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Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Afterlife is a 2012 New York Times bestselling nonfiction book and autobiographical book written by American neurosurgeon, Eben Alexander III and published by Simon & Schuster. The book documents Dr. Alexander’s experience of a near death experience after suffering from a bacterial meningitis induced coma.

Summary
Being a scientist Dr. Eben Alexander III never practiced religious belief and did not believe that near death experiences could occur. Dr. Alexander thought of near-death experiences as an illusion that felt real but did not actually occur. One late night in the year 2008, Dr. Alexander woke up with a severe headache and did not think anything of it. In the moment, Dr. Alexander said to his wife that he’s a doctor and he knew nothing seriously was wrong with him. The next morning, he was rushed to the hospital, where he spent seven days in a meningitis induced coma. Once he had woken up from his coma, Dr. Alexander was told that he had suffered from a very rare form of meningitis, bacterial meningitis, and his recovery was a miracle. During the seven days of his coma, Dr. Alexander claims that he experienced the afterlife and he met and spoke with God. This afterlife experience proved to Dr. Alexander that consciousness is autonomous from the brain. After this experience, Dr. Alexander now began to believe in life after death, religion, and the soul. This is journey is revolutionary considering it happened to someone who did not believe in any religion or life after death. He is now teaching people that it is through this belief in religion, the soul and the afterlife that true health can be attained.

Themes
The central theme found in this book is irony. All his life, Dr. Eben Alexander III, never believed in God, the afterlife, or the soul. After seven days in a meningitis induced coma, Dr. Alexander experienced the afterlife and met the Divine Mercy, God. It can be considered extremely ironic for someone who never believed in God or the afterlife was able to experience the afterlife and meet God. Not only was it ironic, that Dr. Alexander went through this experience, but it can also be considered irony that he thought nothing was wrong with him that since he is a doctor he would know if something was wrong. This led him to spend seven days in a coma. With all those irony, Dr. Alexander’s experience was revolutionary and changes his life forever.

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