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]
