It is told that Buddha, going out to look on life, was greatly daunted by death.
"They all eat one another!" he cried, and called it evil. This process I examined,
changed the verb, said, "They all feed one another," and called it good.
-- Charlotte Perkins Gilman
=======================================================Near-Death Newsletter October 1, 2006
www.near-death.com Vol. 05, No. 10, Ed. 01
=======================================================
Table of Contents
(1) News from P.M.H. Atwater
(2) News from IANDS
(3) NDEs in the news
(4) Q and A with Dr. P.M.H. Atwater
(5) Books on the NDE
(6) IANDS in the spotlight
(7) Odds and ends
=======================================================(1) News from P.M.H. Atwater
=======================================================
(a) 2006 IANDS annual conference: http://tinyurl.com/fkl25
(b) "We Live Forever" on A.R.E. Press top ten books" http://tinyurl.com/evott
(c) Indigo children: Fact or fiction? http://tinyurl.com/q5vej
(d) DVD / video of NDE presenters: http://tinyurl.com/hx7zl
(e) When polarities merge: http://tinyurl.com/zwtyf
(f ) Special announcement from the Energy Alliance about the new children:
http://tinyurl.com/fuehj
(g) White buffalo - Impossible but true! http://tinyurl.com/z59r4
-- Atwater's NDE news website: http://www.cinemind.com/atwater/news/
-- Atwater's NDE news blog: http://atwaterndenews.blogspot.com/
-- Atwater's Blogger profile: http://www.blogger.com/profile/25661403
-- Atwater's Q & A blog: http://pmhatwater.blogspot.com/
=======================================================(2) News from IANDS
=======================================================
2006 IANDS Conference in Houston, TX on Oct. 25-28: http://tinyurl.com/qwqlk
-- Segment 1 schedule (Oct. 25-26): http://tinyurl.com/hl3j3
-- Segment 2 schedule (Oct. 27-28): http://tinyurl.com/frro2
List of conference presenters (a "Who's Who" of NDE research):
Janis Amatuzio, MD -- http://tinyurl.com/p4la3 PMH Atwater, LHD -- http://tinyurl.com/myh7g
Nancy Evans Bush, MA -- http://tinyurl.com/s6wpw Maggie Callanan, RN -- http://tinyurl.com/pon9e
Diane Corcoran, PhD -- http://tinyurl.com/mlj6r Evelyn Elsaesser-Valarino -- http://tinyurl.com/lz3ky
Peter Fenwick, DPM -- http://tinyurl.com/phdzm Bruce Greyson, MD -- http://tinyurl.com/mal46
Jan Holden, EdD -- http://tinyurl.com/ltymm Bruce Horacek, PhD -- http://tinyurl.com/p6fgy
Debbie James, MSN -- http://tinyurl.com/plyuz Allan Kellehear, PhD -- http://tinyurl.com/l7b5j
Richard E. Kelly, EdD -- http://tinyurl.com/n37zo Pamela M. Kircher, MD -- http://tinyurl.com/ohovv
Jeffrey Long, MD -- http://tinyurl.com/m75dg Jason MacLurg, MD -- http://tinyurl.com/rvr46
Farnaz Masumian, MA -- http://tinyurl.com/pw5lc Raymond Moody, PhD -- http://tinyurl.com/l95bh
Russell Noyes, MD -- http://tinyurl.com/pnyom Sam Parnia, PhD -- http://tinyurl.com/py5jd
Alexander Peralta, Jr, MD -- http://tinyurl.com/rmn7g Penny Sartori, PhD -- http://tinyurl.com/qbutv
Kimberly C. Sharp, MSW - http://tinyurl.com/qmswj Cherie Sutherland, PhD - http://tinyurl.com/lrd4u
Scott Taylor, EdD -- http://tinyurl.com/ncf67 Pim van Lommel, MD -- http://tinyurl.com/nryko
Ken R. Vincent, EdD -- http://tinyurl.com/on7gp Deborah Wilkinson, EdD -- http://tinyurl.com/pm4ln
IANDS news links:
(a) IANDS news home: http://www.iands.org/news/
(b) Latest news: http://www.iands.org/news/latest/
(c) Research news: http://www.iands.org/news/research/
(d) Education news: http://www.iands.org/news/education/
(e) Conference news: http://www.iands.org/news/conference/
(f ) IANDS press kit: http://tinyurl.com/grfr4
IANDS multimedia links:
(a) IANDS online store: http://iands.org/shoppingcart/
(b) Subscribe to IANDS mailing list: http://tinyurl.com/al9lq
(c) New IANDS multimedia downloads: http://tinyurl.com/7gypm
(d) CD-ROMs and audio from IANDS: http://tinyurl.com/8u37n
(e) Free PDF ebooks from IANDS: http://iands.org/brochures.html
=======================================================(3) NDEs in the News
=======================================================
