A neurosurgeon has claimed that he experienced what "heaven" was like after he slipped into a coma. Dr Eben Alexander, in his book, "Map of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon Explores the Mysteries of the Afterlife &amp; The Truth About What Lies Beyond", talks about travelling through a "series of realms" which defied "all the known laws of science".

He calls his journey his "map of Heaven" where he says he had out-of-body experiences and angelic encounters. He also went on to talk about why he knew it was real and not mere hallucinations as he lay in a vegetative state on a hospital bed.&nbsp;

Alexander writes that he landed in a coma after contracting meningitis and his chances of survival were zero. He worked at the Lynchburg General Hospital in Virginia and was admitted there. He says he was in a "deep coma, a vegetative state, and all the higher functions of my brain were offline. Scans showed no conscious activity".

The coma continued for seven days and during this time, he says, his "consciousness went on a voyage through a series of realms, each one more extraordinary than the last".&nbsp;

He says he knows the "journey was not something happening inside my head."

Recalling what he went through after slipping into a coma, Dr Alexander said he "felt like being buried in earth", but he sometimes heard and saw, other entities. While he couldn't remember what it was like being human, he says that even there he was still questioning what was happening around him.

<h2>His other-worldly journey</h2>

Sometime later, he says he saw light coming from above, "a circular entity, emitting a beautiful, heavenly music" that he called the "Spinning Melody". It was "like a rip in the fabric" and he went through that rip, "up into a valley full of lush and fertile greenery, where waterfalls flowed into crystal pools."

Alexander says he witnessed "stunning blue-black velvety skies filled with swooping orbs of golden light" and heard angelic choirs produce "hymns and anthems far beyond anything I had ever encountered on earth".

After reaching what he calls "the Core, that deepest sanctuary of the Divine — filled with infinite inky blackness", he encountered the "infinitely powerful, all-knowing deity". He says he later called it Om, because of the sound vibrating through that realm.

He says throughout his journey he had a guide, a beautiful woman he had never seen before, whose gaze led to an "abundance of emotion" which was neither romantic love nor friendship.

<h2>How he was sure it was all real</h2>

Meanwhile, on Earth, he suddenly regained consciousness after seven days. He says he had forgotten his past life and had to learn everything from scratch. Slowly, over weeks, his knowledge came back.&nbsp;

Dr Alexander, who was adopted as a child, had a real sister named Betsy who had passed away. He had never seen her. Months after he recovered, a relative emailed him a photo of Betsy. He immediately recognised her as the same woman he saw as his guide in the other world.&nbsp;

This photo, he says, confirmed that what he had experienced was real.&nbsp;

A neurosurgeon has claimed that he experienced what "heaven" was like after he slipped into a coma. Dr Eben Alexander, in his book, "Map of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon Explores the Mysteries of the Afterlife & The Truth About What Lies Beyond", talks about travelling through a "series of realms" which defied "all the known laws of science".

