"Death is not the worst than can happen to men." - Plato

=====================================================
Near-Death Newsletter................................................... April
1, 2005
www.near-death.com .................................... Vol. 04, No. 04, Ed. 01
=====================================================

The Near-Death Newsletter is a free semi-monthly newsletter which is
emailed to subscribers every 1st of the month and every 15th of the
month. The mission of this newsletter is to inform, enlighten, entertain,
and aid the public in understanding the latest in all things concerning
the NDE and related phenomena by promoting the International
Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS), NDE researchers,
experiencers, multimedia resources, and events.

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The Online Version of the Near-Death Newsletter
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Table of Contents
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(1) NDEs in the News
(2) Q & A with Dr. PMH Atwater
(3) Books on the NDE
(4) IANDS in the Spotlight
(5) Odds and Ends

=====================================================
(1) NDEs in the News
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News From P.M.H. Atwater
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CHARLOTTSVILLE, VIRGINIA ----------- (P.M.H. Atwater's Website)
Check out the latest news from P.M.H. Atwater on this web page:
http://www.cinemind.com/atwater/news.html
Announcement: The title to PMH Atwater's next book has changed to:
"Beyond the Indigo Children: The New Children and the Coming of the
Fifth World," due out August/September this year from Inner Traditions,
Rochester, VT. Advance orders for the book can be placed in two months.
PMH Atwater's movie review of "Indigo" can be read on this web page:
http://www.cinemind.com/atwater/AboutIndigo.html
Sign-up for "The Sacred Journey Carribean Cruise" for Sept. 18-26, 2005
at this web page: http://www.cinemind.com/atwater/cruise/cruise.html

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Are You a Cardiac Arrest Survivor? Participate in a Study
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Have you had a cardiac arrest in the past 6 months? Do you know
someone who has? Qualified individuals will participate in a doctoral
dissertation study on the experience of surviving a cardiac arrest. If you
are: age 40-95, a survivor of a cardiac arrest in the past 6 months, not
currently hospitalized, please call John to find out more: (619) 948-4564
Qualified participants will receive a New Life-Style 2000 Activity Monitor
and $25 compensation for their time. Info about the Activity Monitor:
http://www.thepedometercompany.com/nl2000.html

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Aftermath of a Child's Near Death Experience
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(March 3, 2005) ..........................................................
(Buzzle.com)
A child's near death experience enables her to perceive unseen dimensions
and to interact with the dead ... I learned to fly to the ceiling turning flips
in
the ether like a trapeze artist. I looked down on my body as it lay sleeping.
I stretched the perimeters of my room until it felt smooth to me. I let it curl
in upon itself like a nautilus shell. I walked on my "nautilus shell" room
leaving
footprints as if it were wet sand. Then the room would quickly unwind,
spinning me along with it until I ended up in the far corner of the ceiling.
This
dizzying ride was one of my favorite games. As time passed, I realized that
I saw the world in a way that others didn't. I saw people and things that
others could not see. I told my parents about these people and things. They
patronizingly listened to my "stories," and then they smiled and assumed that
I had imaginary friends and some outlandish ideas.
http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/3-1-2005-66442.asp

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Paranormal: Near Death Experiences
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(March 30, 2005) ............................................................
(KFYR TV)
For example ... one night ... in trying to resuscitate a young heart attack
victim ... a man in his 40s ... He says the man was shocked nearly 30 times
... with no result and finally, he cracked the man's chest open and began
actually pumping the man's heart with his hand. We were performing an
internal massage and as this was happening I felt something on the back of
my hip. I thought at first perhaps it was one of the nurses leaning over me
or something so I looked over my shoulder and when I looked over my
shoulder there was no one there... and then obviously I turned to my right
and realized it was the man's hand and he had it on my hip and he was
looking directly at me.
http://www.the-book-of-thoth.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=95

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Near-Death Experiences and UFO Kidnappings
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(April 2, 2005) ...........................................................
(RRRGroup Blog)
Those familiar with the near-death phenomenon, particularly the tunnel
with a bright light at the end of it and a usually benign figure who
comforts the dying person, might find commonality with the UFO abductee
tales and other flying saucer encounters over the years. The near-death
experience is mystical, and can be dealt with along theological lines, or
with the help of William James' The Varieties of Religious Experiences and
more recent tomes such as Raymond Moody's Life After Life ... Our point
here is to note that the tunnel of light might give a clue to what is going on
in the dying episodes and the UFO kidnapping encounters, and this might
involve offputting scenarios to some: time-travel or parallel universes.
http://rrrgroup.blogspot.com/2005/04/near-death-experiences-and-ufo.html
*** Betty Andreasson's alien abduction and NDE:
http://www.near-death.com/experiences/triggers19.html