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[+] Near-death experience, consciousness, and the brain
A new concept about the continuity of our consciousness based on recent
scientific research on near-death experience in survivors of cardiac arrest)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(June 2006) (Ingenta Connect)
Although there is no relationship between NDEs and religious belief prior to the
experience, there are strong associations between depth of NDE and religious
change after the experience ... NDEs do not necessarily promote any one particular
religious or spiritual tradition over others, but they do foster general spiritual growth
both in the experiencers themselves and in human society at large. -- http://tinyurl.com/n6hju
--- REFERENCE: Bibliography of Bruce Greyson's publications: http://tinyurl.com/m53na
--- ARTICLE: Bibliography of Division of Perceptual Studies publications: http://tinyurl.com/76wzt
--- WEBSITE: Bruce Greyson's web page: http://tinyurl.com/hyt3d
--- SCHOLAR: Google Scholar listing of Bruce Greyson: http://tinyurl.com/qcvpy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[+] Psychiatrists use near-death experiences to help survivors
(Chinese doctors use NDEs from one of history's deadliest earthquake)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(July 25, 2006) (People's Daily Online)
Chinese psychiatrists are using the near-death experiences (NDE) of victims of the
mammoth earthquake in Tangshan 30 years ago to help people through similar
traumas today. They believe the experiences of survivors of the quake, which claimed
240,000 lives and razed the city of 1.3 million, are helpful for disaster relief efforts
and for those dealing with failed suicide attempts. Feng Zhiying, a psychiatrist who
has been specialized in NDE research for nearly 20 years, has begun, with his
colleagues, to put their research findings into clinical use. -- http://tinyurl.com/jtlm4
--- RELATED: "Glimpse of the afterlife" -- Chinese NDE Research: http://tinyurl.com/f87q7
--- REFERENCE: Wikipedia listing for "1976 Tangshan earthquake": http://tinyurl.com/gda9f
--- ARTICLE: "NDE research on Tangshan survivors": http://tinyurl.com/gwf5r
--- ARTICLE: "Tangshan: The deadliest earthquake": http://tinyurl.com/3oxpd
--- SCHOLAR: "Community attitudes toward NDEs: A Chinese study": http://tinyurl.com/k3gbd
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[+] Research on near-death experiences shared
(Thirty years of research will be represented at the IANDS Conference)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(October 2006) (CancerWise)
Conference topics include: Medicine's changing views towards NDEs; Practical
applications of NDE research for clinical care; The effects of NDEs on couple
relationships; NDE and the mind-brain relationship ... The event is a physician-patient
subject area of importance, says Michael Fisch, M.D., associate professor in
M. D. Anderson’s Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology who is helping
coordinate the event. “There is a lot of worry about death that happens in cancer care,”
Fisch says. “Near-death experiences happen to some of our patients. Some patients
are toward the end of life, and some are destined to be long-term cancer survivors,
but the fact is that patients may have a near-death experience or have hopes (or fears)
around this topic. http://tinyurl.com/lbqg5
--- REFERENCE: UT M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston: http://tinyurl.com/qsewj
--- BROCHURE: IANDS conference brochure (pdf): http://tinyurl.com/pgpj2
--- WEBSITE: IANDS conference information page: http://tinyurl.com/qwqlk
--- MAP: M.D. Anderson Center map and driving directions: http://www.tmcmaps.info/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[+] Early near-death experiences
(An interesting article by Michael Prescott)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(September 20, 2006) (Michael Prescott's Blog)
"As I've noted elsewhere, I'm interested in NDEs - particularly those that were reported
before 1975, when Raymond Moody's "Life After Life" popularized the concept.
