Near Death in the ICU
​Stories from Patients Near Death and Why we Should Listen To Them

Winner - 2016 Great Southeast Book Festival, General Non-Fiction
1st Runner-Up - 2016 Eric Hoffer Book Award, Health
Finalist - 2016 International Book Awards, Health: Death & Dying
Finalist - 2016 Next Generation INDIE Book Awards, General Non-Fiction and Inspirational Non-Fiction
Honorable Mention - 2016 New York Book Festival, General Non-Fiction​ 
"A seasoned doctor takes on the head-scratching phenomenon of near-death experiences... she argues persuasively that patients should be accorded dignity when their stories about these bizarre but often transformative experiences are acknowledged rather than dismissed."  - Kirkus Reviews 
Picture
Laurin Bellg, MD
"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. 
​
"Several years ago I began journaling about these miraculous moments. When one of these stories was published, I was excited and inspired by the response and knew I had to write a book of my own.

"My hope is that Near Death In The ICU will contribute something new, powerful and lasting to the conversation about 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."
Near-death experiences are often profoundly meaningful, yet when they are reported, they are frequently met with skepticism and dismissal by medical caregivers and family members. But do we have to fully understand these events to honor the transformative role they often play in the lives of those who experience them? Do we need to prove they are something more than the result of illness, medication or a dying brain to acknowledge their power to impact lives in a positive way?

This phenomenal collection of medical patient accounts of encounters with the mysterious during severe illness and life-threatening injury was written by a physician who saw how powerful these experiences were in her patients' lives. Both touching and thought-provoking, this book invites you to reconsider what happens when we die, and in doing so, challenges you to ponder that perhaps we are much more than our earth-bound physical bodies.

For nearly twenty years, Dr. Laurin Bellg has been present at the bedside of critically ill and dying patients. As she has worked to create an accepting and supportive relationship with them, her patients have shared with her the mysterious experiences they sometimes have during moments of crisis of apparently seeing beyond our physical world. In telling their engaging, powerful and sometimes humorous stories, Dr. Bellg invites the reader to consider that bearing witness to a patient's near-death experience is a respectful and meaningful part of medical care, a way for families to support their loved ones, and an important part of the patient's healing. 
Picture
Paperback: $15.95 - Kindle: $4.95
About Dr. Bellg

Laurin Bellg, MD is a board-certified critical care physician currently working in two busy critical care units in the Upper Midwest. She is a former Chair of Medical Staff and ICU Medical Director. In addition to caring for her patients, she is involved in training medical residents and others how to care for the critically ill.  She has contributed to several publications about near-death studies and is an invited speaker throughout the U.S. on the topic.