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Dream a Little Dream - of You
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(March 25, 2005) ......................................... (Tahlequah Daily
Press)
Precognitive dreams - dreams of things to come - are common among
young adults who are expecting a child, said Parrish. It has been her
experience that expectant couples seem to be more open to precognition
about the health, name and even sex of their unborn baby ... After a
near-death experience at age 23, Rev. Carol Parrish initiated a spiritual
mission that led her to found Sancta Sophia Seminary, an esoteric Christian
educational organization. The seminary assists students in discovering the
"Christ-Within" and prepares them to serve humanity.
http://www.tahlequahdailypress.com/articles/2005/03/25/news/top_stories/aaaadrea\
m.txt
*** Rev. Carol Parrish's website: http://www.sanctasophia.org/

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David Stacy Never Thought He Would Live
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(April 1, 2005) ................................................. (Princeton
Union-Eagle)
"By that time, I was completely in a coma," he said, recalling that
his stomach felt as hard as wood. The doctor had told his parents that
David might or might not make it until the next morning. Stacy claims today,
that he had slipped out of consciousness from the food poisoning and
began an out-of-body experience that lasted until the third day, Easter
Sunday and then came to. "It was like I was in the most beautiful place
I had every been in my life," he recalled. "I had no desire to come back."
... But what was most significant, Stacy indicated, was that the experience
had changed his life. "I had a deep desire [after that] to seek after God's
ways," he explained. http://www.hometownsource.com/2005/April/1generations.html

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Man Frozen to Save His Life
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(March 31, 2005) ............................................................
(ABC News)
Doctors freeze man who nearly drowns, bring him back to life. A Christmas
holiday vacation in Mexico was nearly tragic for Dan O'Reilly and his
family. But after a near-death experience - and groundbreaking medical
procedure that brought him back to life - O'Reilly is a grateful, lucky man ...
He showed no signs of life. Attempts to revive him failed and doctors said,
he was without oxygen for about 45 minutes ... "This gentleman was
critically ill," said Joseph Varon, the first physician who examined O'Reilly.
"Basically, he was almost dead to the point that I was about to declare him
brain dead." http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Health/story?id=628745&page=1

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Man Survives Doctor Assisted Suicide Attempt
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(March 6, 2005) .................................................. (Associated
Press)
A terminally ill cancer patient who tried to end his life with drugs
prescribed under Oregon's assisted-suicide law awoke three days
later, alert and talkative, his wife said. David Prueitt, who had lung
cancer, took what was believed to be a fatal dose of a barbiturate
prescribed by his doctor in January. He fell into a coma within minutes,
but woke up three days later, said his wife Lynda Romig Prueitt. Prueitt's
wife told The Oregonian newspaper that he asked, "Why am I not dead?"
Prueitt, 42, lived for two more weeks before dying of natural causes at his
Estacada home, about 35 miles southeast of Portland.
http://wusatv9.com/health/health_article.aspx?storyid=37730

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Mystery of Canine Suicides at Eerie Bridge
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(March 3, 2005) .............................................................
(The Herald)
Animal experts admitted yesterday they had no explanation for a spate
of what appear to be canine suicides – all from the same spot. At least
five dogs have jumped to their deaths from a bridge over a burn at Overtoun
House in the past six months. In the most recent case, a woman out walking
her dog watched in disbelief as her pet suddenly vaulted over the parapet
and plunged 40 feet to its death. Joyce Stewart, a leading animal
behaviourist ... said the pattern of deaths at the bridge was abnormal. She
said: "Dogs are very able to gauge the heights and depths they can safely
jump. Some people will say this is very spooky and would look for another
reason. "I have never heard of a dog committing suicide. Often if they know
they are going to die, they might go into hiding, but I have never heard of
them actually taking their own lives.
http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/34553.html
*** Related news articles:
Jumbo Squid Mass "Suicide" Stumps California Scientists:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/02/0223_050223_giantsquid.html
Mass Suicide of the Whales:
http://www.encounter.co.za/article/24.html
Dolphins Attempt Mass Suicide:
http://searchthefreakingweb.com/node/222
Animal Models of Self-Destructive Behavior and Suicide:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=2\
410895&dopt=Abstract

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Whiteland Boy Honored For Rescuing Grandpa
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(March 14, 2005) .........................................................
(Daily Journal)
Using techniques he had learned in health class and from watching the
Discovery Health channel, he cleared the moss from his grandfather's
mouth and gave him two breaths on the steep bank. Then he ran. By the
time he got back to the pond with his grandfather's friends, Watson had
slid back into the water. Only his face was showing. They waited for
paramedics. They prayed. Watson said he remembers watching his friends
and grandson hover near his body. It was like an out-of-body experience,
he said.
http://www.thejournalnet.com/Main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=113&ArticleID=497\
04

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A Lifesaver For Local Kids
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(March 17, 2005) ............................................................
(CBC News)
After a near-death experience on Duxbury Beach in August 2002, Michael
Carr has made sure the device that saved his life is available to as many
Natick residents as possible. Since Carr suffered a sudden cardiac arrest
and was revived with an automated external defibrillator (AED) two years
ago, he is making it his personal mission to get these small machines into as
many public buildings as possible. Carr and his family recently donated four
defibrillators to the town's elementary schools that did not have one. Thanks
to their generosity, Memorial, Bennett Hemenway, Brown and Johnson
schools all are equipped with defibrillators. Now every public school in Natick
is prepared in case a child or staff member experiences sudden cardiac
arrest.
http://www2.townonline.com/natick/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=216152
*** Related news articles:
National Center For Early Defibrillation: http://www.early-defib.org/
Survivor Stories: http://www.early-defib.org/survivors_real.asp
Red Cross' Automated External Defibrillators (AED) page:
http://www.redcross.org/services/hss/courses/aed.html

