Materialism, a theory that denies the existence of the soul, has had a powerful influence on the sciences. Dr. Eben Alexander, a neurosurgeon, would subscribe to this theory until he had a near-death experience (NDE). After the bacterial meningitis worsened and he went into a coma that left doctors with low hope, Alexander says he had observed scenes and traveled to places that transcended the science he had come to know.

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