When scientists acknowledge the authenticity of the afterlife, it makes me giddy. They validate my beliefs, even if they aren’t referring specifically to my experience. In the book, Proof of Heaven, Harvard-educated neurosurgeon, Eben Alexander, outlines how his near-death experience (NDE) proves we survive in a different dimension when our physical bodies cease to exist.
For seven days, Alexander lay in a coma with his neocortex off-line from a bacterial infection. This is the part of the brain responsible for consciousness—housing memory, language, emotion, visual and auditory awareness and logic. And since his neocortex wasn’t working, Alexander said his NDE can’t be blamed on a malfunctioning brain.
During his NDE, Alexander ascended to a beautiful, vibrant world. He and a beautiful girl rode something similar to the colorful wings of a butterfly. He soon realized his companion was his guide. Telepathically, she had presented him with three important messages:
- “You are loved and cherished dearly, forever.”
- “You have nothing to fear.”
- “There is nothing you can do wrong.”
After this, he flew higher into puffy, pink-white clouds. Above him, flocks of transparent orbs soared while making heavenly, chanting music. Their surging joyful perfection was so strong, he could feel it.
Proof of Heaven espouses that we are all recipients of an amazing intensity of divine love, one so strong that “nothing can ever tear us away from God.”
The author believes it’s difficult to experience God’s all-encompassing love on Earth, because free will and societal pressures (to become wealthy and famous, for example) confine us, making us more fearful.
According to Alexander, our role here on Earth is become spiritually evolved. And, he believes that growth is closely monitored by those in the world above us. He said we all have beings on the other side watching out for us and helping us navigate our trials.
Further, Alexander insists the spiritual realm is not far away. He said it is among us, but vibrates at a different frequency that makes it difficult for us to detect. NDEs aren’t the only way to glimpse this dimension, though. He believes that through prayer and meditation, we can delve deeply into our consciousness and tap into the spirit world.
Many of his findings ring true to me. While I certainly didn’t have an NDE, my night at the Goldfield Hotel launched me into similar, profound revelations and encounters with multiple spirits. I also enjoyed intensities of unconditional, pure love unlike anything I’d ever experienced, just like Alexander did.
As individual scientists become believers, we can all hope for more research into the afterlife and a better understanding of the world beyond.
So much…
Death has visited our family recently. Brings to mind many things, of course, the path our loved ones have walked, as well as the ones we’ve set for ourselves. I’ve been deep in thought regarding such things.
Recently, I asked my wife: “Okay, a guy loves baseball and goes into eternity, a perfect place. Perfect. Who strikes out in heaven? What’s the joy in smacking one over the fence all the time, or throwing the pitch that loses the game? What kind of perfect are we talking about?”
One can do no wrong? Really? So…we’re given a break from perfection to have a shot at living with imperfection?
What bothers me more than anything else…I wake up at night, just occasionally. Happens more in winter, and I can’t walk the street…bone chilling. TV is no comfort.
Scared of dying? Maybe, but only for this reason — dying without purpose, dying with anger, dying without expressing my appreciation for the joy people have brought me. And not always family.
In a gambling town, it’s evident that life is a gamble. If you’re in…really in, you put your money on red, black, or zero. I’ve chosen red, and that is the blood of Jesus. I can’t figure this out for myself, but God has done it for me. And he doesn’t have to explain it to my limited and finite mind. I’ve got all eternity to understand it. Do no wrong? Cool. But for every yin, there’s a yang — I don’t want to experience the other side of what do no wrong might be.
Not my kind of bet.
Sorry to hear of the death in your family. No matter how wonderful heaven is, it is tough for us left on Earth to bear existence without someone we love.
I’ve had a couple people call me (Facebook) on the “one can do no wrong.” I guess I took it differently than others and I can understand where you and others are coming from. Do I think that murderers, despots, rapists, abusers get a Go to Heaven Free Card? No, I don’t. When I had read this in Dr. Alexander’s book, my thoughts went to how frightened I had been as an evangelical Christian that I would make one mis-step and be condemned (even though I was saved). So many of us have lived in fear that even though we’d lived a strong Christian life, loved others and tried to do God’s work, that that would not be enough to save us in case we made a small transgression.
When I experienced my miracle, God’s love was paramount to everything. Nothing could touch the amazing adoration I felt. It was quite humbling. And, in that moment of being immersed in such astounding divine love, I recognized God knew I was trying to live a good life and that the Great I Am would never forsake me for some mistake that wasn’t made out of malice.
As for home runs in heaven, I can’t say I have the answer. Our victories are so sweet here as we have to truly work for those victories. I see heaven as basking in God’s exuberance–something we can’t constantly do here, as jobs and stresses make us concentrate on other things besides the holy. And, if you are playing baseball in that heavenly realm against some of the sport’s greatest, then I imagine you will strike out from time to time–but who wouldn’t want the chance to play with world-class athletes?
Good to have you back visiting the site and offering your thoughts on my posts. You and your family are in my prayers.
Prayers appreciated, Kathleen. Thank you for your response. I’ve always checked in, I only wanted to comment when I could contribute to the discussion. I am pulling for your success and growth as a writer.
I come from a journey, (as we all do) that has included pilgrimages to religious sites (Catholic). I have experienced some scary events related to a friend dabbling in the occult, and that provoked me to sell a house and start over in Hollywood. That creative life has its own brand of “spirituality”, using God for purposes other than growth. i feel blessed that on May 17 of 1997, I married a woman I would later lose to cancer, and that re-started me in my Christian walk. Honestly, at this point in time, it is more like a desert. Lots to that, but I understand disillusionment, especially when politics meld with religion. I am certain that God doesn’t give up on us, that we give up on Him. For that I am grateful, and I appreciate the chance to write those words and have them received. Thanks for being open to meaningful discussions.
Tony
Thanks, Tony. I respect your walk with God and Christ. Frankly, I don’t want anyone to believe exactly as I do, as we all come from different places in life and have different lessons to learn. I’d love to live in a world, where everyone respect’s each other’s beliefs. All of our lessons are valuable, and by sharing them, we can help people on their spiritual journeys. Life is tough and so many aspects of this hectic world can tug at us and try to distract us from serving God. I appreciate your openness to discussion. Take care.
[…] my review of Dr. Eben Alexander’s first book, Proof of […]
[…] I read Dr. Eben Alexander’s Proof of Heaven (see my post, A Neurosurgeon Provides Proof of Heaven 5/8/2013), I found that many of my thoughts regarding the afterlife mirrored his, especially that […]