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Near Death in the ICU: Stories from Patients Near Death and Why We Should Listen to Them
A phenomenal collection of medical patient accounts of encounters with the mysterious during severe illness and life-threatening injury from the voice of the physician who took care of them. Both touching and thought-provoking, this book invites you to reconsider what happens when we die, and in doing so, challenges you to ponder that perhaps we are much more than our earth-bound physical bodies.
Near-death experiences are often profoundly meaningful, yet when they are reported, they are frequently met with skepticism and dismissal by medical caregivers and family members. But do we have to fully understand these events to honor the transformative role they often play in the lives of those who experience them?
For nearly twenty years, Dr. Laurin Bellg has been present at the bedside of critically ill and dying patients. As she has worked to create an accepting and supportive relationship with them, her patients have shared with her the mysterious experiences they sometimes have during moments of crisis of apparently seeing beyond our physical world. In telling their engaging, powerful and sometimes humorous stories, Dr. Bellg invites the reader to consider that bearing witness to a patient's near-death experience is a respectful and meaningful part of medical care, a way for families to support their loved ones, and an important part of the patient's healingDo we need to prove they are something more than the result of illness, medication or a dying brain to acknowledge their power to impact lives in a positive way?
Near-death experiences are often profoundly meaningful, yet when they are reported, they are frequently met with skepticism and dismissal by medical caregivers and family members. But do we have to fully understand these events to honor the transformative role they often play in the lives of those who experience them?
For nearly twenty years, Dr. Laurin Bellg has been present at the bedside of critically ill and dying patients. As she has worked to create an accepting and supportive relationship with them, her patients have shared with her the mysterious experiences they sometimes have during moments of crisis of apparently seeing beyond our physical world. In telling their engaging, powerful and sometimes humorous stories, Dr. Bellg invites the reader to consider that bearing witness to a patient's near-death experience is a respectful and meaningful part of medical care, a way for families to support their loved ones, and an important part of the patient's healingDo we need to prove they are something more than the result of illness, medication or a dying brain to acknowledge their power to impact lives in a positive way?
230 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 10, 2015
881 people are currently reading
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
June 26, 2016
Compelling read
I adored this book from the moment I opened it. Having previously worked for many years alongside clinicians, I can relate to how the overriding fear of loss of professional status amongst their peer group and allied professions can instill the almost automatic response of "it couldn't happen, its just electrical activity residue" etc. Dr Bellg has opened up the door offering hope that perhaps clinicians of the future may feel enabled to empower patients to speak up and feel that the truth of their experiences will not be dismissed as the ramblings of misfiring synapses. Loved this book for the factual input and also the author's willingness to stand forward and give credence to the unquestionable fact that something fascinating happens to those with NDEs. Very easy and compelling read, no ego, just the heartfelt desire to open our eyes to something wonderful, and that just because 'science' has not proved it YET does not mean its existence is disproven. Highly recommended read.
I adored this book from the moment I opened it. Having previously worked for many years alongside clinicians, I can relate to how the overriding fear of loss of professional status amongst their peer group and allied professions can instill the almost automatic response of "it couldn't happen, its just electrical activity residue" etc. Dr Bellg has opened up the door offering hope that perhaps clinicians of the future may feel enabled to empower patients to speak up and feel that the truth of their experiences will not be dismissed as the ramblings of misfiring synapses. Loved this book for the factual input and also the author's willingness to stand forward and give credence to the unquestionable fact that something fascinating happens to those with NDEs. Very easy and compelling read, no ego, just the heartfelt desire to open our eyes to something wonderful, and that just because 'science' has not proved it YET does not mean its existence is disproven. Highly recommended read.
May 16, 2022
I was interested in the different patients and their near death experiences that were similar at times and others not so much. After reading numerous stories about this I grew a bit tired of it. Fascinating.
November 17, 2019
This is far and away the best free kindle book I've read on NDEs. For the first time, I feel that the author is unbiased, and cautious in drawing conclusions. This doesn't mean that I found the other authors to be mendacious, only that I think they are often influenced by their own belief systems to filter pretty heavily, and see what they want to see.
If Dr Bellg has an agenda at all, it's that she wants people, and her fellow medical practioners especially, to stop jumping to conclusions. She wants everyone to respect the people who experience NDEs and to respect their stories. That doesn't mean that you have to believe their interpretation of what happened - but you do have to recognise that they are often deeply meaningful experiences. She is equally annoyed at Doctors who brusquely, even rudely, dismiss NDE tales: 'That didn't happen' or 'You just hallucinated', and at NDE researchers who try to cram the testimony into their own religious framework (this reminded me of my read of Imagine Heaven: Near-Death Experiences, God's Promises & The Exhilarating Future that Awaits You, which was clearly trying to force a Christian framework).
