Touching Heaven A Cardiologist’s Encounters with Death and Living Proof of an Afterlife by Dr Chauncey

Touching Heaven A Cardiologist’s Encounters with Death and Living Proof of an Afterlife by Dr Chauncey, New York: 2015 I just completed reading Touching Heaven and I am somewhat stumped. I actually don’t know what to think. Years ago I read a book which really impacted me because it was about a cardiologist who didn’t believe in God but he had so many patients who managed to survive and from what they told him of their death experiences, he began to have a different view. How can your patients tell you exactly what is happening in an operating room when they are completely out and die, only to be revived but not conscious? What they told this doctor had him re-examine his non belief in God. I am not sure if it is the same cardiologist so I am going to have to read his other two books to figure that one out. I remember talking about this book I am thinking about in grad school. The prof was interested and asked me to let him know if I ever recall the title again. Every once in a while you may read something that really impacts you and that was that book, I read so many years ago. How I lost it, is unknown. I have travelled much in my day and it may have got lost in my transfers. I keep my library to a bare minimum nowadays and normally give my books away unless I need it for work or it means something special to me. How many American cardiologists write books of their patients who have experienced death? I did find this book very preachy. There are quotations of the Bible I think the evangelical reader would appreciate. I have heard some of these stories myself, such as someone being very ill in the hospital and they believe a guardian angel sat with them through their ordeal. Dr Chauncey reports, “Over the years, numerous people have spoken of seeing angels or being ministered to by them- this is fairly frequent. Many have reported feeling surrounded by an otherworldly peace or kindness; some have talked of being drawn toward a light or a tunnel; and a lot of my patients have seen dead family members or friends. They report such instances more often than you would think too, probably in over half of the cases. It is common for people who have had out-of-body experiences to see their surviving loved ones crying or praying in other rooms, and to be able to tell you which rooms, even if they’ve never been in our hospital before.”p 81. Reading his book about how he openly prays with his patients surprises me. Not because he is praying with them, because I know it happens here too that physicians pray with their patients, but because of the intensity. What this also tells me is how more open Americans may be to religion and spirituality. That is only an opinion. I wonder if Dr Chauncey was working in Canada if he would have problems because he does not separate his beliefs and prayers from his practice? As I read his book, I sometimes thought how far fetched this all seemed to me and had to ask myself why? I consider myself very open minded. However, I also appreciate understanding something from another dimension in scientific terms. I did only one internship in a hospital and I became quite aware that things occur that do not make sense. Since, I have heard people who struggle with serious illnesses seeing their dead family members. I believe them. However, I do not quite understand it. Dr Chauncey seems to have found the answers in the bible. It is working well for him and he has helped many people. Now, though I am confused by this book, perhaps because there is so much preaching, I will find and read his other two books to determine if this is the same Cardiologist whose earlier written book is the same that I read so many years ago. In the mean time, this Cardiologist could operate on my heart if I ever needed it because his faith is so profound and his years of experience is impressive. What do you think?