A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Afterlife
by Dr Eben Alexander
Fiona Walthall recommended this book at the recent discussion on December 9th. She writes:
Eben Alexander is an eminent neurosurgeon who spent 15 years
as associate professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School. He operated
on many patients with life-threatening brain conditions. He has often
heard stories of Near Death Experiences, or journeys in other worlds, but has
always put it down to that person’s own consciousness creating these
experiences. On 10th November 2008 he was struck down out of nowhere by
an extremely rare form of e-coli bacterial meningitis. Survival rates are
less than 10% and most of those end up in a vegetative state. As he
slipped ever deeper into a coma the last words he spoke were “God Help Me”.
Over the next 7 days, Eben was given antibiotics and all his
fellow neurosurgeons came to give their advice on treatment. He was on
life-support machines, and by day 7 the decision was made that all the machines
should be turned off and nature should be allowed to take its course. A
member of his family said, “Hang on, let’s just go and see him one more
time”. While they were there his eyes opened, he sat up, and he said,
“What are you all doing here?”
After he made a full recovery, Eben looked at his own
medical records and could see no evidence of any activity whatsoever in the
outer area of the brain which is where ‘the bit that makes you human’
resides. From a medical perspective it was totally impossible that his
brain could have been functioning so that he could be having any thoughts or
experiences at all. Yet throughout that 7 days he was in another world,
experiencing things with a beautiful companion guiding and leading him.
He had a complete memory of his experiences on his return. The only way
this was possible, this experienced neurosurgeon reckoned, was if ‘he’ had
actually been there.
This is a fascinating and very readable book. Indeed
it is one of those you can’t put down. It provides much food for thought,
particularly once you read the nice little twist at the end ... but please
don’t go straight to the end!
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