Occasionally this slows the book down, as each NDE tale, especially towards the start, is followed by some waffle about respect and 'what can we really know' and so on. I don't mean to be unkind, but I only need to be told once. I agree with Dr Bellg that we should be open to the possiblity that science will one day provide a materialist explanation for these experiences, but also that it can't do so until materialists start taking them seriously and stop dismissing them as 'impossible'.
The stories themselves are pretty much standard NDE stories, so the most interesting thing is that they're all from Dr. Bellg's personal experience. It's common for NDE researchers to say that many NDE's are proven as real out-of-body experiences by the fact that people come back with knowledge that they couldn't possibly have obtained by physical means, e.g knowing things that were happening far away while they were in a coma. I'm always a bit skeptical about this because the researchers are often quoting testimony from second-hand sources. It's entirely possible that most of these cases were recorded by people who desperately wanted them to be true, to the point of asking leading questions, or misrecording exaggerations. One can't be sure if these are all factually correct without investigating each one individually.
But Dr Bellg is our source here. She's scrupulous about allowing people to tell their own stories in their own way, without input or judgement from her (this is more about respecting them than about pure data). So when she says that her patients report floating out of their bodies, floating through the ceiling and up to the third floor, and then accurately describe the layout of of rooms they've never entered, the nurses on shift, the patients in their beds, in short many things that they couldn't possibly know, then I feel that I have to accept this. At this point it's either true, or Dr Bellg is a very convincing liar.
Dr Bellg also discusses other near death experiences. Apparently it is quite common for people, as they approach death, to become suddenly lucid and speak clearly to invisible being before they die. This is so normal that nurses will say things like, 'It can't be long now, he's started talking.' The materialist explanation is that these are mere hallucinations of a dying mind. But that does seem like a weak excuse - why should people who have been incoherent or barely conscious suddenly regain their powers of speech and movement in order to hallucinate invisible beings instead of saying goodbye to the loved ones gathered around their bed?
Another interesting difference between Dr Bellg and other NDE reporters, is that she includes cases where people don't realise or don't believe they had an out-of-body experience. She has twice had the experience of patients lodging formal complaints against the hospital. In the patient's testimony they got out of bed to find a nurse, wandered the corridors until they found one, but were rudely ignored by the nurse, and all subsequent nurses they encountered, until they gave up and went back to bed. The doctor will gently point out that they could not possibly have been walking around the hospital because they were unconscious, attached to a ventilator and catheter, with a broken leg. But the patient insists that they were walking around. This could be dismissed as a mere dream, if it wasn't for that fact that they, again, accurately describe wards that they never entered, and nurses on shift that they never met.
It's the nurses on shift that really persuades me that something is going here. It possible that a person could correctly hallucinate a hospital layout they'd never seen, after all, institutions tend to be predictable. It's possible the patients have been in the hospital before for other reasons and it's just not included in the story, so they're hallucinating something they already know. But could they possibly know the shift rotas of the nurses? At this point, either something really weird is happening, or someone is telling a really big and complicated lie.
Overall, an very interesting contribution to my NDE reading. It's updated me towards the believing end of the scale, and I suspect that's partly because she's so clearly not trying to force me to do so.
If Dr Bellg has an agenda at all, it's that she wants people, and her fellow medical practioners especially, to stop jumping to conclusions. She wants everyone to respect the people who experience NDEs and to respect their stories. That doesn't mean that you have to believe their interpretation of what happened - but you do have to recognise that they are often deeply meaningful experiences. She is equally annoyed at Doctors who brusquely, even rudely, dismiss NDE tales: 'That didn't happen' or 'You just hallucinated', and at NDE researchers who try to cram the testimony into their own religious framework (this reminded me of my read of Imagine Heaven: Near-Death Experiences, God's Promises & The Exhilarating Future that Awaits You, which was clearly trying to force a Christian framework).
Occasionally this slows the book down, as each NDE tale, especially towards the start, is followed by some waffle about respect and 'what can we really know' and so on. I don't mean to be unkind, but I only need to be told once. I agree with Dr Bellg that we should be open to the possiblity that science will one day provide a materialist explanation for these experiences, but also that it can't do so until materialists start taking them seriously and stop dismissing them as 'impossible'.