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Text From Beyond the Grave (sort of)
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(Feb. 4, 2005) ................................................................
(The Inquirer)
Her handset had received a text message from her dead husband ... Just
before his death he had sent her an affectionate text message.
Subsequently her daughter traveled to Mauritius to sort out his affairs
and while there sent a text back to her mother. When it arrived, buried
away in the daughter's own text was the loving message her husband
had previously sent. The woman treasured this message but it had
disappeared again a few days later when she switched the phone back
on again. She was heart-broken, but then suddenly the exact same
message arrived for a second time. It transpired the second message
coincided with her daughter returning to England and switching her
handset back on again. The [network] might have viewed the original
text as unsent and delivered the message again. But how on earth the two
messages got mixed up remains a mystery.
http://theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=21099

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Website Recruits Dying Patients to Deliver Telegrams to the Dead
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(March 13, 2005) ................................................... (Telegraph
News)
Afterlife Telegrams, a non-profit making organisation, asks those who
wish to contact a dead relative or friend for a "donation" of $5 (£2.60) a
word. The message is then memorised by a terminally ill volunteer who
will endeavour to pass it on when he or she dies. The fee, depending on
the wishes of the messenger, is then given to a relative, a charity or put
towards the payment of medical bills. All the volunteers have a prognosis
of survival for a year or less. If they live longer than a year, the fee is
reimbursed and the telegram is "delivered" free.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/03/13/wdead13.xml&sShe\
et=/news/2005/03/13/ixworld.html
*** Afterlife Telegrams website: http://www.afterlifetelegrams.com/AFTERLIFE/

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Hospital Uses Internet in End-of-Life Care
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(March 17, 2005) ............................................................
(CBC News)
Toronto's Princess Margaret Hospital has launched a website to provide
terminally ill cancer patients with psychological support during their
final days. Princess Margaret offers an integrated palliative care program
that combines medical treatment with information for terminally ill patients
and their families. Its website, Caring to the End of Life, is part of the
initiative, which aims to integrate mind, body and soul. Death and dying
are neglected areas in the field of medicine, noted Gary Rodin, a palliative
care specialist who heads the program. Cancer care and medical treatments
focus on cure for chronic disease, but doctors may not be trained to give
adequate pain relief and emotional support, he said.
http://toronto.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=to-hospital20050317
*** Caring to the End of Life website:
http://www.caringtotheend.ca/index.php?cc=1

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European Cases of the Reincarnation Type
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(April 2005) ............................... (The American Journal of
Psychiatry)
A brief description of a typical case of the reincarnation type would
show the following features: (1) Starting in years 2 - 4, the child
spontaneously narrates details of a previous life. (2) Volume and clarity
of statements from the child increase until ages 5 - 6, when the child
talks less about them. (3) By age 8, remarks about previous life generally
cease. (4) Unexpected behavior unusual for child but concordant with
behavior of deceased person occur, e.g., phobias for guns or special
interests and appetites. (5) In many cases the child has a birthmark or
congenital deformity that corresponds in location and appearance to fatal
wounds on the body of the previous personality. A high number of
reincarnated personalities report violent death, which the child alludes to.
(6) In some cultures the individual who "reincarnates" predicts his or her
next incarnation and may appear in a dream to the expectant mother of
the child to announce an intention to reincarnate in the baby. (7) After
the age of 10 these child subjects usually develop normally.
http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/162/4/823
*** Related news articles:
*** Download the article in PDF format:
http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/reprint/162/4/823.pdf
Download the free Adobe Reader if you don't already have it:
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
*** University of Virginia, Division of Personality Studies website:
http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/internet/personalitystudies/
*** Dr. Ian Stevenson - The Pioneer in Reincarnation Studies:
http://www.near-death.com/experiences/reincarnation01.html
*** Dr. Ian Stevenson's book "European Cases of the Reincarnation Type":
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0786414588/ref=nosim/neardeathexpe-20

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Life After Death: Hope Reincarnated
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(April 3, 2005) ..........................................................
(Deccan Herald)
According to an ongoing research by the National Institute of Mental
Health & Neuro Sciences (Nimhans) and University of Virginia,
"reincarnation appears to be the best interpretation" of the claims of
memories of previous lives "on the basis of the research evidence
available across several cultures (in the East and West)", said Head of
Department of Clinical Psychology, Nimhans, Satwant Pasricha.
"Reincarnation is a possibility with the data we have. However,
there are still many questions that need to be answered," said Dr.
D Nagaraj, director, Nimhans. "The evidence so far suggests that
reincarnation is worth a second look. There are fringe areas but the
findings of researchers who have spent a lot of time on the subject
cannot be rubbished," said Dr. Chitaranjan Andrade, professor of
psycho-pharmacology, Nimhans. Nimhans and University of Virginia
are the only universities in the world working on the subject so far.
Dr. Pasricha has investigated and participated in about 500 cases of
children (referred as subjects) since 1973 who "claim" to remember
previous lives.
http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/apr32005/212835200542.asp