A good source of such accounts is Robert Crookall's 1964 book "More Astral Projections"
(out of print, hard to find), which contains a section on out-of-body experiences reported
by "people who nearly died." Crookall lists 25 cases of this type, most of which bear
obvious similarities to what are now called NDEs. Here is a much-abbreviated sample ...
http://tinyurl.com/jfxbz
--- REFERENCE: "Who was Robert Crookall?": http://tinyurl.com/jpyb7
--- ARTICLE: "NDEs in the past": http://tinyurl.com/fx6se
--- BLOG: Michael Prescott's blog: http://michaelprescott.typepad.com/
--- BOOKS: All titles by Michael Prescott: http://tinyurl.com/f3d5r
--- BOOKS: All titles by Robert Crookall: http://tinyurl.com/h24zm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[+] Theories of telepathy and afterlife cause uproar at top science forum
(Two modern-day "Galileos" cause an uproar with the "High Priests")
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(September 06, 2006) (Times Online)
Scientists [Dr. Rupert Sheldrake and Peter Fenwick, DPM] claiming to have evidence
of life after death and the powers of telepathy triggered a furious row at Britain’s
premier science festival yesterday. Organisers of the British Association for the
Advancement of Science (the BA) were accused of lending credibility to maverick
theories on the paranormal by allowing the highly controversial research to be
aired unchallenged. Leading members of the science establishment criticised
the BA’s decision to showcase papers purporting to demonstrate telepathy and
the survival of human consciousness after someone dies. They said that such ideas,
which are widely rejected by experts, had no place in the festival without challenge
from sceptics. http://tinyurl.com/hvhvv
--- WEBSITE: The official site of Rupert Sheldrake: http://www.sheldrake.org/
--- ARTICLE: Rupert Sheldrake's rebuttal against his critics: http://tinyurl.com/z7z3h
--- BOOKS: All titles by Rupert Sheldrake: http://tinyurl.com/ky2tb
--- REFERENCE: Peter Fenwick biography and resources: http://tinyurl.com/kg2vq
--- LECTURE: Peter Fenwick's outstanding NDE lecture: http://tinyurl.com/8upsm
--- BOOKS: All titles by Peter Fenwick: http://tinyurl.com/z6tvb
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[+] Tests suggest telephone telepathy is real
(Rupert Sheldrake's telepathy research that caused a self-righteous uproar)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(September 07, 2006) (Mind Power News)
The commonest kind of apparent telepathy in the modern world takes place in connection
with telephone calls. About 80 per cent of the population claim to have had experiences
in which they think of someone for no apparent reason, then that person calls; or they
know who is calling when the phone rings, before picking it up. Many people have had
similar experiences with e-mails. http://tinyurl.com/jskbh
[An email example from Kevin: Recently, when I found out that my Dad has cancer, I decided
to bring over to him a "care package" containing a variety of goodies including a copy
of the best NDE book I have ever read - Ken Ring's "Lessons From The Light." So I
put Ken's book in the box and decided to check my email before I went to visit my Dad.
One of the emails I downloaded was one by Ken Ring himself letting me know that
an updated edition of "Lessons" has just been released. This was one of the few greatest
synchronistic experiences I have ever had. First of all, it had been well over 2 years
since I corresponded with Ken - so it was a pleasant surprise to hear from him. Secondly,
the synchronicity of the experience felt like a "kiss from heaven" that I had chosen wisely
in selecting the correct NDE book to help prepare my Dad for his death which may be
only a few years away.
