| After Death Communications are NOT Death Bed Visions, Near Death Experiences, or Precognitive Encounters, Being a Responsible Researcher By Carla Wills-Brandon, Ph.D. For the last twenty five years, I have been investigating a phenomenon known as the death-bed vision. Along with this I have also researched the psychological impact of reported communications from the deceased. I have listened to close to two thousand death-related communication accounts from individuals from every walk of life, around the globe. In doing this, I have been privileged to hear some amazing stories. Being a clinical trauma specialist for close to thirty years, my work has rotated around extreme trauma, death, dying, the psychology of spirituality and the process of grieving. One would think after so many years, I would have reached "burn-out," but my interest in the psychology of these very human experiences continues. Death-bed visions, as reported by not only the dying but those who care for them, along with communications from the deceased, as reported by survivors, cross all races, creeds, religions, socio-economic groups, age ranges and genders. These two specific types of reported encounters, along with those of a similar nature, have a historical legacy in both literature and science. Many of you who are currently reading this article have made wonderful contributions to the study of such phenomenon, while others are contemplating how they can add to the credibility of the field. Everyone is needed to further and expand on such legacies. At the turn of the last century, researchers openly investigated the constituents which made up such encounters. Within the populations of the time, near death experiences (NDEs), communications after death (now popularly termed ADC), pre- death or death-bed visions (DBVs) and premonitions where part of popular culture and spirituality. With the advent of the measurable "cause and effect" method of scientific investigation, experiences such as the above were no longer of interest to modern researchers. Such encounters were difficult to measure with the "cause and effect" mode of scientific exploration. Over the last decade, there has been an increase in interest in this area of the human experience. More investigators are taking the risk and returning to the exploration of age old questions like, does consciousness survive physical death? And if so, what can this tell us about the human living experience? Being an investigator in this field, and the author of several books and numerous articles discussing such topics, I’m often asked to review manuscripts for publication, along with Doctoral or Master’s projects. Over the years this has been interesting work for me. I’ve enjoyed watching the field grow as the next generation of authors and researchers begin to flourish. Unfortunately, in recent years I’ve noticed a new trend. Some authors are combining the many aspects of communication from deceased individuals under the ADC umbrella and I must say I have a great deal of concern about this. On certain websites dedicated to the ADC experience, deathbed visions and near death experiences are listed as "after death communications." This minimizes the work of individuals like Moody, Grey, and Ring, who were some of the first to investigate NDEs. Such "lumping" also takes credit from death bed vision investigators like Barrett, Osis and Haraldsson. The need to place all death communication experiences into one category steals from all of us the opportunity to appreciate the specific nuances each form of contact has to offer. A departing vision takes place before actual death occurs. It cannot be seen as an after death communication, because "after death" is what it implies. As author, researcher and founding member of the International Association for Near Death Studies John White recently put it, "With the DBV, the distinction is very simple and unquestionable: the time of death of the percipient and the perceived. If the percipient had the experience while the perceived was still alive, it is by definition a DBV. If the percipient had the experience after the perceived was deceased, it is then by definition an ADC." Precognition of death is a precognitive experience and it too occurs before, not after, a death. ADCs are events which occur after a death. The authors and researchers who have put not only DBVs and NDEs into the category of the after death communication, but precognitive experiences, need direction from the more experienced generation of investigators. Otherwise, such combining of experiences will dilute not only the units of measure which define the significance of the ADC, but will minimize the uniqueness of the other types of pre death experiences. Death phobia permeates Western culture and more research is needed, but if investigators are not cautious with regard to their specific definitions of the topics they are exploring and discussing, the field as a whole will lose credibility. Because these accounts are spontaneous and difficult to measure quantitatively, caution must be taken in how they are reported. Continuing to look for consistency from experiencer to experiencer will be well worth while, but it will become difficult if the different types of experience are blended into one common death related paranormal encounter. With reference to this new trend, exploration into the similarities is essential, but I hope in the future the differences within the specific categories will also be respected. Personally, I utilize the idea of the "spiritually transformative experience" when attempting to discuss all encounters at one time. Another area of investigation which is in need of further responsible exploration and inclusion by new authors and researches involves a category for the disruptive psychological consequences these encounters often produce for the experiencer. In past research, this area of the experience was almost always