| Sandy Wright: MFT, has been a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in California since 1983. She received her undergraduate degree from U.C. Berkeley and her graduate degree from Chapman University. She has worked in the field of addictions and grief and Therapist at Alta Bates-Summit Medical Center in Oakland. Her interest and involvement with IANDS began in 1988 after reading Raymond Moody's book Life After Life. She lives in Berkeley, and has a private practice there. |
Sandy Wright: MFT
| IANDS-EL CERRITO at the Sweedenborgian Church May 25 at 6:30pm 1422 Navellier Street El Cerrito, Ca, 94530 |
| Monthly IANDS Meeting on the Forth Sunday of each month Transition. Grief and Loss Support Group. For detail call Sandy 510-841 0677 (see Contact Page) |
| Short Bio: Nadia McCaffrey has engaged in public speaking for over a decade. She has presented talks on Near Death Experiences and on her service work with the dying at universities including UC Berkeley (2000) and John F Kennedy University (2002), Dominican University of San Rafael, the 2003 International IANDS Conference as well as to organizations like the Center for Living with Dying, churches, homeless shelters and at many other events. In addition, she has been featured on many television and radio talk show; in "Children of the New Millennium" a book of research on children's Near-Death Experiences by PMH Atwater; "We Live Forever" by PMH Atwater, published by A.R.E. (Edgar Cayce's Foundation) and in Vital Signs Magazine. Nadia also appeared on national Television in a new release by Automat Pictures: "Cheating Death, Beyond and Back" a scientific research documentary, rated the best documentary on the Dear-Death Experience. Another research documentary for a 2 hour US film to be released in 2007. The latest film documentary on the Near-Death Experience, made by a German film company was released in 2003 in English and German language, for European television viewing, the film is based on research. The film is to reveal the truth and the impact from the near-death after effects into the Experiencer's life and readjustment to live again. She has done interviews with the Discovery Channel for a series of documentaries on the NDE. After her son's death, Nadia McCaffrey traveled to the Middle East with filmmaker Mark Manning. They sought answers to what causes wars and met with Iraqi mothers. Nadia explains her purpose, 'I wanted to look at them in the eyes and share their pain.' She has since traveled through Europe & Canada CBC TV, BBC, conducting interviews in Paris with FRANCE3 TV and radio, TV M6, and ARTE CHANNELS TV (EU). In the US, she interviewed twice with GOOD MORNING AMERICA with Charly Gibson , NBC MSNBC TODAY SHOW with Meredith Mc Rae and Jonathan Alter (twice), The Paula Zanh Show, The Aaron Brown Show, MSNBC, CNBC, DemocracyNow! TV (three times), Morning on 2, and CNN many times. Her story has been told through 29 documentaries, radio shows, and in magazines (such as VANITY FAIR) NEWSWEEK Magazine, newspapers. She has appeared on the front page of USA TODAY (twice), the Washington Post. Nadia spent 23 days in Belgium and 10 days in Jordan, meeting with magazine, newspaper, radio, and TV media outlets. Her message is sympathy, compassion and peace and Forgiveness as the means to ending the U.S. Invasion and occupation of Iraq. Nadia work at this time with the veterans coming home from the Middle East, Healing the inner-wounds, PTSD. Creating a permanent Spiritual and Palliative Care Retreat. Journey to Peace, Journey to Forgiveness One Mother's Quest to Stop the Suffering of War 'To learn that not only you suffer, but the other person also suffers, the other group of people also suffers when you touch the suffering in other people you want to help, and when you want to help, compassion is born in you, you don't suffer anymore, and you are motivated by the desire to do something, to be something for other people and that is Peace.' ~ Thich Nhat Hanh~ Internationally known Zen Buddhist monk, Spiritual Leader, Author, Poet, Philosopher, Nominated by Martin Luther King, Jr for the Nobel Peace Prize for his tireless work to end the Vietnam War MESSENGER OF HOPE: THE STORY OF NADIA MCCAFFREY A THREE-TIME NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCER Interviewed by Loraine Magda The life story of Nadia McCaffrey, a three-time near-death experiencer, is a message of hope and inspiration. She views her life as a journey that, after many turns, has led to the joy of connecting with her true purpose. But it began very differently. This rendition of her story was compiled from an interview and subsequent conversations over two years. to read the full story go to: |
