Explore the Extraordinary >>
Stephanie Bradbury, BA, MDiv >> The Rev. Stephanie Chase Bradbury has been an Episcopal priest for 26 years, counseling many people who’ve had NDEs and STEs. She herself has had a number of Mystical Experiences. Stephanie is drawn to how material reality is intertwined with the transcendent. She feels called to help facilitate the processing of those who have been touched by the extraordinary. She has led NDE retreats, spoken at IANDS gatherings, and been interviewed for podcasts. Stephanie is both grounded in the Christian tradition, while welcoming insight from beyond organized religion. She serves an Episcopal Church in Massachusetts.
Roberta Moore, MBA >> Videographer, writer, and speaker, Roberta Moore is producer of NDEvideo.com specializing in spiritual topics. Having studied near-death experiences since the 1970s, she is a long-time, professional member and former vice-president of The International Association for Near-Death Studies. In partnership with IANDS, she has produced two training videos about NDEs, one for healthcare providers and another for Veterans; both are available at YouTube.com/c/NDEvideo. She is a former professor of English at Florida Southwestern College, where she taught for 20 years.
Rev. Dr. Graham Standish, PhD >> Graham Standish is the executive director of Samaritan Counseling, Guidance, Consulting in Pittsburgh, PA, and has decades of experience as a spiritual director, therapist, pastor, and teacher in the area of spirituality. He has guided many people in becoming more open to God’s presence and flow in everyday life. His PhD is in the area of spiritual formation. Beginning with his reading Raymond Moody’s “Life after Life” as a teen, he has been studying spiritual experiences related to NDEs and those in everyday life. He is the author of 10 books on different areas of spirituality.
Walt Scotson >> Walt has been teaching, instructing, and counseling since he was 15 years old. He retired as a Four Square Pastor after serving for 30 years, and was in the Montana National Guard and Army Reserve as a Senior Chaplain Assistant instructor for 22 years. Walt currently ministers in several healing modalities including Transformation Prayer Ministry, Reiki Level 2, Emotion Codes and is growing in mediumship and spiritual mysticism. He is currently serving as the Volunteer Coordinator for IANDS, assists with IANDS Groups and Events (IG&E), facilitates the Central Montana IANDS Local Group, and is the assistant to the Director of IANDS Local Groups.
“Elissa Hope >> Elissa was growing up in Oceanside, NY, when, in 1981 at age 14 while in the dentist’s
chair, she received too much nitrous oxide, died, and had an extraordinary near-death experience
(NDE). In it she met her guardian angels and God, learned that in time she would discover an
important Earthly purpose, and choose to return to Earthly life in order not to abandon her
mother. Several aftereffects have persisted throughout her life. Among her subsequent
experiences was the tragic loss of—but ongoing communication with—her twin flame, Todd.
Elissa recently completed her first book, Hope From Heaven, scheduled for release on August 1, 2023.”
William Peters, M.A., M.Ed., MFT, >> is a psychotherapist and the founder of the Shared Crossing Project whose mission is to positively transform relationships to death and dying through education and raising awareness about extraordinary end-of-life experiences (shared crossings) and their healing benefits. William is a global leader in shared death studies and end-of-life phenomenon. He teaches methods to facilitate the shared death experience and to assist experiencers in meaningfully integrating their experiences. His work is informed by his two NDEs and a variety of shared crossings. William’s book entitled At Heaven’s Door: What Shared Journeys to the Afterlife Teach About Dying Well and Living Better, is published by Simon & Schuster.
Linda Higdon >> A champion for global women, Linda Higdon is a philanthropic visionary, award-winning filmmaker, and photographer. Over the past 20 years, she has been “on the ground” working, traveling, and building relationships with women who are igniting change for children in the developing world. She has a deep passion for introducing Western women to these extraordinary women leaders who have transformed her life and seeks to help others take a similar enriching journey.
In designing “A Women’s Journey to Kenya: Beauty in the Unexpected”, Linda combined her lifetime career as a creative with her work in Kenya. Featured in USA
Today as “A Top 10 Best Tours for Women”. She is a classical pianist who has studied in Paris as well as a licensed ceramic artist whose work has appeared in galleries
nationwide.
In 2002, she leveraged her talents during the global AIDS pandemic to help found Ripples International, a prominent children’s welfare operation in Kenya, where she now
serves as Trustee. From 2005-09, she was a Director for an international women’s organization based in Washington, D.C. where she developed a global network of
hundreds of women, connecting them to women in the United States.
In 2010, she founded the Global Room for Women, a unique, visionary digital platform enabling American women to connect personally and directly with women on the
frontlines of change in developing countries and war-torn regions—from Iraq, India, Kenya, Palestine, Israel, Sudan, Nigeria, South Africa and beyond.
Ellen Wier, MA is a highly acclaimed spiritual coach, sound healer, light worker, intuitive, board-certified music therapist and near-death experiencer. Ellen experienced an NDE at the age of 12 after being kicked in the head by a horse. During that time she experienced tremendous impactful, spiritual lessons and was drawn back to her body by music. She awoke from a coma to music and her experience of being healed by music led her to become a music therapist. She has a masters in transpersonal psychology, and supports connecting others to their higher self through high frequency modalities like music, crystal singing bowls, plant medicine, angel messages, altered states of consciousness work, and deep meditation techniques. She holds workshops regularly, having worked with celebrities and psychics to the stars.
Janice Messino, BA >> Janice is the owner of ZenPora.com. Through her academic and holistic studies, along with near-death experiences, she has learned to return to wellness through the use of integrated energy therapies which includes the practice of Qigong. Janice is an inspirational speaker and writer as well. Her experience can help bring you into balance and wellness too.
Dr. Bruce Greyson is the Chester Carlson Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences at the University of Virginia. He co-founded the International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS), and for 27 years edited the Journal of Near-Death Studies, the only scholarly journal dedicated to near-death research. Through his research, he has discovered common and universal themes in near-death experiences that go beyond neurophysiological or cultural interpretations, as well as patterns of consistent aftereffects on individuals’ attitudes, beliefs, values, and personalities. He was a co-editor of The Handbook of Near-Death Experiences: Thirty Years of Investigation. His most recent book, After: A Doctor Explores What Near-Death Experiences Reveal about Life and Beyond, is his first trade book bringing his scientific research to a popular audience.
Dr. Amirah Hall >> Amirah holds a Metaphysical Science masters degree and is a PhD, Doctor of Divinity. She is dedicated to providing spiritual tools and guidance to seekers going through their ascension process, reaching higher levels of awareness and healing. Amirah has a reputation as being a world-class psychic, mystic, mentor with the honor of working with an international client list including Dubai Royals. She is the author of six books, Manifesting Miracles 101, LOVE UP Your Life, and The Essential Guide to Spiritual Awakening.
Kailey Bradley, MA, LPCC-s, CT >> Kailey specializes in working with individuals of all ages, with special interest and care given to children’s bereavement, complicated grief, perinatal loss, and chronic illness. Kailey has completed training at the center for loss and life transition and is a licensed clinical thanatologist. Kailey is also an adjunct professor at Ashland Theological seminary where she teaches grief and crisis counseling courses.
Angie Wilson-Quayle, PhD >> Angie has been running the IANDS Local Group near Washington, DC since 2019. Her interest in IANDS grew out of three spiritually transformative experiences she had years ago, which forever changed her life and got her on a spiritual path directed daily towards love, giving back, and a deeper awareness of true self. She is originally from the United Kingdom, and has lived in the United States since 1991 and has two daughters. She began studying psychology in London, then completed her research-based doctoral training in Developmental Psychology in Northern Virginia. After she could no longer ignore the long-time, clamorous call of the Universe to change directions, she recently moved from research to the clinical arena and a new path opened up effortlessly and mysteriously, and things have been falling into place ever since.
Alex Haley, JD >> Alex is a practicing attorney Oklahoma who had one NDE in 2003 and an out-of-body experience in 2022. Her spiritual awakening that generally occurs immediately upon return from an NDE did not occur for her until two years after the event. At that point, she learned from an audiobook by the Dalai Lama she happened to randomly purchase, that her NDE was a typical Buddhist practitioner’s conscious death. She had no previous background or interest in Buddhism before this.
Glory Schneider, MFA >> Glory Schneider is a filmmaker, lifelong traveler, and lover of Earth and it’s curiosities.
Kathy Winings, MDiv, EdD >> Kathy is the Vice President of the Board of Directors of the International Relief Friendship Foundation, after having served as it Executive Director. She has traveled throughout the world conducting vital projects on literacy, education, capacity building, poverty, the environment and disaster work in the US. She is an educational consultant for public and private school. Kathy is an author in the areas of Character Education, Neuroscience and Social Justice. She has been active in her professional guild, the Religious Education Association, having served as its President in 2018.
Virginia Chambers, MPH >> As a result of her spiritually transformative experience (STE), after retiring from a career in global public health, Virginia went on to study life coaching and received her certification as a Martha Beck Wayfinder Coach.
Vincent Genna, MSW >> Vincent went from being a passionately driven professional singer, actor, and dancer who appeared in the original movie Grease, to being an internationally beloved spiritual mentor, psychic therapist, and medium. For Vincent Genna, this was a shocking and unforeseen change in his life’s purpose, and not an easily accepted one. Hear his incredible journey and how his entire life direction turned upside down after making a selfless and tearful plea to God to give him the ability to help a dear friend privately going through a traumatic crisis.
Steve Weber, MBA >> Steve is an IT Project Manager living in Florida. He hosts a weekly sound bath meditation and is currently finishing up the second book on the near-death experience, called Lessons Learned.
Leena Zafary >> Born in Kabul, Afghanistan, Leena Zafary arrived in the US at age 7, a naturally curious seeker. She became deeply interested in physical health, foods, herbs, and natural remedies and in 2003 opened her own health-focused café. In 2014, Leena underwent a near-death experience (NDE). She learned more about the reality of NDEs and discovered that her own NDE had opened a spiritual door for her. Leena’s passion has since expanded to encompass not only physical but spiritual wellness. From the sound and vibrational cadence of her clients’ voices, using Bio-Acoustic Vocal Analysis, Leena is able to extract information about their state of health and wellness, decode whatever is vibrationally off balance, and offer them healing insights.
Norma Edwards, D. Div >> Norma is a near-death experiencer, a recognized change agent, Spiritual Therapist, and Certified Life Coach. She is recognized as an expert at merging spiritual orientation into clinical practice. A wisdom keeper on the planet, she is noted for her work in the fields of re-alignment, training/rehabilitation as well as spiritual transformation. An overachiever, she is perpetually open to inspiration and Divine guidance.
Evan Premo, BM >> Musician Evan Premo creates heart-centered music that inspires audiences and musicians alike. His music has been commissioned by the Pittsburgh Symphony Chamber Orchestra, River Town Duo, the International Society of Bassists, The Pine Mountain Music Festival, Capitol City Concerts, and the Montpelier Chamber Orchestra. Evan is a member of Decoda with which he has performed in residencies around the world. As a member of Ensemble Connect, Evan has performed in concerts at Carnegie Hall. Evan resides in Vermont where he is Founder co-Artistic Director of Scrag Mountain Music with his wife, soprano Mary Bonhag. He is also Founder and Artistic Director of Beethoven and Banjos, a residency that brings together folk and classical musicians for cross-genre concerts in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Vincent (Vinney) Todd Tolman >> Vinney was born in Arlington, Texas, and has since traveled around the world, living in both Cambodia and Thailand. He has worked as a General Contractor in construction, as well as produced movies, and TV. Vinney as he is known by friends is a Healer, and he loves animals, meditating, and spending time in nature. His greatest priorities are his relationship with his Creator, his family, and the people he meets. He currently lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, with his wife, Andrea, and their two amazing children.
Nell Rose Foreman, BS >> As a resiliency coach, hypnotherapist, author, and speaker, Nell Rose Foreman helps her clients find peace and calm to thrive in difficult situations. She is the creator of the Peace Boss Method, a unique evidence-based method using a blend of brain science, the power and vibration of emotions, transformational psychology, embodied cognition, and ancient wisdom. Nell Rose is no stranger to difficult times. Five years ago, her son waged a difficult nine-month battle with brain cancer and ultimately passed away. She lives with an understanding that her brokenness can crack her open to even more love and potential. Her greatest passion is to help others do the same.
Shaun G Lether, BA, >> Shaun is Group Leader of Hawaiian IANDS. Shaun is a multiple STE and NDE Experiencer, and a highly sensitive (HSP) “empath,” with mediumship gifts. Shaun was previously a highly successful marketing and real estate businessman, and a Licensed California Landscape Contractor. During his Spiritual Emergency, Shaun started a small sharing group to support NDErs and STErs in Hawaii, which has grown to become Hawaiian IANDS, with over 6,000 members worldwide. Shaun has learned that as he helps others heal, so he is healed. Shaun facilitates experiencers sharing groups with many spiritual organizations as well as groups for PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress) Trauma survivors. Shaun is a passionate student and teacher of ACIM (A Course in Miracles), as well as a devotee of Paramahansa Yogananda (Self Realization Fellowship).
Scott Drummond >> After 40 years of public silence about his spiritual experience, disabled Vietnam Veteran, Scott Drummond finally decided to share his near-death experience at age 28. A filmmaker friend who knew Scott’s story, politely coaxed him to be filmed sharing his NDE publicly. Once uploaded to YouTube, it went viral, making him an international sensation with over 20 M views.
Pamela Nance, MA >> Pamela Nance has a master’s degree in cultural anthropology and minor degrees in archaeology, religion and sociology. In 2019, she retired after a 30 year career in clinical trial research and medical publications in the fields of public health & biostatistical sciences. Pamela’s first NDE was at the age of 5, followed by an OBE as a teen and a life-altering NDE at 33. For 4 decades, Pamela has researched consciousness and the survival of consciousness after death. She is trained and certified as a healing touch practitioner, past-life regressionist and hypnotherapist, and is trained as a spiritual dowser and shaman.
Mary Jo Bulbrook, RN, EdD >> Dr. MJ Bulbrook is an internationally renowned master teacher, spiritual / medical intuitive, mystic, shaman, co-creative healing medium, expert energy specialist, wellness & health care professional and psychotherapist with over 50+ years practicing, teaching energy based care worldwide. She has worked extensively with traditional healers from South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, & Peru blending their wisdom in her spiritually guided life’s work. Currently she is Energy Medicine Partnerships Founder / Director, Dean of the College of Integrative Health, and President of Akamai University. Dr. Bulbrook combines science, spirituality, health care, family therapy and energy therapies with Soul2Soul Communication, Heart2Heart Experience.
Victoria Reynolds >> Victoria Reynolds is a spiritual luminary, award winning international speaker, six time author, and broadcaster. Along with moderating this year’s Near-Death / Transformative Spiritual Experiences panel, Victoria will be sharing insights resulting from a profound spiritual experience which then lead to becoming a walk-in, and igniting her role as a luminary.
Lisa Arrington >> Lisa Arrington is an intuitive polymath, author, and SEO professional. She studies life’s universal connections and embedded meanings. Lisa will share the lessons she’s learned from her postpartum near-death experience and spiritual journey after the death and rebirth of her twin flame.
Hillary Hardin >> CEO and Founder of Whose Heart Mourns Me Foundation and Founder of HARE by Hillary. Hillary designs shoes for various health and wellness causes, alongside promoting awareness for various causes. Hardin writes Christian fiction based on true, along with writing gospel and jazz gospel music. She also ministers and conducts a Christian faith based television show that streams live on Favor Network and Preach The Word Network. She also is a mother of three amazing children. Hannah, Meghan, and Reaghan.
Brianna Lafferty, BS >> As an award-winning author that suffered through most of her life with a rare, chronic illness as well as paranormal experiences that led to her near-death experience in 2017, Brianna Lafferty will share how she has been called to hack this life, help others, and start her own Death Doula business.
Shaun Martin, MA >> Shaun Martin, is a healthcare worker, graduate student, recording artist, and STEr. He will share his unique story of visionary experience and insight into the significance of STEs in modern day mental health and how they can be used to discover deeper meaning and fulfillment in our lives.
Jayme Tener, MEd >> In the Summer of 2018 during a series of celestial events, she had a spiritually transformative experience that radically changed her perception. She will be sharing about how her initiation into a complete change in perception that resulted in her understanding that the miraculous was actual reality and everything else was an illusion.
Vicki Werner, BS >> Vicki Werner experienced her NDE in 2012 and endured years of healing. She delved deep into the cause of dis-ease. Having a profound level of compassion with self-discovery in the healing process, she views trauma as a catalyst to expand consciousness and engage in self-love. Vicki is the author of The Secret to Healing and Recovery.
Rev. Lisamarie Boncek, BSc >> Lisamarie Boncek has had a lifetime of spiritual experiences, visions and two NDEs. She is an international spiritual / motivational speaker and has presented at an IANDS conference. Lisamarie is a licensed ordained minister, an energy healer, medical intuitive, Ayurveda specialist (AHC), meditation teacher (TM), Ayurvedic postpartum doula, licensed massage therapist, certified yoga instructor, licensed cosmetologist, and an opera singer.
Joseph Banks >> Joseph is an aviation professional with nearly 30 years of experience in aircraft maintenance. He started a small non-profit organization in Portland, Oregon called “Pia Domu,” Latin for “Loving Home,” and is a volunteer at a local hospice care facility. He’s also a father and more recently a grandfather to a beautiful baby boy. He is currently working on a book on his experiences with other realms following his NDE in 2011.
Tammi Spring, BA > Tammi is a longtime journalist, writer, and public speaker with a background of working at USA Today, AOL, and WashingtonPost.com. In 2013 she had a near-death experience (NDE) while going through cancer treatments. She was fully at peace in her otherworld existence, but was offered a choice to come back. Knowing the infinite continuation of soul consciousness has shifted her life significantly after returning to her body. She was directed upon my return to tell the stories. For the last ten years she has been writing poetry, essays, and creating artwork to illustrate the magic of pure love energy that is her experience of infinite consciousness.
Brian Smith, BSc is a certified life coach, grief guide, and small business consultant. Brian’s mission is to help others by sharing lessons he has learned from decades of experience and study. Brian began this work shortly after the untimely passing of his 15-year-old daughter Shayna in the summer of 2015. Brian overcame a fear of death prior to Shayna’s passing, and believes that he and Shayna are on a mission together to help others heal and overcome fear. Brian is on the boards of the SoulPhone Foundation and Helping Parents Heal. Brian is the author of Grief 2 Growth: Planted. Not Buried. He is the host of the Grief 2 Growth podcast.
Tammi Spring, BA >> Tammi Spring is a longtime journalist, writer, and public speaker with a background of working at USA Today, AOL, and WashingtonPost.com. In 2013 she had a near-death experience (NDE) while going through cancer treatments. She was fully at peace in her otherworld existence, but was offered a choice to come back. Knowing the infinite continuation of soul consciousness has shifted her life significantly after returning to her body. She was directed upon my return to tell the stories. For the last ten years she has been writing poetry, essays, and creating artwork to illustrate the magic of pure love energy that is her experience of infinite consciousness.
Evan Premo, BM >> Musician Evan Premo creates heart-centered music that inspires audiences and musicians alike. His music has been commissioned by the Pittsburgh Symphony Chamber Orchestra, River Town Duo, the International Society of Bassists, The Pine Mountain Music Festival, Capitol City Concerts, and the Montpelier Chamber Orchestra. Evan is a member of Decoda with which he has performed in residencies around the world. As a member of Ensemble Connect, Evan has performed in concerts at Carnegie Hall. Evan resides in Vermont where he is Founder co-Artistic Director of Scrag Mountain Music with his wife, soprano Mary Bonhag. He is also Founder and Artistic Director of Beethoven and Banjos, a residency that brings together folk and classical musicians for cross-genre concerts in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Aaron Sabori >> Aaron Sabori is a member of the Gila River Indian Community. His parents were the late Manuel and Marjorie Sabori. He was raised in the Village of Komatke in District Six. Aaron is an artist, who utilizes his Akimel O’Odham culture to design jewelry, paintings, sculptures, and murals. He is best known for creating art pieces from the Saguaro Cactus rib. Aaron has worked for the Gila River Indian Community as a paralegal both at the Office of Water Rights and the Defense Service Office. Aaron credits his Grandfather, Francis Peters, and various elders in Komatke and Santa Cruz village for teaching him about the Akimel O’odham culture. He has shared his knowledge to encourage cultural immersion throughout the community by demonstrating his artwork and providing technical consultation to Gila River Indian Community (GRIC) entities.
