Eben Alexander: Proof of Heaven

and cardiac arrest, 134

and cerebrospinal fluid, 19, 20

in coma vigile state, 107

concreteness of, 35

and consciousness, 8–9, 34, 80–81, 130, 140, 149, 152

CT scan of, 23, 183

and fantasy, 118, 141

as filter, 81

freedom from limitations of, 9, 85

and grand mal seizure, 16, 183

and ICU psychosis, 118, 120

and memory, 115, 117, 141, 185, 188

MRI of, 36

and neuroscientific hypotheses of NDEs, 141–44, 185–88

oxygenated blood to, 134

reality modeled by, 80, 138

and reboot phenomenon, 142–43, 188

reentry of, 119

sophistication of, 138

subcortical regions, 188

superpowered, 6

surgical repair of, 36

thinking outside the brain, 85

and true thought, 84–85

brain death, revised definitions of, 9, 134

brainstem damage, 187, 188

brain waves, 158–59

Brennan, Robert, 23, 26, 42–43, 106

cardiac arrest, 133–34

cardiopulmonary bypass pumps, 134

cardiopulmonary resuscitation, 134

cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), 19, 21–22

E. coli invasion of, 20

glucose level, 25

and lumbar puncture, 21–22

Chalmers, David, The Conscious Mind, 151–52

Children’s Home Society of North Carolina, 53–54, 59, 63–64

choice, conscious, 84–85

Chuck (skydiving buddy), 3–6, 85

Cicero, 165

clairvoyance, 153

coma:

and arrival at the hospital, 17–19, 183

author as N of 1 in, 89–92

author’s APACHE II score, 25

author’s consciousness in, 29, 30–31, 76–78, 95, 155, 160, 162

author’s CSF glucose level, 25

author’s Glasgow Coma Scale, 25

and feeling of powerlessness, 90

and ICU psychosis, 118, 120

images gathered in, 38–41, 45–49, 68–73, 103, 108–10, 141, 143, 147, 154, 159–61

implications of, 9

as in-between state, 87, 106–7

language bypassed in, 46

medical records of, 25, 132, 135

messages to author in, 40–41

neocortex shut down in, 8, 9, 133, 141–42, 144, 186, 188

onset of, 13–16, 24, 149, 183

and patient’s family, 33–34, 90, 105–7

patient’s hands and feet in, 98

patient’s physical appearance in, 74–75

reality of, 9–10, 39, 78, 129–30, 185

recovery from, 98, 144, 184

and risk of dying, 26, 106, 183

sounds heard by author in, 29, 38–39, 45, 70, 102, 131, 147

telepathic communication with patients in, 88

and termination of antibiotics, 105–7

underworld existence in, 29–32

and vegetative state, 26, 105–6

coma vigile state, 107

compassion, 85

Conscious Mind, The (Chalmers), 151–52

consciousness:

in author’s coma experience, 29, 30–31, 76–78, 95, 155, 160, 162

as basis of all existence, 154–55, 162

behavioral psychology of, 158

and the brain, 8–9, 34, 80–81, 130, 140, 149, 152

deep truths in, 158

enhanced state of, 158

extended phenomena of, 153

and free will, 48, 81, 83–84

life force in, 156

loss of, in brain death, 134

out-of-body, 153, 158, 159, 161

physiology of, 158–59

profound mystery of, 154

and quantum mechanics, 154

and reality, 150, 154

recovery of, 120–23

and science, 151–52, 171

Core:

author’s arrival in, 45–49

lessons learned in, 81, 82, 95, 102, 109

memories of, 107, 131, 151

message received in, 71

moving back and forth in, 68, 70

Orb in, 47, 48, 102, 160

Spinning Melody in, 70, 102

ultra-reality of, 78, 117, 185

cortex, 20, 159, 187

Creator, see God

CSF glucose level, 25

CT (computerized tomography) scan, 23, 183

Cushing, Harvey, 51

Daly, Peggy, 97, 100, 108

dark energy/dark matter, 82, 155

death:

and afterlife, 152–53

author’s return from, 121, 136

feigned by lower animals, 141, 185

revised definitions of, 9, 134

Descartes, René, 149

disappointment, 102

DMT dump, 142, 186

dream confirmation, 137–39

Eccles, Sir John C., 140

E. coli bacteria, 19–21

in bacterial meningitis, 23–24, 91–92, 144, 183

brain attacked by, 20–21, 122, 144

DNA swaps of, 20, 42–43

as gram-negative bacteria, 42, 149

in Israel, 43–44, 89

reproduction of, 19–20

egg, analogy of, 160

Einstein, Albert, 1, 76, 147, 162

electrons, 150

emotions, spaciousness of, 102–3

endogenous glutamate blockade, 185

euphoria, 122, 124, 128

everything, theory of, 150, 153–54

evil, presence of, 48, 83

excitotoxicity, 185, 187

extrasensory perception (ESP), 153

faith, comfort and hope from, 35

family:

as anchor to life, 36–37

of coma patients, 33–34, 90, 105–7

coping with diagnosis, 137–39

hospital vigil of, 97–101

messages from, 37, 101, 137

and one’s identity, 34, 66–67

other (angels), 95–96

reliance on, 36

as source of stability, 34, 53

fantasies:

in author’s return to earth, 115–19, 135, 185–86

grief-induced, 138

in ICU psychosis, 118

NDEs thought to be, 141

reality vs., 41, 138

flying:

in author’s coma experience, 39–40

author’s dreams of, 1, 159

in sailplanes, 1–2, 61

and skydiving, 2–6, 61, 85, 116, 118–19

free will, 48, 81, 83–84

Gateway, 70

images in, 38, 71, 84, 102, 109

lessons learned in, 81

memories of, 68, 131, 147, 151

ultra-reality of, 78, 117, 185

Girl on Butterfly Wing, 40–41

as author’s biological sister, 169

as guide/guardian angel, 47, 68, 102, 104, 163

message from, 41, 71, 109

Glasgow Coma Scale, 25

God:

all-knowing, 159–61

belief in, 34, 57–58, 67, 148

caring and loving, 96, 146, 161, 171

communicating with, 48, 161

connection to, 76, 104, 148, 160–61

dazzling darkness of, 48

glory of, 157

growing toward, 84

impersonal nature of, 85–86

learning lessons from, 192

as Om, 47, 48, 86, 104, 148, 156–57, 159–61

questions about, 153, 154

separation from, 76, 154

universal, 156–57

good and evil, 83

Gram’s stain, 23

Great Depression, 51–52

guardian angels, 95–96, 102, 131

Heaven:

belief in, 34

loss of, 102

presence of, 104

proof of, 135, 171

questions about, 153, 154

Heisenberg, Werner, 149–50, 154

Hemi-Sync, 158–59

hen’s egg, analogy of, 160

Heyward, Robert, 100

human spirit, 152

humor, 157

ICU psychosis, 118, 120

illusion, 80

Ingraham, Franc D., 51

insight, 49

interconnectedness, 150–51, 154–55, 171

irony, 157

Irreducible Mind (Division of Perceptual Studies), 153

Israel:

author’s trip to, 42, 44, 50, 89

E. coli in, 43–44, 89

Sourasky Medical Center in, 43–44

Jeans, Sir James, 154

John (pseud.), 145–46

Kelly, David L., Jr., 52

ketamine, 185–86

Kierkegaard, Søren, 129

kinetic learning, 35

knowledge:

acquisition of, 49

spiritual, 82–83

KPC ( Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase), 43–44

Kübler-Ross, Elisabeth, On Life After Death, 168

language, limitations of, 132

lateral amygdala, 185

laughter, 157

letting go, 145–46

life, our role in, 84, 85

Life After Life (Moody), 133–34, 135

life everlasting, belief in, 36

life force, 156

limbic system, 141, 185

locality, 156