Review of 90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper

 I just finished Don Piper’s book 90 Minutes in Heaven.  I remember seeing his story on NBC’s Dateline a number of years ago and thinking this guy was speaking about an NDE, he must have been alive but was so badly mangled the paramedics couldn’t find a pulse.  Having read the book and realizing that this man endured a 110mph impact with an out of control semi in an 84 Ford Escort, there is no doubt in my mind that the paramedics encountered a corpse that January day in 1989.  So Don Piper went to heaven for a brief time and lived to tell about it.  His recounting of his experience to my thinking doesn’t far out or far-fetched.  To try to describe it here would be pointless and I would refer you to the book if such things are of great interest to you.  I found that his story answered a couple of my questions that I’ve always had about heaven and maybe  it will for you too.  What I was unprepared for was the rest of the book where he shares his story of what it was like to come back after such traumatic bodily injury.  He is quite honest about his pain, his bitterness, his depression, and his self-absorption through the whole ordeal.  But through this time the Lord surrounded him with the love of wife and family, neighbors, and a beautiful church congregation.  Through their ministrations sometimes small and sometimes great, he was to recover in time.  Like St. Paul who was also caught up to heaven after being stoned (and I am not referring to medical marijuana here), Don lives with a ‘thorn in the flesh’ of reduced mobility and chronic pain despite the years of healing.  What I thought was the key lesson (apart from being prepared to die by belonging to Jesus Christ) was that when your life is shattered by an illness, trauma, or injury, you must not allow yourself to dwell on what was lost, but what you still can do.  Embrace that and live that to the fullest is the author’s advice.  In his case, he has found new purpose for life despite the fact that he no longer is the active man he once was.  He has certainly comforted many who are struggling with the loss of a loved one, but he has also found that he is able to speak great encouragement to people struggling to come back from an accident or living with excruciating pain.  Although he continues to help others, he also makes it clear that he would have preferred to have remained dead and in heaven and looks forward to returning.  Considering the impressive 1 out of 1 statistics on death, this is a word of encouragement we all need to hear.

Spontaneous Happiness by Andrew Weil MD

As someone who has struggled with depression since my teen years I am always on the look out for good resources to put in my arsenal of defense.  Spontaneous Happiness is based on the idea that there are many ways a person going to mild to chronic depression can, through a program of self-care, find relief and healing without drug intervention.  Dr. Weil is not against anti-depressant drugs per se and strongly discourages those seriously depressed from going off their medications, but he does note that there are many non-drug interventions that have proven in studies to be equally efficacious.  One example he uses that I personally know to be true is that a daily exercise regimen is a proven natural anti-depressant.  He also points out that while the pharmacological giants try to encourage through advertising that depression is a physical condition that can be cured by just taking a pill (and you should see your doctor immediately to have him write you a prescription!), the reality is that depression is much bigger than biology alone.  Societal pressures to always be happy and doing fine, coupled with a pace of life that militates against actually enjoying it, and a level of busyness which crowds out friends and family all need to be looked at and reconsidered by all of us.  One surprising thought he brings out is that sometimes it is healthy to be a bit depressed if it causes us to take stock of what is going on internally and correct it or make peace with it.  Along with suggestions for vitamins, supplements, and helpful herbs, he also makes suggestions about deep-breathing, yoga, and meditation techniques.  Obviously as a christian, I would not commend some of the eastern spirituality that he does mention, but in fairness to the author who writes from the perspective of integrative medicine, I won't fault him for this as he is trying to convey all options in a non-judgmental way (which you would want your doctor to do) to help people in distress.  Personally I have incorporated his 4-7-8 breathing technique which I'm sure comes from eastern meditation (although he doesn't present it as religious in any way) and it is so helpful in relaxing my body that I use it any time I'm feeling tense or stressed.  This is a thoughtful, practical, and helpful book if you struggle with depression and a useful resource if you are a loved-one or friend of someone who is.  But from my perspective it must be read with a mind to 'eat the meat, spit out the bones'.