--- RESEARCH: Rupert Sheldrake's research overview: http://tinyurl.com/kx9zg
--- ARTICLE: "Michael Shermer - Do skeptics play fair?": http://tinyurl.com/k3uuc
--- PORTAL: Rupert Sheldrake's online experiments portal: http://tinyurl.com/hjyl5
--- PAPERS: Rupert Sheldrake's scientific papers: http://tinyurl.com/g2qpq
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[+] Of death, dying and the possibility of a hereafter
(An article by a renowned cardiologist of how both he and a dying patient had a
spiritual experience which convinced him that death is a transition, not an ending.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(March 1, 2006) (Buzzle.com)
Father More was simultaneously dying, and moving into another realm, an inner journey
that opened him to a oneness with the divine, and an absolute peace he had never
before imagined. His prayers had been answered. At the moment of his passing,
Father More’s last words were, "I’m coming home to God." Father More’s confrontation
with death opened me to possibilities that were nonexistent in the scientific and
intellectual traditions in which I had been raised. Over time, I began to explore realities
that transcend those we know through science and technology. As the physicist Werner
Heisenberg wrote, "Scientific concepts cover only a very limited part of reality, and the
part that has not yet been understood is infinite." -- http://tinyurl.com/lecna
--- WEBSITE: The official site of Dr. Richard Helfant: http://www.richardhhelfantmd.org/
--- ARTICLES: Writings by Dr. Richard Helfant: http://tinyurl.com/h4u84
--- BOOK: "Courageous Confrontations: Lives Transformed by Life-Threatening Illness":
http://tinyurl.com/lsw4r
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[+] "Lie back and think of Jesus"
(Fay Weldon, a famous atheist and feminist, has a NDE and is transformed)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(September 5, 2006) (Guardian Unlimited)
Last year, she had a near-death experience. Her heart stopped because of an allergic
reaction. It was then that she saw the gates of paradise. "They were very vulgar, very
middle-class with very rich colours and double glazed," she says, giggling. "Then your
team, which was the doctors, you could tell, was sort of prodding you back one way
and a sort of strange Cerberus with long limbs was trying to drag you through to the
other side. It wasn't pleasant. It might be easier for there to be no afterlife and not to
have a soul," she says. Unfortunately for her, she believes in both. Her new book of
advice for younger women concludes with a chapter entitled "Releasing Something Here
Inside," in which Weldon, who has been spending the previous 230 pages tilting at
Darwinians and other nasty materialists, writes: "The soul is the essential part of us,
the inner recognisable core which stays the same while the body which ties us down changes."
http://tinyurl.com/oflo7
--- REFERENCE: Wikipedia listing for Fay Weldon: http://tinyurl.com/qk566
--- WEBSITE: The (un)official site of Fay Weldon: http://tinyurl.com/m3wzk
--- BOOKS: All titles by Fay Weldon: http://tinyurl.com/rhn6m
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[+] Back from the dead
(A small but passionate group of doctors say that electricity applied
deep in the brain can jolt patients out of irreversible comas.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(September 2006) (Wired Magazine)
Edwin Cooper has been sent, or has sent himself, to about 60 severely brain-injured
people since the mid-1980s, when he first made the accidental discovery that electrical
stimulation had effects on arousal. He was using a neuro-stimulator to relieve spasticity
in the limbs of microcephalics, people with abnormally small skulls who often have
reduced mental capacity and poor muscle control. During the treatment, he recalls,
one patient started looking around his room and smiling when people walked in, instead
of staring blankly. Cooper had already observed that when he placed the stimulator on
one arm of a quadriplegic patient to strengthen the muscles there, the opposite arm
also got stronger. He concluded that the electricity was making its way to the brain,
crossing to the opposite hemisphere, and stimulating arousal centers in the process.
He began to wonder about the effect this might have on unconscious people. "I thought,
if someone were normal and able-bodied but in a coma, maybe this would make a
difference, maybe help wake them up," Cooper says. "It was like maybe we could
reboot the brain." -- http://tinyurl.com/qtz4e
--- REFERENCE: Wikipedia "functional electrical stimulation (FES)": http://tinyurl.com/zge87
--- ARTICLE: FES resource guide (pdf): http://tinyurl.com/el7mv
--- WEBSITE: Cleveland FES center: http://fescenter.case.edu/
--- SCHOLAR: "Electrical treatment of reduced consciousness: experience with coma and
Alzheimer's disease": http://tinyurl.com/6y3nr
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[+] Doubt cast over brain "God spot"
(There is no single "God spot" in the brain, Canadian scientists say)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(August 30, 2006) (BBC News)
A University of Montreal team found Christian mystical experiences are mediated by
several brain regions. Researchers asked 15 nuns to recount mystical experiences
while studying them on MRI scanners, the journal, Neuroscience Letters reported.
