te".

[Heidi Wiechert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Robert's active dream walking is quite similar to other alternative consciousness states (remote viewing, meditative chanting, symbol contemplation, mirror trances) that I've studied with the addition of activity on different timelines or on all timelines simultaneously. I'm curious as to how his use of shamanistic drumming accesses the shared subconscious layers of the mind so easily- at least, his multitude of experiences makes it seem easy. In fact, that was my only problem with this book was the sheer amount of other worldly experiences, spanning times, places, and cultures, only tied together by the fact that Robert experienced them. What I'm saying is that I wish the narrative had been more connected. But, I suppose, this book reads like a string of dreams with nothing tying them together but the dreamer so the set up makes sense, it's just bewildering at times. You're in colonial America, then ancient Europe, then across the galaxy on an alien planet- it's a wild ride.

Robert gives examples of dream experiences and interpretations for healing, learning, research, past-life integration, dimension traveling, assimilation of lost spirit, contacting animal spirits, discovering mentors both human and alien in origin, and more. I had no idea that one technique could be so useful. I haven't read any of his previous works, but I'm assuming that they will delve more into the specifics of his craft rather than the broad outlines that he presents here.

This book is an important reminder to the reader to honor our dreams and intuitions because it is from this inner fire that we fuel and improve our outer world. Robert blazes a multidimensional trail for the rest of us to explore at our leisure. Many thanks!

[Mary-Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert Moss describes himself as a Dream Archaeologist, one who sifts through the vestiges of sleeping and lucid dreams to uncover priceless treasures. In his latest book, The Boy Who Died and Came Back, he plumbs his own journey from early childhood in Australia to the present. The book’s title derives from a statement a doctor made to his parents when he was three and overtaken by pneumonia and then he returned to his young body. It is a descriptor he finds more accurate than the more common current term of ‘near death experience’.

Divided into five sections, the chapters in the book are succinct and lush enough to keep the reader engrossed while at the same time they are teeming with memories, dreams and adventures. The content flows from past to present to dreamscape with ease and grace. It is a marvelously compelling mélange of story, teachings and dream practice. Moss proves himself to be fluent in the language and practice of all three.

[Mike S · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot because Moss is devoted to his work, and completely honest about it. Even if you don't agree with everything he believes, I think you will be unable to resist respecting him for his enthusiasm, and sincere desire to help people. I don't follow goddess worship or shamanism as he does, but I think encouraging people to pay attention to their dreams and participate in them is really beneficial. His talks about many of his experiences in the dream or hypnagogic (half awake half asleep) state, and they range from amazing and believable to outright fantasy-sounding, fwiw my feeling is some of them are authentic. He has the courage to recount them all, which I really respect. I read his books periodically and it always inspires me to start keeping my dream journal again, and remembering far more of my dreaming activities. I look forward to reading several of his other books, including Active Dreaming, The Secret History of Dreaming, and Dreamgates.

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

This seemed like a really interesting book at the start, but it lacked the purpose it should have had. Each chapter centered around a dream experience the author had. Each dream focused on a symbol or message meant for the author, but as a reader, the messages were too personal to add up to a meaningful book. Ultimately it read like a well-written dream diary.

[Mrs Donna · Rating 1 out of 5]

This comment from Edward Herman and Gerry O’Sullivan’s 1989 The “Terrorism” Industry, makes it clear that Robert Moss may not be the shamanic dream master he is selling himself as. He has no real affiliations to the shamanic cultures he appropriates from, but a very real and long background in CIA covert propagandist activity. Funny how this long career of his is never mentioned on his blog, his webinars, or in his books. Do approach his writings with suspicion and do a little googling before accepting him in his new persona as a dream guru.

“Robert Moss has been a major figure in the organization of terrorism think tanks and in the dissemination of the right-wing version of the Western model of terrorism. In fact, as Fred Landis has pointed out, “For a price, Moss would go to Rhodesia, South Africa, Iran, and Nicaragua and tailor his standard KGB plot to local circumstances, thereby justifying repression of the political opposition and denial of human rights.”