| El Cerrito IANDS meeting Sunday May 27nd STEVE ADAMS, May 27th, 6:30 P.M. Hello Friends, We will have a terrific speaker for our El Cerrito IANDS meeting at Hillside Community Church, on Sunday, May 27th at 6:30 P.M. Steve Adams, who has been speaking to local groups for many years, will tell us about his own near-death experience in 1967, and how it radically changed his life. In 1967, at age 20, Steve experienced his NDE while in a hospital for a ruptured appendix. What he experienced in his "visit" to the other side included traveling through the funnel-like entrance to the spirit world, seeing the Light, and meeting with a dear spirit-friend. He was given the choice of staying in the spirit world or returning to his earthly body. Since choosing to return, Steve has had a lifetime of experiences and learning, while being ever mindful of the souls and places waiting for him on the other side. Steve radiates a warm and loving spirituality to all who meet him, and you will very much enjoy hearing his story. Hillside Community Church, a Swedenborgian Church, is located at 1422 Navellier Street, El Cerrito, CA, 94530. There is a convenient parking lot adjoining the Church. If you want further information about this event, or directions to the Church, please call: Sandy Wright, (510) 841-0677 orRev. Doug Moss, Pastor, Hillside Community Church, (510) 235-3646 |
| A REMINDER! Sunday June 24 6:30 PM The El Cerrito IANDS meeting this Sunday evening will feature guest speaker Lesley Garcia, who will share with us her two near-death experiences. Lesley experienced a drowning incident at age sixteen, and a second, more recent NDE as a result of surgery for a brain tumor. The group meets at Hillside Community Church, a Swedenborgian Church, located at 1422 Navellier St., El Cerrito, CA, 94530. If you want further information about this event, or directions to the church, please call either Sandy Wright at (510) 841-0677 or Linda Baker at (510) 235-3646. Hope to see you there! |
A Special Omega Conference: Soul Survival: Exploring the Evidence of Life After Death Brian Weiss, John Holland, Raymond A. Moody and Suzane Northrop October 5–7, 2007 Omega Institute, Rhinebeck, New York Register Online or call 800.944.1001 As the leaves begin to change colors along the rolling hills of the Hudson Valley, join us for this special gathering to explore the evidence of life after death with some of the leaders in soul survival, past-life therapy, reincarnation, and communication with the deceased. What happens after our bodies die? Can departed spirits communicate with the living? Is there evidence of past lives? These profound and timeless questions are among the greatest mysteries of human existence. People throughout the ages have turned to religion, science, mediums, and mysticism for answers. Through lecture, group discussion, sharing, guided meditations, demonstration medium sessions, and other experiential exercises, we examine the latest research on the subject of life after death, and explore how we can better understand the immortality of the soul. Register online or call Omega at 800.944.1001 Send this message to a friend |
On Sept. 23rd, Sunday night at 6:30 P.M. will be Elizabeth Gutfeldt, Ph.D. "Elizabeth Gutfeldt, Ph.D. has a doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Rosebridge Graduate Institute in Concord, Ca. She, with her late husband Horand Gutfeldt, founded and built Hillside Community Church, a Swedenborgian Church, in El Cerrito between 1951 - 1952. Together they worked to spread the teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg in countries. behind the Iron Curtain. Elizabeth has had many spiritual experiences throughout her life, including a near-death-like experience during a recent illness. She has many wonderful stories to share with us." |
Hillside Community Church, a Swedenborgian Church, is located at 1422 Navellier Street, El Cerrito, CA, 94530. There is a convenient parking lot adjoining the Church. If you want further information about this event, or directions to the Church, please call: Sandy Wright, (510) 841-0677 or Rev. Doug Moss, Pastor, Hillside Community Church, (510) 235-3646 or type the address on the YAHOO direction finder on the left of this page |
