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)

Wonderful NDE story

I enjoyed this book very much. I love that the author narrates! That makes the book much more enjoyable for me! I highly recommend reading/listening!

Too Much Information for the Average Reader

It is my belief that Dr. Alexander most certainly did experience a Near-Death Experience and that he did, indeed, journey to and spend time in the place we call Heaven. He felt the Love of God and the Wonders there in Heaven far beyond anything our human minds could even remotely begin to comprehend. There were, however, things he described that I could not agree with or relate to at all. Dr. Alexander referred to God as "Ahm" which reminds me of a New Age Mantra. He speaks of Reincarnation, Karma and New Age thinking as all part of the experience to knowing the true Love of God. For me personally, as a Born-Again Christian, I simply cannot relate to any of these ideas as they do not fit in with The Word of God. I felt that Dr. Alexander spent way too much time expounding on things which are just way too complicated for the average reader to grasp. The last couple of hours of the book was much too laborious and just plain exhausting to listen to. My mind was so "numb" by the time I finished the book due to the never ending Medical diatribe shared to us by Dr. Alexander. If you have a Medical background, you could relate. However, for the rest of us, we are hopelessly lost ...

A wonderful testimony to the spiritual world

I really enjoyed the book and Dr. Alexander's efforts to explain his experience into the spiritual world from his near death experience and also explain how from a neuroscientist's viewpoint, the experience could only be explained as beyond science and the physical world. What Dr. Alexander described as the spirit world and lessons/messages he gave in the book closely align with my faith in the Unification Church. I hope Dr. Alexander explored the teachings of Reverend Sun Myung Moon and his wife, as their understanding of the spirit world, the purpose of creation, and the nature of God being in essence love match Dr. Alexander's message.

Empowering!

I personally rate this book in my top 5 all time favorites. For me it taps into the ever-pervading
question of the afterlife and who and what we are! I appreciate this book greatly!

eye opener

super loved this book, and i highly recommend it. Best read with an open mind.

It's not selling religion or mystical concepts.

What made the experience of listening to Proof of Heaven the most enjoyable?

What I liked most about this book was how the author remained objective and explained from the scientific, yet personal point of view, why he thinks that human consciousness exceeds this one lifetime.

Who was your favorite character and why?

This is an autobiography, but the family members are also involved.

Which scene was your favorite?

I didn't know about the "re-entry" process that people who have been in a coma might have to deal with. It isn't my "favorite" scene, but one that I wasn't expecting.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Not what the title says. This isn't a "heaven" factored story, it is a NDE, or near death experience biography told in a straightforward manner.

A classic work

I only have two minor things that I could possibly ask for; a little less repetition, and a little more story around the afterlife experience. To be honest these really aren't fair criticisms. The repetition admittedly helps drive many important learning points home, and don't we all want to hear as much detail as we can about what it's really like on the other side?

I bought the digital book, then got even more out of this unabridged audio version. I'm downloading his next book now. Thank you, Eben, for sharing this with us.

Loved this book

Loved it! Worth the time to listen to! I probably will listen to it again in the future!

Breathtaking!

Since losing my sweet mother a year and a half ago, I’ve been seeking answers for what really happens when we leave this earthly plane. Dr. Alexander’s book provided some of those answers. More than once, his words moved me to tears as he described things that I know my mother also experienced as she faded away (ex. hearing music that was other-worldly and beautiful). I’m incredibly moved by his story and the lessons he learned from it, and I thank him for sharing these lessons with us! I recommend this book highly to both believers and skeptics!

Interesting

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

Very interesting book. I'm glad I bought the audio version because I think it would have been a difficult read for me because of all the medical terms used by the author.