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Has a Famous 19th Century Artist Reincarnated to Discover One of
His Own Drawings?
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(April 1, 2005) .............................................. (Khalsa News
Network)
Peter Teekamp is ant artist and near-death experiencer living in
Washington state who accidentally discovered a drawing that might
be worth millions. He believes the drawing to be an original artwork by
the famous 19th century post-impressionist artist Paul Gauguin. He
discovered the drawing hanging on the wall of a restaurant which he
visited by pure chance. Coincidentally, Teekamp happened to be writing
a book about Gauguin at the time. Having studied Gauguin for many
years, Teekamp knew a Gauguin when he saw one. Eventually he
bought the drawing from its owner for $5,000. After further examination
and an ugly court battle with its previous owner, Teekamp gathered
evidence to support the claim that it is indeed an original Gauguin.
Forensic experts are needed to prove the age of the drawing and
examine the evidence. The concept for a documentary or reality-based
follow-up is being considered. The Wildenstein Institute in Paris is the leading
authority on the works of Gauguin and have been contacted for their
analysis. http://www.peterteekamp.com/kevins_website_page.html

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No Way to Heaven for Born Heathens
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(March 26, 2005) ...................................................... (New
Scientist)
How religious you are as an adult depends at least partly on your
genes, a study of twins suggests. Past studies have found that children
tend to mirror the religious beliefs and behaviour of their parents. Now
a team led by Laura Koenig at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis
has shown that the influence of environmental factors wanes in adulthood,
while genetic factors become more important in determining how religious a
person is. The team asked 169 pairs of identical twins and 104 pairs of
fraternal twins born in Minnesota, all male and in their early 30s, how often
they and their family went to religious services, prayed and discussed
religious teachings compared with when they were growing up. While the
identical twins' behaviour remained similar in adulthood, greater differences
emerged between fraternal twins as they aged (Journal of Personality,
vol 73, p 471). http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=mg18524925.300

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Dr. Claude Swanson Builds Scientific Evidence in Support of the Paranormal
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(March 3, 2005)
.................................................................... (PSI Talk)
Dr. Claude Swanson was educated as a physicist at MIT and Princeton
University ... His principal interest has been unified field theory, the
so-called "Theory of Everything" which could explain the universe at the
deepest possible level. This has led him to investigate many aspects of the
paranormal, which appear to be completely real phenomena which violate
our present science ... At the same time, thousands of out-of-body and
near-death experiences show that other dimensions and other realities do
exist. This has been the domain of speculation by theoretical physics, but
OBE and NDE cases indicate that parallel realities and dimensions are in
some sense real. And finally, paranormal research suggests that the human
soul, the center of human consciousness, can survive death and is
apparently an energy form which can move and exist independently of the
body. Science is discovering that, in the words of the pioneer Robert
Monroe, " we are far more than our physical bodies."
http://www.psitalk.com/swanson.html
*** Dr. Claude Swanson's book "The Synchronized Universe":
http://www.synchronizeduniverse.com/about_book.htm

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The Rational Mystic
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(March 26, 2005) ........................................................
(Dallas News)
More and more research is coming out related to the mind-body connection,
and some investigators have come to the conclusion that the mind is
simply not confined within the brain, that the brain is a vehicle for the
mind, and not the source of the mind. So phenomena like out-of-body
experiences and near-death experiences and so on can only be explained
if we expand our understanding of the mind. The relationship of the mind
and the brain is like the relationship between electricity and a battery.
(May need to register to read.)
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/points/stories/032705dned\
imarkides.aa5dc.html

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Proving the Patient-Doctor Brain Bond, Telepathically
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(March 1, 2005) ........................................................
(Ivanhoe Health)
You've heard of telepathy -- it's when you can communicate with someone
just by thinking about it. Now, a researcher in Seattle says her studies
show that, at least for some people, it works. Leanna Standish, ND, Ph.D.,
a neuroscientist at Bastyr University in Seattle, calls the phenomenon
"distant neural signaling." She agrees it sounds kind of whacky, and she
can't explain why it works with some people and not others, but after
several experiments, she's convinced the phenomenon is real. In one study,
Standish recruited 30 pairs of volunteers who knew each other and in some
cases were related.
http://www.ivanhoe.com/channels/p_channelstory.cfm?storyid=10697
*** Dr. Leanna Standish's website:
http://www.universityhealthclinic.com/seattle-naturopath-leannastandish.html

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Brain Chip Reads Man's Thoughts
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(March 31, 2005) ......................................................... (BBC
News)
A paralysed man in the US has become the first person to benefit from a
brain chip that reads his mind. Matthew Nagle, 25, was left paralysed
from the neck down and confined to a wheelchair after a knife attack in
2001. The pioneering surgery at New England Sinai Hospital, Massachusetts,
last summer means he can now control everyday objects by thought alone.
The brain chip reads his mind and sends the thoughts to a computer to
decipher. He can think his TV on and off, change channels and alter the
volume thanks to the technology and software linked to devices in his
home. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4396387.stm

