Posted on 10/16/2011 1:19:00 PM PDT by NYer
DURHAM, N.C.—Eben Alexander was your typical neurosurgeon. A firm believer of scientific reductionism, he thought that all thoughts originate from the brain. But this changed in 2008 when he encountered a case of near-death experience (NDE).
As much as it was the complete opposite of his previous views, he couldn’t dismiss or avoid the case—it was none other than his own experience, and he had to face it and search for an explanation.
Having contracted acute bacterial meningitis, which damages the neocortex—the part of the brain that is thought to involve complex cognitive functions like conscious thought—Alexander went into a coma and spent six days on a ventilator. The chance of survival was very slim, and less so was the possibility of recovering fully.
The normal glucose levels in a human’s cerebrospinal fluid are between 60 and 80 mg/dl (milligram per one-tenth of a liter), and the meningitis infection is considered severe when the level drops to 20 mg/dl. But the glucose level of Alexander’s cerebrospinal fluid was at 1 mg/dl, making it impossible for his brain to function.
However, during the time when he was in coma, Alexander encountered vivid experiences involving multiple senses, such as vision, hearing, and smell. He said that he couldn’t describe how amazing it was.
“What happened deep in coma was absolutely stunning,” Alexander said during an interview.
“The whole situation seems to be much more real than our earthly life, and the sensory modalities were very strange because they were, you know, when I was remembering all this and trying to write it down, a lot of the kind of auditory and visual things that we would normally think of as things that we see or hear, were all kind of blended together.”
For example, he “saw” a beautiful melody appearing as colors in front of him, and he remembered gold and silver arcs of lights as transparent arcs of energy that he perceived as sounds.
“To compare it with sitting here and talking on the phone or working on my computer, it was much, much more real, very rich, and as if I were truly being alive for the first time,” Alexander said. “It was really amazing.”
“My brain right now—I think it recovered pretty well—could not do anything close to what my brain was doing deep in coma,” Alexander said in this year’s International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS) conference.
“How does a dying brain end up getting far, far more powerful and able to handle these tremendous loads of information instantaneously and put it altogether?”
“For me the problem was how to explain the hyper-reality. How do I explain such a rich experience, such an interactive experience, one with so much very vivid, and auditory and visual components when the parts of my human brain that normally handle all that were infected with meningitis and were not working. And especially how was it that the mind would experience consciousness, and handling very complex tasks?” Alexander said during the interview.
For months after the coma, Alexander thought about his NDE and tried to explain it from a neuroscientific standpoint. He came up with about seven hypotheses, but later found that none were able to explain fully what happened.
“The standard neuroscientific explanation […] absolutely does not address the real powerful elements of the experience,” he said.
“My conclusion is that the experience was very real and had to happen outside of my brain, and it had to happen outside of this physical universe. […] There is an element of our consciousness that is not dependent on the brain and that is what was set free, for me, and went on that journey.”
“Any scientists who doubt the reality of such extraordinary near-death experiences should begin by explaining the fundamental mechanism of conscious awareness. The evidence for the reality of many related phenomena, such as remote viewing and influence, and out-of-body phenomena, is overwhelming. The reductive materialist view of physical reality, as it currently stands, is not going to fully explain consciousness,” he said.
Alexander has since looked into quantum mechanics as it seems to offer some insights into the phenomenon of consciousness, and thus to NDEs.
"When the enigma of the interpretation of their experiments first came to light more than 80 years ago to the founding fathers of quantum mechanics, such as Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr, Erwin Schrödinger, Werner Heisenberg, and Max Planck, they knew their experiments revealed a deep mystery. It was such a mystery because it dealt with the intersection of reality and consciousness. It is even more of a mystery today, as revealed by ever more refined experiments,” he said.
Experiments in quantum mechanics have found that it is impossible to precisely measure a photon or electron’s (or other subatomic particle’s) position and momentum at the same time. These entities would behave like waves or particles, depending on the choice of a conscious observer about how to measure them. The exact measurement result seemed to be arbitrarily chosen from a range of possibilities, but was not exact until the measurement was consciously observed.