Scott Taylor >> Scott is president of the Expanded Awareness Institute (EAI). EAI helps people curious about near-death experiences (NDEs) and shared death experiences (SDEs) explore what those experiences mean to them and to our human culture. His YouTube podcast The Afterlife Files, is rated in the top 20% worldwide. On the faculty of The Shift Network, Scott teaches NDE meditation for his course The Bi-Location Phenomenon.
Debbie James >> After completing her master’s thesis on disclosure of near-death experiences (NDEs), Debbie James was appointed to the board of directors of the International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS). In 2009, Debbie co-authored and edited the first compilation of research on NDEs, The Handbook of Near-Death Experiences: Thirty Years of Investigation. Inspired by her belief in the art and science of nursing practice and education, Debbie has focused her career on the advancement of safe, evidence-based patient-centered care.
Chase Skylar DeMayo >> Chase, a U.S. Air Force veteran and Orlando, Florida native, underwent a profound spiritual transformation after a near-death experience in 2008. His NDE led him to embrace a life philosophy of ‘Chasing the Light,’ focusing on personal and community betterment. For 12 years following his NDE, DeMayo kept his experience private, but eventually he used it to guide his work in community service and holistic healing, particularly in helping veterans and addressing mental health. As a speaker, he shares his insights to inspire others, embodying a spirit of service and commitment that defines his spiritual journey. Chase has recently completed a bachelor’s degree in alternative medicine and another bachelor’s in ministry, and he will soon be completing a doctorate in holistic counseling.
Jeff Olsen is a #1 international best-selling author who inspires audiences globally with his intriguing story of perseverance and inner strength. After a horrific automobile accident that took the lives of his wife and youngest son, Jeff sustained multiple life-threatening injuries. He found the courage to survive over 18 surgeries and eventually healed both physically and emotionally. At the time of his accident, Jeff had incredible near-death and out-of-body experiences, bringing him insights uncommon in today’s world. He has integrated these experiences into everyday life, inspiring others to embrace the beauty around them and choose joy in all they do. Jeff’s latest book Where Are You? is a collaboration with his oldest son, Spencer, who also survived the accident at age seven. This heartfelt book for all ages is perfect for anybody who misses someone. Jeff is powerfully connected to nature and is most fulfilled by simply being a trusted friend.
Bhaskar Banerji >> Bhaskar likes to think of himself as an ambassador from the dream world. As a child growing up in countries on three different continents — the US, India, and England — life was a journey full of perils. His dreams assisted him in numerous ways to navigate this obstacle course. Thus, early on in life he gained an appreciation for the power of dreaming and learned to listen to this valuable source of guidance. These events inspired him later in life to pursue dream studies in a more formal academic capacity, at both the master’s and PhD levels. He had the privilege of studying with many modern day luminaries in the dream science community, deepening his understanding of topics such as dreams and the body, dream interpretation, lucid dreaming, cross-cultural dreaming, as well as dream content analysis.
Kimberly R. Mascaro >> Kimberly is a California licensed holistic psychotherapist, centering the spiritual, ecological, and somatic. She is also a two-time nonfiction author, visual artist, meditation facilitator, and university faculty member with over 20 years of professional experience in the field of mental-behavioral health. Kim is passionate about wellness and self-care, holding certifications in Hypnotherapy, Yoga Nidra, and Integrative Mental Health. She is the author of Dream Medicine: The Intersection of Wellness and Consciousness (2021) and Extraordinary Dreams: Visions, Announcements and Premonitions Across Time and Place (2018) published by McFarland. Having been a student of both Western and Eastern Mystery Traditions for almost half of her life, Kim’s presentations and workshops are rooted in consciousness, dreamwork, meditation, and self-care. Her research on dreams has been presented and published in the USA, Europe, and South America.
Donna Rebadow >> Donna is a near-death experiencer, sports medicine acupuncturist, host of the Exploring Consciousness Podcast, and author of Wednesdays with Sadie, the Miracle Dog. In 1998, Donna had an NDE that changed how she viewed herself, the world, and other dimensions. After this experience, Donna began exploring consciousness by attending workshops with the Monroe Institute, Dr. Dispenza, and Tom Campbell. She has taken classes in CRV, Tarot with Richard Knight, and evidential mediumship with Suzanne Giesemann and has been interviewed several times for the media, including on the “Coming Home” YouTube channel (819K views). Donna taught at the community college level in Arizona in the areas of health, psychology, and alternative medicine. She is a jeweler and musician, and in Spring 2019 she entered the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame with her Wayland Baptist College teammates.
PMH Atwater >> PMH began her research of the near-death phenomenon in 1978, after having had three such experiences in three months in 1977. To date, her work covers nearly 5,000 adult and child experiencers. Some of her findings have been verified in clinical studies, among them the prospective study done in Holland and published in the peer-reviewed general medical journal, The Lancet. She created and incorporated Inner Forum, Idaho’s first metaphysical non-profit organization, and over 3,000 people have participated in its programs. She is the author of 20 books, including Edge Walker, and is currently working on a book about her research study on aliens and the near-death experience.
Martin Tanner is on the Board of Directors of IANDS and also serves as its Vice President. In 1990 he was a co-founder of IANDS of Utah, Inc., and has been its Chair ever since. He earned a BA in Finance from the University of Utah and a Juris Doctor from J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University. Martin has personally interviewed over 600 individuals who have had a near-death experience, and he routinely speaks to groups, on radio, and on TV about NDEs. Since 1990, Martin has been a radio talk show host on KSL Radio. He has published articles and scholarly papers on a variety of subjects.
Melinda Peterson >> Melinda is an Intuitive health practitioner, registered nurse, motivational speaker, energy healer, yoga teacher, loss mama, adoptive mama, near-death experiencer (NDEr), and entrepreneur. One of the most profound changes that arose from her NDE was being called from her previous career as an environmental scientist to a career in nursing. Melinda has expanded her nursing practice by using a vision from her NDE to create the Scarlit Center, a global movement helping people connect to their bodies’ inner wisdom through workshops, movement, and nourishment to enable them to lead luminous lives. Melinda lives in Fort Collins, Colorado, with her daughter, son in spirit, husband, and poodle. She prefers tea over coffee, always takes an opportunity to pet a dog, and enjoys a nearby unfrozen lake via paddle board and frozen lake via ice skates.
Bernadette O’Brien Thompson >> Bernadette is the owner of Tell Me Our Story Genealogy & Ancestral Healing. She is a genealogist who trained in psychology, trauma, and grief and who focuses on ancestral healing. Through the University of Vermont Professional End of Life Doula program, Bernadette is certified to help those going through the grieving process to understand the mind, body, and spirit connection of grief. She began her career as a genealogist over 15 years ago, yet it was through the trauma and grief of losing her husband to alcoholism that Bernadette felt the very deep personal connection she has with her ancestors. Her ancestral healing began as she opened up to spiritually transformative experiences with her ancestors and other spiritual beings. It is her deep desire to continue to help others open to their spiritually transformational experiences of ancestral healing.
Rebecca Kastl >> Rebecca is an energy healer, angel interpreter, and pediatric speech-language pathologist who underwent a life-altering spiritually transformative experience between the ages of 26 to 28. During this experience, she saw a beautiful light that spoke to her, saw light within everyone, started feeling surrounded by angels, saw alternate timelines of her life, and began having psychic dreams. She uses her experiences and training to give healings and angel readings and to help others learn to connect with their own guides and angels. Outside of this work, she helps children communicate as a speech-language pathologist. She lives in Denver, CO.
Chase Skylar DeMayo >> Chase, a US Air Force Veteran and Orlando, Florida native, underwent a profound spiritual transformation after a near-death experience in 2008. His NDE led him to embrace a life philosophy of ‘Chasing the Light,’ focusing on personal and community betterment. DeMayo kept his experience private for 12 years but eventually used it to guide his work in community service and holistic healing, particularly in helping veterans and addressing mental health. As a speaker, he shares his insights to inspire others, embodying a spirit of service and commitment that defines his spiritual journey. Chase has recently competed a bachelors degree in Alternative Medicine, a separate bachelors in ministry as well as a soon to complete doctorate in Holistic Counseling.
Genny Krackau >> Genny is author of Beyond the Explosion, Stories of The Light, a compilation of combat near-death and spiritual experience stories. Genny is a life resident of San Antonio, Texas–military city, USA. After she retired from the U.S. Army Medical Department, she worked numerous military and civilian contract jobs. Of special interest are clinical research studies involving wounded warriors, hearing conservation for military service members, and supporting a clinical trial for military and civilian head injury patients. Genny personally relates to near-death experiencers because she also has had spiritual experiences and understands the difficulty in discussing such personal phenomena.
Chuck Swedrock >> Chuck was a USMC draftee in 1970-1971. His computer skills merited a stateside assignment at Camp Lejeune, NC, where he had 21 contiguous months on site with married housing assigned after infantry training there. The health after-effects of the water contamination at Camp Lejeune culminated in a near-death experience in 2003. He flatlined in the back of an ambulance called after he experienced a 1.5 cm tear inside his weakened esophagus. His fully conscious experience occurred in the ambulance at eye-level with the paramedic resuscitating him after announcing there was no pulse, and the medic was initially unable to start an intravenous injection. The resulting internal bleeding necessitated a transfusion of 4.5 units of plasma and 4-days recouperation in the intensive care unit.
David Campbell >> David is a disabled army veteran from the Gulf War. He was born in Fort Hood, TX in the early 1970s, and grew up in Southern California, moving and starting over at a new school nearly every year. David came from a military family going back to the Revolutionary War! He signed up at age 17 as a Combat Engineer. In the Gulf War, he had an near-death experience (NDE) when he died for five minutes as a result of a combat explosion. David suffered 25 years with PTSD. David shares, “God then pulled me out of Hell and showed me the light by giving me a mission to guide veterans to healing!” David is the co-founder of the Mesa Veteran’s Resource Center, Veterans 5-9, and the current V P for Pleasant Valley Veteran’s Retreat Center. David has received many awards for his lengthy volunteer career.
Jeff Janssen >> After becoming a rare survivor of a widowmaker heart attack at age 42, Jeff sought answers to life’s biggest questions, such as: Who am I, why are we here, and what happens to us when we die? He studied over 5,000 NDEs and synthesized their highlights into the book 10 Life-Changing Lessons from Heaven. Because he was particularly impacted by NDE life reviews, he wrote Your Life’s Ripple Effect. Jeff has also written a book for those grieving the loss of loved ones, Comforting Truths from Heaven, and one for children who have lost a loved one, What You’ll Learn in Heaven. Jeff has shared his work with bereaved parents through Helping Parents Heal, formerly incarcerated women through A New Way of Life, at Duke’s Rhine Research Center, and with IANDS groups across the country. Jeff also served 30 years in the sports world helping college teams win championships.
Liz Entin >> Liz, a skeptic and atheist, following the passing of her father in 2015, began to examine evidence of an afterlife and anything psi related. The evidence blew her away and transformed her life. She is author of WTF Just Happened?!: A sciencey-skeptic explores grief, healing, and evidence of an afterlife and host of a podcast, WTF Just Happened?!: All about the afterlife. No woo. She continues to study evidence and research on the survival of consciousness after physical death and remains amazed and overjoyed that there is more than this material world.
Amber Kasic >> Amber is an evidential medium, author, speaker, former classroom teacher, and US Department of Education Fulbright participant. After a shared death experience with her father in 2020, she began a journey of discovery and connection with our greater reality, guided by her dad in spirit. She shares her journey and transformational stories of love and guidance from spirit with audiences worldwide and is co-author of the book Life Reimagined: Women’s Stories of Hope, Resilience, & Transformation. She now inspires others to explore just what is possible in our lives, as love is limitless and we are so much more than just human. It’s Nature’s Way.
LaVonne Wells >> LaVonne is an award-winning global speaker and love activist. She assists people in processing the passing of a loved one. Her work has emerged because of the despair she experienced through the passing of her daughter Kiva. She provides a listening ear, open heart, and support in remembering…where there is LOVE, there is life! LaVonne shares that there is no death but, rather, a continual journey that takes on a new form. She brings awareness that there is more to human existence than the physical life we are experiencing. LaVonne offers life and grief support through her group sessions, one-on-one sessions, and annual retreats.
Melissa Mullen >> Melissa is a Reiki Master Healer and Teacher and Soul Poeticist at Integral Reiki Center for Healing (INRCH) in Frederick, Maryland, USA. Since a life-altering event in 1962 at the age of 7, she has experienced a profound calling to sacred service. During the past 23 years, she continuously encountered Reiki, and in 2016 at the age of 55, her teacher appeared, just as her children were emptying the nest and she began to envision the completion of her federal government career. Over the past 8 years, Melissa’s immersion in the healing practice of Reiki and sacred pilgrimages to Europe and the Middle East have unveiled her sacred lineage, purpose, and path. Currently, Melissa serves as a healer and teacher, bringing forward the remembrance of past lives to inform the current age and support the healing process of humanity as divine emanations of the Creator.
Lotte Valentin >> Lotte has had two near-death experiences. She is an NMD, author, evidential psychic medium, medical medium, ancestral healer, and international keynote speaker. Lotte wrote Med School after Menopause, The Journey of my Soul, an inspirational story about transformation, healing, and spirituality which, in a literary competition, won 1st place in the category of Spiritual Leadership. Lotte is creator of the audio Ancestral Healing Series which she produced in collaboration with Hemi-Sync. She regularly leads workshops on ancestral healing for The Theosophical Society as well as other organizations and is a regular guest on The Shift Network. She is also the host of her own podcast Dr. Lotte: Science with Soul, which, out of 3 million podcasts globally, is currently ranked in the top 5%.
Philip Hasheider >> Philip is author of over 30 books on farming, local history, and family stories. His sudden cardiac death and associated NDE may have been sensed by the family’s herd of beef cows an hour before these events occurred. His time in eternity is still present with him, just “in the background,” as he moves through each day. He now speaks about his NDE aftermath, both personal and regarding his relationship with his wife, Mary.
Mary Hasheider >> Mary, after nearly seven years as an executive in a national advertising agency and 12 years in corporate management positions, returned to farm with husband Philip and to raise their young son and daughter on the Little Prairie settled by Philip’s ancestors before Wisconsin was a state. Her STEs led to hands-on healing with animals and work with nature spirits to enhance the health of the farmland and food grown upon it. Mary shares how, in the face of all the emotional, physical, psychological, and financial challenges following Philip’s cardiac arrest and NDE, they were able to “renegotiate” their contract to stay together as a couple.
Bryon Ehlmann, PhD >> Bryon, retired early as a computer science professor in 2012 and has since applied systems analysis, logic, and an open mind to the Big Questions about life and reality. As a professor, he wrote thirty-two peer-reviewed articles and a book on computer database design. In retirement, his research into cognitive psychology, dreams, NDEs, philosophy, and religion has produced three peer-reviewed psychology journal articles and a book on a natural afterlife and the theory of a natural eternal consciousness (NEC), which supports it. The NEC theory upends the current orthodoxy about death and an afterlife. It reveals that, psychologically, existence is timeless and a spiritual afterlife—ranging from heavenly to hellish—exists. Dr. Ehlmann’s current efforts are devoted to promoting the theory because as awareness of it spreads, the better our world will be.
Karen Michelle >> Karen is a near-death experiencer and psychic medium who has a unique understanding and compassion for her clients. She has spoken at events and conferences in regards to near-death experiences. Karen began working over eighteen years ago in the mental health care field focusing on PTSD, trauma recovery, and dynamics of abusive relationships. Wanting to honor the messages she received during her NDEs, Karen Michelle shifted her career to reflect a holistic and spiritual path. Her specialties include Resonant Kinesiology with harp and guided imagery to facilitate therapeutic music and sound interventions for stress management and relaxation. Dr. Karen Michelle’s educational background includes a doctorate in clinical psychology, Resonant Kinesiology Instructor certification, grief and loss training, and certificate training in working with survivors of sexual assault.
Christina Tourin >> Founder and Director of the International Harp Therapy Program, Christina leads training centers in multiple countries with Therapeutic Harp Practitioners serving on five continents. As an internationally award-winning artist, she trained at the Mozarteum in Austria and McGill in Montreal. She was harpist for the Vermont Symphony and for 17 years for the Sound of Music Maria von Trapp family. Returning to IANDS, she is remembered for her workshops on Music of the Spheres. Christina truly lives a life ‘As above, So below’ sharing her performances of sacred and transcendent moments. Bringing her harp to magical life, she shares with the world the deepest, most profound truths of the Universe, which rightfully and intuitively credits as the source of all she creates.
Lee Ann Heltzel>> Lee Ann is an explorer of human potential, a death doula, and a multi-dimensional artist and marketing innovator. Trained as an artist and gifted in esoteric practices, Lee Ann pioneered a new visual art genre, MetaArt. Each MetaArt piece energetically transforms its space to a specific frequency, serving as an active portal to higher states of consciousness via engagement with the pineal gland. Lee Ann’s work integrates creativity, imagination, and spirituality, making her a bridge to multi-dimensional realms and pure potential. She founded Creative One, a multi-dimensional marketing firm that taps into the highest potential for conscious creatives and leading-edge thinkers through her Signature MetaInsight(TM ) process.
Peter Alessandria >> Peter is an award-winning photographer, filmmaker, author, TEDx Speaker, and former entertainment attorney based in the New York City area. As Managing Director of Mindful Entertainment LLC, Peter is producing several spiritually-based film projects devoted to the topic of life after death. His most recent film, slated for release in late 2024, is a documentary entitled What Every Soul Knows: The Joy of Remembering Who We Really Are. In it, he interviewed more than 40 thought-leaders in the areas of near-death experiences, mediumship, channeling, and other psychic phenomena to uncover the path to remembering our true nature as eternal spiritual beings. Find out more about Peter and his work on his websites: www.itstimetoremember.org, www.whateverysoulknows.com, and www.mindfulentertainment.us.
Other Panelists:
Tammi Spring >> Tammi has had multiple STEs, including an NDE during cancer treatments in which she made a choice to return to this life. For more than 12 years, she has been practicing meditation. Having trained with Dharma Ocean in Colorado, and with two years of intuitive, shamanic, and psychic training in Washington, DC, with “Bridge Between Two Worlds,” her practice is primarily somatic meditation in which she blends mindfulness, loving-kindness, and visualizations that channel an energetic connection to source, spirit, and human self. With more than four years of experience leading private meditation groups in Boulder, CO, Tammi has a private practice of intuitive meditations and channeling for clients.
Kimberly Clark Sharp, MSW, LiCSW >> Kimberly is a long-time social worker and leader in exploring near-death experiences for more than thirty years. Following her own NDE, she founded the Seattle chapter of IANDS Local Groups in 1982, the oldest and largest support group for near-death experiencers. She is the author of After the Light: The Spiritual Path to Purpose, and is a consultant to news and entertainment industry. Kimberly has taught at the University of Washington School of Medicine and at Seattle University.
Scott Olsen, PhD >> Scott Olsen is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy and Religion at College of Central Florida and author of award winning The Golden Section: Nature’s Greatest Secret, and recently A Grand Unification of the Sciences, Arts & Consciousness: Rediscovering the Pythagorean Plato’s Golden Mean Number System. Scott is a national lecturer for the Theosophical Society in America, the Foundation for Theosophical Studies in the UK, regular international speaker for the New York Open Center’s Esoteric Quests, and member & past speaker for IANDS. He offers Sacred Geometry workshops, focusing on perennial philosophy, Plato, the golden mean and transformative states of consciousness.
Archedon >> Archedon is a father of five and a pioneer in the hydraulic construction industry. His projects in the Atacama Desert (northern Chile) hold two lithium industry world records. His innovations in plasma combustion technology achieved emissions breakthroughs for internal combustion engines. He has presented for executive leaders in venture capital including Greylock Partners and Kleiner Perkins, higher education including Stanford University, government including National Laboratories and the Department of Energy and Colorado’s own Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI).