The stories themselves are pretty much standard NDE stories, so the most interesting thing is that they're all from Dr. Bellg's personal experience. It's common for NDE researchers to say that many NDE's are proven as real out-of-body experiences by the fact that people come back with knowledge that they couldn't possibly have obtained by physical means, e.g knowing things that were happening far away while they were in a coma. I'm always a bit skeptical about this because the researchers are often quoting testimony from second-hand sources. It's entirely possible that most of these cases were recorded by people who desperately wanted them to be true, to the point of asking leading questions, or misrecording exaggerations. One can't be sure if these are all factually correct without investigating each one individually.
But Dr Bellg is our source here. She's scrupulous about allowing people to tell their own stories in their own way, without input or judgement from her (this is more about respecting them than about pure data). So when she says that her patients report floating out of their bodies, floating through the ceiling and up to the third floor, and then accurately describe the layout of of rooms they've never entered, the nurses on shift, the patients in their beds, in short many things that they couldn't possibly know, then I feel that I have to accept this. At this point it's either true, or Dr Bellg is a very convincing liar.
Dr Bellg also discusses other near death experiences. Apparently it is quite common for people, as they approach death, to become suddenly lucid and speak clearly to invisible being before they die. This is so normal that nurses will say things like, 'It can't be long now, he's started talking.' The materialist explanation is that these are mere hallucinations of a dying mind. But that does seem like a weak excuse - why should people who have been incoherent or barely conscious suddenly regain their powers of speech and movement in order to hallucinate invisible beings instead of saying goodbye to the loved ones gathered around their bed?
Another interesting difference between Dr Bellg and other NDE reporters, is that she includes cases where people don't realise or don't believe they had an out-of-body experience. She has twice had the experience of patients lodging formal complaints against the hospital. In the patient's testimony they got out of bed to find a nurse, wandered the corridors until they found one, but were rudely ignored by the nurse, and all subsequent nurses they encountered, until they gave up and went back to bed. The doctor will gently point out that they could not possibly have been walking around the hospital because they were unconscious, attached to a ventilator and catheter, with a broken leg. But the patient insists that they were walking around. This could be dismissed as a mere dream, if it wasn't for that fact that they, again, accurately describe wards that they never entered, and nurses on shift that they never met.
It's the nurses on shift that really persuades me that something is going here. It possible that a person could correctly hallucinate a hospital layout they'd never seen, after all, institutions tend to be predictable. It's possible the patients have been in the hospital before for other reasons and it's just not included in the story, so they're hallucinating something they already know. But could they possibly know the shift rotas of the nurses? At this point, either something really weird is happening, or someone is telling a really big and complicated lie.
Overall, an very interesting contribution to my NDE reading. It's updated me towards the believing end of the scale, and I suspect that's partly because she's so clearly not trying to force me to do so.
February 22, 2025
Wow!! I don't know what else to say about these experiences that Dr. Laurin Bellg recorded other than WOW!
January 13, 2023
This was an extremely interesting read overall. Even more interesting is that the author is a critical care physician. I am happy to hear that some physicians are realizing the importance of listening to their clients whether it involves supernatural leanings or not.
There were some parts were the book gets dry and I was kinda like okie doke-lets move this along. I am intrigued by NDE's and what they mean on a psychological level and even spiritual, but this is my first read on the subject.
If the consciousness is indeed outside the mind. How would this apply to psychology? Is that why it is so hard to cure mental disorders? as to date none of them have been cured but medication to help has been given. Though to be honest, the medication seems to help only a bit. There is clearly a lot about the mind and psyche that we have not tapped into and I wonder just how interconnected they truly are.
There were some parts were the book gets dry and I was kinda like okie doke-lets move this along. I am intrigued by NDE's and what they mean on a psychological level and even spiritual, but this is my first read on the subject.
If the consciousness is indeed outside the mind. How would this apply to psychology? Is that why it is so hard to cure mental disorders? as to date none of them have been cured but medication to help has been given. Though to be honest, the medication seems to help only a bit. There is clearly a lot about the mind and psyche that we have not tapped into and I wonder just how interconnected they truly are.
April 9, 2023
Fantastic
Very spiritual
I believe in life after death I already did but this confirms my belief
Very spiritual
I believe in life after death I already did but this confirms my belief
May 3, 2025
Well written. Very interesting. Highly recommend.