There has been much debate about how the brain reacts during connections with
God among religious followers. Some people went as far as suggesting there was
a specific brain region designed for communication with God. But the researchers
claim this study discredits those theories. Nuns are said to experience Unio Mystica -
the Christian notion of a mystical union with God - during their 20s. Researchers asked
the nuns aged 23 to 64-years-old to recount such mystical experiences and measured
their brain activity through MRI scans. They found increased activity in at least 12 regions
of the brain, including areas normally involved with self-consciousness and emotion.
http://tinyurl.com/jetbm
--- WEBSITE: Matthew Alper's "The God part of the brain" site: http://www.godpart.com/
--- WEBSITE: "Spirituality and the brain" website: http://www.innerworlds.50megs.com/
--- RELATED: "God on the brain": http://tinyurl.com/9qmhj
--- RELATED : "Is God a state of mind?": http://tinyurl.com/gjrcl
--- RELATED: "God spot is found in brain": http://tinyurl.com/2rq5x
--- RELATED: "This is your brain on God": http://tinyurl.com/yr62y
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[+] Study: Human hands emit light
(Has the energy of the human "soul" been detected?)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(September 6, 2005) (Discovery News)
Human hands glow, but fingernails release the most light, according to a recent study
that found all parts of the hand emit detectable levels of light. The findings support
prior research that suggested most living things, including plants, release light. Since
disease and illness appear to affect the strength and pattern of the glow, the discovery
might lead to less-invasive ways of diagnosing patients. Mitsuo Hiramatsu, a scientist
at the Central Research Laboratory at Hamamatsu Photonics in Japan, who led the
research, told Discovery News that the hands are not the only parts of the body that
shine light by releasing photons, or tiny, energized increments of light.
http://tinyurl.com/d963a
--- REFERENCE: Wikipedia on "biophoton": http://tinyurl.com/7naod
--- ARTICLE: Presentation of Dr. Mitsuo Hiramatsu: http://tinyurl.com/e6m6f
--- WEBSITE: International Institute of Biophysics: http://www.lifescientists.de/
--- SCHOLAR: "Ultra-weak photon emission from human hand: Influence of temperature
and oxygen concentration on emission: http://tinyurl.com/gfezw
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[+] Scientists turn dead cells into live tissue
(Breakthrough could mean new treatments for diseases of the brain)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(September 24, 2006) (The Observer)
Scientists working at a British laboratory have achieved one of the most controversial
breakthroughs ever made in the field of stem cell science by taking cells from dead
embryos and turning them into living tissue. The technique could soon be used to
create treatments for patients suffering from diseases such as Alzheimer's and
Parkinson's, the researchers say. The breakthrough has been hailed by many scientists
and ethical experts because it could circumvent opposition to stem cell experiments.
"This should get round opposition to stem cell science because live embryos will no
longer need to be used in all experiments,' said Professor Miodrag Stojkovic, the
researcher who carried out the experiments at the Centre for Stem Cell Biology at
Newcastle University last year. -- http://tinyurl.com/n7jqc
--- REFERENCE: "The ethics of genetics" comprehensive report: http://tinyurl.com/s6ofm
--- RELATED: "Dead embryos can be used to make new stem cells": http://tinyurl.com/mpaxu
--- WEBSITE: The Centre for Stem Cell Biology and Developmental Genetics: http://tinyurl.com/ovjto
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[+] "Resurrecting" bacteria's secret revealed
(Could this be the molecular basis of resurrection?)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(September 27, 2006) (National Geographic News)
Death is the ultimate fate for most bacteria blasted by huge doses of radiation or
parched by a severe lack of water. The genetic material irreversibly splinters into
hundreds of pieces, dooming the organisms as surely as Humpty Dumpty. But a
few bacteria can "resurrect" themselves by quickly piecing their DNA back together -
a strange ability that has mystified biologists for decades. Now researchers have
figured out how one species of these phoenix-like bacteria can rise from the ashes.
A group led by Miroslav Radman, a molecular geneticist at Université René Descartes
in Paris, France, announces its findings today on the Web site of the journal Nature.
