Why Religion Won't Die I haven't read Eben Alexander's "Proof of Heaven" but probably will soon. However, I did read Pim Van Lommel's "Conscious Beyond Death" and discussed it in a long, but popular post at KAI. A number of people read and discussed the book, and if you haven't read it, I strongly encourage everyone to do so. It's a tome, but I think most will tear through it. Great read.
I stumbled on the linked video by Alexander and highly recommend people watch it in it's entirety. He discusses, among other things, consciousness, reductive materialism (it's dead), quantum physics, and the nature of the Universe.
If you think religion is going to die, think again. NDE's are for real and, hence, an afterlife is for real. That's the core claim of religion, and as medicine gets better we'll see more of them.
The next act will be the over throw of the reductive materialism paradigm. That will usher in a New Age of spirituality that will change the world.
The rabid atheists seem so silly already.
About Eben Alexander III M. D.
Dr. Eben Alexander III has been an academic neurosurgeon for the last 25 years, including 15 years at the Brigham & Women's and the Children's Hospitals and Harvard Medical School in Boston. Over his academic career he authored or co-authored over 150 chapters and papers in peer reviewed journals, and made over 200 presentations at conferences and medical centers around the world. He thought he had a very good idea of how the brain generates consciousness, mind and spirit.
A week spent in coma due to severe gram-negative bacterial meningitis in November 2008 changed all of that forever. The extraordinary spiritual journey he experienced that week completely defied everything he thought he knew about the brain and consciousness, supporting an alternative view in which consciousness is fundamental in the universe, and creates all else that exists! His original journey was portrayed in the blockbuster international bestseller, Proof of Heaven, followed by The Map of Heaven (describing the commonality of such experiences)
The much-anticipated sequel to Proof of Heaven, entitled "Living in a Mindful Universe: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Heart of Consciousness," came out 17 October 2017. It follows his extraordinary journey of discovery since awakening from coma, and mirrors the profound paradigm shift coming to the world's scientific community at large, all about a deeper understanding of the fundamental nature of consciousness itself.
His story offers a crucial key to the understanding of reality and human consciousness. It will have a major effect on how we view spirituality, soul and the non-material realm. In analyzing his experience, including the scientific possibilities and grand implications, he envisions a more complete reconciliation of modern science and spirituality as a natural product.
He has been blessed with a complete recovery, and has written three books about this most powerful, life-changing story. Simon & Schuster published his first book, entitled "Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Afterlife" on October 23, 2012. It spent more than 40 weeks at the number 1 position on the NYT Bestseller list, was on that list for almost two years, and has been published in over 30 foreign countries.
For more information, including video links and reading list, visit http://www.ebenalexander.com
Re: Why Religion Won't Die P.S. Ancient traditions had experience with NDEs. The "Book of the Dead", both Egyptian and Tibetan, discuss them. I never knew that, thinking they were kings lists or something.
Re: Why Religion Won't Die I have read ‘proof of heaven’ a couple of times as well as Consciousness Beyond Death’. To my mind, the Eben Alexander case is the greatest challenge to materialist explanations for consciousness there is. Sure, Lommel’s book contains some cases of NDE that are not easily dismissed but in the case of Dr Alexander we are talking about a brain surgeon who suffered a brain condition that he knew meant the brain could not function enough to generate the experiences he had. Not only that, but we also have medical data backing up his claim that the bacterial meningitis he contracted had turned his brain to mush.
I do not like to use the word miracle, but when it comes to Alexander’s recovery from such a deathly and disabling illness...well if that was not miraculous I do not know what is. Having heard him speak about his experience I have no doubt that he is convinced, after having considered all alternatives to be invalid, that he experienced something extraordinary when he was brain dead.