explored. Sadly, some of today’s new investigators and authors are not trained as clinicians and in their writings they neglect discussing this aspect of these encounters. The tendency is to focus on flowery positives, with limited regard for the emotional difficulties experiencers must often confront. In a few writings, I have even seen grief negated or extremely minimized, not by experiencers, but with assumptions made by authors. With regard to the death-bed vision, near death experience, precognition, sense of universal connection and communications from the deceased, in my last book, "A Glimpse of Heaven," I focused in on the often neglected aspect of initial psychological disruption for the experiencer. Many experiencers report they physically feel different or suffer physical ailments after such encounters. Reported psychological difficulty, such as confusion, feeling alienated, or depressed, spiritually lost, intense mood swings, along with a host of emotional issues, can occur after an encounter. This consequence sadly often appears to be neglected by new investigators and authors. The arena of difficult psychological consequences and emotional restructuring, both of which can create years of discomfort for experiencers, must be more prominent in future books and research papers. The survivalist field of investigation is full of challenges and all of us need to be working together to give credence to what we have discovered within our own unique, but similar, explorations and research. Being involved in this arena of the human experience can be exciting and rewarding, but we must also be responsible. Inaccurate data reporting, minimization of the importance of each area of study and an over zealous ego, demanding credit where credit is not due, can impact all of us. When I began investigating the departing visions of the dying and those who are connected to them, I quickly learned several things. I immediately discovered that those investigators who came before me had built a foundation upon which I could stand. For this, I will forever be grateful. Without the ground breaking contributions of these brave souls, I would not have had a "beginning." I must respect the gifts I have so freely received. Secondly, I discovered this journey was a "we" experience, not a "me" experience. With this knowledge I have tried to be a team player, adding to the field, understanding I’m not "inventing the wheel." All I’m doing is fine tuning one very small spoke of the wheel. Thirdly, I am responsible. If I see research which is inaccurate or minimizing of the investigations of others, I can’t "hide out" and ignore what is happening. If I do this, I’m no longer a part of the solution. Instead, I’m only contributing to a possible blossoming problem, which in the end could discredit us all. |
| Up-Date for our IANDS group-leaders and Experiencers: Hi Everyone, Just a reminder to mark your calendar for the next NDEr retreat May 17-20, 2008 at the Mercy Center in St. Louis, MO. This year we had the auditorium at the Mercy Center which has lots of windows, light and plenty of room to spread out. It was especially great for the breakout groups and the sharing time. As the schedule and details are worked out, more emails will be coming. If you have any ideas about the content of the next retreat send them to me. The first retreat was on the challenges faced by NDErs after coming back from an NDE. Last year we focused on possible solutions to the problems. One of the topics of the 2008 retreat will be talking about the gifts we received after our NDE and how they impact our lives and those around us. I am looking for a volunteer to take over setting up the conference calls each month. We haven't had one in some time and I think it is a good thing to stay in touch. Give me a call or email if this is something you would like to do. Love and Light, Linda jacadv@centurytel.net |
| Subject: 50% sale on back issues of Journal of Near-Death Studies! Dear Friends, I have been asked by IANDS to forward this announcement to you. Love and Light, Denis Since 1987 IANDS has been publishing the Journal of Near-Death Studies, the only peer-reviewed journal devoted to the study of NDEs, part of our mission of providing forums for researchers, experiencers, religious thinkers, and other interested parties to exchange information and ideas. These journals are an unmatched repository of years of research and contemplation about near-death experiences. The inquiries and thoughts in these papers are as relevant today as when they were originally written, whether twenty –- or five –- years ago. To make this unmatched repository of information as widely available as possible, we are making the first 10 years of publications available at half price for the month of October only. That’s from fall, 1987 through summer, 1997, at a price of $8 per issue, 50% off the regular price of $16 per issue. Two issues per order minimum. Not all issues are available, and some have very limited inventory, so this is on a first-come, first-served basis. You can scan all the issues available at http://www.iands.org/pubs/jnds/. Simply select those you want to order and add them to the shopping cart. This special offer applies to volume 6 through volume 15 only (through the summer of 1997). Use coupon code JNDS50 when placing your order to receive the 50% discount. In these pages are papers written by many of the world's leading NDE researchers – Bruce Greyson, Ken Ring, PMH Atwater, Janice Miner Holden, Alan Kellehear, Cherie Sutherland – and some of the thinkers who have contemplated the meaning and interpretation of near-death experiencers – John Gibbs, Craig R. Lundahl, Leon Rhodes, and Nancy Evans Bush. The subjects covered include cross-cultural NDEs, distressing NDEs, veridical perception and out-of-body experiences, NDEs in children and the blind, and how we are to interpret and understand all of this information for our world today. We hope you take advantage of this unique offer to build up your library of NDE-related materials. Visit http://www.iands.org/pubs/jnds/ to see the full list – and remember, this 50% offer is good only for the month of October (2 issues per order minimum) and applies only to volumes 6 through 15. Use coupon code JNDS50 when placing your order to receive the 50% discount. If you are interested in subscribing to the Journal after viewing this material, please visit the IANDS membership pages at www.iands.org/join and check off the Professional membership level or call the IANDS office (9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Eastern USA time) at 860-882-1211. |