His forthcoming book offers a path to achieve high confidence in a Higher Dimensional Realm Reality. This framework, The Continuum of Existence, using AI technology, has potential to revolutionize philosophy and theology. He was gifted with a profound and highly rare “type” of NDE-like Experience, and he will share the unique message from that excursion. The “aftereffect” of that temporary relocation to the Higher Dimensional Realm initiated this research. Recently, additional “Experiences” have contributed to the offered insights.
Jim Fisher, MBA >> Jim is a retired CPA with a BS in Psychology and an MBA in Accounting. He served as the Treasurer of IANDS in 2019. Jim began exploring the breadth of reality 20 years ago when he met a near-death experiencer. Her story prompted a search for knowledge and experience that would expand his understanding of our collective spiritual nature. Several years ago Jim borrowed a concept from a friend and began a meetup group called Consciousness Café in North Carolina. The purpose of the group was to share experiences and broaden member awareness of their spiritual underpinnings. Jim’s efforts include multiple trips to the Monroe Institute, participation in Rhine Center programs, a two week healing retreat in the Peruvian jungle and trips to Togo, Africa exposing him to Togolese traditional spiritual practices.
Jen Catlin, MS >> Jen has an MS in Psychology and is a certified transpersonal, spiritual hypnotherapist, and hypnotherapy training instructor. She has had an NDE. She serves on the Education Committee for the Newton Institute. Jen has completed the Duke Integrated Mindfulness Training for Professionals.
Dr. Keyaunoosh Kassauei, MD, is an international medical graduate with a post-doctoral research fellowship at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, School of Medicine. She has several publications in prominent journals of medicine, including Nature. Dr. Kassauei is the Founder/CEO and Creative Director of “My Conscious Coaching Group” which serves our healthcare and education community with a mission to heal and care for the Whole-Self and a vision to raise self and global awareness for a conscious mind through education and application of EQ/SQ (Emotional Intelligence and Spiritual/Deep intelligence). She is the co-author of the International Best Seller, “Beautiful Scars” and a podcast speaker. She is currently a Fellow at IOC (Institute of Coaching) at Harvard Medical School/McLean Hospital and also serves on the IOC board of the Race, Equity, and Inclusion Council (REI). She is a member of ICF, and ICF Foundation (International Coach Federation) and a certified emotional intelligence and spiritual intelligence coach.
Jeffrey Mishlove, PhD, is host and producer of the New Thinking Allowed channel on YouTube. He is author of The Roots of Consciousness, Psi Development Systems, and The PK Man. He is the recipient of the only doctoral diploma in “Parapsychology” ever awarded by an accredited university (University of California, Berkeley, 1980). Between 1986 and 2002 he hosted and co-produced the original Thinking Allowed public television series. He is the Grand Prize winner of the 2021 Bigelow Institute essay competition regarding the best evidence for survival of human consciousness after permanent bodily death. His website is http://thinkingallowed.com.
Reverend Sue Frederick, ordained Unity Minister, lifelong intuitive, Past Life and Between Lives Soul Regression Therapist and Master Numerologist, is the author of Through a Divine Lens: Practices to Quiet your Ego and Align with your Soul, Bridges to Heaven: True Stories of Loved Ones on the Other Side, I See Your Soul Mate, and I See Your Dream Job. As an intuitive coach and spiritual guide, she’s helped thousands of people realign with their soul’s purpose and connect to departed loved ones for healing conversations. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, CNN.com, and Real Simple, Yoga Journal, Natural Health, and Complete Woman magazines.
Bethany Silver, PhD >> has been an educator for 25+ years. She began her teaching career as a psychology instructor at Manchester Community College. At UConn’s Neag School of Education she served as the Director of the Professional Development Academy and Assistant Professor of Educational Technology. Dr. Silver has taught courses in research methods, evaluation, assessment, and learning. She has engaged her research skills with neurology patients at Hartford Hospital and public school districts in Connecticut. Bethany has been interested in NDEs since her graduate work at UConn exposed her to the work of Dr. Kenneth Ring, returning to study NDEs after recent losses of family members and friends. She co-facilitates the CT IANDS NDE Support Group with Tina Angeli and Jack Lardis, beginning in May 2020.
Diana (DiFranco) Marquez Lyons, LCSW, LISW, ACISTE ACMHP >> is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who specializes in supporting Near-Death Experiencers and their families. Ms. Marquez Lyons has had her own psychotherapy practice since 2010. A spiritual seeker most of her life, in 2010 Diana had a shared death experience when her mom passed. She was the founder and leader of the CT Shoreline IANDS for seven years and has also had a kundalini awakening. Diana has spent the majority of her adult life studying Spiritually Transformative Experiences, as well as Near-Death Experiences and the aftereffects. Diana earned her ACISTE Certified Mental Health provider certification from The American Center for the Integration of Spiritual Experiences (ACISTE). She was invited to present at the ACISTE conference in 2013. Diana also presented at the 2015 IANDS conference, and in 2021 with Jim Bruton, and in 2022 with Bethany Silver and Jim Bruton.
Jim Bruton >> Jim Bruton has been a world traveler and adventurer for much of his life- his adventures ranging from living in Africa as wildlife filmmaker for National Geographic to serving as a war journalist for NBC News. Using only a backpack, providing news coverage as a war journalist for NBC News in Iraq, and Lecturing in Telemedicine at Yale University School of Medicine. But when his experimental aircraft crashed in Oct. 2016, he had an adventure that topped them all. Transported to the In Between, his NDE there was not a typical passive one but required him to do something- to change his future and see how all things are interconnected. Jim has documented all of this in his books, “The In Between, A Trip of a Lifetime” (2020), and “The Practice in Between: The Art of Letting Go”(2021).
Ishtar Howell, BA >> Ishtar is a meditation teacher, monk, gardener, intuitive, and writer. As a 13 year old he experienced an NDE in which his mother died and he was moved into a state of bliss and oneness that faded after 2 months. The desire to return to that propelled him on a spiritual path as a high school student. After learning many different practices, at age 18 he learned a meditation practiced called the Ishayas’ Ascension, and entered an ashram centered on the practice. The barriers of the separated self melted, opening to the experience of the world as the Self. This process continues to unfold and expand.
Amber Kasic, MA >> Amber Kasic is a teacher, evidential medium, consultant in the field of education, author, and aspiring public speaker. After a shared death experience with her father in 2020, she began a journey of discovery and connection with our greater reality, guided by her dad in spirit. She now inspires others to explore just what is possible in our lives, as love is limitless.
Jan Holden, EdD, LPC-S, ACMHP >> After 31 years on the University of North Texas (UNT) Counseling Program faculty, Jan Holden retired in 2019 as Professor Emerita of Counseling. Beginning in 1988 with her doctoral dissertation, her primary research focus has been counseling implications of near-death and related experiences. In this research area she has over 50 refereed journal publications; several chapter and book publications, including lead editorship of the 2009 Handbook of Near-Death Experiences: Thirty Years of Investigation; and over 100 national and international presentations. Among Jan’s numerous recognitions is the 2019 UNT Eminent Faculty Award, one of the university’s highest honors. Since 2008 she has served as editor-in-chief of the International Association for Near-Death Studies’s scholarly Journal of Near-Death Studies, and she serves currently as that association’s President. Her website is http://www.janholden.com.
Abbi O’Leary, MS >> After years of experience as a photojournalist and documentary family photographer, Abbi decided to pursue a career in Clinical Mental Health Counseling to connect with people in a deeper way. She is currently in her last year as a Counseling Program master’s student at the University of North Texas to become a Licensed Professional Counselor. She is interested in how spiritual experiences impact human development and in exploring the transcendent aspects of one’s humanity with individuals through therapy. She is passionate about working with individuals who have experienced religious trauma and helping people rediscover and redefine their spirituality.
Lindsey Warwick, MS >> Lindsey is a doctoral candidate in counselor education at the University of North Texas. She is a licensed professional counselor and licensed marriage and family therapist in the state of Texas. She is also trained in eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing disorder, which she uses mainly in her practice on clients with trauma and complicated bereavement. Her research includes exploring the role of counselor mindfulness on client outcomes and how to better prepare counselors to work with clients with transpersonal experiences and non-ordinary states of consciousness. She is also the editorial assistant for the Journal of Counseling and Development and the assistant editor for the Journal of Near-Death Studies.
Chrystal Osier, BA >> Following a transformative near-death experience, Chrystal Rae’s soul-mission has been to share the love and wisdom garnered over the past twenty years and tell the world that “love is all that matters”. With the directive to write a book and share this message, Chrystal Rae went back to college and received a Bachelor of Arts and Humanities in Literary Studies, graduating Cum Laude. Chrystal Rae concurrently established three flourishing yoga studios and two teacher-training centers in Dallas Texas. In addition, she opened a personal art studio where she paints on large-scale canvases, showing her art in both private exhibits and gallery shows.
Stacy Natzel >> Stacy is a wife and mother of two. She owns a small spa business. In her free time she spends her time writing in her blog and creating YouTube videos in order to provide truth and understanding to those seeking answers to life after death. She is the author of the book Journey Through Jesus: Bringing Heaven to Earth.
Adam Dince, MBA >> Adam is the author of “Back to the Beyond: Exploring Near-Death Experiences Through Hypnosis.” He specializes in past life regression, life between lives regression (LBL), and hypnotic regression techniques that heal traumas, limiting beliefs, and other challenging life experiences. In addition to hypnotherapy, he is also a Sacred Medicine Man, Reiki Master Teacher, author, and the founder of & healer at Sacred Stairways Hypnotherapy & Healing located in Stillwater, Minnesota.
Betty Guadagno >> Betty Guadagno had a spiritually transformative experience in March of 2019. Betty underwent a 180-degree transformation from drug addict, sex worker, and radical atheist to a devout believer, in long term recovery, and working as a recovery coach. During her integration process, she felt an incredible pull towards establishing spiritual community in her life. She has been connected to the IANDS community since December of 2020. Betty began her involvement with IANDS as an attendee of our sharing groups. She quickly got involved with service to the community by volunteering as a facilitator and moderator. Betty then moved into the role of Webinar Coordinator for IANDS Groups and Events.
Curtis Childs, BA is the Chief Visionary Officer at the Swedenborg Foundation and the host of the popular YouTube channel Off The Left Eye, which has garnered more than 35 million views and over 150,000 subscribers. He is an international speaker, has appeared in numerous high-profile programs in the spirituality field, and has had his content featured on the network TV show, Dr. Oz.
Noelle St. Germain-Sehr, PhD >> Noelle St. Germain-Sehr is a Clinical Associate Professor and Counseling Clinical Experience Director in the Online Counseling Program at William & Mary. Noelle is a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor, a National Certified Counselor, a Board-Certified Telemental Health Provider, and an ACISTE Certified Mental Health Professional. Noelle has over 30 years of clinical experience with advanced training in transpersonal counseling. Noelle is the Executive Director of The Center for Grief and Traumatic Loss and The International Induced After-Death Communication (IADC®) Therapy Board. Noelle is an IADC® Trainer, teaches a course in Transpersonal Counseling, and conducts research on transpersonal topics in counseling.
Amanda St. Germain-Sehr, MA >> Amanda St. Germain-Sehr is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Board-Certified Music Therapist. Amanda has over twelve years of clinical experience in counseling and music therapy and has advanced clinical training in transpersonal approaches to counseling and music therapy. Amanda works full-time as the Music Therapy Clinical Training Coordinator for TWU and maintains a part-time private practice working with adult clients. Amanda is also currently pursuing a doctorate in Counselor Education and Supervision from Texas A&M University – Commerce. Her research interests include professional development issues in counseling, burnout and self-care, LGBTGEQIAP+ issues, and transpersonal perspectives in counseling and music therapy.
Becca Waterpeace, BA >> is a mystic, artist, and intuitive healer who has a BA in psychology, a 200 hour YTT certification, and a reiki master certification. At age 18, Becca had a mystical experience when her mother passed away, which opened her awareness to her intuitive gifts, gifts she later used to help others in one-on-one sessions. Becca’s professional intuitive reading career became the gateway to her musical career with one of her deepest passions, her and her husband’s band “Soul Release.” A self-taught musician, Becca writes songs and creates music by channeling the Divine, and she finds that one of the most powerful avenues to self-healing and communing with her Higher Power is through intuitive dancing. Becca’s role as an intuitive healer is evolving every day, and she is in the process of becoming an Outreach Trainer for the Monroe Institute.
Kara Marlene >> Kara Marlene is an author and speaker sharing the powerful truths of her childhood NDE experience and the miracles that followed to inspire others to find the power within and live their truth and a life they love!
Cathy Gabrielsen, BS is an international healer and speaker, spiritual teacher, holistic Ayurvedic coach, graduate teacher of Energy Medicine, and #1 Best Selling author of Dying to Live: Surviving Near-Death. Cathy is the founder of Connect Thru Cancer and The Gabrielsen Healing Center. She offers private healing sessions via zoom. After two near-death experiences, once as a teen and another time recovering from cancer, Cathy experienced spiritual transformations and discovered her own paranormal gifts. Cathy learned how to heal her own anxiety, depression, and PTSD and returned to life to help others heal their mind, body, and spirit.
Marjorie Woollacott, PhD >> Marjorie Woollacott, PhD, is emeritus Professor and prior chair of the Dept. of Human Physiology, and member of the Institute of Neuroscience, at the University of Oregon. She taught courses in neuroscience as well as complementary medicine and meditation. She is President of the Academy for the Advancement of Post-Materialist Sciences, Research Director, IANDS, and Co-director of the Galileo Commission. Her current research interests are in meditation, spiritual awakening, end-of-life experiences and after-death-communication. She has published more than 200 scientific articles and written or co-edited nine books
Bruce Greyson, MD >> Dr. Greyson is the Chester Carlson Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences at the University of Virginia. He co-founded the International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS), and for 27 years edited the Journal of Near-Death Studies, the only scholarly journal dedicated to near-death research. Through his research, he has discovered common and universal themes in near-death experiences that go beyond neurophysiological or cultural interpretations, as well as patterns of consistent aftereffects on individuals’ attitudes, beliefs, values, and personalities. He was a co-editor of The Handbook of Near-Death Experiences: Thirty Years of Investigation. His most recent book, After: A Doctor Explores What Near-Death Experiences Reveal about Life and Beyond, is his first trade book bringing his scientific research to a popular audience.
Karalee Kothe, MA >> Karalee Kothe, MA, received degrees in Psychology and Global and Multicultural Studies from Montana State University working in the Stress, Adversity, Resilience and Health Lab, exploring different responses to acute anxiety between emotion regulation and mindfulness coping strategies. She earned her MA in Psychology at the Spirituality Mind Body Institute at Columbia University, aiding with research in NDEs. She is currently a PhD Clinical Health Psychology student at CU Denver, interested in exploring how clinical health populations can live meaningfully unhindered by fear of death, understanding the lessons that death and dying teach us about living, and connecting to our shared sense of mortality as our greatest common ground.
Natasha Tassell-Matamua, PhD >> Natasha is an Associate Professor and co-Director of the Centre for Indigenous Psychologies in the School of Psychology at Massey University, Aotearoa New Zealand. Her teaching is in the area of Indigenous psychologies, and in particular the utilization of Indigenous knowledges to effect meaningful change across a range of contexts. Her research typically focusses on the interplay between spirituality, well-being and the wider ecosystem. Natasha has also spent the last 14 years researching the phenomenology, after-effects and cultural specificity of near-death experiences and other exceptional experiences of consciousness, and has published extensively in the area as well as providing numerous presentations both nationally and internationally.
Kimberly Braun, MA, CSP >> Kimberly has been devoted to meditation from the age of 5, with over ten of her years spent as a monastic nun. She is a retreat and workshop facilitator, TEDx speaker, meditation coach, and former meditation faculty at the renowned Omega Institute. She has produced three CDs and a book, Love Calls, Insights of a former Carmelite Nun, about her time as a nun. Communication through words has always been a shining way for Kimberly to be an instrument of inspiration and transformation. She identifies her personal call and mission to inspire others to live from the power and wisdom of Source within them.
Emily Spear, BS, CIA, CISA, CRISC >> Emilie is a successful businesswoman who has had a deep and lifelong spiritual practice. A few days after the birth of her twin daughters, unforeseen medical complications resulted in a life-changing near-death experience. Her vivid account of an eternal, graceful and all-encompassing love is filled with insights on how to cultivate a Heavenly experience within the day-to-day world of humanity. In the midst of this life-changing event, Emilie made a promise to share her experience of Divine Love in order to help others on their own journeys of inner healing and awakening.
Sharon Milliman >> Sharon is a four-time near-death experiencer. She is a published author, speaker, and licensed ordained minister. Sharon has presented as a guest speaker at a number of spiritually oriented groups, including IANDS groups, various churches, hospitals and hospice groups. Sharon was featured in an NDE documentary film by filmmaker and producer James Bonato in 2022. She was featured on the Dr. Oz Show in 2019, and the National Geographic channel in 2016. Sharon’s books include A Song In The Wind, A Near-Death Experience, The Whispers In The Wind, A Poetic Journey Of The Soul, and A Rose From Heaven.
Cassandra Ricks, PhD >> Cassandra is a transpersonal psychologist, inspirational speaker, Transpersonal Life Coach, and spiritual medium. Weaving a tapestry of her abilities, skills, training and lived experiences, she assists clients in effecting positive change for healing, wisdom, and growth in their lives.
Krista Gorman, BS >> Krista is a professional health care worker who died in 2000 during labor with her daughter, Maggie. Since then, she has traveled a path from death to life again using the Love she experienced during her NDE as her guide. She endeavors to embody this Love in every moment, serving her patients and in being a wife and mother, sister, daughter and friend. Krista shares what she’s learned through her NDE and in life on TikTok, YouTube and her website. She had presented at IANDS, on podcasts, and has a book on Amazon titled I Died And Learned How To Live. She is enjoying island life on Maui with her twin soul Ainsley.
Ainsley Threadgold >> Ainsley died in 1993 after being hit by a car traveling at 40 mph. He wouldn’t recover the memories of the accident or the NDE until 21 years later through hypnotherapy. This was to be the start of an adventure which would have him meet the love of his life, help him lovingly change the circumstances surrounding a cancer diagnosis, move to the United States, then to Maui and restart his career in law enforcement. He admits that this has all come with much trepidation, but his guide has always been love!
Jessika Jake is an international speaker and trainer, including speaking at the Host Leadership Convention in Munich summer 2019 and the AATH Convention in spring 2019, and training the US Air Force in Aviano Italy. She has been a strategic leader for decades, attaining several awards and certifications. She is experienced working with Fortune 100 and 500 startups, small-to-mid-sized agencies, and nonprofits. A Oneness experience during nondual meditation revealed a training shortcut—intuition and connection with spirit. She now works at the nexus of Superconscious Leadership, Wellness, and Personal Development.
Stephanie Bradbury, BA, MDiv >> The Rev. Stephanie Chase Bradbury has been an Episcopal priest for 26 years, counseling many people who’ve had NDEs and STEs. She herself has had a number of Mystical Experiences. Stephanie is drawn to how material reality is intertwined with the transcendent. She feels called to help facilitate the processing of those who have been touched by the extraordinary. She has led NDE retreats, spoken at IANDS gatherings, and been interviewed for podcasts. Stephanie is both grounded in the Christian tradition, while welcoming insight from beyond organized religion. She serves an Episcopal Church in Massachusetts.
Joe Hehn >> Joe Hehn is a mindset and spiritual mentor who helps others transform by teaching them how to wield the power of their mind and spirit. Through a decade of dedication and determination, studying dozens of belief systems, religions, faiths, and spiritual practices, Joe discovered something revolutionary—the process of transforming one’s mind and perspective while making a deep and authentic connection to spirit. Encouraged by his late wife to write a book, Joe did so over his seven year spiritual journey. Dreams of Antiquity is an epic tale of one man’s soulful quest, through many incarnations, learning to love again.
Felice DiMartino, BFA >> Felice DiMartino, a two-time shared-death experiencer (SDE) had a near-death experience (NDE) in 2015 when she was hit by a large truck while crossing the street. She serves as a Heart Centered Guide, teacher of “The Way Of Light”, a path of Awakened Living, and is the founder of Grounded Illumination, a practice of harnessing Mystical traditions, Hermetic principles, Quantum Technologies and Transmissions from her NDE to activate the Remembering of our true Identity. She provides Concrete tools, Channeled messages and Intuitive Guidance to live as an embodied expression of the Divine with clarity, insight, confidence, fulfillment, peace of heart/mind, and access to the wisdom of the Soul.
