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Hear from the scientists tackling the most important scientific question of all –What is mind and does it survive bodily death?
This event will feature the groundbreaking research taking place at the University of Virginia’s Division of Perceptual Studies (DOPS). The UVA DOPS research faculty will present the prolific scope of the division’s over 50 years of documented studies related to consciousness and the possibility of its survival.
The organizers are inviting UVA alumni, medical professionals, tech innovators, educators, philanthropists, fundraising professionals, and many others to gather for this ticketed symposium. Come with an open mind and leave with a new perspective.
This is a ticketed event.
Tickets are $100 per person-this price includes lunch. Register here
The program will include:
- Children’s Past-Life Memories:
JIM B. TUCKER, M.D., Director of the UVA Division of Perceptual Studies(DOPS), Bonner-Lowry Professor of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences. DOPS researchers have studied over 2,500 cases from around the world of children who report memories of a previous life, some with details that are startlingly accurate. Many of the children show behaviors that appear connected to the past life, and some even have birthmarks that match wounds the previous person suffered. Several compelling American cases will be presented. - Near-Death Experiences:
BRUCE GREYSON, M.D., Chester F. Carlson Professor Emeritus of
Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences. Near-death experiences (NDEs) share certain common features and after-effects; several suggest that consciousness may be able to function independent of the brain, and some NDEs contain evidence suggesting continued consciousness after bodily death. The presentation will include the accounts of several NDEs that illustrate these features. - Further Horizons of Survival Research;
MARIETA PEHLIVANOVA, PH.D., Senior Research Specialist. DOPS is actively looking for meaningful patterns within the two large collections of cases just presented (reported past-life memories in childhood and near-death experiences). Dr. Pehlivanova will present some new work with these cases, including intriguing findings with individuals who report past-life memories of being the opposite sex and near-death experiencers’ reduced fear of death. - Contemplative Practices, Consciousness, and Extraordinary Experiences:
J. KIM PENBERTHY, PH.D., ABPP, Chester F. Carlson Professor of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences. Contemplative practices, including meditation, mindfulness, and yogic practices, can alter consciousness in positive ways, psychologically and physiologically. These practices are also associated with siddhis, or “supercognitive abilities” including expanded states of consciousness, mystical experiences, and abilities such as clairvoyance, precognition, and other psi phenomena. This presentation will include research findings on these siddhi experiences and will present an outline for future research and its potential impact. - Psi and Survival in Context: The Big Picture:
EDWARD F. KELLY, PH.D., Professor, Division of Perceptual Studies, Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences. Mainstream materialist science portrays mind and consciousness as being generated by the brain. If that picture were correct, postmortem survival would not be possible. Dr. Kelly will describe how the accumulating evidence for psi, survival, and other phenomena not explainable in physicalist terms is forcing a revision of our most fundamental ideas about the nature of reality.
- Q & A and Panel Discussion
At the close of all presentations, the panel will engage in a Q & A. Audience members will have the opportunity to pose questions directly to these world renowned researchers.
- Candlelight Yoga (Optional)
Upon the 3:00 p.m. conclusion of the event program, we’ll offer a 30 minute complimentary gentle yoga class for attendees in need of a stretch. Rachael Plaine, owner of Berkshire Yoga Dance & Fitness, will lead an easy-to-follow beginner-friendly yoga routine in a candlelit adjacent room.
Near-Death Experiences (NDEs) and other Spiritually Transformative Experiences (STEs) often initiate profound changes in the experiencer’s consciousness and life direction. This includes increased spiritual awareness resulting in positive change within their lives based on altruistic values and priorities. They act with loving compassion building a greater sense of brotherhood. Collectively the experiencers and research findings provide us the information needed for a cross-cultural revolution toward love and consciousness-based living, and a possible change in humanity at this time in history.
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Dr. Bruce Greyson will present: “Expanding the Science of Consciousness by Expanding the Consciousness of Scientists”, Thursday, August 29th, 2019-Keynote Presentation
There is a rich literature on the neuroscience of consciousness that focuses on biological mechanisms of wakefulness and awareness of the physical environment. However, that 
literature totally ignores and in fact, rejects the existence of a higher consciousness. Some scientists argue that, even if a spiritual realm existed, it could not be addressed by science. But the past century has seen a gradual recognition that science and spirituality are compatible and that only a marriage of the two can provide an accurate description of reality.
Dr. Greyson argues that the science of consciousness can be elevated only when the consciousness of the scientists themselves has been elevated.
Keynote Speakers: Bruce Greyson, Suzanne Giesemann, Rev. Bill McDonald, Nancy Rynes, and Plenary Speakers Eben Alexander, Mark Anthony, and many more!