A neurosurgeon has claimed that he experienced what "heaven" was like after he slipped into a coma. Dr Eben Alexander, in his book, "Map of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon Explores the Mysteries of the Afterlife & The Truth About What Lies Beyond", talks about travelling through a "series of realms" which defied "all the known laws of science". He calls his journey his "map of Heaven" where he says he had out-of-body experiences and angelic encounters. He also went on to talk about why he knew it was real and not mere hallucinations as he lay in a vegetative state on a hospital bed. Alexander writes that he landed in a coma after contracting meningitis and his chances of survival were zero. He worked at the Lynchburg General Hospital in Virginia and was admitted there. He says he was in a "deep coma, a vegetative state, and all the higher functions of my brain were offline. Scans showed no conscious activity". The coma continued for seven days and during this time, he says, his "consciousness went on a voyage through a series of realms, each one more extraordinary than the last". He says he knows the "journey was not something happening inside my head." Recalling what he went through after slipping into a coma, Dr Alexander said he "felt like being buried in earth", but he sometimes heard and saw, other entities. While he couldn't remember what it was like being human, he says that even there he was still questioning what was happening around him. His other-worldly journey Sometime later, he says he saw light coming from above, "a circular entity, emitting a beautiful, heavenly music" that he called the "Spinning Melody". It was "like a rip in the fabric" and he went through that rip, "up into a valley full of lush and fertile greenery, where waterfalls flowed into crystal pools." Alexander says he witnessed "stunning blue-black velvety skies filled with swooping orbs of golden light" and heard angelic choirs produce "hymns and anthems far beyond anything I had ever encountered on earth". After reaching what he calls "the Core, that deepest sanctuary of the Divine — filled with infinite inky blackness", he encountered the "infinitely powerful, all-knowing deity". He says he later called it Om, because of the sound vibrating through that realm. He says throughout his journey he had a guide, a beautiful woman he had never seen before, whose gaze led to an "abundance of emotion" which was neither romantic love nor friendship. How he was sure it was all real Meanwhile, on Earth, he suddenly regained consciousness after seven days. He says he had forgotten his past life and had to learn everything from scratch. Slowly, over weeks, his knowledge came back. Dr Alexander, who was adopted as a child, had a real sister named Betsy who had passed away. He had never seen her. Months after he recovered, a relative emailed him a photo of Betsy. He immediately recognised her as the same woman he saw as his guide in the other world. This photo, he says, confirmed that what he had experienced was real.

Neurosurgeon says he reached 'heaven', saw 'Om' while in coma, shares proof of it being real

Gen Z is cool, Gen Z doesn't really believe in God, but as per a new study, it does believe in hell. This may come as a surprise for many, but a new study has found that Generation Z aka Gen Z is almost twice as likely to believe in hell than baby boomers. While only 18 per cent of the boomers said they believe in the concept of the land of the damned, a whopping 32 per cent of Gen Z said they believe in the netherworlds.

And it's not just Gen Z,&nbsp;millennials too, believe in hell. This coming from generations that more often than not identify as atheist is sure to leave you bamboozled. After all, the idea of damnation must belong to an age where people and their lives are all shaped by the fear of hellfire and punishment after death.

<h2>Is the study trustworthy?</h2>

The results are from the 'World Values Survey',&nbsp;one of the world's largest and most widely used academic social surveys.

Conducted by the Policy Institute at King’s College, London, it found that in the United Kingdom, the younger generations are also more likely to believe in life after death than older generations.

<h2>How stark is the difference between Gen Z and boomers?</h2>

World Values Survey&nbsp;found that while 32 per cent of both Gen Z and millennials believe in hell, only 24 per cent of the pre-war generation, and at 18 per cent, an even lesser percentage of baby boomers think damnation awaits people after death.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/research-unmasks-shocking-toll-social-isolation-has-on-human-body-592437">Research unmasks shocking toll social isolation has on human body</a>

In comparison, only 27 per cent of millennials and Gen Z see themselves as religious, while 46 per cent of the pre-war generation identified as religiously inclined. In 1981, 69 per cent of the older generation said they were religious.

<h2>How many people were surveyed and who exactly are the Gen Z?</h2>

The statistics for the United Kingdom are based on a representative sample of 3,056 adults interviewed by Ipsos through a combination of face-to-face and online surveys.

Calgary Herald reports that the study classifies different generations based on their birth years for this analysis. The pre-war generation referred to individuals born before 1945, baby boomers included those born between 1945 and 1965, Gen X encompassed individuals born from 1966 to 1979, millennials referred to those born between 1980 and 1995, and Gen Z included individuals born from 1996 onwards.

<h2>If not, hell do the people believe in heaven and god?</h2>

As per the study, it's just hell. Between 1981 and 2022, the British public overall also stopped believing in heaven. From 1981 to 2022, the number of people who believe in heaven fell from 57 per cent to 41 per cent.

