The Scalpel and the Soul Encounters with Surgery, the Supernatural, and the Healing Power of Hope

A Harvard-educated neurosurgeon reveals his experiences—in and out of the operating room—with apparitions, angels, exorcism, after-death survival, and the miracle of hope. The Scalpel and the Soulexplores how premonition, superstition, hope, and faith not only become factors in how patients feel but can change outcomes. It validates the spiritual manifestations physicians see every day and empowers patients to voice their spiritual needs when they seek medical help. Finally, it addresses the mysterious, attractive powers the soul exerts during life-threatening events.

After beginning his working life as a janitor, Allan J . Hamilton, M.D., FACS, went on to attend Harvard Medical School and to become the chief of neurosurgery and chairman of the Department of Surgery at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center. He is currently a professor of neurosurgery and a clinical professor in the departments of Radiation Oncology and Psychology at AHSC. Hamilton has been a guest on NPR, has appeared on the Discovery Channel, and Anderson Cooper 360-¦, and has worked as a consultant for Grey-'s Anatomy.