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New Research Opens a Window on the Minds of Plants
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(March 3, 2005) ...................................... (Christian Science
Monitor)
Hardly articulate, the tiny strangleweed, a pale parasitic plant, can
sense the presence of friends, foes, and food, and make adroit decisions
on how to approach them. Mustard weed, a common plant with a six-week
life cycle, can't find its way in the world if its root-tip statolith - a
starchy
"brain" that communicates with the rest of the plant - is cut off. The
ground-hugging mayapple plans its growth two years into the future,
based on computations of weather patterns. And many who visit the
redwoods of the Northwest come away awed by the trees' survival for
millenniums - a journey that, for some trees, precedes the Parthenon.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0303/p01s03-usgn.html
*** Dr. Tony Trewavas's website:
http://www.biology.ed.ac.uk/plant/pages/staff_pages/T_Trewavas_staffpage.htm

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Inventor of NDEs in Computer Neural Networks Disputes Contentions of
Celebrated Inventors
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(March 15, 2005) .....................................................
(PRNewswire)
For decades, Dr. Thaler has been a pioneer in the area of artificial
intelligence. Beginning with some very highly unorthodox theoretical
physics experiments in 1975, he embarked upon what many AI onlookers,
such as NASA, have called AI's best bet at creating human to trans-human
level intelligence in machines. In these initial, strictly curiosity-driven
investigations, he built, trained, and then destroyed artificial neural networks
and discovered that all of the key features of the core near-death experience
were duplicated within these destruction sequences. Most importantly, he
observed that within their last gasps, expiring neural networks produced
coherent and often useful new ideas. After very careful experimentation, he
discerned those levels of damage producing the highest turnover of such
novel concepts and then attached another neural network to automatically
mine for the best of these emerging ideas. In so doing, he produced an
invention called the "Device for the Autonomous Generation of Useful
Information," or what the attentive public came to know as the "Creativity
Machine Paradigm." http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050315/latu023_1.html
*** Dr. Stephen Thaler's website:
http://www.imagination-engines.com/nde/ndetext.htm

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Schiavo Dies, Ending Bitter Case Over Feeding Tube
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(March 31, 2005) ................................................... (Herald
Tribune)
"Mr. Schiavo's overriding concern here was to provide for Terri a
peaceful death with dignity," Mr. Felos said in an afternoon news
conference. "This death was not for the siblings, and not for the spouse
and not for the parents. This was for Terri." ... It drew religious
conservatives and abortion opponents who took up the Schindlers' cause,
saying no life should end prematurely. And just as the case of Karen Ann
Quinlan prompted a debate nearly 30 years ago over the "right to die," the
Schiavo case seemed to focus as much on the "right to live." ... The Vatican
issued a statement calling Ms. Schiavo's death a "violation of the sacred
nature of life" that had "shocked consciences."
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050401/ZNYT02/50401074\
9
*** Related news articles:
Dehydration is Part of a Natural Death in Humans:
http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_2637805
Terri's Wishes Come First:
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/163/story_16326_1.html
Coma and Persistent Vegetative State:
http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/921394859.html
Right-to-Die Case Highlights Brain Mysteries:
http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2005/apr/05/yehey/enter/20050405ent1.html

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Politics, Hypocrisy Distort Schiavo Case
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(March 31, 2005) ................................................ (The Stanford
Daily)
The ethical dilemma: The debate over euthanasia is significant, but it
is not new. To frame this debate, there are several distinctions that one
ought to make. The first is between active and passive euthanasia. Active
euthanasia involves withdrawing treatment from a patient causing that
patient to die, while passive euthanasia involves withholding potentially
lifesaving treatment from the outset. In essence, it's the difference between
killing someone and allowing someone to die. Regardless, if the patient is
better off dead, then the patient is better off dead. How he or she gets to
that point seems peripheral. The second distinction - between voluntary and
non-voluntary euthanasia - is more important. Voluntary euthanasia occurs
at the informed request of a competent patient, while non-voluntary
euthanasia involves a patient who is not competent to give consent.
http://daily.stanford.edu/tempo?page=content&id=16561&repository=0001_article
*** Related news articles:
Bush Signed Right-to-Die Law in Texas:
http://springfield.news-leader.com/news/morenationworld/20050322-Bushsignedright\
.html
Bush's 'Blind' Justice in Texas Executions:
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0702-04.htm
Tom DeLay Let Brain-Damaged Father Die:
http://www2.cbs5.com/topstories/topstories_story_086205147.html
Bill Frist Has Pulled the Plug Regularly as a Heart Surgeon:
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/wn_report/story/292714p-250596c.html
Bill Frist Views Video, Disputes Schiavo Diagnosis:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6448213/did/7235267/
Jeb Bush Questioned Schiavo Diagnosis Based Upon "Quack" Evidence:
http://mediamatters.org/items/200503300004
Jeb Bush Calls for State Custody of Schiavo:
http://www.nypost.com/news/nationalnews/22703.htm
Schiavo Case Draws Support from Anti-Abortion Movement:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1494271
Schiavo Judge Greer Asked to Leave Church:
http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/9774
Pope Declares Feeding Tube Removal Immoral:
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1079804685953_2?s_name=&no_a\
ds=
Pope's Use of Feeding Tube Prompts Ethical Questions:
http://www.insidebayarea.com/argus/news/ci_2631928
Jerry Falwell Put on Ventilator in Hospital:
http://www.freep.com/news/nw/falwell30e_20050330.htm
Jesse Jackson Jumps Into Florida Right-To-Die Case:
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050329/ts_nm/rights_schiavo_dc
Parents of Schiavo Allow Direct-Mailing Firm to Sell List of Supporters:
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/03/29/news/list.html
The Terry Schiavo Flying Circus:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0504/S00015.htm