The data also reveals that just under half of Britons expressed a belief in God in 2022, a decrease from three-quarters in 1981. Among the 24 nations included in the study, only five now show a lower likelihood of believing in God compared to the UK, with China having the lowest percentage at 17 per cent.

<h2>The allure of something 'more than this'</h2>

Bobby Duffy, director of the Policy Institute, commented on the findings and said that while organised religion's cultural influence has continued to decline in the UK, the belief in "something" beyond this life remains strong, especially among the youngest generations.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/wion-explains-new-york-the-city-that-never-sleeps-may-soon-lie-in-slumber-under-the-sea-594202">WION Explains | New York, the city that never sleeps, may soon lie in slumber under the sea</a>

"Our cultural attachment to organised religion has continued to decline in the UK – but our belief that there is something beyond this life is holding strong, including among the youngest generations," said Duffy.

"While the youngest generations continue to have lower attachment to formal religion, many of them have similar or even greater need to believe that there is 'more than this'."&nbsp;

Beliefs regarding life after death have remained consistent over the past four decades, with slightly less than half of the public consistently accepting that they believe in it.&nbsp;Despite their relatively lower level of faith, younger individuals demonstrate higher levels of belief. Last year, slightly over half of Gen Z and millennials expressed their belief in life after death, which is significantly higher than the 35 per cent of baby boomers and 39 per cent of the pre-war generation.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Gen Z is cool, Gen Z doesn't really believe in God, but as per a new study, it does believe in hell. This may come as a surprise for many, but a new study has found that Generation Z aka Gen Z is almost twice as likely to believe in hell than baby boomers.

Gen Z is cool, Gen Z doesn't really believe in God, but as per a new study, it does believe in hell. This may come as a surprise for many, but a new study has found that Generation Z aka Gen Z is almost twice as likely to believe in hell than baby boomers. While only 18 per cent of the boomers said they believe in the concept of the land of the damned, a whopping 32 per cent of Gen Z said they believe in the netherworlds. And it's not just Gen Z, millennials too, believe in hell. This coming from generations that more often than not identify as atheist is sure to leave you bamboozled. After all, the idea of damnation must belong to an age where people and their lives are all shaped by the fear of hellfire and punishment after death. Is the study trustworthy? The results are from the 'World Values Survey', one of the world's largest and most widely used academic social surveys. Conducted by the Policy Institute at King’s College, London, it found that in the United Kingdom, the younger generations are also more likely to believe in life after death than older generations. How stark is the difference between Gen Z and boomers? World Values Survey found that while 32 per cent of both Gen Z and millennials believe in hell, only 24 per cent of the pre-war generation, and at 18 per cent, an even lesser percentage of baby boomers think damnation awaits people after death. Also read | Research unmasks shocking toll social isolation has on human body In comparison, only 27 per cent of millennials and Gen Z see themselves as religious, while 46 per cent of the pre-war generation identified as religiously inclined. In 1981, 69 per cent of the older generation said they were religious. How many people were surveyed and who exactly are the Gen Z? The statistics for the United Kingdom are based on a representative sample of 3,056 adults interviewed by Ipsos through a combination of face-to-face and online surveys. Calgary Herald reports that the study classifies different generations based on their birth years for this analysis. The pre-war generation referred to individuals born before 1945, baby boomers included those born between 1945 and 1965, Gen X encompassed individuals born from 1966 to 1979, millennials referred to those born between 1980 and 1995, and Gen Z included individuals born from 1996 onwards. If not, hell do the people believe in heaven and god? As per the study, it's just hell. Between 1981 and 2022, the British public overall also stopped believing in heaven. From 1981 to 2022, the number of people who believe in heaven fell from 57 per cent to 41 per cent. The data also reveals that just under half of Britons expressed a belief in God in 2022, a decrease from three-quarters in 1981. Among the 24 nations included in the study, only five now show a lower likelihood of believing in God compared to the UK, with China having the lowest percentage at 17 per cent. The allure of something 'more than this' Bobby Duffy, director of the Policy Institute, commented on the findings and said that while organised religion's cultural influence has continued to decline in the UK, the belief in "something" beyond this life remains strong, especially among the youngest generations. Also read | WION Explains | New York, the city that never sleeps, may soon lie in slumber under the sea "Our cultural attachment to organised religion has continued to decline in the UK – but our belief that there is something beyond this life is holding strong, including among the youngest generations," said Duffy. "While the youngest generations continue to have lower attachment to formal religion, many of them have similar or even greater need to believe that there is 'more than this'." Beliefs regarding life after death have remained consistent over the past four decades, with slightly less than half of the public consistently accepting that they believe in it. Despite their relatively lower level of faith, younger individuals demonstrate higher levels of belief. Last year, slightly over half of Gen Z and millennials expressed their belief in life after death, which is significantly higher than the 35 per cent of baby boomers and 39 per cent of the pre-war generation. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