Jim Tucker with a young subject and his mother. Read about the case of “Ryan”, a young boy in Oklahoma who recalls being a Hollywood extra in Dr. Tucker’s newest book, Return to Life
“Remembering Past Lives” with Dr. Jim Tucker
Wednesday, September 4 at 6:30-7:30 pm
How could a two-year-old in Louisiana remember being a World War II pilot shot down over the Pacific? Or a boy in Oklahoma recall being a Hollywood extra?
Dr. Jim Tucker will discuss his work studying children’s memories of previous lives, and give an overview of this fifty-year world-wide research project begun by Dr. Ian Stevenson at UVA, focusing on the details of recent American cases.
EUROPEAN SCHOOL OF THEOSOPHY: REINCARNATION, SCIENCE AND THE ANCIENT WISDOM TRADITION
October 13-18, 2019, Eretria-Evia island, Greece
Dr. Jim B. Tucker, M.D. presents: CHILDREN’S MEMORIES OF PREVIOUS LIVES, ABOUT ΒIRTHMARKS AND PAST-LIFE MEMORIES
Bonner-Lowry Professor of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences at the University of Virginia. He is director of the UVA Division of Perceptual Studies, where he is continuing the work of Ian Stevenson on children who report memories of previous lives. He is the author of two books that together have been translated into twenty languages, Life Before Life: A Scientific Investigation of Children’s Memories of Previous Lives (2005) and New York Times bestseller, Return to Life: Extraordinary Cases of Children Who Remember Past Lives (2013).
Register for the conference.
Therapeutic Issues of Spiritually Transformative Experiences: ACISTE Conference, 2019
American Center for the Integration of Spiritually Transformative Experiences (ACISTE) was established in 2009 to support people who have spiritually transformative experiences (STEs).
Click here for a list of 2019 Speakers and Presenters at the upcoming ACISTE Conference.
ACISTE provides education and certificate training for mental health professionals, pastoral counselors, spiritual counselors, life coaches and other support professionals who wish to increase their competency and develop their expertise in working with clients who may have psychological, spiritual or mental health challenges related to their spiritually transformative experiences (or STEs). STEs may include, but are not limited to, near-death or similar experiences, spiritual emergencies, out-of-body, kundalini, after-death communications,
The conference brings together top researchers, experiencers and practicing professionals to present their expertise and insight into this growing field of specialization and awareness.
Main Session:
Marieta Pehlivanova, PhD: Support Needs and Outcomes for Near-Death Experiencers:
Marieta Pehlivanova, PhD
Abstract:
The vast majority of research work on near-death experiences (NDEs) to date has focused on understanding NDEs’ phenomenology, classifications, aftereffects, circumstances of occurrence, and implications for the mind-brain relationship. Nevertheless, there is still a dearth of research into how best to help experiencers cope with and integrate the experience in its immediate aftermath.
NDEs can be hugely life-transforming and powerful experiences. NDEs are often accompanied by a robust pattern of aftereffects, including deep and long-lasting changes in the experiencer’s values, spirituality, relationships, and outlook on life. However, NDEs can also trigger emotional and interpersonal difficulties, and the long-term integration of these experiences and their aftereffects can take years. Experiencers often find it difficult to talk about their NDE with medical professionals and even with loved ones, for fear of rejection, ridicule, or a label of mental illness. Difficulties may also arise from the inability of friends and family to accept or adapt to experiencers’ changing values and interests. At the same time, specialized professional help is limited by the scarcity of counselors, therapists or health professionals familiar with NDEs and specific issues engendered by the experience.
Dr. Pehlivanova is conducting an exploratory study to investigate the types of professional help, therapy, and support groups near-death experiencers have sought out to process their experience, and whether those have been helpful. Using online surveys, we are gathering data from near-death experiencers themselves, as well as counselors and mental health professionals who have worked with them. To our knowledge, this is the first quantitative study to explore the types and outcomes of therapies and support avenues for near-death experiencers. Data obtained from this study could help us design data-driven recommendations for supporting individuals who have had an NDE and are experiencing difficulties resulting from it.
Intended Conference Audience: Psychologists; Psychological Assistants; Psychiatrists; Psychotherapists; Clinical Social Workers; Marriage and Family Therapists; Professional Counselors; Addiction Counselors; Pastoral Counselors; Spiritual Directors; Spiritual Life Coaches; Psychiatric Nurses.
The conference will help answer some of these questions:
- Spiritual experiences: real or delusional?
- How are people differently affected, challenged or transformed by spiritual experiences?
- What are some therapeutic approaches?
- How do different cultures deal with such experiences?
- How are children affected by these experiences?
- What are some possible explanations for these experiences?
- What types of spiritually transformative experiences are there?
Each attendee receives an updated supplemental guidelines for working with clients who report issues related to STEs. The collaboratively written guidelines include research results.
