Laurin Bellg

I am a critical care physician working with very ill patients in the ICU. My training prepared me to care for the very sick, but it did not prepare me for encounters with the unknown. Over the past twenty years I've heard numerous mysterious and beautiful stories that patients have returned from the brink of death to share with me. They are both incredible and life-affirming. ​ I wrote Near Death in the ICU because I felt I had something to contribute to the conversation about near-death experiences as a part of good patient care. Many well-meaning care providers will discount patient's experiences for which we have no scientific proof, but as many patients reported to me during interviews for this book, this approach is not only unhelpful, it is potentially harmful. Near Death In The ICU is a collection of patient stories that I've encountered over the years and I hope it will contribute something new, powerful and lasting to the conversation of near-death, out-of-body and other anomalous experiences not only surrounding trauma and severe illness, but also during routine medical procedures. Patients have a story to tell and it is our role and great honor to listen to and respect them.