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Is Removing Nutrition The Best Way To End a Life?
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(March 13, 2005) ................................................. (Telegraph
News)
Sheila Mclean argues if we are to permit doctors to assist death, then
we owe it to the patient, family and healthcare professionals to decide
what is the most dignified and ethical way to help the patient die ... There
are, therefore, two issues raised by cases of this sort. The first is whether
or not it is ever right to allow someone to die. The second relates to the
method of bringing about the death – would it be more ethical to end the
patient's life by way, for example, of a lethal injection rather than removing
the essentials of life and causing a slow, arguably undignified, death? The
realities of modern life require a principled response to these difficult
questions. http://www.sundayherald.com/48839
*** Related news articles:
Must We All Die With a Feeding Tube?:
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4669899/
Support Right-to-Die Legislation:
http://www.endoflifechoices.org/act/leg_change/index.jsp

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Last Message of Pope John Paul II
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(April 4, 2005)
................................................................... (OpEdNews)
The Pope had refused to go back to the hospital, when his health
began to seriously deteriorate, and perhaps prolong his life with the
latest artificial life support system ~ all of which were available to him ~
but, instead, he chose to welcome his death and, in the process, teach
us his greatest lesson ... Elizabeth Kubler Ross is correct when she
writes, " Death may be viewed as the curtain between the existence
we are conscious of and one that is hidden from us until we raise the
curtain." We can raise the curtain now if we stop being controlled by fear
and begin to trust and express our deepest feelings ~ especially love and
our deepest urge to unite and cooperate with one another. And yes, that
was, in essence, the last message of Pope John Paul II.
http://www.opednews.com/roland_040405_pope.htm

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John Paul II's Death a Blessing Not Thwarted by Medical Science
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\
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(April 5, 2005) .............................................................
(Herald Tribute)
All who care about the pope, who chose not to be returned to a
hospital, have reason to be thankful that he simply died. At the hospital,
who knows? Could doctors have used some desperate measure to stabilize
him in some near-death state, and kept him there for hours or days or
weeks, maybe even years, with or without his awareness? Imagine how
much worse, how pointlessly unaccepting of death, that could have been.
Imagine if he had fallen into a condition like the one Terri Schiavo suffered,
with the pope's body stabilized but his higher brain function gone. Some
brave cardinal could have eased a lot of people's confusion by better
studying the medical evidence in Terri Schiavo's case. Such a cardinal
could have said, months ago, that there was no hope in her case,
either. No hope, I mean, that conscious human life would return to her body,
because her cerebral cortex, which had been destroyed and largely
replaced by spinal fluid, could not regrow.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050405/COLUMNIST36/504\
050364

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Equating Body With Spirit Confuses Issue
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(March 17, 2005) ..................................................... (Palm
Beach Post)
The pope has for years insisted that the most elemental biological
definition of the body's existence is, in fact, life. He argues to preserve
a zygote as a human being at the beginning of the human process and the
body, devoid of spirit, at its end. He has chosen to combat contraception,
abortion and euthanasia in such a way as to make life, as he understands
it, the ultimate good. No situation, no medical condition can justify modifying
his absolute interpretation. That is simplistic thinking in the face of terribly
complex issues ... Still, a clutch of politicians has recently joined the pope
in insisting that even the questionable biological functioning of a body is life
and that nothing should threaten it ... The life of a human being is precious,
unique, to be preserved and honored. The artificially continued existence
of a body without that life is medical manipulation.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/accent/epaper/2005/04/01/a3e_gushee\
_0401.html
*** Related news articles:
Vatican: Tube Withdrawal an Execution:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4884621,00.html
When Does an Embryo Become a Person?:
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3861/is_200201/ai_n9064043
Stem-Cell Research is Pro-Life:
http://news.bostonherald.com/opinion/view.bg?articleid=76444

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Archive of NDEs in the News
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\
-------------------------
Read all the major news articles concerning the NDE and related
phenomenon from 1995 to current. This is a permanent archive to
ensure that these news articles will always be available on the internet.
http://neardeath.home.comcast.net

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Free Email Alerts
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\
-------------------------

*** Sign up to receive free news email alerts from GOOGLE News
concerning the "near-death experience." http://www.google.com/alerts?q=&hl=en

*** Sign up to receive free news email alerts from YAHOO News
concerning the "near-death experience." http://alerts.yahoo.com/

=====================================================
(2) Q and A with Dr. P.M.H. Atwater
An in-depth look at the near-death phenomenon
=====================================================
In this section of the newsletter, PMH Atwater will answer a question
submitted to her from subscribers to this newsletter. If you have a
question that you would like her to answer for this column, just email
your question to me at: webmaster@... for consideration.

