This is a book review of "Heaven is For Real" by Todd Burpo & Lynn Vincent, Thomas Nelson, 2010
Because I believe in some sort of hereafter I couldn't help myself. I downloaded "Heaven is for Real" onto my iPad before I left for holiday in a small town in rural France along one of its historic pilgrimage trails (see Journey for Body and Soul: The St. Jacques de Compostelle Pilgrimage Trail). What better place to read about adventures with the next world, I thought.
The book, written by Todd Burpo, a Nebraskan minister, and Lynn Vincent (it is not common for a ghost writer to be identified and if so it is maybe "with", not "and" - though she also did Sarah Palin's "Going Rogue"), is an easy read: short, simple, childlike in its prose and delivery. For those who may not have heard of this book sensation, topping the New York Times non-fiction list and sparking worldwide notice, the story goes as follows.
Colton Burpo, the second of two children in the Burpo family of Imperial, Nebraska (population ~ 1800), becomes gravely ill from an undiagnosed ruptured appendix while on a family trip in the early spring of 2003. The family was having financial problems from medical bills after dad broke his leg, had kidney stones, required a mastectomy for suspicious cells (while rare, men do get breast cancer), and could hardly tend to his business. This was their first time away in some time.
Colton was almost four years old when he goes to heaven (and returns). His dad is the pastor of the Wesleyan Church in Imperial, and also a volunteer fire fighter, high school wrestling coach, and owner of an industrial garage door company to supplement the limited wages of a small town clergyman. His mom, Sonja, today with three children, is a "busy mom" as well as a certified teacher, active as a pastor's wife, and runs the operations of the garage door company. Cassie, the older sister, appears to endure all this activity with good humor, including her brother's trip to heaven and ongoing reports upon his return.
Their trip, in March 2003, was cut short because Colton required an emergency operation for a ruptured appendix which was complicated by days of abdominal infection, including an abscess that required post-operative draining. Colton, unbeknownst I gather to the surgical team, took a "three minute" trip to heaven and back during surgery. He did not leave the operating table nor reportedly cease breathing or experience cardiac arrest. In July of that same year, then fully recovered and four years old, Colton delivers his first account, on another family trip, of his adventures in heaven, which by the way is for real according to the "astounding story of his trip to heaven and back" (the book's subtitle).
I read every page of this book, and every piece of reported evidence that he must have been to heaven. The book's popularity is a window into its readers and our culture. What does it convey that explains how avidly it has been consumed? What does it say about our world?
Colton's story is a fabulous one, full of sweetness and innocence. He is the child of a deeply religious family where prayer is a staple in their lives. When he begins to report that Jesus was at the right hand of God, who had a massive throne, the authors say he "could never know {that}" yet go on to describe daily bedtime bible stories and routinely traveling with his father as he serves his religious community. Colton tells his dad that the angels have wings, but he had little wings. Wings are needed because "we flew" - all except Jesus who "went up and down like an elevator." Jesus' eyes were "so pretty" and he wore purple. No one else wore purple, according to Colton; the others wore white, with various color sashes. Jesus had a crown too and "markers" on him (red spots meant to signify stigmata). Colton later reported that Jesus has a cousin (must be John the Baptist) who is "really nice", and a horse. There are lions in heaven but they are not dangerous. And he tells his father of a battle to end all battles, with swords and bows and arrows, yet to fear not, even though you (dad) will be in that battle (and thus in heaven) because the "good guys" win. Colton also tells how he met his sister, unborn from an early miscarriage, while on his trip to heaven, though we are told his parents never told him about the miscarriage, as well as his dad's uncle "Pops" who died at 61 but appeared as a man in his 20s, since "no one is old in heaven". Burpo reports that Colton did not know about "Pops" although his photo stands on Burpo's desk. He tells his dad he saw him in "a little room by yourself praying, and Mommy was in another room and she was praying and talking on the phone" when he was in surgery. And they were. There are other examples, but you get the picture.
All this comes out in bits and pieces over months, and then years, each time apparently eliciting awe and reinforcement from his parents.
