Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Afterlife (Review)

NDE stands for Near Death Experience. Because of the advancements of modern medicine, many more people are having NDEs and writing about them than occurred in the past, according to the book's author, Dr. Eben Alexander. There are shelves full of books that deal with the topic of the NDE. This book is unique because of the individual (a brain surgeon) who had the NDE, how he got sick, what he got sick with, and how unlikely it was that he recovered. The doctor goes into great detail in the book about just how unlikely his chances were for his recovery. After reading the facts as laid out by the author, it certainly seems as though he was chosen by God to have the experience he had and to share it with the world.

Dr. Alexander does a very good job of explaining how and why he had his near death experience and just how close he was to death. He deftly brings us into his family and professional lives. His extended family's vigil at his bedside when he was in a coma and slipping towards death was inspiring. The doctor also gives us a view of the spirit world (heaven, hell, and purgatory) that we often don't hear about, even from other books that describe the afterlife.

In the end, it is amazing that he lived to tell his story and being a neurosurgeon, he is the perfect person to have had this experience and live to tell about it. Based on the totality of the details involved here and not just on one piece of evidence, the book should give most people confidence that life continues after our bodies stop working. The hardened skeptics will scoff at the book as they do at all things spiritual, but everyone will be welcomed into the afterlife whether they believe in it or not. I appreciate the fact that this man was courageous enough to share his story with the many people who want to know that there is more to life than eighty years on this toilsome planet and then nothing.