*Investigation of Therapeutic Outcomes in Near-Death Experiencers, IRB-SBS Protocol #2377
Dr. Pehlivanova is currently collecting data for this study related to her upcoming talk in November. She encourages your participation if you belong to one of the two groups described below:
Group 1) Call for mental health professionals or counselors who have worked with near-death experiencers. If you are interested in enrolling in the mental health professionals part of this research study, please follow this link to the online questionnaire.
Group 2) Call for people 18 and older who have had a near-death experience for this part of the study. If you are interested in enrolling in the near-death experiencer part of this research study, please follow this link to the online questionnaire.
Dr. Jim Tucker will offer a free lecture via the AZIRE ParaMOOC lecture series.
He will present “The Psychological Aspects of Children’s Past-Life Memories” on Saturday, February 15th at 12:00 pm EST.
“Survival of Death and Parapsychology” is the theme and focus of this year’s lecture series. Students who enroll in the free online ParaMOOC course will have access to the course materials and the recordings of the live sessions at least until April of 2020. All of the substantive lectures will be published to the Parapsychology Foundation’s YouTube channel.
For information about how to register for the free PARAMOOC classes, please click here .
If you have questions, please contact the ParaMOOC organizer, Nancy Zingrone PhD, at nancy@theazire.org .
The 13th Symposium of the BIAL FOUNDATION: “Behind and Beyond the Brain, The Mystery of Time”, will be held at Casa do Médico, Porto, Portugal, April 1 – 4, 2020.
Dr. Penberthy’s oral poster presentation for BIAL Grant Holders will take place 2:30-3:30, Thursday, February 4th, 2020.
In her poster presentation Dr. Penberthy will offer findings from her recently completely research project: “Meditators and Nonmeditators: A Descriptive Analysis Over Time with a Focus on Unusual and Extraordinary Experiences”.
This research project explores the impact of meditation upon extraordinary experiences.
The abstract can be found below:
Background: Some research indicates that meditation increases mindfulness as well as paranormal experiences of precognition, telepathy, clairvoyance, and synchronicities. There is limited knowledge about the frequency or impact of these experiences in meditators and the general population.
Aims: Aims were to assess frequency and impact of self-reported mindfulness, paranormal experiences and performance on psi tasks in two groups over time.
Method: We explored frequency of mindfulness, psi, and extraordinary experiences and abilities in those enrolled in a meditation program and those not meditating and the impact of such experiences or abilities.
Results: 118 participants completed the study. Those who engaged in a meditation practice (and scored higher on the mindfulness variables) reported higher levels of paranormal experiences (M = 1.48, SD = .18) than the control group (M = 1.81, SD = .15, p < .001). Additionally, the meditation group reported higher levels of meaning attributed to those experiences (M = 78.10, SD = 17.04) than the control group (M = 64.89, SD = 25.40, p = .002) at the end of the study.
Conclusions: The non-randomly selected group that received training in meditation demonstrated increased mindfulness scores over time and their mindfulness levels appears to be positively associated with higher levels of reported paranormal experiences both before and after the intervention, when compared to the control group. Performance on psi tasks did not improve in either group over time and these tasks may not be sensitive enough to detect significant changes.
The MEET-UP for the International Consciousness Research Laboratories (ICRL) will begin at 1 pm. The meeting will take place at the D&R Greenway Johnson Education Center, Princeton, New Jersey
Dr. Jim Tucker, the successor of Dr. Ian Stevenson of the University of Virginia’s Division of Perceptual Studies will join the ICRL on April 18th. For many years Dr. Tucker has investigated cases of young children who report memories of previous lives, and he is the author of “Life Before Life” and “Return to Life,”. Dr. Tucker will present an overview of his research.
For more information please contact:
International Consciousness Research Laboratories (ICRL)
468 North Harrison Street
Princeton, NJ 08540
Email: info@icrl.org
Dr. Bruce Greyson to speak for Seattle IANDS Anniversary Celebration
Bruce Greyson, M.D., is the Chester Carlson Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry & Neurobehavioral Sciences at the University of Virginia. He co-founded the International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS), and served for many years on the Board of Directors, as IANDS’ President, Director of Research, and for 25 years, Editor of the Journal of Near-Death Studies. Bruce’s research has focused on the aftereffects of near-death experiences, and has resulted in more than 100 publications in academic medical journals. He is the co-editor of The Near-Death Experience: Problems, Prospects, Perspectives (1984) and of The Handbook of Near-Death Experiences (2009), and author of After: A Doctor Explores What Near-Death Experiences Reveal About Life and Beyond (scheduled for release March, 2021).
This event is Saturday, June 13, 2020 and the IANDS webinar sponsors will limit the attendance to 100 people.
Tickets to this IANDS Webinar are $15.00 and you must sign up in advance via this link.
Please note, tickets are going quickly.