P.M.H. Atwater's latest books are entitled:
"The New Children and Near-Death Experiences":
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1591430208/ref=nosim/neardeathexpe-20
"We Live Forever: The Real Truth About Death":
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0876044925/ref=nosim/neardeathexpe-20

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SEPTEMBER 18 - 26, 2005:
Take the Sacred Journey Cruise to the Caribbean with P.M.H.
and Terry Atwater for a Seminar at Sea. Learn more here:
http://www.cinemind.com/atwater/cruise/cruise.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\
-------------------------

QUESTION: "I had all the beautiful usual 'symptoms' and the continuing
absolute awareness of 'truth,' but I also had one I've never seen retold.
When I was back in my body after the emergency Caesarean, in which I
stopped breathing for 45 minutes and was stone cold gone, when I came
back, for weeks my body felt like someone had draped a heavy skeleton
over me. I was hunched over with the weight of it and had to learn to
move with it again. I shuffled rather than walked, turned like a robot
rather than a human. Every joint was sooooooooo hard to manipulate and it
seemed like such a complicated process. To get a wrist to move in order to
work fingers was such a conscious effort and they creaked and grated,
bone against bone, very unpleasant but not painful. It was like my mind was
processing the movement of bone, sinew, tissue, muscle, joints - literally as
if someone had draped a body over me and I had to figure out how to work
it, like a puppeteer being inside a mannequin. It felt very cumbersome and
very unevolved. My initial delight years after when I discovered other people
had experienced the tunnel and the light of pure love, has always niggled
that no one else seems to report this dysfunction of the body and soul on
rejoining. It's funny, even though I had had a Caesarean, it didn't seem to be
that area that grated. Moving a finger was a slightly comical process. My
story is, of course, much bigger, but I wonder if you've ever heard of this
strange misfit approach on reintegration?" -- Jenny

ANSWER by PMH ATWATER: "I had to laugh at your description of
reintegration. Please don't misunderstand me. I mean no disrespect, but I
dealt with something similar myself after two of my three near-death
experiences. Yes, I have heard of this before with others, many times in
fact, but not told in quite the same manner that you did - of a skeleton draped
over you, the weight, the discomfort. You are the first to use such an
analogy. Let me say, though, that it is not unusual for an experiencer to feel
"out of sorts" or somehow alienated from his or her physical body upon
re-entry and afterwards ..."
[Read more at http://www.near-death.com/atwater/index.html ]

P. M. H. Atwater, L.H.D.
http://www.cinemind.com/atwater/
http://www.near-death.com/atwater.html
Marketplace (a public service):
http://www.cinemind.com/atwater/rosen.html

=====================================================
(3) Books on the NDE
=====================================================

*** The NDE Online Store includes NDE books, videos, movies,
documentaries, magazines, and other media.
http://associatesshop.filzhut.de/shop/index.php?ID=62ed2010a2e86954f2f1f2020e105\
6af

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More Than Meets the Eye: True Stories About Death, Dying and Afterlife
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by Yvonne Perry .....................................................
(Availability: Now)
In her new book, "More Than Meets the Eye," Yvonne Perry address topics
that many people are not comfortable talking about - such as suicide, the
near-death experience, end of life decisions, grief and other emotions
regarding the passing of a loved one. Her chapter on euthanasia comes
from her own experience with her beloved uncle who was kept alive on
machines against his will for almost a year. In the chapter entitled, "Let Go
of my Toe" she gives a heart-rending account of her uncle's plight and his
spirit visits to her in his final days. Imagine her surprise when a year after
his death she encountered his spirit at a 7-11 store smoking a cigarette and
drinking Coke! http://www.yvonneperry.net/

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Mortal Minds: The Biology of Near Death Experiences
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by Dr. G.M. M. Woerlee ...........................................
(Availability: Now)
The author is an NDE skeptic and an anesthesiologist with more than
twenty years of hospital experience, Dr. Woerlee has been struck over the
years by the similarities between the body's symptoms under anesthesia
and its reactions near death. Among the issues he addresses are the
sensations of being disembodied that those near death often describe, the
perception that mind and body are separate components of existence,
whether there is such a thing as a soul, the physical effects of decreased
oxygen to the brain, and the visions that the dying sometimes report, from
rapturous experiences of eternal peace to diabolical dreams.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1591022835/ref=nosim/neardeathexpe-20
*** Dr. G.M.M. Woerlee's website:
http://www.mortalminds.org/
*** Dr. Woerlee's friendly debate with Kevin Williams:
http://www.near-death.com/experiences/articles009.html
*** Titus Rivas' book review of "Mortal Minds":
http://members.lycos.nl/Kritisch/mortalrev.html

