In this episode of Beyond 80%, host Ryan Olexson sits down with neurosurgeon Dr. Eben Alexander to explore the near-death experience that radically reshaped his understanding of consciousness. Once a firm materialist, Dr. Alexander recounts how a severe case of bacterial meningitis left his neocortex shut down. Yet during that time, he experienced a vivid realm of profound love, meaning, and awareness. The conversation examines whether consciousness can exist independently of the brain, the idea of the brain as a filter or transceiver, and how meditation, spirituality, and altered states of consciousness may reveal deeper truths about who we are and what lies beyond physical life.
In this episode of Beyond 80%, host Ryan Olexson sits down with neurosurgeon Dr. Eben Alexander to explore the near-death experience that radically reshaped his understanding of consciousness. Once a firm materialist, Dr. Alexander recounts how a severe case of bacterial meningitis left his neocortex shut down. Yet during that time, he experienced a vivid realm of profound love, meaning, and awareness. The conversation examines whether consciousness can exist independently of the brain, the idea of the brain as a filter or transceiver, and how meditation, spirituality, and altered states of consciousness may reveal deeper truths about who we are and what lies beyond physical life.
Dr. Eben Alexander is a board-certified neurosurgeon, author, and consciousness researcher, known for his transformative near-death experience following a coma caused by bacterial meningitis. Formerly a staunch materialist, Dr. Alexander’s experience profoundly altered his understanding of the mind, leading him to explore the relationship between neuroscience, consciousness, and spirituality. He is the author of the bestselling book Proof of Heaven, and his work focuses on the idea that consciousness may exist independently of the brain, positioning him as a prominent voice at the intersection of science, philosophy, and spiritual inquiry.