| Order these new DVDs direct from PMH Atwater. Visit her Online Bookshop today! WE LIVE FOREVER: THE REAL TRUTH ABOUT DEATH DVD $19.95 Filmed at Transformation Conference 2007, Fayetteville, Arkansas, this two-hour presentation by P. M. H. Atwater focuses on the greatest mysteries of all time - death, heaven and hell, the existence of the soul, and the power of prayer Using this and her research of near-death states as a springboard, she discusses in-depth the existence of the soul, soul groups, soul cycles, leaving the body after death, different energetic layers to the afterlife, borderlands and inbetween spaces, and spirit beings on the Other Side. She shares "What Death Is" and "What It Feels Like To Die" (summarizes from comments of over 3,000 near-death experiencers during her research of the near-death phenomenon). Reference her book: "We Live Forever," A.R.E. Press, Virginia Beach, VA, 2004. |

| THE NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCE: A Major Shift in What We Know About the Phenomenon There has been a major shift in the field of Near-Death Studies. A revolution is under way. From the author of THE BIG BOOK OF NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DIE, researcher of near-death states since 1978, explorer of spiritual transformations since 1966, author of over thirteen books, P. M. H. Atwater, L.H.D. takes us from the days where the myths of "the light at the end of the tunnel" and "the religion of the resuscitated" dominated the sensationalization of near-death experiences, to the scientific studies of today. The near-death phenomenon is now the number one choice of scientists worldwide to study consciousness itself. Join the members of Virginia 's Chrysalis in Waynesboro , VA , for this special presentation taped on October 17, 2007 that synergizes the entire subject, and brings us up-to-date with the new material and new findings that are "rocking" the field. It is now known that out-of-body experiences, the dead coming back, visitors from other realms, otherworldly journeys, are normal and typical to the experience, and are no longer regarded as signs of oxygen deprivation, the dying brain, or hallucinatory episodes. Over 100 medical schools offer classes that cover the phenomenon; medical teams the world over are increasingly alert to the importance of such occurrences. They have the power to change lives and even alter one's physiology, sometimes to remarkable degrees. The near-death experience continues to amaze and surprise everyone! Order your copy today from PMH's Online Bookshop! http://cinemind.com/store/page5.html The Website of P.M.H. Atwater http://www.pmhatwater.com Q&A: http://pmhatwater.blogspot.com News: http://atwaterndenews.blogspot.com Video: VIDEO Available for talks and workshops, personal sessions, readings, and prayer service. Check out my Appearance Schedule for an engagement near you. Also explore 'the Marketplace,' for some wonderful surprises. |


| Nadia & Film Maker Mark Manning in Petra |






| Hi Local Group Leaders and Representatives, IANDS Office Move to Durham, NC Completed New address: IANDS, 2741 Campus Walk Ave - Bldg 500, Durham, NC 27705-8878 New phone / fax number: 919-383-7940 Office manager: say "Hi" to Rhonda Bailey. Note: Patience please while some office procedures are still in transition. IANDS Board Votes to Add Director to Represent Groups At the in-person board meeting just completed in Durham, NC March 28 - 30, the IANDS board of directors voted unanimously to add a director at large position to be selected by IANDS groups in a process to be developed by the joint board / group leader task force. The joint task force was created as a result of the communiqué and recommendations from last year's IANDS Leaders Seminar. The joint task force will begin developing the process for selecting the at large director position at its next meeting scheduled for Wednesday, April 9. The next IANDS Leaders Council conference call (see below) will also be devoted to this topic. The joint task force is chaired by Steve Anderson, leader of the Twin Cities IANDS group. Steve holds dual citizenship as he is also a member of the IANDS board of directors, holding the position of Treasurer. Group representatives on the task force include: Dave Bennett (Upstate NY IANDS), Beverly Brodsky (San Diego IANDS), Diane Willis (Chicago IANDS), and Kim Clark Sharp (Seattle IANDS). Other IANDS board members on the task force are Diane Corcoran, Allen Katzoff and Chuck Swedrock. Please reply to me (chucks@iands.org) or contact another task force member if you would like to comment or make suggestions for the process of selecting an at large IANDS board member to represent groups. Comments on the "Second Pam Reynolds Case" The following report is from IANDS group leader, Ron Parks (Salem, OR IANDS). "I am just finishing reading a brand new book by Allan Hamilton, MD (Neurosurgeon) entitled 'The Scalpel and the Soul'. One of the stories he tells, in a chapter entitled 'Soul Survivor', sounds a lot like the Pam Reynolds case. The patient is given the name 'Sarah Gideon', was about 34, and she has a similar aneurysm operation in Phoenix at the Barrow Neurological Institute by a Dr. Thomas Reed. They cool down her body, stop