The Scalpel and the Soul : Encounters with Surgery, the Supernatural, and the Healing Power of Hope

A Harvard-educated neurosurgeon reveals how his line of work has exposed him to inexplicable phenomena in the apparent form of angels, ghosts, and patients who have had near-death experiences, in a series of case stories that shares the author's insight into the role of superstition, premonition, and faith in health outcomes. 20,000 first printing. A Harvard-educated neurosurgeon reveals his experiences-in and out of the operating room-with apparitions, angels, exorcism, and after-death survival, and shares the lessons he learned. A young burn victim remains in a coma until a ghost appears. A doctor discovers he can predict when a patient will die. A clinically dead patient later recounts extraordinary details about the private lives of her caregivers. A physician needs the help of a Navajo shaman to exorcise the spirit of his dead patient. These things really happened-and neurosurgeon Allan J. Hamilton was involved in every one of them, and many more. Based on thirty years of medical experience, The Scalpel and the Soul tells the unspoken stories behind remarkable patients and strange events, and shares the moral and spiritual lessons found in them. For physicians, supernatural inklings and intrusions are disturbing. Doctors cannot be candid with colleagues or patients because they are trained to disregard the inexplicable and unbelievable. They're taught to discount elusive, evanescent powers of the soul. Superstition, omens, and divine spirits smack of madness. But patients have the same experiences. Life-threatening illness or surgery frequently brings dormant spirituality to life. The soul often needs more than intensive care alone can give. The Scalpel and the Soul explores how premonition, superstition, hope, and faith not only become factors in how patients feel but can change outcomes; it validates the spiritual manifestations physicians see every day; it empowers patients to voice their spiritual needs when they seek medical help; and, finally, it addresses the mysterious, attractive powers the soul exerts during life-threatening events. "Based on thirty years of medical experience, The Scalpel and the Soul tells the unspoken stories behind remarkable patients and strange events, and shares the moral and spiritual lessons found in them." "For physicians, supernatural inklings and intrusions are disturbing. Doctors often cannot be candid with colleagues and patients about anomalous events because they are trained to disregard the inexplicable and unbelievable. They are taught to discount the elusive, evanescent powers of the soul. Superstition, omens, and divine spirits smack of foolishness, if not outright madness." "But patients often report the same inexplicable experiences as their caregivers. Life-threatening illness or surgery frequently brings dormant spirituality to life. The soul often needs more than intensive care alone can give, and in moments of crisis the veil that separates the material from the ineffable can be lowered. The Scalpel and the Soul explores how premonition, intuition, "good luck, " hope, and faith not only become factors in how patients feel but also can literally alter outcomes and save lives; it validates the spiritual manifestations many physicians and medical professionals encounter daily; it empowers patients to voice their spiritual needs when seeking medical help; and, finally, it addresses the mysterious, attractive powers the soul exerts during life-threatening events." "The book concludes with an appendix of "twenty rules to live by"--Practical, hard-won advice for patients or their loved ones on how to navigate through surgery or critical care."--Jacket A Harvard-educated neurosurgeon reveals his experiences—in and out of the operating room—with apparitions, angels, exorcism, after-death survival, and the miracle of hope. For the millions who have enjoyed Proof of Heaven, Heaven is Real, To Heaven and Back, and Getting to Heaven—an inspiring tale from where the veil between life and death is often at its thinnest.The Scalpel and the Soul explores how premonition, superstition, hope, and faith not only become factors in how patients feel but can change outcomes. It validates the spiritual manifestations physicians see every day and empowers patients to voice their spiritual needs when they seek medical help. Finally, it addresses the mysterious, attractive powers the soul exerts during life-threatening events. The Scalpel and the Soul explores how premonition, intuition, "good luck," hope, and faith not only become factors in how patients feel but also can literally alter outcomes and save lives; it validates the spiritual manifestations many physicians and medical professionals encounter daily; it empowers patients to voice their spiritual needs when seeking medical help; and, finally, it addresses the mysterious, attractive powers the soul exerts during life-threatening events." "The book concludes with an appendix of "twenty rules to live by"--Practical, hard-won advice for patients or their loved ones on how to navigate through surgery or critical care."--BOOK JACKET. (Blackwell)