January 12, 2025
Thanks to my brother-in-law, Paul, for gifting us this book. Thank you Dr. Bellg for wading into a serious and important topic and doing so in a sensitive and respectful manner. I hope everyone connected to the medical field will read this book. And I hope everyone else will, too! :)
December 22, 2017
This book is an extremely interesting read, written by a doctor who treated patients who survived near-death experiences under her care. It couches on NDE's, making end of life decisions, and how far we should go to prolong life. The patients shared stories with her about what they experienced while they were clinically dead, unresponsive, or otherwise thought to be unaware of their surroundings. Nothing could be further from the truth.
July 10, 2018
I was quite touched by the sincerity the doctor conveys in her accounting of these ICU stories of being clinically dead and bringing back awareness and experiences from the other side. It is so refreshing to see that some of the medical community is validating what many know to be true.
March 16, 2023
DNF. Thought this book was pretty repetitive, although I admire the physician’s willingness to listen to her patients
July 11, 2021
'Near death in the ICU' by Laurin Bellg is a compelling read. After reading a few NDE (near death experience) books recently, I thought I couldn't learn anything more. I learned I could. Dr. Laurin Bellg adds new experiences of the circumstances surrounding patients, her own NDE and even her own family members either in an NDE, or as in the latter-most case, her grandmother's death. Wow! The last scenario that the author experienced is worth reading this book alone.
Laurin Bellg's writing is stripped of all pretences, of floweriness or interpretations; much like the renowned author, Dr. Raymond Moody, the preeminent American NDE author, who coined the term NDE. Laurin Bellg, an emergency doctor, takes an open-minded and empathetic attitude towards her patients who have survived from the brink of death – having been declared dead by the doctors – and returned to report an NDE. Or sometimes after a trauma like a traffic accident, they relate an out-of-body experience. She listens openly and unquestioningly to the other-worldly experiences they share.
Laurin Bellg avoids delving into religious dogma, which can distance readers from her recounting, as an impartial doctor. In 'Near death in the ICU', she recounts multiple reports by people who have witnessed extra-terrestrial experiences and events far from their prone body; events they couldn't have known about. The only explanation had to be their testimony of an out-of-body experience, which Laurin Bellg faithfully transcribes.
The author also eschews imparting meaning to these experiences, as science hasn't been able to determine their cause. In fact, I was questioning that with the proliferation of such NDE accounts – millions by the sound of it – these events aren't more generally accepted in popular culture or in science. Surely, science can accept evidential occurrences of NDE without having to impart definition or explanation to them. Just as scientists conjecture about the beginnings of the universe, thus far an unknown, so should they hypothesise about NDEs without dismissing them entirely. I only wish I had seen evidence of my loved ones passing to a better place just before I lost them. Thoroughly recommended.
This review also appears in www.Amazon.com, and https://thereadersvault.blogspot.com/...
Laurin Bellg's writing is stripped of all pretences, of floweriness or interpretations; much like the renowned author, Dr. Raymond Moody, the preeminent American NDE author, who coined the term NDE. Laurin Bellg, an emergency doctor, takes an open-minded and empathetic attitude towards her patients who have survived from the brink of death – having been declared dead by the doctors – and returned to report an NDE. Or sometimes after a trauma like a traffic accident, they relate an out-of-body experience. She listens openly and unquestioningly to the other-worldly experiences they share.
Laurin Bellg avoids delving into religious dogma, which can distance readers from her recounting, as an impartial doctor. In 'Near death in the ICU', she recounts multiple reports by people who have witnessed extra-terrestrial experiences and events far from their prone body; events they couldn't have known about. The only explanation had to be their testimony of an out-of-body experience, which Laurin Bellg faithfully transcribes.
The author also eschews imparting meaning to these experiences, as science hasn't been able to determine their cause. In fact, I was questioning that with the proliferation of such NDE accounts – millions by the sound of it – these events aren't more generally accepted in popular culture or in science. Surely, science can accept evidential occurrences of NDE without having to impart definition or explanation to them. Just as scientists conjecture about the beginnings of the universe, thus far an unknown, so should they hypothesise about NDEs without dismissing them entirely. I only wish I had seen evidence of my loved ones passing to a better place just before I lost them. Thoroughly recommended.
This review also appears in www.Amazon.com, and https://thereadersvault.blogspot.com/...