An experiment done in 2000 even found that an observation made in the future of a particle could affect the behavior of an entangled particle (one that was generated in the same single process) in the past. The experiment was set up for particles to pass through a double-slit apparatus and end up in four different locations, and the researchers found that just by observing which location the particles arrive at, their behavior back at the double-slit apparatus would be affected.
“I’m worried that some of the physics community today doesn’t sense the same deep mystery behind it all, as did the brilliant founding fathers of the field. The experimental results have gotten even more bizarre with more refined experiments, but many who work with quantum physics overlook the extreme mystery at its most basic level. Quantum mechanics is such a basic part of our lives that a third of our economy (cell phones, GPS, television, computers, all the semiconductor technology, etc.) is based in the physics and mathematics of quantum mechanics. It’s been proven to work very well, but they got away from the deep mystery that is there when you look at the basic experimental results. They indicate that consciousness is crucial in the determination of physical reality,” Alexander said.
It has recently been discovered that quantum phenomena also happen in biological processes such as human olfaction, bird migration, and photosynthesis. Alexander thinks that quantum processes might also be involved with human consciousness.
“The main role in my view for quantum mechanics is that it provides the ‘smoking gun,’ that shows us there’s something special about consciousness in making reality,” he said.
“It suggests that we’re missing a big point about our consciousness and exactly how it interacts with reality. […] I don’t think that by chasing quantum mechanical phenomena to a certain degree that we will come up with the answer about mind and consciousness, although I think it will be very helpful at elucidating the mind-brain interface.”
“I see science and spirituality going forward, together—science and spirituality as being one, and complementing each other beautifully. Both the religious side and the science side will have to let go of some of the more simplistic dogmatic assumptions and statements, but then science and spirituality and this deeper knowledge of the profound nature of our individual consciousness can move forward. The world will be an enormously better place when we do that,” he concluded.
I constantly have spirits approach me to pass a message on to the loved ones they left behind. The message is usually, “Tell them that everything is ok.”
I used to clear them out of houses. In a good way,
Thanks dubyagee. I’ve had the thought in the back of my mind that I will just give it a year to feel better. Looks like I better extend the time frame...
Right now, the pain is pretty bad as he was diagnosed last October. Everything about this time of year, early sunsets and such, reminds me of last October. I’m absolutely dreading the Christmas season as he died December 17th.
It doesn’t help that my mom is now in assisted living as my dad was her main caregiver. We tried having her live with us but she is wheelchair bound and I’m not physically large enough to lift her. She’s pretty bitter about that and lives in the land of denial regarding her own grief.
I’ve decided that I need to concentrate on my own mental health before I can begin to help her.
My condolences on the passing of your brother and thanks again for sharing your story with me.
Don’t put time frames or “have tos” on a grief process. For some, they have already processed some of the grief process.
For others like me, it took a long time.
Check out my FR homepage for part of the story.
No kidding. You forgot to say "eyes glazed over" snobs. They are blinded by the group think of their beliefs. Personally I believe in a higher being. If anybody comes and asks for money in the name of that being, I truly know they are fake. I don't even think Jesus wanted money.
Don’t put time frames or “have tos” on a grief process. For some, they have already processed some of the grief process.
For others like me, it took a long time.
Check out my FR homepage for part of the story.
I will take your words to heart. I appreciate the words of wisdom from people like you that have walked the path. It means a lot to me and I thank you.
“If this man is not a believer in Christ”
“What does that mean exactly?”
Maybe RuMomof7 meant was that “if this man has not made a conscious decision to accept Christ as his Savior, and made Him Lord of his life...” (Believing in Christ isn’t the answer; even Satan believes in Christ.)
(Please correct me if I’m wrong, RuMom. Don’t mean to step on your toes.)
He was in the hospital for the last 6 months of his life. There were times he really suffered but most of that time he was relatively comfortable. He was just very weak and couldn’t walk.
I’m still reeling too, although my dad’s departure was long and drawn out. I never expected him to be so afraid and he made it really clear he didn’t want to go, no matter what. He insisted on all medical measures being taken and I saw him brought back twice. I just felt so tired. I knew I’d have to watch him die yet again. He never mentioned any light or feeling of peace, but I’m hoping it was just because he never got that far along in the process. They always had to do what they could to revive him.
