Proof of Heaven, by Eben Alexander

When neurosurgeon Eben Alexander heard stories from his patients about their near death experiences (NDEs), he nodded and dismissed the stories as the product of imagination.  But when he contracted a rare case of e. coli meningitis and spent 7 days in a coma, he had a NDE of his own.  Miraculously, he survived the illness and lived to tell about his experiences of heaven.

In Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Afterlife, Dr. Alexander recounts with a clinical eye the symptoms and effects of his illness, describes what was happening neurologically in his brain, and tells the story of what he experienced beyond his body.  Given his academic credentials, his story has credence that other NDE accounts may lack.  But even his Ivy League pedigree can't get past the inadequacy of his title: proof of heaven.  There is no proof here.  He gives a scientific justification for a belief in life and consciousness separate from the physical body.  But his experience of what he took to be heaven is, by definition, impossible to prove.

The two lessons that his book boils down to is that we are loved by God, and that there is more to the world than the material realm.  He was a nominal Episcopalian before this experience, but the NDE account doesn't seem to be guided by Christian theological presuppositions.  In fact, some might argue that his account does not mesh with the biblical witness.  (I found it odd that he frequently referred to God as Om.)

I absolutely believe in heaven.  I believe that many have had glimpses of heaven and lived to tell of them.  And I'm sure that Dr. Alexander's experience was genuine.  But proof?  I'm not so sure.  Proof of Heaven is a deeply personal book, heartfelt and passionate.  But despite his M.D. and experience as a neurosurgeon, it remains one personal account of an NDE among many.