April 17, 2023
I would give this five stars, but for all of the author's open mindedness, I found it strange that she stayed away from mentioning religion, other than using the word Muslim once in a question. She referred to one or two families as "conservative" which, if they were Christian, is an interesting word choice. The author does share a story that seems to indicate that she does not practice any particular religion. I'm referring to her story about her father's disagreements with some other men regarding their religious beliefs.
I'm not saying a book like this needs to espouse one religion over another, but recognizing people's religious beliefs is something we were taught to do in nursing school. It just strikes me as a strange editorial choice to more or less leave religion out of the book even in terms of mentioning specific religions when in reality, religion matters to many patients.
I also think the doctor has a strong science bias that I don't happen to agree with. Doctors are very prone to peer pressure and tend to accept the word of certain authority figures without thinking for themselves, which isn't a pro-science attitude to have. It places authority over science, and many doctors are like that.
That said ... I appreciate the way the author has accepted people's experiences and has validated them, and I would hope to do the same even if their experience doesn't fit my expectations of what those experiences should or should not be like. I know I need to be able to listen to people and really hear what they're saying, especially about such important events in their lives. Shutting down patients because I can't relate is disrespectful to them and is a loss to me. I especially appreciate seeing how this doctor encourages patients to talk about their experiences. We are supposed to practice therapeutic listening and I think she gives excellent examples of that.
I'm not saying a book like this needs to espouse one religion over another, but recognizing people's religious beliefs is something we were taught to do in nursing school. It just strikes me as a strange editorial choice to more or less leave religion out of the book even in terms of mentioning specific religions when in reality, religion matters to many patients.
I also think the doctor has a strong science bias that I don't happen to agree with. Doctors are very prone to peer pressure and tend to accept the word of certain authority figures without thinking for themselves, which isn't a pro-science attitude to have. It places authority over science, and many doctors are like that.
That said ... I appreciate the way the author has accepted people's experiences and has validated them, and I would hope to do the same even if their experience doesn't fit my expectations of what those experiences should or should not be like. I know I need to be able to listen to people and really hear what they're saying, especially about such important events in their lives. Shutting down patients because I can't relate is disrespectful to them and is a loss to me. I especially appreciate seeing how this doctor encourages patients to talk about their experiences. We are supposed to practice therapeutic listening and I think she gives excellent examples of that.
June 5, 2023
Like most people walking the Earth today (and since our species could string two thoughts together, I’m sure), I’ve always wondered what, if anything happens next. When we take our last breath, or close our eyes for the last time, what comes next? Is there an afterlife? Is there rebirth or … unsettlingly, is there nothing?
Whether you are open-minded, religious, or sceptical and just want to re-enforce your own concrete thoughts that nothing comes next, the stories within this book are an intriguing mix. Dr Bellg, a doctor in a cardiac care ward, recounts stories told to her by patients that have come close to death in a variety of ways (be it heart attack, car accident, or simply near-misses in their earlier days). All of these stories are of what these individuals experienced when they were close enough to death that their survival was essentially the toss of a coin.
We have bedside visitations, accident site visitations, reassuring messages that came true and patients being aware of their surroundings from vantage points, and at times when it should not have been physically/medically possible (during periods of unconsciousness/comas etc …)
Some cases are from open-minded folk and others are from people who flat out disbelief that anything bizarre happened to them. All are interesting and thought-provoking. Not all of the pages are filled with other peoples’ experiences. Dr Bellg gives her own take on things and talks about what happened throughout her life to bring her to the open-minded stance she has today (a brave thing in a scientific field, as such thoughts are often scoffed at and ridiculed).
This is one of those books that is quite nice to pick up and put down. The fact that each chapter is a self-contained narrative means that you don’t have to be constantly hooked in to get the most out of your reading experience. I would recommend this to anyone with any kind of curiosity about ‘what happens next?’
Whether you are open-minded, religious, or sceptical and just want to re-enforce your own concrete thoughts that nothing comes next, the stories within this book are an intriguing mix. Dr Bellg, a doctor in a cardiac care ward, recounts stories told to her by patients that have come close to death in a variety of ways (be it heart attack, car accident, or simply near-misses in their earlier days). All of these stories are of what these individuals experienced when they were close enough to death that their survival was essentially the toss of a coin.
