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Index
adaptability, human, 95
afterlife, 152–53
airplanes, author’s love of, 1–2, 61, 159
Alexander, Betsy (sister), 100
and author’s birth family, 59
and author’s return, 108, 113, 120–21
birth of, 53
at the hospital, 42, 89, 91, 94, 97, 120–21
and onset of coma, 26
Alexander, Betty (mother), 50, 94, 99, 105, 108, 113
Alexander, Bond (son), 34, 105
birth of, 12
E. coli drawing by, 75, 98–99, 115
and father’s illness, 14–15, 74, 75, 92, 98–100
and father’s return, 110, 111–12, 115
Alexander, Eben Jr. (father), 50–52, 163
Alexander, Eben III:
adoption of, 52–58, 64–65, 163–64, 170–71
and alcohol use, 56–57
biological family of, 55–56, 58, 59–67, 95, 144, 165, 168–69; see also under Webster
birth of, 62
in coma, see coma
and depression, 57–58
fantasies and delusions of, 115–19, 185–86
as living proof, 135, 171
medical training of, 7–8, 12, 50, 65, 130
as N of 1 (unique case), 89–92
and paranoia, 117–18, 120
recovery of, 120–23, 124
and religion, 34, 147–48
return to earth, 79, 108–10, 111–14, 115–19, 120–21
skydiving adventures, 2–6, 61, 85, 116, 118–19
telling his story, 10, 124–25, 126–28, 135, 136, 144, 162, 170–71
unique NDE of, 9, 77–79, 89–92, 135, 149
and Years of Not Knowing, 66
Alexander, Eben IV (son), 34
birth of, 12
and E. coli drawing, 75, 115
family heritage project of, 54
and father’s illness, 27–28, 33, 75
and father’s return, 111, 112, 120, 124, 126–27, 136
and physical conditioning, 18
Alexander, Holley (wife):
as artist and teacher, 12
at church, 147
and family, 34, 59
at the hospital, 18, 26, 42, 88, 90–94, 97–101, 105
and husband’s return, 108, 111–12, 117, 118, 122
marriage of Eben and, 11–12, 54
and onset of coma, 14–16
Alexander, Jean (sister), see Sullivan, Jean Alexander
Alexander, Phyllis (sister):
and author’s birth family, 59
and author’s return, 108, 113–14, 120–21, 122
birth of, 53
at home, 99–100
at the hospital, 33–34, 36–37, 42, 53, 89, 90–91, 93, 94, 97, 120–21
and onset of coma, 26, 27
rainbow’s appearance to, 105, 113
Alexander-Heyward, Katharine Dayton (Kate), 100
amnesia, 78, 86
angels, 84, 104, 169
as familiar NDE vision, 131
guardian angels, 95–96, 102, 131
see also Girl on Butterfly Wing
APACHE II score, 25
atoms, 150
awareness, 130, 158; see also consciousness
bacteria:
E. coli, see E. coli bacteria
gram-negative type, 25, 27, 42, 92, 149, 183
Gram’s stain classification of, 23
resistant to antibiotics, 43
bacterial attack, 21–22
bacterial conjugation, 20
basal ganglia, 187, 188
belief, power of, 155
Big Bang, 157
binaural beats, 159
Black Death, 43, 50
bliss, 124
Bohr, Niels, 154
brain:
absence of, 8, 129–30, 135
access to, 35
adaptability of, 95
attack on, 17–19, 20–21, 42, 132–33, 149
as barrier, 72, 80
and cardiac arrest, 134
and cerebrospinal fluid, 19, 20
in coma vigile state, 107
concreteness of, 35
an
d consciousness, 8–9, 34, 80–81, 130, 140, 149, 152
CT scan of, 23, 183
and fantasy, 118, 141
as filter, 81
freedom from limitations of, 9, 85
and grand mal seizure, 16, 183
and ICU psychosis, 118, 120
and memory, 115, 117, 141, 185, 188
MRI of, 36
and neuroscientific hypotheses of NDEs, 141–44, 185–88
oxygenated blood to, 134
reality modeled by, 80, 138
and reboot phenomenon, 142–43, 188
reentry of, 119
sophistication of, 138
subcortical regions, 188
superpowered, 6
surgical repair of, 36
thinking outside the brain, 85