Evan Premo, BM >> Musician Evan Premo creates heart-centered music that inspires audiences and musicians alike. His music has been commissioned by the Pittsburgh Symphony Chamber Orchestra, River Town Duo, the International Society of Bassists, The Pine Mountain Music Festival, Capitol City Concerts, and the Montpelier Chamber Orchestra. Evan is a member of Decoda with which he has performed in residencies around the world. As a member of Ensemble Connect, Evan has performed in concerts at Carnegie Hall. Evan resides in Vermont where he is Founder co-Artistic Director of Scrag Mountain Music with his wife, soprano Mary Bonhag. He is also Founder and Artistic Director of Beethoven and Banjos, a residency that brings together folk and classical musicians for cross-genre concerts in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Johanna Lunn, BA >> Award-winning producer, director, and writer, Johanna J. Lunn, has contributed to many compelling, entertaining, and profoundly thought-provoking programs during her 35 years in the business. Her work has received eight Gemini (Canadian equivalent of an Emmy) nominations and taken home three awards and received Best Documentary Award from the prestigious Hot Docs International Documentary Film Festival. She has also produced films for the National Film Board of Canada, IFC and Canadian television. Johanna resides on the rugged shores of the North Atlantic near Halifax, Nova Scotia.
William Peters, M.A., M.Ed., MFT >> is a psychotherapist and the founder of the Shared Crossing Project whose mission is to positively transform relationships to death and dying through education and raising awareness about extraordinary end-of-life experiences (shared crossings) and their healing benefits. William is a global leader in shared death studies and end-of-life phenomenon. He teaches methods to facilitate the shared death experience and to assist experiencers in meaningfully integrating their experiences. His work is informed by his two NDEs and a variety of shared crossings. William’s book entitled At Heaven’s Door: What Shared Journeys to the Afterlife Teach About Dying Well and Living Better, is published by Simon & Schuster. Monica Williams is a board-certified emergency physician who is on staff at one of the largest emergency departments in the nation, Huntsville Hospital, where she is also the Medical Director for Advanced Care Planning and End of Life Education Programs.
Maggie Callanan, RN >> Maggie Callanan has specialized in the care of the dying since 1981. She lectures widely to lay and professional audiences on death and dying, bereavement, and hospice care. Maggie is the author of Final Journeys and co-author of Final Gifts. She was the first coordinator and contributing author of the “Dealing with Death” column in the American Journal of Nursing. In 1995, she was named the Hospice Clinician of the Year and received the prestigious National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s “Heart of Hospice” award. Maggie has been a long-time friend, frequent speaker and supporter of IANDS, and was the nurse-panelist at the IANDS 2020 Online Conference on the premiere panel,“Healing Perspectives on Dying Alone.” She lives in Northern Virginia.
Ellen Wier (formerly Whealton) >> Ellen is a light worker, transpersonal and music therapist, healer, workshop presenter, and educator who uses numerous modalities in her work, including music, crystal singing bowls, chanting, visualization, and meditation. Kicked in the head by a horse at age 12, Ellen experienced an NDE in which she vowed to come back to heal people with music and then experienced tremendously impactful spiritual downloads before being drawn back to her body by music. This spiritual event gave Ellen first-hand knowledge of the immense web of love, wisdom, and support that is available to everyone at all times. Ellen has a master’s degree in Transpersonal Counseling with an emphasis in Music Therapy from Naropa University. Trained in the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music, Holotropic Breathwork, Reiki, and Aroma-Release, Ellen is an online course instructor who provides continuing education for music therapists and counseling psychologists around the globe.
Scott Taylor >> Scott is president of the Expanded Awareness Institute (EAI). EAI helps people curious about near-death experiences (NDEs) and shared death experiences (SDEs) explore what those experiences mean to them and to our human culture. His YouTube podcast The Afterlife Files, is rated in the top 20% worldwide. On the faculty of The Shift Network, Scott teaches NDE meditation for his course The Bi-Location Phenomenon.
Debbie James >> After completing her master’s thesis on disclosure of near-death experiences (NDEs), Debbie James was appointed to the board of directors of the International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS). In 2009, Debbie co-authored and edited the first compilation of research on NDEs, The Handbook of Near-Death Experiences: Thirty Years of Investigation. Inspired by her belief in the art and science of nursing practice and education, Debbie has focused her career on the advancement of safe, evidence-based patient-centered care.
Suzanne Giesemann >> Suzanne is a metaphysical teacher, author, and Messenger of Hope, recognized on the Watkins’ list of the 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People. She is a former U.S. Navy Commander who served as a commanding officer and as aide to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Today, she guides people to the awareness of a greater reality. She has published 14 books, 6 Hemi-Sync recordings, and YouTube videos with over nine million views. She produces the Awakened Way app and hosts the popular Messages of Hope podcast. Her gift of multidimensional communication has been verified by noted afterlife researchers, and her messages bring not only hope but also healing and love that go straight to the heart.
Nancy Rynes is a geoscientist, archaeologist, artist, and explorer of all things weird and wonderful. As a near-death experiencer, remote viewer, QHHT regressionist, and energy worker, Nancy seeks to combine her innate curiosity about the nature of reality with a sense of discernment and groundedness learned as a geoscientist. She strives to make both scientific and “paranormal” topics easier to understand for everyone, Nancy has been featured on NBC TV’s The TODAY Show, PBS Television, and the Netflix series Surviving Death. She is a popular keynote speaker and workshop leader and has appeared on many podcasts and radio shows.
Marjorie Woollacott >> Marjorie is Research Director for IANDS, President of the Academy for the Advancement of Post-Materialist Sciences (AAPS), member of the Science Committee of the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS), and Co-Director of the Galileo Commission. She is a member of the Institute of Neuroscience at the University of Oregon and has received funding for her research in rehabilitation medicine, meditation, spiritual awakening, and end-of-life experiences. She has published over 200 scientific articles and written or edited nine books, including Infinite Awareness: The Awakening of a Scientific Mind, her eight-award-winning book about her own spiritual awakening and its transformation of her research on consciousness, as well as Spiritual Awakenings: Scientists and Academics Describe Their Experiences.
Natasha Tassell-Matamua >> Natasha is Associate Professor and Director of the Centre for Indigenous Psychologies in the School of Psychology at Massey University, Aotearoa New Zealand. Her teaching is in the area of Indigenous psychologies and, in particular, the utilization of Indigenous knowledges to effect meaningful change across a range of contexts. Her research typically focuses on the interplay between spirituality, well-being, and the wider ecosystem. Natasha has also spent the last 15 years researching the phenomenology, aftereffects, and cultural specificity of near-death experiences and other exceptional experiences of consciousness; she has published extensively and presented both nationally and internationally on these topics.
Katie Darling >> Katie has been a transformational guide/seminar leader for more than 50 years. Despite having British physicist atheist parents, at age 18 she had a stunning (drug-free) STE that revealed infinite Love—a Who, not a “what”—behind everything. Feeling like a “walk-in,” Katie became a monk for 12 years, thinking Source was “up there,” until realizing we must “descend to ascend!” A popular therapeutic coach and inspirational speaker, in 1995 she founded iWAVE Institute (formerly Motherwave), initiating more than 5,000 students into direct, integrated, embodied awakening.
Gregory Andrews >> Gregory was a Captain in the Air Force (computer department), then a businessman, before losing his sight from an earlier training accident. Faced with a death urge, he instead dove deep into Oneness, becoming a beloved teacher of A Course in Miracles and other mystical practices, which manifested as meeting and marrying Katie during the COVID lockdown.
Elke Macartney >> Elke is a shaman, counselor, healer, and wisdom keeper in practice for 40 years. As an aura seer and spirit walker, her daily life is a continual spiritually transformative experience. She also enjoys dancing every day, walking in the forest, and facilitating online IANDS sharing groups.
Two time bestselling author, consultant, and speaker Jonathan Ellerby brings a rare and essential perspective to the fields of consciousness studies, integrative wellness, and human transformation. With over 30 years of experience in research and applied work, Jonathan’s background includes advanced academic degrees combined with decades of practical leadership and applied experience in settings as diverse as hospitals, rural communities, Fortune 500 boardrooms, international settings, and premier retreat, spa, and resort facilities. Jonathan has traveled the world to explore countless cultural approaches to healing and spiritual growth. He regularly returns to Southern Africa to maintain some of his core work drawing on wildlife and Indigenous Medicine. Author of five books and a regular collaborator with leading physicians and psychologists, Jonathan also draws on his training as a cross-cultural chaplain, a multi-faith minister, and a practitioner of energy medicine and traditional earth-based ceremonial healing.
Noelle St. Germain-Sehr >> Noelle is a Clinical Associate Professor and Counseling Fieldwork Coordinator at William & Mary. With over 30 years of clinical experience, she is a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor in Texas, a National Certified Counselor, and an ACISTE Certified Mental Health Professional trained to assist individuals with integrating spiritually transformative experiences. Noelle has advanced training in transpersonal counseling, including Induced After-Death Communication (IADC); is the Executive Director of The Center for Grief and Traumatic Loss and The International IADC Board; and is an IADC Trainer. She holds membership in 16 professional organizations, has served on three editorial boards, and is the Secretary for the Southern Association for Counselor Education and Supervision. Her research focuses on improving mental health providers’ effectiveness in addressing transpersonal issues and includes multiple publications and over 65 professional presentations.
Jennifer “Kim” Penberthy >> Kim is the Chester F. Carlson Professor of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. Kim is a board-certified clinical psychologist and conducts research, teaches, and provides clinical care at UVA in psychiatry and the cancer center. She obtained her undergraduate and masters degree in psychology from Wake Forest University, her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University, and her Fellowship in Medical Psychology at the University of Virginia. In addition to her expertise in persistent depressive disorders, she studies the mind-body relationship, exploring human consciousness as well as extraordinary human experiences, including the impact of such on human abilities and wellness. Kim has held numerous professional leadership positions and has published and presented extensively on psychotherapy and mindfulness, including her most recent book, co-authored with her daughter, Morgan: Living Mindfully Across the Lifespan: An Intergenerational Guide.
Tess McCormick >> Tess is a 2023 graduate of the University of Virginia’s undergraduate psychology department. She is currently preparing to apply to graduate school to earn her PhD in Clinical Psychology, with her ultimate goal being to become a psychedelic-assisted psychotherapist. She currently conducts research with UVA’s Department of Perceptual Studies, studying after-death communication, and she works in Charlottesville, VA, as a care coordinator at Addiction Allies, a substance abuse treatment facility. Tess enjoys helping others to better themselves; loves to spend time with her friends, family, and cat, Roo; and finds meaning in weekend time on a local farm where she works with mini donkeys and horses.
Gwen Grams >> Gwen has a PhD in quantitative experimental psychology from DePaul University in Chicago. Her dissertation was titled Self Deception in the Perception of Personal Appearance. Following her recent retirement from a career in behavioral health data administration, she joined Dr. Kim Penberthy as a Research Lecturer in the Faculty Support Track at the University of Virginia Medical School Division of Perceptual Studies, where her work focuses on after-death communication.
Pooja Chilukuri >> Pooja is a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and published author of several faith-based books with over a decade of experience in research and engineering and technology development for global communications. Pooja is also the host of The Afterlife Podcast, a platform for fostering spiritual exploration, growth, and healing. In her memoir, And Then There Was Jesus, Pooja shared her personal religious quest spanning both Hinduism and Christianity, recounted her transformative mystical experiences, voiced her struggles of grappling with the weight of harmful religious teachings, and described her process of breaking free to live authentically in alignment with her true self.
Daniel Endy >> Daniel has been a spiritual student, seeker, and experiencer since, at the age of 14, he found the book Seth Speaks. He has a balance of left and right brain interests ranging from engineering and physics to spirituality, philosophy, and metaphysics. He researched and studied these topics extensively, and in 2010, had an awakening. Since then he has led monthly classes to share what he learned to help others live better lives. He is very active with IANDS serving as a Board member and as a host/facilitator of many IANDS Sharing Groups. Daniel is a hypnotherapist and does past life regressions as well as personal coaching. Daniel also has researched UFOs and ETs for several decades. He looks forward to the day when the existence of ETs is acknowledged.
M.K. (Kathy) McDaniel >> Kathy’s distressing near-death experience (dNDE) in early 2000 caused her to rethink her religious beliefs and her concept of God. With the help of multiple synchronicities, she joined IANDS 10 years later and told her story for the first time at a Seattle IANDS meeting. Since then, Kathy has been an advocate for that approximately 12% of souls who have suffered dNDEs. She and Daniel Endy co-host a growing IANDS monthly dNDE Sharing Group. Kathy has shared her dNDE story as a podcast guest on over 100 programs and has garnered over 1.5 million views to date. Kathy authored the memoir, Misfit in Hell to Heaven Expat, published in 2021, which is now selling worldwide.
Brianna Lafferty >> After a 22-year journey grappling with an “incurable” neurological movement disorder, Brianna Lafferty had a profound near-death experience in 2017 that ignited her major life transformation. This pivotal moment sparked a remarkable metamorphosis, unlocking her innate divine healing power to conquer the once “incurable” affliction. She is now an award-winning author, international speaker, and passionate Death & Spiritual Doula. Guiding others on transformative journeys, she empowers individuals to birth into their authentic selves and helps others liberates themselves from chronic illness. With unwavering passion, Bri also lends compassionate support in navigating end-of-life transitions and challenges, weaving a tapestry of resilience and inspiration.
Bryan Jackson >> Bryan had a life-changing spiritual experience in March 1993. The story of his dark-to-light NDE has been a useful tool in helping others to change their perspective about life. For those who have lost hope, Bryan’s experience teaches that life can be filled with meaning and purpose. Bryan is married and lives with his wife in Florida.
Jeff O’Driscoll >>During his 25 years as an academically oriented emergency physician, Jeff O’Driscoll experienced phenomena that science couldn’t explain, such as seeing souls leave their bodies at death and communicating with them. His experiences began in childhood following his brother’s death in a farm accident. After stepping away from clinical medicine, Jeff published his award-winning memoir, Not Yet: Near-Life Experiences and Lessons Learned, and recently his novel Zen’s Garden based on his own experiences. Now, as an international speaker and intuitive mentor, he helps souls refine their gifts and receive their own answers so they can connect to their highest self and their most authentic life path.
Felice DiMartino is an international speaker, educational consultant, spiritual mentor, and soul-full guide committed to collaboratively creating experiences of self-empowerment and personal transformation. Eight years ago, after a series of traumatic events that threw her into Resiliency Bootcamp, Felice was hit by a truck. In addition to sustaining multiple injuries, she had a near-death experience during which she was shown the nature of life, death, and the spaces between. Returning with activated extrasensory awareness and continued connection with higher realms of light, Felice combines her personal journey of resiliency; 30 years as a Montessori educator; in-depth study with spiritual teachers and indigenous elders; certifications in several healing modalities including yoga, meditation, and mindfulness; neuroscience technologies; and insights gleaned in her NDE to assist adults of all ages in cultivating a deeper connection with their spiritual self and an alignment of body, mind, and soul.
Kevin Jeffers >> Kevin is an artist with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Bachelor of Art Education from the Chicago School of the Art Institute and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Kevin’s artwork focusing on sculpture was exhibited in many galleries. His work in design and advertising culminated with many awards and certificates in graphic design. Kevin also opened a business in international trading and for the next 35 years extensively traveled globally with Los Angeles and Shanghai, China as a home base. Currently, Kevin is engaged in construction, finance, and writing about more than 50 years of incredible and wonderful experiences in Spirit. His first book The Pattern: An Exploration of Consciousness was published in 2022 and he is releasing a second book on soul retrieval.
Margaret Clausen >> Margaret is a clinical psychologist, energy healer, and health intuitive. She is a survivor of multiple traumatic deaths, a near-death experiencer, and a spiritually transformative experiencer. Like many people with this background, she possesses various psychic abilities which she cultivates through practices of meditation, binaural sound, and remote viewing. Her private practice focuses on the integration of STE, NDE/OBE, traumatic experiences, and empowerment through the expansion of consciousness. Dr. Clausen is writing a book focusing on how STEs can bring our world closer together.
Susie Herrick >> Susie is a psychotherapist, teacher, and author whose focus is on promoting relational intelligence and wisdom with individuals, couples, and groups. She has experienced transformative after-death-communication (ADC), which she described in her memoir Aphrodite Emerges. She has also co-authored with Elle Luna Your Story is Your Power. Both books offer ways to transform difficult relational issues into powerful voices from within. She has taught thousands of graduate students counseling psychology, including transpersonal psychology, the Enneagram, as well as mediation and conflict resolution, and she is a former academic chair at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology/Sofia University. She has traveled extensively to the Himalayan Region, is married, and with her husband has a semi-wild black cat named Batman.
Kathy Winings >> Kathy has spent over 30 years as an educator and senior administrator in a graduate seminary. Having trained initially to be a concert pianist and French horn player, she found her real calling as a teacher and educator. Her other deeply held investment has been directing the work of an international development agency focused on disaster response, sustainable development, and restorative justice, which involved partnering with numerous religions and cultures around the world. After her near-death experience, her teaching and ministry skills have enabled her to speak to diverse communities and audiences about her experience and its ongoing transformative aftereffects. She spends her time writing, serving as an educational and social justice consultant, teaching piano, and spending time with family and friends, while pursuing hobbies that include reading, solving puzzles, and swimming.
Eric Taylor >> Eric is an intuitive astrologer whose life and practice transformed in 2021 following a 40-day coma and NDE. Eric engaged in astral travel, encountering life-altering decisions that reshaped his existence. This event heightened his psychic and astrological abilities and deepened his connection to his divine purpose. Eric now offers expanded services, leveraging his enhanced skills to guide clients through self-discovery, healing, and personal growth. His non-judgmental insights encourage clients to break free from past constraints, fostering progress towards their highest selves. Beyond his professional achievements, Eric is a devoted husband and father to four, drawing on his experiences as an educator for disabled children and his own vision loss to cultivate compassion and spiritual insight. Eric’s rebirth has lead him to live with a deeper focus and commitment to serve humanity.
Cathy A. Mortimer >> When Cathy was 6 years old, she fell out of a tree and experienced an NDE. In it, she was stopped from proceeding by two robed beings who telepathically told her to go back. She refused, saying she could not breathe so she couldn’t go back, but the beings said they would help her. Afterwards, telepathic ability stayed with her but took 30 years for her to integrate. Because of her mother with schizophrenia in a single parent household of six people, Cathy’s childhood was full of trauma and strife. In spite of the struggle, she went on to become a nurse where her innate understanding of the other side helped her with dying patients. Her telepathic abilities helped her communicate with those who cannot speak.
Brooke Grove >> Brooke is a trauma survivor, near-death experiencer, and multidisciplinary healer in co-creation with Spirit. A former psychotherapist, Brooke has advanced degrees in Clinical Psychology, Marital and Family Therapy, and Clinical Art Therapy, enhanced by numerous post-graduate certifications, including but not limited to Shamanic Energy Medicine, Quantum Fieldwork, and Transpersonal Neuroscience. Brooke’s own perilous healing journey informs her Being, and she is a fierce advocate for trauma survivors. Within the global NDE community, Brooke is a highly sought out aftereffects guide who has alchemized her own pain into medicine. Brooke has been featured on many podcasts, YouTube, and documentaries. She is currently writing her memoir. Brooke maintains a private, international healing practice, offering remote services, wherein her goal is to explore, transmute, and empower the evolution in human consciousness through gratitude, service, and Light.
Kellan Fluckiger >>Kellan is a catalyst for personal transformation. With 19 books, 88 songs, and clients across the globe, his mission in 2024 is to help 250 million people see who they really are so they can create from that infinite possibility. Kellan had a 30-year corporate career in the US and Canada. Externally successful, he dealt privately with personal demons of depression, addiction, and attempted suicide. In 2007 a divine intervention invited him to start again. Eleven years later in 2018, Kellan contracted a fatal illness and flatlined in the ICO of the University of Alberta Hospital. During three conversations with the Divine at the door between life and eternity, Kellan chose to stay. Today, his only work is to help people live their fullest and most impactful lives and create prosperity and joy.