her heart, and the brain shuts down. He does not talk about clickers in the ears, or an ability to identify the bone saw. She is able to 'remember' some dialog (nothing about small veins in the legs, like Pam) and is able to describe some of the people and a conversation about one of the surgical nurses getting engaged and a custom square-cut ring. He says that maybe 6 months later, she was included a documentary movie (which I can't find) called "Back from the Dead". A year after the operation, she was killed in a car accident, when her car was hit by a dump truck. It sounded enough like the Pam Reynolds case that I was beginning to wonder. Have you heard about this case?" The following analogous report was received from Dr. Bruce Greyson (plus take a moment to read the referenced article on the web): "Many of you have heard about the second case of an NDE during hypothermic circulatory arrest, recently published in The Scalpel and the Soul by neurosurgeon Allan Hamilton. In this case, which also originated at the Barrow Neurological Institute (as did the Pam Reynolds case), the patient reportedly repeated details of a conversation that definitively occurred during her period of flat EEG, such as the name of the jeweler where one of the nurses' fiancé has purchased her engagement ring. Titus Rivas has just alerted me to a report by Michael Tymm ( http://metgat.gaia.com/blog/2008/3/back_from_the_dead) that contains an addendum to the story in which Hamilton acknowledged that this account was actually an amalgam blending the features of more than one case, rather than a single case report. Titus's e-mail includes an e-mailed admission from Hamilton: 'The addendum is accurate as reported. The case is, at best, illustrative. Nothing more.' One can only hope that this won't end up as more fodder for the debunkers' claims that all our stories are exaggerations of outright fantasies." Since this case raises a potential controversy that may find its way to your group, please be informed in order to answer queries in this regard. IANDS 2008 Strategic Plan Feedback Sought (PLEASE RESPOND BY APRIL 23) The IANDS board completed the 2008 version of the IANDS Strategic Plan (being sent as an attachment in a separate email with the subject "2008 IANDS Strategic Plan"). The new plan is streamlined and has an improved section on mission, vision and values that are the backbone of what IANDS stands for and it is significant for all IANDS groups to understand and support. Please read and send any comments or suggestions to IANDS board member and publications committee chairperson, Nancy Bush at <mailto:nancyb@iands.org> nancyb@iands.org If you do not receive the separate email or your email has problems receiving attachments (MS Word document), reply to this email indicating that you need the "text version". Next IANDS Leaders Council Conference Call is Tuesday, April 15 - 9pm EDT / 6pm PDT Please join the next conference call at the above date and time to participate in developing the process for electing an IANDS Board Member at Large (BMAL) to represent IANDS groups. Please reply to this email indicating that you would like to be added to the email list for the Leaders Council If you are not currently receiving the monthly council agenda email with telephone number and passcode for participating in these calls. Still Time for 2008 Leader Seminar Registration Did you receive the "2008 IANDS Leader Seminar" bulletin email sent a few days ago? It contained the details of this year's seminar including this year's feature session with new IANDS board member, Julie Lapham, PhD, entitled "The Great Law of Peace from the Iroquois Nation" plus special attractions that include a demo of the new IANDS Speakers Bureau or come enjoy a fun new game using IANDS vernacular and don't miss sharing some rare videos featuring initial interviews and documentaries by key individuals from the early days of NDE media efforts. Of course, what really counts is the opportunity to network and develop a sense of community with other IANDS group leaders - for groups of all sizes and styles. Please reply to "chucks@iands.org" and ask for the text version of the seminar agenda and registration details if you had problems with or can't find the bulletin sent earlier this week...! Dr. Raymond Moody, Jr., M.D. To Be On Radio Talk Show Thursday, April 10 at 6pm Raymond Moody will be a guest on the radio talk show Your Mental Health www.blogtalkradio.com/yourmentalhealth on Thursday , April 10, 2008 at 6 PM EST. The show is aired live and callers are invited to call in to ask Dr. Moody questions pertaining to his work on near-death experiences (NDE's), grief and loss. The listener call in number for the show is (347) 838-9159. Find more details in the following web article http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/04/prweb832034.htm Brain Scientist Tells of Watching Her Brain During a Stroke If you haven't had the opportunity, it is highly recommended that you make the time to watch this 18 minute web video of Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor in a captivating presentation of realizing she was having a stroke and making mental notes of the event. She then relates the extended awareness and changes that were a result of the experience. Many thanks to Lynn Robinson, leader of the IANDS group in Mobile, AL for sharing this... go to http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/229 to watch the video and you can also click on "read transcript" to have the option of seeing and listening or reading, or both. ENJOY! Many thanks for your continued support and time devoted to enriching the world with spirit of the IANDS mission. Kindest regards, +/Chuck "Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. You don't have to havea college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated bylove." ~Martin Luther King, Jr |

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