Michael Sabom

Michael B. Sabom is an American cardiologist, confessing Christian^[1] and near-death experience researcher.

Education

Sabom attended Colorado College, graduating in 1966.^[2] He completed his medical education at the University of Texas Medical Branch in 1970.^[3][4] He completed his cardiology training at the University of Florida in 1978.^[4]

Career

After finishing his training, Sabom spent a few years as an assistant professor of cardiology at Emory University^[5] before moving into private practice.^[3] He retired from private practice in 2017.^[4]

Sabom is known for his work on near-death experiences. He is a founding member of the International Association for Near Death Studies.^[6]

Sabom has written two books about near-death experiences. The first book, Recollections of Death: A Medical Investigation, was released in 1982. Sabom presented interviews with 116 people who had experienced a near-death crisis, which he discusses and classifies. This book was positively received for providing a relatively objective and medicine-based point of view,^[7][8] though one reviewer speculated that the "author's wish to believe may have colored his analysis."^[7] It has been cited over 800 times in scholarly works, according to Google Scholar.^[9]

The second book, Light and Death, was released in 1998. Similarly to the first book, Sabom interviews 160 patients following near-death crises. Although it still retained some medical and scientific aspects, this book was written from a more religious (Christian) viewpoint.^[10] The book is notable for describing the Pam Reynolds case, a case of a near-death experience that has received some media attention,^[11] and which Sabom investigated. This work (particularly that involving Pam Reynolds) has been criticized by the author Sam Harris for possible experimenter bias, unconscious witness tampering and false memories.^[12]

An interview with Sabom was featured in the 2023 film After Death.^[13]

Publications

• Sabom, Michael (1982). Recollections of Death: A Medical Investigation. New York: Harper & Row. ISBN 0-06-014895-0. OCLC 7575459. ^[7][8]
• Sabom, Michael (1998). Light & Death: One Doctor's Fascinating Account of Near-Death Experiences. Grand Rapids, Mich: Zondervan. ISBN 978-0-310-21992-7. OCLC 39756347.^[10]