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Two Firsts for Me: IANDS and Recently I was graced to experience two firsts. On October 25-28, I attended my first conference of the International Association of Near-Death Studies (IANDS) and on November 11th, I attended my first monthly meeting of Chicago IANDS. Both were soul-fulfilling experiences. As I mentioned in November’s column, IANDS research on the positive after-effects of Near-Death Experiences (NDEs) has become an important part of my own research for my Ph.D. at Chicago Theological Seminary. That research focuses on the correlation between ecstatic connections with the Divine and transformations toward increased altruism (love, compassion, forgiveness, etc.). The 2006 North American Conference for IANDS turned out to be an entirely worthwhile and historic event. In the Conference section of the IANDS website (www.iands.org), IANDS President Jan Holden, Ed.D., summarizes the historic part: “IANDS achieved a new milestone with its recent conference cosponsored by, and held at, one of the world's largest medical complexes, The University of Texas M.D. Anderston Cancer Center in
I am proud to say that I am personally up to my elbows in some of those initiatives including working on a new public relations plan and working on the committee, which is developing materials and an online course designed to educate chaplains and clergy about NDEs and give them tools to properly minister to NDErs they come into contact with. And, of course, I believe that my own Ph.D. research and dissertation is one of the research initiatives. It is impossible to summarize the 2006 IANDS Conference in this short column. I will give you a few highlights to wet your appetite. If you want to find out more, I suggest that you go to the IANDS website and click on Resources/IANDS Store. The CDs and DVDs from the 2006 Conference will be available sometime in December. This is an invaluable resource. Before traveling to the 2006 Conference, I visited the store myself and purchased a full set of 28 Presentations from the 2005 Conference on one Mp3 CD. The cost to non-members is $94.95 and a bargain. For IANDS’ members the cost is $49.95. And it is worth it, by the way, to become a member. Membership costs range from the $25 basic rate to the $65 general rate to the $125 professional rate with increasing benefits depending upon the level. But even the basic rate includes a subscription to Vital Signs, IANDS quarterly newsletter filled with information about NDEs, current research, articles about related topics, and news about IANDS, and a Member E-News service that notifies you via email about breaking research, article publications and member benefits. But, back to the conference. Here are those highlights that I promised: • A favorite quote by a NDEr from Bruce Greyson, MD, the foremost active researcher in the field of near-death studies: “I felt like I was in the womb of God.” • From Pim van Lommel, MD, lead investigator for the acclaimed prospective NDE study published in 2001 in the highly acclaimed medical journal The Lancet: “Does it matter who you are? There is no influence on who is reporting NDEs by demographics: gender, social class, area of residence, marital status, race, religion, level of education, occupation, foreknowledge of NDEs, fear of death before cardiac arrest, or other psychological or psychiatric factors.” PS: You can download Dr. Van Lommel’s report at the IANDS site. • One of Van Lommel’s studies focused on changes in NDErs after two years and after eight years. One interesting result was the way the “Ability to Love Others” actually increases among NDErs as the years go by. For example, after two years, 42% of the NDErs in the study felt that this ability had increased in their lives. After eight years, 78% had increased ability to love. This may relate to other studies that show that it takes an adult NDEr an average of seven years to integrate their experience (child experiencers can take up to 20-30 years to integrate their NDEs). • During the conference, there was a screening of the BBC documentary, The Day I Died: The Mind, the Brain, and Near-Death Experiences. This documentary is available on the IANDS website with a downloadable study guide designed for professionals and others interested in exploring and understanding NDEs. This excellent DVD costs $149.95, but is available to IANDS members for $89.95. The video features in-depth case studies of NDEs including a dramatic veridical (verifiably accurate) out-of-body experience, the most recent research studies, and balanced interpretations of NDE experiences from both skeptical and “believer” perspectives—virtually everything an inquiring mind would need for an introduction to NDEs. A memorable NDEr quote: “I was standing in the breath of God.” • PMH Atwater, LHD, shared her insights gained from 28 years of research and travel throughout the world sharing the Near-Death Experience. Recently
Oh dear, running out of space again. But I can’t stop until I mention the great Chicago IANDS meeting that I attended on November 11th. First of all, hats off to Chicago IANDS President Diane Willis. She really knows how to organize an interesting meeting! The Chicago IANDS meetings are held on the second Saturday of each month at
Mary Montgomery is a certified web author and developer. Her company, Montgomery Media Enterprises (“Freelancing with Finesse!”), specializes in public relations, writing projects and web authoring, development and publicity, especially in the non-profit sector. Ms. Montgomery has a Master’s Degree in religious studies from Chicago Theological Seminary (CTS) and is working on a Ph.D. with a focus on the new scholarship of Unlimited Love and the Other Regarding Virtues. She is also in the process of completing the Morris Pratt Institute Course on Modern Spiritualism. Contact her via email at monty764@sbcglobal.net or at her web site at www.montymedia.com. |
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