Thank you. He certainly had my prayers. I’m hoping he saw that beam of light at the end because my sister was yelling at him not to go and to stay and he shook his head no. Maybe he saw the light and was ready to step into it.
You both might benefit from reading the book, HEAVEN IS FOR REAL. It is told by the father of a little boy who spent time in heaven and was brought back to life. It is in paperback and is in the stores now. I know it would comfort you.
I’ll check it out. Thank you very much.
Oh Melian,
That’s awful. Especially the part about you sister wanting him to stay. That couldn’t have been helpful.
Was your dad in a hospice facility? My dad was in one and they were great in that terrible time.
Dad was barely able to speak in the last couple of weeks. He clearly said, “Go away” his last day. It was always his wish to die alone. I couldn’t convince my dear brother to leave him. I kissed Dad goodbye and left my brother alone with him at midnight. My brother left, exhausted, at 2:30 a.m. Dad died within a half hour later, on his own terms.
Your father most certainly experienced the same thing. He saw the beauty of what lies beyond this place. God bless you and your family. I wish you healing in the days ahead.
“Defending Your Life” is a great movie. Rip Torn explains to Albert Brooks....
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Please remember to visit the “past lives pavilion...”
“Defending Your Life” is a great movie. Rip Torn explains to Albert Brooks....
*****************************************
Please remember to visit the “past lives pavilion...”
Book marking
You said it. It is clear from the words of Christ that we are saved and go to heaven being judged by our works of mercy and not by a formal set of Christian beliefs.
[31] And when the Son of man shall come in his majesty, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit upon the seat of his majesty. [32] And all nations shall be gathered together before him, and he shall separate them one from another, as the shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats: [33] And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on his left. [34] Then shall the king say to them that shall be on his right hand: Come, ye blessed of my Father, possess you the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. [35] For I was hungry, and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in: [36] Naked, and you covered me: sick, and you visited me: I was in prison, and you came to me.[...]
[41] Then he shall say to them also that shall be on his left hand: Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels. [42] For I was hungry, and you gave me not to eat: I was thirsty, and you gave me not to drink. [43] I was a stranger, and you took me not in: naked, and you covered me not: sick and in prison, and you did not visit me.
[...]
[46] And these shall go into everlasting punishment: but the just, into life everlasting.
(Mt 25)
why call you me, Lord, Lord; and do not the things which I say?
(Lk 6:46)
Don't trust the Protestant charlatans to explain Christianity for you. They have no clue.
remind me to read about this tomorrow
For me it was my brother who died when I was 12. I still can’t think about him without crying.
With my father, who I dearly loved, he was supposedly brain dead by the time I flew across the country. My brothers and sister insisted that I make the call about taking him off life support. I told the Dr. I wanted to wait until the next day.
I went in and talked to him and he opened his eyes! I thought it might be an involuntary thing so I walked around and he followed me with his eyes. I told him what I wanted to and then I ran to let everyone else have their chance. He died within an hour but what a consolation.
As for grieving, my husband just absolutely HATES for me to cry. He wants to make me feel better and I finally had to tell him, I’m going to cry and there is nothing you can do to help and when I am finished grieving I will stop crying. I got through the process fairly quickly and I do believe it was because of that small miracle at the end.
I say grieve away, it will never completely heal but it will turn into a scar that becomes less and less painful but still there as a reminder.
No, he's pretty clear about that; I doubt he was a believer or he would have immediately interpreted his experiences as heavenly, and he would have encountered the Lord. This doesn't sound like heaven, anyway; it's was just beautiful and awe-inspiring. But it has taken him a step along the correct path. He seems receptive now, and perhaps will be open to taking the Lord as his Saviour.
Scientists are tough nuts to crack; God knows this, so sometimes He is unusually charitable to them, and kindly shows them such things so that they will inquire after Him. I've known other cases a bit similar to this, in which a hard-boiled pragmatic scientist gets a gentle wake-up slap from God. It's a wonderful thing to watch. Scientists get to see the fascinating way God created the universe, and can be very joyful believers as a result.
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