Moss withdrew from the world of make-believe threat-conjuring in 1987 to write books and run workshops on the power of dreaming. But with his cutting edge expertise in seeding the collective unconscious with lies and fabrications for political and financial purposes, can it really be assumed that Robert Moss’s dream work is only about helping people to receive wisdom and gifts for your life?

Robert Moss’s Students, and those reading his books should be asking these questions.

[Brett · Rating 5 out of 5]

“However far we fall away from our way, we are always in the presence of higher powers that seek to recall us to our brighter and greater selves.”

The Boy Who Died and Came Back is not simply an autobiography, rather a description of what the author calls his “cross-cultural studies of shamans and how they are made...”

I have read several of Robert Moss’ books, hoping to uncover practical steps from an accomplished dreamer of ACTIVE DREAMING (Moss uses this term rather than LUCID DREAMING) that I can apply in my own dream practice. The best advice I have yet found comes in Chapter 26 We Are Sleeping til We Are Dreaming. He ends the chapter: “..the easiest and most accessible practice for becoming a lucid dreamer is to spend more time in the twilight zone of hypnagogia, before or after sleep, and learn to make this the launchpad for conscious dream expeditions”.

I rated this book 5-stars based on the 1st half wherein Moss imparts wisdom with clarity and shares highly useful skills and techniques; surprisingly-> I found that in the 2nd half, I was not able to keep up with Moss escapades, which seemed at times rambling and somewhat incoherent; perhaps it was that I am not yet ready to understand.

I especially like this passage: “We must build memory, especially memory of what goes on in our dreams - if necessary, at the expense of unbroken sleep and some body fatigue. Once we understand that consciousness, in a real sense, never sleeps but, rather, is transferred between different realities, task will seem less daunting. The mind can heal and direct the body, and we can learn to overcome the physical side effects and recharge.” ...AT THE EXPENSE OF UNBROKEN SLEEP...

[Lynne Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert Moss has written a fascinating and unusual memoir that follows his life as a dreaming person. That sentence does sound odd but that is the best way I can describe this unusual book.

Moss has written a number of books that describe his approach to self-knowledge and healing through dreams, but this book describes his life as a sickly, imaginative boy growing up in Australia, and then on to his adult life as academic, journalist, fiction writer of thrillers, to the dream shaman that he is today. It's been quite a ride and it was great fun to follow him on his adventures. both in the physical "real" world and in dream time.

In the process, he has created a unique way of using shamanistic techniques in his work, while managing to avoid wholesale borrowing from indigenous traditions. He has learned from primary sources, along with deep and careful research, and has developed his own model of dream work that is unlike any other being practiced in the West.

Like dreams, Moss's memoir does not roll out in chronological order but roams around and through his various life and adventures. I loved the trips he took me on and inspired me to read more of his books. If your dreams (or lack of them) interest you, this book might be your entry point.

[Samantha Stambaugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

AS PRINTED IN BECOMING PSYCHIC MAGAZINE, MAY 2014

In The Boy Who Died and Came Back by Robert Moss, we learn how Robert’s three near-death experiences affected who he was at the time, how he came back from the brink of death, and why each death made him who he is today. This personal narrative takes us through previous life investigations, shamanic journeying, travelling through time and space, and stepping into the world of conscious dreaming. This is a book that teaches beyond what the past was and what the future will be. Robert brings definition to how we can live in the now and why it can be so important.

Robert praises those who have influenced him throughout his work. From Carl Jung, Psychiatrist and father of Analytical Psychology, to Michael Harner, Anthropologist and founder of the Foundation for Shamanic Studies; from Tom Porter, Bear Clan elder of the Mohawk Nation at Akwesasne, to Jane Roberts, author and voice to the spiritual leader, Seth. Robert also met with great storytellers through his dreams where he was educated that the recollection of past lives can heal, and contemplating suicide can “exile a part of our soul to a realm of the dead.” Travelling deeper through the veil of time and place, he met people or characters that meant something to the story that was yet to unfold. He was taught through other languages, signs, and people in the dreams that he was the storyteller of their stories. After the death of his father, he received messages from his father’s spirit to help those left behind. It became Robert’s calling to teach others what he learned through his dreams.