Colton must be one remarkable boy, deeply attuned to his family and their spiritual environment. His is an American family who despite misfortune and testing emerge on the side of light not darkness. They pray and their prayers are heard. Their community responds in their time of need. Fellow travelers share their hardship and are buoyed by the Burpos. It is a welcome anodyne to the harshness we see too much of every day, the bad news media we tune into and the tales of selfishness and division that fill our ears. Thank God for Colton Burpo.
As for Lynn Vincent and her franchise on telling blockbuster stories, spiritual and political: what will she co-author next?
I have no quarrel with the success of this book. It has touched the hearts of many people. But it asks us to suspend our critical thinking. That is what faith is about. Faith may be helped along by examples of wondrous events, as was this boy's survival, but not by fantastic stories with less than credible evidence. Had Colton's tale been called a fable then maybe I could have believed.
Read more from Dr. Lloyd Sederer at his website, AskDrLloyd.com.
Greg Coleman: "Sharpen the Saw," Whether You Like It or Not
Heaven - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Heaven -- Where Is It? How Do We Get There? - ABC News
Christians Wrong About Heaven, Says Bishop - TIME
If, and that is the qualitative "if", we are the products of evolution then why did the human body evolve to need NDEs when it is near death. I understand the biological mechanisms of the "how" NDEs happen - that is not the question. The question is...why did we, if we are an evolutionary product, require this trait? Since, it seems a common thing with many people having experienced an NDE then it seems to be more than just a report of the observations of what went on by the person having been dead or near death.
If NDEs are connected to a person's religious beliefs then why did God put in place this buffer effect to facilitate the transcendence of the soul?
Why would the human body near death or shortly dead need to create for itself an illusionary afterlife, regardless of what the faith, instead of trying to re-create being just alive in its own environment? Isn't that odd when you think about it?
Is there some cognitive function that says to the brain, "hey, quick let's get that afterlife illusion going we're about dead here!" In other words, how would the brain know to make this rationalization? Why wouldn't the brain keep the illusion of being alive in normal surroundings going instead of one of heaven?
It could be that an NDE is adaptive, to allow for humans to be more accepting of natural death by seeing that the individual is calm etc..
Why do you need wings in heaven to fly? Seems like a ripoff to me.
The thing we should keep in mind, given the Burpo story, as that the experience one has usually depends on preconceived beliefs. Devout Christians tend to perceive the holy figures as Jesus or the saints or angels, but Buddhists, Hindus and others perceive things consistent with their beliefs.
Some claim this is because the mind merely creates the experience, such as in a dream. Some, on the other hand, say that in heaven or the hereafter, what is experienced is fitted to the individual's perception and situation. But, whatever the case, the experience is very real to the one witnessing or having it.
To be sure, what we are is far beyond this mortal shell of a body. And death is merely a door into the next stage of our existence as a spirit-soul.
The prophet Isaiah and the apostle John report being "carried away in spirit to that high and holy place where God inhabits eternity." And the modern son of man reports the same thing, so the transcendental experience is possible also without being unconscious, or near death.
Just thought I'd throw that in.
http://cjcmp.org
Since no one has ever seen heaven how would you understand what you're seeing if you caught a glimpse? Since religion has already provided us with their templates of heaven, it's easy for the mind to make the associations when your right temporal-parietal lobe is overly fired up with electrical currents.
It's interesting that Dr. Sederer cannot recognize a neurological event in the brain that is associated with these kinds of so-called visions or NDEs. Seems odd considering he's a mental health professional.
I'd be interested on your take regarding the woman blind since birth seeing for the first time during her NDE.
Neurological science is in it's infancy and as a science, one theory is just that until another theory comes along to override it.
PS An Open Mind is best.
As for the blind woman, that would very much depend on why she was blind in the first place, and what it is she actually 'saw'
By the way, if the souls/spirits you suggest we have can see on their own, which would kind of be necessary since the body doesn't go anywhere, why would we need physical eyes?
As far as a blind person from birth being able to see during their NDE that is obviously an end result of how the brain responds when faced with death. It's not uncommon for the brain to produce hallucinations as a defense mechanism. The "seeing" portion is how the brain perceives it's surroundings without the benefit of actual sight.
