Proof of Heaven

    and 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