Proof of Heaven

A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Afterlife

By: Eben Alexander

Narrated by: Eben Alexander

Length: 5 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

The #1 New York Times bestselling account of a neurosurgeon's own near-death experience—for fans of 7 Lessons from Heaven.

Thousands of people have had near-death experiences, but scientists have argued that they are impossible. Dr. Eben Alexander was one of those scientists. A highly trained neurosurgeon, Alexander knew that NDEs feel real, but are simply fantasies produced by brains under extreme stress.

Then, Dr. Alexander’s own brain was attacked by a rare illness. The part of the brain that controls thought and emotion—and in essence makes us human—shut down completely. For seven days he lay in a coma. Then, as his doctors considered stopping treatment, Alexander’s eyes popped open. He had come back.

Alexander’s recovery is a medical miracle. But the real miracle of his story lies elsewhere. While his body lay in coma, Alexander journeyed beyond this world and encountered an angelic being who guided him into the deepest realms of super-physical existence. There he met, and spoke with, the Divine source of the universe itself.

Alexander’s story is not a fantasy. Before he underwent his journey, he could not reconcile his knowledge of neuroscience with any belief in heaven, God, or the soul. Today Alexander is a doctor who believes that true health can be achieved only when we realize that God and the soul are real and that death is not the end of personal existence but only a transition.

This story would be remarkable no matter who it happened to. That it happened to Dr. Alexander makes it revolutionary. No scientist or person of faith will be able to ignore it. Listening to it will change your life.

©2012 Eben Alexander (P)2012 Simon & Schuster, Inc

Critic reviews

"Dr. Eben Alexander's near-death experience is the most astounding I have heard in more than four decades of studying this phenomenon. In my opinion, Dr Alexander is living proof of an afterlife." (Raymond Moody, MD, PhD, author of Life Beyond Life)

"Eben Alexander brings a unique perspective to the sacred world combining a glorious, personal vision of spiritual consciousness with patient, insightful scientific inquiry. Proof of Heaven is a compelling story of what may lie ahead for all of us in the life beyond this one. We have nothing to fear." (Allan J. Hamilton, MD, FACS, author of The Scalpel and the Soul and Zen Mind, Zen Horse)

"I can highly recommend this important book that has the potential to break many scientific taboos." (Dr. Pim van Lommel, cardiologist, author of Consciousness Beyond Life: The Science of the Near-Death Experience)

Excellent book

If you could sum up Proof of Heaven in three words, what would they be?

I wish it was longer . I would like to hear more from him .

Credible Account of Peek into Afterlife

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

A learned man of Science critically reviews and affirms his own experience of the afterlife.

This Book had really open my eyes

Where does Proof of Heaven rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Top 1st book

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

This is a very interesting book, it help me understand some situations that I am currently leaving in my family. in addition to revitalize my faith in people.

Which scene was your favorite?

The favorite scene is the awakening of the author "the Photo" and the poem that comes with it. I have repeatedly listen to it in order to revive it.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Sure Did. It was quite motivational and I had times of pure joy

Any additional comments?

Love it and review it some time next year again

Accurate and analytical

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

The author did his own narration. He was very good! I enjoyed his medical approach to what happened and felt the compelling series of events that was unique to his situation. The story could have been very boring and too medical, but that never happened, His explanation of events and situations in his life were really honest and good. A very uplifting book.

If you could give Proof of Heaven a new subtitle, what would it be?

This is a good title.

Great read!

I wish the afterword was the forward...I had some doubts come to mind until listening to that.

Tantalizing but falls a little short

Dr. Alexander paints an enticing picture of the afterlife but does so in a very general way. He can introduce his main concepts of worm darkness, Gateway, and The Core; but it is only a cursory description using ineffability as an excuse. His approach aroused enough skepticism in me leading me to suspect that he may be holding back so he could write multiple books on this topic and maybe cash in on meditation/auditory tapes and so forth.

