Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey Into the Afterlife (22 page)

euphoria,
122
,
124
,
128

everything, theory of,
150
,
153–54

evil, presence of,
48
,
83

excitotoxicity,
185
,
187

extrasensory perception (ESP),
153

faith, comfort and hope from,
35

family:

    as anchor to life,
36–37

    of coma patients,
33–34
,
90
,
105–7

    coping with diagnosis,
137–39

    hospital vigil of,
97–101

    messages from,
37
,
101
,
137

    and one’s identity,
34
,
66–67

    other (angels),
95–96

    reliance on,
36

    as source of stability,
34
,
53

fantasies:

    in author’s return to earth,
115–19
,
135
,
185–86

    grief-induced,
138

    in ICU psychosis,
118

    NDEs thought to be,
141

    reality vs.,
41
,
138

flying:

    in author’s coma experience,
39–40

    author’s dreams of,
1
,
159

    in sailplanes,
1–2
,
61

    and skydiving,
2–6
,
61
,
85
,
116
,
118–19

free will,
48
,
81
,
83–84

Gateway,
70

    images in,
38
,
71
,
84
,
102
,
109

    lessons learned in,
81

    memories of,
68
,
131
,
147
,
151

    ultra-reality of,
78
,
117
,
185

Girl on Butterfly Wing,
40–41

    as author’s biological sister,
169

    as guide/guardian angel,
47
,
68
,
102
,
104
,
163

    message from,
41
,
71
,
109

Glasgow Coma Scale,
25

God:

    all-knowing,
159–61

    belief in,
34
,
57–58
,
67
,
148

    caring and loving,
96
,
146
,
161
,
171

    communicating with,
48
,
161

    connection to,
76
,
104
,
148
,
160–61

    dazzling darkness of,
48

    glory of,
157

    growing toward,
84

    impersonal nature of,
85–86

    learning lessons from,
192

    as Om,
47
,
48
,
86
,
104
,
148
,
156–57
,
159–61

    questions about,
153
,
154

    separation from,
76
,
154

    universal,
156–57

good and evil,
83

Gram’s stain,
23

Great Depression,
51–52

guardian angels,
95–96
,
102
,
131

Heaven:

    belief in,
34

    loss of,
102

    presence of,
104

    proof of,
135
,
171

    questions about,
153
,
154

Heisenberg, Werner,
149–50
,
154

Hemi-Sync,
158–59

hen’s egg, analogy of,
160

Heyward, Robert,
100

human spirit,
152

humor,
157

ICU psychosis,
118
,
120

illusion,
80

Ingraham, Franc D.,
51

insight,
49

interconnectedness,
150–51
,
154–55
,
171

irony,
157

Irreducible Mind
(Division of Perceptual Studies),
153

Israel:

    author’s trip to,
42
,
44
,
50
,
89

    
E. coli
in,
43–44
,
89

    Sourasky Medical Center in,
43–44

Jeans, Sir James,
154

John (pseud.),
145–46

Kelly, David L., Jr.,
52

ketamine,
185–86

Kierkegaard, Søren,
129

kinetic learning,
35

knowledge:

    acquisition of,
49

    spiritual,
82–83

KPC (
Klebsiella pneumoniae
carbapenemase),
43–44

Kübler-Ross, Elisabeth,
On Life After Death,
168

language, limitations of,
132

lateral amygdala,
185

laughter,
157

letting go,
145–46

life, our role in,
84
,
85

Life After Life
(Moody),
133–34
,
135

life everlasting, belief in,
36

life force,
156

limbic system,
141
,
185

locality,
156

Loeffler, Jay,
91

love:

    as center of universe,
48
,
130
,
170

    and compassion,
85

    as message to author,
41
,
71

    unconditional,
71–72
,
73
,
83–84
,
131
,
148
,
161
,
170–71

LSD,
186

lumbar puncture,
19
,
21–22
,
183

Matson, Donald,
51

meditation,
158
,
161

Melville, Herman,
136

memory:

    and brain,
115
,
117
,
141
,
185
,
188

    and NDE experiences,
139
,
141
,
185
,
188

    need to share,
124–25
,
126–28

    and reboot phenomenon,
142–43
,
188

    recovery of,
122
,
124

meningitis:

    author’s unique case of,
23–24
,
89–92
,
132
,
186–87

    bacterial,
19–21
,
23–24
,
89
,
91
,
132–33
,
144
,
183

    causes of,
23–24

    and cerebrospinal fluid,
19

    gram-negative bacterial type,
25
,
27
,
92

    mortality rate in,
21
,
25
,
92
,
183

    spontaneous
E. coli
bacterial type,
23
,
91–92
,
183

    and superficial cortex damage,
187

mescaline,
186

Midas Rex drill,
35

mind over matter,
155

miracle:

    expectation of,
105

    medical,
184

    telling the story of,
144

Monroe, Robert A.,
158

Moody, Raymond,
Life After Life,
133–34
,
135

MRI (magnetic resonance image),
36

mystical states,
158

mystical worldview,
154

NDE (near-death experience):

    author’s experience of,
9
,
77–79
,
89–92
,
135
,
141–44
,
149
,
161
,
162–64
,
170–71
,
188

    believers of,
140

    and cardiac arrest,
133–34

    classic occurrences of,
77

    difficulty of conveying to others,
10
,
72
,
125
,
135
,
136
,
144
,
162

    earthly identity forgotten in,
162–64

    
literature of,
78–79
,
126–27
,
131–32
,
134
,
162

    and memory,
139
,
141
,
185
,
188

    moving toward the light in,
38–39

    neuroscientific hypotheses of,
141–44
,
185–88

    openness to understanding of,
140–41
,
146

    other people’s experiences of,
76–77
,
131–32
,
162
,
168

    unbelievers of,
140
,
141

    uniqueness of each experience of,
131
,
162

    written account of,
127–28

neocortex:

    electrical activity of,
159

    functional column of,
187

    and reboot phenomenon,
188

    shut down in coma,
8
,
9
,
133
,
141–42
,
144
,
186
,
188

neurotransmitters,
142

neutrons,
150

N of 1,
89–92

Om (God):

    all-knowing,
159–60

    communicating with,
48
,
160–61

    connection to,
104
,
148

    empathy of,
86

    as God,
47
;
see also
God

    impersonal nature of,
85–86

    universal,
156–57

On Life After Death
(Kübler-Ross),
168

openness,
140–41
,
146
,
156

Orb,
47
,
48
,
102
,
160

out-of-body experiences,
153
,
158
,
159
,
161

parachute jumps, author’s experiences with,
2–6
,
85

particles,
150

pathos,
157

Pauli, Wolfgang,
154

pineal gland,
142

placebo effect, power of,
155

Potter, Laura,
17–19
,
21–22
,
23

prayer,
24
,
94
,
103
,
108
,
158
,
161

precognition,
153

protons,
150

psychokinesis,
153

punctuation marks,
157

quantum mechanics,
149–50
,
154–56

rainbow, appearance of,
105

reality:

    in author’s coma experience,
9–10
,
39
,
78
,
129–30
,
185

    brain model of,
80
,
138

    and consciousness,
150
,
154

    fantasy vs.,
41
,
138

    as illusion,
80

    and quantum mechanics,
154

    ultra-reality,
78
,
117
,
185
,
186
,
187
,
188

    of unconditional love,
71–72

    universe as part of,
49

Realm of the Earthworm’s-Eye View:

    consciousness in,
30–31
,
76

    leaving,
32
,
70

    memories of,
131
,
147

    primordial world of,
29–32
,
69
,
76
,
78
,
108
,
117

    returning to,
68–70
,
102
,
108

reboot phenomenon,
142–43
,
188

recognitions,
157

reincarnation,
152–53

Reintjes, Susan:

    and author’s return,
108

    and coma patients,
87–88
,
101

    spiritual healing activities of,
87

    telepathic communication from,
88
,
143

    
Third Eye Open,
87

relationships,
150–51

religion,
147–48

REM intrusion,
142

remote viewing,
153

REM sleep,
142

Reticular Activating System,
159

Ritchie, George,
133–34

Romano, David M., “When Tomorrow Starts Without Me,”
165–68

sailplane, author’s experience in,
1–2
,
61

Schrödinger, Erwin,
154

science:

    and consciousness,
151–52
,
171

    honesty and cleanness of,
36

    knowledge sought by,
86

    limitations of,
153

    neuroscientific hypotheses of NDEs,
141–44
,
185–88

    reductionism of,
140
,
171

    and spirituality,
72–73
,
128
,
130
,
140

    and unconditional love,
71–72

scientific method,
152–53