Interestingly, NDEs or other out of body experiences only seem to happen while the brain faces imminent death or cerebral anoxia. Also there is no predictability with these visions. One can dream of floating around the operating table while others have a diabolical NDE episode of being attacked by demons and being tortured.
that the old and new testament has instances where people were "caught up into heaven". When you take time to read these experiences, you see the lives of the men were changed dramatically. They were never the same afterwords, and even some were told not to speak of some of the things they were told or witnessed. This is interesting. Even if you do or not believe in the apparitions of the Virgin Mary, those who say they have experienced this, their lives have been changed forever. Particularly Sr. Lucia of Fatima, whose whole life was devoted as a nun, and she died at the age of 93. We should keep this in mind when we hear or read of "heavenly experiences".
and yes, as I reported already~~ I have had NDE.
We all 'live on' after we're dead thru our actions (and inactions) while we're living. It's a continuous ripple effect, we are all 'here' because of people who have long been dead (ancestors)...all that we know and all that we build came to us thru these channels of the past. It's undeniable, simple and true. All other speculations on the 'here after' (what a phrase) is based on selective belief systems often indoctrinated at a very young age.
If we focused on the 'afterlife' as a generational responsibility to those that come after us, perhaps we wouldn't always put profits before people, faith before facts and joy as some far off mystical place regulated deities that give us 'free will' without full knowledge.
Just funny to me that today, here is an article about it.
I'm going to show you EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THIS BOOK.
"He is the child of a deeply religious family where prayer is a staple in their lives. When he begins to report that Jesus was at the right hand of God, who had a massive throne, the authors say he "could never know {that}" yet go on to describe daily bedtime bible stories and routinely traveling with his father as he serves his religious community."
Thats everything you need to know. That the child was mentally conditioned, pretty rigorously, toward believing wholeheartedly in religious mythology.
I then read a story about a boy in india who went through the same experience,......guess what he "dreamt" about when he "died" for a period of time. here's a hint, it had nothing to do with christianity.
I would have found Coltons story far more intriguing if he had no knowledge of any religion, and was not mentally conditioned toward believing religious mythology to begin with.
http://www.youtube.com/user/NearDeathAwakening
http://www.youtube.com/user/LightBehindGod
I have already posted these informational websites.
Renee Jorgenson is a resarcher in this field as well as has experienced NDE.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNvVX-PVAB4
This link is also on his page, but is well worth a look and listen.
Also the program "Through The Wormhole" on the Science Channel presented by Morgan Freeman also had a program concerning NDE. Reports from scientists, physicians.... ect... is most assuedly worth checking out. I do not have the link, but you may be able to find it on the internet, if *not* I am sure they will replay that particular episode again.
Additonally, go check out "Dannion Brinkley" and the subsequent movie made concerning his life and NDE. (he was struck by lightening twice) The movie is called "Saved By The Light". It can be watched on YouTube in 10 minute incriments. It is well worth watching. "Dannion Brinkley" was also "troubled" by this experience, but you will see the progression as Dr. Moody assists him. Most all of the reports have such similar qualities. It has been postulated that it is a "brain function" of the process of dying. These are experiences that are recalled in most vivid recall, even years later.
~~~~~ cont. my post is to long.... .part TWO coming
It is a very proufound experience, and is always illustrative in the behaviors of the persons *after* having experienced this event.
Much Peace, Love, and Light to you my friend.
also... I will find the link concerning the *three* boys that were electrocuted at the very same time, and all three boys report the same expereience.... although only a few elements are different. It is *more* than interesting..... *you may find it on the IANDS website*. IF *not* then I shall search for the link..... IF you are truly interested.
You will find there are many commonalities that are reported concerning all NDE's. Sounds "a bit" odd (would you not agree?) that *all* report the same? *IF* it were merely a "hullicination", then please explain HOW or WHY everyone reports nearly the SAME experience. Again, it is quite profound.
Thanks for considering my post here..... and again, much Peace, Love, and Light to you~~ IF you would like a few more links, I would be MORE than happy to assist in this matter. Thanks friend!
When people die, their brains shut down all very similarly, all the energy leaving our brains and bodies, we are all humans and we all probably experience the same "shutting down" experience. but that is not evidence of any after life or heaven or anything else. it just means we're all the same type of computer
Not everyone reports the exact SAME experience. They report the same experience as it reflects the religion they have been exposed to. That's a very important difference.