Public Lectures and Appearances by DOPS Researchers

Public Lectures, Presentations, and Special Appearances by DOPS Faculty Researchers

Please contact us at DOPS@virginia.edu if your academic institution, interest group or professional research organization would like to invite the faculty individually or collectively, to speak about their research.

Special Events:

March 6th, 2021, Webinar 1:00-3:00 EST. Dr. Bruce Greyson will be launching his book After: A Doctor Explores What Near-Death Experiences Reveal about Life and Beyond

IANDS Stellar Speakers Series

Reserve your seat online today!

Past DOPS Events and Presentations:

2020 2019

November 15, 2019, Atlanta, GA: Marieta Pehlivanova PhD, presented at the American Center for the Integration of Spiritually Transformative Experiences, (ACISTE) 2019 Conference.

During the Main Session, Marieta Pehlivanova, PhD presented: ” Support Needs and Outcomes for Near-Death Experiencers”. Her presentation was based on the preliminary data based on her study “Investigation of Therapeutic Outcomes in Near-Death Experiencers, IRB-SBS Protocol #2377”.

October 22, 2019, Glenmore Country Club, Keswick, VA: Marieta Pehlivanova, Ph.D. gave a talk about near-death experiences at the fall quarterly luncheon of the Charlottesville Newcomers Club.
October 13-18, 2019, Eretria-Evia island, Greece. Dr. Jim B. Tucker, M.D. presented his research in two related lectures at this conference: EUROPEAN SCHOOL OF THEOSOPHY: REINCARNATION, SCIENCE AND THE ANCIENT WISDOM TRADITION. 1) CHILDREN’S MEMORIES OF PREVIOUS LIVES 2) ΒIRTHMARKS AND PAST-LIFE MEMORIES
September 20, 2019, Glade Spring Resort, Daniels, WV: Ed Kelly , Ph.D., gave a dinner talk to over a hundred members of Spilman, Thomas & Battle, a multi-state law firm headquartered in Charleston WV, at their biannual retreat.
September 4, 2019, 6:30-7:30 pm, Crozet, VA: Dr. Jim Tucker presented his research at the Crozet Library-“Remembering Past Lives”. 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 discussed his work studying children’s memories of previous lives, and he gave an overview of this fifty-year world-wide research project begun by Dr. Ian Stevenson at UVA. During his presentation, Dr. Tucker focused on the details of recent American cases.
August 29, 2019, King of Prussia, PA: Dr. Bruce Greyson-Keynote Speaker, 2019 IANDS Conference 2019 THEME – REVOLUTIONARY EXPERIENCES: The Power of Love and Consciousness Dr. Bruce Greyson presented: “Expanding the Science of Consciousness by Expanding the Consciousness of Scientists”, as the Keynote address.
July 13, 2019, 10:00 am-3:00 pm, Boston, MA: UVA DOPS Faculty Panel- “Mind Beyond Brain-Emerging Evidence for Life After Life”. The DOPS researchers presented their research in which they are tackling the most important scientific question of all –What is mind and does it survive bodily death?
March 14th, 2019, 6:00-7:30 pm, Vail, CO. Dr. Jim Tucker presented: “Life Before Life: Extraordinary Cases of Children Who Remember Past Lives”, at the Vail Symposium. This program explored the various features of this worldwide phenomenon., Dr. Tucker described numerous cases from our research collection. Common features in the cases include a child talking about a past life at a very early age; behaviors that appear connected to that life, such as phobias related to the mode of death and sometimes birthmarks or birth defects that correspond to wounds the previous person suffered. The presentation included a review of the research and the details of recent American cases.

2018

November 10th, 2018, 2:30-3:30 pm, Phoenix, AZ . Mind & Life: International Symposium for Contemplative Research, 2018. Dr. Kim Penberthy participated in a collaborative panel presentation titled: “Off the Cushion and into the Streets: Diversity and Inclusion in Contemplative Science.” Dr. Penberthy co-presented with Martin Davidson of the UVA Darden School of Business, Michael Swanberg of UVA Public Health, and Dallas Ducar of the UVA School of Nursing.
October 27th, 2018, 10:00-11 am, UVA Alumni Hall, Charlottesville VA. Dr. Jim Tucker presented “Children’s Memories of Previous Lives”. Dr. Tucker presented his research of recent American cases of children who remember previous lives to a group of UVA alumni.
August 31, 2018, Bellevue, WA, IANDS 2018 Conference: Explore the Extraordinary-The After effects and Gifts of NDEs , August 30th-September 2nd. Dr. Bruce Greyson delivered the keynote presentation for the IANDS 2018 Conference. Dr. Greyson’s talk was titled: “WHY NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES MATTER: CHANGED LIVES AND CHOPPED LIVER”.
April 12, 2018 Paramount Theater, Charlottesville, VA, Seventh Annual Tom Tom Founders Festival.