John Mathis >> John is a mental health nurse with degrees in music performance (opera), secondary education (English), and nursing. Rather than joining a country music boy band, on a dare during Y2K, John applied for a clinical data position — and spent the next 20 years rummaging through the closet of clinical data science. While at IBM Watson Health, John pioneered electronic medical records and learned AI. A member of the Education Committee of the Society for Clinical Data Management, John pursues hobbies that include studying herbalism, energetic medicine, and soul fragment retrieval, and starting an organic skin cream company. He is a divorced doggy daddy and Transpersonal Nurse Coach (Meat Suit Drivers, LLC) helping clients prepare for a death or learn how to handle the aftereffects of an NDE / STE.
Jan Holden >>
Janice Miner Holden grew up in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, USA. After earning a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology with honors from the University of Illinois, she taught high school psychology for 11 years and was a high school counselor for one year while she earned her master’s and doctoral degrees in counselor education at Northern Illinois University. Since completing her EdD in 1988, she served 31 years on the University of North Texas (UNT) Counseling Program faculty—12 of those years as chair of the Department of Counseling & Higher Education. In 2019 she retired as professor emerita of Counseling. Beginning with her doctoral dissertation, Dr. Holden’s primary research focus has been counseling implications of near-death experiences, after-death communication, and other transpersonal experiences—those that transcend the usual personal limits of space, time, identity, and influence. In this research area she has over 50 refereed journal publications and over 100 national and international presentations; served as lead editor of the 2009 Handbook of Near-Death Experiences: Thirty Years of Investigation, and co-edited the Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling’s (ASERVIC’s) 2017 Connecting Soul, Spirit, Mind, and Body: A Collection of Spiritual and Religious Perspectives and Practices in Counseling. Since 2008 she has served as editor-in-chief of the International Association for Near-Death Studies’s (IANDS’s) scholarly Journal of Near-Death Studies. She is a Texas Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor and an American Center for the Integration of Spiritually Transformative Experiences (ACISTE [pronounced “assist”]) Certified Mental Health Professional. For her career-long research on and advocacy for people who have had transpersonal experiences, Jan was awarded ASERVIC’s 2013 Research Award and the American Counseling Association’s 2015 Gilbert and Kathleen Wrenn Award for a Humanitarian and Caring Person. For her outstanding and sustained contributions to scholarly-creative activity, teaching, and service, Jan received the UNT Foundation’s 2019 Eminent Faculty Award, one of the highest faculty achievements whose recipient serves as an inspiration for the entire UNT community. In early 2020, Jan served for 10 days as an International Visiting Scholar at Massey University in Palmerston North, New Zealand. Since 2020 she has served as IANDS’s president.
Chase Skylar DeMayo >> Chase, a U.S. Air Force veteran and Orlando, Florida native, underwent a profound spiritual transformation after a near-death experience in 2008. His NDE led him to embrace a life philosophy of ‘Chasing the Light,’ focusing on personal and community betterment. For 12 years following his NDE, DeMayo kept his experience private, but eventually he used it to guide his work in community service and holistic healing, particularly in helping veterans and addressing mental health. As a speaker, he shares his insights to inspire others, embodying a spirit of service and commitment that defines his spiritual journey. Chase has recently completed a bachelor’s degree in alternative medicine and another bachelor’s in ministry, and he will soon be completing a doctorate in holistic counseling.
Deborah Connor >> Deborah has been an IANDS member for six years, and a board member for one year. She is an NDEr, and has had many other spiritual experiences. In addition to spiritual exploration, coaching, volunteering, and reading, Deborah spends time with family, enjoying the lake she lives on and the bountiful natural wonders of Nova Scotia, Canada. Deborah has decades of experience building inclusive leadership teams as a board member, as Executive Director, and Director of Development for not-for-profit organizations. As a certified coach, Deborah supports groups and individuals who are seeking to integrate their spiritual awakening, and is also a Reiki and Laser Light Therapy practitioner.
MUSIC BY:
Karen Michelle >> Karen is a near-death experiencer and psychic medium who has a unique understanding and compassion for her clients. She has spoken at events and conferences in regards to near-death experiences. Karen began working over eighteen years ago in the mental health care field focusing on PTSD, trauma recovery, and dynamics of abusive relationships. Wanting to honor the messages she received during her NDEs, Karen Michelle shifted her career to reflect a holistic and spiritual path. Her specialties include Resonant Kinesiology with harp and guided imagery to facilitate therapeutic music and sound interventions for stress management and relaxation. Dr. Karen Michelle’s educational background includes a doctorate in clinical psychology, Resonant Kinesiology Instructor certification, grief and loss training, and certificate training in working with survivors of sexual assault.
Christina Tourin >> Founder and Director of the International Harp Therapy Program, Christina leads training centers in multiple countries with Therapeutic Harp Practitioners serving on five continents. As an internationally award-winning artist, she trained at the Mozarteum in Austria and McGill in Montreal. She was harpist for the Vermont Symphony and for 17 years for the Sound of Music Maria von Trapp family. Returning to IANDS, she is remembered for her workshops on Music of the Spheres. Christina truly lives a life ‘As above, So below’ sharing her performances of sacred and transcendent moments. Bringing her harp to magical life, she shares with the world the deepest, most profound truths of the Universe, which rightfully and intuitively credits as the source of all she creates.
Mary Lydia Ryan >> Mary Lydia, critically acclaimed vocalist, pianist, composer, and creator of Spa Opera® utilizes her musical, mystical, and spiritual gifts to call forth, support, uplift, and encourage each individual’s unique magnificence. As seen and heard on Seattle and worldwide stages, including TEDx, Whisperings Solo Piano Radio, and One World Music Radio, as well as through group and individual sound transmission sessions, Mary’s offerings are designed to bring greater light and consciousness evolution to the world.
Georgia Wild >> Georgia has been actively practicing authentic expression for years. She first pursued many forms of dance and theater, working through layers of pain to finally find release through vocal expression. She studied opera and graduated with her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theater, only to find that world did not support the spiritual nature connection she yearned for. Following her dreamtime guidance, she moved to Hawaii to enable her Soul’s roots to meet again with our Earth Mother Gaia. From this deep dive into the truth of her being, Georgia now shares her song. Holding space, she uses sound to vibrate open locked places within so that each person can greet and alchemize aspects of themselves that are ready to be given back into the ultimate source intelligence frequency of creator God that is/has always and in all ways been transcribed into our DNA from the beginning of time.
Lorie Ladd >> Lorie Ladd is an international best-selling author, spiritual teacher, and thought leader specializing in the evolution of human consciousness. Her teachings and guidance have helped millions of people navigate the current planetary shifts, and remember the divine design held within the human experience. Inquisitive and intuitive, Lorie found her life purpose at age 13 when she simply knew she would assist humanity through the miraculous and divine collective awakening humanity is experiencing now. In 2015 she launched her own platform of master classes and online courses. People on all continents have resonated with her teachings and down-to-earth personality, gathering together in a community that surpasses a million people.
Louisa Peck, MA >> A supporting regular at Seattle IANDS since 2012, Louisa Peck interviews popular NDE speakers and publishes their stories for the bi-monthly newsletter. Louisa has spoken at IANDS conferences and Seattle’s IANDS Local Group to share her NDE and after-effects story including her long-standing denial despite a vivid NDE and a steady stream of paranormal after-effects, and the connections between her NDE and addiction recovery. She has published an addiction memoir, A Spiritual Evolution: How 14 Aftereffects of a Near-Death Experience Helped Cure my Addictions and Changed my Life, and given several YouTube Interviews, in addition to writing a popular blog on addiction recovery in light of an NDE.
Marieta Pehlivanova, PhD >> Marieta Pehlivanova is a Research Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. Dr. Pehlivanova’s work at the Division focuses on near-death experiences, children reporting past-life memories, as well as other unusual experiences. Marieta holds a Doctoral degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor’s degree in Statistics from American University. Prior to her academic work, she pursued a career as a statistician in medical research. In addition to her academic interest in human consciousness phenomena, Marieta is also interested in personal exploration, including active experience at places like the Monroe Institute.
Angie Willson-Quayle, PhD >> Angie has been running the IANDS Local Group near Washington, DC since 2019. Her interest in IANDS grew out of three spiritually transformative experiences she had years ago, which forever changed her life and got her on a spiritual path directed daily towards love, giving back, and a deeper awareness of true self. She is originally from the United Kingdom, and has lived in the United States since 1991 and has two daughters. She began studying psychology in London, then completed her research-based doctoral training in Developmental Psychology in Northern Virginia. After she could no longer ignore the long-time, clamorous call of the Universe to change directions, she recently moved from research to the clinical arena and a new path opened up effortlessly and mysteriously, and things have been falling into place ever since.
Susan Dyer >> Susan was born clairvoyant—and raised by baffled Catholics. As her visions were patently dismissed, she doubted her sanity and hated herself by kindergarten. But a near-death experience in 2017 clarified her journey. Susan merged with the unnamable, promising to return to Earth, shed her spiritual camouflage, and “live transparently.” She also healed her debilitating chronic Lyme disease alongside ascended master Jesus, and visited a beloved galactic guide. She has mentored awakening women since. Susan believes YOU are your best guru. She is here to help you REMEMBER! While orbiting outside religion, Susan honors all beliefs and non-belief. That said, words fail to capture the unnamable—when Susan says “God” it is simply habitual. ALL are welcome.
Eben Alexander, MD, was an academic neurosurgeon for over 25 years, including 15 years at the Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital, and Harvard Medical School in Boston. In 2008, during a week-long coma from an inexplicable brain infection, he experienced a transcendental near-death experience (NDE) that completely transformed his worldview. A pioneering scientist and modern thought leader in the emerging science that acknowledges the primacy of consciousness in the universe, he is the author of the New York Times #1 bestseller Proof of Heaven, The Map of Heaven, and Living in a Mindful Universe. http://ebenalexander.com/
Karen Newell is an author and specialist in personal development with a diverse body of work that rests upon the foundation of heart-centered consciousness. As an innovator in the emerging field of brainwave entrainment audio meditation, Karen empowers others in their journeys of self-discovery by demonstrating how to connect to inner guidance, achieve inspiration, improve wellness, and develop intuition. She is co-founder of Sacred Acoustics and is co-author with Eben Alexander III, MD, of Living in a Mindful Universe. www.sacredacoustics.com
Maria Lupita Gurule >> Maria Lupita Gurule’s near-death experience (NDE) in 2000 opened up her reality, unveiled an invisible field, and forced open her ‘Gifts of the Spirit.’ Through her struggle to integrate back into life, Maria learned how to accept and use her abilities to heal from life’s traumas. Mystically attuned and guided, Maria overcame many debilitating life challenges in order to learn how to fully live. Since then, she has dedicated her life to the service and love of Humanity. She is a Certified Medical Support Clinical Hypnotherapist with expertise in past-life, inter-life and natal-life sessions, and a world-class Soul-Reader.
Patricia L’Dara, MA >> Patricia came to the work of death and dying when her mother made her sacred passage in 1993. Prior to that time, Patricia had never been in a room with anyone dying and did not know what to expect. Her experience was so beautiful and profound that it altered her life. Since her first encounter, she has quietly continued to accompany people from all walks of life in their passing. Patricia is the author of the book, Song of Sight: An Introduction to Soul Passage Midwifery.
Ray Catania, MMsc, MCLC >> Award-winning author Ray Catania’s latest book, “You Are Still Alive, Now Act Like It”, is available in 52 countries. In addition to being an author, Ray Catania is an intuitive-medium, who teaches spirituality and metaphysics with clients in his private practice. He is an NDE survivor, an ordained minister, with master certifications in life coaching, Usui Reiki, and meditation, and is working towards his doctorate degree in Metaphysical Parapsychology. Ray has had the privilege of studying under, and training with, some of the greatest forward-thinking minds in the world, including Intuitives, Mediums, Shaman, and Energy Healers.
Betty Guadagno >> Betty Guadagno had a spiritually transformative experience in March of 2019. Betty underwent a 180-degree transformation from drug addict, sex worker, and radical atheist to a devout believer, in long term recovery, and working as a recovery coach. During her integration process, she felt an incredible pull towards establishing spiritual community in her life. She has been connected to the IANDS community since December of 2020. Betty began her involvement with IANDS as an attendee of our sharing groups. She quickly got involved with service to the community by volunteering as a facilitator and moderator. Betty then moved into the role of Webinar Coordinator for IANDS Groups and Events.
Rebecca S. Valla, MD >> Rebecca S. Valla, MD is a practicing Psychiatrist for over 30 years. She in currently working in a private practice with her husband, a Dermatologist. She ascribes to a Holistic and Integrative approach to her work, where Self-Love and Inner Child Healing are central. She is a life-long spiritual seeker, and enthusiastic supporter of NDErs and their opportunity for transformation and healing. She is a former IANDS Board member, and current Co-Chair of the IANDS Ethics Committee.
Debbie James, MSN, RN, CCRN-K >> Debbie James has worked in the Adult Critical Care arena for the last 44 years as a clinical nurse, nurse manager, nurse educator, and Clinical Nurse Specialist. She is a certified bereavement facilitator and formed two support groups in San Antonio: one for NDErs and one for organ donor families. She is a current IANDS Board member, and the Co-Chair of the IANDS Ethics Committee. Debbie co-authored and edited the first compilation of research on near-death experiences, Handbook of Near-Death Experiences: Thirty Years of Investigation.
Rebecca Austill-Clausen, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA >> Rebecca “Becky” Austill-Clausen is an Occupational Therapist and Reiki Master, providing Reiki for 27 years. She presents the Usui form of Reiki Level I as a Pre-Conference Workshop at IANDS Annual Conference yearly since 2021 including the upcoming 2023 Conference. Becky is delighted to be the Healing Coordinator for each IANDS in-person Annual Conference since 2019. She founded a private practice that grew to include 350 therapists serving over 100,000 clients.
James Bonato, AA >> James Bonato has been a professional videographer in the Washington, DC area for 34 years. His passion is etched onto the frames of every film he produces. James has won several awards in the field of videography and his empathic nature helped him bring his film on NDE to life. Peace on Both Side of the Gate is his third of four documentary films so far. James wakes up each morning asking the question “What can I do today to change the world?” His documentary films are a small part of that. Traveling the country to make his film on NDEs was an illuminating experience for James and magnified the message of love that needs to be delivered to the world.
Mary Lydia Ryan >> Mary Lydia Ryan, critically acclaimed vocalist, pianist, composer, creator of Spa Opera®, utilizes her musical, mystical and spiritual gifts to support, uplift, and encourage the unique magnificence in individuals to be called forth. As seen and heard on Seattle and worldwide stages: TEDx, Whisperings Solo Piano Radio, One World Music Radio, and through group and individual sound transmission sessions, Mary’s aim is to bring greater light and consciousness evolution to our world.
Daniel Endy, BS >> is the co-founder and co-facilitator for the IANDS Distressing Experiences Sharing Group (2nd Thursday of each month 8 pm ET). He has a deep interest in understanding the full range of spirituality and spiritual experiences and has studied them extensively for over 50 years. Daniel is a hypnotherapist and a regression therapist in the Charlotte, NC area. He has a BS degree in Computer Engineering, had a successful career in software, and has been a co-founder of several successful businesses.
Brianna Lafferty, BS >> As an award-winning author that suffered through most of her life with a rare, chronic illness as well as distressing paranormal experiences that led to her near-death experience in 2017, Brianna Lafferty will share how she has been called to hack this life, help others, and start her own Death Doula business. Certified Death Doula, and in Sussex Hypnosis.
Michael Alton Haley, BA >> Michael is the Founder of World Riders Foundation, a non-profit organization that built schools for orphanages in foreign countries. In May of 2018, while finishing their first school in Uganda Mike contracted Malaria and MRSA – a very serious infection – which led to a 16-day coma. During his coma, Mike died for 10 minutes and had a very detailed distressing NDE before it turned into a loving experience. In the years since then, Mike has been processing his experience, seeking understanding, and sharing what he experienced. Mike has had a variety of professions from commercial fishing in Alaska, to owning a childcare center. Mike has a BA in Philosophy from the University of St Thomas.
More Panelists may be added.
“Father Nathan Castle, OP >>Father Nathan Castle has helped more than 500 “stuck” and not-so-stuck souls who died suddenly and traumatically to adjust to the afterlife. Victims of fires, automobile accidents, shootings, stabbings, drownings, and suicides come to him in his dreams seeking help to resolve their Interrupted Death Experiences. Father Nathan believes that providing such help is something the Holy Spirit has given him and his prayer partners to do. In his Afterlife Interrupted books, Father Nathan is quick to point out that not everyone who dies suddenly gets stuck. He also addresses questions like: Is death survivable? What does he do to help people cross over? Does time exist in the afterlife? Do deceased relatives help us adjust to moving through our deaths.
Michael A. Quinn and Linda L. Quinn >> Michael and Linda Quinn have been hospice volunteers for 20 years. They are co-authors of The Journey Home – Soul Release Intercession: Assisting the Actively Dying at the Time of Transition and The Journey Home – Inspiring Passages From Near-Death Experiences to Comfort the Dying. Writing these books are a part of their sacred journey to awaken us to the reality that we are all beautiful, sacred souls, loved beyond measure by God, and that life is full of opportunities to share this profound love with others. Michael is also the author of Chop Wood, Carry Water: Listening for the Whispers; Suffering From Acatalepsy?: Learning to Love the Questions and Whispers From the New Paradigm.
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Greg Pacini, MS >> Greg’s NDE at birth seems to have found expression in his 42 years as a psychotherapist with troubled teens and the terminally ill, in his private practice, as well as his energy practice, his art, and his book. He is the author of Journey Beyond Hardship which was endorsed by best-sellers Anita Moorjani and Larry Dossey, MD. Greg taught himself instruments and produced three original music CDs, all with air play. Greg has opened for internationally recognized author, Dr. Joan Borysenko, and folk legend, Jack Williams.
Tonda Nampaio-Cardenas >> As a childhood trauma survivor, Tonda experienced an NDE at the age of 9. She is a public speaker and is certified as a wellness coach, an art therapist, learning facilitator, and is an intuitive nature guide through her indigenous heritage, ceremonies and teachings.
Loreli Drache >> Loreli Drache is a four-time near-death experiencer, spiritual transformative-mystical experiencer, spiritual mentor, medical intuitive, medical assistant, clair-abled, channeler, energy reader, psychic intuitive empath, energetic alchemist, quantum-shaman healer, mystic, Reiki Master Teacher, Akashic record reader, oracle reader, reverend-high priestess, intuitive jewelry artist, writer, and poet.
Rebecca Kastl Millsap, MS >> Rebecca Kastl Millsap, a pediatric speech-language pathologist, energy healer, and angel reader, underwent a life-altering spiritually transformative experience (STE) in 2006. During and after that experience, she became aware of the Divine Love that guides all of us. Since that experience, she has dedicated her life to connecting to that love and sharing it with others as much as possible. She lives in Birmingham, AL with her husband and daughter.
Elizabeth Clark, MA, CBMT, HCPC >> Elizabeth comes from a performing arts background. Witnessing the extraordinary effects that the music had on the young patients and their families as a performer inspired her to train as a music therapist. She currently works as a trauma informed, Board Certified Music Therapist and HeartMath practitioner to help clients access and express emotional trauma. She has extensive clinical experience in healthcare in France, UK and the US.
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J. Kim Penberthy, PhD, ABPP >> Dr. J. Kim Penberthy is the Chester F. Carlson Professor of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences at the University of Virginia (UVA) School of Medicine, where she conducts research, teaches, and provides clinical care and supervision. She lectures internationally about the effectiveness of psychotherapy and mindfulness-based interventions as well as the impact of effective interpersonal communication skills on the outcomes of psychotherapy. She is the author of multiple books, including Living Mindfully Across the Lifespan: An Intergenerational Guide that she wrote with her daughter, Morgan Penberthy.
