"For millennia, humans have wondered what happens after we die. Finally, we have a definitive answer: this week, in an exclusive cover story, Newsweek reveals that "Heaven Is Real." And it sounds suspiciously like a DMT trip as described on internet drug forums.

For nearly as long as humans have been thinking about the possibility of an afterlife, they've also been reading the "Experiences" essays on Erowid.org — accounts of trips and experimentations written by conscientious drug users. Finally, the two pastimes converge, in "Heaven Is Real: A Doctor's Experience With the Afterlife," possibly the most embarrassing cover story Newsweek has ever run, in which Dr. Eben Alexander falls into a coma and apparently, uh, goes to heaven.

Alexander's account of his experience is exactly as well-written, exactly as scientific, and exactly as interesting as most of the stories in Erowid's "Experience Vault." And that's not the only similarity! Below, take our test: Newsweek cover story or message-board post about drugs? Winners get to go to heaven."

Newsweek Cover Story or Internet Posting About Drugs? A Quiz


DMT.... Getting more and more mainstream press. Good or bad?

Odds are no matter who you are, you know someone who uses entheogens, if not you personally, you want to, or know someone who does. So on some level the exposure might help people to be more understanding of those who choose to take substsnces like these, and the news is telling the story in a much more positive light these days i might add. On the other hand, as much as i hate to say it, some people might be better off not opening that can of worms. I tell people like this, if you can handle the hallucinogenic experience go for it, it is benificial for us all as a whole. But for some people it could cause more harm than good, and again not just personally, if one is wreckless it hurts the community as a whole. But everyone is entitled their own in life, so who am i to say what is good for or bad for any individual or situation. We just have to have faith that the universe has a plan for us, and our future with these plants.

i say it's good. it's not a high times puff piece glorifying it's use. it's news week and it's a doctor. it may not blaze a path towards legalization but it will at least put it's name in the ears of many that would've never heard of it and coming from a doctor, via news week, it will more than likely be accepted in a positive light from most readers.

whether they will see DMT itself in a positive light or just this doctors experience doesn't really matter. as long as their brains associate dmt with a positive feeling, it's a win, in my book.

I loved the story. So many similarities in the doctors story its silly.

Not saying anything new though that I havent experienced though. All the further reason that there is definitely something special going on behind the scenes, no matter whether we want to believe in it or not.

Awesome article.

Here is a link to a very recent NewsWeek article about a neurosurgeon that was in a coma for 7 days and had a vision, of which his explanation will hit home with many of us.

http://www.thedailybeast...-with-the-afterlife.html

Let me know what you think.

Doctor claims to have visited heaven during coma.

( ^ link above ^ ) I saw this story on Yahoo! tonight, and his experience sounded remarkably familiar. I am personally a very spiritual person. I believe in the existence of heaven. I am also starting to believe that we have more access to it during our lives than we think, and that chemically the whole world is linked to heaven. Why not? Why wouldn't God create heaven in a way that is chemically and physically linked with our own perception of reality. If an artist creates pointillism paintings his whole life, no one would claim a beautiful painting is not his just because it uses the same techniques he used in all of his other paintings. They would point out that the similarities only strengthen the likelihood that he created it. Likewise, I believe that if a God created earth, he likely created heaven in a way that it is similar, if not physically, then chemically. What are your opinions? do you think this doctor possibly experienced a very spiritual DMT experience? If yes, do you think that would necessarily negate the fact that he visited heaven, or strengthen the possibility that they are one and the same?

So, this guy goes into a coma, and trips out. He writes a book! I should write a book! We should ALL write books!!

Check it out here

Edit:
Thanks for combining my post into this one, I got so excited I didn't see there was already a thread!

So have three others. I've changed the name of the thread and moved it to the Welcome Area to remove confusion.

It definitely depends on how the media portrays it. I hear salvia is getting a bad reputation because of video uploads to youtube and getting salvia more negative mainstream media attention. Some people are just to ignorant.