We have bedside visitations, accident site visitations, reassuring messages that came true and patients being aware of their surroundings from vantage points, and at times when it should not have been physically/medically possible (during periods of unconsciousness/comas etc …)
Some cases are from open-minded folk and others are from people who flat out disbelief that anything bizarre happened to them. All are interesting and thought-provoking. Not all of the pages are filled with other peoples’ experiences. Dr Bellg gives her own take on things and talks about what happened throughout her life to bring her to the open-minded stance she has today (a brave thing in a scientific field, as such thoughts are often scoffed at and ridiculed).
This is one of those books that is quite nice to pick up and put down. The fact that each chapter is a self-contained narrative means that you don’t have to be constantly hooked in to get the most out of your reading experience. I would recommend this to anyone with any kind of curiosity about ‘what happens next?’
February 12, 2021
“Leisha had just been introduced to mystery.”
That’s what this book was for me. A mystery. A non-fiction book based on accounts of supernatural phenomena that many medical professionals have not heard or encountered.
Unknowing what was ahead of me in the pages folded beneath my hands, I originally picked up this book because I was fearing that I was losing compassion taking care of ICU patients during the COVID pandemic.
I frequently found myself asking, “am I taking care of them adequately?”, “am I meeting their emotional needs?”, what were they like?”, “would they want this in-depth and prolonged medical intervention?”, “can they hear me?” and many other questions.
This book helped me see my patients and events that transpire from a different perspective.
When I get the opportunity to help facilitate in liberating patients from ventilators, I want to make it a point to engage in these conversations. I want to let my patients know that a non-judgmental ear is ready to listen when they are reading to talk.
After all, Dr. Bellg frequently points out that we are not to judge but to listen.
“Denying that it exists is an obstruction to eventual revelation.”
I give this book five stars for:
⭐️ being beautifully and eloquently written
⭐️ quotes being utilized and tied into the chapters
⭐️ understanding of the content
⭐️ descriptions that facilitated visualization
⭐️ and just an enjoyable read
That’s what this book was for me. A mystery. A non-fiction book based on accounts of supernatural phenomena that many medical professionals have not heard or encountered.
Unknowing what was ahead of me in the pages folded beneath my hands, I originally picked up this book because I was fearing that I was losing compassion taking care of ICU patients during the COVID pandemic.
I frequently found myself asking, “am I taking care of them adequately?”, “am I meeting their emotional needs?”, what were they like?”, “would they want this in-depth and prolonged medical intervention?”, “can they hear me?” and many other questions.
This book helped me see my patients and events that transpire from a different perspective.
When I get the opportunity to help facilitate in liberating patients from ventilators, I want to make it a point to engage in these conversations. I want to let my patients know that a non-judgmental ear is ready to listen when they are reading to talk.
After all, Dr. Bellg frequently points out that we are not to judge but to listen.
“Denying that it exists is an obstruction to eventual revelation.”
I give this book five stars for:
⭐️ being beautifully and eloquently written
⭐️ quotes being utilized and tied into the chapters
⭐️ understanding of the content
⭐️ descriptions that facilitated visualization
⭐️ and just an enjoyable read
March 13, 2024
I LOVED THIS BOOK SOOOO MUCH!! I love reading about near death experiences, but I especially love them when the source is a Physician. You know you can trust this person, well, sorry, I’m not explaining myself properly. I totally believe in near death experiences. I’ve always been fascinated by them for as long as I can remember, so I have no doubt that there is life after death or as Dr. Raymond Moody put it, “Life after Life”. But I love these stories to be told by physicians because I’m hoping more people will feel more inclined to believe a doctor and open themselves up to the idea that they really do happen and that there really is a life after life. Anyhow, back to the book, she recounts lots of interesting stories of people having new death experiences, as well as many cases of visioning at the end of life (that is visits with deceased loved ones) and out of body experiences during traumatic events. Absolutely fascinating! Really nicely written, compelling stories and discovered Dr. Bellg herself is a very compassionate, wonderful physician. Anyhow, absolutely loved this book and recommend it to anyone who loves reading about NDE’s and other paranormal type phenomena. Thank you, Dr.Bellg!
October 13, 2017
I think it's very well written! As Dr. Bellg brought up, this is such a well needed topic to be discussed with any person entering the medical field. I am very open to all of these possibilities and even think they are very interesting and neat to hear! What an Honor it must be for some to have moments of being at such peace or reunited with deceased loved ones! Now after 12 years of trauma and critical care, I wonder if I misinterpreted many patient's NDEs for a hallucination? I guess I'll never know. Regardless, if I encounter these experiences in my future, I now feel better suited after reading this book.
