Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Afterlife by Eben Alexander, M.D.: Proof of Heaven is the sort of book you might bypass on the shelf as yet another near-death experience story—which it is. Yet, I keep returning to it in fascination. Not for the complexity of ideas, but perhaps for the simplicity.proof of heaven

You are loved and cherished.
You have nothing to fear.
There is nothing you can do wrong.

That is the core message Alexander received during his trip to the "other side." If you sit quietly with that, it's truth might weaken the ediface of your beliefs... or it might become just another concept. It could be interpreted in many ways; mangled by human neediness, distorted by our desires, or sync with a feeling that arises when all is seemingly lost. Regardless of what we do with his message, Alexander's conviction shines through the book.

Though it has been a few years since I delved into the near-death experience literature, Alexander's first-hand account appears remarkable because of his perspective while on the other side. As he expresses it, he was "consciousness, but consciousness without memory or identity—like a dream where you know what's going on around you, but have no real idea of who, or what, you are." His views as a neuroscientist are also interesting, as it is not often that one trained in brain science is confronted with irrefutable evidence of life beyond the brain. Alexander nows see the brain as a filtering mechanism that allows consciousness (his real identity) to function in this earth. For better or for worse, he's taken on the task of communicating this message to the rest of the scientific community.

Proof of Heaven is a quick read: the details of Alexander's journey entail at most one-quarter of the book. The first half alternates between descriptions of his afterlife journey and a blow-by-blow account of his medical emergency, while the second half describes his recovery, his quest to understand what happened to him, and his desire to find ways to help others experience their true nature. One is definitely left wanting to hear more from Alexander. As he says, it will take a lifetime to articulate the information he "downloaded" while on the other side.

One of my favorite passages in the book is when Alexander quotes Henry Vaughn: "There is, some say, in God a deep but dazzling darkness...." That is the same quote that sprung to John Wren-Lewis's mind after his awakening!

Though offering only preliminary ideas (he recommends Robert Monroe's Hemi-Sync technology, as well as prayer and meditation in general) as to how to help others achieve an understanding of consciousness, I recommend Proof of Heaven as a signpost and siren song. Though they are just words, one can feel the truth of Eben Alexander's first utterance as he emerged from his seven-day coma: "Don't worry... all is well."

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