Explore the Extraordinary >>
Rebecca is an Occupational Therapist, Fellow of the American OT Association, and Reiki Master. She teaches Reiki at national conferences and universities, along with teaching after-death communication both in-person and online. Becky had a profound Spiritual Transformative Experience and Shared Death Experience when she discovered the ability to communicate with her deceased brother even though she initially had no psychic or spiritual awareness. She has initiated five private practices including one that grew to a staff of 350 therapists. Becky is the Healing Coordinator at IANDS and is honored to serve on the Ethics Committee. Her award-winning book Change Maker, How My Brother’s Death Woke Up My Life will be available at the IANDS bookstore.
Peter Panagore, MDiv, 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.
Peter Panagore, MDiv, 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.
Emilie Thomas, MA, LMFT, is a certified Outreach Trainer and Guest Trainer at the Monroe Institute in Virginia. Having explored the endless dimensions of human consciousness through various types of meditation since she was a child, Emilie learned early on that death is a passage and not an end. In her preliminary training to become a licensed psychotherapist in California, Emilie served as a hospital chaplain, where she had the opportunity and privilege of midwifing patients’ transitions—a privilege that eventually extended into her personal life as well with her own loved ones. Emilie now has a transpersonal psychotherapy practice in Virginia where she practices relationship centered therapy, focusing on finding meaning, connection, and purpose for our sojourns in this life.
A mathematician and hyper-rational former atheist, Sky Pelletier Waterpeace had two NDEs several years apart, the first at age 20 where he experienced a vivid NDE while a pedestrian in a car crash. This led ultimately to a complete transformation of his understanding of reality and of the nature of his true self. One result of this understanding has been the elimination of conscious fear of death, along with a willingness to pursue what he believes to be the right path for this human lifetime without fear of judgement. Sky believes this conveys great freedom in life and earnestly desires to share this experience of freedom with others.
After almost suffering a widow-maker heart attack at the young age of 42, author Jeff Janssen sought answers to Life’s Biggest Questions like: who am I, why are we here, and what happens to us when we die? After studying over 5,000 NDEs, Jeff synthesized their findings into the 10 Life-Changing Lessons from Heaven so he and others could benefit from their profound wisdom. Because learning about the Life Review had such a profound impact on his life, he then wrote Your Life’s Ripple Effect. Jeff has also written a book for those grieving the loss of loved ones called Comforting Truths from Heaven and one for kids who have lost a loved one called What You’ll Learn in Heaven.
Brian Smith 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.
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.
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.
Dr. 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. Dr. Williams is a passionate author and keynote speaker whose focus is empowering patients and families in critical and end-of-life decision-making. Her book, It’s OK to Die and companion website are tools devoted to transforming the end of life into a time of peace, closure and healing. Dr. Monica has lectured from Princeton to LA and her work has appeared in the New York Times, Health Around the Web Column, and the Washington Post. She has appeared on the Emmy Award winning TV show The Doctors and her work has been adopted by UCLA’s Center for Integrative Oncology. William Peters and Dr. Monica Williams, MD are, respectively, the principal investigator and medical director for the Shared Crossing Research Initiative. The Shared Crossing Research Initiative collects and studies shared crossings. Their works have been published in the American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine and the Omega – Journal of Death Studies.
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
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. http://www.SueFrederick.com
Roland L. Walters, founder of In The Healing Light, is a spiritual guide and compassionate counselor whose mission is to support individuals connecting to the oneness of Divine Love, helping them create a more conscious, loving, and fulfilled lifestyle. With a shamanic background, Roland incorporates his expertise in Light energy to offer transformative services, including energy healing and spiritual counseling. What sets Roland’s work apart is the safe space he creates, where free from expectations a genuine openness allows for the authentic exchange of healing energy. Roland firmly believes this profound transformation uncovers the limitless potential of an awakened spirit. Roland, a graduate of NC State University, has shared his NDE story on several podcasts and is featured in In Just One Afternoon: Listening Into the Hearts of Men by Marilyn Shannon.
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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.