I commend the author's braveness of moving forward with what some will constrew as a controversial topic. With that being said, many of our greatest leaders had to push forward during times of doubt and adversity. Knowing Dr. Bellg personally, I can attest that she is a fabulous and kind physician. Any of us would be lucky to have her wisdom while caring for our loved ones.
I hope you'll take the time to read this book and share it with everyone!
I commend the author's braveness of moving forward with what some will constrew as a controversial topic. With that being said, many of our greatest leaders had to push forward during times of doubt and adversity. Knowing Dr. Bellg personally, I can attest that she is a fabulous and kind physician. Any of us would be lucky to have her wisdom while caring for our loved ones.
I hope you'll take the time to read this book and share it with everyone!
August 10, 2024
excellent introduction to NDEs and similar experiences
Dr Bellg relates the stories of patients who have experienced a separation of consciousness from their physical bodies, as well as patients experiences - as well as her own - seeing people and ‘orbs’ who act as encouragers and healers. I appreciate what is her main focus - to listen, ask questions, encourage. Dismayed by how many immediately dismiss the stories patients tell, she encourages all of us to do as she does - listen and accept the story as an experience that was real to the person telling it. We are not to judge whether or not it really happened - because we don’t know. It wasn’t our experience. I tend to believe our consciousness IS separate from our brain and body and lives on after the death of our body. I very much look forward to seeing those I love and miss again after my death.
Dr Bellg relates the stories of patients who have experienced a separation of consciousness from their physical bodies, as well as patients experiences - as well as her own - seeing people and ‘orbs’ who act as encouragers and healers. I appreciate what is her main focus - to listen, ask questions, encourage. Dismayed by how many immediately dismiss the stories patients tell, she encourages all of us to do as she does - listen and accept the story as an experience that was real to the person telling it. We are not to judge whether or not it really happened - because we don’t know. It wasn’t our experience. I tend to believe our consciousness IS separate from our brain and body and lives on after the death of our body. I very much look forward to seeing those I love and miss again after my death.
September 25, 2019
Very Good Book
She does a great job of describing the experiences told her by patients of their near death experiences and the importance of letting them opening up and relating their experiences without judging them or dismissing them as unreal and hallucinations. They are real and important to the experiencer and we need to treat them with respect and not attempt to explain them away “scientifically” and robbing the patient of their validation. They are real to the experiencer and many times certain aspects reported can be validated. It’s a mystery and the experiences are valuable to the experiencer.
She does a great job of describing the experiences told her by patients of their near death experiences and the importance of letting them opening up and relating their experiences without judging them or dismissing them as unreal and hallucinations. They are real and important to the experiencer and we need to treat them with respect and not attempt to explain them away “scientifically” and robbing the patient of their validation. They are real to the experiencer and many times certain aspects reported can be validated. It’s a mystery and the experiences are valuable to the experiencer.
April 9, 2021
A wonderful book discussing near death experiences (NDEs) and the ways medical professionals as well as family members can help and support family members who may have experienced one. There are many books on near death experiences, but this is written from the point of view of a medical doctor who has listened to patients' stories of NDEs. She is compassionate and understanding as well as full of wonder of the experiences of her patients. All medical professionals as well as anyone ministering to the needs of patients in hospice or trauma should read this.
December 27, 2022
Most objective presentation I’ve read.
Dr. Bellg does well in presenting facts related to her patients’ experiences. I admire her way of dealing with naysayers.
This is the first book I’ve read on this subject that went out of its way to NOT label or define or attempt to find a cause for out of body or NDEs. Leaving belief systems out of these situations seems to be a great way to help people of all walks of life understand these natural occurrences.
Especially for anyone who is or has been an end of life caregiver, reading this book is a really good idea.
Dr. Bellg does well in presenting facts related to her patients’ experiences. I admire her way of dealing with naysayers.
This is the first book I’ve read on this subject that went out of its way to NOT label or define or attempt to find a cause for out of body or NDEs. Leaving belief systems out of these situations seems to be a great way to help people of all walks of life understand these natural occurrences.
Especially for anyone who is or has been an end of life caregiver, reading this book is a really good idea.
October 19, 2023
very educational and interesting
I really liked this book for it’s telling of what people experienced without embellishments. I believe it should be required reading for every medical student no matter their specialty. Allowing a person to claim their experience as real to them can only be helpful for them in healing and acceptance of whatever trauma or illness they are dealing with. I really did enjoy this book and it’s nice knowing others experience things that are not materially explainable.