I never expected this to be a technical book aimed at the medical community, but it’s not even targeted to an intelligent reader – – instead it’s marketed to the general mass public which tends to be gullible and anxious to grasp at any possible positive news about life after death. There were countless numbers of times when my mind would drift away from his reading because there were no intellectual calories to metabolize. (There is an intelligence squared debate video on YouTube featuring Dr. Eben Alexander with Dr. Raymond Moody on the affirmative side of the debate. Moody is far more persuasive demonstrating a much broader and deeper understanding of NDEs despite Alexander’s in depth knowledge of his own personal experience)

I’ve made it a point to watch a couple of videos on YouTube he has made – – and there are a lot – – and there is something not right about him. I doubt I would ever buy a used car from him.

After doing a little Google searching on Alexander and Chopra — two medical doctors who are promulgating the same general message about the universe as consciousness — it’s interesting to note that the two haven’t ever teamed up. (Chopra had no problem teaming up with Wayne Dyer).

The best thing I learned from listening to this book was the referral to another book called “Irreducible Mind: Toward a Psychology for the 21st Century” by Edward Kelly.

Detailed well written recollection of NDE

Excellent read. Dr. Alexander's recollection of his NDE was very detailed. He takes you on his journey into life after death. It feels like you are there with him. I recommend this book to those, like me, who are curious about after life.

Rational analysis of a personal experience

Dr Alexander does an amazing job of presenting the scientific concepts he has had to address as a result of his near death experience in a way that his audience can understand and relate to. He records his experience thoroughly, and takes every opportunity to discuss the medicine and neuroscience involved. And most importantly, he addresses the skepticisms he himself would have had before his NDE and does so from a rational medical perspective. As a theology student I highly recommend his book for everyone interested in the NDE experience or in questions of afterlife experiences.

Should not go beyond what was revealed to him

There is much to like about this story. And as someone who firmly believes in the afterlife and is open to the reality of NDEs, I am inclined to believe much of what you he author claims to have experienced when he was in a coma for seven days. However, he loses a great deal of credibility when he moves beyond merely trying to communicate to the reader what he experienced to trying to convince us of his own “New Age” sounding theology and philosophy that goes way beyond what he directly experienced. He seems to prove the axium that “a little knowledge is a dangerous thing”. He seems to be a person who has had and continues to have a large ego and is likely very self-centered. The last section of the book that he wrote five years after the books original publication is further proof of how important he thinks he is and how far he is “out over his skis”. If humility is the greatest virtue, and pride the source of all sin, he has some personal work to do before he teaches us all of our he ultimate “truth” of all he non material world he just “discovered” nine years ago when he was in a coma for seven days.

Review of Proof of Heaven

Dr. Alexander's story is a spiritually inspired docudrama that gives us first-hand insight into a journey he was taken on by God and one of his angels. I don't think he could have done a better job of describing his emotional, turbulent account while also sharing insights and emotions experienced by his family. He describes how the experience healed his buried hurts and brought his loved ones together. Most importantly, that insight into the spiritual realm of God sealed his connection between himself and His creator making the reader completely understand what makes his so passionately compelled to want to give an understanding of that connection to others. Having experienced a very different tragedy in my life that gave me a crisis of faith- which later turned into a very beautiful and close relationship with God- I was amazed to read comments Eben took away from his experience that I thought only I had learned from God and didn't think to ever hear another person say out loud, such as "God is God but He is also human. If fact, he is more human than of any of us." This was only one of the many statements in his book that provided proof to me of the legitimacy of his story and reminded me that what I had experienced, not only really did happen, but was the most real thing I have experienced in my life. Some days, it is hard to believe that our Creator actually communicates with us and chases after us. It is so nice to hear about other people's experiences.
His story is the wildest I have ever heard- and I KNOW that every word of it is true.
It is so important for everyone who does go through something like Eben did to give their story to the world.
It helps us know we are not alone.