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Eyes of an Angel: Soul Travel, Spirit Guides, Soul Mates, and the
Reality of Love
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by Paul Elder ................................................... (Availability:
April 2005)
Open a psychic doorway to the spirit world ... That's exactly what
happened to Paul Elder following a NDE at the age of 41 - a psychic
doorway opened and his ordinary life has never been the same. Except
that Paul Elder's life has never been ordinary. A former television news
reporter and mayor of a Canadian city, Elder gained international recognition.
Now, as a result of his spiritual experiences and publication of this book, he
will be known as a brave pioneer and outspoken advocate for the personal
and scientific study of the spirit world around us. Passing repeatedly through
that psychic doorway, Elder returned with a series of stunning revelations
as to our true nature and purpose in the universe. A compelling, inspiring,
and important book, Eyes of an Angel integrates near-death and out-of-body
experiences in a way that has never been done before. A story of hope and
courage that can instantly change millions of lives, it will give readers of
books like "Conversations with God" inspiration to create their own
dialogue with their own spirit guides and Gods. Quite unlike any other
book on the market, Eyes of an Angel offers a gripping, first-hand account
of a remarkable spiritual adventure. Its story will keep you spellbound, while
its messages resonate deep within your soul. Neale Donald Walsch says the
following about the book: "If you want to open your own conversation with
God, this is a book you should read."
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1571744290/ref=nosim/neardeathexpe-20
*** Read Chapter One excerpt about his NDE:
http://www.hamptonroadspub.com/bookstore/product_info.php?products_id=399&ex=55&\
osCsid=a690843010aa9e2bcf09da2cd9150282

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Don't Kiss Them Good-Bye
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by Allison DuBois
.....................................................(Availability: Now)
Her visions have helped solve crimes; her instincts have helped find
missing people; she can predict future events and sense your thoughts.
These are some of the extraordinary gifts that define the remarkable Allison
DuBois, the real-life medium, wife, and mother whose life is the inspiration
for the hit NBC television series "Medium." When she was six years old,
Allison's deceased great-grandfather came to her with a message for her
mother: "I am okay, I am still with you. Tell your mom there's no more pain."
Allison shared his comforting words with her mother and thus began a
lifetime of creating connections between loved ones and those they have
lost. The purpose of her gifts became clearer when Allison worked as an
intern in the homicide bureau of the district attorney's office and found that
she visualized the crime as she handled the evidence. Allison now works
as a profiler on criminal investigations. In this stunning book, Allison shares
fascinating stories of her encounters with people who have passed
and her adventures as a profiler for various law enforcement
organizations. If you have ever questioned whether there is an afterlife,
this book will help you see that there is a living energy beyond death.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/074328190X/ref=nosim/neardeathexpe-20
*** Allison DuBois' website: http://www.allisondubois.com/
*** NBC Television program "Medium" website: http://www.nbc.com/Medium/

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The Mind-Body Problem and Its Solution
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\
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by Carey R. Carlson ...............................................
(Availability: Now)
Over the last century scientists have made tremendous strides in
understanding the physical nature of the universe and the biochemical
nature of life. Yet the most salient feature of individual lives - our
day-to-day
consciousness and experience of the world, or "sentience" - remains
stubbornly immune to scientific explanation. This divide is called the
"mind-body problem," and it is centuries old. In this book, author Carey
Carlson performs two valuable tasks. First, he lays out the mind-body
problem in crystalline common-sense prose. Second, he proposes
an intriguing solution based on the work of early twentieth-century
philosophers Bertrand Russell and Alfred North Whitehead. This book
will be of interest both to general readers of science and philosophy and
to those steeped in the literature.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/092963635X/ref=nosim/neardeathexpe-20

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"I'm Still Here"
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by Martha Pierce Copeland .................................... (Availability:
Now)
The American Association of Electronic Voice Phenomena (AA-EVP
Publishing) has released a book detailing the story of how author, Martha
Copeland, has learned to continue her relationship with her daughter,
Cathy, even though Cathy's physical lifetime was ended in an automobile
accident. "I'm Still Here" chronicles the compelling, true story of a parent's
deepest pain - losing a child - and the remarkable healing journey resulting
in actual contact beyond life's veil. Despite the apparent finality of death
from
an automobile accident, Cathy has managed to transmit messages to her
mother and others via audio segments captured on various voice recording
equipment. Electronic Voice Phenomena, or EVP, is one of the ways that
communication with our deceased loved ones is possible. EVP is just
beginning to be understood ... yet it has been experienced by people all over
the world since the advent of modern electronic devices.
*** Press Release: http://www.bookcatcher.com/index.php?a=2&b=246
*** Buy the book "I'm Still Here": http://www.evpcommunications.com/
Listen to some EVP audio clips:
http://www.evpcommunications.com/evpdownloads.htm

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Proof of God: A Near-Death Experience and Spiritual Life
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by Elizabeth Daniele
...............................................(Availability: Now)
After a NDE in the 1980's, Elizabeth began to have a lifetime of
extraordinary experiences including out-of-body