| El Cerrito IANDS will be showing "Splendors of the Spirit" at it's meeting on October 28th. "Splendors" describes Emanuel Swedenborg's quest for insight into the spiritual ream. "Who are we? What is the meaning and purpose of life? What happens after death?" Two centuries ago in Sweden there lived a man who found remarkable answers to these questions. His name was Emanuel Swedenborg, an imminent scientist, inventor, statesman and philosopher. In 1968, the Journal of the American Medical Association named Swedenborg as a "medical pathfinder" for his research and study of the brain. He authored texts on every subject from astronomy to zoology and wrote the first Swedish texts on algebra and calculus. Zen master D.T. Suzuki called Swedenborg a great king of the mystical realm, a clairvoyant unique in history and a scholar of incomparable vigor. The late Helen Keller called him one of the most important influences of her life. "Splendors of the Spirit," a 60-minute documentary about the life of Swedenborg, will be shown on Sunday, October 28th at 6:30 P.M. at Hillside Community Church, 1422 Navellier St., El Cerrito. |
| Rob States from Marin County, will speak at our meeting on Jan 27th, on the subject: "YOUR ENERGY BODIES." In Rob's words: "Many confuse the Near-Death Experience with the Out-of-Body Experience, except those who have had both. For example, David Hawkins, author of Power VS Force, compares the OBE to dreams, but describes the NDE as, "infinitely profound, beyond time and space." "The scientific literature gives us clear differences between them, so different one could conclude they are actually in different dimensions. Indeed, this is a powerful clue that the human soul is actually TWO different energy bodies, one permanent (the NDE part), and one temporary (the OBE part). The basis for this conclusion comes from a variety of sources, including the reincarnation studies of Ian Stevenson, the hypnotic regressions of Brian Weiss, and other researchers." On January 27, we will compare these two phenomena from a scientific perspective with Rob States, engineer with graduate science degrees from the University of Colorado and MIT. Come with your first-hand experiences, with your second-hand stories, and even speculative rumors! Let's compare them with the hard sciences. We will meet as usual at Hillside Community Church, a Swedenborgian Church, located at 1422 Navellier St., El Cerrito, 94530. There is a convenient parking lot adjoining the Church. If you want further information about the event, or directions to the Church, please call: Sandy Wright (510) 841-0677 or Linda Baker (510) 235-3646 |
Elizabeth Gutfeldt will talk to us on Sunday Feb. 24th "REALITY OF THE SPIRITUAL WORLD!" Based on her own spiritual experiences, and the experiences of those close to her, Elizabeth states: "THE SPIRITUAL WORLD IS MORE REAL THAN THIS WORLD!" Elizabeth has a doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Rosebridge Graduate Institute in Concord, Ca. She helped to found and build Hillside Community Church, a Swedenborgian Church, in El Cerrito, in 1952. With her late husband, Horand Gutfeldt, Elizabeth worked to spead the teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg in European countries behind the Iron Curtain. She has a wonderful story to tell. Don't miss it! Hillside Community Church is located at 1422 Navellier St., El Cerrito, 94530. There is a convenient parking lot adjoining the Church. The meeting will begin at 6:30 P.M. If you want further information about the event or directions to the Church, please call: Sandy Wright (510) 841-0677 or Linda Baker (510) 235-3646 |
Important Notice: Hello Friends, The monthly meetings are held on the 4th Sunday of each month, 6:30 P.M., at Hillside Community Church in El Cerrito. The group size ranges from ten to 27, and is a lively and interesting group of people. If you think you might be interested in helping out and volunteering with our meetings, please call me or Nadia McCaffrey. Thanks very much, Sandy Wright (510) 841-0677 Nadia McCaffrey (209) 830-9955 or (209) 627-7644 |
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| NEXT MEETING: El Cerrito IANDS will show a documentary video of Kenneth Ring being interviewed by Jeffrey Mishlove, on the television series "Thinking Allowed," on Sunday, May 25th at 6:30. This excellent documentary goes into a discussion of Ring's book "Lessons From The Light" which has been the subject of Hillside Community Church's Sunday class this month. Kenneth Ring, Ph.D., is an emeritus professor of psychology at the University of Connecticut and co-founder and former president of IANDS (International Association of Near-Death Studies). He is the author of several works on near death experiences, such as "Heading Toward Omega" and "Lessons From The Light". He has directed different studies of