An amazing piece of this book is in the telling of Robert’s joining with his first animal spirit. It is a moving description, and is helpful for those who may not have experienced Shamanism for themselves. He also speaks of “anamnesis,” or soul remembering, which was the recollection of his memories of his past lives. This helped him become prepared to meet with all of his guides and teachers who would take on the physical form of what he was able to mentally receive. Robert tells us that the ego only allows through what makes sense to us in this reality. It blocks other time and space communications which is why we tend to forget our dreams. Through practice and training, we can learn to open a portal to the multiverse and learn from what our “outside” experiences can teach us now. From what we learn and create within our dream world, we can manifest and recreate our life in this reality.

The time between deep sleep and coming awake, the hypnapompic state, and when just about asleep, the hypnagogic state, is the place of our communication and adventures between multiple universes. Robert speaks of how you can learn to achieve this state while awake and with purpose. He teaches his students to consciously dream so they can work out how to dream better, and take what they learn from those dreams and manifest them into reality. He tells us of the positive attributes of dreaming in groups or communities where several people can meet up, share, and learn by consciously dreaming together. By setting intentions, sharing dreams can help to create positive outcomes for individuals and communities.

This entire book is an adventure in knowledge and seeking answers, from the simplest to the most difficult questions of life. Robert mentions that the most important teacher or guide to life for each of us may be “a self on a higher level.” We can rise to our higher self to watch a slow motion movie of our situation to give us the time we need to make the proper decisions or take the right route to our destinations. In reality we are on a constant pace that is almost impossible to keep up with. With a little help from our wiser and somewhat removed self, we can learn to see our options in life from a clearer view.

Robert tells of his own connections with his higher spirits. He heard enlightening tales and stories that gave him understanding and a desire to find out more. There is much to learn from the communication between dreams, old songs, folklore, and the many simple messages each day that we miss or take for granted. Throughout his life, Robert learned that it was important to listen to what goes on around us each day, and that dreams are a form of communication with our past and present about the more important time of now. We can also learn so much from other cultures. The ancient and indigenous people before us shared dream webs within their communities to create change and healing amongst their people. What worked in the past can be something that helps better our future.

I learned so much by reading The Boy Who Died and Came Back. It was my first time touching on the subject of Shamanism so it was a whirlwind of information and crazy adventures for me. But the further I read, the more questions it answered. I enjoyed hearing that the guides I have met in my meditations will be with me always. And as we hurry along our fast-paced lives and forget them in the back of our minds, our guides, spirits, and fellow dream consciousness will be waiting to give us signs that it is time to slow down, take notice, and listen to the messages all around us. It is comforting to know I am not alone on this long journey of life, and I look forward to practicing conscious dreaming and walking with my guides. I am also thoroughly excited to read some of the other spiritual books that Robert Moss has written. Why stop now when I can learn more from such a great conduit of knowledge.

Cross-posted on Beyond My Bookshelf

[Donald · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I could read a lot more of whatever Robert Moss has to say, although I've probably gotten most of it from this book and his Conscious Dreaming book. He makes it sound sooo easy and I suppose it is for someone who practices as much as he does. Reminds me of the query: How do you get to Carnegie Hall?
The answer: practice...
And so I will.

[Jim Huinink · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating, personal, and candid account of Moss's life in the multiverse, uncovering the matrix. It's inspired me to look more seriously (again) at my dreams and messages there. As fantastic and fun as Autobiography of a Yogi.

[Ahmed Salama · Rating 1 out of 5]

من أسوء وأفشل ما قرأت على الإطلاق

[Meme82 · Rating 2 out of 5]

لم استطع تكملتها و لا يوجد بها شيء شدني و شد افكاري معي!

[Marco · Rating 1 out of 5]

Un libro frammentario che parla di esperienze personali e sogni dell’autore. Difficile scorrevolezza. Si finisce con grande fatica. Unico libro che getto via volentieri a fine lettura.

