start of the book, Darrell Standing introduces himself as a convict condemned to die for the murder of a fellow professor. As he awaits execution, he recounts his past experiences and the intellect that he held over his brutal captors. His time in prison is marked by horrific punishment, notably in solitary confinement where he undergoes severe physical and psychological torment. During these moments of suffering, he finds a way to escape his corporeal self through a meditative recollection of past lives, presenting philosophical ideas of rebirth and the interconnectedness of all existence. The opening establishes a gripping narrative of a man confronting not only his fate but the very essence of his soul's journey through time. (This is an automatically generated summary.)