“Life After Death? A panel discussion with the Research Faculty of the Division of Perceptual Studies at University of Virginia, moderated by John Cleese.”

UVA DOPS faculty panel with John Cleese

On April 12th 2018, legendary actor, writer and comedian John Cleese, friend and supporter of the research being done at the UVA Division of Perceptual Studies, acted as moderator in a 90 minute discussion of an overview of the scope of the research being done at the UVA Division of Perceptual Studies.

In this panel discussion the UVA Division of Perceptual Studies research faculty convened to present an overview of the research to which they have dedicated their academic careers. The DOPS panel presenters were: director of UVA DOPS, Jim Tucker, MD; Ed Kelly, PhD; Emily Kelly, PhD; Bruce Greyson, MD; and Kim Penberthy, PhD. Click here to see the video of this event.

April 11th, 2018, Paramount Theater, Charlottesville, VA, Seventh Annual Tom Tom Founders Festival.

John Cleese, generous friend and supporter of our research, did a benefit performance for DOPS!

John Cleese, Paramount Theater, Charlottesville, VA, April 11th, 2018

This was a special appearance by the legendary John Cleese in a solo performance as part of the 7th annual Tom Tom Founders Festival, 2018.

The proceeds from the performance benefitted UVA Division of Perceptual Studies research efforts. The faculty and staff here at UVA DOPS are most grateful to all who came out to support us!

All of us here at UVA DOPS extend our heartfelt gratitude to the inimitable Mr. John Cleese for his generous support of the research being done at the UVA Division of Perceptual Studies!

2017

Kim Penberthy, Bruce Greyson, Jim Tucker, and Ed Kelly-UVA Medical Center Hour, Feb. 22, 2017

The DOPS research faculty had the opportunity to present at the UVA School of Medicine Medical Center Hour , February 2017, to commemorate 50 years of research into the question of post-mortem survival of consciousness.

Click on the photo or here to view the video of the UVA DOPS faculty present their research at the UVA Medical Center Hour-Is there Life after Death? Fifty Years of Research at UVA

To view a curated collection of other lectures by the DOPS research faculty, please see our UVA Division of Perceptual Studies YouTube Channel.

November 30, 2017 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Radio Interview NPR-The State of Things – North Carolina Public radio, WUNC. Dr. Bruce Greyson discussed his research into Near Death Experiences on the The State of Things – North Carolina Public radio, WUNC. WUNC is North Carolina’s premiere public radio talk show and is broadcasted on 17 stations across the state. This program is heard by more than 410,000 listeners each week. Click here to the link to the Podcast of this informative recent interview.
November 12, 2017, 2:35 pm, London, England. 6th British Congress on Medicine and Spirituality, Dr. Jim Tucker presented his research on “Birthmarks and Children’s Memories of Past Lives”.
August 19, 2017, 10:00 am, Richmond VA. Central Virginia IONS Community, Dr. Jim Tucker presented his research on “Children Who Report Past-life Memories”.
July 22, 2017, 9:30 am, Oakland, CA. Institute of Noetic Sciences 17th Biennial Conference: The Science of What Connects Us. Dr. Jim Tucker and Dr. Arnaud Delorme presented their research, “What happens to “me” after my body dies?”.
June 26th, 2017, 7:00-8:30 pm, Sherwood, MD, “Sherwood Seminar”. Members of the DOPS Faculty presented their research on post mortem survival of consciousness.
June 15, 2017, 12:00 pm, Roanoke, VA. Grand Rounds, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. Dr. Jim Tucker presented his research on “Children Who Report Memories of Previous Lives”.
June 16, 2017, 9:00 am, New Haven CT, Yale University, 36th Annual Conference of the Society for Scientific Exploration. Dr. Edward Kelly presented on the topic of “Science and Postmortem Survival”.
June 9, 2017, 6:30 – 7:45 pm, Durham, NC. The Academy for Spiritual and Consciousness Studies 42nd Annual East Coast Conference, “Aspects of Consciousness”. Dr. Bruce Greyson presented a talk titled “The Science and Spirit of Near Death Experiences”.
May 21, 2017, 3:00 pm, Miami, FL. International Academy of Consciousness 2nd International Congress on Consciousness, Dr. Jim Tucker presented his research on “Children’s Reports of Past-life Memories”.
March 22-23, 2017, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC. Beyond Being : Frontiers in Consciousness Research-Science, Spirituality and Wellness Keynote Speaker: Author and near-death experiencer Jeff Olsen. Panelists: Ulnike Wiesthaus, PhD, and UVA DOPS researchers Jim Tucker, MD and Bruce Greyson, MD
February 22, 2017, 12:30-1:30 pm, Medical Center Hour, Pinn Hall Auditorium, UVA School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA

(Video transcript)

“Life After Death? 50 Years of Research at UVA”

This special presentation of the research being done at DOPS is free and open to the public. The DOPS faculty who will be presenting their research will be: Jim Tucker, on children who claim to recall past lives; Bruce Greyson, on near-death experiences; Kim Penberthy, on meditation and altered states; and Edward Kelly on implications of this research for the relationship of mind and brain.