When Christian was a young child, he remembered his existence before coming to Earth. While that memory left him completely for his early adult life, it spontaneously returned 13 years ago as Christian took up a meditation practice and went through a personal awakening journey. He also began to have Out of Body Experiences (OBEs). Professionally, Christian has worked for 15 years as a project manager for complex nuclear pump and valve manufacturing projects, and now for an insurance company. Christian is the author of the book A Walk in the Physical, which attempts to succinctly describe the larger spiritual context in which we exist and the importance of love in our human journey. Christian has also presented at over 100 public speaking events, as he now seeks to remind others in at least a small part of who we all really are beneath the human “play.”
Sarina Baptista, AA, is an award-winning author, international speaker, spiritual teacher, and evidential psychic medium. Her book, My View from Heaven, is a 2019 COVR Visionary Awards Bronze Recipient in the Iconic Book category and a 2021 Speak Up Talk Radio Firebird Book Award Winner in three categories. She was a featured speaker for the “Life, Death, and Beyond” International Conference in Crete, Greece, and is a visiting medium at Lily Dale, NY, during their summer program. Sarina has presented at IANDS conferences and has created many training programs, including spiritual mentoring, workshops, and retreats. She discovered her gifts through her own tragedy: the passing of her seven-year-old son in March 2007. She learned that her son did not really die. Rather, he was still very close, and he led her to her incredible gifts.
Robert Mays, BSc, Suzanne Mays, AAS >> Robert and Suzanne Mays have studied NDE phenomena together for over 45 years, although neither has had an NDE. They are particularly interested in veridical perceptions during NDEs and apparent interactions during NDEs between the NDEr and physical reality, as well as the neurological evidence of the interaction of the nonmaterial mind with the brain during ordinary consciousness. Among other areas, they focus on the social and moral implications of NDEs and related experiences including NDErs’ prophetic visions of world events and the question of when life begins.
Peter Panagore, MDiv >> Peter Panagore, author of the best-selling, Heaven Is Beautiful: How Dying Taught Me That Death Is Just the Beginning, experienced two transformative near-death encounters. Following a BA in English Literature, he changed careers from architecture to theology and completed a Master of Divinity at Yale University, specializing in the Classics of Western Mysticism. For more than two decades, Panagore served progressive New England churches. His first book, Two Minutes for God, a best-seller in Maine and now available worldwide, was based on his 15 years as an NBC-TV writer for a daily Maine and New Hampshire broadcast viewed annually by 30 million people. He currently hosts “Not Church: Mysticism No Doctrine No Dogma No Bravo Sierra” on his YouTube channel, offers spiritual counseling through Zoom, and teaches meditation and yoga to a global community.
Kristen Adams, MA >> After all her schooling, Kristen was fulfilled — balancing the obligations of her young family with her calling: working with traumatized kids. But when an epically ugly-messy divorce came to her own household, she took an unsatisfying government desk job that provided ample leave time to invest in her own children — but which only barely paid the bills. During the ensuing two decades, she lost all belief in a Benevolent Cause but had convinced herself it was better that way. Finally, after years as a front-line functionary, she was finally promoted and then quickly promoted yet again. Things were finally going right. She finally had room to breathe! A routine X-ray found a space-occupying lesion in the right upper lobe of her lung, and she feared this was the end of her difficult, sad, and disappointing life. It was time to look for answers.
Ellen Corson, BA >> Ellen Corson was born in Montreal, Canada, in 1964 and moved to Hanover, NH, in 1974. She graduated from Hanover High School and attended Brown University. Ellen’s favorite class at Brown was Religious Studies. However, since that was not an acceptable field of study in her family, she went on to work at numerous non-profit organizations and social assistance organizations, later founding an Improvisational Comedy group while volunteering around Greater Portland, Maine. She is currently a hospice volunteer who is giving herself a course in mystical studies, wherever it leads. Her 21-year-old son remains skeptical.
Kendall (Ken) Gilligan, MD >> Dr. Kendall Gilligan was an emergency department physician for almost 40 years before he retired in 2018. His spiritual insights were shaped by a study of Edgar Cayce, Paramahansa Yogananda, and especially by Al Miner/Lama Sing. The insights that he will share come from his personal experiences that arose from contemplation that he began as a teenager.
Kacy Kelly >> Scholar, gas station clerk, mother, wife, and meditator. Kacy had an STE that happened from self-destructive tendencies, and there came the point when she fell to her knees in pain. I quickly got back to my feet. It took a week to heal, at which point she found myself stopped in my tracks with a knowing that I was saved by the light that goes and comes back again. I don’t really know what that means. I didn’t see heaven or hell, just this knowing and a real empty feeling. It was like it took her two years to get her soul back! She moved, changed my life, got married, and had a daughter.
Shelly Liedtke, BMSc >> Shelly is a lifelong perpetual student of Self-Empowerment and a Spiritual Life Coach who is here to lovingly help her students and clients shift the stresses of day-to-day living from mystery to mastery, steadily center in the Sacred Intentions of their Soul and open the doorway to consciously creating miracles in their life. Throughout all of her mentoring and coaching services, she offers loving, gentle support for welcoming her clients and students back home to being their True Self; to open the space for really loving and appreciating who they are deep down inside – the One they came here on earth to experience and BE – so they can thrive and be healthy, well and happy in their life…all through the lens of Love grounded in Gratitude.
Françoise E. Netter, MA>> Françoise E. Netter, MA, renowned author, educator, presenter, and performer, has innovatively contributed to Yoga, Dance Therapy, and Stress Management for over four decades. She has instructed at prestigious institutions like Stanford University and the University of Colorado and trained professionals in her specialty. Françoise has garnered international attention through TV, radio, podcasts, and print media. Her book, “Movement For The Mind,” empowers individuals to integrate and apply their creativity holistically. Drawing from her mystical experiences and trauma, Françoise aims to inspire transformation. Her current focus revolves around Resiliency and trauma, serving as the theme of her upcoming book and Ted X talk.
Lynne Seymour, RN >> Lynne had a life transforming NDE in 1970 at the age of 24 following the traumatic birth of her first child. She came close to death when her vital signs plummeted. She left her body, went to a heavenly realm, and was convinced by spiritual beings to return to complete her work on earth. She returned with a distorted sense of reality, a feeling of disconnection, no one with whom she could safely share her story, and a longing to return to her true home. In 1980 she had a profound, life-changing STE in which she experienced the all-encompassing love of God. She retired after 40-plus years in nursing but has been haunted by a desire to gain a deeper spiritual understanding of her own NDE and to complete her work in this world.
David Ulrich >> Raised in 1960s Detroit, David’s early experiences of faith were shaped by the Methodist Church he attended with his family. His grandmother’s role as the church secretary deepened his exposure to the church, particularly to its minister, whom he respected greatly. However, his perception was jolted upon discovering the minister indulged in questionable habits. As a teenager, David explored various religious paths, including the Church of God, the Catholic Church, and the Church of the Nazarene, seeking authenticity but finding hypocrisy instead. As he matured, he chose to step away from organized religion to formulate his unique understanding of God. His spiritual journey took a significant turn at age 25, when a Detroit Unity Temple radio broadcast resonated with him, leading him to a community that nurtured his spiritual quest, a journey still in progress today.
Felice DiMartino, BFA >> Felice DiMartino had a profound near-death experience in 2015 when she was hit by a large truck while crossing the street. A former Montessori school educator, she currently serves as a Futuring Facilitator and multidimensional guide of “The Way Of Light,” a path of awakened living. Felice is the founder of Grounded Illumination, a harnessing of mystical practices, quantum technologies, neuroscience applications and transmissions from her near-death and shared-death experiences to activate the remembering of our true Identity. She provides concrete tools, channeled messages & intuitive guidance to live as embodied expressions of the Divine with clarity, insight, confidence, fulfillment, harmony, and access to the wisdom of the Soul.
Jelani Clay >> JClay is a spiritual teacher and rap artist that makes music to heal even the most reluctant of minds. His mission is to help people around the world find and keep peace always. He is one of the leaders of the spiritual hip-hop movement using music to expose the false beliefs that limit growth. JClay’s album “IAMNOBODY, IAMSOMEONE”, has been endorsed by industry and psychology professionals, music fans, and is being heralded as a key tool in healing the mind. “The way JClay is able to break down the mind-body-soul connection in song-form in reference to healing is truly remarkable.” —Dr. Nicole LePera, Holistic Psychologist. As one fan said, “If Jesus rapped, it would be this.” JClay is thrilled to change how music can be used to heal for good.
Angelia LaRue >> Angie had a radical spontaneous Awakening of Consciousness, while going about an ordinary Hawaiian day as a professional artist and housewife in 2011. She had a radical Kundalini Awakening while on her way into the kitchen to get a drink of water. Within three months, her life in Hawaii abruptly ended and she was thrust out onto the road to learn with Spirit as her Teacher with only two suitcases. She was reeling from the full explosion of psychic abilities, and the sudden awareness of subtle energy. Now, 10 years from the awakening day, she has integrated all aspects of herself and is deeply dedicated to Service through Love.
Stephanie Saint Claire >> Stephanie Saint Claire is a Complex Trauma Recovery Coach and Self-Reparenting Expert, who specializes in teaching women in midlife how to release the negative thoughts and self-sabotaging behaviors that block them from feeling peace on command, confidence at will, and joy for no “reason” at all. Stephanie’s unique approach stems from her own self healing journey out of childhood trauma, codependency, ADD, chronic people-pleasing and substance abuse. Her lived experience, decades of study, and connection to Spirit has allowed Stephanie to be of service to hundreds of clients, and thousands of online followers, get unstuck after DECADES of self-abandoning behaviors. Proud Momma to two boys, multiple business owner, and bibliophile, Stephanie lives with her family in Marin County, California.
Chenée Fournier >> Chenée is an evidential medium, energy healer, and spiritual mentor. Since childhood, she has been able to sense and interact with Spirit. For more than four years, as a Reiki Master, she volunteered her services with hospice, providing Reiki to patients and sitting vigil with people as they began their transition beyond the veil. As she pursued a clinical pastoral education program, she worked as an interfaith chaplain in a hospital. Chenée believes that mediumship, when done with integrity, can lead to profound spiritually transformative experiences and is an ultimate form of energy healing.
Scott Taylor >> Scott is president of the Expanded Awareness Institute (EAI). EAI helps people curious about near-death experiences (NDEs) and shared death experiences (SDEs) explore what those experiences mean to them and to our human culture. His YouTube podcast The Afterlife Files, is rated in the top 20% worldwide. On the faculty of The Shift Network, Scott teaches NDE meditation for his course The Bi-Location Phenomenon.
Debbie James >> After completing her master’s thesis on disclosure of near-death experiences (NDEs), Debbie James was appointed to the board of directors of the International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS). In 2009, Debbie co-authored and edited the first compilation of research on NDEs, The Handbook of Near-Death Experiences: Thirty Years of Investigation. Inspired by her belief in the art and science of nursing practice and education, Debbie has focused her career on the advancement of safe, evidence-based patient-centered care.
Anita Moorjani >> Anita is a renowned author and spiritual speaker known for her transformative journey beyond the brink of death. While living in Hong Kong, Anita battled end-stage cancer before experiencing a remarkable near-death experience (NDE) that shifted her perspective on life. Her bestselling memoir Dying to Be Me chronicles her profound journey and miraculous healing. Its popularity established her as a premier NDE expert. A beacon of inspiration, Anita travels the world sharing her insights on self-love, consciousness, and the interconnectedness of all things. Her teachings empower others to embody the highest version of themselves and live vibrant, authentic lives. Anita continues to be a guiding light in the realm of spiritual exploration.
William Peters >> William is a psychotherapist and the founder of the Shared Crossing Project whose mission is to positively transform relationships to death and dying through education and raising awareness about extraordinary end-of-life experiences (shared crossings) and their healing benefits. William is a global leader in shared death studies and end-of-life phenomena. He teaches methods to facilitate the shared death experience and to assist experiencers in meaningfully integrating their experiences. His work is informed by his two NDEs and a variety of shared crossings. William’s book At Heaven’s Door: What Shared Journeys to the Afterlife Teach About Dying Well and Living Better is published by Simon & Schuster. William is currently working with an Oscar-nominated filmmaker to produce the first feature-length documentary on the shared death experience.
Dashmesh Khalsa>> Dashmesh is a musician, producer, and philosopher who has worked with internationally renowned artists such as Bill Laswell, Byron Metcalf, Steve Roach, Toshinori Kondo, and Ken Koshio. He has played all around Arizona at venues such as the Music Instrument Museum, Scottsdale Center for The Performing Arts, Tempe Center for The Arts, and the Berger Performing Arts Center as well as yoga studios and other intimate venues across the Valley. He has studied music traditions from around the world such as Indian Tabla, Australian Didgeridoo, Japanese Taiko drumming, and West African Djembe. He has blended styles of music including tribal, electronica, ambient, hip-hop, and jazz, thus defying traditional notions of genres and styles. Dash‘s music is informed by the need to create a healthy relationship between technology and nature, unite the ancient with the modern and bridge the difference between cultures to create more harmony where it may not have existed otherwise.
Kimberly Braun >> Kimberly, impelled from her earliest childhood experiences and her NDE at the age of 19, spent over a decade as a Carmelite monastic nun exploring the path of Presence and then obtained her master’s degree in theology and formal ordination. Having explored the many facets of self-realization and the essence of Being, she lives to inspire others to connect to, and live from, Divine Love at their center with great freedom and joy. Kimberly is a TEDx speaker, Reiki Master, international speaker and retreat leader, and former meditation faculty at the renowned Omega Institute. She has served tens of thousands of people through her writing, speaking, retreats, online courses, and community. Her latest books are Miracles in the Naked Light and Beloved Found, Poems from the Source.
Catherine A. Weissenberg >> Catherine is an author, speaker, spiritual communication facilitator, and evidential medium. For over 30 years, she has been sharing her ability to communicate with Source, the deceased, and coma patients. Catherine credits her own near-death experience at age 18 in activating her evidential mediumship. This gift has enabled hundreds of people to communicate with their deceased loved ones. She is coauthor of the book Beyond Ever After: A Heart-to-Heart Journey Through Death and the Afterlife, the true story of how Catherine’s mediumship skills facilitated her client to have detailed conversations with her comatose husband and to continue their dialogues after his death. Catherine supports people in realizing they are inherently and eternally connected to each other by love in this reality and beyond.
Kim Cantin >> Kim is a survivor of the 2018 Montecito, California mudslides that killed 23 people, including her husband and son, and that buried her daughter alive. Kim shares her personal transformation during the more-than-three-year search for the remains of her teenage son. The messages from across the veil and synchronicities helped her heal, transform, and aid the search and miraculous find. Kim is the author of the award winning Where Yellow Flowers Bloom, A True Story of Hope through Unimaginable Loss. She has been interviewed on ELLEN TV, featured in Rob Lowe’s documentary Madness in the Hills, and featured in Reebok Founder Joe Foster’s new book How to Survive and Thrive. She is a former executive in the medical device business sector who now lives in Santa Barbara with her daughter and their two dogs.
Nathan Castle >> Fr. Nathan has helped more than 500 “stuck” and not-so-stuck souls who died suddenly and traumatically to adjust to the afterlife. Victims of fires, automobile accidents, shootings, stabbings, drownings, and suicides come to him in his dreams seeking help to resolve their Interrupted Death Experiences. Father Nathan believes that providing such help is something the Holy Spirit has given him and his prayer partners to do. In his Afterlife, Interrupted: books, Father Nathan is quick to point out that not everyone who dies suddenly gets stuck. He is the author of And Toto, Too: The Wizard of Oz as a Spiritual Adventure and Afterlife, Interrupted (Books 1 and 2): Helping Stuck Souls Cross Over. His new book is Afterlife, Interrupted Book 3: Please Let Me Explain.
Stephanie Chase Bradbury >> Stephanie has been an Episcopal priest for 28 years and has professionally counseled many people who have had NDEs and STEs. She herself has had a number of mystical experiences beginning at age 6. Stephanie is drawn to the bright overlap between matter and spirit and to the intertwining of life in this reality with the transcendent. She feels called to act as a translator to a world that is often blind to the astonishing wonder of All That Is and to help facilitate the integration of those who have been touched by the extraordinary. Stephanie has led NDE retreats and lectures at churches, spoken at IANDS conferences, been interviewed for podcasts, and writes a newsletter on the intersection between Christianity and transcendent experiences. Rev. Stephanie serves an Episcopal Church in Massachusetts.
David Maginley >> For 25 years, David Maginley has counseled those facing cancer and other life-threatening conditions at the QEII Health Sciences Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. He has also survived cancer four times, which resulted in a profound near-death experience. David is a specialist with the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC), a Lutheran minister, a Therapeutic Touch teacher, and the award-winning author of Beyond Surviving: Cancer and Your Spiritual Journey. David speaks internationally on meaning in suffering, the wisdom of grief, mindfulness, death and dying, mystical phenomena, compassion fatigue, and integrative spirituality. His new book, Early Exits: Spirituality, Mortality and Meaning in an Age of Medical Assistance in Dying, will be released in 2024.
Paul Sperry >> Paul is a systems scientist and former executive director of a University of Colorado research institute of over 500 colleagues. He has been on boards of directors with the Society for Scientific Exploration, the Conference on World Affairs, and BoulderExo where he has given talks and moderated many panels. His passions include addressing societal problems through interdisciplinary approaches and recognizing our roles and opportunities in the grander reality we are co-creating together. Paul and his wife Maryann have been active in IANDS for the past four years and love living at the base of the Rockies in Longmont, CO.
PMH Atwater >> PMH, began her research of the near-death phenomenon in 1978, after having had three such experiences in three months in 1977. To date, her work covers nearly 5,000 adult and child experiencers. Some of her findings have been verified in clinical studies, among them the prospective study done in Holland and published in the peer-reviewed general medical journal, The Lancet. She created and incorporated Inner Forum, Idaho’s first metaphysical non-profit organization, and over 3,000 people have participated in its programs. She is the author of 20 books, including Edge Walker, and is currently working on a book about her research study on aliens and the near-death experience.
UNABLE TO ATTEND – Paola Harris >> Paola is an Italo-American award winning photojournalist and investigative reporter in the field of extraterrestrial related phenomena research. She is an in-demand international speaker. She is also a widely published freelance writer, especially in Europe. Her books have been translated into Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, and Chinese. She produces the annual StarworksUSA conference in Laughlin, NV, and several other in-person and online consciousness events each year.
Catherine Chapey >> Catherine has had a lifetime of spiritually transformative experiences, including being a contactee of many various UFO’s, ETs, inter-dimensional beings, and orbs–phenomena she has documented over the past 18 years through journaling, photography, and film. She is an Ordained InterSpiritual Minister, Certified Spiritual Counselor, spiritualist medium, healer, and trance channel for “The Council of Light.” Catherine is also a Certified Hypnotist and a Level 2 Quantum Healing Hypnosis Technique (QHHT) Hypnotist who trained in 2014 with the late Dolores Cannon, developer of QHHT. Catherine is also a Certified Facilitator/Moderator for IANDS Sharing Groups, and a Facilitator for IANDS’s new monthly topic sharing group UFO/ET/NDE. For several years she has hosted and facilitated her own monthly sharing groups in support of spiritual experiencers, now on Zoom: “Safe Space Sharing,” “UFO ET Experiencers,” and “Spiritual Experiencers.”
Chris O’Connor >> Chris is founder and owner of the DEEMS Company, created to help humanity evolve spiritually while learning all aspects of self-healing. Chris has had formative experiences working with off world species where he learned medical technologies and has now brought some of that technology to the world. Chris has also been in close contact with his spirit guides for many years and relies on them daily, while helping others communicate with their guides as well. Chris has memories of many past lives and remembers the actual process of choosing his parents and programming his life experiences. Chris’s heart-lead mission is to assist humanity during this time of great transition and to remember the power they possess while bringing a message of love-based hope for the future of the human species on Earth.
Christian Sundberg >> As a young child, Christian remembered his existence before coming to Earth. Although that memory left him completely for his early adult life, it spontaneously returned 14 years ago as he took up a meditation practice and went through a personal awakening journey that included out-of-body experiences (OBEs). Christian has presented at over 100 public speaking events, seeking to remind others, in at least a small part, of who we really are beneath the human “play.” Professionally, Christian has worked for 16 years as a project manager for complex nuclear pump and valve manufacturing projects and also works currently for an insurance company. Christian authored the book A Walk in the Physical in which he strove to describe succinctly the larger spiritual context in which we exist and the importance of love in our human journey.
