Proof of Heaven by Eben Alexander

This book has been at the top of the New York Times non-fiction bestsellers list for a few weeks. I can see why. It has a catchy title, promises the afterlife and is written by a doctor, which appears to lend credibility. He isn't just any common or garden doctors, He's a neurosurgeon, which presupposes that his thinking is rational, logical and objective.

The basic story behind it is that he suffered an acute severe meningitis three years ago and spent a week unconscious on an intensive care unit. During this he had a near death experience. The book writes about his past history, the illness as observed by others and what happened during the experience, He then reflects on God, Heaven, the Universe and quantum physics. As far as he's concerned, his experience proves there is God and an afterlife in Heaven.

I have no problem with Damascene conversions. He had his experience and it changed his outlook on life and that and that is that. I do have a problem with the title and assertions of his book. He provides absolutely no proof of heaven whatsoever. His argument is that during his coma, according to the neurophysiological tests carried out, his outer brain or neocortex, which deals with conscious thought, was shut down, leaving a more primitive part to function unrestricted. This was then the part which was involved in his near death experience and allowed his soul to connect with the Universe and  God and do some astral travelling to Heaven. He then follows it with the assertion that he knows now that there is an afterlife which is much better and that people should therefore not fear   death. I read an article by the neurologist Oliver Sacks about the matter , expressing his concern that there was no evidence offered in the book that his neocortex really was shut down.  I think this misses the point, which is, that he has not proved that the same experience would happen if his entire brain eventually shut down and disappeared one day, through incineration, pickling or decomposition.

There must have been some serious hospital bills to pay after this man's illness.  He's produced an easy and unchallenging read. I haven't read an afterlife book since my  teens so this was fun, but that was about it.