Radman's group studied a bacteria called Deinococcus radiodurans, which survives
in sunbaked deserts and rock surfaces. -- http://tinyurl.com/okdbr
--- REFERENCE: Wikipedia on "deinococcus radiodurans": http://tinyurl.com/p7yn7
--- REFERENCE: An excellent overview of genetics: http://tinyurl.com/px7xv
--- RELATED: "Miracle microbes thrive at Earth's extremes": http://tinyurl.com/pgkld
--- RELATED: "Cheating DNA death: How an extremophile repairs shattered
chromosomes": http://tinyurl.com/s4zch
--- WEBSITE: The International Society for Extremophiles: http://extremophiles.org/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[+] Woman In vegetative state communicated through her thoughts
(A new way to detect awareness in the vegetative state)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(September 8, 2006) (Medical News Today)
A woman who had suffered severe brain injury in a car accident and was in a vegetative
state managed to communicate just by using her thoughts, say scientists from the
UK and Belgium. They scanned her brain and discovered that she was able to
understand verbal commands - she could even visualize herself playing tennis
when verbally triggered to do so by the scientists. The scientists could not say how
common this ability might be among other patients who are diagnosed as being
in a "vegetative state". They added that she might be one in a million, as all vegetative
patients are different and have damage to different parts of their brain. -- http://tinyurl.com/hbl5h
--- REFERENCE: Wikipedia on "persistent vegetative state": http://tinyurl.com/oaaxj
--- ABSTRACT: "Detecting awareness in the vegetative state": http://tinyurl.com/pymuh
--- WEBSITE: NINDS traumatic brain injury information page: http://tinyurl.com/m75r2
--- SCHOLAR: "Is she conscious?": http://tinyurl.com/n5uar
--- E-BOOK: "The vegetative state: Medical facts, ethical and legal": http://tinyurl.com/p4rbs
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[+] Is your brain really necessary?
(A student without a brain earns a degree in mathematics)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(September 2006) (AlternativeScience.com)
The student in question was academically bright, had a reported IQ of 126 and was
expected to graduate. When he was examined by CAT-scan, however, Lorber
discovered that he had virtually no brain at all. Instead of two hemispheres filling
the cranial cavity, some 4.5 centimetres deep, the student had less than 1 millimetre
of cerebral tissue covering the top of his spinal column. The student was suffering
from hydrocephalus, the condition in which the cerebrospinal fluid, instead of
circulating around the brain and entering the bloodstream, becomes dammed up inside.
Normally, the condition is fatal in the first months of childhood. Even where an individual
survives he or she is usually seriously handicapped. Somehow, though, the Sheffield
student had lived a perfectly normal life and went on to gain an honours degree in mathematics.
http://tinyurl.com/6usk3
--- WEBSITE: The Alternative Science website: http://www.alternativescience.com/
--- ONLINE BOOK: "Shufflebrain: The Quest of Hologramic Mind": http://tinyurl.com/hcund
--- RELATED: "Running on empty": http://tinyurl.com/hmm9p
--- RELATED: "Brain, mind, and altered states of consciousness": http://tinyurl.com/eatbv
--- RELATED: "The top 10 mysteries of the mind": http://tinyurl.com/jgytu
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[+] Out-of-body experiences traced to brain zaps
(And the cause of OBEs is not relevant to whether OBEs are transcendent)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(October 3, 2006) (Chicago Tribune)
They are eerie sensations, more common than one might think: A man describes
feeling a shadowy figure standing behind him, then turning around to find no one
there. A woman feels herself leaving her body and floating in space, looking down
on her corporeal self. Such experiences often are attributed by those who have
them to paranormal forces. But according to recent work by neuroscientists,
delivering mild electric current to specific spots in the brain can induce them. In one
woman, for example, a zap to a brain region called the angular gyrus resulted in a
sensation that she was hanging from the ceiling, looking down at her body. In another
woman, electrical current delivered to the angular gyrus produced an uncanny feeling
that someone was behind her, intent on interfering with her actions.