Michelle Clare >> Featured on Coast to Coast AM multiple times and on Gaia TV, Michelle Clare is a Certified Medium, angel intuitive, spiritual coach, medical intuitive, energetic healer, and three-time near-death experience (NDE) survivor. Over a span of 11 years, she had three NDEs: the first in April 2000, the second in May 2006, and a monumental, life-changing event in which Michelle suffered a traumatic brain injury on November 1, 2011. Shortly after this last event, she began receiving information for other people from their loved ones who had transitioned. All three NDEs served as a reminder of an unconditional love and connection that surpasses our Earthly life. Michelle’s journey of discovery continued with two shared death experiences. Her journey is marked by resilience and profound transformation. Today, Michelle uses her gifts to illuminate the paths of healing and self-discovery for others.
Sue Frederick >> Sue is an ordained Unity Minister, clairaudient, Soul Regression Therapist, angelic realm channel, and master numerologist. She channels messages and prayers from the angelic realm and receives wisdom from guides to help people heal grief and find purpose. She uses sacred numerology and mystical information in her books and teachings. Sue is the author of 11 books, including Through a Divine Lens: Practices to Quiet Your Ego and Align with Your Soul and The Sacred Numerology Workbook. As a student of numerology since 1980, she brings a deeply enlightened perspective to using numbers as navigational guidance tools for deciphering the soul’s journey.
David A. Williamson >> David, a native of Yanceyville, NC, had a near-death experience in 2017 that changed how he views this life and what it means to be a human being. For most of his life he had been deeply effected by several phenomena including identity confusion, racial narratives and racial trauma, general trauma, and rigid orientations towards ideology and personality. During his NDE, as his dying/dead body lay in the emergency room, he hovered above it and came to some realizations about his life that presented him with the opportunity to ground and integrate a different approach to living and being. He has shared his experience in podcast interviews and continues to ground and integrate practical approaches to life and ways for people to let go of lamenting and focus on creating their desired reality.
Neda Wassie >> Neda is a near-death experiencer who is pursuing a PhD in Integral and Transpersonal Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies. Neda’s mystical experiences have informed her research interests in death, love, and other non-ordinary states of consciousness. Her NDE account is featured in Death as an Altered State of Consciousness: A Scientific Approach by Imants Barušs, and her current writing is published in The International Journal of Transpersonal Psychology. In her private practice, Neda integrates transpersonal psychology with mental wellness and helps individuals navigate their own exceptional human experiences. She also offers a simulated near-death experience (s-NDE) to facilitate after-death communication, near-death integration, and the resolution of grief and death anxiety.
Norman Klaunig >> Norman is a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate in Texas. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision at the University of the Cumberlands. His interest in near-death and other transpersonal experiences started during his youth. Now, Norman identifies as a transpersonal counselor, integrating the spiritual dimension into the counseling process. He has a virtual counseling practice serving all of Texas. Norman has extensively studied and continues to study the NDE/STE literature and has contributed to the Journal of Near-Death Studies and the IANDS magazine Vital Signs.
Brianna Lafferty >> After a 22-year journey grappling with an “incurable” neurological movement disorder, Brianna Lafferty had a profound near-death experience in 2017 that ignited her major life transformation. This pivotal moment sparked a remarkable metamorphosis, unlocking her innate divine healing power to conquer the once “incurable” affliction. She is now an award-winning author, international speaker, and passionate Death & Spiritual Doula. Guiding others on transformative journeys, she empowers individuals to birth into their authentic selves and helps others liberates themselves from chronic illness. With unwavering passion, Bri also lends compassionate support in navigating end-of-life transitions and challenges, weaving a tapestry of resilience and inspiration.
Jill Lafferty >> Jill, wife of husband Ed and mother of daughters Brianna and Tara, has the experience of partnering a spouse and parenting children with transpersonal experiences, including a child with an NDE.
Tara Lafferty >> Tara holds an MS in Health Psychology. She has worked primarily in paralegal and real estate roles within her state of Colorado. Her interest in near-death and similar topics started within her own home environment while she was growing up. Working currently as a legal secretary, Tara is also working in her free time on her own spiritual revelations via her book Lessons With God, which walks the reader through her spiritually transformative experiences.
Betty Guadagno >> Betty had a near-death-like experience in March of 2019 that transformed her life 180 degrees. Betty went from a drug-addicted sex worker and self-described radical atheist to a devout believer in long term recovery, manifesting a life of meaning and purpose beyond her wildest dreams. Betty currently lives in Brooklyn, NY, and works as a recovery/life coach. During her integration process, she felt an incredible pull towards establishing spiritual community in her life. Since December, 2020, she has been connected to the IANDS community, and she now serves as webinar coordinator for IANDS Groups and Events and hosts IANDS’s podcast Explore the Extraordinary.
Alysa Rushton >> Alysa, also known as the “Divine Superpowers Activator,” is a near-death survivor and energy intuitive who is considered one of the world’s most cutting edge thought leaders on conscious life creation and ascension. She is also the founder of the internationally accredited Divine Light Energy Healers Academy where she teaches the healing tools she learned on the other side to coaches, healers, and entrepreneurs. Alysa has inspired thousands of light leaders, students, clients, and listeners from all over the globe to step into their true identity as Divine beings of light and activate their superpowers. When she’s not teaching or speaking internationally, she can usually be found swimming with the sea turtles near her home on the Big Island of Hawaii or hiking in the mountains of Arizona–her home away from home.
After Death is a gripping film that explores the afterlife based on real near-death experiences, conveyed by scientists, authors, and survivors. From the New York Times bestselling authors who brought you titles like 90 Minutes in Heaven, Imagine Heaven, and To Heaven and Back, emerges a cinematic peek into the unknown that examines the spiritual and scientific dimensions of mortality, inviting viewers to contemplate the possibility of life after death.
Christopher Rosing >> Christopher experienced so much early trauma and bullying that, at the age of 12, he set himself on fire. Surviving but being scarred forever–an outcast who felt unlovable, he first sought escape through addiction. But his search for deeper meaning and identity led to his awakening at the University of Connecticut while working as Kenneth Ring’s lead researcher on The Omega Project, which compared the transformational aftereffects of NDEs and UFO experiences. Through this work, Christopher met his wife Adrianne, who gifted him a shared death experience when she passed away in 2015. After her death, Christopher discovered Bon Buddhism, which completely transformed his life as he reconnected to the Light through Dzogchen Meditation. Dzogchen means “the great perfection” and is beyond religion or culture, as it is inherent in all sentient beings.
Leena Zafary >> Born in Kabul, Afghanistan, Leena Zafary arrived in the US at age 7, a naturally curious seeker. She became deeply interested in physical health, foods, herbs, and natural remedies and in 2003 opened her own health-focused café. In 2014, Leena underwent a near-death experience (NDE). She learned more about the reality of NDEs and discovered that her own NDE had opened a spiritual door for her. Leena’s passion has since expanded to encompass not only physical but spiritual wellness. From the sound and vibrational cadence of her clients’ voices, using Bio-Acoustic Vocal Analysis, Leena is able to extract information about their state of health and wellness, decode whatever is vibrationally off balance, and offer them healing insights.
Evan Premo, BM >> Musician Evan Premo creates heart-centered music that inspires audiences and musicians alike. His music has been commissioned by the Pittsburgh Symphony Chamber Orchestra, River Town Duo, the International Society of Bassists, The Pine Mountain Music Festival, Capitol City Concerts, and the Montpelier Chamber Orchestra. Evan is a member of Decoda with which he has performed in residencies around the world. As a member of Ensemble Connect, Evan has performed in concerts at Carnegie Hall. Evan resides in Vermont where he is Founder co-Artistic Director of Scrag Mountain Music with his wife, soprano Mary Bonhag. He is also Founder and Artistic Director of Beethoven and Banjos, a residency that brings together folk and classical musicians for cross-genre concerts in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Mary Lydia Ryan >> Mary Lydia Ryan, critically acclaimed vocalist, pianist, composer, creator of Spa Opera®, utilizes her musical, mystical and spiritual gifts to support, uplift, and encourage the unique magnificence in individuals to be called forth. As seen and heard on Seattle and worldwide stages: TEDx, Whisperings Solo Piano Radio, One World Music Radio, and through group and individual sound transmission sessions, Mary’s aim is to bring greater light and consciousness evolution to our world.
Robert Christophor Coppes holds a PhD in economics. His conviction that NDEs are true spiritual experiences dates back to 1979 after reading Raymond Moody’s book “Life after Life.” His most recent book contains hundreds of quotes of more than 100 NDErs, and he says that in fact NDErs are the writers of this book. In 2006, he wrote a book in which he compared the essences of NDEs with those of five world religions. A few years later he wrote “Messages from The Light”, which was also translated in Dutch and German.
Cherie Aimée, BA >> Cherie Aimée is a world-renowned near-death survivor and storyteller who shares about her extraordinary crossing over experience. Diagnosed with cancer, after undergoing chemotherapy, she suffered sudden cardiac arrest and was dead for over 90 minutes. Through a series of miracles, her life was saved but not without years of advanced medical care, rehabilitation and a heart transplant. Cherie is known as a ‘medical miracle.’ Her case is studied by the top cardiothoracic surgeons, doctors, engineers and resuscitation teams around the world. Cherie is an award-winning, global speaker and has been featured on The Dr. Oz Show, ABC, FOX, NBC TODAY Show and many other notable shows.
Jody Long, JD >> Jody Long is a retired attorney. She is webmaster for the Near Death Experience Research Foundation (NDERF) for the past 20 years and provides support and a forum for NDErs and those who want to know about the afterlife. She has several decades of experience researching paranormal and related phenomena. She is also webmaster for After Death Communication Research Foundation (ADCRF) and the other consciousness experience website which is everything that is not an NDE or ADC (OBERF). She is the author of From Soul to Soulmate: Bridges from Near Death Experience Wisdom and God’s Fingerprints: Impressions of Near Death Experiences, which was the first book of its genre published in mainland.
Sky Pelletier Waterpeace >> Sky Waterpeace is a mathematician, author, and explorer of consciousness. Sky is an Outreach Trainer for the Monroe Institute, and he has been a prolific lucid dreamer since the age of five. A man of many interests, Sky has written an annotation to the well-known Army Intelligence analysis of the Gateway Process at the Monroe Institute and a book on efficient training methods for endurance athletes which has sold in over a dozen countries. He is the co-author of two textbooks on Complex Analysis, an advanced subject in mathematics, and is the author of one published novel.
Debbie James, MSN, RN, CCRN-K >> Debbie James has worked in the Adult Critical Care arena for the last 44 years as a clinical nurse, nurse manager, nurse educator, and Clinical Nurse Specialist. She is a certified bereavement facilitator and formed two support groups in San Antonio: one for NDErs and one for organ donor families. She is a current IANDS Board member, and the Co-Chair of the IANDS Ethics Committee. Debbie co-authored and edited the first compilation of research on near-death experiences, Handbook of Near-Death Experiences: Thirty Years of Investigation.
Vincent DeVice, BSN, RN >> Vincent Device is a new graduate of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and is a registered nurse working in a hospital in Pennsylvania on the telemetry unit. Vincent began his interest in the literature of near-death experiences in high school and continued to read related content throughout his undergraduate degree and nursing studies. He has attended three IANDS annual conferences and participated as a presenter in two. In the 2022 event, Vincent served as a panelist and interviewed the distinguished near-death researcher, registered nurse, and Vietnam Veteran Diane Corcoran. He continues to be an active member in the IANDS community with the goal of fostering knowledge of near-death experiences particularly, to young adults and healthcare professionals.
Deborah King, PhD, RN >> Debora King has been a successful healthcare professional for over 40 years, working in critical care, home care and hospice, mental health, and academic settings. For many years, Dr. King was privileged to hear about NDEs, spiritually transformative experiences, and other phenomena around the time of death and after transition—from her patients, family members, and students in her roles at Bellevue, Johns Hopkins, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, in psychotherapy practice, and many other settings. Although her own formal educational preparation in nursing, clinical psychology, and research left her unprepared to compassionately respond to such experiences, her own personal journey led to powerful spiritually transformative experiences of her own, including a life-changing NDE in 2008 during cardiac arrest and coma which changed her life forever. She is passionate about sharing the universal messages of connection, compassion, and love she received during her NDE with other healthcare professionals, experiencers, and non-experiencers alike. In her current work as a professor of graduate studies at Stevenson University, Dr. King’s qualitative research class helps nursing professionals to examine the lived experience of those who have had spiritually transformative experiences in order to strengthen holistic clinical practice and self-care skills.
Deborah Snider, ThM >> Deborah has worked in healthcare and shared in the journey of NICU parents and families for over 30 years. In 1999 she had an NDE that led to a search for deeper spiritual understanding. She has volunteered for hospice, studied energy healing, shamanism, meditation, and mediumship. Deborah has taught mediation classes, presented workshops on mindfulness, and currently serves as a spiritual medium. Her greatest joy is assisting others in experiencing themselves as spirit and finding their own path to joyful service.
Michelle Clare >> Michelle Clare is a Certified Medium, Angel Intuitive, Spiritual Coach, Energetic Healer, Intuitive Life Coach and three time near-death experience (NDE) survivor. She receives messages from loved ones who have crossed over, as well as Angels and Life Guides. In a span of 11 years she had three near-death experiences including a monumental life changing event in which Michelle suffered a traumatic brain injury. Shortly after this life altering event, she started receiving information for other people from their loved ones who had transitioned. All three NDEs were a reminder of an unconditional love and connection that surpasses our earthly life. During readings, Michelle is divinely guided by the client’s Spirit Team to lovingly empower, direct, provide comfort and hope for each individual.
PMH Atwater, LHD, began her research of the near-death phenomenon in 1978, after having had three such experiences in three months in 1977. To date, her work covers nearly 5,000 adult and child experiencers. Some of her findings have been verified in clinical studies, among them the prospective study done in Holland and published in the peer-reviewed general medical journal, The Lancet. She created and incorporated Inner Forum, Idaho’s first metaphysical non-profit organization, and over 3,000 people have participated in its programs. She is the author of 18 books, including her latest book, “Edge Walker”. http://pmhatwater.com
Jennifer Aurelia (Aureliaslight) >> Aureliaslight is an award winning composer, recording artist, teacher and energy/sound healer. As a vocal coach she’s taught over 25,000 students how the incredible power of sound, intention, and frequency can heal and empower the body, mind and spirit through the energy of singing and the sacred art of music. She’s also an intuitive empath, reiki master, mystic and a mother and came into this work after her own spiritual awakening in 2007. She’s on a mission to assist humanity in raising the frequency, to know and feel their own powerful divinity and help them transform their lives through their own energetic and divine gifts. As an award-winning recording artist, singer and composer, Aureliaslight performed on albums with Deepak Chopra, Krishna Das, Paul Avgerinos and more and over the past decade has released seven albums that are currently played on XM radio, yoga and healing centers and have been streamed millions of times.
Father Nathan Castle, OP >> Father Nathan Castle has helped more than 500 “stuck” and not-so-stuck souls who died suddenly and traumatically to adjust to the afterlife. Victims of fires, automobile accidents, shootings, stabbings, drownings, and suicides come to him in his dreams seeking help to resolve their Interrupted Death Experiences. Father Nathan believes that providing such help is something the Holy Spirit has given him and his prayer partners to do. In his Afterlife Interrupted books, Father Nathan is quick to point out that not everyone who dies suddenly gets stuck. He also addresses questions like: Is death survivable? What does he do to help people cross over? Does time exist in the afterlife? Do deceased relatives help us adjust to moving through our deaths.
David Maginley, MDiv >> Rev. David Maginley is an interfaith spiritual counselor at the QEII Health Sciences Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and award-winning author of Beyond Surviving: Cancer and Your Spiritual Journey. He is featured in the documentaries Here Right Now, and When You Die. David has also survived cancer four times, which resulted in a profound near-death experience and explorations in the connection of body, mind and spirit. He knows cancer from both sides of the hospital bed, and this life from both sides of the veil.
Bridget Cook-Burch, BA >> Clients call Bridget “The Book Whisperer.” A New York Times bestselling author, mentor, and speaker known for riveting stories of transformation, her work has been showcased on Oprah, Dateline, Netflix, GMA, NPR, among others. Bridget’s own intense NDE changed her life—and the story she was telling herself. This set her on the path to discover other extraordinary stories. As CEO and founder of Your Inspired Story, Bridget offers safe space and deep experiential learning. Bridget is co-founder and former executive director of SHEROES United, a non-profit that helps women and families rise from trauma.
Caroline Chang, BA >> Caroline Chang is an inspirational speaker, author, podcast host, and mentor to many who have loved ones in spirit. Six months after her son Kyle transitioned to spirit, she was inspired to create her successful podcast, Awake 2 Oneness Radio. Caroline is also the founder of The KYLE Foundation (Keep Your Light Expanding), and Co-Founder of Universal Oneness Alliance. Her story is included in the award-winning book “We Touched Heaven”, a collection of experiences that reach beyond the veil and she has been featured in the film Rinaldi, an award-winning documentary about Instrumental Trans Communication to the Other Side.
Kevin Jeffers, MFA >> As a child growing up in a small town in Ohio, Kevin encountered many unexplained experiences and phenomena that have expanded to include consciousness shifting, soul retrieval, past life recovery, energetic healing and Soul travel. Kevin’ has written a book titled: The Pattern, An Exploration in Consciousness based on these experiences and the life-changing event that altered Kevin’s perception of life in Spirit. Kevin is an artist, a businessman in international trading who has traveled globally, and is currently engaged in construction, finance and writing his second book on his vast Soul retrieval experiences.
Cathy Gabrielsen, BS >> Cathy is an international healer and speaker, spiritual teacher, holistic Ayurvedic coach, graduate teacher of Energy Medicine, and #1 best selling author of Dying to Live: Surviving Near-Death. Cathy is the founder of Connect Thru Cancer and The Gabrielsen Healing Center. She offers private healing sessions via zoom. After two near-death experiences, once as a teen and another time recovering from cancer, Cathy experienced spiritual transformations and discovered her own paranormal gifts. Cathy learned how to heal her own anxiety, depression, and PTSD and returned to life to help others heal their mind, body, and spirit.
Oshara Waago >> Oshara is the president and founder of The Seth House which is restoring the building where Jane Roberts channeled Seth and where most of their 45 books were written including “Seth Speaks.” Plans are underway to create an open center for the study of Seth’s information and other life-affirming teachings. She was the founder and publisher of three New Age Magazines. She also channels a group of higher beings.
Leora Leon, BA >> Leora’s metaphysical experience began as a young child when she discovered the four “clairs” of intuition. She experienced two near-death experiences (NDEs), one in a boating accident when she was knocked unconscious and was underwater for 30 minutes and the other while hiking at 7,000 feet in the Angeles Forest Mountains. Both transformed her life and she learned the wonders of the multi-universe. She turned that knowledge into books, healing, and teaching people worldwide. Leora is certified in multiple metaphysical modalities, including becoming a Past Life Regression Therapist, certified by Dr. Brian Weiss, a certified Shaman, a Reiki Master/Teacher, a Channel, and an Intuitive Energy Healer.
Ritu LeBouef, MA >> Ritu is a native of India who has had numerous Spiritual experiences. While under the discipleship of her Guru, Swami Mohan Das Ji Maharaj, she had a life-changing spiritually transformative experience (STE) awakening her to profound spiritual principles, “I AM That” and that God is Love. Her experience led her to understand the essence of Sanatana Dharma (aka Hinduism). After her profound experience, Ritu left her successful IT career to share her inspirational messages to awaken others to their Eternal Truth and to practice holistic therapies to help others heal. She conducts international support circles, spiritual seminars, and workshops.
Betty Guadagno >> Betty Guadagno had a spiritually transformative experience in March of 2019. Betty underwent a 180-degree transformation from drug addict, sex worker, and radical atheist to a devout believer, in long term recovery, and working as a recovery coach. During her integration process, she felt an incredible pull towards establishing spiritual community in her life. She has been connected to the IANDS community since December of 2020. Betty began her involvement with IANDS as an attendee of our sharing groups. She quickly got involved with service to the community by volunteering as a facilitator and moderator. Betty then moved into the role of Webinar Coordinator for IANDS Groups and Events.