and true thought, 84–85
brain death, revised definitions of, 9, 134
brainstem damage, 187, 188
brain waves, 158–59
Brennan, Robert, 23, 26, 42–43, 106
cardiac arrest, 133–34
cardiopulmonary bypass pumps, 134
cardiopulmonary resuscitation, 134
cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), 19, 21–22
E. coli invasion of, 20
glucose level, 25
and lumbar puncture, 21–22
Chalmers, David, The Conscious Mind, 151–52
Children’s Home Society of North Carolina, 53–54, 59, 63–64
choice, conscious, 84–85
Chuck (skydiving buddy), 3–6, 85
Cicero, 165
clairvoyance, 153
coma:
and arrival at the hospital, 17–19, 183
author as N of 1 in, 89–92
author’s APACHE II score, 25
author’s consciousness in, 29, 30–31, 76–78, 95, 155, 160, 162
author’s CSF glucose level, 25
author’s Glasgow Coma Scale, 25
and feeling of powerlessness, 90
and ICU psychosis, 118, 120
images gathered in, 38–41, 45–49, 68–73, 103, 108–10, 141, 143, 147, 154, 159–61
implications of, 9
as in-between state, 87, 106–7
language bypassed in, 46
medical records of, 25, 132, 135
messages to author in, 40–41
neocortex shut down in, 8, 9, 133, 141–42, 144, 186, 188
onset of, 13–16, 24, 149, 183
and patient’s family, 33–34, 90, 105–7
patient’s hands and feet in, 98
patient’s physical appearance in, 74–75
reality of, 9–10, 39, 78, 129–30, 185
recovery from, 98, 144, 184
and risk of dying, 26, 106, 183
sounds heard by author in, 29, 38–39, 45, 70, 102, 131, 147
telepathic communication with patients in, 88
and termination of antibiotics, 105–7
underworld existence in, 29–32
and vegetative state, 26, 105–6
coma vigile state, 107
compassion, 85
Conscious Mind, The (Chalmers), 151–52
consciousness:
in author’s coma experience, 29, 30–31, 76–78, 95, 155, 160, 162
as basis of all existence, 154–55, 162
behavioral psychology of, 158
and the brain, 8–9, 34, 80–81, 130, 140, 149, 152
deep truths in, 158
enhanced state of, 158
extended phenomena of, 153
and free will, 48, 81, 83–84
life force in, 156
loss of, in brain death, 134
out-of-body, 153, 158, 159, 161
physiology of, 158–59
profound mystery of, 154
and quantum mechanics, 154
and reality, 150, 154
recovery of, 120–23
and science, 151–52, 171
Core:
author’s arrival in, 45–49
lessons learned in, 81, 82, 95, 102, 109
memories of, 107, 131, 151
message received in, 71
moving back and forth in, 68, 70
Orb in, 47, 48, 102, 160
Spinning Melody in, 70, 102
ultra-reality of, 78, 117, 185
cortex, 20, 159, 187
Creator, see God
CSF glucose level, 25
CT (computerized tomography) scan, 23, 183
Cushing, Harvey, 51
Daly, Peggy, 97, 100, 108
dark energy/dark matter, 82, 155
death:
and afterlife, 152–53
author’s return from, 121, 136
feigned by lower animals, 141, 185
revised definitions of, 9, 134
Descartes, René, 149
disappointment, 102
DMT dump, 142, 186
dream confirmation, 137–39
Eccles, Sir John C., 140
E. coli bacteria, 19–21
in bacterial meningitis, 23–24, 91–92, 144, 183
brain attacked by, 20–21, 122, 144
DNA swaps of, 20, 42–43
as gram-negative bacteria, 42, 149
in Israel, 43–44, 89
reproduction of, 19–20
egg, analogy of, 160
Einstein, Albert, 1, 76, 147, 162
electrons, 150
emotions, spaciousness of, 102–3
endogenous glutamate blockade, 185
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
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 ab
out, 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