Editorial April 8, 2013 Issue

Near-heaven experiences

The Editors

Recently one of the staff editors at the Sentinel paid a visit to a local Boston bookstore on his lunch break. Looking at the “recent best sellers,” this editor noticed an unusual phenomenon. Not one, but three of the books on the shelf were all first-person accounts of real-life journeys to heaven and back. 

These three best-selling books are Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey into the Afterlife by Eben Alexander, MD; To Heaven and Back: A Doctor’s Extraordinary Account of Her Death, Heaven, Angels, and Life Again: A True Story by Mary C. Neal, MD; and Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back by Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent.

While other books have been previously published detailing people’s encounters with death, heaven, the afterlife, and near-death experiences, it’s probably fair to say that rarely have three such books wound up on the best-seller shelf at the same time. What does the popularity of these books mean?

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