Proof of Heaven (24 page)

    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