I really liked this book for it’s telling of what people experienced without embellishments. I believe it should be required reading for every medical student no matter their specialty. Allowing a person to claim their experience as real to them can only be helpful for them in healing and acceptance of whatever trauma or illness they are dealing with. I really did enjoy this book and it’s nice knowing others experience things that are not materially explainable.
June 19, 2017
I was drawn to read this book after seeing a Facebook "friend" (relative) comment on it since it was written by a local medical professional. This was an interesting read. I have read many books on this subject and I appreciate her take on this subject. Hopefully more and more people, especially those in the medical profession will better understand this type of experience as "we" try to learn and understand more about it.
October 25, 2019
An interesting book
I liked this author's attitude toward people who have NDE's, out of body experiences, or have spirits tell them something. I like the fact that she respected their truth and would like other medical professionals to respect their truth as well. I also liked that this book was not preachy. The book just stated the facts presented by the patient without embellishing anything.
I liked this author's attitude toward people who have NDE's, out of body experiences, or have spirits tell them something. I like the fact that she respected their truth and would like other medical professionals to respect their truth as well. I also liked that this book was not preachy. The book just stated the facts presented by the patient without embellishing anything.
April 19, 2022
Outstanding, truly outstanding
I have read countless dozens of books on this topic and this one stands out as one of, if not the absolute best. It is beautifully written and concise but the book's magnetism is its stories and the author's sacred devotion to sharing them with integrity, through the lens and heart of the Near Death experiencers rather than her own. I'm not sure I've ever given a book 5 stars but this is more than worthy of the highest rating.
I have read countless dozens of books on this topic and this one stands out as one of, if not the absolute best. It is beautifully written and concise but the book's magnetism is its stories and the author's sacred devotion to sharing them with integrity, through the lens and heart of the Near Death experiencers rather than her own. I'm not sure I've ever given a book 5 stars but this is more than worthy of the highest rating.
November 20, 2024
The Doctor is in!!! Not just what happened out of body, but how their lives were changed because of their experiences. Some had wonderful short-term benefits of perception, or family members who couldn't believe them, yet they were all experiencing such happiness. I trust this doctor's stories more than I do Sylvia Browne, who wasn't named as the guest speaker, but most likely was, and had a closed mind to other outcomes of the NDE. This is a great read.
June 30, 2025
Reading this book was a spiritual experience
Reflecting empathy, accepting that we don’t need to see everything to believe in everything. There are beings out there which truly exist, soul exists, an Absolute higher Power exists , some call it Allah, some God, some creator, The experiences are “real” .
There is indeed life after life and life parallel to this life, we don’t need to see everything. We just need to believe!
Reflecting empathy, accepting that we don’t need to see everything to believe in everything. There are beings out there which truly exist, soul exists, an Absolute higher Power exists , some call it Allah, some God, some creator, The experiences are “real” .
There is indeed life after life and life parallel to this life, we don’t need to see everything. We just need to believe!
November 13, 2017
I loved this book!
I am very interested in near experiences. I know my dad had one he didn't want to talk about it. I do know how it feels to be pushed back in your body. But your book kept me on the edge of my seat. I could see what you were talking about each story being so different.
I am very interested in near experiences. I know my dad had one he didn't want to talk about it. I do know how it feels to be pushed back in your body. But your book kept me on the edge of my seat. I could see what you were talking about each story being so different.
January 11, 2020
Me too!
How wonderful to hear the medical community being taught to honor these experiences! My experience was dismissed as hallucinations, or medicine interaction during a stroke. This book has given me the courage to speak with a family member who was recently in a coma. I can't wait to hear his stories!
Thank you, Dr Laurin.
How wonderful to hear the medical community being taught to honor these experiences! My experience was dismissed as hallucinations, or medicine interaction during a stroke. This book has given me the courage to speak with a family member who was recently in a coma. I can't wait to hear his stories!
Thank you, Dr Laurin.
February 2, 2020
I have always wondered...
It has been a long time since I have read a more engaging story. As a former Radiology Technologist, I am extremely interested in just about any health care information, but this stands above and beyond any book about NDEs I have read previously. Worth a look, and I will be buying it for my RN son
Thank you Dr. Bellg.
It has been a long time since I have read a more engaging story. As a former Radiology Technologist, I am extremely interested in just about any health care information, but this stands above and beyond any book about NDEs I have read previously. Worth a look, and I will be buying it for my RN son
Thank you Dr. Bellg.
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