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How science looks behind the gates of death
It is difficult to experience one’s own death. However, the shroud of mystery may be revealed by experiments with drugs and accounts of people who have had a “death experience.”
How do we experience death?
In 2012, retired neurosurgeon Dr. Eben Alexander wrote a book, “Proof,” in which he argued that we go into a state of bliss when we die. No, he didn’t speak to us from beyond the grave. He based this claim on his own experiences. Several years earlier, as a result of a severe E.coli infection, his brain virtually stopped functioning and the doctor put him into a week-long coma. Alexander claims that he experienced altered states of consciousness during this time. He accurately recounted them later.
Among other things, he described that he found himself in a dark empty tunnel, the end of which was filled with light coming from a round luminous sphere. He was accompanied on this journey by a young woman with blue eyes and high cheekbones. The guide assured him that he had nothing to fear, and that wherever they were headed, he would be surrounded by love and care. Dr. Alexander’s unusual reports divided public opinion.
Although millions of readers have reached for his book, and U.S. Newsweek made his story the subject of an issue with the notable title “Heaven Exists,” his…