January 21, 2017, Richmond VA. Central VA IONS Community Group, Meeting and 21st Anniversary event featured a talk by Edward F. Kelly, Ph.D. Program Title: Parapsychology in Context – Towards a Personal Reconciliation of Science and Spirit. The IONS 21st Anniversary Program will feature a talk by Edward F. Kelly, Ph.D., author of numerous scholarly works such as Irreducible Mind and Beyond Physicalism and Professor of Research at the UVA Division of Perceptual Studies (DOPS) in Charlottesville, VA.
January 10, 2017, 4:00-5:00 pm, Psychiatry Grand Rounds, Leonard Sandridge Auditorium in McKim Hall, UVA School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA. “Does the Mind Exist Without the Brain? 50 Years of Research at the Division of Perceptual Studies” For this special Grand Rounds, the DOPS researchers presented their work to medical residents, faculty and staff in the department of Psychiatry & Neurobehavioral Sciences within the UVA School of Medicine. Dr. Jim Tucker presented on children who claim to recall past lives, Dr. Bruce Greyson presented on near-death experiences, and Dr. Kim Penberthy presented on meditation and altered states.

2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011

December 16-18, 2011, Dr. Bruce Greyson travelled to Dharamsala, India to present at the conference, ” Cosmology and Consciousness: A Dialog Between Buddhist Scholars and Scientists on Mind and Matter“. Dr. Greyson’s talk was titled, “Is Consciousness Produced by the Brain?” Click here to learn more about the conference and to view photos of Dr. Greyson presenting the DOPS research to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and to the monks of Dharamsala.
September 2-4, 2011, Dr. Bruce Greyson was one of the key-note speakers at the 2011 International Association of Near Death Studies. The Conference theme was Lives Changed Forever: Aftereffects of Near Death Experiences, Perspectives from Experiencers, Science, and Spirituality
February 25-27, 2011, Chopra Foundation’s Second International Symposium: Sages and Scientisits-The Merging of a New Future Dr. Jim Tucker presented research being conducted at the Division of Personality Studies regarding the investigation of cases in which children claim to remember previous lives. He will present new cases as well as cases he has written about in his book Life Before Life: A Scientific Investigation of Children’s Memories of Previous Lives .
December 8th, 2010, 5:00-7:00, Live Teleseminar, Sponsored by the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS). Dr. Jim Tucker was the speaker on the teleseminar “Life Before Life” which is also the title of his book Life Before Life: A Scientific Investigation of Children’s Memories of Previous Lives . The host of the program is Marylyn Mandala Schlitz, Ph.D.

In the interview, Dr. Tucker challenged the notion that consciousness is only the result of a functioning brain. He suggests that consciousness can be considered separately from the brain, which provides a basis for claims of reincarnation. He also discusses objections to reincarnation: the few persons who actually claim to remember a past life, the fragility of memories, the population explosion, the mind-body problem, fraud, and others. This was a live teleseminar.

2010

October 2nd, 2010, Serenity Ridge Retreat Center in Nelson County, VA, New Directions in the Dialogue between Buddhism and Science This was a one-day workshop with Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, founder and spiritual director of the Ligmincha Institute and the DOPS researchers. There was a guided meditations led by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche in addition to presentations by the DOPS researchers.

Topics covered by the DOPS researchers included:

-Cases of the reincarnation type-Dr. Jim Tucker

-Post-mortem survival-Dr. Emily Williams Kelly

-Near-death experiences-Dr. Bruce Greyson

-Psychic powers or “siddhis”-Dr. Edward Kelly

-Impressions of a Westerner teaching neuroscience to Buddhist monks- Dr. David Presti visiting Neuroscientist from the University of California at Berkeley

A book titled Mind Beyond Brain was created from this collaborative event and published in October of 2018. In Mind Beyond Brain, neuroscientist David E. Presti, together with the distinguished researchers at the UVA Division of Perceptual Studies, engage in the exploration of how evidence for phenomena—such as near-death experiences, apparent memories of past lives, apparitions, experiences associated with death, and other psi or paranormal phenomena, including telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition—can influence the Buddhism-science conversation. Presti describes the extensive but frequently unacknowledged history of scientific investigation into these phenomena, demonstrating its relevance to questions about consciousness and reality. These new perspectives offer significant challenges to dominant explanatory paradigms and raise the prospect that we may be poised for truly revolutionary developments in the scientific investigation of mind. Mind Beyond Brain represents the next level in the science and Buddhism dialogue.

Purchase the book