http://tinyurl.com/ktopt
--- ARTICLE: "People see verified events while out-of-body": http://tinyurl.com/pwz9b
--- ARTICLES: Esolibris on astral projection: http://tinyurl.com/kqk3q
--- WEBSITE: Out of Body Experience Research Foundation: http://www.oberf.org/
--- SCHOLAR: "Dissociation in people who have near-death experiences:
Out of their bodies or out of their minds?": http://tinyurl.com/h2og4
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[+] First teleportation between light and matter
(A "supernatural" concept becomes scientific fact)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(October 04, 2006) (Scientific American)
At long last researchers have teleported the information stored in a beam of light
into a cloud of atoms, which is about as close to getting beamed up by Scotty as
we're likely to come in the foreseeable future. More practically, the demonstration
is key to eventually harnessing quantum effects for hyperpowerful computing or
ultrasecure encryption systems. Quantum computers or cryptography networks
would take advantage of entanglement, in which two distant particles share a
complementary quantum state. In some conceptions of these devices, quantum
states that act as units of information would have to be transferred from one group
of atoms to another in the form of light. -- http://tinyurl.com/kvwok
--- REFERENCE: Wikipedia on "quantum teleportation": http://tinyurl.com/rtoou
--- RELATED: "Spooky action and beyond": http://tinyurl.com/ah9j8
--- WEBSITE: Max Plank Institute of Quantum Optics: http://www.mpq.mpg.de/
--- BOOK: "Entangled minds: Extrasensory experiences in a quantum reality"
by Dean Radin: http://tinyurl.com/owegq
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[+] Ghosts might be all in the mind
(And the brain has not explained the mind fully)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(October 7, 2006) (SwissInfo.org)
Got the feeling somebody is looking over your shoulder, but you can't see anyone?
Never fear, Swiss researchers have shown it might all be in your head. Tests on a
brain-surgery patient recently revealed that stimulating part of the brain could generate
this sensation of an unwelcome presence ... They were trying to determine whether
a patient suffering from severe epilepsy could undergo surgery to alleviate her seizures.
Olaf Blanke and his colleagues were using electrodes surgically implanted a few
days earlier to locate the source of the seizures " often lesions within the brain.
http://tinyurl.com/f6zj5
--- REFERENCE: Wikipedia Mind and Brain portal: http://tinyurl.com/mnk4q
--- ARTICLE: "Out of body experiences and the angular gyrus of the brain": http://tinyurl.com/q27ee
--- ARTICLE: "Electrodes trigger out-of-body experience": http://tinyurl.com/qr9u3
--- WEBSITE: Laboratory of cognitive neuroscience: http://tinyurl.com/pw6p7
--- SCHOLAR: "Induction of an illusory shadow person": http://tinyurl.com/pce66
--- SCHOLAR: All papers by Olaf Blanke: http://tinyurl.com/oaans
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[+] Child psychiatrist says past-life memories not so uncommon in kids
(But in the West, parents tend to dismiss their child's "imaginary" ideas )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(July 25, 2006) (ABC News)
From the ages of 2 to 6, James Leininger seemed to recall in striking detail a
"past life" he had as a World War II Navy pilot who was shot down and killed over
the Pacific. The boy knew details about airplanes and about pilot James Huston Jr.
that he couldn't have known. James' parents say he also had terrible nightmares
about a plane crashing and a "little man" unable to get out. James, now 8, stills loves
airplanes, but he is free of those haunting images of the pilot's death. "He's doing
great. He's your typical 8-year-old boy ready to start third grade," said James' mother,
Andrea Leininger. Jim Tucker, a child psychiatrist and medical director of the Child
and Family Psychiatric Clinic at the University of Virginia, is one of the few researchers
to extensively study the phenomenon of children who seem to have memories of past lives.
http://tinyurl.com/klbml
--- REFERENCE: Wikipedia on "reincarnation": http://tinyurl.com/kxk4j and http://tinyurl.com/gslty
--- ARTICLE: Interview with Jim Tucker on "What is Enlightenment" Site: http://tinyurl.com/gq54c
--- WEBSITE: The official site of Jim Tucker, MD: http://lifebeforelife.com/
--- RELATED: "Parents think boy is reincarnated pilot": http://tinyurl.com/c3ce3
--- BOOK: "Life before life: A scientific investigation of children's memories of previous lives"
by Jim Tucker, M.D.: http://tinyurl.com/7m9pz
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[+] Miscellaneous science news
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
--- Computer game tests for telepathy: http://tinyurl.com/njswv
--- Human brain wired to believe in supernatural: http://tinyurl.com/kyxjn
--- Neuroscientists find God in mushrooms: http://tinyurl.com/fwtf4
--- Surfing the web with nothing but brainwaves: http://tinyurl.com/rqbun
--- Virtual online worlds: Living a second life: http://tinyurl.com/gpdw9
--- Anti-matter discovery could alter physics: http://tinyurl.com/g692u
--- A new “theory of everything” is gaining ground: http://tinyurl.com/g2koy
--- Doctor leads time travel research: http://tinyurl.com/k97de
--- Top 10: Weirdest cosmology theories: http://tinyurl.com/fj73j
--- The day the Earth fell over: http://tinyurl.com/ev4j7
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[+] 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
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~[+] Free Email Alerts
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
** Sign up to receive free news email alerts from GOOGLE News
concerning the "near-death experience." http://www.google.com/alerts
** Sign up to receive free news email alerts from YAHOO News
concerning the "near-death experience." http://alerts.yahoo.com/
=======================================================(4) Q and A with Dr. P.M.H. Atwater
An in-depth look at the near-death phenomenon
=======================================================
In this section of the newsletter, P.M.H. 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.