What the 'hell'? Gen Z more likely to believe in damnation after death, finds study

Braving the cold and hostile Libyan desert, Milad Mohammed scratches the ground to extract what he calls "manna from heaven" -- white truffles coveted as a delicacy at home and abroad.

The fungus known locally as "Terfas" is the only thing, besides some wild grass, that grows under the desert sands nurtured by the combined effect of rain and cold temperatures at night.

They have been consumed since Roman times for their delicate taste as well as their nutritious and medical properties, and are sold to Gulf countries as a luxury food item.

Mohammed harvests the white truffle as a hobby and each year before springtime he treks through the desert region of Al-Hamada al-Hamra, southwest of Tripoli, to look for them.

"I don't earn my living from this. It's a passion," says Mohammed, in his 60s, a retired civil servant from the western city of Zintan.

"It's like a therapy, a way to purify myself from the chaos of the city," he adds as he takes a drag from a cigarette outside a tent he pitched in the desert after a day's work.

"It's a beautiful place, and rough, and you feel so isolated here," says Mohammed.

For hours he wanders across the desert by foot or in his pickup truck, covering dozens of kilometres (miles) and stopping at several spots to scratch the sand with his hands or a cane in search of white truffles.

Usually, they are buried deep underground.

Digging with bare hands

"There is nothing more satisfying than to use your bare hands to dig into the sand and extract these delicious truffles," says Mohammed.

"They're manna from heaven."

But searching for this white gold in the oil-rich North African country that descended into chaos after the fall of veteran dictator Moamer Kadhafi in the 2011 NATO-backed uprising is no easy task.

Libya has been gripped by unrest since the revolt, with various groups vying for control of its oil wealth and cities, while the desert has become a hornet's nest for jihadists and criminal gangs.

Unlike hunters of black truffles, who use dogs or hogs to search for the prized mushroom, Mohammed only trusts his eyes to spot the place where they grow.

According to him, white truffles -- scientifically known to provide a rich source of protein -- have health benefits and their juice is used to treat eye diseases.

But truffles are also in great demand in Gulf markets.

Buyers and sellers

Over the past few years the price per kilo of white truffles tripled to 130 dinars ($33), a merchant said, as harvesting the fungus became more difficult due to Libya's unrest and unfavourable weather conditions.

This year the harvest was good thanks to abundant rain but that meant that the cost per kilo dropped to 80 dinars.

Wholesale transactions often take place at a tent erected on a road near Zintan that leads to Al-Hamada al-Hamra.

It is there that pickers like Mohammed and Khaled Abdelwahed go to sell the truffles they found in the desert.

"We endured very cold weather but the merchant is offering us a fraction of the price," says Abdelwahed, as he tried to negotiate a good deal for the eight kilos of truffles he collected after four nights spent in the desert.

"The merchant's making a better profit than us, and all that time he keeps warm in his tent" while truffle pickers do all the hard work, he says.

The buyer Khalifa al-Sahraoui, a merchant from neighbouring Algeria who travels to Libya each year for truffle season between November and March, disagrees.