a large number of individuals who have had near-death experiences, and is considered today as a pioneer in research on the subject. The group meets at Hillside Community Church located at 1422 Navellier St., El Cerrito, 94530. There is a convenient parking lot adjoining the Church. The meeting will begin at 6:30 P.M. If you want further information about the event or directions to the Church, please call: Sandy Wright (510) 841-067 or Linda Baker (510) 235-3646 Dr. Kenneth Ring In 1977, Kenneth Ring, a brilliant young professor of psychology at the University of Connecticut, read Raymond Moody's book, Life After Life, and was inspired by it. However, he felt that a more scientifically structured study would strengthen Moody's findings. He sought out 102 near-death survivors for his research. This web page documents some of Ken Ring's basic insights based on his meticulous research. His latest research involves the ground-breaking work of investigating near-death experiences among blind persons. His findings are detailed in his latest book Mindsight which is bound to become a classic in the annals of near-death research much like his previous books, Lessons From The Light, Heading Toward Omega, Life At Death, and The Omega Project. Ken Ring researched NDEs that involve the experiencer witnessing events while out of their body which is later proven to have taken place. Ken has also researched NDEs that affirms reincarnation. Ken has also examined NDEs among those who attempted suicide. During his extensive research, Ken was also able to examine NDEs where the future was foretold. The following information is Ken Ring's research conclusions from his study. (1) Those cases who came closest to death, or were clinically dead, just as Moody's cases reported, told of being outside of their bodies, of moving through a void or dark tunnel toward a luminous light, of meeting with departed relatives and friends, of having a feeling of great comfort and bliss and of being surrounded by compassionate love, a feeling so beautiful they longed to remain, and when they returned to the "earthly" realm, they were affected by this feeling the rest of their lives. (2) No one type of person was especially likely to have this experience. It cut across race, gender, age, education, marital status, and social class. (3) Religious orientation was not a factor affecting either the likelihood or the depth of the NDE. An atheist was as likely to have one as was a devoutly religious person. (4) Regardless of their prior attitudes - whether skeptical or deeply religious - and regardless of the many variations in religious beliefs and degrees of skepticism from tolerant disbelief to outspoken atheism - most of these people were convinced that they had been in the presence of some supreme and loving power and had a glimpse of a life yet to come. (5) Drugs, anesthesia and medication did not seem to be a factor in inducing these impressions and exquisite feelings of a NDE. Indeed, drugs and anesthesia seemed to be more likely to cause a person to forget memories of a NDE. (6) He definitely concluded that NDEs are not hallucinations because hallucinations are rambling, unconnected, often unintelligible and vary widely, whereas NDEs tend to have similar elements of a clear, connected pattern. (7) Based on the information of those who had reported such incidents, the moment of death was often one of unparalleled beauty, peace and comfort - a feeling of total love and total acceptance. This was possible even for those involved in horrible accidents in which they suffered very serious injuries. Dr. Ring found there was a tremendous comfort potential in this information for people who were facing death. (8) After going through a NDE, people reported a loss of fear of death as well as a greater appreciation of life. They also reported stronger feelings of self-acceptance and a greater concern and sense of caring for other people. They had less interest in material things for their own sake. Many tended to become more spiritual - though not necessarily more involved in organized religion. (9) Almost all subjects who experienced a NDE found their lives transformed and a change in their attitudes and values, and in their inclination to love and to help others. Dr. Ring was convinced that these were absolutely authentic experiences and noted that since returning, many of them had occasion to think about 'what might have been.' And their subsequent lives were powerful testimony to our common ability to live more deeply, more appreciatively, more lovingly, and more spiritually. |
| SUMMER BREAK |