Exactly Like Where You Are Right Now...

When I first heard that a scientist had proof of Heaven, I wondered if the election is over there. Then I turned to more pressing concerns: Are there cheeseburgers there? Doctor Eben Alexander wasn't quick with that answer, but he did offer some insight. Very personal insight. Alexander, a Harvard neurosurgeon, nearly died four years ago when a ferocious E. coli meningitis infection attacked his brain and plunged him deep into a week-long coma. He claims that it was during this time that he took leave from his body, which did him the favor of staying nominally alive. He says he went to Heaven.

"My first memories from when I was deep inside: I had no language, all my earthly memories were gone," he said. "I had no body awareness at all. I was just a speck of awareness in kind of a dark, murky environment, in roots or vessels or something. And I seemed to be there for a very long time -- I would say years. I was rescued by this beautiful, spinning, white light that had a melody, an incredibly beautiful melody with it that opened up into a bright valley," he added, "an extremely verdant valley with blossoming flowers and a just incredible, rich, ultra-real world of indescribable complexity." 

Wait a minute. Isn't this the description of that Robin Williams movie, "What Dreams May Come?" Or could it have been that Matt Damon flick, "Hereafter?" Or maybe some combination of the two? Alexander said there was a young woman who soared across time and space with him on a butterfly wing and gave him a message to take back from Heaven."She looked at me, and this was with no words, but the concepts came straight into mind: You are love; you are cherished; there's nothing you have to fear; there's nothing you can do wrong," he said.Wasn't that Terry Gilliam?

Maybe I should dial down all this cynicism and take heart. Perhaps there is a Heaven, and it's a lot like the movies. I just hope they let you put butter on your popcorn.