Explore the Extraordinary >>
(schedule subject to change) Workshops, Music, Art & More – use drop down menu under SPEAKERS+
For info on Anita Moorjani‘s and/ or Suzanne Giesemann‘s two-hour WORKSHOPS on Wednesday, Aug 28th CLICK HERE
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC! $80 each – go to the REGISTER! tab to purchase your “ADD-ON” ticket.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Silvia Rabadi >> Sylvia earned her PhD in Philosophy of Science and Philosophy of Mind, delving into a profound exploration of near-death experiences. A fellow of the International Society for Quality in Health Care and a USAID senior consultant, she holds numerous certifications including Senior Consultant in Speech-Language Pathology, Senior Surveyor and Accreditation Preparation Consultant by Health Care Accreditation Council (HCAC), and Quality Management Assessor and Healthcare Quality Management Professional by the European Foundation for Quality Management. Her vast expertise extends to healthcare quality improvement, specializing in accreditation preparation and quality enhancement. Silvia’s background in nursing and speech pathology has propelled transformative initiatives globally. Her commitment to continuous learning is evident through numerous certifications, workshops, and educational programs. Beyond professional accomplishments, Silvia actively engages in humanitarian causes, embodying a holistic healthcare approach. Her dynamic career showcases a profound dedication to continuous learning and a relentless pursuit of improving global healthcare systems.
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.
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.
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.
