PMH Atwater on Proof of Heaven

[Sandy B]

PMH Atwater discusses Eben Alexander's book, Proof of Heaven, and mentions an interesting tidbit about what the editor insisted on putting in the book that Alexander was not happy with adding:

Proof of Heaven, Norway, Nurses, Frank Tribbe, and Reality Shifts

There is one factual error in the book on page 78, where he states that he was allowed to die harder, and travel deeper, than almost all other NDE subjects. Almost all? Well, not exactly true, but sort-of. Come to find out his editor insisted that this line be in the book, even though Eben did not agree and felt it was a stretch. Seems to be the way of publishing these days - when in doubt, exaggerate. There are several who evidenced medical conditions similar to Eben’s. The record holder I know about is Walter Russell. I carried some of his case in a number of my books. You can look it up if you wish on page 129 and 130 of The New Children and Near-Death Experiences. In a nutshell, Walter’s first near-death experience occurred when he was 7 years old. It prepared him for the financial disaster his family would soon suffer. Every seven years after that he had another one, each filling him with more knowledge and guidance, until, at age 49, he was suddenly enveloped within the fullness of cosmic consciousness and left “wholly mind,” dead or nearly dead to his family, his brain non-functional. For 39 days and nights he existed similarly to how Eben did. His family was on the verge of committing him to a hospital for the mentally ill and insane when he finally revived. Eben got his mind back, all his scientific work, his family memories, everything that made him who he was, as well as all the “new stuff” - a new understanding of reality, of spirit, of God. Water was not that lucky. He was incapable of language afterward, nor could he even hold a pencil or walk normally. It took him some time before the world inside his brain returned - along with so much more that eventually he was recognized as a genius specializing in chemistry, physics, and electromagnetics. He was the first to predict black holes, and had an ongoing correspondence with Albert Einstein. Read any of his books, especially The Secret of Light or the huge Universal One. All of his work, his theories, his books, and his scientific experiments came directly in content and power from that 39 days and nights “without a brain, hovering at the edge of death - wholly mind.” Link to Home or google him. He and his wife Lao Russell founded the University of Science and Philosophy. It exists today only via mail and Internet.

[MU!!]

Sandy B.,

When the name of Dr. Alexander's book was announced my fair judgment was of his reluctance in the title especially the "proofing heaven" innuendo. It is the undeniable reality of modern day global book distribution that publishers force-feed on authors many things that are, to the authors at least, foul tasting.

Your illustration is only one of many more in the good Doctor's book I would imagine.

[Smithy]

Originally Posted by Sandy B

Dr Eben Alexander on the Dr Oz show:

Eben Alexander's Near Death Experience, Pt 1 | The Dr. Oz Show
Eben Alexanders Near Death Experience, Pt 2 | The Dr. Oz Show

Dr Jeffery Long:
The Markers of a Near-Death Experience | The Dr. Oz Show

Thanks so much, Sandy! Very interesting.

[Sandy B]

Originally Posted by Smithy

Thanks so much, Sandy! Very interesting.

It's nice to see this case getting so much mainstream media attention. I think it's important to remember that most people are open to the evidence and are actually glad to see these experiences openly discussed. I don't believe the highly vocal "skeptics" that have a habit of trolling forums such as skeptiko represent the majority of opinion. Unfortunately, many people mistakenly believe that science takes materialism as the default position. That just isn't the case. Science should be based on the best evidence and should not be impeded in it's progress by being locked into the dogma of a highly vocal group of disbelievers.

[Sandy B]

Originally Posted by MU!!

Your illustration is only one of many more in the good Doctor's book I would imagine.

Whatever the book's shortcomings may be, it's still an important addition to the NDE literature. Dr Alexander is a wonderful spokesperson. I think he's doing an important service by getting these experiences out in the mainstream media and getting the discussions going. I think it's particularly important that he is starting off by addressing the general public with a book that is very accessible. The basic science is there, but it isn't intimidating.

A recent episode of 20/20 in the US had a segment on his case along with a number of stories on precognition and psi. Originally the show was supposed to be focused on science and major segments were supposed to showcase researchers such as Dean Radin and people from the Rhine Research Center. Unfortunately, the show's producers thought it was turning out to be too focused on "boring science stuff", and changed the focus of the program to a bunch of features on "para-celebrities" such as Theresa Caputo (Long Island Medium) and the dog from Ghost Hunters. They gave very little air time to Radin or the RRC (or to science).

One of the few bright spots in the show was the interview with Eben Alexander. He has that ability to bring the science of NDE research into the mainstream media's attention because of the fact that it is framed as a human interest story.

[MU!!]

Originally Posted by Sandy B

It's nice to see this case getting so much mainstream media attention.

Yes it is and hopefully his second book will be as socially penetrating.

I think it's important to remember that most people are open to the evidence and are actually glad to see these experiences openly discussed. I don't believe the highly vocal "skeptics" that have a habit of trolling forums such as skeptiko represent the majority of opinion.

I don't know if there is a majority opinion on NDE or afterlife when factoring in those who have no knowledge (or opinion) of the facts as they have been repeatedly represented. Maybe a plurality.

Unfortunately, many people mistakenly believe that science takes materialism as the default position. That just isn't the case. Science should be based on the best evidence and should not be impeded in it's progress by being locked into the dogma of a highly vocal group of disbelievers.

Maybe one day when funding follows interest.

[anonymous]

From the opening post:
http://forum.mind-energy.net/skeptik...tml#post125587

There is one factual error in the book on page 78, where he states that he was allowed to die harder, and travel deeper, than almost all other NDE subjects. Almost all? Well, not exactly true, but sort-of.

This reminds me of a quote from Nanci Danison's book.

The quote is provided by "no one" in a comment on Michael Prescott's blog:


http://michaelprescott.typepad.com/m...54345492e9970c

...I naturally view others' experiences in light of what I learned during my own. My understanding is that when I died, it was my time to leave human life permanently. I never reached a barrier beyond which I could not pass. I was never told I had to go back to human life. And, no one resuscitated me before I returned to Nanci's body voluntarily. Consequently, it is my understanding that what I went through is the full-blown process we follow after death to transition back to our natural spiritual state, and ultimately to merge back into Source. I experienced steps that are much deeper in the transition process than maybe 99% of near-death and afterlife experiencers. That gives me a perspective from which I can place others' accounts into a rough timeline on the transition process. In other words, I know that certain things change as you get deeper into the process because (a) that's what happened to me, and (b) Universal Knowledge informed me about the process."

Is Eben's publisher trying to compete with this, or is this added by Danison's publisher too?

[satyanveshi]

Originally Posted by MU!!

It is the undeniable reality of modern day global book distribution that publishers force-feed on authors many things that are, to the authors at least, foul tasting.

While I agree with your overall assessment, I'd wager a wild guess that is is more of a reality of USA Christian believing and book buying majority that dictates that.

In all non-English language they are going to pick their own titles anyway (with no regard to the original often, I must add).

I for one almost weren't interested in the book, because I thought it was more of the silly "let's prove the Christian culturo-socio-religious version of heaven"

A more accurate, more religion neutral and as such, more global title would have been: "A proof of Afterlife" or "A Proof of Place After Death".

Granted, that may have hurt some fundamental-christian sensibilities, which is exactly the reason why it was not chosen, because "For Christian by Christian" sells better in the US.