If it is received and portrayed positively and intelligently then yes good.
A competent perception of the drug is necessary for a positive portrayal.
Even with a positive portrayal it is already illegal so governments probably don't want it to be portrayed in a positive light. I honestly believe the media is in part controlled by the higher powers that rule. So bad.

this is a 60mg conclusion if ever i read one

Speak it brother!

Incredible trip report by the good Dr. Alexander.

Maybe we shouldnt believe the guy, he didnt smoke DMT to experience this. No, wait, he is a doctor, that makes it viable....

I should go school, work as a neurosurgeon for many years, and then fall into a coma. When I tell people about my experiences maybe then I would have some uh.... credibility. Thats the word Im looking for.

He certainly didn't smoke DMT and my previous final comment was a bit tongue in cheek, but he never claimed to have smoked DMT.

I think his background does lend some credility towards his statements. His neocortex being shut down while in the coma and the subsequent continuation of consciousness he reported. His detailed report also has major similarities to reported (and my own) DMT experiences and the facts I've seen presented by him seem to be sound.

He could be making it up but he seems quite shaken by this and inspired to learn more about consciousness so I am leaning towards his subjective experience is an accurate report. Fascinating stuff.

Good and bad, good that more people are taking an interest in it and I also feel spirituality is coming to the fore front. Science and Religion are merging into Theology more and more each day.

BAD in the sense that I feel governments will now try harder and harder to illegalise all the substances that DMT can be extracted from and will convince the people of it's "evil"

Does the actual Newsweek article mention DMT, or is it Gawker that is making this connection? When I google it I'm only getting the Gawker article and this thread

Dr. Alexander did not mention DMT in the Newsweek article. The Gawker article links through to newsweek at the bottom. I believe Gawker introduced the Erowid trip report angle. Gawker has done a number of articles on DMT/psychedelics/drugs if I recall correctly.

Also my opinion is this is good news, for what its worth.

I question the whole death experience is like a DMT trip or psychedelic experience theory.
Richard Alpert aka Ramm Dass ( friend of Timothy Leary,) had a major heart attack and died. This guy was a big time LSD user and very into the psychedelic scene. After some minutes they were able to revive him.
He said that he had always expected an amazing experience would occur at death, but that when it happened to him, there was nothing...nothing at all....just total black nothingness.

So, I say that psychedelics are for the living and don't necessarily expect that big trip after your last breath! There may be nothing there after life or on the way out at all!

The truth is no one knows! In my opinion just because someone has cold blued and been revived (Ive gone out 3x) doesn't qualify as the final crossover into death.

Ive always been pretty much an atheist. It always seemed so human to think there is more behind door #2. This was just the warmup for the real show etc. wouldn't this life be worth more if we all knew this was it?

I mean what a gift right? But oh no...there is more yadayada. I appreciate this gift for what it is...I'm not sure what's next if anything. What I do know is that I'm a part of this unfolding story called the Universe and that in itself is enough for me.

If anything, as the Universe story unfolds...and as we evolve...and the gravity of technology continues to pull us into it like a black hole, I wonder if we will somehow achieve immortality that way.

I can't wait for the machines to wakeup. Upload me to the cloud baby. Shoot my consciousness through the Universe in little nanobots like spores.

Edit: I've overdosed on heroin several times. On two occasions I've needed to be revived. I didn't see anything. It was pure nothingness. My lips were purple and I wasn't breathing. The emt's said I was a goner. This is all in the past. A very painful part of my life that spice has helped me to work through.

[]Deace

what caught me was that is neocortex was entirely off reaffirming the notion that consciousness exists on a smaller scale than neuro transfer and biology.

seems to me like this guy needs to learn about dmt huh.
interesting how the spice makes you feel as though the soul is real, I dont know about god in a christian sense though I think this guy is just using that to try and understand what he saw. wish we could show him the light.

here is a video interview with the guy:

http://www.btci.org/bioe...012/videos2012/vid3.html