QUESTION: "Do all lifeforms have a soul?"
ANSWER: http://pmhatwater.blogspot.com/2006/08/do-all-lifeforms-have-soul.html
QUESTION: "How can I understand and integrate near-death and otherworldly states?"
ANSWER: http://pmhatwater.blogspot.com/2006/07/how-to-understand-and-integrate-near.html
QUESTION: "Is personality stored in celluar DNA?"
ANSWER: http://pmhatwater.blogspot.com/2006/06/is-personality-stored-in-celluar-dna.html
QUESTION: "Who 'sends' us our dreams?"
ANSWER: http://pmhatwater.blogspot.com/2006/06/who-sends-us-our-dreams_01.html
QUESTION: "One-third of NDEs may be unpleasant" and the Nelson sleep study
ANSWER: http://pmhatwater.blogspot.com/2006/05/one-third-of-ndes-may-be-unpleasant_01.html
=======================================================(5) Books on the NDE
=======================================================
--- NDE books and videos are available at the Near-Death Online Store: http://tinyurl.com/bk3td
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[+] "Lessons from the Light: What we can learn from the near-death experience"
by Kenneth Ring, Evelyn Elsaesser Valarino, Caroline Myss (Foreword) -- http://tinyurl.com/gx6qf
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[+] "Irreducible mind: Toward a psychology for the 21st century"
by Edward Kelly, Emily Kelly, Bruce Greyson, Adam Crabtree, Michael Grosso,
and Alan Gauld (includes a CD containing FWH Myers's classic "Human Personality"
and selected contemporary reviews) -- http://tinyurl.com/zoxlw
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[+] "The ultimate journey: Consciousness and the mystery of death"
by Stanislav Grof -- http://tinyurl.com/f4l4j
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[+] "The hypnotic use of waking dreams: Exploring near-death experiences
without the flatlines" -- by Paul Schenks - http://tinyurl.com/eqpty
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[+] "Life after death: The Burden of proof" -- by Deepak Chopra -- http://tinyurl.com/l3md4
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[+] "Ghost hunters: William James and the hunt for scientific proof of life after death" -- by Deborah Blum - http://tinyurl.com/fdrsc
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[+] "The Biology of belief" -- by Dr. Bruce Lipton (Audio CD - Nov 2006) http://tinyurl.com/zcdg4
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[+] "Remote viewing" -- by David Morehouse (Audio CD - Oct 2006) http://tinyurl.com/jw9nc
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
=======================================================(6) IANDS in the spotlight
=======================================================
IANDS is the premier research organization in the field of near-death studies.
If you haven't yet joined this wonderful organization, I encourage you to join online
at their membership page. There are many benefits for being a member.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~DATE: October 25-28, 2006
EVENT: 2006 IANDS North American Conference
VENUE: University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A once-in-a-lifetime conference on NDEs will be held on October 25-28 at the
University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, one of the
world’s largest medical complexes. Co-sponsored by the International Association
for Near-Death Studies (IANDS), the conference will feature almost all of the
world’s leading NDE researchers presenting the most current research on
near-death experiences. This type of gathering will not happen again for many years "
most of the world’s top investigators presenting cutting-edge research in a major
medical facility.
For full details, schedules, and Registration for the October 25-28 Conference,
go to http:www.iands.org .
=======================================================(7) Odds and ends
=======================================================
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=======================================================Copyright (c) 2006 Near-Death Experiences & the Afterlife
=======================================================
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