Mystic Chics >> Wendy, Audrey, and Mary are The Mystic Chics. That’s Chics without a “k.” Healers, authors, musicians, and family: these Modern Medicine Women offer private healing sessions in their two East Coast studios as well as ceremonial healing events around the country. Their unique combination of energy medicine skills, spiritual gifts, and family harmonies provides a transformational experience for anyone receiving their various forms of healing medicine. In the bestselling 2023 anthology, Deserts to Mountaintops, the Chics document their spiritual journey: from the trauma of early family death, to overcoming addiction, reclaiming their intuition and voice, and now, through the spiritual healing business they have created together. As published singer, song-writer musicians, their four recently released singles (Words Create, Be the Change, I Find Myself Mantra, and Awaken the Mystery) speak to the creative power we each have in every moment of our lives.
Robert Cornett, MTS >> Robert Cornett is an actor and playwright and holds a master’s degree from Harvard Divinity School where he studied conceptions of the afterlife across world religious traditions. He has done extensive study of the literature of post-mortem experience and communication. He is a certified End of Life Doula working with hospice patients and their families in New York state.
Eddie Allen >> Eddie Allen is a seasoned actor, director and playwright who has performed in numerous plays, films and television shows including The Blacklist, Blue Bloods, Bones and Seinfeld. He has performed in improv groups such as The Spolin Players and leads improvisation workshops.
Dasana Smyth >> Dasana Smyth is an Australian actor currently based in upstate New York. She is a graduate of the National Theatre Drama School. In 2017 she was drawn to the Hudson Valley to further her studies in the Michael Chekhov acting technique. Since then, she has been galivanting around the world while writing and directing theatre.
Laurie Portocarrero >> Laurie Portocarrero has been an actor and storyteller all her life, training extensively in drama and speech as well as dance, music, many healing modalities, and Waldorf teaching. She directs and teaches adults and children of all ages and abilities in the dramatic arts across two continents, is a performing member of several stage groups, and tours widely throughout the U.S, Canada, Europe, and China.
Ted Pugh >> Ted Pugh is the co-founder and co-artistic director of The Actors’ Ensemble. He has over 40 years of professional acing experience including Broadway, Off Broadway and regional theater productions. He has taught acting workshops throughout the US, Europe, Croatia and the former Soviet Union.
Vincent Ropollo >> Vincent Ropollo comes from a background of theater in NY as well as coaching and training in the Corporate world. He is currently a Board and Adjunct Faculty member of The Association for Anthroposophic Psychology (AAP).
Christina Porkert and Sarah Stosiek >> Christina and Sarah have played lyre together for over 10 years. Their duo, Voice of Silence, draws on classical music for its foundation but also expands into the realm of improvised music in quest of a renewed listening experience. Their lyre music strives to cultivate the threshold between the audible and the inaudible and invites us to deepen our listening.
Jeffrey Long, MD, is a radiation oncology physician. Over 20 years ago he founded the Near-Death Experience Research Foundation (nderf.org). Dr. Long has investigated over 4,000 near-death experiences (NDEs), which is the largest number of NDEs ever scientifically studied. The results of his previous research were published in the New York Times bestselling book Evidence of the Afterlife: The Science of Near-Death Experiences. Millions of people have seen Dr. Long discuss his research on shows, including the NBC Today Show, The Dr. Oz Show, National Geographic television, History Channel, and television broadcasts worldwide.
Ray Catania, MMsc, MCLC >> Ray Catania is an award-winning author and intuitive-medium who teaches spirituality and metaphysics in his private practice. His latest book, You Are Still Alive, Now Act Like It, is available in 52 countries. He is an NDE survivor, an ordained minister, with master certifications in life coaching, Usui Reiki, and meditation, and is working towards his doctorate degree in Metaphysical Parapsychology. In addition to his formal training experiences, Ray has also had the privilege of studying under, and training with, some of the greatest forward-thinking minds in the world, including Intuitives, Mediums, Shaman, and Energy Healers.
David Morris >> David’s 20+ year drug addiction ended with an overdose and NDE in 2007. His doctors had no explanation as to why he survived. From that day forward his addiction was gone. Today he lives a simple life of love and kindness.
Nancy Walsh >> Nancy’s relationship with her brother David was so strained during his years of addiction that she had to walk away. After learning about his NDE, her spiritual journey began and together they healed. Today their relationship is a bond of deep love and connection which has helped her through the loss of her husband Dick.
Kat Sanders >> Kat flatlined in 2010 from a massive brain hemorrhage. Her beautiful visit to the afterlife revealed the continuation of life and the connection between all living things. Once she pierced that veil, it would remain open to her. But returning to the physical world was a challenge. She experienced the roadblocks suffered by millions of people with similar experiences. Naysaying family members, churches, and friends made her feel uncomfortable about sharing her story. Nevertheless, over the ensuing months, Kat’s unique abilities became undeniably real. She has since evolved into a medium and medical intuitive. She authored a self-help book Unstoppable Life and was featured on an episode of the A&E TV series I Survived, Beyond And Back. She passionately shares her amazing NDE with IANDS groups and various organizations.
Mary Lydia Ryan >> Mary Lydia, critically acclaimed vocalist, pianist, composer, and creator of Spa Opera® utilizes her musical, mystical, and spiritual gifts to call forth, support, uplift, and encourage each individual’s unique magnificence. As seen and heard on Seattle and worldwide stages, including TEDx, Whisperings Solo Piano Radio, and One World Music Radio, as well as through group and individual sound transmission sessions, Mary’s offerings are designed to bring greater light and consciousness evolution to the world.
Scott Taylor >> Scott is president of the Expanded Awareness Institute (EAI). EAI helps people curious about near-death experiences (NDEs) and shared death experiences (SDEs) explore what those experiences mean to them and to our human culture. His YouTube podcast The Afterlife Files, is rated in the top 20% worldwide. On the faculty of The Shift Network, Scott teaches NDE meditation for his course The Bi-Location Phenomenon.
Debbie James >> After completing her master’s thesis on disclosure of near-death experiences (NDEs), Debbie James was appointed to the board of directors of the International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS). In 2009, Debbie co-authored and edited the first compilation of research on NDEs, The Handbook of Near-Death Experiences: Thirty Years of Investigation. Inspired by her belief in the art and science of nursing practice and education, Debbie has focused her career on the advancement of safe, evidence-based patient-centered care.
Vincent “Vinney” Tolman >> Vinney was born in Arlington, Texas and raised in California and Utah. Growing up, Vinney would feel the most comfortable in the mountains by his home. He had his first brush with death as a newborn, then again at age 14 with an embolism after being hit by a truck. An active Rugby player in high school and college, Vinney has lived in Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam and maintains a conversational fluency in Vietnamese. A home builder for most of his life, and having worked in television and film production, his favorite job is being a teacher and light-worker, someone who helps others discover and find their own light and divine path. He is a spirit coach, licensed reverend, teacher, master energy practitioner, healer, and trauma specialist who helps people access the roots of their own healing. He is the author of The Light After Death: My Journey To Heaven and Back.
Marina Weiler >> Marina is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, Division of Perceptual Studies, University of Virginia. She is a trained neuroscientist with a background in neuroimaging and cognitive neuroscience. Marina’s contributions to the field have earned her prestigious awards from institutions such as Fundação Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES, Brazil), the Brazilian Academy of Neurology, the National Institutes of Health (NIH, U.S.), the Templeton World Charity Foundation, and the Bigelow Institute for Consciousness Studies. Outside the realm of academia, Dr. Weiler finds profound fulfillment in her role as a devoted mother to her lively 8-year-old child. With an adventurous spirit and a penchant for imaginative play, her child’s aspirations often veer toward the fantastical, including dreams of reincarnation as a feline and a fascination with crashing planes.
Yvonne Sneeden >> Prior to her NDEs, Yvonne’s professional career background included working in the foreign diplomatic service in Europe. Since her profound experiences, Yvonne is striving to bring the elements of the NDE into her daily life and her interaction with others. Together with Robert Neal Marshall, Yvonne is executive co-producer of Back From The Light, a documentary film focusing on near-death experience survivors and their aftereffects, now available at amazon.com. Yvonne works currently in a global IT company–a position that has enabled her to meet people from around the world with very different backgrounds. Through the course of her career, she realized that regardless of the level of social and public influence people exercise, we are all on a journey towards learning how to love, if we allow the traumas and challenges of lessons learned to bring us into a higher spiritual inner place.
Keyaunoosh Kassauei, MD >> Keyaunoosh is an international medical graduate who continued her medical education with a post-doctoral research fellowship at The Johns Hopkins Hospital School of Medicine in the US. Enlightened by her NDE in 2006, she founded My Conscious Coaching Group as a 501C3 coaching nonprofit in 2018 with a mission to heal and care for the Whole-Self and a vision to raise self and global awareness for a conscious mind through education and application of EQ/SQ (Emotional Intelligence and Spiritual/Deep intelligence) for humanity and citizens of Earth. Keyaunoosh is a Certified EI Coach and EICC Meta Coach (Emotional Intelligence Certified MetaCoach) from Goleman & Beyond EI, with a focus on coaching physicians and leaders in healthcare and education.
Shaun G. Lether >> Shaun is the Group Leader of Hawaiian IANDS. Shaun is a multiple near-death and spiritually transformative experiencer and a highly sensitive person (HSP), an empath with mediumship gifts. He was previously a successful marketing and real estate businessman and a Licensed California Landscape Contractor. After a profound NDE and during a spiritual emergency in 2019, Shaun started a small sharing group to support NDErs and STErs in Hawaii which has grown to become Hawaiian IANDS with over 6,000 members worldwide. Shaun has learned that as he helps others heal, so he is healed. He facilitates experiencers’ sharing groups with many spiritual organizations as well as groups for PTSD trauma survivors, and he runs Life After Death Facebook groups with a combined membership of over 850,000 followers. Shaun is a passionate student and teacher of A Course in Miracles as well as a devotee of Paramahansa Yogananda.
Leena Zafary >> Leena is a beacon of transformation, drawing from her journey as a survivor of near-death and spiritually transformative experiences. As an intuitive energy healer, author, and speaker, she offers profound insights and healing modalities to guide individuals on their paths to wholeness. Leena’s compassionate approach and extensive expertise in Reiki, BioAcoustic Research, and HeartMath facilitation empower clients to achieve balance and vitality in their lives. Beyond her professional endeavors, Leena finds joy in spending time with her family, exploring nature, and delving into spiritual practices like music, dancing, and cooking that nourish her soul.
Melinda Peterson >> Melinda is an Intuitive health practitioner, registered nurse, motivational speaker, energy healer, yoga teacher, loss mama, adoptive mama, near-death experiencer (NDEr), and entrepreneur. One of the most profound changes that arose from her NDE was being called from her previous career as an environmental scientist to a career in nursing. Melinda has expanded her nursing practice by using a vision from her NDE to create the Scarlit Center, a global movement helping people connect to their bodies’ inner wisdom through workshops, movement, and nourishment to enable them to lead luminous lives. Melinda lives in Fort Collins, Colorado, with her daughter, son in spirit, husband, and poodle. She prefers tea over coffee, always takes an opportunity to pet a dog, and enjoys a nearby unfrozen lake via paddle board and frozen lake via ice skates.
Steven Noack >> Steve is a near-death experiencer and a quantum healer. At four years old, he was struck by a motor vehicle, and during his NDE he awoke with a being of light who showed him the quantum field and its potential for humanity. Later in his life the same being made contact again along with others to guide him in healing both himself and others. He learned how to process and discharge physical pain and has also overcome addiction and the associated roots of childhood trauma, and he now enjoys guiding others to do the same. Steve has been both speaker and healer at events such as IANDS in North Carolina and has also appeared on Coast to Coast radio. Steve shares his gifts with clients from around the world with the hope that they are able to experience their own unique potential to heal.
Robert and Suzanne Mays have studied NDE phenomena together for over 45 years, although neither has had an NDE. They are particularly interested in veridical perceptions during NDEs and apparent interactions during NDEs between the NDEr and physical reality, as well as the neurological evidence of the interaction of the nonmaterial mind with the brain during ordinary consciousness. Among other areas, they focus on the social and moral implications of NDEs and prebirth memories including NDErs’ prophetic visions of world events and the question of when human life begins.
Maria Lupita Gurule >> Maria survived death after giving birth to her second child on June 5, 2000, when she spent eight eternal minutes in heaven reconnecting with her StarPurpose. This experience awakened her dormant extrasensory abilities and helped prepare her for the reality-bending, transformative experiences that followed. Maria Lupita is a world-renowned thought leader, wisdom keeper, and intuitive soul reader (psychic medium). She has spent nearly 25 years straddling two dimensions, accessing the Sacred Living Library meant to help people around the world ignite their light, learn the language of their souls, and discover their peace and purpose. Maria Lupita is considered a second-generation Star Being, incarnate on Earth as part of the second wave of volunteers who are ushering in the Golden Age of the New Earth. She is writing her first book.
Rafael Garcia >> Rafael is a Native American Shaman from Mexico residing in San Diego, California, with his wife Linda. He has a BA in International Business and has traveled the world for 20 years, living in 11 countries. In 2004, Rafael had a spiritual transformative experience and an awakening of consciousness that led him to understand the fabric of the cosmos. Rafael is a Healer and Life Coach teaching about reincarnation, life lessons, parallel lives, the 12 dimensions and quantum jumping. He is currently working on three books with his wife Linda, titled Highlights of the Afterlife, Project Utopia 2025 and Q&A with the Cosmos. Rafael’s mission is to use his insights gained from his experiences to launch Project Utopia 2025 with his wife and help transform our current political and economical systems to serve all of humanity and achieve world peace.
Joseph Banks >> Joseph has steered a small nonprofit organization in Portland, Oregon, called Pia Domu, which is Latin for “Loving Home.” Pia Domu aims to bring the loving warmth of the eternal Loving Home into one’s life and current experience and to promote the inspiration that by living one’s life to the fullest, one learns the true meaning of “Eternal Life.”
Marieta Pehlivanova is a research faculty member at the Division of Perceptual Studies at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. Her research focuses primarily on near-death experiences and children reporting past-life memories, with a deep interest in changing the clinical culture surrounding the reporting of these and similar experiences. Marieta holds a PhD in Experimental Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor’s degree in Statistics from American University. Before academia, she pursued a career as a statistician in medical research.
Curtis Childs >> Curtis is the Chief Visionary Officer for the nonprofit Swedenborg Foundation. He is the creator and host of the Off The Left Eye media network which explores the profound and expansive spiritual experiences of the 18th century scientist and seer Emanuel Swedenborg. Curtis’s content works to make spiritual concepts easy to understand and apply and has been viewed over 50 million times worldwide. Curtis is an international speaker and has appeared on a wide variety of media programs.
Laurie Majka >> Laurie has become a beacon of hope and inspiration through her YouTube channel where she interviews individuals with near-death experiences (NDEs) and transformative spiritual journeys. Her channel and artwork, focusing on spiritual awakening and the power of personal connections beyond death, has touched millions worldwide. Laurie’s most profound spiritual journey began with the passing of her Soul Mate Mark, the lead guitarist for Starship, whose signs from the beyond have profoundly transformed her life. Author of Signs Surround You – Love Never Dies, Laurie shares her and Mark’s love story and the hundreds of signs she’s received, showcasing the enduring power of love. Her work, including over 150 videos and 400 inspirational paintings, aims to awaken Souls to the omnipresence of their loved ones and the eternal nature of love.
Connie Fusella >> Connie is a professional evidential psychic medium and spiritual teacher who serves a worldwide clientele. A natural born medium, she began seeing and hearing Spirit as a small child. Her second NDE in her early 20s guided her on a spiritual journey toward her current vocation. Connie’s passion and soul’s purpose are to bring love, healing, and comfort to others through highly evidential and meaningful Spirit communications, validating that our departed loved ones and pets never leave us. In April 2021, Connie became a Certified Medium with The Forever Family Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the understanding of afterlife science through research and education while providing support and healing for the bereaved. She volunteers her mediumship for grief retreats, fundraisers, Signs of Life Radio, and charities and is featured as “The Psychic Next Door” in the book She Shines, a collection of interviews and stories about unique and inspirational women.
Sarina Baptista >> Sarina is an author, international speaker, spiritual teacher, and evidential psychic medium. She has two award-winning books, Finding Love and Purpose, and My View From Heaven. She was a featured speaker for the “Life, Death, and Beyond” International Conference in Crete, Greece, and has presented at IANDS conferences. Sarina discovered her gifts through her own tragedy: the passing of her seven-year-old son in March 2007. She learned that her son did not really die. Rather, he was still very close, and he led her to her incredible gifts.
Janice Miner Holden >> Jan grew up in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, USA. After earning a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology with honors from the University of Illinois, she taught high school psychology for 11 years and was a high school counselor for one year while she earned her master’s and doctoral degrees in counselor education at Northern Illinois University. Since completing her EdD in 1988, she served 31 years on the University of North Texas (UNT) Counseling Program faculty—12 of those years as chair of the Department of Counseling & Higher Education. In 2019 she retired as professor emerita of Counseling. Beginning with her doctoral dissertation, Dr. Holden’s primary research focus has been counseling implications of near-death experiences, after-death communication, and other transpersonal experiences—those that transcend the usual personal limits of space, time, identity, and influence. In this research area she has over 50 refereed journal publications and over 100 national and international presentations; served as lead editor of the 2009 Handbook of Near-Death Experiences: Thirty Years of Investigation, and co-edited the Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling’s (ASERVIC’s) 2017 Connecting Soul, Spirit, Mind, and Body: A Collection of Spiritual and Religious Perspectives and Practices in Counseling. Since 2008 she has served as editor-in-chief of the International Association for Near-Death Studies’s (IANDS’s) scholarly Journal of Near-Death Studies. She is a Texas Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor and an American Center for the Integration of Spiritually Transformative Experiences (ACISTE [pronounced “assist”]) Certified Mental Health Professional. For her career-long research on and advocacy for people who have had transpersonal experiences, Jan was awarded ASERVIC’s 2013 Research Award and the American Counseling Association’s 2015 Gilbert and Kathleen Wrenn Award for a Humanitarian and Caring Person. For her outstanding and sustained contributions to scholarly-creative activity, teaching, and service, Jan received the UNT Foundation’s 2019 Eminent Faculty Award, one of the highest faculty achievements whose recipient serves as an inspiration for the entire UNT community. In early 2020, Jan served for 10 days as an International Visiting Scholar at Massey University in Palmerston North, New Zealand. Since 2020 she has served as IANDS’s president.
Aaron Sabori >> Aaron Sabori is a member of the Gila River Indian Community. His parents were the late Manuel and Marjorie Sabori. He was raised in the Village of Komatke in District Six. Aaron is an artist, who utilizes his Akimel O’Odham culture to design jewelry, paintings, sculptures, and murals. He is best known for creating art pieces from the Saguaro Cactus rib. Aaron has worked for the Gila River Indian Community as a paralegal both at the Office of Water Rights and the Defense Service Office. Aaron credits his Grandfather, Francis Peters, and various elders in Komatke and Santa Cruz village for teaching him about the Akimel O’odham culture. He has shared his knowledge to encourage cultural immersion throughout the community by demonstrating his artwork and providing technical consultation to Gila River Indian Community (GRIC) entities.
Felice DiMartino >> Felice is an international speaker, educational consultant, spiritual mentor, and soul-full guide committed to collaboratively creating experiences of self-empowerment and personal transformation. Eight years ago, after a series of traumatic events that threw her into Resiliency Bootcamp, Felice was hit by a truck. In addition to sustaining multiple injuries, she had a near-death experience during which she was shown the nature of life, death, and the spaces between. Returning with activated extrasensory awareness and continued connection with higher realms of light, Felice combines her personal journey of resiliency; 30 years as a Montessori educator; in-depth study with spiritual teachers and indigenous elders; certifications in several healing modalities including yoga, meditation, and mindfulness; neuroscience technologies; and insights gleaned in her NDE to assist adults of all ages in cultivating a deeper connection with their spiritual self and an alignment of body, mind, and soul.
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IANDS is the original organization dedicated to supporting experiencers, educating interested people, and researching the near-death and related spiritual experiences.
IANDS is the original organization dedicated to supporting experiencers, educating interested people, and researching the near-death and related spiritual experiences.