[Miz Lizzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert Moss' latest dream book is his most personal but it is not properly a memoir. He is deliberately vague on most of his waking life biography but delves into his metaphysical journey to becoming a dream shaman through his experiences with other realities since childhood. Though followers of Robert Moss (whether through his workshops, books, or blogs) are likely to be familiar with many of the stories he shares, it is interesting to see the progression of his dreamwork by reading them together. Personally, I would have enjoyed it a wee bit more if there had been a bit more of the waking life memoir in there to balance it out but then I have a fondness for memoirs. This is definitely his most metaphysical and "out there" book as he makes no bones about the other realities and does not wrap them up in a nice easily digestible religious bow. If you are new to Robert Moss and his shamanic dreamwork or shamanism in general, this is not the book I would start with but for active dreamers and serious metaphysical students this is a fascinating addition to the library.

Book Pairings:
For those new to Robert Moss and his shamanic dreamwork, start with his earlier, more how-to books such as Conscious Dreaming and Dreamgates.
For those intrigued by the Far Memory ideas, Joan Grant's Winged Pharoah is a good place to start.
Wanda Burch's She Who Dreams gives some practical dreamwork examples for healing as well as more on the childhood dream that connected her to Robert Moss.
For more on shamanic journeying, try books by Sandra Ingerman and Michael Harner.

[Katherine Boyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert Moss's books are wonderful discussions for anyone who wants to learn how to use the dream time as an important spiritual, psychological self healing support system. His newest book includes more advanced techniques that use his life experiences to illustrate explorations in the dream world. I do recommend this book but if you are a neophyte to dream work I would suggest two earlier books by Robert; Active Dreaming, and The Three "Only" Things. Both of these books give more step by step how to's. The Boy Who Died and Came back explores the Multiverse, alternate realities, and time travel with the Oversoul. I'm glad to have Robert as a guide as I inch my toe into this vast sea of knowledge and consciousness.He is teaching us how to travel by using dreams as a gateway to further personal understanding.

[Christina Shipano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Discovering Robert Moss this year has been wonderful for me! He marries the Dream World and Shamanism in a way unlike anyone else I've read that truly speaks to me and my own experiences. Robert has conversational tone and I feel like we're sitting down together while he chats with me about his life in this book! If you haven't read any of his other books on Dreaming, I recommend not starting with this book... maybe start with "Dreamgates" ; you'll enjoy this book much more with a little more Robert Moss already in your mind. I love his knowledge of history and mythology that he weaves into his work! He is such an amazing person and I feel grateful to him to opening up about his experiences; Robert Moss makes me feel not - so alone in my world of Dreams That Are More Than Dreams. ...if you dream like this too, than you will connect with Robert Moss and his work :-)

[Madi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Robert Moss is a great storyteller, whether he tells the story of his life or he recounts shamanic experiences.

Of this book I was expecting to read more of an autobiography, to learn more about him as a person. It happened for the first half, which I enjoyed a lot and found fascinating. Then it loses momentum and it is transformed into other books that I've read of him: recalls of shamanic and active dreaming experiences.

Still, it's a great book to dive into his Universe and to discover the power of dreams. And you cannot get more of an autobiography than you find here.

[Kristy McCaffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert Moss writes extensively about dream interpretation and travelling in 'other' worlds. His is a modern take on ancient shamanic practices. This book is more memoir than any of his others, and it's wonderful. His journeys amaze and enlighten. As an author myself, it offers a dialogue for understanding where our creative selves live and how best to access the endless information available.

[Lucas Ledbetter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fine enough autobiographical account, but there was nothing about the story that really hooked me enough to do more than skim the book. The book needed a sense that it was going somewhere earlier on. I found Moss's other books on dreaming far more interesting, mainly because they are practical.

[Marty · Rating 2 out of 5]

A really bad acid trip

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I agree with what Miz Lizzie said.

[Jack Oughton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heavy, like spiritual uranium...

[Sharon Moonbeam]

I haven't reached part one yet, and already I am certain that it is going to be a "hang onto the seat of your pants" wild ride.

[Denise Aubuchon (DaubieBooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating.

Fascinating but I, myself, got a little bogged down with the dream adventures. Still a great read. Mr. Moss has plenty to teach us.

[Peter Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

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