"We buy the truffles and sell them to other merchants," he says.

Abdallah Miloud, another truffle merchant, says the harvest is sold to middlemen who in turn "sell them to clients abroad".

The Libyan white truffle is "of excellent quality" and "prized in Gulf countries", he adds.

There are no official figures for the export of Libyan truffles.

But according to Miloud, revenues from sales have "rescued several families" from financial hardship.

Braving the cold and hostile Libyan desert, Milad Mohammed scratches the ground to extract what he calls "manna from heaven" -- white truffles coveted as a delicacy at home and abroad.

Braving the cold and hostile Libyan desert, Milad Mohammed scratches the ground to extract what he calls "manna from heaven" -- white truffles coveted as a delicacy at home and abroad. The fungus known locally as "Terfas" is the only thing, besides some wild grass, that grows under the desert sands nurtured by the combined effect of rain and cold temperatures at night. They have been consumed since Roman times for their delicate taste as well as their nutritious and medical properties, and are sold to Gulf countries as a luxury food item. Mohammed harvests the white truffle as a hobby and each year before springtime he treks through the desert region of Al-Hamada al-Hamra, southwest of Tripoli, to look for them. "I don't earn my living from this. It's a passion," says Mohammed, in his 60s, a retired civil servant from the western city of Zintan. "It's like a therapy, a way to purify myself from the chaos of the city," he adds as he takes a drag from a cigarette outside a tent he pitched in the desert after a day's work. "It's a beautiful place, and rough, and you feel so isolated here," says Mohammed. For hours he wanders across the desert by foot or in his pickup truck, covering dozens of kilometres (miles) and stopping at several spots to scratch the sand with his hands or a cane in search of white truffles. Usually, they are buried deep underground. Digging with bare hands "There is nothing more satisfying than to use your bare hands to dig into the sand and extract these delicious truffles," says Mohammed. "They're manna from heaven." But searching for this white gold in the oil-rich North African country that descended into chaos after the fall of veteran dictator Moamer Kadhafi in the 2011 NATO-backed uprising is no easy task. Libya has been gripped by unrest since the revolt, with various groups vying for control of its oil wealth and cities, while the desert has become a hornet's nest for jihadists and criminal gangs. Unlike hunters of black truffles, who use dogs or hogs to search for the prized mushroom, Mohammed only trusts his eyes to spot the place where they grow. According to him, white truffles -- scientifically known to provide a rich source of protein -- have health benefits and their juice is used to treat eye diseases. But truffles are also in great demand in Gulf markets. Buyers and sellers Over the past few years the price per kilo of white truffles tripled to 130 dinars ($33), a merchant said, as harvesting the fungus became more difficult due to Libya's unrest and unfavourable weather conditions. This year the harvest was good thanks to abundant rain but that meant that the cost per kilo dropped to 80 dinars. Wholesale transactions often take place at a tent erected on a road near Zintan that leads to Al-Hamada al-Hamra. It is there that pickers like Mohammed and Khaled Abdelwahed go to sell the truffles they found in the desert. "We endured very cold weather but the merchant is offering us a fraction of the price," says Abdelwahed, as he tried to negotiate a good deal for the eight kilos of truffles he collected after four nights spent in the desert. "The merchant's making a better profit than us, and all that time he keeps warm in his tent" while truffle pickers do all the hard work, he says. The buyer Khalifa al-Sahraoui, a merchant from neighbouring Algeria who travels to Libya each year for truffle season between November and March, disagrees. "We buy the truffles and sell them to other merchants," he says. Abdallah Miloud, another truffle merchant, says the harvest is sold to middlemen who in turn "sell them to clients abroad". The Libyan white truffle is "of excellent quality" and "prized in Gulf countries", he adds. There are no official figures for the export of Libyan truffles. But according to Miloud, revenues from sales have "rescued several families" from financial hardship.

Watch: Desert truffles are Libya's 'manna from heaven'

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